The aim of the present study was to establish a minimally invasive H reflex model in mice for the benefit of the research of clinical spinal cord injury and related diseases. Minimally invasive surgery was performed in hind limb of Kunming mouse under light anesthesia. The skin was incised at the point of one-third of the distance from greater trochanter to the base of the cauda. A pair of fine copper conductors were inserted into the shallow muscle using a syringe needle. After the needles were withdrawed, the retained conductors were ligated and fixed with the tissues surrounding the sciatic nerve as the first pair of stimulating electrodes. Another pair of conductors were inserted and fixed in medial malleolus close to the tibial nerve as the second stimulating electrodes. Copper conductor was inserted passing the skin above the proximal end of the metatarsal and fixed as the recording electrode. The reference electrode was placed at the walking pad in the base of the big toe using the same method. Electromyography (EMG) was used to record M and H waves in planta pedis muscles. The stimulus was a square wave with a width of 0.2 ms and frequency of 0.3 Hz. The latency time of the M and H waves which were induced from the two pairs of stimulating electrodes was recorded. Nerve conduction velocity (NCV) was then calculated from the distance between the cathodes of the stimulating electrodes and the latency time difference of M or H waves. The result showed the achievement ratios of H reflex induction were 92.73% and 81.82% in sciatic and tibial nerves, respectively. The latency time of H wave was about 7~10 ms. Motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) obtained was (25.84 ± 4.70) m/s (n = 35), while sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) was (31.45 ± 7.30) m/s (n = 35). The method established in the present paper is simple to practice, does slight harm to the animal, and can produce waveforms with little interference. With these advantages, the method can be applied for the study of the latency of H reflex, and it is suitable for the researches which demands good physical condition of experimental animal during H reflex study. This model can also be applied to the detection of SNCV and MNCV.
Animals ; Electromyography ; H-Reflex ; physiology ; Hindlimb ; innervation ; Mice ; Neural Conduction ; physiology ; Tibial Nerve ; physiology

Gegen Qinlian Decoction is a classical prescription with the function of relieving exterior and interior syndromes.The formula contains complex chemical components and is prepared into several dosage forms regulating the function of the gut.The review discusses the chemical components,common dosage forms,clinical application and effect on the intestinal barrier of Gegen Qinlian Decoction,so as to provide a basis for its further development and utilization.

Objective To explore the severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome bunyavirus (SFTSV) existence time in the body,and the correlation between viral load and the severity and prognosis of disease.Methods The clinical data of 125 SFTS patients from May 2015 to October 2016 in Weihai Central Hospital in Shandong province were analyzed retrospectively.Patients were divided into low viral load group and high viral load group according to the SFTSV RNA levels.Neurological symptoms,bleeding tendency,the incidence of myocardial damage and severe pneumonia,laboratory biochemical index and prognosis of two groups were compared.SFTSV RNA of 46 cases were detected dynamically.Data with homogeneity of variance were tested by t test,and data with heterogeneity of variance was tested by rank sum test.Results Among the 125 cases,64 were male and 61 were female.The mean age was (59.0±3.6) years old.One hundred and one cases were cured,and 24 died.SFTSV RNA loads in low viral load group(81 cases) were (3.08± 1.01) copies/mL,and those in high viral load group (44 cases) were (5.69 ± 0.99) copies/mL,with statically significant difference (t =11.78,P＜0.05).By the dynamic detection of SFTSV RNA load in 46 patients,viral loads in most patients were gradually declined after 1 week of onset,and cleared after 23 days.The incidence of neurological symptoms,bleeding tendency,severe myocardial damage and pneumonia of two groups showed significant difference (x2 =92.987,38.711,75.889 and 54.680,respectively,all P＜0.05).The viral loads of patients who died varied from 1.06× 104 copies/mL to 5.78 × 107 copies/mL.White blood counts of two groups showed no significant difference (t =0.181,P＞ 0.05).The platelet counts of two groups had significant difference (t =2.869,P＜0.05).AST and γ-GT of two groups also had significant difference (P＜0.01 and 0.05,respectively).creatine kinase,creatine kinase isoenzyme,lactic dehydrogenase and hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase of two groups all had significant difference (P＜0.01 or 0.05).Serum sodium,blood calcium and glucose of the two groups had significant difference (P＜0.01 or 0.05).activated partial thromboplastin time of the two groups showed significant difference as well (t=5.623,P＜0.01).Conclusions After the onset of SFTSV infection,the virus existence in the body may less than 4 weeks.Viral loads are closely associated with disease severity and prognosis.The higher the viral loads are,the heavier organ dysfunction could be and the higher mortality is.

