Objective To observe the changes in excitability of alpha-motoneuron responding to the muscle spindles afferent excitability in the model rats and explore whether the changes in this excitability to be changed as high frequency sinusoidal vibration acted on the soleus muscle.Methods The simulated weightlessness model was created by the tail-suspension.Mechanical vibrations at a frequency of 100 Hz with amplitude of 0.3 mm were acted on soleus muscle.The electromyogram of soleus muscle evoked by electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve was recorded in control rats and HS rats.Results It was showed that HS and HFV did not influence the tendency of changes in amplitude of H reflex when the stimulation intensity increased.However,after 14-day HS,mean maximal motor response(Mmax)and mean maximal monosynaptic reflex/Mmax(Hmax/Mmax)both significantly decreased,respectively(P0.05).Conclusion It is suggested that HS should lead to the decrease in motoneurons excitability which is resulted from the reduction of muscle spindle afferent.HFV acted on soleus muscle of rats can improve the excitability of alpha-motoneurons in spinal cord during hindlimb suspension.

To compare the pharmacokinetics of syringin, eleutheroside E and isofraxidin after intravenous administration of each monomer and Ciwujia injection. Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups and intravenously administrated with syringin, eleutheroside E, isofraxidin, and Ciwujia injection, respectively. The concentrations of the three components in rat plasma were determined by LC-MS/MS. DAS 2.0 software was applied to calculate the pharmacokinetic parameters while the SPSS 17.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Significant difference (P < 0.05) was found between each monomer and the injection on the main pharmacokinetic parameters such as AUC, CL and t1,/2. Compared with the injection, the group treated with the syringin has obvious decrease in AUC, and increase in CL while the group treated with eleutheroside E has obvious increase in AUC, and decrease in CL The t1/2 of isofraxidin was prolonged in Ciwujia injection. Pharmacokinetic characters of the ingredients in the injection varied greatly from the monomer. Other constituents in the injection may have an impact on the pharmacokinetic profiles of these three components.
Administration, Intravenous ; Animals ; Coumarins ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Glucosides ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Lignans ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Phenylpropionates ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

To establish a method for the determination of cucurbitacin in plasma samples, in order to study the in vivo pharmacokinetic characteristics of cucurbitacin in rats. Rats were intravenously injected with cucurbitacin. With diphenhydramine as the internal standard (IS), the plasma concentrations of cucurbitacin in rat plasma at different time points were determined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). With electrospray ionization source, the positive ion detection in the multiple reaction monitoring mode was conducted to determine the ion-pairs for target compound and IS were m/z 503.2/113.1 and m/z 256.0/167.2, respectively. Agilent ZOBAX SB-C18 column (2.1 mm x 50 mm, 1.8 microm) was adopted and eluted with methanol and 0.1% formic acid (55:45), and the flow rate was 0.2 mL x min(-1). DAS 2.0 software was applied to fit the blood concentration and calculate corresponding pharmacokinetic parameters. The rats were intravenously injected with cucurbitacin at the concentration of 3.0 mg x kg(-1). The target blood quality concentration show good linear relations within the range of 10.5-3 150 microg x L(-1) (R2 = 0.996), the lower limit of the standard curve was 10.5 microg x L(-1), and the signal to noise ratio S/N = 12. Intra- and inter-day precisions RSD was less than 6.9% and 14%, respectively; The accuracy RE ranged between 0.20% and 3.7%; The extraction recoveries ranged between 92.7% and 97.1%. Regarding the pharmacokinetic parameters of tail intravenous injection of cucurbitacin, AUC (0-t) was (811.615 +/- 111.578) microg x h x L(-1), (t1/2) was (1.285 +/- 1.390) h, CL was (3.627 +/- 0.487) L x h x kg(-1), and V(d) was (6.721 +/- 7.429) L x kg(-1). In this study, researchers established a simple, accurate, sensitive and highly specific method for determining the blood concentration of cucurbitacin, and reported the in vivo pharmacokinetic characteristics of cucurbitacin in rats for the first time.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Cucurbitaceae ; chemistry ; Cucurbitacins ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Objective To investigate the influence of chondrocytes originating from different source on early chondrogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in isolated co-culture system.Methods We applied hanging cell culture system to culture chondrocytes of different origin (osteoarthritis chondrocyte cells,nomal chondrocyte cells,infant chondrocyte cells) and controls.These chondrocytes and MSCs of the same origin were cultured in the common medium in a separated condition,and observed by microscope at 3,6,9,12 day after co culture.Expression levels of aggrecan,collagen type Ⅱ (Col 2),cartilage-specific transcription factor (Sox-9) in MSCs of different origin were determined by Real-time PCR.Results MSCs showed obviously morphological differentiation induced by chondrocytes of different origin at 12 day after coculture as compared with controls.Real-time PCR analysis showed that SOX9 mRNA level was stimulated by 1.7-fold,1.6-fold and 1.2-fold (all P＜0.05) and aggrecan mRNA level was increased by 2.8-fold,2.2-fold and 1.3-fold (all P＜0.05) in infant chondrocytes group,nomal chondrocytes group,osteoarthritis chondrocytes group respectively as compared with controls while COL2 mRNA level had no significant differences among the four groups.Corresponding protein signal level had obvious differences among the four groups,especially in infant chondrocytes as compared with osteoarthritis chondrocytes and nomal chondrocytes.Conclusions Isolated co-culture system may indirectly promote MSCs differentiation to chondrocytes by local micro-environment regulation.Chondrocytes of different origin have different effects on MSCs differentiation,but they could promote MSCs differentiation to chondrocytes.

