Objective To explore visual-spatial working memory deficits of patients with basal ganglia damage, based on which tried to provide the new method for detecting the injuries in basal ganglia. Methods Twenty-five patients with lesions in the basal ganglia and twenty-five healthy controls performed visual-spatial working memory tasks, including a face-recognition and a spatial delayed-response. Results For the basal ganglia damage group ,the correct rate of both visual- face ( 54.5 ± 9.6 ) % and visual-spatial ( 80.0 ± 11.7 ) % working memory tasks was significantly lower than that of the control group ( ( 64.3 ± 9.5 ) %, ( 93.6 ± 4.9) %, respectively) ,and the difference was statistically significant ( u= - 147.5,80.5, P＜0. 01 ). For the patients injured in the left basal ganglia, the correct rate of visual- face working memory (48.5 ± 5.4 )% was obviously lower than that of patients injured in the right basal ganglia ( 59.2 ± 9.8 ) %, and the difference was statistically significant ( u =25.5, P＜0. 01 ) ;but the difference of correct rate for the visual-space working memory was not statistically significant( u = 52.5, P＞ 0.05 ). In contrast to the controls, both the visual-face and visual-space working memory of the group with injuries in basal ganglia,had appeared to be disable. Conclusions The results confirmed that patients with lesions in basal ganglia had deficits of visual-spatial working memory,and that injuries either in the left or the right basal ganglia can probably cause the shiftiness of cognitive function. Therefore, the injuries in basal ganglia can be detected by the visual-spatial working memory tests.

Objective To estimate the effect of the NO on the medial amygdaloid nucleus(Me), we studied the origins of the NOS positive terminals in the Me. Methods Noergic afferent projection to Me was identified by a combined NADPH-d histochemical staning and retrograde CTb immunocytochemical method after microinjecting CTb into Me. Results The double labeled of neurons (NOS and CTb) were located in dorsal raphe nucleus, locus ceruleus, basolateral amygdaloid nucleus, parabrachial nucleus, ventrolateral part of periaqueductal gray.Conclution The NADPH-d positive terminals in the Me originates from the aforementioned nucleus, and may relate to the function of the Me.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have shown that nuclear factor-KB (NF-kB) was positively correlated with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the cerebral hypoxia region. Thus, we assumed whether NF-kB in the pathway of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 α (HIF-1α) upregulating VEGF and plays a bridge effect.OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of NF-kB in HIF-1α pathway of increasing expression of VEGF using HIF-1α-modified neural stem cells (NSCs) as vectors.DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: In vitro observation of cytology was conducted at the Neuroscience Institute, Jiamusi University from March to December 2008.MATERIALS: Wistar rats aged less than 24 hours of both genders were used.METHODS: NSCs were transfected after amplification of adenovirus vector HIF-1α (AdHIF-ia)-green fluorescent protein (GFP).Fluorescence detection was used to determine HIF-1α-GFP and blank vector Ad-GFP expression in NSCs. Protein was extracted from transfected NSCs, blank vector NSCs and normal NSCs, separately. Subsequently, NF-kB specific inhibitor pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) (50,150, 300 μmol/L) was added in HIF-1α-modified NSCs. Western blot analysis was used to determine changes in VEGF expression.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The following parameters were measured: expression of HIF-1α, VEGF and NF-kB in NSCs in each group; VEGF expression in NSCs following treatment of NF-kB specific inhibitor.RESULTS: Gene expression was associated with MOI and transfected time following AdHIF-1α-GFP transfected with NSCs. After transfected AdHIF-1α-GFP in NSCs, HIF-1α, VEGF and NF-kB expression was positively correlated. Expression of VEGF was reduced in AdHIF-1α-GFP-modified NSCs following treatment of NF-kB inhibitor PDTC in a concentration-dependent fashion.There were significant differences in VEGF expression between each concentration group (P < 0.05-0.01).CONCLUSION: NF-kB in signaling pathway of HIF-1α-upregulated VEGF expression and played a bridging effect.

