Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Phytotherapy

Objective To evaluate retrospectively the role of 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT associated with MRI in the localization of epileptogenic foci. Methods Sixty-seven patients with medically resistant epilepsy were included from 2003 to 2008. All underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT and MRI for presurgical evaluation as well as post-surgical evaluation 12 to 65 months after operation. Based on postoperative seizure occurrence, patients were divided into two groups. One group was free of seizures ( Engel classification Ⅰ, Group 1) and the other was with postoperative seizure occurrence of any type ( Engel classification Ⅱ-Ⅳ, Group 2). X2-test or Fisher's exact test was used for the statistical analysis. Results About 71.6% (48/67) patients were defined as group 1, and 19 patients were group 2 ( 11 were Engel Ⅱ , 5 were Engel Ⅲ, and 3 were Engel Ⅳ ). In Group 1, no statistically significant difference was found between concordant (45/63) and discordant findings (3/4) with regard to 18F-FDG PET/CT and MRI images (Fisher's exact test, P ＞0.05). For 41 patients that showed focal abnormality both on MRI and 18F-FDG PET/CT, 80.5% (33/41) were found in group 1. For 20 patients that showed focal lesions on MRI while with multi-focal or generalized abnormal metabolism on 18F-FDG PET/CT, 11 (55.0%) were in group 1 and9 (45.0%) were group 2. There was no significant difference (33/41 vs 11/20, X2 =4.34, P ＜0.05 ). Conclusion 18F-FDG PET/CT associated with MRI may offer more helpful information for pre-surgical evaluation and prediction of prognosis of epileptic patients.

OBJECTIVETo develop a new injectable biomaterial carrageenan/nano-hydroxyapatite/collagen (nHAC/Carr) for bone surgery and characterize it.

METHODSnHAC/Carr was developed by filling carrageenan with nano-hydroxyapatite/collagen (nHAC) granules.

RESULTSIt was found that nHAC/Carr had similar X-ray diffraction patterns with that of nHAC. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that carrageenan did not change its structure in nHAC/Carr. The rheological behavior of nHAC/Carr was the same as carrageenan. The scanning electron microscopy and porosity analysis showed that nHAC/Carr had porous structure and its porosity was about 90%.

CONCLUSIONThe biomaterial nHAC/Carr may be used as an injectable bone substitute.

Bone Substitutes ; chemistry ; Carrageenan ; Collagen ; Durapatite ; Injections ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Nanoparticles ; Porosity ; Surface Properties ; X-Ray Diffraction

Objective: To investigate the neural connections between Shenmen (HT7)-heart and the brain by observing the tracing viruses co-labeled brain nuclear groups after injection of the pseudorabies viruses (PRV), the reverse transsynaptic virus tracer carrying different fluorescent protein genes, into the myocardium and Shenmen (HT7) point, respectively.Methods: Pseudorabies virus 531 (PRV531) carrying the green fluorescent protein gene and pseudorabies virus 724 (PRV724) carrying the red fluorescent protein gene were injected into the left ventricular wall and Shenmen (HT7) point area of the left forelimb of six C57BL/6 mice, respectively. After 120 h, whole brain tissue was extracted under 4％ paraformaldehyde perfusion to prepare brain sections. Neuronal co-labeling with the tracing viruses was observed under fluorescence microscopy. Results: Co-labeled signals from the mouse ventricular wall and Shenmen (HT7) point region were found at all levels of the mouse central nervous areas, such as the cerebral cortex, hypothalamus, midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata. The number of co-labeled neurons was higher in the primary motor area, the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, the subceruleus nucleus, and the paramedian reticular nucleus. Conclusion: There is a neural connection between Shenmen (HT7), the heart, and the brain, which may be most closely related to the autonomic nervous system.

Animals ; Escin ; pharmacology ; Intestines ; blood supply ; Lipid Peroxidation ; drug effects ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; physiopathology ; prevention & control

Neurovascular unit (NVU) concept proposed for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) provides a new target, i.e., we should target as an integrity including neurons, glia, and microcirculation, thus supplementing limitations of previous treatment targeting neurons or blood vessels alone. Meanwhile, many clinical trials have failed after NVU protection against AIS drug research has developed at home and abroad. Chinese medicine has multi-component, multi-target, and overall regulation advantages, and is in line with clinical requirement for overall treatment targeting multiple targets of NVU. Currently clinical studies of Chinese medicine treatment of AIS targeting NVU are few. Standardized and systematic clinical efficacy evaluation is lack. Clinical studies for improving AIS-NVU injured blood markers by Chinese medicine are rarer. We hope to pave the way for performing clinical studies on Chinese medicine treatment of AIS targeting NVU.
Brain Ischemia ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Neurons ; Phytotherapy ; methods ; Stroke ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical features of nutritional iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and analyze the risk factors for the severity of anemia, and to provide a basis for the prevention and clinical diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

METHODSA retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 372 children with IDA to investigate the risk factors for the severity of IDA.

