The morbility of depression in epilepsy patients is relatively high,and children and adolescents are the main population of epilepsy.Because of the specific physical and mental development in children and adolescents,the incidence and medication in these population have their own characteristics.This paper reviews the research progress of the effects,causes,features,and interventions of epilepsy combined with depression in children and adolescents.

Comorbid depression and chronic pain are highly prevalent in individuals suffering from physical illness .Here, we critically examine that inflammation is the possible mechanism of comorbidity of pain and depression .These mechanisms include direct effects of cytokines on the neuronal environment or indirect effects via downregulation of G protein -coupled receptor kinase 2, activation of the tryptophan-degrading enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase that generates toxic kynurenine metabolites .We review the role of in-flammation in the mechanism of the commorbidity of depression and pain .

Objective 4-Hydroxyisoleucine (4-HIL) is the active component isolated from the seeds of Trigonella foenum-graecum. It exerts broad pharmacological effects such as anti-hyperglycemia,blood lipid lowing,improvement of insulin resistance,etc. As the Chinese traditional medicine,it can be used clinically in treating many diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus,dyslipidemia,metabolic syndrome,fatty liver and other diseases. Here the current research status and application prospect on 4-Hydroxyisoleucine were summarized.

To investigate the effects of manual acupuncture at Shenmen (HT7) or Taiyuan (LU9) on the attention function of the brain, and to lay an experimental foundation for researching brain function and integration mechanisms of the human brain in relation to acupuncture stimulation.

Objective　To investigate the mechanism affecting on permeability of vascular endothelial cell by nitric oxide (NO). Methods　Series concentration of sin-1（a donor of NO） were added to ECV 304, a cell line of human umbilical vein endothelium. Cell growth and expression of f-actin, a cytoskeleton protein were observed. Results　Cell growth was inhibited with a dose from 6.25 to 100 μmol/L and was caused to death at the concentration of 50 to 100 μmol/L by sin-1. The expression of f-actin was suppressed obviously after cultured with 100 μmol/L sin-1 for 4 hours. Conclusion　It suggests that anomaly increased NO can increase permeability of blood vessels by suppressing the expression of f-actin, inhibiting cell growth or even resulting in cell death.

Objective To investigate and evaluate the clinical value of full endoscopic transnasal transphenoidal approach for the surgery of pituitary adenomas.Methods Seventy-two patients,who underwent full endoscopic transnasal transphenoidal approach for the surgery of pituitary adenomas,were selected from the Medical Center of Pituitary Adenomas of our hospital from January 2009 to March 2012.To retrospectively investigate pre- and post-operation symptoms,hormone levels,images information,operation information,complications,following-up information and so on.Results Among the 72 consecutive patients,there were 22 nonfunctioning adenomas,twenty-four prolactin secreting adenomas,seven somatotropin secreting adenomas,five adrenocorticotropic hormone secreting adenomas,one thyrotropin secreting adenomas,and 13 multi-secreting adenomas.The tumor removal was total in 56(77.8％),subtotal 13(18.0％),and partial 3(4.2％).Five cases had CSF leaks,and 6 diabetes insipidus.After 3-24 months of follow-up,the levels of increasing-hormone declined to normal levels in most patients.Conclusion Full endoscopic transnasal transphenoidal approach for the surgery of pituitary adenomas is a kind of technique which is safe,minimally invasive,having less complications and fast recovery.However,it is necessary for surgeons to accept systematic and specialized training,and own advanced equipments.

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Changji'an Capsule (CA) on mRNA expressions of neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the hypothalamus and colon and serum levels of adreno-cortico-tropic hormone (ACTH) in rats of diarrhea predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) model rats.

