OBJECTIVETo examine the protective effect of Ginkgo biloba leaf extract (GbE) on learning and memory deficit induced by aluminum chloride (AlCl(3)), and explore its mechanisms.

METHODSThe rat models with learning and memory deficit were induced by administering via gastrogavage and drinking of AlCl(3) solution. And the model rats were treated with GbE at the dose of 50, 100, 200 mg/kg every day for 2 months accompanied with drinking of AlCl(3) solution, respectively. Their abilities of spatial learning and memory were tested by Morris water maze, and the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in serum was assayed with chemical method, the AChE expression in hippocampus was observed by immunohistochemistry assay, and then quantitative analysis was done by BI 2000 image analysis system.

RESULTSLearning and memory deficit of rats could be induced by AlCl(3) solution (P < 0.01), and AChE expressions in rats hippocampus were increased (P < 0.01); GbE ameliorated learning and memory deficit and reduced AChE expression in rats hippocampus in a dose-dependent manner, while GbE significantly increased serum AChE activity at the dose of 200 mg/kg each day (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONGbE can ameliorate learning and memory deficit induced by AlCl(3), which may be due to its inhibition of the AChE expression in hippocampus.

Acetylcholinesterase ; metabolism ; Aluminum Compounds ; toxicity ; Animals ; Chlorides ; toxicity ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Ginkgo biloba ; Hippocampus ; enzymology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Maze Learning ; drug effects ; Memory Disorders ; chemically induced ; prevention & control ; Neuroprotective Agents ; therapeutic use ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Extracts ; therapeutic use ; Plant Leaves ; Plant Structures ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reaction Time

Air Pollutants ; toxicity ; China ; epidemiology ; Hospitals, Public ; Humans ; Patient Admission ; Respiratory Tract Diseases ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Temperature ; Weather

Objective To assess the clinical application of contrast-enhanced MR angiography using three-dimensional(3D)time-resolved imaging of contrast kinetics(CE-MRA 3D-TRICKS).Methods TRICKS is a high temporal resolution(2—6s)MR angiographic technique using a short TR(2.8— 4.0 ms)and TE(0.9—1.3 ms),partial echo sampling and the central part of the k-space being updated more frequently than the peripheral part of the k-space.Pre-contrast mask 3D images are first acquired and 15--20 sequential 3D images following bolus injection of Gd-DTPA are then acquired.Results Thirty patients underwent contrast-enhanced MR angiography using TRICKS.Twelve vertebral arteries were well displayed on TRICKS.Seven of them showed normal,bilateral vertebral artery stenosis was shown in 1 case, and unilateral vertebral artery stenosis was shown in 4 wth aecompaning ipsilateral carotid artery bifurcation stenosis in one case.Bilateral renal artery showed normal in 4 cases,and the artery in transplanted kidney showed normal in one case and stenosis in another case.The cerebral artery showed normal in 2 cases, sagittal sinus thrombosis was detected in one case and intracranial arteriovenous malformation in one case. Pulmonary artery displayed normal in 3 cases,pulmonary artery thrombosis was seen in one case and pulmonary sequestration's abnormal feeding artery and draining vein was revealed in one case.The feeding artery in left lower limb fibrolipoma was showed in one case.The radial-ulnar artery artificial fistula stenosis was seen in one case,and left antebrachium hemangioma was showed in one case.Conclusion TRICKS can clearly delineate the whole body vascular system and can reveal any vascular abnormality.It is convenient and with high successful rate,which make it the first method of choice in displaying vascular abnormality.

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy and adverse reactions of Paroxetine combined with electro-acupuncture (EA) in treating depression.

METHODSForty-two patients with depression were randomly assigned to the observation group (22 patients) treated with EA combined with Paroxetine, and the control group (20 patients) treated with Paroxetine alone, and the therapeutic course for both groups was 6 weeks. The therapeutic efficacy and adverse reactions were evaluated with scores by Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) and treatment emergent symptoms scale (TESS), respectively.

RESULTSHAMD scores determined at the end of the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 6th week of the treatment course were significantly lower in the observation group than those in the control group (P<0.05). The significant improvement rate evaluated at the end of the 6-week treatment was remarkably higher in the observation group than that in the control group (72.7% vs 40.0%). No significant difference of TESS scores was found between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONEA combined with Paroxetine has better clinical efficacy than that of Paroxetine alone, with milder adverse reaction and quicker initiation of effect.

Adult ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Depression ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Paroxetine ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo examine the protective effect of ecdysterone (ECR) against beta-amyloid peptide fragment(25-35) (Abeta(25-35))-induced PC12 cells cytotoxicity, and to further explore its mechanism.

METHODSExperimental PC12 cells were divided into the Abeta group (treated by Abeta(25-35) 100 micromol/L), the blank group (untreated), the positive control group (treated by Vit E 100 micromol/L after induction) and the ECR treated groups (treated by ECR with different concentrations of 1, 50 and 100 micromol/L). The damaged and survival condition of PC12 cells in various groups was monitored by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and MTT assay. The content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was measured by fluorometric assay to indicate the lipid peroxidation. And the antioxidant enzymes activities in PC12 cells, including superoxide dismutases (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), were detected respectively.

RESULTSAfter PC12 cells were treated with Abeta(25-35) (100 micromol/L) for 24 hrs, they revealed a great decrease in MTT absorbance and activity of antioxidant enzymes, including SOD, CAT and GSH-Px as well as a significant increase of LDH activity and MDA content in PC12 cells (P < 0.01). When the cells was pretreated with 1-100 micromol/L ECR for 24 hrs before Abeta(25-35) treatment, the above-mentioned cytotoxic effect of Abeta(25-35) could be significantly attenuated dose-dependently, for ECR 50 micromol/L, P < 0.05 and for ECR 100 micromol/L, P < 0.01. Moreover, ECR also showed significant inhibition on the Abeta(25-35) induced decrease of SOD and GSH-Px activity, but not on that of CAT.

