BACKGROUND: Breviscapine, extracted from a Chinese herb Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.) Hand-Mazz (Bre), has remarkable activities against platelets and thrombus formation. It can protect against ischemic brain damage through eliminating free radicals and apoptosis.OBJECTIVE: To study the protective effects of Breviscapine on brain damage in rats after ischemia-reperfusion injury, taking MgSO4 as control.DESIGN: Randomized controlled study and analysis of variance.SETTING: College of Life Science and Technology, Xiaogan University.MATERIALS: This experiment was conducted in the College of Life Science and Technology of Xiaogan University between May 2004 and November 2004. Forty male Wistar rats were selected and randomized into five groups: sham-operation group, cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (IR)group, MgSO4 group, 50 mg/kg Breviscapine group and 75 mg/kg Breviscapine group with 8 in each group.METHODS: Rats were subjected to cerebral ischemia-reperfusion induced by inserting a nylon thread into the internal carotid artery to block the origin of middle cerebral artery and removing the thread later. Normal saline of 20 mL/kg was administrated in sham-operation group and IR group, while 50 mg/kg, 75 mg/kg Breviscapine and 30 mg/kg MgSO4 were administrated in other groups respectively 10 minutes after the onset of ischemia. Neurological scoring was performed 1 hour, 2 hours, 5 hours and 23 hours after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (Five points in total: 0 as unobvious neurological symptom; 1 as inability to completely extend left anterior claw; 2 as rotation toward the left; 3 as inclining to the left side atwalking; 4 as inability to walk by itself. The higher scale, the more severe the behavioral disturbance was). Brain infarcted area was assayed 1 hour and 23 hours after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, and was expressed as the percentage of stained area to non-stained area. Neuron apoptosis was detected by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTPfluorescence nick end labeling (TUNEL) method to assess DNA fragments of apoptotic cells 1 hour after cerebral ischemia, and 2 hours, 5 hours and 23 hours after reperfusion. The apoptotic cells were counted under the fluorescence microscope. The percentage of apoptosis cells (%) = (apoptotic neurons ÷ hippocampal neurons) ×100%. The protein expression of caspase-3 was detected by immunohistochemical staining. The positive cells were identified and counted under the light microscope. The percentage of positive cells of caspase-3 (%) = (positive neurons of caspase-3 ÷ hippocampal neurons) ×100%.cells of caspase-3 1 hour after cerebral ischemia, and 2, 5 and 23 hours after reperfusion in each group.scoring: Neurological score of rats in 50 mg/kg, 75 mg/kg Breviscapine groups and MgSO4 group was 1.2±0.4, 0.5±0.4, and 1.3±0.4, respectively,which were all lower than that in IR group [(2.2±0.6)] 23 hours after cerebral ischemia-recirculation (F=6.09, P=0.001). However, it was lower in farcted area in rats of 50 mg/kg and 75 mg/kg Breviscapine groups and MgSO4 group was (0.18±0.03)%, (0.10±0.02)%, and (0.28±0.02)%, respectively, which were all lower than that of IR group [(0.43±0.05) %] 23 hours after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (F=2.3, P=0.001). It was smaller in hippocampal apoptotic cells: It was (27.2±4.3) %, (20.6±3.6)%, and (35.4±5.5)% in 50 mg/kg and 75 mg/kg Breviscapine groups and MgSO4 group,which were all lower than that of IR group [(60.4±6.2)%] 23 hours after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (F=6.17, P=0.000 7). It was lower in Brevispositive cells of caspase-3: It was (34.2±5.3)%, (21.6±3.5)%, and (47.4±4.5)% in 50 mg/kgand 75 mg/kg Breviscapine groups and MgSO4 group,which were all lower than that of IR group [(76.3±6.2)%] 23 hours after cerebral ischenia-reperfusion (F=6.88, P=0.000 1). It was lower in Breviscapine group than in MgSO4 group (P ＜ 0.01).CONCLUSION: Breviscapine can protect brain damage induced by cerebral ischemia-reperfusion by markedly decreasing the neurological score,area of cerebral infarction, number of hippocampal apoptotic cells and number of positive cells of caspase-3, and it has better effect than MgSO4.

OBJECTIVE:To study the effect of breviscapine injection on glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and nitricoxide synthase (NOS) in rats with ischemical reperfusion(I-R)injury. METHODS:The rats were divided into 5 groups:sham group,I-R group,MgSO4 group,breviscapine low dose group and high dose group. Cerebral I-R injury model was established with suture method.The effect of breviscapine injection on GFAP and NOS were evaluated. RESULTS:In ischemia-reperfusion group compared with the sham group,the GFAP staining was strongly positive,serum NOS and inducible NOS (iNOS) activity were significantly enhanced(P

OBJECTIVE:To study the effect of breviscapine on SOD(superoxide dismutase)activity and apoptosis in rats after cerebral ischemia reperfusion(I-R).METHODS:The experimental rats were divided into 5 groups:sham group,I-R group,MgSO4 group,high dose breviscapine group and low dose breviscapine group.The SOD activities in brain tissue and serum of rats and the apoptosis of brain cells were observed.RESULTS:Compared with the sham group,the model group showed significantly decreased SOD activities in both brain tissue and serum(P