METHODSTotally 48 SD rats were randomly divided into six groups, i.e., the normal control group, the model group, the Pinaverium Bromide group (PB, 0.018 g/kg), the high dose CA group (2.812 g/kg), the medium dose CA group (1.406 g/kg), and the low dose CA group (0.703 g/kg), 8 in each group. The IBS-D rat model was established by using separation of breast milk + stimulation of acetic acid + constraint of four limbs. Normal saline was given to rats in the normal control group and the model group. All medication lasted for 14 successive days by gastrogavage. The serum content of ACTH was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expressions of NPY mRNA in the colon and the hypothalamus were detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, the serum ACTH content significantly increased (P < 0.01), the NPY mRNA expression in the colon and the hypothalamus obviously decreased (P < 0.01) in the model control group. Compared with the model group, the serum ACTH obviously decreased in the high dose CA group, the medium dose CA group, and the PB group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The NPY mRNA expression in the colon and the hypothalamus were obviously up-regulated in the high dose CA group, the medium dose CA group, the low dose CA group, and the PB group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSCA could modulate the abnormity of brain-gut axis of IBS-D rats possibly by up-regulating NPY mRNA expressions in the hypothalamus and the colon and down-regulating the ACTH content in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; blood ; Animals ; Colon ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Hypothalamus ; metabolism ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; metabolism ; Male ; Neuropeptide Y ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Abstract: Our previous work revealed berberine can significantly enhance the susceptibility of fluconazole against fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans, which suggested that berberine has synergistic antifungal activity with fluconazole. Preliminary SAR of berberine needs to be studied for the possibility of investigating its target and SAR, improving its drug-likeness, and exploring new scaffold. In this work, 13-substitutited benzyl berberine derivatives and N-benzyl isoquinoline analogues were synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR and MS. Their synergetic activity with fluconazole against fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans was evaluated in vitro. The 13-substitutited benzyl berberine derivatives 1a-1e exhibited comparable activity to berberine, which suggested that the introduction of functional groups to C-13 can maintain its activity. The N-benzyl isoquinolines, which were designed as analogues of berberine with its D ring opened, exhibited lower activity than berberine. However, compound 2b, 2c, and 4b showed moderate activity, which indicated that berberine may be deconstructed to new scaffold with synergistic antifungal activity with fluconazole. The results of our research may be helpful to the SAR studies on its other biological activities.
Antifungal Agents ; pharmacology ; Berberine ; pharmacology ; Candida albicans ; drug effects ; Drug Resistance, Fungal ; Drug Synergism ; Fluconazole ; pharmacology ; Isoquinolines ; pharmacology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests

This study was purposed to investigate the efficacy of different whole flow lysis reagents for lysis of red blood cells in flow cytometric analysis. The expression of immunocytes was detected by flow cytometry after lysis of red blood cells using commercial reagents (Optilyse C, FACS Lysing Solution) and self-made red blood cell lysis reagents (RBC Lysis Buffer), the detection results were analyzed comparatively. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the percentage of CD3e(+), CD3e(+)CD4(+), CD3e(+)CD8a(+), CD3e(-)CD19(+), CD3e(-)NK1.1(+) and Gr-1(+) cells between 3 different lysis reagent groups. However OptiLyse C solution was suitable to Gr-1(+) cell detection, but did not suit to Foxp3(+) Treg detection. The self-made RBC Lysis Buffer and FACS Lysing Solution were suited to Foxp3(+) Treg detection. It is concluded that the use of self-made RBC Lysis Buffer for flow cytometry can get the lysis efficiency of commercially available lysis solutions when samples are prepared in accordance with standardized procedure. The self-made RBC Lysis Buffer not only can satisfy experimental requirements, but also can reduce the experimental costs.
Animals ; Erythrocyte Count ; Erythrocytes ; immunology ; metabolism ; Flow Cytometry ; instrumentation ; methods ; Immune System ; immunology ; Indicators and Reagents ; analysis ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

OBJECTIVEFunctional defects in NK cells have been proposed to be responsible for the impairment of anti-tumor immune responses. However, it remained unclear whether the function of NK cells were impaired in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. To address this issue, we analyzed the frequency and function of peripheral NK cell subsets in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.

METHODS35 HCC patients and 24 healthy controls (HC) were enrolled in the study. Peripheral NK frequency was analyzed using flow cytometry. In addition, the capacity of NK cells to produce IFN gamma and to lyse K562 cells was evaluated.

RESULTSIn contrast with the healthy controls, the frequency of peripheral NK cells in hepatocellular carcinoma patients was decreased (12.19%+/-10.85% vs 24.01%+/-8.78%, u = 4.01, probability value less than 0.01), while the frequency of CD56(bright)CD16(neg) NK cells was increased (0.62%+/-0.39% vs 0.48%+/-0.28%, u = 1.96, probability value less than 0.05), and the frequency of CD56(dim)CD16(pos) NK cells was significantly decreased (11.59%+/-7.49% vs 22.66%+/-8.84%, u = 3.92, probability value less than 0.01). In addition, peripheral NK cells from HCC patients exhibited decreased capacity to produce IFN gamma (effective cells 13.31%) and to lyse K562 cells (mixed ratio 30:1, 10:1, 1:1, effective cells 16.72%+/-7.33% vs 26.29%+/-12.36%, u = 2.52, P less than 0.05, 8.01%+/-4.40% vs 13.09%+/-5.03%, u = 3.32, probability value less than 0.05, 3.51%+/-2.82% vs 3.42%+/-1.64%, u = 1.56, probability value more than 0.05, respectively) as compared with healthy subjects.

CONCLUSIONAnti-tumor activity of NK cells in HCC patients was impaired.

Adult ; CD56 Antigen ; immunology ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; immunology ; Case-Control Studies ; Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic ; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Interferon-gamma ; metabolism ; K562 Cells ; Killer Cells, Natural ; immunology ; Liver Neoplasms ; immunology ; Lymphocyte Subsets ; immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Receptors, IgG ; immunology