An early diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease ( NAFLD) is meaningful to the prevention and cure of diabetes and cardiovascular disease ( CVD). The sensitivity and specificity of qualitative methods vary greatly, and these methods do not quantify liver fat content. Pathological diagnosis is a quantitative method, but it is invasive and inappropriate for clinical application. The establishment of H Magnetic Resonance Spectrum (1H MRS) opened up a brand-new era for noninvasive liver fat quantification. This review systemically introduces the new progress in noninvasive diagnosis of NAFLD.

Accurate determination of hepatic fat content is essential for investigating the quantitative association between hepatic steatosis and multiple metabolic disorders,and is of great significance in determining the beginning and goal for clinical intervention.More attention has been focused on establishing a non-invasive,simple and accurate method for determining hepatic fat content.Recently,a computer-aided ultrasound quantitative method may provide a new way for single and accurate estimation of hepatic fat content.

The purpose of the present work is to observe cGMP positive cells after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion in the gerbil hip-pocampus. Immunofluorescent methods were used in gerbil hippocampal tissue slices. The results showed that after cerebral is-chemia cGMP synthesis in the CAi-a subfields was increased, cGMP positive cells were distributed mainly in CA1 subfield. Mostof cGMP positive cells were astrocytes. The number of small round cGMP positive cells were increased after recirculation follow-ing ischemia in the dentate gyrus. These results indicate that after cerebral ischemia cGMP synthesis was increased in the CA1-asubfield, It is possible that astrocytes play an important role in the regulation of metabolism in the early stage after ischemia-reperfusion.

AIM: To investigate the effect of Ginkgo biloba extrac (GBE) on cerebral ischemia during early stage of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). METHODS: Noncraniotomy models of SAH in Wistar rats were used and animals were divided into sham-operated group, SAH group and SAH+GBE group. Dynamic change of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was detected. Brain endothelin-1(ET-1) and calcium contents were also determined at different time point during 24 hours after the operation. Pathological change of neurons of hippocampus CA1 region was observed. RESULTS: In SAH group, rCBF decreased immediately and persistently after induction of SAH. Values of brain ET-1 content and calcium content at 1 hour, 6 hours and 24 hours were significantly higher than those in sham-operated group. Neurons of hippocampus CA1 region were damaged severely 3 days after onset of SAH. Above abnormal changes in SAH+GBE group were much slighter than those in SAH group. CONCLUSION: GBE may relieve cerebral ischemic damage after SAH.

AIM: To investigate the changes of somatosensory evoked potential(SEP), nitric oxide (NO) levels both in serum and in brain tissue after subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH) and the influence of Ginkgo biloba extract(GBE) on them. METHODS: Wistar rats were divided into sham-operated group, pure SAH group and GBE-treated group. Dynamic changes of regional cerebral blood flow( rCBF),SEP, and NO levels both in serum and in brain tissue were detected within 24 hours after operation. RESULTS: In pure SAH group, rCBF decreased immediately after operation, with no tendency to recover within 24 hours. Latency of SEP delayed progressively from 1 hour to 24 hours after SAH.NO levels in serum and in brain tissue decreased and increased respectively from 1 hour to 24 hours after SAH. GBE effectively antagonized the changes of above parameters. CONCLUSION: SEP is useful in the judgement of cerebral ischemic damage after SAH. Decrease of serum NO and increase of brain NO are important factors leading to cerebral vasospasm and neural damage respectively after SAH. GBE relieves cerebral ischemic damage by reversing the pathological alterations of NO.

AIM: To investigate the pathological feature of neuron in the process of lymphostatic cerebro dema.METHODS: The model of lyphostatic cerebro edema was established by occluding and removing both the shallow and deep cervical lymph nodes in rats. The tissues of their brains were studied at different times after the operation, under light-microscope (HE stain and TUNEL stain) and electron-microscope.RESULTS: Cerebroedema appeared 2 days after the blockage of cervical lymphatic. Apoptosis and necrosis of neuron were observed in cerebral cortical of parietal lobus and hippocampal CA1 sector mainly. The alterations above were most noticeable at fifths day after the blockage. CONCLUSION: The blockage of the drainage of the cerebral lymphatic can lead to lymphastatic cerebroedema. Neuronal apoptosis and necrosis was the main pathological feature in the brain.

