Objective To investigate the protective effect of prenatal astaxanthin treatment against cognitive impairment in adult offspring induced by exposure to maternal seizures in utero.Methods Female adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups:control group,astaxanthin group,kindling group and kindling+astaxanthin group.Each rat was implanted with electrodes.Those in the kindling and kindling+astaxanthin groups were kindled once a day by electrical stimulation of the amygdala.All rats were allowed to mate after one week's amygdala kindling.Rats in the kindling and kindling+astaxanthin groups continued to be treated with electrical stimulation every 48 hours from gestational day 1 to 20,and those in the astaxanthin and kindling+astaxanthin groups were injected intraperitoneally with 30 mg/(kg · d) of astaxanthin simultaneously.Naturally delivered offspring were raised till 12 weeks of age.Morris water maze test was performed to assess the cognitive function of adult offspring.Changes in the morphology of hippocampus were observed with Nissal's staining and transmission electron microscope.Expression of cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein (CREB) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in adult offsprings' hippocampus tissues at protein and mRNA levels were determined using Western-blotting and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.Analysis of variance and LSD test were used as statistical methods.Results Morris water maze test showed that from the 3rd day to the 5th day,the kindling group had significantly longer escape latency [(36.33 ±7.85),(28.80± 8.41),(29.50± 11.72) s] than the control [(28.90±7.46),(17.59±9.12),(10.40±3.69) s] and kindling+astaxanthin groups [(28.30±5.75),(18.37±3.39),(15.23±6.63) s] (F=3.601,9.811 and 14.226,all P＜0.05).In probe trials,the kindling group had significantly fewer platform crossings as compared with the control and kindling+astaxanthin groups [(4.40± 1.71) vs (7.20± 1.62) and (6.50±1.84) times,F=6.586,P=0.001].The kindling group spent dramatically less time in the target quadrant than the control and kindling+astaxanthin groups [(27.35±7.63) vs (58.29± 10.48) and (40.41 ± 7.06) s,F=25.825,P＜0.001].Nissl staining showed that hippocampal neurons of offspring in the control group were normal,but there was hippocampal damage in the kindling group and the damage was more severe than that in the kindling+astaxanthin group.Electron microscope observation showed that neurons and synapses in the hippocampal CA1 area of offspring in the control group were normal.However,obvious damage to neurons and synapses was induced in the kindling group and that was worse than the damage induced in the kindling+astaxanthin group.Expression of CREB and BDNF protein in the kindling group (0.19±0.06and 0.32 ±0.04,respectively) were significantly lower than those in the control (0.81 ±0.11 and 0.93 ± 0.04,respectively) and kindling+astaxanthin groups (0.60± 0.07 and 0.80±0.06,respectively) (F were 34.015and 71.074,both P＜0.001).Moreover,the kindling group showed decreased expression of CREB and BDNF mRNA (0.48 ± 0.11 and 0.43± 0.08,respectively) as compared with the control (1.02± 0.65 and 0.99± 0.09,respectively) and kindling+astaxanthin groups (0.89±0.15 and 0.96±0.13,respectively) (F were 13.447 and 21.912,both P＜0.01).Conclusion Treatment with astaxanthin could ameliorate the cognitive impairment and pathological damage in hippocampus of adult offspring induced by exposure to maternal seizures in utero through regulating the CREB-BDNF signal pathway.

OBJECTIVETo construct and identify the stable expression system of NIH3T3 fibroblast with eukaryotic expression vector of human transforming growth factor beta3 (pcDNA3.1 (-)/TGFbeta3). So as to investigate the proliferation of NIH3T3 fibroblasts transfected with hTGFbeta3 gene stably.

METHODSThe stable transfection of NIH3T3 fibroblasts with recombinant plasmid expressing hTGFbeta3 was established by using LipofectamineTM2000 and G418 selection. The mRNA and protein expression of TGFbeta3 were detected by the RT-PCR and Western blot method, respectively. Microscope and MTT were adopted to examine the proliferation of the stable expression system of fibroblasts with hTGFbeta3.

RESULTSAfter G418 selection, RT-PCR and Western blot analysis, 7 out of 10 cell lines transfected with pcDNA3.1 (-)/TGFbeta3 expressed with very high level of TGFbeta3, as compared with vector control transfectants that showed no expression, and compared with the other cell lines that expressed relatively low level. The stable transfection of NIH3T3 fibroblasts growth slowed down significantly (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe stable expression system of NIH3T3 fibroblast with hTGFbeta3 were constructed successfully. The TGFbeta3 gene could inhibit the proliferation of NIH3T3 fibroblasts in vitro.

