Wistar rats -were given orally a single dose of nitroquine acetate ( 1 mg/kg) 24 hours after an intravenous inoculation of the sporoizoites of Plasmodium yoelii yoelii strain BY 265. Liver biopsies were taken and some animals were killed at regular intervals to observe the exoerythrocytic forms(EEF). Blood smears of some animals were made to observe the parasitemia. The results were , as follows.1. The density of the EEF in the livers of the treated animals was low but the number of degenerated EEF was high 48 hours after inoculation. At this time, the EEF was smaller in size with less number of nucleus, but with irregular nuclear masses. The EEF at 54, 65 and 72 hours were characterized by un- even size of the nuclei, which were disproportionate to the size of the parasites, and by much more irregular masses of nucleus. Some degenerated EEF infiltrated by WBC could be found. There was no matured tissue schizont within 72 hours after sporozoile inoculation.2. Only 1 out of the 8 treated animals became patent of parasitemia of low level with a prolonged prepatent period.The results indicate that nitroquine exerts a causal prophylactic effect on rodent malaria and interferes with the development of EEF by suppressing the ouclear division

Objective To evaluate the relationship between Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection and pathohistological presentation of gastric and deuodenal mucosa.Methods The gastritis biopsies were taken through endoscopy from each gastric body,antrum and duodenum in 60 patients with gastritis and 22 patients with duodenal ulcer respectively for the examination of histology.Result The positive rate of Hp was nearly 100% in active chronic gastritis which was significantly higher than that of active duodenitis.The total detecting rate of Hp infection and incidence rate of active inflammation in antrum were obviously higher than that of gastric body and duodenal bulb.The detecting rate of Hp infection of duodenal bulb in 22 cases of duodenum ulcer was 54% which was significantly lower than that of antrum.Conclusion The Hp infection is a very important pathogenic factor of active inflammation in gastric mucosa on the basis of which the severe inflammation of mucosa and ulcer development.Therefore the early elimination of Hp is very important.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that can occur in anyone who has experienced a life-threatening or violent event.Research into the underlying neurobiology has implicated dysregulation in multiple neurotransmitter systems including norepinephrine,serotonin and glutamate as well as the hypothalamic-pituitary axis.Although there was a tremendous growth in the understanding of PTSD in the past few years,the specific neurobiological underpinnings of PTSD wait for more explorations.

Objective To investigate the sensitivity of different methods in the diagnosis of portal hypertension associated with liver cirrhosis. Methods 99 patients with portal hypertension associated liver cirrhosis, and 49 healthy subjects as control were enrolled in this study. Their portal and splenic vein widths, and the conditions of varicose vein in esophagus and gastric fundus were determined, and portal pressures were measured by radionuclide method. The positive percentage of different methods for the diagnosis of portal hypertension were analysed. Results Most of the patients with portal hypertension had the extension of portal and splenic vein in the fifferent areas and in various degrees. There were no significant differences in the degrees of portal and splenic vein extension among the patients with mild, moderate or severe esophageal varicose vein. The width of portal and splenic vein was not related with portal pressure. Radionuclide method was the most sensitive in diagnosing portal hypertension. Conclusion Portal hypertension can be diagnosed according to the conditions of vessels and spleen. The sensitivity of different methods in diagnosing portal hypertension were different, and that of radionuclide method was the highest. The width of portal and splenic vein had no close relation with portal pressure and the degree of esophageal varicose vein.

Depression is a serious mental disorder characterized by lasting anhedonia and anorexia .The pathophysiology of depression is complicated , which is related to many neuroendocrine disturbances .Increased levels of glucocorticoid hor-mones and hyperactivity of the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal ( HPA) axis are the most consistent and typical pathophysio-logical alternations in patients with major depression , which are possibly caused by altered functions of the receptor of glu-cocorticoid hormones , the glucocorticoid receptor ( GR) .Promoting the expression and function of GR and restoring the im-paired feedback inhibition of the HPA axis seem to be particularly important for the therapeutic efficacy of antidepressants . In this review, the role of GR in the development and resolution of depression is discussed .

Existing antidepressants exhibit delayed onset of action,which can decrease the compliance of the patients and enhance the risk of suicide.How to produce early-onset antidepressants with higher efficacy and lower adverse reactions has become a crucial point in the research of antidepressants.It has been demonstrated that selective 5-HT1Aantagonist,?2 antagonist and 5-HT2Aantagonist can accelerate the response of classic antidepressants.Furthermore,5-HT/NE dual reuptake inhibitor and 5-HT/NE/DA triple reuptake inhibitor can also produce early onset of action.Here,several reasons for the delayed onset of action and the progress in the development of early-onset antidepressants are reviewed.