AIM: To investigate the changes of somatosensory evoked potential(SEP), nitric oxide (NO) levels both in serum and in brain tissue after subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH) and the influence of Ginkgo biloba extract(GBE) on them. METHODS: Wistar rats were divided into sham-operated group, pure SAH group and GBE-treated group. Dynamic changes of regional cerebral blood flow( rCBF),SEP, and NO levels both in serum and in brain tissue were detected within 24 hours after operation. RESULTS: In pure SAH group, rCBF decreased immediately after operation, with no tendency to recover within 24 hours. Latency of SEP delayed progressively from 1 hour to 24 hours after SAH.NO levels in serum and in brain tissue decreased and increased respectively from 1 hour to 24 hours after SAH. GBE effectively antagonized the changes of above parameters. CONCLUSION: SEP is useful in the judgement of cerebral ischemic damage after SAH. Decrease of serum NO and increase of brain NO are important factors leading to cerebral vasospasm and neural damage respectively after SAH. GBE relieves cerebral ischemic damage by reversing the pathological alterations of NO.

Objective To evaluate the severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) and progressive liver fibrosis(stage＞2)in hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) by using NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS).The risk factors associated with progressive fibrosis were also analyzed.Methods A total of 721 hospitalized patients with T2DM and uhrasound verified NAFLD were involved.The history information and laboratory examinations were collected,NFS was calculated.The low cutoff score (-1.455) of NFS was used to exclude,and high cutoff score (0.676) to further accurately diagnose progressive fibrosis.Results (1) A total of 721 subjects (male/female 371/350) were diagnosed as NAFLD by ultrasound.In those subjects,173 patients were with progressive fibrosis (24.0％),111 patients without progressive fibrosis (15.4％),and 437 patients (60.6％) with NFS ranged from-1.455 to 0.676.(2) Aging,raised body mass index,aspartate amino transferase/alanine aminotransferase (AST/ALT) ratio,lowered albumin,and platelet were risk factors for progressive fibrosis of NAFLD.In addition,NFS was positively correlated with duration of diabetes,waist circumference,SBP,glycated albumin (GA),and GA/HbA1c(all P＜0.01),and negatively with red blood cell count,hemoglobin,white blood cell count (WBC),total cholesterol (TC),triglyceride,apolipoprotein-B,ALT,γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (all P＜0.01),AST,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (all P＜0.05).(3) Logistic stepwise regression analysis showed diabetes duration,waist circunference,and GA were positively correlated with progressive liver fibrosis(OR =1.182,1.076,1.074,all P＜0.01),and negatively with WBC and TC (OR =0.613,0.703,all P＜0.01).Conclusions The detection rate of progressive fibrosis in patients with NAFLD and T2DM was approximately 24.0％ by applying NFS.Only 15.4％ of those subjects could be excluded from progressive fibrosis.It suggests that we should be alert to the risk of liver fibrosis in patients with type 2 diabetes.

AIM:To investigate the effect of cervical lymphatic blockage(CLB)on blood pressure(BP)in conscious unrestrained rats.METHODS:Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were adopted and randomly divided into two groups as Sham operated group and CLB group.By means of monitoring hemodynamic change in conscious unrestrained rats,twenty-four-hour blood pressure(SBP,DBP and MAP),blood pressure variability(BPV),heart rate(HR)and heart rate variability(HRV)were respectively measured before sham and cervical lymphatic blockage operation as their baseline and at 1st,3rd,7th,11th,15th days after operation.Meanwhile,arterial baroreflex sensitivity(BRS)was measured before and at 1st,7th,15th days after operation.RESULTS:SBP,DBP,MAP and HR significantly decreased at 1st day after CLB operation and their lowest values appeared at 7th day.The tendency of their alternation was descending early and then ascending whereas reverse alterations of BPV and HRV were observed.BRS reduced in CLB rats with no apparent recovery from 7th day.CONCLUSION:CLB results in reduction of blood pressure and dysfunction of nervous regulation on cardiovascular system in conscious unrestrained rats.