let-7e is one member of let-7 miRNA family, a class of endogenous noncoding RNA which consists of 22 nucleotides. The recent miRNA profiles investigation and analysis results showed that let-7e could be involved in embryonic stem cells differentiation, tumorigenesis in cancer, temporal lobe epilepsy and sleep loss, lipopolysaccharide induced inflammation by regulating its target mRNA expression. This paper gives a review of the important biological function of let-7e.

The medulla oblongata is located at the lower end of the brain stem, and it has abundant blood supply. The incidence of medial medullary infarction is low in cerebrovascular diseases. Bilateral medial medullary infarction is even rare. Bilateral medial medullary infarction is mainly characterized by paralysis. The respiratory failure can occur in severe cases. Magnetic resonance diffusion imaging can present aheartorYshaped lesion. We treated 1 patient with a typicalYshaped bilateral medial medullary infarction.

Objective To investigate the characteristic of sleep disorders in patients with frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) through polysomnography and subjective questionnaires. Methods Eighteen FLE patients (FLE group) and 15 healthy subjects (control group) were recruited to our study. Two groups were evaluated by whole-night polysomnography, included total time in bed (TIB), total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency (SE), sleep latency (SL), rapid eye movement (REM) latency (RL), wake after sleep onset (WASO), the percentage of non-REM (NREM) 1, 2, 3 stages and the percentage of REM occupied TST, the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), hypopnea index, mean oxygen saturation (SpO2) and nadir oxygen saturation, periodic leg movements (PLMs) index and PLMs index of REM sleep, sleep stage shifts (SSS) and sleep stage shifts per hour (SSS/h), wake, NREM1, NREM2, NREM3 and REM sleep stage shifts (abbreviated as N1, N2, N3, REM, W) and their proportions of SSS (abbreviated as N1/SSS, N2/SSS, N3/SSS, REM/SSS, W/SSS). Data of depress and fatigue degrees, sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness were assessed by subjective questionnaires. Results Compared with control group, TIB [(503.22±62.33) min], WASO[(54.11±18.97) min], SSS (161.17±56.83), SSS/h (22.60±6.25), N1(42.56± 15.26) and N2 (57.28 ± 26.57), number of wake stage (25.33 ± 10.97) were significantly increased in FLE group. Meanwhile, scores of depression (9.33±5.01) and fatigue (5.72±3.36) were increased in FLE group compared with those of control group. Conclusion The sleep disorders can be found in FLE, which are related with depression and FLE seizure frequency.

Epilepsy is one of the nervous system diseases,which is correlated with multiple pathogenic factors and caused by repeated discharge of neurons.Currently,there are more than 50 million people worldwide suffering from epilepsy with an average annual increase of 100 000 cases.The prevalence rate of sleep disorders in epilepsy patients is high,by up to two times than that of healthy subjects.Common sleep disorders in epilepsy patients include insomnia,sleep apnea,restless legs syndrome and parasomnias.The characteristics of sleep abnormalities have differences with the epilepsy syndromes.The relationship between epilepsy and sleep is complex and interactive.The mechanism of combined sleep disorders in epilepsy patients is still unclear.In this paper,the relationship between epilepsy and sleep disorders in epilepsy patients was summarized,which involves multiple aspects such as the possible mechanism of combined sleep disorders,the common features of sleep disorders,the possible mechanism of sleep abnormalities in different epilepsy syndromes and the characteristics of sleep structure,the effect of antiepileptic drugs on sleep architecture abnormalities and its role in combined sleep disorders.