Animals ; Cell Proliferation ; Fibroblasts ; metabolism ; Humans ; Mice ; NIH 3T3 Cells ; Plasmids ; Transfection ; Transforming Growth Factor beta3 ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of early rehabilitation intervention on the incidences of extrauterine growth retardation (EUGR) and early diseases in preterm infants.

METHODSThe appropriate-for-gestational-age preterm infants with a gestational age of <34 weeks and a birth weight of 1 000 to <2 000 g who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) within 24 hours after birth were enrolled in a prospective randomized controlled trial. These infants were randomly divided into rehabilitation intervention group and control group. The infants in the rehabilitation intervention group were given early rehabilitation after their vital signs became stable, including oral sensory and muscle strength training and pressure touching of the head, chest, abdomen, extremities, hands, and feet. The primary outcome measures were the time to independent oral feeding, length of hospital stay, and incidence rate of EUGR. The secondary outcome measures were the incidence rates of related diseases in preterm infants, such as apnea, feeding intolerance, and sepsis.

RESULTSA total of 97 preterm infants who met the inclusion criteria and had complete data were enrolled, with 48 in the control group and 49 in the rehabilitation intervention group. The rehabilitation intervention group had a shorter time to independent oral feeding than the control group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the rehabilitation intervention group had a shorter length of hospital stay and a lower corrected gestational age at discharge (P<0.05), as well as a lower incidence rate of EUGR (P<0.05). The rehabilitation intervention group ONCLUSIONS: Early rehabilitation intervention for preterm infants in the NICU may reduce the incidence rates of apnea, feeding intolerance, and EUGR and help them to achieve independent oral feeding early.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the respiratory pathogens and clinical features in children with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma. METHODS: Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from 225 children with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma, aged <14 years, who attended the outpatient service or were hospitalized from August 2017 to August 2019. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect 12 pathogens, i.e., respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human rhinovirus (HRV), influenza virus A (IFVA), influenza virus B (IFVB), parainfluenza virus types 1-3 (PIV1-3), human metapneumovirus (HMPV), adenovirus (ADV), Bordetella pertussis (BP), Chlamydia pneumoniae (CP), and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP). RESULTS: The overall detection rate of virus was 46.2% (104/225), and 7 kinds of viruses were detected, i.e., HRV (19.6%, 44/225), ADV (16.0%, 36/225), IFVB (5.8%, 13/225), RSV (4.9%, 11/225), IFVA (3.6%, 8/225), PIV3 (1.8%, 4/225), and HMPV (0.4%, 1/225). Of all pathogens, BP had the highest detection rate of 28.4% (64/225), and the detection rates of MP and CP were 16.4% (37/225) and 0.4% (1/225), respectively. The mild exacerbation group had a higher detection rate of BP than the severe exacerbation group (P<0.05), while the severe exacerbation group had significantly higher detection rates of RSV and MP than the mild exacerbation group (P<0.05). There were significant differences in the proportion of children with paroxysmal cough, spasmodic cough, fever, lung rales and abnormal lung imaging findings among the simple BP infection, simple virus infection and simple MP infection groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS BP, HRV, and MP are common respiratory pathogens detected in children with acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma, and respiratory virus infection is an important pathogen of acute exacerbation of asthma in children. Acute exacerbation of asthma caused by different pathogens has different clinical features and severities.
Adolescent ; Asthma/diagnosis* ; Child ; Humans ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human

Objective To explore the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic pyeloplasty in the treatment of neonatal renal pelvis ureteraljunction obstruction(PUJO),and to analyze its preliminary experience.Methods From Jun.2009 to Apr.2012,11 neonates(9 boys and 2 girls) were recruited in this study.They were all detected by prenatal ultrasound and renal pelvis anteroposterior diameter was more than 3 cm.One week after birth,emission computed tomography(ECT) showed that split function of hydronephrotic kidneys were lower than 40％.All patients underwent laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty.Results All successful underwent laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty,no conversion to open surgery or additional Trocar,no intraoperative complications.The mean time of operation was 80 min,and blood loss was less than 10 mL,the mean postoperative hospital stay was 9 days.All patients were followed up for 6 to 36 months with ultrasound and ECT.The thickness of renal parenchyma increased,and 8 kidneys turned almost normal,the other's renal pelvis anteroposterior diameter was about 1.5 cm,renal pelvis anteroposterior was significantly reduced,and the scar was not obvious.Conclusions Laparoscopic ureteroplasty in the treatment of neonatal hydronephrosis is safe and feasible,and it is worthy of application in a large scale.Qperators need mastering laparoscopic suture technology,and then apply the technique from older children to neonates gradually.

