Synaptic plasticity of barrel cortex is one of the most widely studied topics in neuroscience in recent years. The primary somatosensory cortex of the rodent has a good topology character,which provides an ideal experimental model for plasticity study. This system displays very strong experience-dependent plasticity both during development and in adulthood. The changes of sensory cortex's neural circuit can induce experience-dependent plasticity. In the synaptic level,thalamocortical synapse is considered to be the main location of plasticity. In the circuit level,both synapses from layer 4 to layer 2/3 and those within layer 2/3 are also the necessary parts of achieving synaptic plasticity in primary somatosensory cortex. The GABAergic inhibitory circuit may be involved in this plasticity of S1, but the exact mechanism remains unknown.
Animals ; Neural Pathways ; physiology ; Neuronal Plasticity ; Somatosensory Cortex ; physiology ; Synapses ; physiology ; Thalamus ; physiology ; Vibrissae ; physiology

Infestation, moldy and other phenomenon in the processing and storage of Chinese herbal medicines is a problem that faced in the production of Chinese traditional medicine. The low productivity of traditional processing methods can not guarantee the quality of Chinese herbal medicines. Sulfur fumigation is the first choice of grassroots to process the Chinese herbal medicine with its low cost and easy operation. Sulfur fumigation can solve some problems in the processing and storage of Chinese herbal medicines, but modern pharmacological studies show that long-term use of Chinese traditional medicine which is fumigated by sulfur can cause some serious harm to human liver, kidney and other organs. This paper conducts a review about the application history of sulfur fumigation, its influence to the quality of Chinese herbal medicines as well as domestic and foreign limits to sulfur quantity, and a brief introduction of the status of modern processing technologies in the processing of food and some Chinese herbal medicines, the problems ex- isting in the Chinese herbal medicines processing, which can provide a reference basis for the further research, development and application of investigating alternative technologies of sulfur fumigation.
Fumigation ; adverse effects ; methods ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Quality Control ; Social Control, Formal ; Sulfur ; chemistry ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Jiangtang Yishen Recipe (JTYSR) on high insulin induced cell proliferation of human glomerular mesangial cells (HMCs) and the expression of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI-3K).

METHODSHMCs were divided into 4 groups, i.e., the negative control group, the high insulin model group, the JTYSR group, and the LY294002 group. The concentration of insulin, JTYSR, and LY294002 was respectively confirmed by pre-experiment. Different culture solution was respectively added for different groups. RPMI1640 culture solution was added for HMCs in the negative control group, while HMCs in the rest 3 groups were cultured by 100 nmol/L insulin for 24 h. Meanwhile, HMCs from the JTYSR group and the LY294002 group were exposed to 125 mg/L JTYSR and 80 micromol/L LY294002 respectively for further 48 h. The proliferation of HMCs was detected by MTT and flow cytometry. The protein expression of IRS-1 and PI-3K in HMC was detected by immunohistochemical assay and Western blot. Results The proliferation of HMCs induced by high insulin could be significantly lowered, and the protein expression of IRS-1 and PI-3K could be down-regulated in the JTYSR group and the LY294002 group (P <0.01). Compared with the LY294002 group, the protein expression of IRS-1 and PI-3K could be slightly down-regulated in the JTYSR group (P <0.05).

CONCLUSIONJTYSR could lower high insulin induced proliferation of HMCs, and its mechanism might be related to insulin signaling pathway.

Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Chromones ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Insulin Receptor Substrate Proteins ; metabolism ; Mesangial Cells ; physiology ; Morpholines ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase ; metabolism ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Ascites ; pathology ; Biopsy ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Child ; Cytodiagnosis ; methods ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell ; pathology ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; pathology ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; pathology ; Lymphoma, T-Cell ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pleural Effusion ; pathology ; Young Adult

0.05 for all).Conclusions The allelic frequencies of LPL gene at Pvu Ⅱ locus in Hei Yi Zhuang were different from those in Han,but the genotypie frequencies in Hei Yi Zhuang were not different from those in Han.There was no significant correlation between the polymorphism of LPL gene at Pvu Ⅱ site and the serum lipid levels in two ethnic groups.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate and analyze the mechanism of Pizhen for the treatment of patients with scapular muscle fasciitis.

METHODSOne hundred and sixteen patients were divided into two groups according to random number table method, 58 cases in the treatment group and 58 cases in the control group. After treatment, 109 patients were followed up, and 7 patients lost follow-up (2 cases in the treatment group and 5 patients in the control group). In the treatment group, there were 15 males and 41 females, with a mean age of (28.02 +/- 4.85) years; the course of disease ranged from 0.25 to 3 years; and the patients were treated by Pizhen once a week,and 2 weeks were one treatment course. In the control group, there were 19 males and 34 females, with a mean age of (27.23 +/- 4.54) years old; the course of disease ranged from 0.25 to 1 year; and the patients were treated by acupuncture massage instrument, 20 minutes at a time,once a day for 2 weeks. Soft tissue displacement and banana area were tested by a soft tissue tension tester, pressure value was measured by pressure measuring instrument, and VAS was recorded by pain visual analog scale record.

