Objective To study clinical and electrophysiological features of multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN). Methods The clinical features and data of electrophysiological examination from 16 patients with MMN were analyzed retrospectively.Results In the present study, the onset age was 14 to 47 years with the mean age of (28.2?2.4) years. All the 16 patients presented with unsymmetrical weakness of extremities (Ⅱ～Ⅳ grade of muscle strength) and no hypoesthesia. More serious weakness was found in the upper limbs and in the right extremities. 4 cases were accompanied with mild amyotrophy. Electromyography showed segment conduct block (CB) and slow down of conduct velocity of motor nerves in all 16 patients. Slow conduct velocity of sensory nerve was found only in one case.Conclusions MMN is an unsymmetrical peripheral neuropathy, which affects mainly on motor nerve. Nerve electrophysiology plays an important role in diagnosis of MMN and CB is the characteristic manifestation of nerve electrophysiological change in MMN.

AIM: To investigate the protective effects of berberine against liver injury induced by lipopolysaccharide in mice and the mechanisms underlying its protective effect.METHODS: The male mice were divided randomly into control,berberine group,LPS group and berberine treatment group.Mice were administered intragastrically with distilled water(0.01 mL/g) or(5 g/L) neutral sulfate berberine(0.01 mL/g) once a day for 5 days and injected intraperitoneally with normal saline or LPS(0.02(mL/g),28 mg/kg)at 1 h after gavage on day 5.Blood was collected for determining alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase(AST) activities,the content of tumor necrosis factors-?(TNF-?) at 10 h and 2 h after LPS or normal saline injection,respectively.Furthermore,the liver tissue was processed,and histological changes and ultrastructure in liver were observed with light and electron microscopy,malondialdehyde(MDA) content and superoxide dismutase(SOD) activity in liver were also detected.RESULTS: Both ALT and AST activities in serum in LPS group were higher than those in control and berberine treatment group.LPS increased the serum TNF-? content at 2 h after injection,which was reversed by berberine pretreatment.The histological examination showed that LPS caused severe hepatic cell edema,degeneration,apoptosis and even necrosis,and ultrastructure observation demonstrated that LPS induced mitochondrial swelling,condensation and margination of chromatin,irregular nuclear envelope in hepatocytes.The above pathological changes produced by LPS were attenuated by berberine pretreatment.Moreover,MDA contents in liver tissue were higher in LPS group than control and berberine treatment group,but there were no significant difference in SOD activity between berberine treatment and LPS group.CONCLUSION: Berberine has a protective effect on LPS-induced liver injury in mice,the mechanisms may be related to its decreasing the production of TNF-?,inhibiting lipid peroxidation and protecting mitochondria.

The clinical, neuroelectrophysiological, neuropathological characteristics and outcome of a case of acute sensory axonopathy are reported. The patient was a 32-year-old female. She presented with acute onset sensory abnormalities, sensory ataxia, pseudoathetosis and areflex. Lab testing showed cerebrospinal fluid albumin cytologic dissociation. Electromyography studies and sural nerve pathology were consistent with acute sensory axonopathy. Treatment including intravenous immunoglobulin and steroid therapy was provided. Her symptoms recovered slowly without relapse, so did tibial H-reflex amplitudes.

AIM: To study the effect of food intake on weight, memory, staying balance and power, and some biochemical indexes in mice. METHODS: In accordance with the average food intake everyday, the animals were divided into five groups: group A took the average food intake fully, group B took 75% of the average food intake, group C took 50% of the average food intake, group D took 25% of the average food intake, and group E did not take any food at all. The weights, memory, staying balance and power were recorded every three days, the biochemical index was recorded on the 10th day. RESULTS: On the 3rd day, the weight and staying balance and power of mice in group E decreased. On the 6th and 9th day, the weight of mice in group ABC increased. Compared with group B and C, the memory group A and D decreased. On the 10th day, the blood glucose concentratoin in of group D decreased, total cholesterol and triglyceride also decreased with the reduction of food intake. CONCLUSION: A food intake of 75%-50% in all helpes to keep a good body status and memory, decreases total cholesterol and triglyceride in blood.