Purpose: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the pathogen of coronavirus disease 2019. Diagnostic methods based on the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) have been developed to detect SARSCoV-2 rapidly. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of CRISPR for detecting SARS-CoV-2 infection. Materials and Methods: Studies published before August 2021 were retrieved from four databases, using the keywords “SARS-CoV-2” and “CRISPR.” Data were collected from these publications, and the sensitivity, specificity, negative likelihood ratio (NLR), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were calculated. The summary receiver operating characteristic curve was plotted for analysis with MetaDiSc 1.4. The Stata 15.0 software was used to draw Deeks’ funnel plots to evaluate publication bias. Results: We performed a pooled analysis of 38 independent studies shown in 30 publications. The reference standard was reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The results indicated that the sensitivity of CRISPR-based methods for diagnosis was 0.94 (95% CI 0.93–0.95), the specificity was 0.98 (95% CI 0.97–0.99), the PLR was 34.03 (95% CI 20.81–55.66), the NLR was 0.08 (95% CI 0.06– 0.10), and the DOR was 575.74 (95% CI 382.36–866.95). The area under the curve was 0.9894. Conclusion Studies indicate that a diagnostic method based on CRISPR has high sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, this would be a potential diagnostic tool to improve the accuracy of SARS-CoV-2 detection.

OBJECTIVESeven cases of autopsy from SARS patients are studied to investigate the pathogenesis and the pathologic changes of the major organs.

METHODSDetailed gross and microscopic examination of the autopsy specimen is performed, including lung, heart, liver, kidney, spleen and lymph nodes.

RESULTSAll of the lungs are markedly enlarged and consolidated. Microscopically, pulmonary edema is a prominent finding, especially at the early stage of the disease (5 days after the onset). The alveolar spaces are filled with fibrinous exudates and lined with hyaline membrane. In 5 cases that undergo over 3 weeks of the course, the main pattern is organization of intra-alveolar deposit, along with fibroblastic proliferation in the alveolar septa, which leads to obliteration of alveolar space and pulmonary fibrosis. All of the lungs show bronchopneumonia, scattered hemorrhage, and proliferation of alveolar epithelial cells with desquamation. Microthrombi are seen in 6 cases. Fungal infection is noted in 2 cases. One of them is disseminative, involving bilateral lungs, heart, and kidney; the other one is diagnosed in hilar lymph nodes. In immune system, hilar and abdominal lymph nodes are usually congested and hemorrhagic, with depletion of lymphocytes, and accompanied with subcapsular sinus histiocytosis. One of the cases shows enlargement of abdominal lymph nodes, which have reduced number of germinal centers. Spleen exhibits atrophy of white pulps, and even lost of white pulps in some areas. The red pulp is markedly congested and hemorrhagic. In 5 cases, cardiomegale is prominent. Thrombosis (2 cases), focal myocarditis (1 case), and fungal myocarditis (1 case) are observed. In addition, liver shows massive necrosis (1 case) and nodular cirrhosis (1 case).

CONCLUSIONSLung is the major organ affected by SARS, demonstrated as diffuse alveolar damage. It is postulated that viral infection induces severe damage of alveolar epithelial and capillary endothelial cells, leads to pulmonary edema, intra-alveolar fibrin deposit, and hyaline membrane formation. Consequently, intra-alveolar organization and alveolar septal fibrosis causes loss of alveolar spaces, eventually, pulmonary fibrosis and atelectasis. The immune system is often affected, and presented as depletion of lymphoid tissue in lymph nodes and spleen. Secondary infection is a common complication, which should be paid close attention in the management of SARS patients.

