Objective To study the effects of uhrashortwave and low frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) in fracture healing. Methods Fifty-six New Zeal-and rabbits with artificial fractures were randomly divided into 4 groups:a control group,an ultrashortwave group,a low frequency pulsed electromagnetic field group and an ultrashortwave combined with low frequency pulsed electro-magnetic field group(combined group),with 14 in each group.Radiographic evaluation of callus formation and frac-ture healing,pathohistological examination and detection of VEGF expression through immunohistochemical staining were performed at the 1 st,2nd,4th and 6th week after the operation. Results Radiographic examination showed that there was significantly greater callus formation in the combined group than in the other groups throughout the healing process. Pathohistological examination also revealed significantly more cartilage islets and callus formation in the combined group.At the 1 st,2nd and 4th week after the operation,VEGF positive indexes in the combined group were significantly higher than in the other groups. Conclusion Uhrashortwave combined with low frequency pulsed electromagnetic field exposure can up-regulate the expression of VEGF and thus can accelerate fracture healing.

Objective To observe the effects of electroacupuncture on expression of caspase-3 in the is- chemic penumbra in the early stage of cerebral ischemia in rats. Methods 100 Wistar rats were randomly divid- ed into a sham-operated group, a model group and an electroacupuncture group. The middle cerebral artery was ex- perimentally occluded in the rats in the model and electroacupuncture groups, while a sham operation without cere- bral artery occlusion was carried out on the rats in the sham-operated group. Immunocytochemistry was employed to detect the expression of caspase-3 in the ischemic penumbra at 24 h, 48 h and 72 h after cerebral ischemia. Re- suits There was almost no positive expression of caspase-3 in the sham-operated rats. Numerous caspase 3-posi- tive cells were found in the ischemic penumbra in the model and electroacupuncture groups. The peak of expression was reached 24 hours after cerebral ischemia. The number of caspase 3-positive cells was significantly greater in the model group than in the electroacupuncture group at 24 h and 48 h. Conclusion The increase of caspase 3-posi- tive cells in the ischemic penumbra is time-dependent. Electroacupuncture can significantly decrease the expression of caspase-3.

Objective To investigate the effects of citicoline combined with rehabilitative training on motor function after focal cerebral ischemia. Methods One hundred and twenty male adult Sprague-Dawley rats ( 3 months old) were subjected to left middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) by suturing. Ninety-six of them were randomly divided into four groups of 24: a control group, a drug group, a rehabilitative training group, and a drug combined with rehabilitative training group. The rats in the control group did not receive any treatment. Three days after reperfusion, those in the drug group received 500 mg/kg of citicoline daily; those in the rehabilitative training group received motor training including balancing, grasping, rotating and walking exercises; those in the combined group received both citicoline and the motor training program. Behavioral tests were administered at the 7th, 14th and 21st days after MCAO. At the same time points, immunohistochemistry was used to detect calcium-binding protein S100 and β-tubulin expression in the peri-ischemia region of the cortex. Results ①As compared with the control group, the drug group at the 7th, 14th and 21st day after MCAO and the other two groups at the 7th day after MCAO showed no significant difference in average behavior scores. But at the 14th and 21st day the rehabilitative training group as well as the drug combined with rehabilitative training group had average behavior scores significantly superior to those of the control group, especially in the drug combined with rehabilitative training group. ②As compared with the control group, the expression of S100 and β-tubulin in the drug and rehabilitative training groups at the 7th day after MCAO showed no significant difference. In the drug combined with rehabilitative training group the average score was significantly higher than in the other groups at the 7th day after MCAO. All the other groups had average scores significantly higher than that of the controls at the 14th and 21st day after MCAO, especially the drug combined with rehabilitative training group. Conclusions Citicoline combined with rehabilitative training can significantly improve motor function recovery in rats. The effect of the combined modalities was more obvious, and the functional enhancement might be partially attributable to the up-regulation of S100 and β-tubulin in the cortex.

