It was aimed to investigate the effect of 5-HT2C receptor modulation on the rat behavioral responses induced by 1-(m-chlorophenyl) piperazine(mCPP), a major metabolite of trazodone. The animal activities(ambulation, stereotypy and total activity) were measured for 3 hours following mCPP administration, using an animal activity meter which accumulates the frequency of light beam interruption. mCPP(1-10 mg / kg, i.p.) induced dose-dependent decreases in ambulation and stereotypy, consequently leading to hypoactivity. The hypoactivity induced by mCPP(1mg / kg, i.p.) was significantly inhibited by pretreatment with mianserin(1mg / kg, i.p.), an antagonist with high affinity for 5-HT2C receptor, whereas pretreatment with 5-HT2 antagonists, ketanserin and ritanserin(1mg / kg, i.p., respectively) was without effect. Furthermore, long-term pretreatment with imipramine(10mg / kg, i.p., b.i.d. for 2 weeks) markedly attenuated the mCPP-induced hypoactivity. Mianserin and imipramine in the absence of mCPP did not increase the animal activity. Taken together, these results indicate that the mCPP-induced hypoactivity is mediated by 5-HT2C receptor, and that selective 5-HT2C antagonists and down regulation of 5-HT2C receptor might be useful for inhibiting the mCPP-induced hypoactivity.
Animals ; Down-Regulation ; Imipramine ; Ketanserin ; Mianserin ; Rats ; Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2C* ; Serotonin 5-HT2 Receptor Antagonists ; Trazodone ; Walking

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of Korean version of Addiction Severity Index for the systematic diagnosis and evaluation of alcoholism. METHODS: The authors selected 65 alcoholic patients with the criteria of DSM-VI. RESULTS: The results were as follows: 1) The exception of the significant correlation between psychiatric and the family/social problem area, the 6 sections of ASI were mutually independent. 2) There was significant inter-rater reliability in all sections of ASI. 3) In medical, alcohol use, family/social and psychiatry section, the calculation of composite score showed reasonable level of item consistency. In all sections, there was significant correlation between composite scores and severity ratings of corresponding section. 4) The important items of each section were most highly correlated with their corresponding severity ratings except two sections. 5) In the multiple regression analysis, the amount of variance accounted far by the most important 4 items were 83% in medical section, 45% in employment/support,43% in alcohol use section, 55% in legal section,53% in family/social section and 84% in psychiatric section. 6) Severity rating of psychiatric section was significantly correlated with the scores of MMFI, MAST and SCL-90-R. CONCLUSION: The result suggests that Korean version of the ASI showed relatively reasonable reliability and validity and it can be used in treatment and study of alcoholic patients.
Alcoholics* ; Alcoholism ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Reproducibility of Results*

OBJECTIVES: Psychotic Symptom Rating Scale (PSYRATS) is an assessment tool to measure the severity of different dimensions of auditory hallucinations and delusions. The reliability and validity of the Korean version of PSYRATS (K-PSYRATS) were examined in Korean patients with major psychosis. METHODS: The inter-rater reliability of the K-PSYRATS was determined from the videotaped interviews of the five schizophrenic patients. To measure validity and internal consistency reliability, the 109 patients with auditory hallucinations or delusions were assessed using the K-PSYRATS, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) scale. RESULTS: K-PSYRATS was found to have excellent inter-rater reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient of auditory hallucination= 0.81, p<.001, intra-class correlation coefficient of delusion=0.97, p<.001) and internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha of auditory hallucination=0.77, Cronbach's alpha of delusion=0.76). Significant correlation was found between K-PSYRATS and positive syndrome subscale of PANSS and CGI. CONCLUSION: K-PSYRATS is a useful assessment instrument for psychotic symptoms in Korea.
Delusions ; Hallucinations ; Humans ; Korea ; Psychotic Disorders ; Reproducibility of Results*

