Background Statins has prominent roles in regulating lipids,anti-inflammation,autoxidation and protecting vascular endothelial cells.Sartans can promote cell growth and the expression of cytokines.Since the pleiotropic effects of statins and sartans on a variety of cell types,it is inferred that the two medicines can delay retinal aging.Objective This study was to explore the anti-aging effect of simvastatin and telmisartan on the physiological aging of retina.Methods Sixty-six three-month-old healthy SD rats were selected in this study,and 6 of them served as the youth group and the right eyeballs were immediately enucleated.The other rats were raised until 9-month-old in the same conditions and then randomly divided into the simvastatin group,telmisartan group and the control group with 20 rats for each group.The simvastatin of 5 mg/kg and telmisartan of 8 mg/kg were given by intragastric administration once a day in the simvastatin group and the telmisartan group until 17-month-old,and the equal amount of normal saline was used in the control group in the same way.The number of survival rats was 12 in the simvastatin group,10 in the telmisartan group and 8 in the control group.The right eyes were enucleated after heart perfusion of 4％ paraformaldehyde solution for the preparation of retinal paraffin sections.Retinal thickness was measured by pathological examination,and the expressions of the retinal neuron markers,including Thy-1,protein kinase C-α (PKC-ot),opsin and rhodopsin,were detected by immunofluorescence technique to evaluate the morphology of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs),bipolar cells as well as the thickness of the outer segment of photoreceptors.Results The retinal structure was clear in the rats of the youth group.However,the RGCs arrangement and inner segment (IS) and outer segment (OS) structure were abnormal in the simvastatin group,the telmisartan group and the control group.Compared with the rats of the youth group,the thickness of outer nuclear layer (ONL),outer plexiform layer (OPL),inner nuclear layer (INL),inner plexiform layer (IPL) and the total thickness of the aging rats were decreased,and the IS/OS thickness was increased in the simvastatin group and the telmisartan group (all at P＜ 0.01).Thy-1 stain showed that the number of RGCs was reduced in the simvastatin group,telmisartan group and the control group compared with the youth group,and that in the simvastatin group was increased in comparison with the control group (all at P＜0.01).PKC-αt stain exhibited that the density of bipolar cells was increased but the axon terminal bouton was declined in the simvastatin group,telmisartan group and the control group compared with the youth group,and the axon terminal bouton was declined in the simvastatin group compared with the youth group and the control group (all at P=0.000).Opsin and rhodopsin stains displayed that the OS thickness was increased in the simvastatin group,telmisartan group and the control group compared with the youth group,and that in the telmisartan group was reduced in comparison with the control group (all at P＜0.01).Conclusions As SD rat aging,retinal thickness is gradually attenuated and the number of RGCs is gradually declined.Although the density of bipolar cells seem to be unchanged,their synaptic connections are decreased and the OS is thicken.Simvastatin and telmisartan can delay retinal senescence by protecting retinal neurons against aging and thinning thickened OS.

Background Studies indicate that the decline of androgen level affects the secretion function of epithelial cells of meibomian glands and lacrimal glands ,which results in the abnormality of tear quality and quantity.However,whether androgen level regulates the mucin adhesion to ocular surface is still not elucidated.Objective This study was to investigate the tear functional changes and corneal ultrastructural changes in castrated male mice.Methods Fifty-six SPF male BALB/c mice were devided into normal control group, sham group, and orchectomy 1-week group, orchectomy 2-week group, orchectomy 4-week group, orchectomy 6-week group, orchectomy 8-week group according to random number table.Orchectomy was performed in the mice of the orchectomy 1-,2-,4-,6-and 8-week group,and only incision rather than enucleation of testis was carried out in the mice of the sham group.Peripheral venous blood samples were collected during eyeball enucleation in all the mice and serum androgen concentration was detected by radioimmunoassay.Tear secretion level was measured with phenol red thread.Break-up time of tear film (BUT) was tested,and corneal inflorescence staining was scored based on the criterion of Toshida.The corneas of all the mice were collected for ultrastructural examination under the transmission electron microscope.The study complied with the Regulations for the Administration of Affairs Concerning Experimental Animals by State Science and Technology Commission.Results Mouse serum androgen concentration was (573.87±6.74) ng/μl in the normal control group and (579.74-±8.24)ng/μl in the sham group, and there was no significant difference between these two groups (t =1.432, P =0.251) , however, the serum androgen concentration was 0 ng/μl in all castrated mice after orchectomy.The tear secretion levels were (5.26 ± 0.99), (4.89 ± 0.56), (4.62 ± 0.83), (4.28 ± 0.63), (3.36 ± 0.56),(2.60±0.27) and (2.08 ±0.35) mrn/5 minutes in the normal control group, sham group and orchectomy 1-, 2-, 4-,6-and 8-week groups, respectively, and the tear secretion levels were significantly lower in the orchectomy 2-, 4-,6-and 8-week groups than those in the normal control group (all at P＜0.05).The BUT were (68.33±12.86), (62.47± 3.75),(58.67±10.03), (47.17±7.64) ,(39.51±3.39),(32.67±3.88) and (31.00±2.36) seconds in the normal control group, sham group and orchectomy 1-, 2-, 4-, 6-and 8-week groups, respectively, and the BUTs were significantly shorter in the orchectomy 2-,4-, 6-and 8-week groups than those in the normal control group (all at P＜0.05).The fluorescein stain score of corneal epithelium was gradually increased with the lapse of castrated time.The decrease of number,shortening and edema of microvilli as well as separation of desmosomes of corneal epithelial cells were found under the transmission electron microscope in castrated mice.Conclusions Decreasing of serum androgen level, declining of aqueous tears,instability of tear film and damage of corneal epithelial cell ultrastructures occur in castrated male mice, and these manifestations are similar to dry eyes.