Objective To observe the expression of autophagy-related genes and proteins in the smooth bladder muscle of rats after spinal cord injury (SPI).Methods Twenty-four male Wistar rats were randomly and evenly divided into a model group and a control group.The model group had SPI induced using the modified Allen's method,while the control group was only given laminectomy.Six hours after the operation,the Basso Beattle Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor rating scale was used to evaluate the rats' hindlimb locomotor function.Nissl staining was used to observe the morphological changes in their spinal cords,while Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining were employed to assess the expression of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and protein 62 (P62).The expression of autography gene Beclin1 mRNA was determined using a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).Results The average BBB score in the model group was significantly lower than in the control group.After Nissl's staining,a decreased number of neurons and Nissl bodies was observed.Western blotting showed that the expression of LC3-Ⅱ had increased significantly and that of P62 had decreased significantly in the model group compared with the control group.The immunofluorescence staining showed LC3 and P62 dots in the bladders' smooth muscle cells.RT-PCR detected significantly higher LC3 and Beclinl mRNA levels in the model group than in the control group;in contrast the average P62 mRNA level was significantly lower.Conclusions Autophagy was activated in rats' bladder muscles after SPI.That may be related to the pathogenesis of a neurogenic bladder after spinal cord injury.

Objective To explore abnormalities in functional connectivity of the affective network (AN) in relapse of major depressive disorder (MDD) after antidepressant treatment combined with resting state functional connectivity analysis.Methods Eleven recurrent MDD subjects after treatment,seventeen non recurrent MDD subjects after treatment and seventy-two healthy controls underwent fMRI scan.The amygdala,the pallidum,the insular cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex of the AN were selected as the template.Group independent component analysis (ICA) was performed to decompose the fMRI images into spatially independent components and the independent component which fit this template best was selected as AN.Two-sample t-tests were performed to investigate the changes in functional connectivity of the AN.Finally,the right amygdala and the medial prefrontal cortex were defined as seed regions.Results Compared with healthy control subjects and non-recurrent MDD group,recurrent MDD group showed significantly increased functional connectivity in the right amygdala in AN(P＜0.001).Meanwhile,the functional connectivity between the right amygdala and the medial prefrontal cortex was significantly decreased in recurrent MDD group(P ＜0.05).Conclusion Abnormal resting-state functional connectivity of the right amygdala after antidepressant treatment in MDD was found,suggesting that altered amygdala functional connectivity may serve as a predicator of relapse of the MDD.

Objective:To explore the evolution of imaging findings on dynamic chest high resolution CT（HRCT） in patients with mild COVID-19.Methods:The data of epidemiology, clinical data and continuous dynamic chest high-resolution CT images of the patients with mild COVID-19 were analyzed retrospectively. Twenty-five patients (including 24 common type and 1 mild) were enrolled in the group, including 14 males and 11 females, with age of （42±12） years and hospital stay of （19±5） days. The basic images and dynamic images of HRCT were analyzed and compared by the radiologists.Results:The clinical manifestations were fever (22 cases), cough (18 cases), expectoration (8 cases), pharyngeal pain (6 cases). Most laboratory tests lacked specificity. There were no significant abnormalities on chest CT of one mild patient. HRCT findings of the common type were as follows: (1) the distribution of the lesions: most of the multiple lesions involved both lungs (19 cases), with average of 3 (3±1) lobes, located in the peripheral pulmonary zone near the pleura (22 cases); (2) the morphology and density of the lesions: most of the lesions were ground glass density foci (22 cases), which were patchy and massive (18 cases), nodular (10 cases) and arc broadband (7 cases); with the development of the disease, the density of some lesions increased with localized pulmonary consolidation (10 cases), accompanied by air bronchus sign (5 cases) and halo sign (5 cases). Dynamic changes of HRCT images in the chest: the positive manifestations were found on the 5th (5, 6) day after the onset of the disease, the progressive time of CT lesions was 5 (5, 7) days, the peak time of CT lesions was 11 (10, 13) days, and the turning time of CT lesions was 9 (8, 11) days.Conclusions:Dynamic chest HRCT can monitor the basic evolution process of the disease in patients with mild COVID-19, and provide a more intuitive basis for clinical early diagnosis and treatment.

We reported two fetal cases diagnosed with Smith-Magenis syndrome.One case was found with bilateral ventriculomegaly,double-outlet right ventricle,pulmonary stenosis and ventricular septal defect when performing fetal echocardiography.Then the fetus was diagnosed with severe tetralogy of Fallot and tortuous ductus arteriosus by autopsy.The other case was suggested to have tetralogy of Fallot,right aortic arch and ectopic ductus arteriosus by fetal echocardiography,which was later confirmed by autopsy.Both of the two pregnancies were terminated.Tissue samples of the two fetuses were analyzed by the low-coverage whole-genome sequencing,and both cases carried a microdeletion of 3.63 Mb and 4.86 Mb in chromosome 17pl 1.2,which overlapped with the missing segments causing Smith-Magenis syndrome.Therefore,the two fetuses were both diagnosed with Smith-Magenis syndrome.