Objective To investigate the morphological abnormalities of the brain cortex in schizophrenic patients and their parents. Methods We recruited 33 schizophrenic patients, 63 their unaffected biological parents. Thirty well matched healthy controls served as control group 1 (for patients), and 28 well matched healthy controls as control group 2 (for parents). The high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and Freesurfer software were used to measure the gray matter volume, cortical thickness, cortical surface area, curvature and volume of subcortical regions on all the sub-jects. Results The patients demonstrated significant reduction of cortical thickness in the left middle-anterior cingulate, middle occipital gyrus, inferior circular sulcus of the insula, lateral occipito-temporal sulcus, the right lateral occipito-temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, superior circular sulcus of the insula, inferior temporal sulcus, the bilateral poste-rior-dorsalcingulated gyrus and superior temporal sulcus (P<6.0×10-4,corrected by Bonferroni method). Compared with control group 2, the unaffected parents exhibited slight reduction of cortical in the left subcentral, triangular part of the in-ferior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, superior circular sulcus of the insula, occipital pole, inferior frontal sulcus, mid-dle occipital sulcus and lunatus sulcus, lateral orbital sulcus, the right middle occipital gyrus, lingual gyrus, posterior lat- eral sulcus and inferior precentral sulcus, but the reduction was not significant after correction for multiple comparisons. Conclusions Our results indicate that cortical thickness can specifically reflect the brain morphological abnormalities of schizophrenia and the reduction of cortical thicknes may be a heritable phenotype of schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVETo study the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in dental pulp tissue and to find out the relationship of distribution and function of HO-1.

METHODS30 pulp tissues were obtained from clinically extracted human healthy premolars and third molars. The expression of HO-1 in dental pulp was detected by means of SABC immunohistochemical technology.

RESULTSHO-1 immunoreactivity was observed in vascular endothelial cells, odontoblasts and some fibroblasts cells.

CONCLUSIONThe distribution of HO-1 in normal human dental pulp suggests that HO-1 may play an important role in pulp flow regulation, dentin production and its calcifying; it also may play some roles in dental pulp cells metabolism and differentiation.

