The rostral ventromedial medulla is one of the key structures in descending pain modulation system. It receives inputs from the thalamus, the periaqueductal gray, and parabrachial nucleus, and sends descending projections through the dorsolateral funiculus and ventrolateral funiculus to the spinal dorsal horns. The rostral ventromedial medulla is thought to be the final relay in descending modulation of pain. The neurons in this region can be classified into On-cells, Off-cells and Neutral cells according to the changes in the firing activity before tail flick. This review mainly focuses on pain modulation functions and potential analgesia mechanisms of On-cells and Off-cells.

OBJECTIVEThe objective of this study is to investigate the influence of mechanical properties and sintering performance by adding 5% weight percentage aids to nano-compound zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA) ceramics.

METHODSMicrometer Al2O3 and nanometer ZrO2 (quality ratio 4:1) were used to get 55% volume percentage slurry. Magnesium oxide and titanium oxide were taken as aids which were 5% weight percentage of the Al2O3 and ZrO2 powder. Five groups (number 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 group) were divided according to different proportion of aids. After gel-casting, the porcelain pieces were sintered at 1150, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1450, 1500, 1600 degrees C for 2 hours. Static three-point flexure strength, line shrinkage, relative density were measured and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe section.

RESULTSNumber 1 (MgO 1%, TiO2 4%) group had the highest bending strength. It was (401.78+/-19.50) MPa after sintering at 1600 degrees C for 2 hours and was higher than 0 group (380.64+/-44.50) MPa. Bending strength became lower than 0 group when MgO was more than 2% or more than that weight percentage of ZTA powder. When MgO content was higher than 2% or more than that weight percentage, there was no difference in relative density raising rate between each sintering assistants groups. When the sintering temperature was higher than 1200 degrees C, all groups showed obvious line-shrinkage and the groups which contained sintering assistants were all was higher than 0 group.

CONCLUSIONAdding MgO and TiO2 aids from 1% to 4% weight percentage of ZTA will promote fritting and increase ZTA nano-compound ceramics mechanical properties. Adding 2% MgO aids or more than that weight percent will has no obvious help to increase the relative density raising rate of ZTA nano-compound ceramics and will degrade the mechanical properties of ZTA nano-compound ceramics.

Aluminum Oxide ; Dental Porcelain ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Temperature ; Titanium ; Zirconium

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of ketogenic diet (KD) on the clinical and electroencephalogram features in children with pharmacoresistant epileptic encephalopathy.

METHODThirty-one children (19 boys, 12 girls) aged 7 months to 7 years (mean 2 years 5 month) with epilepsy refractory to conventional antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) were included in this study. In addition to their original AED treatment, the children were assigned to different ketogenic diets based on their age. The prospective electro-clinical assessment was performed prior to the KD and then one week, one month and again 3 months after the initiation of therapy, respectively.

RESULTThe reduction of seizure frequency in 52%, 68% and 71% of all patients exceeded 50% one week, one month and three months after KD treatment respectively. KD is particularly effective in myoclonic astatic epilepsy (MAE; Doose Syndrome) and West syndrome with 100% and 81.25% of the patients having a greater than 50% seizure reduction, respectively. After 3 months of KD treatment, more than 2/3 patients experienced a reduction in interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) and improvement in EEG background.

CONCLUSIONThe clinical and electroencephalographic improvement confirms that KD is beneficial in children with refractory epilepsy.

Anticonvulsants ; therapeutic use ; Brain ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Diet, Ketogenic ; methods ; Dietary Fats ; administration & dosage ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; diagnosis ; diet therapy ; drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Intellectual Disability ; diet therapy ; drug therapy ; Lennox Gastaut Syndrome ; Male ; Radiography ; Retrospective Studies ; Spasms, Infantile ; diet therapy ; drug therapy ; Syndrome ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome

Objective· To investigate the relationship between pathological myopia and classification of vitreoretinal interface features using enhanced vitreous imaging optical coherence tomography (EVI-OCT). Methods · High myopia patients were included from 2015 to 2016. All participants underwent standardized medical interviews and ophthalmic examination. Results · The included eyes were divided into two groups of pathological myopia and simple high myopia based on myopic macular degeneration observed on fundus photography . There were four types of vitreoretinal interface changes demonstrated on EVI-OCT scans in included eyes: Type1, posterior precortical vitreous pockets (PPVP), Type2, partial posterior vitreous detachment with vitreous adhesion (VA), Type 3, epiretinal membrane (ERM), and Type 4, no traction (NT). Pathological myopia was mostly detected in VA, ERM, and NT groups. Conclusion · EVI-OCT was able to demonstrate the early changes of vitreoretinal interface in high myopia eyes. Vitreous adhesions and traction detected by OCT may facilitate the occurrence of pathological myopia.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the variety of non-myeloperoxidase-mediated system activity of neutrophils in newborns during bacterial infection and the effect of cord plasma on the activation of non-myeloperoxidase-mediated system.