AIM: To improve the prevent efficacy of peptide p277 in autoimmune diabetes. METHODS: The recombinant expression plasmid pET28-Hsp65-6×p277 was constructed by inserting 6×p277 which were amplified by PCR into the vector pET28-Hsp65. The plasmid pET28-Hsp65-6×p277 was transformed into E.coli BL21 (DE3) and the fusion protein (Hsp65-6×p277) was expressed effectively as soluble protein after inducing by lactose. The fusion protein was purified and then used to immunize 4-week old female NOD mice with three times of i.n. inoculations in the absence of adjuvants. Serum samples from the immunized mice were collected at monthly interval. The concentrations of blood glucose and antibodies were measured by automatic analyzer. RESULTS: Administration with the Hsp65-6×p277 to NOD mice could prevent the development of diabetes. CONCLUSION: The fusion protein Hsp65-6×p277 might be further developed to a vaccine against insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of Radix Astragali,Radix Rehmanniae combined with glucocorticoid(GC) in treating patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE) and its influence on some experimental indexes.Methods 72 cases of SLE were randomly recruited into the integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine treated group (treated group) and the western medicine treated group (control group).The control group was treated with prednisone and cyclophosphamide,while the treated group was treated with Radix Astragali and Radix Rehmanniae on the basis of the control group.Both groups had been treated for 6 months as a therapy course.The use of prednisone dosage were recorded and its influence on indexes of clinical and laboratory value were observed.Results 27 SLE patients in the treated group and 34 in the control group were completely observed.The dosages of prednisone in both groups were decreased gradually after the state of disease had been relieved.The predrisone dosage in the treated group was lower than that in the control group in the therapy course(15.41 ±7.65)mg vs (17.25±8.83)mg,but without significant difference (t=0.85,P＞0.05).The total decreased prednisone dosage in the treated group (50.12±12.53 mg) was slightly higher than that in control group(48.96± 13.71) mg (t=0.34,P＞0.05).The ratio of cases who had to add prednisone for aggravating disease in treated group(15.92％) was less than that in the control group (38.24％),the difference was significant (x2=3.24,P＜0.05).The incidence rate of cushing syndrome,infection,diseases of digestive,cardiovascular anomalies in the treated group was slightly less than the control group (x2=0.42,0.98,0.01,0.03respectivly,P＞0.05),but the number of insomnia and hot flush were significantly larger in the control group than the treatment group (x2=4.24,5.93,P＜0.05).No difference about the SLEDAI,ESR,CRP,Blood Complement3,Blood imune globinG was found between the two groups (t=2.16,1.04,1.18,0.26,1.61 respectively,P＞0.05),and 24 hours urinary protein count decreased significantly in the treated group (1.06 ± 0.12) g/L,compared with control group (1.42 ± 0.54) g/L,(t =3.78,P ＜ 0.05 ).Conclusion Radix Astragal,Radix Rehmanniae combined with conventional treatment of western medicine could withdraw corticosteroid smoothly,relieve symptoms and alleviate some side-effects of western medicine.

Objective To compare the cognitive difference of subjects'responses to the same visual stimuli under two different priming conditions,and to discuss the influence of inversion effect and configural changes upon facial recognition.Methods Priming pattern was employed,and subjects were induced to recognize the same stimuli as schematic faces or three English letters under different priming conditions.The participants'accuracy and reaction times were compared in two priming conditions. Results Participants'accuracy of the comparison stimuli in facial priming condition decreased significantly by inversion effect((79.03±10.53)%vs(89.43±9.98)%,P<0.01);reaction times of priming stimuli and comparison stimuli were delayed by inversion effect significantly((3720.40±607.71)ms vs(2998.33±544.02)ms,(3521.80±1038.20)ms vs(2750.87±867.13)ms,P<0.01),and there was no influence of inversion effect upon the reaction times of English letter stimuli(P>0.05).Correlations of accuracy to reaction times reached no significant difference under two conditions.Conclusion Priming effect make sense in the cognition,and there was a priming stage before the facial configuration.Inversion effect shows up in the face priming condition,and vanish in the English letter priming condition,which demonstrate the importance of configuration and inversion effect in the facial cognition.What's more,such effect can't be explained by the changes of cognitive difficulty.

The antitumor activities of artemisinin and its derivatives has become a hot topic in recent years.Artemisinin and its derivatives have been reported to exert antitumor effects mainly by blocking the cell cycle, promoting tumor cell apoptosis, inhibiting angiogenesis and so on.Also, their influence on signaling pathways has attracted considerable interest of many scholars.Currently, in order to discover some compounds with better therapeutic potentials, many studies dedicated to the synthesis and development of new artemisinin derivatives.In addition, the effects of artemisinin and its derivatives on multi-drug resistantace in tumor cells also become a trend of the future research.In this paper, we review the research advances in the antitumor activities of artemisinin and its derivatives during the past five years to provide a reference for future study .

