Objective: To investigate the morphological changes of cerebral blood vessels by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in patients with central vertigo, so as to provide references for diagnosis and treatment of patients with central vertigo. Methods: Ninety-two patients suffering from central vertigo were subjected to cerebral angiography through femoral artery. The types, proportion, and distribution (site predilection and number of involved vessels) of the cerebrovascular abnormalities were observed and analyzed. Results: Of the 92 patients with central vertigo, cerebrovascular lesions were found in 137 sides, including 15 (10. 95%) anterior circulation lesions and 122 (89.05%) posterior circulation lesions. Thirty-one (33.7%) patients had 2 or more lesions. The most common lesion was vertibroarterial lesion accompanied with other cerebrovascular stenosis. The lesions included 39 (28.47%) sides with vertibro-basilar stenosis or occlusion, 13 (9.49%) sides with posterior cerebral artery stenosis or occlusion, and 59 (43.06%) sides with posterior circulation abnormalities. Conclusion: The posterior circulation stenoses or abnormalities might be the major reasons for central vertigo in middle- and old-age patients.

OBJECTIVETo determine the effects of Jiji decoction (Traditional Chinese Medicine) on the cognitive function and oxidative stress in mice with vascular dementia (VD) induced by cerebral ischemia/reperfusion.

METHODSThirty-two mice were randomly divided into nonnal group (n = 8), sham group (operation, but no cerebral ischemia/reperfusi6n, n = 8), model group (vascular dementia model induced by cerebral ischemia/reperfusion, n = 8), and Jiji decoction-treated group (vascular dementia model plus treatment with Jiji decoction, n = 8). Fourteen days of treatment after operation, the cognitive behavior was measured in step-through test, spatial probe test and platform test. Afterwards, to assess the levels of oxidative stress, the activity of superoxide dismutase(SOD) and content of malonaldehyde (MDA) in brain of these mice were measured.

RESULTSData from step-through test indicated that the escaping latency of Jiji decoction-treated group was prolonged and the error counts were decreased significantly ( P <0.01) compared with those of model group. Data from spatial probe test indicated that the time of entering darkroom, the time of climbing height and the time of entering bright room in Jiji decoction-treated group were shortened and the counts of climbing height were increased (P < 0.05-0.01) significantly compared with those of model group. Data from platform test showed that the escaping latency of Jiji decoction-treated group was prolonged significantly (P < 0.01) compared with that of model group. Compared with normal and sham group, the activity of SOD was decreased and the content of MDA was increased in model group significantly (P < 0.01). Compared with those of model group, the levels of SOD and MDA in Jiji decoction-treated group were improved significantly (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONJiji decoction could improve cognitive function of VD mice. Its mechanism might be related with the inhibition of oxidative stiess in the brain.

Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Cerebral Infarction ; physiopathology ; Cognition ; drug effects ; Dementia, Vascular ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Mice ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Reperfusion Injury ; drug therapy ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo synthesize and characterize paclitaxel (PTX)-loaded folate-conjugated chitosan (FA-CTS/PTX) nanoparticles and evaluate its cytotoxicity in vitro.

METHODSCTS/PTX and FA-CTS/PTX nanoparticles were prepared using reductive amidation and ionic gelation of chitosan with tripolyphosphate anions (TPP). The particle size was determined by laser scattering and the morphology observed using transmission electron microscopy, and the PTX content in the nanoparticles was determined using ultraviolet spectrophotometer at 227 nm. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the nanoparticles against HeLa cells was evaluated by MTT assay. Fluorescence microscopy was used to observe the HeLa cells incubated with FA-chitosan nanoparticles in the presence or absence of folic acid in the culture medium.

RESULTSPTX loading did not cause adhesion of the FA-CTS nanoparticles, which presented with uniform spherical morphology with an average diameter of 282.8 nm. The loading and encapsulation efficiencies of FA-CTS/PTX were 9.0% and 75.4%, respectively. The FA-CTS nanoparticles showed a greater extent of intracellular uptake in the absence of folic acid, indicating that the cellular uptake of the nanoparticles occurred through endocytosis mediated by the folate receptors. The PTX-loaded FA-CTS nanoparticles exhibited potent cytotoxicity against HeLa cells, an effect 2- to 3-fold stronger than that of PTX-loaded CTS nanoparticles.

CONCLUSIONFA-CTS can be a promising drug carrier with high efficiency in condensing drug, good tumor-targeting ability and low cytotoxicity.

Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; Chitosan ; chemistry ; Drug Carriers ; Drug Compounding ; Folic Acid ; administration & dosage ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Nanoparticles ; chemistry

Objective To investigate the neuropretective effect of PEP-1-SOD1 pretreatment on the parietal cortex of mice with cerebral infarction. Methods Healthy Kunming-mice were assigned randomly into sham-operated group, model group and PEP-1-SOD1 precondition group (n=15). And the models of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) were established in the later 2 groups.The mice in the sham-operated group and model group were intraperitoneally injected with 200-ul saline and the mice in the PEP-1-SOD1 precondition group were intraperitoneally injected with 200-ug PEP-1-SOD1 fusion protein 30 min before the model inducement, respectively. The parietal cortex was dissected 24 h after the success of model making. Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining was employed to detect the volume of infarction and TUNEL staining was used to detect the cell apoptosis;the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was measured using the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method and the activity of SOD 1 was measured by xanthine oxidase method. Results The volume of infarction in the PEP-1-SOD1 precondition group was obviously smaller than that in the model group (P＜0.05).Compared with those in the model group, significantly reduced apoptotic neural cells were noted in the PEP-1-SOD1 precondition group (P＜0.05). Compared with model group, increased activity of SOD1 and decreased level of MDA were found in the cell apoptosis (P＜0.05). Conclusion Precondition with PEP-1-SOD1 fusion protein can efficiently protect the parietal cortex of mice with cerebral infarction.

BACKGROUNDTo date murine models of permanent focal cerebral ischemia have not been well characterized. The purposes of this paper were to compare three different permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) models with or without craniectomy, and to identify an ideal mouse model of permanent focal cerebral ischemia.

METHODSExperiments were performed on 45 healthy adult male Kunming mice, weighing 28 to 42 g. The animals were randomly assigned to three groups (n = 15 in every group) based on surgical procedure: MCAo via the external carotid artery (ECA), MCAo via the common carotid artery (CCA), and direct ligation of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). Each day post-ischemia, the animals were scored using an eight-grade neurological function scale, and mortality was also recorded. Seven days post-ischemia, the brains were removed for lesion size determination using triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Correlation analysis of lesion volume and neurological score was carried out.

RESULTSMortality in the group receiving direct MCA ligation was lowest among the three groups, and there was a significant difference between the direct MCA ligation group and the two intraluminal occlusion groups (P < 0.05). In all groups, neurological scores gradually increased with prolongation of ischemic duration, peaking after two days, then gradually decreasing. In the direct MCA ligation group, however, neurological scores were relatively stable. There was a significant correlation between infarct volume and neurological score 7 days after MCAo in every group (all r > 0.7, P < 0.05), suggesting good reproducibility of lesion volume in the three groups, but the infarct volume was more constant in the direct MCA ligation group.

CONCLUSIONThe direct ligation model of MCAo provides an optimal means of studying permanent focal cerebral ischemia, and is preferable to the models using intraluminal sutures.

Animals ; Brain Ischemia ; Disease Models, Animal ; Ligation ; Male ; Mice ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; surgery ; Random Allocation ; Reproducibility of Results

Adult ; DNA, Viral ; Female ; Genome, Viral ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; virology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic ; Young Adult

In eukaryotes protein phosphorytion is a key event. By reversible protein phosphorylation eukaryotes control many cellular processes including signal transduction, gene expression, the cell cycle etc. Phosphoproteomics involves identification of phosphoproteins and phosphopeptides, localization of the exact residues that are phosphorylated and quantitation of phosphorylation. Because protein phosphorylation is a dynamic process, and it is present at low abundance within cells, and the phosphorylated sites on proteins might vary, and mass spectrometry (MS) signals from phosphopeptides are usually suppressed etc., so phosphoprotein analysis have more difficulties than nonphosphoprotein. In this article, we outline several analysis techniques for separation, identification and quantitation of phosphorylated proteins and peptides, and discuss the progress in these techniques. At present, MS is still an essential core identification technology for phosphoproteomic studies, To search better enrichment strategies are the main challenges in this rapidly evolving field. A major goal of quantitative proteomics is precise quantification and identification of proteins in complex mixtures. A common method for quantitative proteome analysis is the stable isotope labeling method. Today there is no single method that supersedes all others techniques for Phosphoproteomic studies. With continued development of sample preparation techniques and instrumentation, it should be possible to perform a global analysis of protein phosphorylation.
Animals ; Humans ; Mass Spectrometry ; Phosphoproteins ; analysis ; Phosphorylation ; Proteomics ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate the impact of depression on clinical outcome of patients undergoing revascularization.