CONCLUSIONECR could protect PC12 cells from cytotoxicity of Abeta(25-35), and the protective mechanism might be related to the increase of SOD and GSH-Px activities and the decrease of MDA resulting from the ECR-pretreatment.

Amyloid beta-Peptides ; toxicity ; Animals ; Catalase ; analysis ; Ecdysterone ; pharmacology ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; analysis ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; analysis ; Malondialdehyde ; analysis ; PC12 Cells ; Peptide Fragments ; toxicity ; Rats

OBJECTIVEThis study was designed to investigate the prevalence, clinical characteristics and outcome of upper respiratory infection (URI) caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) in children.

METHODSPharyngeal cultures for MP antibody were performed in 960 children with acute URI. The samples were randomly collected from the outpatient room or emergency room (Observed group). Of the Observed group, there were 232 cases under 1 year of age, and the remainder, were between 1-12 years old. The samples from 100 healthy children aged from 6 months to 12 years were used as the Control group. The prevalence of MP infection between the two groups was compared. The clinical manifestations and the outcome between the patients with MP positive and negative were compared.

RESULTSMP antibody was positive in 31.7% (304/960) of the Observed group but only 9.0% (9/100) in the Control group (P < 0.05). The URI patients under 1 year of age had a lower positive rate of MP than those over 1 year old (P < 0.05). Coughs and tonsillitis were more common (P < 0.05), but catarrh, gastroenteritic symptoms, herpes, and tetter were rare (P < 0.01) in URI patients with MP positive compared with those with MP negative. Pneumonia developed in 14.8% of the patients with MP positive but only 7.0% in those with MP negative (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSMP is one of the main pathogens of acute URI in children. Acute pharyngotonsillitis symptoms are predominately presented in children with MP infection. MP infection was commonly seen in children over 1 year old and they are prone to develop pneumonia.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; isolation & purification ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; microbiology

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of nitric oxide (NO) on the differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) derived from subventricular zone (SVZ) of neonatal rats in vitro.

METHODSConventional method was used to isolate and culture the NSCs from SVZ. Diethylenetriamine/NO(DETA/NO) was used as NO donor and Nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME) was used as inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). The immunofluorescence was used to identify the expression of nestin (a marker of NSCs), beta-III-tubulin (Tuj-1, a marker of neurons), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP, a marker of astrocytes) and nNOS. The concentration of NO in medium was measured by Greiss assay.

RESULTSCultured neurospheres were nestin-, BrdU- and nNOS-positive. After treatment with 40 micromol/L, 50 micromol/L and 60 micromol/L of DETA/NO for 5 days, the concentration of NO released was increased significantly (P < 0.01) as compared with that of the control group. The percentage of both differentiated neurons and astrocytes was increased significantly (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05) as compared with that of the control group. After treatment with 100 micromol/L, 150 micromol/L and 200 micromol/L of L-NAME for 5 days, the concentration of NO released was decreased as compared with that of the control group (P < 0.05). The percentage of both differentiated neurons and astrocytes were decreased as compared with that of the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONNO could directly promote the differentiation of NSCs derived from rat subventricular zone in vitro.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Cerebral Ventricles ; cytology ; Neural Stem Cells ; cytology ; Nitric Oxide ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

To investigate the effect of forced running in motor-driven wheel on neurogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) of adult rats, 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU), a thymidine analog was applied to mark cell proliferation. Neuroepthelial stem cell protein (nestin) expression was used to identify neural stem/precursor cells. The BrdU- and nestin-positive cells were examined by immunohistochemical technique. The ability of learning was evaluated by Y-maze test to explore the functional role of the newborn cells in the DG after forced running. It was found that the number of BrdU- and nestin-positive cells in the DG in running groups was significantly increased compared to that in the control group (P<0.05). The effect of forced running on neurogenesis was intensity-dependent. In addition, an improvement of learning ability in Y-maze test was observed after forced running. These findings suggest that forced running in motor-driven wheel could enhance neurogenesis in the hippocampal DG of adult rats and improve learning ability.
Animals ; Bromodeoxyuridine ; metabolism ; Cell Survival ; Dentate Gyrus ; cytology ; physiology ; Intermediate Filament Proteins ; analysis ; Learning ; Male ; Maze Learning ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; analysis ; Nestin ; Neurons ; physiology ; Physical Conditioning, Animal ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Running

Aged ; Beijing ; China ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Temperature

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association of thrombospondin-1 (TSP- 1) gene A8831G (N700S) polymorphism with coronary artery disease (CAD).

METHODSThis study was conducted with a case-control design including 178 patients with CAD (55 AMI) and 158 healthy subjects. The TSP-1 N700S polymorphism was determined by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.

RESULTSNo significant difference of the AG genotype in CAD group and control group (1.7% compared with 0.6%, P=0.375) was detected. None of the homozygotes was detected for the G allele. The prevalence of the G allele was not significantly different between CAD group and controls (0.8% compared with 0.3%, P=0.376). No significant difference of the AG genotype in AMI group and control group (3.6% compared with 0.6%, P=0.104). The prevalence of G allele was not significantly different between AMI patients and controls (1.8% compared with 0.3%, P=0.364).

CONCLUSIONThere are TSP-1 N700S polymorphisms in Chinese Zhejiang Han people, but the TSP-1 N700S variant shows a much lower prevalence compared with Western populations and may be not a potential risk for CAD and AMI.

Alleles ; Case-Control Studies ; Coronary Artery Disease ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Thrombospondin 1 ; genetics