Objective To investigate the prevalence rate of senile insomnia and revealing the characteristics of its pathogenesis. Methods On the basic study of senile insomnia clinical literature, the questionnaire was made and followed by epidemiological investigation. The database was set up for statistical analysis with SPSS13.0. Results Prevalence rate of senile insomnia in Wuchang District of Wuhan City was 36.47%. There were significant difference in sleep time, the length of sleep at night, sleep continuity especially mental state during the day between insomnia group and the normal group (P

Objective To observe the effects of wild jujube seed decoction (WJSD) on learning memory and the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activities of supemxide dismutase (SOD) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the brain of the pathogeny model rats with sleep deprivation (SD). Methods Levels of learning memory and MDA, and activities of SOD and NOS in rats' brain were assayed after SD induced by made-self multiple platform method ( MMPM), senescence induced by D-galactose, and Yin and blood-deficiency induced by eyclophosphamide and hydrocortisonum. Results After 48 h SD, the levels of learning memory was lower in the model group( ( 108.9 ± 12.5 ) s, ( 89 ± 11.5 ) s, ( 0 ) ) than those in the environmental control group ( ( 47.3 ±4.6)s,(9±1.4)s,(6.5 ±1.2))(( t=4.36,3.18,2.07, P＜0.01＝＝. While MDA, and activities of SOD and NO in rats'brain higher in the model group( (3.8 ±0.6) ,(3.0 ±0.5)nmol · mgprot-1 ,(229.7 ±25.8) ,(236.3± 25.2 ) U · mgprot - 1, ( 5.7 ± 0. 8 ), ( 5.4 ± 0.9 ) U · mgprot - 1 ) than those in the environmental control group ( (2. 1 ±0.4) ,(1.6 ±0.4)nmol · mgprot-1 ,(155.5 ±10.6) ,( 147.2 ±26.1 )U · mgprot-1 ,(2.8 ±0.7),(2.9 ± 0.5 ) U · mgprot -1 ) ( t = 2.89,3.01,6.78,5.94,3.10,3.46, P ＜ 0.05 ＝. However, the observation of the groups treated with WJSD, the levels of learning memory showed a tendency in returning to normal level (P ＜ 0.05 ＝ ,and MDA, and activities of SOD and NO of the high dose of WJSD showed a tendency in returning to normal leve1 (P ＜ 0.05 ＝ ,and the low dose of WJSD showed a tendency in returning to normal level too(P ＜ 0.05 ＝. Conclusion WJSD can improve the disability of learning and memory of the pathogeny rats model, and its one of mechanism maybe involve the reduction of neural cell damage with free radical and NO.

Objective To observe the effects of wild jujube seed decoction(WJSD) on ultrastructure and astrocytes expression in the brain cortex of old model rats with blood-deficiency and Yin and sleep deprivation(SD)after SD. Methods Ultrastructural changes in cortical parts of the experiment rat were observed by transmission electron microscopy , immunohistochemical staining was used to detect star-shaped glial cells marker-glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP) expression after SD induced by made-self multiple platform method (MMPM), senescence induced by D-galactose, and Yin and blood-deficiency induced by cyclophosphamide and hydrocortisonum. Results Compared to environmental control group((9.8 ± 2.5), (0.11 ± 0.02) ) , syndrome model group (( 20.4 ±4.4), (0.20 ±0.011) ) rats had obvious ultrastructural changes and stronger expression of GFAP in cortical parts (t = 7.63,3.18, P ＜ 0. 01), while those of W J SD of high and low dose group ((14.4 ± 3.9), (15.5 ± 6.4),(0.14 ±0.02)(0.14±0.02)) rats showed weaker(t=6.32,5.24,2.31,2.45, P＜0.05). Conclusion WJSD of large and small lose group could improve the rats neurons pathological changes,WJSD downward adjusting the expression of GFAP may be one of the mechanisms of treatment on insomnia with blood-deficiency and Yin in the old.