Bipolar disorder(BD)is a serious mood disorder with high prevalence,morbidity and mortality rates. Glycogen synthase kinase-3β(GSK-3β) is a multifunctional serine/threonine protein kinase that is generally located in eukaryotic cells with such functions as the adjustment of the synthe?sis of glycogen metabolism,cell proliferation and differentiation and gene expression. It is involved in multiple signaling pathways and regulates cell signaling proteins,structural proteins and transcription factors through phosphorylation,affecting the survival of the neurons and plasticity. According to gene poly?morphism and clinical studies,GSK-3β may be associated with BD. As a GSK-3β inhibitor,lithium is an effective BD therapeutic drug,and the small molecule inhibitor targeting GSK-3βis also a hotspot of BD treatment. GSK-3βmay be a potential target in the treatment of BD.

OBJECTIVE To explore the antidepressant effect and the underlying mechanisms of schisandrin (SCH), a component of the fruits of Schizandra chinesis. METHODS The forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) in mice were used to evaluate the antidepressant activity of SCH (5, 10, and 30 mg · kg-1) following single administration intragastrically, and the locomotor activity was investigated to exclude its neural excitatory effects. Effects of SCH on neural monoamine systems were studied in two pharmacological models, including reserpine induced monoamine depletion test and yohimbine toxicity potentiation test. RESULTS In behavioral despair models, SCH (30 mg·kg-1) signif?icantly decreased the immobility time in the TST and FST (P<0.05) compared with normal control group. Results of the locomotor activity experiment showed that SCH had no excitatory or inhibitory actions on the central nervous system. In the reserpine reversal experiment, SCH (30 mg · kg-1) antagonized thepalpebral ptosis and akinesia symptoms caused by reserpine(2.5 mg · kg-1) treatment (P<0.05) compared with model group, but had little effect on the drop of the anal temperature. Moreover, SCH did not increase the lethality caused by subcutaneous injection of yohimbine (30 mg · kg-1)at the threshold lethal dosage. CONCLUSION SCH exerts potential antidepressant-like effect in mice.

AIM To explore possible action mechanism of antidepressants. METHODS Using flow cytometry, the cell proliferation was detected. The proliferation of hippocampal progenitor cells and level of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were measured by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Treatment with N methyl D aspartate (NMDA) 600 ?mol?L -1 for 3 d significantly decreased the percentage of S phase in PC12 cells, while in the presence of classical antidepressants, desipramine (DIM) or fluoxetine (FLU) 1, 5 ?mol?L -1 , the percentage of S phase increased. Furthermore, the proliferation of hippocampal progenitor cells, as well as the BDNF level in dentate gyrus (subgranular zone) significantly decreased in chronically stressed mice for 24 d, while chronic administration with DIM or FLU 10 mg?kg -1 (ip) normalized it. Meanwhile, the BDNF level in dentate gyrus also elevated after DIM or FLU treatments. CONCLUSION Up regulation of the hippocampal neurogenesis is the common action mechanism for antidepressants, which may be closely related to the elevation of BDNF level at the same time.

Objective: To study the effect of ghrelin on L-type calcium channel current (ICa-L) of ventricular myocytes in experimental rats. Methods: The single ventricular myocyte in experimental rats were obtained by enzymolysis method, and the whole-cell patch-clamp technique was used to investigate the effect of ghrelin on ICa-L of ventricular myocytes at different doses of 10 nmol/L, 100 nmol/L and 1μmol/L respectively. Results: Ghrelin at 10 nmol/L, 100 nmol/L and 1μmol/L may inhibit ICa-L at (8.95 ± 2.13) %, (31.18 ± 4.78) % and (64.63 ± 8.57)% respectively,P<0.05, and the current-voltage curve was shifted upwards. The channel half inactivation curve decreased from (-1.34 ± 1.9) mV to (-8.04 ± 1.32 ) mV, (9.76 ± 1.17) mV and (-11.81 ± 0.73) mV respectively,P<0.05, and the recovery time after inactivation was prolonged as τ value from (63.23 ± 9.32) to (98.95 ± 10.74), (109.56 ± 13.42) and (127.39 ± 16.13) respectively,P<0.05. Conclusion: Ghrelin may accelerate ICa-L inactivation and prolong the recovery time after inactivation. Ghrelin inhibits ICa-L in a dose-dependent manner.