Cell Differentiation ; Dental Pulp ; Dentin ; Fibroblasts ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; Humans ; Odontoblasts

OBJECTIVETo summarize the experience of urethral reconstruction using circular fasciocutaneous flap for the treatment of complex anterior urethral strictures.

METHODThe circular fasciocutaneous flap was harvested from the distal penile shaft or foreskin. Then the circular configuration was converted into longitudinal strip of skin which was rotated to ventral side to repair the exposured urethral strictures using the ventral onlay method. The surveillance protocol after urethroplasty was urination observation, regularly uroflowmetry and urethrography examination.

RESULTSFrom Nov. 2006 to Oct. 2012, 15 cases were treated. The mean age was 45 years (20-76 years) and mean follow-up period was 18 months(3 months-3 years). Stricture was caused by chronic urethritis in 4 cases, long-term urethral catheterization in 3 cases, transurethral perfusion chem other aphy in 3 cases, transurethral prostatectomy in 3 cases and hypospadias after surgery in 2 patients. The mean stricture length was 7.0 cm (3.5-12.0 cm). The overall success rate was 80.0% (12/15). Recurrence stenosis was noted in 2 cases and diverticulum formation in 1 case.

CONCLUSIONSThe penile circular fasciocutaneous flap can be used for anterior urethral stricture in nearly any length. The flap has the characteristics of hairless, adequate mobile and length, well-vascularized pedicle and easy to harvest. The onlay reconstruction provides excellent cosmetic results, less trauma, higher success rate. Therefore it should be one of the preferred techniques for complex anterior urethral stricture repair.

Follow-Up Studies ; Foreskin ; Humans ; Hypospadias ; surgery ; Male ; Penis ; surgery ; Prostatectomy ; adverse effects ; Recurrence ; Surgical Flaps ; transplantation ; Urethra ; surgery ; Urethral Stricture ; etiology ; pathology ; surgery ; Urologic Surgical Procedures, Male ; Wound Healing

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the morphological and hemodynamic parameters associated with middle cerebral artery (MCA)bifurcation aneurysm rupture. METHODS: A retrospective study of 67 consecutive patients was carried out based on 3D digital subtraction angiography data. Morphological and hemodynamic parameters including aneurysm size parameters (dome width, height, and perpendicular height), longest dimension from the aneurysm neck to the dome tip, neck width, aneurysm area, aspect ratio, Longest dimension from the aneurysm neck to the dome tip (Dmax) to dome width, and height-width, Bottleneck factor, as well as wall shear stress (WSS), low WSS area (LSA), percentage of LSA (LSA%) and energy loss (EL) were estimated. Parameters between ruptured and un-ruptured groups were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristics were generated to check prediction performance of all significant variables. RESULTS: Sixty-seven patients with MCA bifurcation aneurysm were included (31 unruptured, 36 ruptured). Dmax (p=0.008) was greater in ruptured group than that in un-ruptured group. D/W (p<0.001) and the percentage of the low WSS area (0.09±0.13 vs. 0.01±0.03, p<0.001) were also greater in the ruptured group. Moreover, the EL in ruptured group was higher than that in un-ruptured group (6.39±5.04 vs. 1.53±0.86, p<0.001). Multivariate regression analysis suggested D/W and EL were significant predictors of rupture of MCA bifurcation aneurysms. Correlation analyses revealed the D/W value was positively associated with the EL (R=0.442, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: D/W and EL might be the most two favorable factors to predict rupture risk of MCA bifurcation aneurysms.
Aneurysm* ; Angiography ; Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Biomarkers ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Middle Cerebral Artery* ; Neck ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Assessment* ; ROC Curve ; Rupture*