ObjectiveTo develop a quantitative method for simultaneously determining multi-components in Rhei Radix et Rhizoma using one chemical reference substance.MethodsThe contents of multi-components were calculated by the UV relative correction factors (RCFs) of chrysophanol,physcion,and rhein to emodin.ResultsThe values of RCFs at 274 nm for rhein,chrysophanol,and physcion to emodin were 0.712,0.674,and 1.051.The calibration curves were linear over the ranges of 0.02-4.08,0.02-4.12,0.07- 12.92,and 0.02-3.68 μg/mL for rhein,emodin,chrysophanol,and physcion,respectively.The contents of emodin in 18 samples were determined by the extemal standard method,and the contents of the other three anthraquinone aglycones were calculated according to their RCFs.ConclusionNo significant difference is found in comparison with the classical method,indicating that the RCFs have high reliability within their linear ranges and could be used in quality control of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma.The quantitative analysis of multi-component with a single marker is especially suitable for herbal medicines containing unstable or hard to be purified components as quality control markers.

Objective To evaluate the MRI features of erythromycin eye ointment entered into the orbital soft tissue of guinea pigs.Methods MRI was performed dynamically to observe the signal changes 1 day,1 week,2 weeks ,3 weeks and 4 weeks after erythromycin eye ointment was successfully injected into orbital soft tissue of guinea pigs ,as well as HE stainings to monitor retrob-ulbar soft tissue specimens at each time point were obtained.Results After the injection of erythromycin eye ointment 1 day,1 week,2 weeks,3 weeks and 4 weeks later,the signal intensity of erythromycin eye ointment was resemble to the surrounding soft tissue and indistinguishable on T2 WI.On T1 WI,the signal intensity of erythromycin eye ointment was higher than that of contralat-eral adipose body of orbit at 1day and 1 week,and slightly higher than the contralateral adipose body of orbit at 2 weeks and 3 weeks,but resemblance at 4 weeks.HE staining showed that inflammatory cell infiltration and tissue necrosis at 1 day,the presence of foreign body macrophages and fibroblasts at 2 weeks,and the inflammatory cells surrounding the optic nerve gradually subsided at 3 weeks and 4 weeks.Conclusion Fat-suppressed T1 WI is the best sequence to observe erythromycin eye ointment.Abnormal signal changes on T1 WI can reflect the histopathological changes after erythromycin eye ointment into the tissue.

BACKGROUND:Bacterial biofilm is the main cause of the infection of the prosthesis.In vitro experiments confirmed that hypertonic sodium chloride and ethanol can apparently promote the formation of staphylococcal biofilms. There are no reports on the effects of ethanol and hypertonic environment surrounding the prosthesis on the formation of biofilms.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of different environment factors surrounding the prosthesis on the growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis and bacterial biofilm formation after replacement.
METHODS: White rabbit models infected with Staphylococcus epidermidis on the prosthesis were established, and were randomly divided into hypertonic sodium chloride, ethanol and control groups (n=15). The bacteria were injected with 0.1 mL 4% sodium chloride and 4% ethanol into the knee of rabbits in the hypertonic sodium chloride and ethanol groups. The rabbits were injected with 0.1 mL 0.9% sodium chloride in the control group. Three rabbits were sacrificed at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 16 days after inoculated with bacteria. Synovial fluid, prosthesis and tissue surrounding infection were obtained. Bacterium was cultured to extract total RNA. The ica operon transcription levels were detected in the gene levels. Adhesion of bacteria on the surface of the prosthesis was observed using a scanning electron microscope. Tissues surrounding the prosthesis were observed using hematoxylin-eosin staining.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Histological examination revealed that inflammatory cel infiltration was observed in al the rabbits at 4 days after injection. Colony formation was found at 16 days after injection. At 6 days after injection, inflammatory cel infiltration was observed in the ethanol and control groups. Scanning electron microscope showed that compared with the control group, the bacteria adhered to the prosthetic surface became more in the hypertonic sodium chloride and ethanol groups at 6, 8 and 16 days (P < 0.05). At 6, 8 and 16 days, the expression of icaA mRNA was significantly higher in the hypertonic sodium chloride and ethanol groups than in the control group (P < 0.05). These data showed that the environment factors could affect the growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis and bacterial biofilm formation.