METHODSAn infection model with Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and a non-infection model with phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) were established to investigate the activation of non-myeloperoxidase-mediated system in neutrophils. According to the intensity of fluorescence, the activation of non-myeloperoxidase-mediated system of neutrophils was detected by flow cytometry (FCM). The blood cells and plasma were separated from cord blood and adult blood and cross-mixed in order to investigate the opsonic activity.

RESULTSIn the non-infection model, the activation of non-myeloperoxidase-mediated system with PMA stimulation in cord blood was lower compared with that in adult blood, the statistical difference was significant (t = 3.378, P < 0.01). In the infection model, the activations of non-myeloperoxidase-mediated system in cord blood were also lower compared with those in adult blood, while the statistical difference could only be found in the model with E. coli stimulation (t = 12.150, P < 0.001). Furthermore the experiments demonstrated that cord plasma could deeply depress the non-myeloperoxidase-mediated system activity with E. coli stimulation. On the contrary, adult plasma could successfully recruit the potential of non-myeloperoxidase-mediated system activity of neutrophils in newborns.

CONCLUSIONThe function of neonatal neutrophils might not developed very well. As a stimulant, E. coli failed to induce the non-myeloperoxidase-mediated system activity in neonates, which might be related to the lower level of immunoglobulins in cord blood. This result indicated that immunoglobulins played a more important modulating role in bacterial killing during gram-negative bacterial infections.

Escherichia coli ; immunology ; Fetal Blood ; immunology ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Neutrophils ; enzymology ; immunology ; Peroxidase ; metabolism ; Staphylococcus aureus ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo investigate immunoglobulin (Ig) and T cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangements in bone marrow or peripheral blood of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and to explore the potential clinical significance.

METHODSThe Ig/TCR gene rearrangements in bone marrow or peripheral blood of 139 NHL patients were analyzed by using BIOMED-2 multiple primers system and Multiplex PCR assay.

RESULTSIg clonality was detected in 85.4% (70/82) of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), including 46.3% (38/82) IgH rearrangement, 62.2% (51/82) IgK rearrangement and 1.2% (1/82) IgL rearrangement, and in 39.4% (13/33) of other categories of B-lineage NHL (B-NHL), including 33.3% (11/33) IgH and 39.4% (13/33) IgK rearrangements. TCR clonality was detected in 50.0% (12/24) of all definite T-lineage NHL (T-NHL), including 8.3% (2/24) TCRB and 45.8% (11/24) TCRG, no TCRD was detected. The detection rate of gene rearrangements of NHL diversed in different clinical stages \[36.4% in early stage (Ann Arbor stage I and II) and 45.6% in late stage (III and IV)\] and in different degrees of malignancy (40.0% indolent NHL and 45.6% aggressive NHL), but no obvious statistical significance was obtained (P > 0.05). The detection rate of bone marrow invasions of NHL (except CLL) with examinations of bone marrow smear under the microscope was 12.3% (7/57), much lower than the clonality testing (43.9%, 25/57) (P < 0.05). Sensitivity test showed that the sensitivity of malignant clonality testing by multiplex PCR was 3.12% - 6.25%.

CONCLUSIONSThe detection rate of gene rearrangements diverses in different clinical stages and degrees of malignancy of NHL, but the correlation has not been proved in this research. The sensitivity of multiplex PCR-based clonality testing is enhanced with the combination of BIOMED-2 primers system. It is more sensitive than the morphological examinations of bone marrow smear in detecting bone marrow invasions, and may provide a powerful strategy in the routine diagnosis and assessment after treatment.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte ; Genes, T-Cell Receptor ; genetics ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; genetics ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Chinese herbs as an adjuvant treatment for hepatitis virus B (HBV)-related hepatic failure.

METHODSData were retrieved through the Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group Controlled Trials Register, The Cochrane Library, PubMed, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang Database, and ChiCTR by key words or free words such as hepatic failure, severe hepatitis, HBV, Chinese medicine, randomization, and control. Appendix references of related papers were taken as supplementary indices. According to requirement for Cochrane systematic evaluation, randomized clinical trials on assessing the effectiveness and safety of Chinese herbs as main or adjuvant treatment in treating HBV-related hepatic failure were methodologically assessed, data extracted and analyzed.

