The afferent connections of the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) were studied with retrograde transport method of using horseradish peroxidase (HRP).A microinjected syringe needle or microelectrophoretic pipette was inserted into the brain in the vertical, inclined through cerebellum or inclined through cerebral cortex medially.The results were as follows:Following HRP injection into the IPN, labeled neurons were found in medial habenular nuclei, lateral habenular nuclei, dorsal raphe nucleus, superior central nucleus, dorsal tegmental nucleus of Gudden, dorsolateral tegmental nucleus, ventro-lateral and lateral portions of periaqueductal grey matter, and locus coeruleus. In addition, labeled cells were also observed within caudal portion of accumbens nucleus and nucleus tractus diagonalis (Broca).Following HRP injection into the lateral, ventral (or ventrolateral) and dorsal portions of the IPN, labeled cells were found in ipslateral medial habenular nucleus,medial regions of the bilateral medial habenular nuclei, and lateral regions of the bilateral medial habenular nuclei, respectively.After injection into the rostral or caudal pole of the IPN, no labeled cells were observed in bilateral medial habenular nuclei.Following injection of HRP into the caudal pole of the IPN, labeled neurons were observed within both sides of lateral habehular nucleus, dorsolateral tegmental nucleus and ventromedial portion of dorsal tegmental nucleus.No labeled neurons were observed in the ventral (deep) tegmental nucleus,premamillary nucleus, supramamillary nucleus and parabigeminal nucleus except in the cases in which the HRP injection site extended beyond the IPN.

Objective To investigate the role of bone marrow-derived cells (EMC) plays in choroidal neovascularization (CNV).Methods Green fluorescent protein (C-FP) chimeric mice were built by transplanting BMC from GFP transgenic mice to adult wild type C57BL/6J mice.Retinal laser photocoagulation was used to induce CNV in the chimeric mice (treated group) and adult wild type mice (control group).Four weeks later,choroidal flatmount was prepared to detect GFP positive BMC expression in the CNV lesions,and immunofluorescence stain was used to determine the expression of vascular endothelia growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast cell growth factor (bFGF).Results Twenty-nine days after photocoagulation lots of GFP positive BMC presented in the CNV area,which accounted approximate 16.22% of the total CNV area.Some BMC in the CNV area expressed VEGF and bFGF.Conclusions BMC may play an important role in CNV by forming new vessles and secreting angiogenic factors.

Objective To establish an inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) method for analysis of elements in peripheral blood of children .Methods A total of 474 healthy children in Hunan area were enrolled in this study ,and six ele‐ments ,including Ca ,Mg ,Fe ,Cu ,Zn and Pb ,in peripheral blood specimens were detected by using ICP‐MS method .Results The levels of elements ,including Ca ,Mg ,Fe ,Cu ,Zn and Pb ,in peripheral blood of healthy children showed skewed distributions ,and no significant differences were found in levels of these elements between male and female children(P>0 .05) .The reference intervals of Ca ,Mg ,Fe ,Cu ,Zn and Pb in peripheral blood of healthy children in this area were 57 .30 -81 .40 mg/L ,30 .40 -44 .80 mg/L , 361 .20-531 .40 mg/L ,848 .10-1 469 .20 μg/L ,2 .68 -6 .54 mg/L and 0 .00 -100 .00 μg/L respectively .Conclusion The ICP‐MS method for simultaneously detecting Ca ,Mg ,Fe ,Cu ,Zn and Pb in peripheral blood of children and reference interval of each ele‐ment are successfully established .

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a teaching method which is tutor-guided,student-centered,learning in the procedure of solving problem and solving problem in the procedure of learning.Compared with traditional teaching methods,PBL has advantages in culturing the ability of the students,improving the ability of analyzing and solving problem and combining multiple disciplines and it plays an important role in culturing applicable and innovative talents.Attention should be paid to teacher training,learner supervision,strict selection of curriculum and supplement of extra relevant courses.Furthermore,the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine must be highlighted so as to achieve the best teaching effects.

The adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-binding cassette transporter G1 (ABCG1),a member of the superfamily of ATP-binding cassette transporters,is involved in the efflux of cholesterol and phospholipids from cells,and it maintains the intracellular hpid homeostasis.ABCG1 deficiency results in foam cell formation,endothelial dysfunction,and inflammatory reaction,and it further leads to the development and progression of atherosclerosis.However,the role of ABCG1 in atherosclerosis in animal experiments and human studies is still a debatable matter.In this paper,the recent findings on the role of ABCG1 in atherosclerotic disease are reviewed.