AIM:To study the expression of glycine receptorα1 subunit in neonatal rat myocardial cells and to investigate the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), hypoxia/reoxygenation, isoproterenol (ISO) and high concentration of glucose (HG) on the expression of glycine receptorα1 subunit in the neonatal rat myocardial cells.METHODS:Neonatal rat myocardial cells were cultured in vitro.The expression of glycine receptorα1 subunit was detected by Western blotting. The neonatal rat myocardial cells were treated with LPS (20 mg/L), ISO (100 μmol/L) or high concentration of glucose (25 mmol/L) for 24 h, or were exposed to hypoxia for 3 h followed by reoxygenation for 3 h.Subsequently, the cell viabil-ity was measured by CCK-8 assay, and the expression of glycine receptorα1 subunit was determined by Western blotting. RESULTS:The expression of glycine receptor α1 subunit in the neonatal rat myocardial cells was positively detectable by Western blotting.Compared with control group, no significant difference of the cell viability ( P>0.05) in LPS group, ISO group, hypoxia/reoxygenation group and HG group was observed.The expression of glycine receptor α1 subunit was in-creased (P<0.01) in LPS group, ISO group and hypoxia/reoxygenatio group, but decreased (P<0.01) in HG group. CONCLUSION:Glycine receptorα1 subunit exists in the neonatal rat myocardial cells.A certain concentration of LPS or ISO, or hypoxia/reoxygenation for a certain period upregulate the expression of glycine receptorα1 subunit, but HG down-regulates the expression of glycine receptor α1 subunit in cultured neonatal rat myocardial cells.

AIM To observe the clinical efficacy of Huazhi Rougan Granules (Artemisiae scopariae Herba,Cassiae Semen,Rhei Radix et Rhizoma,etc.) in the treatment of damp-heat accumulation type non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and its influence on insulin resistance.METHODS During January 2014-January 2016,a total of one hundred and twenty patients with damp-heat accumulation type NASH,given diet and exercise guidance,were randomly and equally divided into control group (polyene phosphatidylcholine) and treatment group (Huazhi Rougan Granules),administrated for twelve weeks.The levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT),aspartate aminotranferase (AST),gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT),total cholesterol (TC),triglyceride (TG),γ-glutamyl transpeptadase (GGT),fasting plasma glucose (FPG),fasting insulin (FINS),HOMA-IR index,adiponectin (ADPN) and leptin,body mass index (BMI) and uhrasound examination were detected before and after the treatment,respectively.These data were compared in two groups.RESULTS Compared with the control group,the serum ALT,AST,GGT,TC,TG,FPG,FINS and HOMA-IR of the patients in the treatment group decreased significantly,and liver fat were effectively reduced,while serum adiponectin increased markedly (P ＜ 0.05).After the treatment,remarkable reductions in the levels of BMI,leptin were observed in both groups (P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION Huazhi Rougan Granules combined with lifestyle modulation can effectively improve the syndrome of damp-heat accumulation type NASH by lowing insulin resistance.

OBJECTIVE:To study the protective effect of Yulangsan polysaccharide(YLSPS) on acute alcoholic hepatic injury in mice.METHODS:50% alcohol at a dose of 10 mL?kg-1 was administered (ig) to mice to establish acute alcoholic hepatic injury model.The activities of serum transaminase and superoxide dismutase(SOD) and the triglyeride(TGL) level were determined and a pathohistological study was performed. RESULTS:The activity of serum transaminase and the content of triglyceride in mice were significantly down-regulated by different doses of YLSPS,but the activity of superoxide dismutase in YLSPS-treated groups was significantly up-regulated and the number of fat droplets was reduced. Fatty degeneration in acute alcoholic hepatic injury model mice was significantly abated by high-dose and middle-dose YLSPS.CONCLUSION:The protective effect of YLSPS on alcohol-induced acute hepatic injury in mice was attributed to its action in lessening the effect of alcohol on lipometabolism.