Objective:To measure the safe range from the foramen rotundum to the siphon of internal carotid artery using three-dimensional reconstruction technique, and to provide guidance for operation through pterygopalatine fossa.Methods:The skulls of 121 volunteers were scanned to get the final results with thin-section computed tomographic images.The position of the siphon of internal carotid artery (point A)and foramen rotundum (pointB)were ascertained.Three-dimensional reconstruction technique was used to build a coordinate system paralleled to the frankfort horizontal plane and the nasal septum plane.The coordinate system took point A as the coordinate origin.Point C and point D were the projections of point A in two planes parallel with frankfort horizontal plane and nasal septum plane which included point B.The distances of AC,AB,and BC were measured. The angles of the line went through A and B to the three planes were also measured.Results:The distance of AC was measured as 13.22 (3.79)mm (range,8.33 - 105.67 mm;95%CI:8.55 - 21.39 mm).The angle to the sagittal plane was measured as 33.54 (9.23)° (range,5.38- 66.58°;95%CI:30.88 - 34.20°). The angle to the coronal plane was measured as 53.17 (10.48)°(range,5.60-75.02°;95%CI:51.29-55.06°).The angle to the horizontal plane was measured as 9.43 (12.91 ) mm (range,- 28.44 - 82.22;95% CI:7.11 - 11.76 ). Conclusion:The safety distance from foramen rotundum to the siphon of internal carotid artery in the operation through pterygopalatine fossa (PPF) under nasoendoscope is obtained by thin-section computed tomographic images.

Objective To research the jugular foramen,internal auditory pore (IAP)and the turning point between its components by imageological methods and to provide theoretical basis for retrosigmoid approach in the operation of acoustic neurinoma.Methods The skulls of 100 volunteers were scanned to get the final result with thin-section computed tomographic image. High-resolution spiral CT multiplane reformation was used to reform images that were parallel to the Frankfort horizontal plane to measure the distance between the turning point of retrosigmoid (A),the edge of jugular foramen(B)and the lower edge of the internal auditory canal(C)(denoted AC,AB,BC) and the shortest distance from the jugular foramen to AC.The angles between AC,AB and sagittal axis(α,β) were measured.Results The distance of AC was (44.94 ± 3.84)mm,the distance of AB was (43.68 ± 4.56)mm.The distance of BC was (6.15 ±2.04)mm,and the shortest distance between jugular foramen and AC was (5.21±0.23)mm.The angleαwas measured as (39.50±4.74)°,and the angleβwas measured as (46.35± 5.51)°.Conclusion The research measure the distance and angle between entry points and landmarks of retrosigmoid approach and the safe distance.

Objective:To explore any effect of repeated application of low-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on depression and the cognition of depressed elderly persons.Methods:Eighty-six elderly persons with depression were randomly divided into an rTMS group and a control group, each of 43. In addition to anti-depressant treatment, the rTMS group was given 20 minutes of 1Hz rTMS daily applied over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, five times a week for 4 weeks. The control group was given sham treatment on the same schedule. Before the experiment and after 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of the treatment, depression in both groups was evaluated using the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-24). At the 4- and 8-week evaluations the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the Trail Making Test Part A (TMT-A) were also administered.Results:Before the treatment there were no significant differences in the 2 groups′ average HAMD or WCST scores. At each subsequent evaluation both groups′ average HAMD score had decreased significantly. After 3 weeks the average HAMD score of the rTMS group consistently remained significantly lower than the control group′s average. At the 4- and 8-week evaluations both groups′ WCST and TMT-A scores had improved significantly compared with before the treatment, with significantly greater improvement in the rTMS group′s average WCST result, though not in their TPT-A result. There was no signi-ficant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the 2 groups.Conclusion:As a supplement to antidepressant treatment, right-side low-frequency rTMS can relieve depressive symptoms and improve the cognitive functioning of depressed elderly persons. It is well tolerated with few adverse reactions.