OBJECTIVETo research the mechanism of dopamine (DA) controlled memory in mice.

METHODSMice received i.p. injection of scopolamine (0.3 mg/kg, SCOP 0.3, and 3.0mg/kg, SCOP 3.0, respectively, n = 10) and saline (NS, n = 10) for 60 days in experiment 1. Memory of mice was detected by dark avoidance behavior in the 53" d and the 60"' d. Animals were sacrificed after the memory test; brain tissues were processed for Fos-ir and TH-ir by immunohistochemistry. Mice were divided into four groups according results of expri-ment 1, they received i.p. injection of apomorphine (0.1 mg/kg, APO 0.1, 0.5 mg/kg, APO 0.5, and 2.0 mg/kg, APO2.0 respectively, n = 10).

RESULTSMemory was inhibited in mice injected scopolamine 3.0 mg/kg. Latency was significantly less than in NS group, only 1/ 4 that of NS group (P > 0.05). The number of mistake of SCOP 3.0 group increased about four times than that of NS group (P > 0.05). But there was no difference of latency and number of mistake between SCOP 0.3 and NS group in expriment 1. Scopolamine-induced memory deficit was associated with decreased cellular activation, indicated by Fos immunoreactive (ir) staining, in NAcc CA1 and CA3 (P < 0.05), and also associated with decreases in the number of cells labeled for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH-ir), the rate limiting enzyme for dopamine conversion (P < 0.01) and the number of cells co-labeled for TH-ir/Fos-ir (P <0.01) in the ventral tegmental area(VTA), apomorphine lessened scopolamine-induced memory deficit in experiment 2. The number of cells co-labeled for TH-ir/Fos-ir (P <, 0.05) was increased in VTA after apomorphine treatment.

CONCLUSIONApomorphine lessened scopolamine-induced memory deficit in mice by increasing DA activities in VTA.

Animals ; Apomorphine ; pharmacology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Dopamine Agonists ; pharmacology ; Male ; Memory Disorders ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Mice ; Scopolamine Hydrobromide ; toxicity

Bacteremia ; etiology ; Catheterization ; adverse effects ; Child ; Coagulase ; metabolism ; Cross Infection ; etiology ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; drug effects ; Endocarditis, Bacterial ; etiology ; Humans ; Methicillin ; pharmacology ; Quinolones ; pharmacology ; Staphylococcal Infections ; complications ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Staphylococcus ; classification ; drug effects ; pathogenicity ; Urinary Tract Infections ; etiology ; Vancomycin ; pharmacology

Objective:To establish the content determination method for astragaloside in Bushen Wenfei mixtures by HPLC-ELSD. Methods:HPLCwithanAgilentZORBAXC18(150mm×4.6mm,5μm)columnwasused. Methanol-water(75∶25)wasusedasthe mobile phase and the flow rate was 0. 8 ml·min-1 . The drift tube temperature was 80℃ and the gas flow rate was 2. 5 ml·min-1 . Results: The linear range of astragaloside was 0.297-4.944 μg (r =0.999 7). The average recovery was 98.13% with RSD of 1. 27%(n=9). Conclusion:The method is with sufficient accuracy, stability and repeatability, and can be used in determination of Bushen Wenfei mixtures.

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical effect of Chinese medical (CM) syndrome differentiation based Chinese herbs and recombinant human tumor necrosis factor receptor II-antibody fusion protein (etanercept) for treating ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients.

METHODSTotally 35 AS patients were treated with syndrome differentiation based Chinese herbs and etanercept. Reinforcing Shen and strengthening Du channel, activating meridians to stop pain was principle used in syndrome differentiation based treatment. Etanercept was subcutaneously injected, 25 mg each time; twice per week for the first three months and once a week for the latter three months. The clinical efficacy was evaluated after 3 and 6 months of treatment. Meanwhile, ASAS20 and ASAS50 standards arriving rates were also observed. Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), visual analog score (VAS) for spine pain, VAS for night pain, patient global assessment (PGA), VAS for physician global assessment, CM syndrome score, finger-ground distance, thoracic activity, tragus-wall distance, lumbar scoliosis, cervical rotation, Schober improved test, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were observed before treatment, 3 and 6 months after treatment.

