The effects of salvia miltiorrhiza Bge (SMB) on left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in the left ventricle of spontaneously hypertensive rats and the action mechanism were investigated. Normal Wistar-kyoto (WKY) rats were used as negative control, and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were randomly assigned to receive placebo or SMB. SMB (1 g/kg.d) was injected intraperitoneally for 12 weeks. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) were measured. HE, VG and immunohistochemical staining combined with computed morphometry were employed to evaluate the cardiomyocyte size, diameter, the collagen volume fraction (CVF), perivascular circumferential area (PVCA), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) expression in the left ventricular tissue. The results showed, as compared with WKY rats, the SBP, LVMI, cardiomyocyte size, diameter, CVF, PCVA, and TNF-alpha expression were increased markedly in the 20-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats. SMB decreased LVMI (P<0.01), size of cardiomyocytes (P<0.01), collagen volume fraction (P<0.01), perivascular circumferential area (P<0.01), and TNF-alpha expression (P<0.01), but had no effect on SBP (P>0.05). It was suggested that chronic administration of SMB could inhibit and reverse the development of LVH in spontaneously hypertensive rats independent of BP. TNF-alpha may be involved in the reversal mechanism of LVH by SMB.

The effects of salvia miltiorrhiza Bge (SMB) on left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the left ventricle of spontaneously hypertensive rats and the action mechanism were investigated. Normal Wistar-kyoto (WKY) rats were used as negative control, and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were randomly assigned to receive placebo or SMB. SMB (1 g/kg·d) was injected intraperitoneally for 12 weeks. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) were measured. HE, VG and immunohistochemical staining combined with computed morphometry were employed to evaluate the cardiomyocyte size,diameter, the collagen volume fraction (CVF), perivascular circumferential area (PVCA), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expression in the left ventricular tissue. The results showed, as compared with WKY rats, the SBP, LVMI, cardiomyocyte size, diameter, CVF, PCVA, and TNF-α expression were increased markedly in the 20-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats. SMB decreased LVMI (P＜0.01), size of cardiomyocytes (P＜0.01), collagen volume fraction (P＜0.01), perivascular circumferential area (P＜0.01), and TNF-α expression (P＜0.01), but had no effect on SBP (P＞0.05). It was suggested that chronic administration of SMB could inhibit and reverse the development of LVH in spontaneously hypertensive rats independent of BP. TNF-α may be involved in the reversal mechanism of LVH by SMB.

Objective To establish the quality standard for Tibetan medicine MNXT granule.Methods Inula racemosa,Tinospora sinensis were identified by TLC; Isoalantolactone and alantolactone were determined by HPLC.Results Inula racemosa,Tinospora sinensis could be identified by TLC.The concentration of isoalantolactone was linear in the range of 0.281～0.842 μg,r=0.9998,with the average recovery rate being 98.5％,RSD being1.14％.The concentration of alantolactone was linear in the range of 0.232～0.696 μg,r=0.9999,with the average recovery rate being 97.4％,RSD being 1.10％.Conclusion The method was simple,accurate,repeatable and able to control the quality of preparation effectively.

10.3969/j.issn.1000-3606.2013.06.018

Objective To develop and test a stressor scale for in-patients with spinal cord injury (SSIPSCI). Methods Based on in-depth interviews and the second-level International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) categories, a 39-item SSIPSCI was generated and pilot tested. It was then used with 284 inpatients with spinal cord injury. Principal components factor analysis and correlation analysis were performed.Results The exploratory components factor analysis revealed 7 significant stress factors: social activity, economy security, individual activity, relationship with others, physical disorders, bowel and bladder problems and medical fees. Internal consistency was high, with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0. 950 overall and 0. 741 ～ 0. 920 for the individual factors. Test-retest reliability was 0.848. The correlation between SSIPSCI scores and Beck depression inventory (BDI) scores was strong ( r = 0. 665 ). Conclusions The reliability and validity of the SSIPSCI are both satisfactory enough to meet psychometric requirements.

OBJECTIVE: Bipolar disorder (BD) is often misdiagnosed as unipolar depression (UD), leading to mistreatment and poor clinical outcomes. However, little is known about the similarities and differences in subcorticalgray matter regions between BD and UD. METHODS: Thirty-five BD patients, 30 UD patients and 40 healthy controls underwent diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI) and three dimensional arterial spin labeling (3D ASL). The parameters including mean kurtosis (MK), axial kurtosis (Ka), radial kurtosis (Kr), fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (Da), radial diffusivity (Dr) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) were measured by using regions-of-interest analysis in the caudate, putamen and thalamus of the subcortical gray matter regions. RESULTS: UD exhibited differences from controls for DKI measures and CBF in the left putamen and caudate. BD showed differences from controls for DKI measures in the left caudate. Additionally, BD showed lower Ka in right putamen, higher MD in right caudate compared with UD. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed the Kr of left caudate had the highest predictive power for distinguishing UD from controls. CONCLUSION: The two disorders may have overlaps in microstructural abnormality in basal ganglia. The change of caudate may serve as a potential biomarker for UD.
Anisotropy ; Basal Ganglia* ; Bipolar Disorder ; Cerebrovascular Circulation ; Depressive Disorder ; Diffusion* ; Gray Matter ; Humans ; Perfusion Imaging* ; Perfusion* ; Putamen ; ROC Curve ; Thalamus*

Objective To investigate the changes of microstructure and blood perfusion of thalamus and basal ganglia in patients with untreated depressive disorder using diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) and three-dimensional arterial spin labeling (3D ASL) perfusion imaging.Methods Totally 21 untreated patients with depressive disorder (disease group) and 32 healthy volunteers (control group) underwent DKI,3D ASL and routine MR scanning were enrolled.DKI parameters (mean kurtosis [MK],axial kurtosis [Ka],radial kurtosis [Kr],fractional anisotropy [FA],mean diffusivity [MD],axial diffusivity [Da] and radial diffusivity [Dr]) and 3D ASL parameters (cerebral blood flow [CBF]) of bilateral heads of caudate nucleus,thalamus and putamens were measured and compared between the 2 groups.Results Compared with control group,Ka of left caudate head in disease group was significantly higher,while Kr was significantly lower (both P＜ 0.05).Ka of right putamens in disease group was significantly higher than that in control group (P＜0.05).Compared with control group,CBF of left caudate head and bilateral putamens decreased significantly in disease group (all P＜0.05).Conclusion Untreated depressed patients show abnormal DKI parameters and blood perfusion in basal ganglia,which indicating that microstructure integrity is impaired and blood perfusion decreases.The abnormalities in basal ganglia microstructure and blood perfusion may serve as one of the neuroimaging features of depressive disorders.