Objective: To explore the relationship between coronary tortuosity and coronary microvascular disease (CMVD). Methods: Patients with typical angina symptoms and without serious coronary artery stenosis by coronary angiography were enrolled from June 2014 to December 2016, and CMVD was diagnosed by single photon emission tomography (SPECT). According to the SPECT results, patients were divided to the CMVD group and non-CMVD group. The baseline clinical characteristics, results of coronary angiography were compared between the two groups. The logistic analysis was used to analyze the relationship between coronary tortuosity and CMVD. Result: A total of 117 cases were enrolled, with 69 cases in the CMVD group and 48 cases in the non-CMVD group. No differences were found in gender distribution, age, hypertension, lipid abnormality, hyperuricemia and uses of statins between the two groups (all P>0.05). Incidence of diabetes (78.26%(54/69) vs. 35.42% (17/48) , P<0.05), hs-CRP ((4.29±2.15)mmol/L vs. (2.63±1.20)mmol/L, P<0.001), LDL-C ((2.98±0.96)mmol/L vs. (2.52±0.83)mmol/L, P=0.008) and homocysteine ((13.7±5.61)mmol/L vs. (11.5±4.38)mmol/L, P=0.025) levels were higher in the CMVD group than in the non-CMVD group. The data derived from echocardiographic examination were similar between the two groups. The Corrected TIMI frame counts were higher in the CMVD group than in non-CMVD group (LAD: 31.56±4.92 vs. 27.31±3.75, LCX: 29.47±4.18 vs. 26.62±3.19, RCA: 29.09±5.05 vs. 26.24±3.28, all P<0.001). The incidences of coronary atherosclerosis (76.81% (53/69) vs. 27.08% (13/48) , P<0.001) and coronary tortuosity ( (60.87% (42/69) vs. 33.33% (16/48) , P=0.035) were also higher in the CMVD group than in non-CMVD group. Logistic analysis found that coronary tortuosity (OR=6.111, 95%CI 2.707-13.794, P<0.001), diabetes (OR=6.565, 95%CI 2.883-14.948, P<0.001) and coronary atherosclerosis (OR=8.918, 95%CI 3.822-20.808, P<0.001) were independent risk factors of CMVD. Conclusion Coronary tortuosity, diabetes and coronary atherosclerosis are related to CMVD in this patient cohort.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravesical instillation of sodium hya- luronate in relieving the symptoms of refractory non-bacterial cystitis.Methods Totally,20 patients(1 man and 19 women;mean age,47 years;age range,22-68 years)with refractory non-bacterial cystitis were included.Their disease course ranged from 1 month to 30 years.Of them,16 patients had the disease for more than 1 year.Instillation of sodium hyaluronate(50 ml solution of 40 mg HA)was performed intravesically in them for a total of 12 weeks(once a week for the first 4 weeks and once every 4 weeks for the succeeding 8 weeks).Follow-up visit ended at 16 weeks,when the patients filled in the symptom assessment scores(VAS on pain,frequency and urgency)according to the subjective evaluation.Therapeutic results were classified as(1)total response:symptom disappearance or relief by at least 90% of the symptom scores;(2)partial response:symptom relief by 50%-89%;(3)mild response:symptom relief by 49% or less;(4)no re- sponse:no improvement in symptom scores.Results Nineteen patients completed the 16-week follow-up with only 1 withdrawing.The average general symptom score decreased from 22.32?5.53 to 9.47?5.88 (P＜0.001);frequency score from 8.21?1.75 to 3.89v2.31(P＜0.001);urgency score from 7.47?2.14 to 3.37?2.14(P＜0.001);pain score from 6.63?3.47 to 2.21?2.74(P＜0.001).After 16 weeks,overall positive response rate(total+partial response)was 53%(10/19).No serious adverse effect occurred except for urethral irritation(25%,5/20),worsening of distending pain of the bladder(5%,1/20) and vertigo(15%,3/20)caused by the procedure itself.Conclusions For patients suffering from refrac- tory non-bacterial cystitis,intravesical instillations of sodium hyaluronate can significantly relieve the symp- toms and is safe and of good patient compliance.