METHODSSelf-rating depression scale (SDS) assessment was made before and after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG, n = 345) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI, n = 308) procedure. Patients were divided into depression and non-depression group. All patients were followed up for 12 months after procedure for the occurrence of rehospitalization and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) including all-cause mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction or target lesion revascularization.

RESULTSDepression was present in 40.9% (n = 141) of patients after CABG, which was significantly higher than before procedure (24.3%, P < 0.01). The MACE rate was significantly higher in patients with post-procedure depression [8.5% (12/141)] than in patients without depression [2.9% (6/204), P < 0.05] and the incidences of target lesion revascularization and rehospitalization were also significantly higher in depression patients than in non-depression patients during the 12 months follow-up (all P < 0.05). Depression was present in 36.4% (n = 112) of patients after PCI, which was significantly higher than that before procedure (28.6%, P < 0.05). The MACE rate [8.0% (9/112) vs. 2.0% (4/196)] and rehospitalization rate [12.5% (14/112) vs. 4.6% (9/196)] were significantly higher in depression patients than in patients without depression during the 12 months follow-up (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference on SDS score between the PCI and CABG before the procedure. However, after the procedure, the SDS score for patients undergoing CABG was significantly higher than in patients undergoing PCI (48.9 ± 9.8 vs. 45.7 ± 10.5 P = 0.01). The level of serum IL-6 was significantly higher in depression patients than in patients without depression (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONPrevalence of depression is high in patients treated with revascularization procedures and is linked with poor post-procedure prognosis.

Aged ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Disease ; diagnosis ; psychology ; therapy ; Coronary Stenosis ; Depression ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of etoposide on protein kinase B (PKB) activity in distinct differentiated gastric cancer cell lines and the change of sensitivity to etoposide after pretreatment by wortmannin, a PKB inhibitor. To explore the relationship between PKB activity in gastric cancer cells and their sensitivity to etoposide chemotherapy.

METHODSFour distinct differentiated gastric cancer cell lines, including MKN-28 (well differentiated), SGC-7901 (moderate differentiated), BGC-823 (poorly differentiated) and HGC-27 (undifferentiated), were studied. The PKB activities of these cell lines were detected by nonradioactive protein-kinase assay at different time points after etoposide treatment for 0,3,6,12,24 h with or without wortmannin pretreatment. Cell viabilities were assayed by MTT and cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry.

RESULTSPoorer differentiated gastric cancer cell lines had higher PKB activities. Etoposide treatment resulted in increase in PKB activity and apoptosis rate,and decrease in cell survival rate in a time-dependent manner in gastric cancer cell lines. Wortmannin pretreatment abolished PKB activity completely in gastric cancer cells,and decreased survival rate and increased apoptosis rate in SGC-7901, BGC-823, and HGC-27 cell lines.

CONCLUSIONSEtoposide can induce the PKB activity in gastric cancer cell lines. Wortmannin pretreatment enhances sensitivity of median and low differentiated gastric cancer cells to etoposide chemotherapy.

Apoptosis ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; drug effects ; Etoposide ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Stomach Neoplasms ; drug therapy

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic advantage of the ratio of ligamentum flavum(LF) thickness to oblique canal diameter(TODR)measured on CT images in patients with lumbar canal stenosis. Methods Seventy-one patients underwent CT and MRI examinations respectively,and they were divided into two groups,the positive group and negative group,according to the presence or absence of dural sac notch caused by the LF on bilateral parasagittal MR images.Meanwhile,50 volunteers without any symptom in the lumbar region or legs were examined by CT.TODRs were measured at the L3—S1 levels of the inferior margin of the intervertebral disc on transverse CT images,respectively.The results were further analyzed with the positive findings on MR images,clinical symptoms and physical examination,so as to find out the statistical correlation between them.Results LF thickness was(3.01?0.72)mm and TODR was 0.19?0.04 in the negative group,(3.94?0.84)mm and 0.28+0.06 in the positive group,and(3.16? 0.85)mm and 0.19?0.04 in the control group.There was significant difference between positive group and negative group or control group for LF thickness(P0.24, the sensitivity,specificity and positive predictive value were 74.8%,89.6% and 73.6% respectively. Positive correlation existed between LF thickness or TODR and clinical symptom(r=0.72,0.86,P