AIM:To study the protection of Glycyl-L-Glutamine(Gly-Gln) against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion(I/R) injury in the isolated rat heart.METHODS:A model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury was established with a Langendorff apparatus.Thirty male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups:control group,Gly-Gln group,I/R group and I/R+Gly-Gln group.Both I/R and I/R+Gly-Gln group were pre-perfused for 30 min,followed by 20 min ischemia and 40 min reperfusion.During reperfusion I/R+Gly-Gln group was perfused with Gly-Gln perfusate.Control group was kept perfused for 90 min.Gly-Gln group Gly-Gln perfusate was also kept perfused for 90 min.The left ventricular end-diastolic pressure(LVEDP),left ventricular developed pressure(LVDP),?dp/dtmax,heart rate(HR),monophasic action potentials(MAP) was measured during perfusion.The coronary effluent fluid was collected at different certain times.The activities of lactic dehydrogenase(LDH) and creatine kinase(CK) were determined.RESULTS:The isolated rat heart function decreased severely after 20 min ischemia and 40 min reperfusion(I/R):the LVEDP increased and the LVDP,?dp/dtmax decreased.But the LVEDP decreased and the LVDP,?dp/dtmax increased in I/R+Gly-Gln group compared with I/R group.Moreover,the activities of LDH and CK in the coronary effluent fluid decreased remarkably in I/R+Gly-Gln group compared with I/R group.CONCLUSION:Gly-Gln can play a protective role against myocardial I/R injury in isolated rat hearts via maintaining the left ventricular function and decreasing the release of LDH and CK.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Millettia pulchra extracts on tumor necrosis factor ? (TNF-?), prostaglandin E2(PGE2) and nitric oxide (NO) in pleuritis model rats. METHODS: 56 Wistar male rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, dexamethasone (DEX) group, water extract of M.pulchra (TYLS) group (high dose and low dose) and total flavonoids of M.pulchra(FYLS) group (high dose and low dose). After preoperational intragastric administration for 7 days, the pleuritis model was induced by injecting carrageenan into pleural cavity in 30 minutes after the last medication. The amounts of pleurorrhea, leucocyte, TNF-?,PGE2 and NO in the pleurorrhea were measured at 8 hours after modeling. RESULTS: As compared with the model group, in TYLS and FYLS group the pleurorrhea volume, leukocyte amount, contents of TNF-? and PGE2 reduced markedly, but the synthesis of NO had little change.CONCLUSION:M.pulchra Extracts show a marked inhibitive effect on pleuritis. Their anti-inflammation effects may be related to inhibiting the increase of TNF-? and the infiltration and transmigration of leucocytes, but not associate with the synthesis of NO.

Objective To investigate the characteristics of PMP22 duplication mutation and the clinical variability of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A) patients. Methods PMP22 duplication mutation analysis were performed in 45 cases diagnosed probably CMT by combination of improved allele-specific PCR-restriction enzyme digestion and short tandem repeat (STR) analysis based on laser-induced fluorescence detection in capillary electrophoresis. The clinical features of the positive cases were precisely analyzed. Results With the combined use of two methods, PMP22 duplication was detected in 21 cases, i.e. 10 CMT1 cases with typical presentations including weakness and atrophy in the distal limbs, and 11 atypical cases with special phenotypes including 1 case with mild dizziness, 1 case with hearing loss, 2 cases with recurrent limbs weakness, 2 cases with postural tremor in the upper limbs, 4 cases with cerebellar ataxia and 1 case with epilepsy. Conclusions The improved allele-specific PCR-restriction enzyme digestion provides the accurate, reliable and feasible method to detect PMP22 duplication, which is the most common cause of CMT. Comprehensive analysis of clinical, electrophysiological and pathological features of the CMT1A patients with positive PMP22 duplication indicate the high clinical variability of this disease.