Objective To study the effect of astrocyte-derived factors on the differentiation of neural stem cells from neonatal rats. Methods Neural stem cells from neonatal rats were isolated, cultured and expanded by neurosphere formation. Astrocytes were isolated and purified by a standard shaking method and the differential adhesion technique. With immunocytochemical labeling, the purity of astrocytes was determined by the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP). Astrocytes and neural stem cells were co-cultured without contact. Immunofluorescence examination was used to detect the effects of astrocyte-derived factors on the expression of neuron specific enolase (NSE), GFAP, and tyrosine hydroxylase(TH) of the differentiated cells. Results The purified astrocytes were 98% of GFAP positive. Co-culturing the neurospheres with astrocytes promoted more neural stem cells rapidly differentiationinto NSE positive cells( P

Objective To explore a better method to establish temporal lobe epilepsy model by administrating drug in brain region.Methods Kainic acid(KA)4 ?g/kg was injected into rat's hippocampus by stereotactic operation.The rat's behavior,EEG and pathological changes were observed.Results After the rat's hippocampus injected with KA,staring,wet-dog shakes,masticatory movement and clonus of limbs occurred successively.The seizures were paroxysmal with rotation,unsettled state of jump and tic of limbs.The rats' behavior gradually recovered to normal after 10 hours.Then the spontaneous seizure(mostly rating 2～4)occurred 1～3 times every week.Cluster electric discharge,spike waves and sharp waves were recorded in cerebral cortex.KA-treated rats could result in hippocampal CA1 and CA3 fields neuronal degeneration and necrosis,especially significant neuron loss was observed in the CA3 field of KA injected ipsilateral side.Conclusions Injection KA in brain region of rat can establish temporal epilepsy model.The symptom,electrophysiology and pathological changes of temporal lobe epilepsy in the rat model are almost the same as those in human being.The KA induced rat model is an ideal tool to research human temporal lobe epilepsy.

Objective To explore the expression of Gamma-aminobutyric acid B recepter (GABABR) subunits mRNA and the effects of its agonist Baclofen in hippocampus after KA induced seizures,of experimental epileptic rats.Methods The GABABR subunits GAR1a及GAR2 mRNAs expression were determined in hippocampus of each experimental group after epileptic seizure and Baclofen interference by hybridization in situ. Results In early(6~12 h) time of KA induced epileptic rats, the mRNA levels of both receptor subunits in hippocampal formation were found downregulation widespreadly (all P

Objective To observe the effects of aging on liver and heat shock protein (HSP)70 expression in rats,and explore the role of HSP 70 in the changes of aging liver. Methods 24 healthy Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups according to age:21-day-old group,3-monthold group,12-month-old group and 18-month-old group (n=6 per group).Routine blood tests and biochemical tests were tested. Liver tissues were observed under light microscopy. The mRNA expression of HSP70 was detected by real-time PCR. Results The ratios of liver weight to body weight were decreased gradually with aging in 4 groups (0.073,0.050,0.025,0.019,respectively,t=78.016,P =0.000).Compared with those of young rats (21-day-old and 3-month-old),serum albumin levels of aged rats (12-months and 18-months) were declined [(35.0±2.7) g/L and (39.8±3.5) g/L vs.(27.3±9.3) g/L and (20.6± 1.7) g/L,t=12.233,P=0.000].Nevertheless serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels were increased with aging [(68.8± 23.3) U/L,(71.6 ± 19.2)U/L,( 185.9 ± 41.5) U/L,(418.6 ± 140.6) U/L,respectively,t =35.454,P=0.000].The differences in other routine biochemical indexes were not found among the age groups (P＞0.05).Liver histological changes including hepatocytes disordered and vacuolization or fatty changes were detected with aging,especially in 18 month-old rats. Real-time PCR results indicated that the expression level of HSP70 mRNA was much lower in 18-month-old rats than in 12-month-old and 3-month-old rats (0.218 vs.0.220 and 0.230,P=0.000). Conclusions HSP70,as a stress protein,may play an important role in the procedure of injury and senescence of liver cell,and then can serve liver aging as one of the influential markers.

