Objective To explore the feasibility of combining anterior and posterior fontanelle acoustic windows for fetal median sagittal plane cranial scanning in prenatal ultrasound.Methods From July 5 to August 25 in 2012,200 pregnant women in Huai'an First Hospital at 22 to 24 gestational weeks accepted transabdominal uhrasonography,with anterior fontanelle,longitudinal suture and posterior fontanelle as acoustic windows to obtain the median sagittal plane.In the mean time,ten aborted or induced fetuses (with malformations or maternal complications) underwent cranial ultrasound with the same acoustic windows.The successful rates of obtaining median sagittal plane were calculated.Data were analyzed by Chi-square test.Results (1) Among the ten aborted or induced fetuses,all median sagittal planes were successfully obtained through anterior,posterior fontanelle,or longitudinal suture alone.(2) Among the 200 cases of prenatal uhrasonography,the successful rate of obtaining median sagittal plane through posterior fontanelle alone was 76.0％(152/200),which was higher than that through anterior fontanelle alone [59.5％ (119/200),x2=12.5,P＜0.01].The successful rate was 95.5％ (191/200) when combining the anterior and posterior fontanelle,which was higher than that through anterior fontanelle or posterior fontanelle alone (x2 =74.3 and 31.1,both P＜0.01).The successful rate of obtaining median sagittal plane through posterior fontanelle was 67.3％ (65/102) in cephalic presentation,which was also higher than that through anterior fontanelle [37.3％ (38/102),x2 =14.3,P＜0.01].The successful rate was 88.8％ (87/98) through posterior fontanelle in non-cephalic presentation,which was similar to that through anterior fontanelle [82.7％(81/98),x2 =1.5,P＞0.05].When both anterior and posterior fontanelle applied,the successful rate in cephalic presentation was 9.8％ (10/102),lower than that in non-cephalic presentation fetuses [71.4％ (70/98),x2 =79.1,P＜0.01].Conclusions The successful rate in obtaining median sagittal plane through posterior fontanelle is higher than that through anterior fontanelle,and might be increased when both anterior and posterior fontanelle were used.

Objective To investigate the effects of music therapy in treating cognitive dysfunction in early stroke patients. Methods Forty patients who had suffered a stroke in the previous four weeks were randomly di-vided into two groups of 20. One received music therapy as part of their cognitive training ( observation group) , and the other did not (control group). Before and after 6 weeks of treatment, cognitive functioning was evaluated using the second Chinese edition of Loewenstein's occupational therapy cognitive assessment (LOTCA). The patients' a-bility in the activities of daily living was also evaluated using the modified Barthel index (MBI). Results After treatment, the total LOTCA and MBI scores in both groups were significantly higher than before. Both LOTCA and MBI scores in the observation group were significantly higher than in the control group, and there were also signifi-cant differences between the observation and control groups on all of the LOTCA sub-items except spatial percep-tion. Conclusions Music therapy can improve the effects of rehabilitation on cognition and the ADL ability of early stroke patients.

Objective To study the effects of enriched rehabilitative training on the expression of microtu-bule associated protein 2 (MAP-2) and synaptophysin (SYN), and to explore its relationship with brain plasticity. Methods Seventy-seven male Wistar rats weighing 160 to 200 g were randomly divided into an ischemia + enriched rehabilitation group (IE, n=36), an ischemia + standard rehabilitation group(IS, n=8), a sham ischemia + en-riched rehabilitation group (SE, n=21) and a sham ischemia + standard rehabilitation group (SS, n=12). Rats in the ischemia groups had their middle cerebral artery sutured for two hours before reperfusion, while those in the sham groups had a similar operation without occlusion. The enriched groups were given enriched rehabilitative train-ing, while the standard groups were left without any training. Behavioral tests, including the acrobatic performance, were administered once daily 2 days after operation, and SP staining of MAP2 and SYN were used to observe the func-tional recovery and brain plasticity changes among the groups at 1,7, 14, 21 and 28 days after the operations. Re-sults Acrobatic performance times reduced gradually. Bederson scores were significantly better in the IE than in the IS group by the 28th day after the operation). There was no significant difference between IE and IS groups in a foot fault test). The expression of MAP-2 and SYN around the infarct and in the hippocampus decreased significantly at first), then recovered gradually. The expression of MAP-2 and SYN in the IE group was significantly higher than that in the IS group at various time points of observation). Conclusion Enriched rehabilitative training can improve functional recovery and the expression of MAP-2 and SYN after brain ischemia, and the functional enhancement may attribute to the brain plasticity.

Objective To investigate the changes of the neuron-specific enolase(NSE) and soluble intercellar adhesion molecule-1(CAM-1) in serum and cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) in the patients with viral encephhalites (VE). Methods The levels of NSE and sICAM-1 in serum and CSF were determined before and after treatment using ELISA in 58 patients with VE and 20 normal persons. Results The levels of NSE and sICAM-1 in serum before treatment were obviously higher than those of control group, and their differences were significant (P0.05). Conclusions NSE and sICAM-1 may contribute to pathologic course in infection of VE and the levels of NSE and sICAM-1 in serum and CSF may serve as markers of differential diagnosis and clinical significance.

OBJECTIVE: To establish the kanamycin-induced deafness model in SD rats, and to investigate the expression and significance of transmembrane protease, serine 3 (TMPRSS3) in the cochlea following kanamycin ototoxicity. METHODS: A total of 40 male SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups. The experimental rats received intramuscular kanamycin sulfate for 3, 7, and 14 consecutive days, and the control group were treated with normal saline for 14 days. Auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were obtained before and after the kanamycin administration. The expression of TMPRSS3 in the cochlea was identified and detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. RESULTS: Kanamycin-induced deafness model in the SD rats was successfully established. ABR thresholds were increased and the expression of TMPRSS3 in the cochlea was reduced after the kanamycin injection (P<0.01). CONCLUSION TMPRSS3 may play an important role in normal cochlea function and involve in the process of aminoglycoside antibiotics induced deafness.
Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; toxicity ; Cochlea ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Deafness ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem ; physiology ; Kanamycin ; toxicity ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Serine Endopeptidases ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To observe the expression of proteinase transmembrane protease, serine 3 (TMPRSS3) in mouse cochlea, and to investigate the significance of TMPRSS3 in the inner ear. METHODS: The protein expression of TMPRSS3 in C57/BL mouse cochlea was identified and detected by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Different cochlear tissues, such as spiral ganglion neurons, corti organ, stria vascularis and so on, were separated to detect the gene expression of TMPRSS3 by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The cochlear tissues with different ages were collected and the expression of TMPRSS3 mRNA was detected by qPCR. RESULTS: TMPRSS3 was mainly expressed in the spiral ganglion neurons, and there was TMPRSS3 mRNA in the cochlea in groups with different age. The expression level of TMPRSS3 mRNA was much weaker. CONCLUSION The distribution of TMPRSS3 was observed in many regions of the mouse cochlea, but mainly in the spiral ganglion neurons. This indicates that TMPRSS3 may be involved in the physiological functional regulation of the spiral ganglion neurons.
Animals ; Cochlea ; metabolism ; Female ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Serine Proteases ; genetics ; metabolism