OBJECTIVES: To study the expression level of plasma miR-106b-5p in primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and its correlation with the levels of T helper 17 cell (Th17) and regulatory T cell (Treg) and the Th17/Treg ratio. METHODS: A total of 79 children with ITP (ITP group) and 40 healthy children (control group) were selected as subjects. According to the treatment response, the 79 children with ITP were divided into three groups: complete response (n=40), partial response (n=18), and non-response (n=21). Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure the expression level of miR-106b-5p. Flow cytometry was used to measure the frequencies of Th17 and Treg, and the Th17/Treg ratio was calculated. The correlation of the expression level of plasma miR-106b-5p with the frequencies of Th17 and Treg and the Th17/Treg ratio was analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the ITP group had significantly higher levels of miR-106b-5p, Th17, and Th17/Treg ratio (P<0.05) and a significantly lower level of Treg (P<0.05). After treatment, the ITP group had significant reductions in the levels of miR-106b-5p, Th17, and Th17/Treg ratio (P<0.05) and a significant increase in the level of Treg (P<0.05). Compared with the partial response and non-response groups, the complete response group had significantly lower levels of miR-106b-5p, Th17, and Th17/Treg ratio (P<0.05) and a significantly higher level of Treg (P<0.05). The correlation analysis showed that in the children with ITP, the expression level of plasma miR-106b-5p was positively correlated with the Th17 level and the Th17/Treg ratio (r=0.730 and 0.816 respectively; P<0.001) and was negatively correlated with the Treg level (r=-0.774, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS A higher expression level of miR-106b-5p and Th17/Treg imbalance may be observed in children with ITP. The measurement of miR-106b-5p, Th17, Treg, and Th17/Treg ratio during treatment may be useful to the evaluation of treatment outcome in children with ITP.
Child ; Humans ; Lymphocyte Count ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic/genetics* ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; Th17 Cells

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) is a promising therapy that has been increasingly explored in basic research and clinical applications. LIPUS is an appealing therapeutic option as it is a noninvasive treatment that has many advantages, including no risk of infection or tissue damage and no known adverse reactions. LIPUS has been shown to have many benefits including promotion of tissue healing, angiogenesis, and tissue regeneration; inhibition of inflammation and pain relief; and stimulation of cell proliferation and differentiation. The biophysical mechanisms of LIPUS remain unclear and the studies are ongoing. In recent years, more and more research has focused on the relationship between LIPUS and stem/progenitor cells. A comprehensive search of the PubMed and Embase databases to July 2020 was performed. LIPUS has many effects on stem cells. Studies show that LIPUS can stimulate stem cells in vitro; promote stem cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration; maintain stem cell activity; alleviate the problems of insufficient seed cell source, differentiation, and maturation; and circumvent the low efficiency of stem cell transplantation. The mechanisms involved in the effects of LIPUS are not fully understood, but the effects demonstrated in studies thus far have been favorable. Much additional research is needed before LIPUS can progress from basic science research to large-scale clinical dissemination and application.
Cell Proliferation ; Humans ; Signal Transduction ; Stem Cells/radiation effects* ; Ultrasonic Therapy/methods* ; Ultrasonic Waves

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of electrical stimulation at auricular points (EAS) combined with sound masking on the expression of cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tyrosine receptor kinase B (TrkB) in the auditory cortex of tinnitus rats. METHODS: A total of 27 adult male SD rats were randomly divided into a control group, a model group and an EAS group. The rats in the model group and the EAS group were intervened with intraperitoneal injection of sodium salicylate to induce tinnitus model, while the rats in the control group were intervened with injection of 0.9% NaCl solution. After the model was successfully established, the rats in the EAS group were treated with electrical stimulation at "Shenmen" (TF) and "Yidan" (CO), combined with sound masking; the treatment was given once a day for 15 days. The gap prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle (GPIAS) and prepulse inhibition (PPI) testing were performed using the acoustic startle reflex starter package for rats. The expression of BDNF, TrkB, CREB and p-CREB in the auditory cortex of each group were measured with Western Blot analysis. RESULTS: ① Compared with the control group, the GPIAS values in 12 kHz, 16 kHz, 20 kHz and 28 kHz were significantly decreased in the model group (all <0.05); compared with the model group, GPIAS values in 12 kHz, 16 kHz, 20 kHz and 28 kHz were significantly increased in the EAS group (all <0.05). ② Compared with the control group, the expression of BDNF and p-CREB in the model group was significantly increased (<0.01), and the expression of TrkB in the model group was significantly increased (<0.05); the differences of expression of BDNF, TrkB, CREB and p-CREB between the model group and the EAS group had no statistics significance (all >0.05). CONCLUSION EAS could improve the GPIAS values of high-frequency background sound in tinnitus rats, which may be related with the upregulation of the BDNF/TrkB/CREB signaling pathway in the auditory cortex, leading to the reversion of the maladaptive plasticity.
Acupuncture Points ; Animals ; Auditory Cortex ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; metabolism ; Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein ; metabolism ; Electric Stimulation ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptor, trkB ; metabolism ; Tinnitus ; metabolism ; therapy