RESULTSOf 372 cases, the male-to-female ratio of these patients was 2.72 : 1. Of all cases, 79.9% were aged 6 months to 2 years, and 30.7% were premature infants; 22.9% had a birth weight of < 2.5 kg, and 77.1% had a birth weight of ≥2.5 kg; 36.0% were delivered by natural birth, and 64.0% were delivered by caesarean section; 79.3% were not given solid foods in time; 46.2% had a history of lower respiratory tract infection/recurrent upper respiratory tract infection, diarrhea, trauma, or surgery. The univariate analysis showed that age, birth weight, gestational age, timely introduction of solid foods, and a history of lower respiratory tract infection/recurrent upper respiratory tract infection, diarrhea, trauma, or surgery were associated with the severity of anemia. The multivariate analysis showed that birth weight and the mentioned medical history were associated with the severity of anemia.

CONCLUSIONSNutritional IDA is common in children aged 6 months to 2 years. Nowadays, improper feeding pattern is still one of the main causes of IDA. Birth weight and a history of lower respiratory tract infection/recurrent upper respiratory tract infection, diarrhea, trauma, or surgery are closely associated with the severity of anemia.

Adolescent ; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; etiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of ceramide on progesterone production and apoptosis in rat luteal cells in vitro. Luteal cells were prepared from the ovaries of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) primed female Wistar rats and incubated with cell permeable C2-ceramide. The effects of ceramide on progesterone production and apoptosis in luteal cells were assessed by radio immunoassay (RIA) and flow cytometry analysis. In addition, changes in nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and nitric oxide (NO) production by luteal cells treated with C2-ceramide were also evaluated. Ceramide was found to reduce hCG-stimulated progesterone production in a dose-dependent manner, whereas it had little effect on basal progesterone content. Spontaneous apoptosis in luteal cells was observed after a 12-hour incubation in vitro and 5 μmol/L of ceramide significantly increased the apoptotic rate (P<0.05). Enhanced apoptotic peak was seen in the histogram by flow cytometry. Moreover, 50 μmol/L of C2-ceramide significantly increased NOS activity (P<0.01) and NO production (P<0.001). It is suggested that ceramide may serve as an important signaling molecule mediating certain ovarian processes, such as luteal regression.

Plasma obestatin level was determined in patients with impaired glucose regulation and type 2 diabetes mellitus.The plasma obestatin levels in patients of both groups were significantly decreased as compared with that in controls.Plasma obestatin level was negatively correlated with body mass index,HbA_(1C),waist-to-hip ratio,plasma insulin and HOMA-IR.Obestatin level seems to be related with metabolic disorder.

Objective To study the effect of ropivacaine-induced toxicity on learning and memory abilities and synaptophysin expression of the hippocampus in immature mice. Methods Sixty 21-d-old SD mice were randomly divided into ropivacaine inducement group (R,n=30) and sodium chloride treatment group (N,n=30).Mice in each group were subdivided into 4 subgroups according to the different injection times (24 h,and 3,7 and 60 d after convulsion or injection,n=5); the protein expression of synaptophysin in the hippocampus at each time point were detected by Western blotting.The left 10 mice in each group were performed Mirror water maze test to explore the latency in finding the platform. Results The latency in finding the platform in mice of group R was gradually shortened as time being prolonged,and significant difference was noted between each 2 time points (P＜0.05); while no significant difference was noted between each 2 time points in mice of group N (P＞0.05).The latency in finding the platform in mice of group R was obviously longer as compared with that in group N at 24 h and 3 d time point (P＜0.05),but there were no significant differences at other time points (P＞0.05).The synaptophysin expression in the hippocampus of mice in group R was significantly lower as compared with that in group N at 24 h time point (P＜0.05). Conclusion The effect of single ropivacaine toxicity on learning and memory impairment of immature mice is transitional,which might be correlated to the synaptophysin expression in the hippocampus.