OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between serotonin (5-HT) and epilepsy and the mechanism of learning-memory in pilocarpine (PILO)-induced epileptic rats after 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) microinjection in median raphe nucleus.

METHODSAdult S D rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: PILO group, PILO+ 5,7-DHT group, vehicle control group; PILO group was divided into two groups by status epilepticus (SE): PILO + SE group and PILO - SE group. The rats' seizures and cortex electroencephalography (EEG) were observed by video EEG. The rats' spatial learning-memory was evaluated by Morris water maze. Finally, serotonergic neuron in raphe nuclei was observed by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSAfter treatment of 5,7-DHT (PILO + 5,7-DHT group), the success rate, the mortality and the frequency of chronic spontaneous seizures in pilocarpine-induced epilepsy model were all improved. Compared with the control group, the number of serotonergic neuron in raphe nuclei was decrease in PILO + SE group (P < 0.05). Moreover, it's extremely decrease in PILO + 5,7-DHT group (P < 0.01). Compared with control group, the mean escape latency was prolonged, the times of crossing target was decreased and the retention time in target zone was shortened in PILO + SE group (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference between PILO + SE group and PILO + 5,7-DHT group.

CONCLUSIONDepletion of serotonin may facility the rats' epileptic seizures, but we could not interpret which may cause epileptic rats' cognitive deficit.

5,7-Dihydroxytryptamine ; toxicity ; Animals ; Epilepsy ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; psychology ; Male ; Maze Learning ; Memory ; Pilocarpine ; adverse effects ; Raphe Nuclei ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Serotonin ; metabolism

Objective To study the status on economic burden of diarrhea in Zhejiang province so as to provide evidence for allocation of health resource as well as decision-making on health issues. Methods Multi-phases stratified random cluster sampling was used to select samples in the population. Data was collected on the incidence of diarrhea in the last two weeks as well as on the related cost due to medical care etc. Results The overall incidence (person per year) of diarrhea was 0.26, with 0.29 in the rural and 0.22 in the urban areas respectively. The incidence of diarrhea in children less than 5 was 0.66 (person per year), higher than in any of the age groups. The average direct cost of medical treatment was 69.23 Yuan with average direct cost of non-medical care was 8.29 Yuan for every person, while the indirect cost was 48.43 Yuan. in conclusion, the average disease burden of diarrhea in the province was 1.697 billion Yuan per year, which accounted for 1%o of the GDP, with 1.217 billion Yuan in rural area and 0.480 billion Yuan in the urban areas respectively. The direct cost of medical care was 0.886 billion Yuan (52.21%) and the direct cost due to non-medical care was 0.124 billion Yuan (7.31%). The indirect cost appeared to be 0.480 billion Yuan (40.48%). Factors that affecting the cost would relate to: severity of diarrhea, medical insurance, location of residential area, age and education background of the patients, etc. Conclusion Programs on diarrhea prevention and control should be strengthened to reduce the economic burden caused by this disease while special attention should be paid to those children who are under 5 years of age and living in the rural areas.

OBJECTIVETo discuss the effect of Yisui Shengxue granules on expression of alpha-hemoglobin stabilizing protein (AHSP) mRNA in different developmental stages mice.

METHODThe total RNAs were extracted from the bone marrow karyocyte of normal adult mice and the karyocyte of fetus liver and fetus spleen in pregnanted mice (pregnanted 21 days) and fetal mice (pregnanted 14 days). The expression level of AHSP mRNA in different developmental stages mice interfered with Yisui Shengxue granules was measured by real-time PCR.

RESULTThe intervention of Yisui Shengxue granules could significantly up-regulated the expression levels of AHSP mRNA in normal adult mice.

CONCLUSIONThe result revealed that one of possible molecular mechanism of the effects caused by Yisui Shengxue granules is that it can promote the AHSP gene expression, reduce the free a-globin deposit, then prevent the poison to erythrocyte and decrease the haemolysis.

Animals ; Blood Proteins ; genetics ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Erythrocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; drug effects ; Liver ; cytology ; embryology ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Molecular Chaperones ; genetics ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Pregnancy ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Spleen ; cytology ; embryology ; metabolism ; Up-Regulation ; drug effects ; genetics