Taking global minimum essential requirements(GMER)as standard,school of basic medical science in Wuhan University paid more attention to the cultivation of students' professional skills, innovation ability and communication ability. ‘Response to injury’integrated course was carried out. Based on the immunology,this course involves pathology and pathophysiology and explores the mecha-nism of the diseases' diagnosis and treatment. It took small classes,bilingual education,literature read-ing ,experiments and discussions in various forms . This reform aimed to improve the immunology , pathology and pathophysiology teaching and make our medical education meet the process of globalization.

BACKGROUND: There are so many experimental and clinical researches on levels of nitrogen monoxide (NO) in serum and endothelins in plasma of patients with stroke; however, ratio and significance between them are still unclear.OBJECTIVE: To observe dynamic changes of levels of NO in serum and endothelins in plasma of patients with stroke.DESIGN: Case-controlled observation.SETTING: Neurological Department and Clinical Neurological Laboratory of the Second Hospital affiliated to Suzhou University.PARTICIPANTS: A total of 216 patients with acute cerebral infarction including 133 males and 83 females and 112 cases with cerebral hemorrhage including 68 males and 44 females were selected from Neurological Department of the Second Hospital affiliated to Suzhou University from September 1999 to December 2001. Another 106 subjects including 63males and 43 females were regarded as healthy control group.METHODS: Contents of NO in serum and endothelins in plasma were measured on 328 patients with stroke and 106 healthy subjects in the courses of 1-3 days, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks with nitrate reductase and radio-immunity methods, respectively.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Contents of NO in serum and endothelins in plasma; ratio between NO in serum and endothelins in plasma (NO/endothelins).RESULTS: ① As compared with those in the control group, content of NO in serum of patients with cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage was decreased and reached the lowest value during acute period (within 1-3 days), and then increased gradually and closed to the normal level at about 4 weeks. In addition, content of endothelins in plasma was increased obviously during acute period, reached the peak at 2 weeks, and then decreased gradually. The level was still high at stage of recovery and closed to normal value within 4-8 weeks. ② As compared with that in the control group, NO/endothelins was decreased in cerebral infarction group at the courses of 1-3 days (P ＜ 0.05), reached the lowest value at 1 week (P ＜ 0.001), and increased to the normal level at 2 weeks. Moreover,NO/endothelins was remarkably decreased in cerebral hemorrhage group at the courses of 1-3 days (P ＜ 0.001), reached the lowest value at 1week (P ＜ 0.001), and increased gradually. The changes of course were great and the level reached above normal value at 8 weeks. There was significant difference of dynamic changes of NO/endothelins between cerebral hemorrhage group and cerebral infarction group (P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION: NO and endothelins play an important role in onset and development of ischemic cerebrovascular disease and hemorrhagic cerebrovascular disease, and their contents are related to prognosis.

Objective To analyze the possibility of assessing portal hypertension in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis via contrast-enhanced ultrasonography and common serum markers.Methods Fifty-four patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis were divided into two groups according to hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG):HVPG＜12 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) and HVPG ≥12 mmHg.The non-invasive index of routine blood test,liver function,coagulation function,Child-pugh score (CPS) and the results of contrast-enhanced ultrasound such as hepatic artery arrival time (HAAT),hepatic vein arrival time (HVAT)、portal vein arrival time (PVAT),hepatic artery to henatic vein arrive transmit time (HA-HVTT) and portal vein to hepatic vein arrive transmit time (PV-HVTT) were assessed by univariate analysis and multivariate Logistic regression analysis,and then were used to generate a diagnostic model.The receiver operating characteristic curve was also used for analysis.Results The non-invasive model is Y =-0.217 × PV-HVTT + 1.526 × CPS-7.097.When the area under ROC curve (AUROC) was ≥0.857 and the best cutoff value was ≥0.631,and the sensitivity and specificity in judging HVPG≥ 12 mmHg were 87.5 ％ and 78.6％,respectively.Conclusions The model composed of PV-HVTT and CPS could be used to assess portal hypertension.