ObjectiveTo observe effects of Naofucong grain on learning and memory in cerebral ischemic mice, and identify the mechanisms on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor.MethodsExperimental dementia mice were induced by ischemia reperfusion injury, and treated with Naofucong grain or Dangguishaoyao powder (positive control medicine). Learning and memory were tested in the Morris water maze. Activities of NMDA receptor in brain cortex and hippocampus were detected ResultsIncubation periods of mice treated with Naofucong grain were significantly shorter than that of ischemic model mice (P<0.01) Activities of NMDA receptor in brain cortex and hippocampus showed no difference between Naofucong grain treated mice and normal mice (P>0.05)Activities of NMDA receptor in brain cortex and hippocampus in Naofucong grain treated mice were significantly lower than that in ischemic model mice(P<0.01) ConclusionThe improvement of Naofucong grain in the memory and learning in cerebral ischemic mice may be related to the inhibition of the activity of NMDA receptor.

ObjectiveTo examine effects of traditional Chinese herbs Naofucong grain on PC12 cells injured by H2O2 in vitro MethodsRats random divided into 2 groups: Naofucong grain treating group (administered with Naofucong grain) and control group (administered with distilled water) After 3 days administration, serums were obtained and added to cultured PC12 cells which were under different concentrations of H2O2 Morphological examinations in PC12 cells were detected by MTT measurement ResultsMTT measurement showed that Naofucong grain administered rats serums significantly increased the survival number of PC12 cells in different concentrations of H2O2.Conclusion Naofucong grain may have obvious protective effects on PC12 cells injured by H2O2.

In the present investigation, we studied four methods of blind source separation/independent component analysis (BSS/ICA), AMUSE, SOBI, JADE, and FastICA. We did the feature extraction of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals of brain computer interface (BCI) for classifying spontaneous mental activities, which contained four mental tasks including imagination of left hand, right hand, foot and tongue movement. Different methods of extract physiological components were studied and achieved good performance. Then, three combined methods of SOBI and FastICA for extraction of EEG features of motor imagery were proposed. The results showed that combining of SOBI and ICA could not only reduce various artifacts and noise but also localize useful source and improve accuracy of BCI. It would improve further study of physiological mechanisms of motor imagery.
Algorithms ; Artifacts ; Brain ; physiology ; Brain-Computer Interfaces ; Electroencephalography ; Foot ; Hand ; Humans ; Imagination ; Movement ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Tongue

Objective To investigate the multidrug-resistance reversal action and mechanism of dihydroartemisin (DHA) on human colon cancer cell line HCT8/ADR. Methods The cytotoxicity of dihydroartemisin combined with doxorubicin(DOX) was determined by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium(MTT) assay and cell apoptosis was observed by flow cytometry. Western blot assay was used to measure the autophagy. Results The combined treatment with dihydroartemisin and doxorubicin significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity in HCT8/ADR cells and effectively increased the apoptotic level. Autophagy was also induced by the combined treatment , which maybe played a crucial role in the regulation of doxorubicin-sensitization of HCT8/ADR cells. Conclusion The results indicated that dihydroartemisin can reverse multidrug resistance through increasing the doxorubicin-sensitivity of HCT8/ADR cells.

Objective To set up the rolling circle amplification (RCA) system for detecting hepatitis B virus (HBV) covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), and to evaluate the specificity and sensitivity of this system. Methods Plasmids containing full-length of wild-type HBV genome were treated with restriction enzyme and T4 DNA ligase, and then were concentrated. The DNA fragments were recovered by the nucleic acid purification kit and severed as standard HBV cccDNA. Total DNA was extracted from hepatic tissues of seven chronic hepatitis B patients. RCA method was used to amplify genomes from tissue samples. Standard HBV cccDNA, 3.2 kb liner HBV DNA, normal hepatic tissue samples and 15 serum samples of patients with chronic HBV infection were used as controls to determine the specificity of RCA. Ten-fold serial dilutions of standard HBV cccDNA were used for determining the sensitivity. Results The standard HBV cccDNA was successfully constructed and could be detected by RCA method. HBV cccDNA could be amplified from 2 mg hepatic tissue samples at least of HBV infected patients, and could be detected as low as 1 ×102 copy/μL. cccDNA was not detected in 3.2 kb liner HBV DNA, normal hepatic tissue samples and 15 serum samples of chronic HBV infected patients. Conclusion RCA method can be used for rapid and simple detection of HBV cccDNA with high specificity and sensitivity.