RESULTSTotally 21 trials on Chinese herbal medicine therapy versus standard medical therapy (involving 1 881 patients) were included. Most trials had unclear risk bias. In 5 studies on the mortality, 3 trials showed that the mortality was lower in the test group than in the control group [RR 0.40, 95% CI (0.20, 0.79), P = 0.0002]. In 6 randomized control trials, totally 20 papers reported the control of complications. Eight results showed Chinese herbal medicine therapy had better effect in controlling complications. The recurrence rate and assessment of the survival quality were reported. Considering secondary indicators, four trials showed Chinese herbal medicine therapy had better effect in lowering the ineffective rate, decreasing total bilirubin (TBIL), and elevating prothrombin activity (PTA). Other prescriptive analyses found that the overall effect on secondary indicators was better in the test group than in the control group, but not all the indicators were statistically different. Adverse reactions were only reported in two papers, showing no severe adverse reaction.

CONCLUSIONAccording to present evidence, till now, we could not judge whether Chinese herbs, as an adjuvant treatment, could do any favor for lowering the incidence and recurrence of hepatic failure patients, and improving their survival qualities.

Complementary Therapies ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B ; complications ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Liver Failure ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Phytotherapy ; methods ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Objective To study the effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) tail vein transplantation on depressive behavior in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model mice. Methods The third generation hUCMSCs were abtained; Sixty C57BL/6 male mice were randomly divided into the normal model group (+ normal saline), the cell group (+hUCMSCs) and the fluoxetine(flu) group (+flu), with 15 mice in each group. The depression model of CUMS mice with a 6 week duration was constructed; From the third week, hUCMSCs and normal saline were transplanted into the mice by tail vein injection, and the mice were gavaged with flu daily from the fifth week; Weight changes in each group were recorded weekly; The depression model and therapeutic effect of mice were evaluated by sucrose preference test, tail suspension test, forced swimming test and open field test; The cell changes of CAI and CA3 region in hippocampus were observed by HE staining; Transmission electron microscopy was used to detect the changes of synapses in CA3 region of hippocampus; Real-time PCR was used to detect mRNA expressions of synaphysin (SYP) and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95), which are key proteins of synaptic plasticity. Results hUCMSCs improved weight decrease in depressed mice; behavioral experiments observed that the model group mice showed depressive behavior, while the cell group and the drug group mice depression were improved; HE staining showed that, compared with the model group, cells in CA 1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus of mice in the cell group and the group were arranged orderly and the number of cells increased; Transmission electron microscopy showed that compared with the model group, the number of synapses in the CA3 region of the hippocampus was more, the synaptic gap was narrower, and the density of synaptic spines was higher in the cell group and the drug group; More mRNA expressions of SYP and PSD-95 were detected by Real-time PCR in the cell group and the drug group than in the model group. Conclusion hUCMSCs transplatation showes antidepressant effects, which are associated with improved synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disease with an increasing incidence worldwide, which leads to damage to various tissues and organs including the liver. MiR-31 is conserved across species and closely associated with metabolic diseases, but its role in type 2 diabetic liver injury has not been elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the effect of miR-31 on liver injury in type 2 diabetes and its underlying mechanism. Four to six weeks old male FVB mice and miR-31-positive transgenic mice were randomly divided into FVB mice control group (C), FVB mice induced diabetes group (DM) and miR-31-overexpression transgenic mice induced diabetes group (31DM). After 1 week of adaptive feeding, the T2DM mouse model was induced by high-fat feeding combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) for 6 weeks. The general condition of mice and related metabolic indicators showed that the increased food and water intake, weight loss and glucose and lipid metabolism disorders could be reversed by miR-31 in T2DM mice. HE staining and liver histological activity index (HAI) scoring results showed that miR-31 improved the inflammatory status in the liver tissue of T2DM mice and decreased the HAI score. RT-qPCR results showed that the high expression of miR-31 was accompanied by a decrease in the expression of activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) mRNA in the liver of T2DM mice. Furthermore, Western blotting results showed that miR-31 inhibited the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related proteins such as ATF6, glucoregulatory protein 78 (GRP78) and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) in the liver of T2DM mice. In conclusion, miR-31 may ameliorate liver injury in T2DM mice by regulating glucose and lipid metabolism disorders and insulin resistance, and inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress factors such as ATF6, GRP78, and CHOP.

Anemia of chronic disease (ACD), complicated by various chronic inflammatory diseases, is the second most prevalent type of anemia after iron deficiency anemia in the world. ACD significantly reduces the life quality of patients with chronic diseases, and represents an independent poor prognostic factor in certain chronic diseases. A large body of studies has demonstrated that most of anemia is related to abnormal iron metabolism. In the past decade, hepcidin, as a key factor in regulating iron metabolism, has attracted enormous attention due to its important role in the pathogenesis of ACD. This article reviews the research progress on the role and underlying regulatory mechanisms of hepcidin in ACD. We also discuss the potential of hepcidin as an effective therapeutic target for ACD treatment, in order to provide a new maneuver for improving the quality of ACD patients' life.
Anemia ; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency/pathology* ; Chronic Disease ; Hepcidins ; Humans ; Iron/metabolism*