RESULTSThere were significant differences in tissue displacement, banana area, pressure value and VAS between two groups before and after treatment. The tissue displacement and pressure value in the treatment group were higher than those in the control group,while banana area and VAS were lower than those in the control group. In the treatment group, 30 patients healed, 13 patients got marked improvement, 12 good and 1 poor;while 16 patients healed, 19 patients got marked improvement,11 good and 7 poor in the control group. The therapeutic effects in the treatment group was better than that in the control group.

CONCLUSIONPizhen is an effective method to treat pain in patients with scapular muscle fasciitis by relaxing tendon of soft tissue around pain point of scapular and relaxing compress and stimulation of nerves.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Fasciitis ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

To clear the effect of the wound to the growth of the larva of the host to the Ophiocordyceps sinensis, the wounds of same severity at the same position were made artificially to the larva and which were artificial fed at the same environment and condition. The results indicated that, over the winter, the survival rate of the wounded of the infection larva was lower than that of the healthy larva, but the weight had no significant difference between the wounded and the healthy larva. The survival rate of the wounded of the no infection larva was lower than that of the healthy larva, but except with black skin, the wounded larva with offwhite and dusty red had no influence on the variety of the weight. In summery, wound had no advantage to the survival rate, but had no influence to the weight. The result had provided theoretical basis to the reforming of the system of the artificial culture O. sinensis.
Animals ; Body Weight ; Breeding ; methods ; Hypocreales ; growth & development ; Larva ; Moths ; growth & development ; microbiology

BACKGROUNDThe cause of the adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) after fusion remains unknown. It is reported that adjacent facet joint stresses increase after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. This increase of stress rate may lead to tissue injury. Thus far, the load rate of the adjacent segment facet joint after fusion remains unclear.

METHODSSix C2-C7 cadaveric spine specimens were loaded under four motion modes: Flexion, extension, rotation, and lateral bending, with a pure moment using a 6° robot arm combined with an optical motion analysis system. The Tecscan pressure test system was used for testing facet joint pressure.

RESULTSThe contact mode of the facet joints and distributions of the force center during different motions were recorded. The adjacent segment facet joint forces increased faster after fusion, compared with intact conditions. While the magnitude of pressures increased, there was no difference in distribution modes before and after fusion. No pressures were detected during flexion. The average growth velocity during extension was the fastest and was significantly faster than lateral bending.

CONCLUSIONSOne of the reasons for cartilage injury was the increasing stress rate of loading. This implies that ASD after fusion may be related to habitual movement before and after fusion. More and faster extension is disadvantageous for the facet joints and should be reduced as much as possible.

Biomechanical Phenomena ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; physiopathology ; Range of Motion, Articular ; physiology ; Spinal Fusion ; adverse effects ; Spine ; physiopathology

BACKGROUNDThe Taq/B, Msp/ and I405V polymorphisms of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), an important regulatory factor of lipid metabolism, have been attracted much more attention by the researchers. In this study, we investigated the associations between these 3 polymorphisms of CETP gene and variations in plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).

METHODSGenomic DNA was extracted from leukocytes of 203 CHD patients and 100 control subjects using the salting out method. Genotyping of the CETP gene was performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) techniques. Statistical analysis was conducted using the SPSS 10.0 software package.

RESULTSThe distribution of allele and genotype frequencies of the Taq/B, MspI, and I405V polymorphisms was similar in the CHD patient group and the control group. The B1B1 genotype of the Taq/B polymorphism was associated with significantly higher TC (P=0.039) and LDL-C (P=0.044) levels than the B2B2 genotype in CHD patients, and with significantly higher LDL-C (P=0.034) levels than the B2B2 genotype in controls. Homozygotes of the I405V polymorphism exhibited significantly higher HDL-C levels than VV homozygotes among control subjects (P=0.023). In male CHD patients with unambiguously assigned haplotypes, B2-M2-V/B2-M2-I patients demonstrated significantly higher HDL-C concentrations than B1-M2-V/B1-M2-I (P=0.023) and B1-M2-V/B1-M2-V patients (P=0.047).

CONCLUSIONSGenetic variations in the CETP gene may account for a significant proportion of the differences in plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations among the general population. The B1B1 genotype of the Taq/B polymorphism is probably a genetic risk factor for CHD in the study population.

Adult ; Aged ; Carrier Proteins ; genetics ; Cholesterol Ester Transfer Proteins ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; Cholesterol, LDL ; blood ; Coronary Disease ; blood ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Glycoproteins ; genetics ; Humans ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Genetic

Adenocarcinoma ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; secondary ; Brain ; metabolism ; pathology ; Brain Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; secondary ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Keratin-7 ; metabolism ; Lung Neoplasms ; pathology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Nuclear Proteins ; metabolism ; Thyroid Nuclear Factor 1 ; Transcription Factors ; metabolism