RESULTSCompared with before treatment, BASDAI, BASFI, VAS for spine pain, night pain, physician global assessment, PGA, CM syndrome score, finger-ground distance, thoracic activity, tragus-wall distance, lumbar scoliosis, Schober improved test, ESR, and CRP all decreased after 3 and 6 months of treatment, with statistical difference (P < 0.05). Cervical rotation also decreased after 6 months of treatment, with statistical difference (P < 0.05). Compared with 3 months of treatment, total effective rate of CM syndrome, ASAS20 and ASAS50 standards arriving rates increased after 6 months of treatment, with statistical difference (P < 0.05). There were statistical differences in all indices mentioned above between after 3 months of treatment and after 6 months of treatment (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSyndrome differentiation based Chinese herbs combined etanercept could alleviate inflammatory reaction favorably, control the progression of active AS, and improve joint functions.

Disease Progression ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Etanercept ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Pain ; prevention & control ; Pain Management ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; drug therapy ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo determine whether lactic acid bacteria as probiotics is efficacious in the primary prevention of infantile eczema or atopic eczema.

METHODSFor this meta analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCT) describing the efficacy of probiotics in infants with eczema or atopic eczema at ages of ≤2 years, a comprehensive search in the databases was performed up to January 2010. Three reviewers independently evaluated the studies for methodological qualities. RevMan 5.0.2 software was used for meta analysis.

RESULTSTwelve RCTs on the preventive effects of lactic acid bacteria as probiotics on infantile eczema were included, and 7 of the 12 RCTs reported the preventive effect of lactic acid bacteria on atopic eczema. The meta analysis showed that there was an overall significant reduction in infantile eczema and atopic eczema favoring lactic acid bacteria compared with placebo. The relative risk (RR) ratios for eczema and atopic eczema were 0.80 (95%CI: 0.70-0.90; P<0.01) and 0.78 (95%CI: 0.64-0.97; P<0.01), respectively. Lactic acid bacteria combined with other probiotics decreased significantly the incidence of eczema, with a RR ratio of 0.79 (95%CI: 0.68-0.93; P<0.01). The use of lactic acid bacteria alone did not result in a reduction in the incidence of eczema, with a RR ratio of 0.85 (95%CI: 0.69-1.05; P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe data from this meta analysis suggest that lactic acid probiotics combined with other probiotics play a role in the prevention of infantile eczema. There is insufficient evidence to recommend single use of lactic acid bacteria for prevention of eczema. Further studies are required to determine whether the findings are reproducible.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Lactobacillus ; Lactococcus ; Probiotics ; therapeutic use ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Streptococcus thermophilus

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second major neurodegenerative disease.The pathogenesis of PI) is still unclear.It is generally believed that neural damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, oxidative stress and autophagy dysfunction caused by the transmission and aggregation of a- synuclein play an important role in the occurrence and development of PD.More and more research show- that metabolic disorder is one of the pathogenesis of PD.We examined whether overexpression of a- synuclein could induce metabolic disorder in mice and the possible mechanisms.Mice were divided into two groups: Thyl-aSYN transgenic mice (TG) and the control wild-type (WT) group.The rotarod test was used to analyze motor function in mice.We detected the body weight, plasma insulin content, glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance in the two group mice.The morphology of islets in the two groups were observed by hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining, and the islets were isolated to detect the glucose- stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS).The results showed that compared with the WT group, exercise tolerance of 12-month-old TG group decreased by 23.1% (P < 0.05) , body weight increased by 7% (P < 0.01), glucose tolerance decreased (P < 0.05), insulin tolerance decreased (P < 0.05), and insulin contents in the peripheral blood decreased by 20% (P < 0.05).Compared with the WT group, the levels of ce -syn proteins in the pancreas of the TG group increased by 1.32 times (P < 0.05) , the area of islets in the TG group decreased (P < 0.05 ) , the number of islets decreased (P < 0.01) , and the insulin secretion function decreased (P< 0.01).This study showed that the role of a-synuclein in PD is not limited to the damage of dopaminergic neurons, it also can affect metabolism and the morphology and function of peripheral organs, which provides a new theoretical basis for the pathogenesis of PD.

Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; CD3 Complex ; metabolism ; Celiac Disease ; complications ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9 ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Enteropathy-Associated T-Cell Lymphoma ; complications ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Integrin alpha Chains ; metabolism ; Intestinal Mucosa ; pathology ; Ki-1 Antigen ; metabolism ; Lymphoma, Extranodal NK-T-Cell ; pathology ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; pathology

Background Inherited retinal degeneration,one of the major causes of blindness worldwide,comprises a large number of disorders characterized by a slow and progressive retinal degeneration.Interleukin-1 (IL-1)was recognized to be involved in inherited retinal degeneration.Whether IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) can arrest retinal degeneration is worthy of investigation.Objective This study was to investigate the effects of IL-1ra on photoreceptor apoptosis in Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats.Methods The use of the animals complied with the Regulations for the Administration of Affairs Concerning Experimental Animals by State Science and Technology Commission.The SPF RCS rats aged 9,15,16,25,30,35,40,50 and 60 postnatal days were collected,with 9 rats for each age group.Retinal sections were used for the TdT-mediated biotin-dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) cell apoptosis assay.1 μl of IL-1ra (1.8 g/L) was intravitreally injected in the right eyes of 9 RCS rats aged 15 postnatal days and PBS was used in the same way in the fellow eyes.The injection procedure was repeated on the 20 th and 25 th day,respectively.The rats were sacrificed on the 30 th day and retinal sections were prepared for the TUNEL assay.The differences in the percentage of the positive cellular nuclei area among different ages of rats were compared by one-way ANOVA,and the differences in retinal layer thickness between IL-1ra injection group and PBS injection group were assessed by paired t test.Results Photoreceptor apoptosis appeared in 20-day-old RCS rats and progressed and peaked in 30 and 35-day-old rats and then reduced,showing a significant difference among rat of various age groups (F=28.020,P＜0.01).Images from TUNEL assay showed a weaker and less TUNEL staining in the IL-1ra injected eyes than the PBS injected eyes in 30-day-old rats.The total area and relative area of TUNEL positive nuclei were (223.052±153.092) μm2 and (2.206±1.531) ％ in the IL-1ra injected group,and those in PBS injected group were (1235.050±359.767) μm2 and (7.269± 1.624) ％,with a significant difference between them (t =4.370,t=3.250,P＜0.01).The cone and rod thickness was (15.324±9.035) μm in the IL-1ra injected group and (49.566±4.605)μm in the PBS injected group,showing a significant difference (t =22.674,P＜0.01).However,no significant difference was seen in the outer nuclear layer thickness between the two groups (t =0.268,P＞0.05).Conclusions IL-1 participates in the pathogenesis and development of inherited retinal degeneration of RCS rats.The use of IL-1ra might be a potential approach in the treatment of inherited retinal degeneration.

Objective To study expressions of heme oxygenase-1 mRNA and protein in rat hippocampus after hypoxic-ischemia brain damage(HIBD) as well as the relationship with apoptosis in brain.Methods Seven-day-old SD rats were randomly divided into hypoxic-ischemia brain damage group and sham control group.Expressions of HO-1 protein and mRNA as welll as the relationship with apoptosis after HIBD in neonatal rat were determined by immunohisochemistry and in situs hybridizaion as well as terminal deoxynucleotidy transferase mediated UTP-biotin nick end labeling(TUNEL).Results 1.In the right hippocampus,expression of HO-1 gene increased sharply at 4 h (P

Objective To investigate the relationship between carotid intima media thickness (IMT) and pulse pressure index (PPI) in elderly hypertensive patients.PPI was defined as 24 h mean pulse pressure(PP)/24 h mean SBP.Methods One hundred and three elderly hypertensive patients were categorized by PPI level:group A (PPI