Objective To study the sequence of learning and memory loss in the rat after hemispheric irradiation. Methods After Sprague Dawly(SD) female rats were anaesthetized with chloral hydrate, their cerebral hemispheres were irradiated with a single dose of 5,15 or 30?Gy by 4?MeV electron. On D3,D7,D30 and D60, the learning and memorizing ability was measured with the Y maze test. Results On D3 and D7, the learning ability of SD rats was impaired most but partly restored in 1 to 2 months. In observation of memory loss, the intensity of cerebral function damage was in direct proportion to the increase of radiation dose.Conclusion The learning and memorizing ability of rats can be damage by hemispheric irradiation with the severity of impairment and possibility of recruitment depending on the dose.

BACKGROUND: Glaucoma is a kind of eye disease that can cause irreversible blindness which is characterized by visual field loss. Clinical research shows that the optic nerve head has changed before the visual field loss. The morphological changes of the optic nerve head have become the key to determine the early diagnosis of glaucoma and disease development. So it has important significance for us to study the morphological changes of the tissues of optic nerve head under the high intraocular pressure.
OBJECTIVE: To establish three-dimensional finite element model of optic nerve head which includes choroid, retina and lamina cribrosa, and analyze the thickness of the optic nerve head under the acute high intraocular pressure.
METHODS: (1) We chose healthy cats without refractive media and other eye diseases. The tomographic sequence images of the optic nerve head of a cat were obtained with the intraocular pressure of the normal value by using enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. (2) The three-dimensional model of the retina, choroid and lamina cribrosa was obtained. Three-dimensional model of optic nerve head was established by assembling the model of the retina, the choroid and the lamina cribrosa. The thickness of the retina, choroid and lamina cribrosa was analyzed under different intraocular pressures by using the method of finite element analysis. (3) Animal model of acute ocular hypertension was established by methods of anterior chamber perfusion. The tomographic sequence images of the optic nerve head of a cat were obtained with different intraocular pressures by using enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Then, we measured the thickness changes of the choroid, retina and lamina cribrosa under different intraocular pressures, and compared with the results of finite element analysis.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The thickness of the choroid, retina and lamina cribrosa trended to be thin, and the cup dish ratio of optic nerve head increased gradual y with the increased intraocular pressures. Regarding to the thickness changes of the choroid, retina and lamina cribrosa, the trend of experimental measurement results was consistent with finite element calculation results. Hence, it is feasible to analyze morphological changes of every fundus tissue under high intraocular pressure using the tomographic sequence images obtained by optical coherence tomography. We can predict the morphological changes of the optic nerve head tissue by finite element analysis, which has certain guiding significance in determining the progression of glaucoma.

Objective To assess the clinical efficacy and safety of proton pump inhibitors (PPI)for preventing recurrence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)-indueed upper gastrointestinal ulcers using meta-analysis. Methods Mono- or multicenter randomized controlled clinical trials related to NSAIDs-indueed ulcers were retrieved from database of China Biological Medicine and Medline from 1966 to 2007. The data were analyzed by RevMan 4. 2 software using random or fixed effects model. Results Ten randomized controlled trials including 3361 patients were included, The recta-analysis revealed that PPI treatment significantly reduced the recurrent rate of NSAIDs-associated ulcers (8. 7%) in comparison with controls (17. 2%, P = 0. 03). Those who received esomeprazole (4. 4%) or lansoprazole (18. 0%) had a low recurrence of peptic ulcers compared with controls (14.7% or 28.7%, P value= 0.01 or 0.05). But there was no significant differencebetween omeprazole and controls (P= 0. 16). The recurrence of NSAIDs-associated ulcers in patients treated with esomeprazole 20 mg or 40 mg and tansoprazole 15 mg were 4.4%, 4.3% and 19.7 % respectively. The stratify analysis showed that PPI therapy could effectively reduce recurrentce of non-selective NSAIDs-induced ulcer (P= 0. 009), but failed to selective cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor induced ulcer. No severe adverse reactions were found in PPI groups. Conclusion PPI is effective and safe in prevention of NSAIDs-related ulcers without discontinuation of NSAIDs.