BACKGROUNDPatients with schizophrenia have prominent abnormality in information processing that can be observed by measures of prepulse inhibition (PPI) of acoustic startle reflex and PPI deficits have been considered as a candidate endophenotypic marker of schizophrenia. However, there has been little information on PPI and related measures in Chinese patients with schizophrenia. The research was to explore the deficits of acoustic startle reflex that might exist in Chinese patients with schizophrenia.

METHODSStartle response to acoustic stimuli, habituation, and PPI were examined in 31 Chinese patients with first-episode, medication-naïve schizophrenia and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy Chinese controls. At the same day of startle testing, psychopathological symptoms of the patients were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

RESULTSCompared with healthy controls, patients exhibited the significant reduction in startle response and PPI deficits at 60 milliseconds (ms) intervals (PPI60, P < 0.05) but not at 30 or 120 ms intervals. Furthermore, there was a relatively strong correlation between PPI60 (P < 0.05) and scores of positive scale of PANSS in patients with schizophrenia.

CONCLUSIONOur findings confirmed impaired PPI in Chinese patients with schizophrenia and suggested that a relationship between sensorimotor gating deficits and clinical symptoms of patients with schizophrenia might exist.

Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Schizophrenia ; physiopathology ; Sensory Gating ; physiology ; Young Adult

Background and Objectives: Osteoblasts are derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) and playimportant role in bone remodeling. While our previous studies have investigated the cell subtypes and heterogeneity in osteoblasts and BMMSCs separately, cell-to-cell communications between osteoblasts and BMMSCs in vivo in humans have not been characterized. The aim of this study was to investigate the cellular communication between human primary osteoblasts and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Methods: and Results: To investigate the cell-to-cell communications between osteoblasts and BMMSCs and identifynew cell subtypes, we performed a systematic integration analysis with our single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) transcriptomes data from BMMSCs and osteoblasts. We successfully identified a novel preosteoblasts subtype which highly expressed ATF3, CCL2, CXCL2 and IRF1. Biological functional annotations of the transcriptomes suggested that the novel preosteoblasts subtype may inhibit osteoblasts differentiation, maintain cells to a less differentiated status and recruit osteoclasts. Ligand-receptor interaction analysis showed strong interaction between mature osteoblasts and BMMSCs. Meanwhile, we found FZD1 was highly expressed in BMMSCs of osteogenic differentiation direction. WIF1 and SFRP4, which were highly expressed in mature osteoblasts were reported to inhibit osteogenic differentiation. We speculated that WIF1 and sFRP4 expressed in mature osteoblasts inhibited the binding of FZD1 to Wnt ligand in BMMSCs, thereby further inhibiting osteogenic differentiation of BMMSCs. Conclusions Our study provided a more systematic and comprehensive understanding of the heterogeneity of osteogenic cells. At the single cell level, this study provided insights into the cell-to-cell communications between BMMSCs and osteoblasts and mature osteoblasts may mediate negative feedback regulation of osteogenesis process.

Objective:To explore the effect of closed skills physical activity with additional dynamic visual task on dynamic visual acuity and static visual acuity for pupils with myopia at grade four at primary school. Methods:In September, 2019, 37 pupils with myopia at grade four in Daicheng Experimental Primary School, Suzhou City were selected. In light of mechanism of refractive system, the intervention of closed-skilled physical activity with dynamic visual task was developed. They were intervened for 16 weeks. The dynamic visual acuity and static visual acuity were measured before intervention, and eight and 16 weeks after intervention. Results:Both dynamic visual acuity and static visual acuity improved significantly in all the pupils with myopia after 16 weeks of intervention (F > 15.933, P < 0.001), both pupils with mild and moderate myopia (|t| > 3.353, P < 0.05). The static visual acuity was better in pupils with moderate myopic than with mild myopia (t = -2.830, P < 0.01). Conclusion:Closed skills physical activity with dynamic visual task could improve the visual acuity of puplis with myopia at grade four at primary school.

Objective: To evaluate the associations of sarcopenia, handgrip strength and calf circumference with cognitive impairment among Chinese older adults. Methods: Totally 2,525 older adults were recruited from the Healthy Aging and Biomarkers Cohort Study. Cognitive impairment was assessed by the Chinese Mini-Mental State Examination. Handgrip strength was calculated from the means of the right and left hand values. Calf circumference was measured at the site of maximum circumference of the non-dominant leg. The formula developed by Ishii was used to define sarcopenia. Multiple logistic regression was performed to evaluate the associations of sarcopenia, handgrip strength, and calf circumference with cognitive impairment. Results: The prevalence of cognitive impairment was 34.36%. The adjusted odds ratio ( Conclusion Sarcopenia, identified by low handgrip strength and low calf circumference, was positively associated with cognitive impairment.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; China/epidemiology* ; Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology* ; Female ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Leg/anatomy & histology* ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Sarcopenia/pathology*