Adrenal Glands ; pathology ; Adult ; Autopsy ; Bone Marrow ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney ; pathology ; Liver ; pathology ; Lung ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardium ; pathology ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; pathology ; Spleen ; pathology

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the patterns of antipsychotic use in China and to analyze the factors that influence antipsychotic prescriptions. METHODS: A standardized survey was conducted from May 20 to 24 2002 in five different regions of China with varying economic levels. The patterns of antipsychotic medication use were analyzed in a sample of 4,779 patients with schizophrenia. The survey gathered information on demographic characteristics, clinical profiles, and antipsychotic medications prescribed. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze factors related to patterns of antipsychotic medication use. RESULTS: A plurality of patients with schizophrenia was treated with clozapine (39%); this was followed by risperidone, sulpride, chlorpromazine, perphenazine, and haloperidol. More than 56.3% of patients were treated with only one atypical antipsychotic. The mean daily dose of chlorpromazine was 365+/-253 mg (mean+/-standard deviation), and 6.5% of patients were treated with depot injections of typical antipsychotic medications. A total of 73.7% (n=3,523) of patients with schizophrenia received monotherapy, 24.8% (n=1,183) received two antipsychotics, 1.1% (n=52) received three antipsychotics, and one received four different antipsychotics. Patients often simultaneously received other classes of medications including anticholinergic agents, benzodiazepines, beta-blockers, antidepressants, and mood stabilizers. Economic status and clinical symptoms were the main factors that contributed to the patterns of antipsychotic prescription. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that atypical antipsychotic medications, especially clozapine, are the primary psychiatric treatments of choice in the management of schizophrenia in China. Moreover, the economic status and clinical profile of the patient are the major factors affecting the prescription of antipsychotic medication.
Antidepressive Agents ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Benzodiazepines ; China ; Chlorpromazine ; Cholinergic Antagonists ; Clozapine ; Haloperidol ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Perphenazine ; Prescriptions ; Risperidone ; Schizophrenia

OBJECTIVE: Clozapine is one of the most commonly used antipsychotic drugs in China. To date, few studies have investigated the patterns the prescription of clozapine nationwide. The present study examined these patterns in China in 2006 and identified the demographic and clinical characteristics associated with the use of clozapine. METHODS: Using a standardized protocol and data collection procedure, we surveyed 5,898 patients with schizophrenia in 10 provinces with differing levels of economic development. RESULTS: Overall, clozapine had been prescribed for 31.9% (n=1,883) of the patients; however we found considerable variation among the 10 provinces. The frequency of clozapine use was highest in Sichuan (39.3%) and lowest in Beijing (17.3%). The mean daily dose of clozapine was 210.36+/-128.72 mg/day, and 25.1% of the patients were treated with clozapine in combination with other antipsychotics. Compared with the group not receiving clozapine, clozapine-user had been treated for longer durations and had experienced a greater number of relapses and hospitalizations. Furthermore, those in the clozapine-user had lower family incomes, were less able to seek psychiatric services, and more likely to be male and have a positive family history of schizophrenia. A multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that age, sex, professional help-seeking behaviors, duration of illness, economic status, educational level, and clinical manifestations were associated with the use of clozapine. CONCLUSION: Clozapine use is common in China. However, use of the antipsychotic varies among provinces, and demographic and clinical factors play important roles in the prescription of clozapine.
Antipsychotic Agents ; China ; Clozapine ; Data Collection ; Educational Status ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Prescriptions ; Recurrence ; Sampling Studies ; Schizophrenia

OBJECTIVETo study the antiviral effect and mechanisms of the liquid extract from Ceratostigma willmattianum against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in vitro.

METHODC. willmattianum in various concentration was applied to different steps of HSV-1 replication cycle. 50% Tissue culture infective dose (TCID50), cytopathic effect (CPE), MTT staining method, dot blotting and Northern blotting analysis were used to estimate index of antiviral activity.

RESULT50% Toxic concentration (TC50) was 1077 mg x L(-1), IC50 29.46 mg x L(-1) and therapeutic index (TI) 36.56 in C. willmattianum. TC50 330 mg x L(-1), 50% Inhibiting concentration (IC50) 9.12 mg x L(-1) and TI 36.18 in ACV by MTT staining method. The liquid extract from C. willmattianum had remarkable effect on inhibiting HSV-1 in vitro. Ceratostigma could interfere absorption of HSV-1 to Vero cells to prevent HSV-1 infectivity, inhibit HSV-1 gD DNA replication and HSV-1 gD mRNA expression.

CONCLUSIONC. willmattianum possesses strong anti-HSV-1 activity in vitro. The antiviral mechanisms are related to inhibiting virus absorption, HSV-1 gD gene replication and HSV-1 gD gene transcription.

Animals ; Antiviral Agents ; pharmacology ; Cell Adhesion ; Cercopithecus aethiops ; DNA Replication ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Glycoproteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Herpesvirus 1, Human ; drug effects ; physiology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Primulaceae ; chemistry ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Vero Cells ; drug effects ; virology ; Virus Replication ; drug effects