Objective To explore the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on hippocampus metabolic changes in rats with temporal lobe epilepsy. Methods A chronic temporal lobe epilepsy model was established by use of lithium-pilocarpine in rats. The hippocampus metabolism of the rats were detected by 1H-MRS method before and after the rTMS and compared with that of the normal controls. Relative ratios of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), choline (Cho), glutamate (Glu) and ?-aminobutyric acid (GABA) over creatine (Cr) were calculated. Results Compared with normal control rats, NAA/Cr and GABA/Cr ratios decreased significantly and Cho/Cr ratios increased significantly in hippocampus of the rats with temporal lobe epilepsy. After rTMS NAA/Cr and GABA/Cr ratios increased significantly and Cho/Cr ratios decreased significantly in hippocampus of rats with temporal lobe epilepsy. However, rTMS did not significantly affect the Glu/Cr ratio in hippocampus of the rats with temporal lobe epilepsy. Conclusion rTMS could improve the hippocampus metabolism and exert a neuroprotective effect against brain damage induced by epilepsy.

Objective To study the regulating roles of PAI 2 in the differentiation mechanism of the human epidermis. Methods Human skins were take from the early, middle and late human embryos respectively and observed with immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization techniques. The cell culture and dot blot were also used in the observation of the materials from late embryo. Results 1 PAI 2 exhibits a very high experssion in the development of embryonic period, with the highest level in the middle embryonic phase while the transcripts of PAI 2 still keep a rather high level in the late human embryonic stage. 2 PAI 2 is mainly localized in the superficial, more differentiatied layers of the epidermis.3 PAI 2 is localizated in peripheral cytoplasm of the vitro or vivo keratinocyte.Conclusion PAI 2 is involved in the regulation of the keratinocyte differentiation. [

Long-term potentiation(LTP)is an important form of synaptic plasticity and an objective indicator to investigate learing and memory synaptic mechanisms.With the development of brain slice technology,more and more experiments associated with LTP are carried out on brain slices,which aim to investigate the mechanism in biology and the change in physiology or biochemistry are carried out on the brain slice.This paper gives an overview of recent advances in research of LTP with technology of brain sliceby suchexamples as follows:The regulated expression mechanisms of long-term potentiation at CA1 synapses,the characteristics of LTP induced in hippcampal slices and its relation with the slice-recovery conditions,the enhancement of the magnitude of early longterm potentiation at CA1 hippocampal synapse by the activation of dopamine receptor,and the enhancement of associative long-term potentiation by the activation of β-adrenergic receptors at CA1 synapses in rat hippocampol slices.

OBJECTIVE:To study the contents changes of polysaccharide and 5-HMF in Polygonati rhizoma from different pro-ducing areas after different processing,and provide reference for the development of processing technology of Polygonati rhizoma from different producing areas and the quality standard of different processing products. METHODS:UV spectrophotometry and HPLC were conducted to respectively determine the contents of polysaccharide and 5-HMF,and compare the content differences of polysaccharide and 5-HMF in Polygonati rhizoma from different producing areas [Shaanxi Lueyang County,Shaanxi Huangling County,Yunnan Fumin County (genuine producing areas),Shaanxi Taibai County] by fresh-cutting,dry-cutting,steaming and steaming with wine. RESULTS:Polysaccharide of sample from Yunnan Fumin County showed the highest content in fresh-cut sam-ples(13.4%),no 5-HMF(0)was detected;polysaccharide contents were respectively 10.8%-13.4%,8.9%-10.8%,5.5%-6.9%, 5.6%-6.5% after fresh-cut,dry-cut,steamed and steamed with wine,5-HMF contents were 0,0,0.21%-0.50%,0.25%-0.72%. Compared with no processing samples (fresh-cut),polysaccharide contents in Polygonati rhizoma were decreased in turn after dry-cut,steamed and steamed with wine,5-HMF contents were increased in turn after steamed and steamed with wine. CONCLU-SIONS:It is suggested to consider origin factor in developing processing technology of Polygonati rhizoma from genuine and non-genuine producing areas. 5-HMF content determination index should be added into quality standard of processing products after steamed and steamed with wine.