BACKGROUND: Ligustrazine inhibits discharge of cerebral hippocampal neuron, penetrates blood-brain barrier effectively after absorbed in the body and is distributed extensively in cerebral cortex, brain stem, striate body, hippocampus, cerebellum and midbrain.OBJECTIVE: To probe into the influence of ligustrazine and its different concentrations after abdominal injection on cerebral cortical neural cell structure in epileptic rats induced by penicillin.DESIGN: Randomized control experiment.SETTING: Physiological Department of Xianning Medical College.MATERIALS: The experiment was performed in Anatomy Department of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology from September 2004 to March 2005. Forty healthy SD rats of clean grade were employed, of either sex, mass weighted varied from 200 to 250 g.They were randomized into 5 groups, named operation control, penicillininduced epilepsy group and ligustrazine groups of 10 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg, 8 rats in each group.METHODS: After anesthetized, the cranium was opened to expose cerebral cortical record region. BL-410 biofunctional experimental system was used to record brain electricity bilaterally and epileptic discharge of cerebral cortex in penicillin-induced epilepsy group and ligustrazine groups of 10 mg/kg,20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg. In the control, 1 hour after anesthesia and craniotomy, cerebrum was collected. In penicillin-induced epilepsy group, 1 hour after induction, cerebrum was collected. In ligustrazine groups of 10 mg/kg,20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg, after penicillin-induced epileptic discharge was stable, ligustrazine of 10 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg was injected abdominally successively, and cerebrum was collected when the most remarkable inhibition was achieved. Brain tissue section was prepared separately, with HE staining, the observation was done under optic microscope.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Structure changes in cerebral cortical neural cells in rats of each group.In the control, the morphological structure of cerebral cortical neural cell alternations on cerebral cortical neural cell structure, karyopykosis, plasmarrhexis and vacuolar structure, but there was no Nissel bodies in cytomarrhexis, vacuolar structure and decreased Nissel bodies in cytoplasm with the control, there were decreased vacuoles in neural cell, increased cytoplasm and few Nissel bodies in cytoplasm and cell structural morpholcontrol, karyon was big, round and light stained; clot-like Nissel bodies were visible and cell structural morphology was in tendency to be normal.CONCLUSION: In penicillin-induced epilepsy, morphological structure of cerebral cortical neural cell in rats is abnormal. Tetramethylpyrazine of various dosages may improve at different degrees morphological structure of cerebral cortical neural cell, especially significantly at high dosage, by which, its inhibition on epileptic discharge in rats is achieved.

Objective To translate the English version of Self-Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (SSMIS) into Chinese and evaluate the scale's reliability and validity.Methods According to Jones' Translation Model,the English version of Self-Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (SSMIS) was translated into Chinese.And then use the Self-esteem scale,self-efficacy scale to test the criterion validity of SSMIS.The study investigated in a sample of 192 patients with mental illness in Guangzhou city by convenience sampling.The exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach's α coefficient were used to test the scale's reliability and validity.Results The overall Coronach's α coefficient of SSMIS-C was 0.96,and the Coronach's α coefficient among the four subscales was from 0.90 to 0.94.The correlation coefficient between the total scale and each factor was from 0.81 to 0.90,the correlation coefficient among each factor was from 0.42 to 0.78.And the correlation coefficient between the self-esteem,self-efficacy and SSMIS-C showed statistical significance (r =-0.346 ～ -0.144) (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).Conclusion The reliability and construct validity of SSMIS-C are in line with the requirements of psychometrics,which can be applied to self-stigma in China.

Objective To investigate the state of perceived discrimination,mental health knowledge and self-discrimination of the public,and analyze the relationship among these variables,and explore the mediating effect of mental health knowledge between the perceived discrimination and self-discrimination.Methods A total of 1 088 residents in Guangzhou City were assessed with the Perceived Devaluation-Discrimination Scale (PDDS),Attitudes about Mental Illness Associated Stigma Scale-Chinese Version (AMIASS-C) and Mental Heahh Knowledge Questionnaire (MHKQ).Results The average score of PDDS was 2.63±0.35.The rate of mental health knowledge was 72.4％(788/1 088) and the score of AMIASS-C was 2.58±0.45.The perceived discrimination,mental health knowledge and self-discrimination were significantly correlated with each other,r=0.320,-0.240,P＜0.01.The mental health knowledge played a negative mediating role between perceived discrimination and self-discrimination.Conclusions The mental health knowledge was a mediator between perceived discrimination and self-discrimination.

Summary: In order to study the expression of IL-1β and TNF-α in the myocardium of MCMV myocarditis and their role in the myocardial damages, 60 BALB/C mice of 4 weeks were randomly divided into two groups: 36 were injected intraperitoneally with MCMV and 24 served as control group. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect IL-1β and TNF-α expression in the myocardium, and myocardial lesions were observed histopathologically. Histopathological study on the myocardium from infected mice revealed focal or diffuse lesions characterized by inflammatory cells and degeneration or necrosis of myocytes. The myocardial lesion score showed the degree of inflammatory cell infiltration was slight in MCMV myocarditis.The positive staining signals for IL-1β and TNF-α proteins which mainly located in the infiltrating inflammatory cells and degenerative or necrotic myocytes were markedly detectable whereas there were no positive findings in the myocardium of control mice. IL-1β and TNF-α was expressed in the myocardium of viral myocarditis murine model induced by MCMV. IL-1β and TNF-α may play an important role in the pathogenesis of viral myocarditis.