Objective To investigate the characteristic of theta oscillation in patients with frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) by the analysis of multi-channel electroencephalographs (EEGs) during rest state and working memory(WM) maintenance. Methods The 19 FLE patients and 17 healthy subjects underwent EEG recording with 34-channel EEG machine during visual working memory task performance. The differences of behavioral results were analyzed between FLE group and controls. Short-time Fourier transform was used to calculate the power spectral density of different frequency bands in 34 channels. The theta power values during the retention period of working memory and rest state were compared between two groups. Results Compared with controls, reaction time of FLE increased significantly (P<0.01) and accuracy decreased (P<0.05). The power spectral density of theta band for FLE increased both in Fz and frontal region during rest state (P<0.01). Compared with controls, the power spectral density of theta oscillation decreased significantly in the frontal region for FLE during WM maintenance. Conclusion Our results suggest that working memory in patients with FLE was impaired. The absence of theta oscillation during the WM delayde period may provide a possible neural mechanism for the working memory dysfunction in FLE.

Objective To evaluate the maternal and fetal outcomes of pregnant women with lupus nephritis (LN) and the risk factors.Methods Ninety-three patients with 97 pregnancies from January 1st,1990 to December 31st,2012 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital were evaluated retrospectively.Objects of study were divided into three groups:stable lupus before pregnancy (stable group,52 cases),active lupus before pregnancy (active group,26 cases),and newly diagnosed LN during pregnancy (19 cases).Adverse maternal outcomes included exacerbated disease during pregnancy,preeclampsia,increased proteinuria and impaired renal function during pregnancy or postpartum,maternal death,thrombocytopenia and hypocomplementemia.Adverse fetal or neonatal outcomes included therapeutically termination of pregnancy,fetal loss,neonatal death,preterm labor,small gestational age and asphyxia.Statistical analysis was performed by Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test.A binary logistic regression model was used to evaluate the risk factors for adverse maternal and fetal outcomes.Results (1) Adverse maternal outcomes:There was no significant difference between exacerbated cases during pregnancies in stable group and that in active group [53.8 ％ (28/52) vs 61.5 ％ (16/26),x2 =0.417,P＞0.05].After deleting abortions before 20 weeks of gestation (5 cases in stable group and 4 cases in active group),there was no significant difference between preeclampsia incidence in stable group and that in active group [36.2％ (17/47) vs 59.1％ (13/22),x2 =3.204,P＞0.05].In nineteen newly diagnosed LN women,eighteen cases were over 20 weeks of gestation,during which preeclampsia incidence was 6/18.(2) Adverse fetal or neonatal outcomes:Therapeutically termination of pregnancy rate was higher in active group than that in stable group[42.3％(10/26) vs 7.7％(4/52),Fisher's exact test,P＜0.01].After deleting patients who required termination of pregnancy (three cases in stable group) and therapeutically termination of pregnancy (four cases in stable group and ten cases in active group),the rate of fetal loss and neonatal death was higher in active group than that in stable group [5/16 vs 6.7％(3/45),Fisher's exact test,P＜0.05].The rate of adverse fetal or neonatal outcomes was higher in active group than that in stable group [92.3％(24/26) vs50％(26/52),x2=13.483,P＜0.001].Among the nineteen newly diagnosed LN cases during pregnancy,the numbers of therapeutically termination of pregnancy and fetal loss were five and three cases respectively; among eleven live birth cases,two newborns died from severe asphyxia,and nine cases were preterm birth.(3) Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the independent risk factors for exacerbated lupus during pregnancy were hypocomplementemia (OR =0.300,95％ CI:0.104-0.863) and thrombocytopenia (OR =0.054,95％CI∶0.007-0.439).The independent risk factors for preeclampsia in LN pregnant women were thrombocytopenia (OR=0.151,95％CI:0.046-0.499) and LN recurrence or first diagnosed during pregnancy (OR=0.135,95％CI:0.027-0.679).The independent risk factors for adverse fetal or neonatal outcomes were preeclampsia (OR=0.134,95％CI:0.028-0.637) and lupus active during pregnancy (OR =0.026,95 ％ CI:0.005-0.138).Conclusions Active lupus before pregnancy is associated with poor maternal and fetal outcomes in lupus nephritis pregnancy.All pregnancies with LN should be planned,preferably after more than six months of quiescent disease.Blood pressure,renal function,proteinuria and level of platelet and serum complements should be closely monitored.