Aim To study effects of morphine tolerance and dependence on the fast excitatory synaptic transmission in sympathetic ganglia of rats.Methods The isolated sympathetic ganglia,superior cervical ganglia(SCG), were made from control and morphine tolerant and dependent rats respectively.Effects of morphine tolerance and dependence on the fast excitatory synaptic transmission in rat sympathetic ganglia were studied by means of intracellular recording technique.Results ① Morphine(0.1～1.0 mmol?L~(-1))reversibly inhibited the amplitude of the fast excitatory postsynaptic potentials(f-EPSPs) in SCG neurons of control rats.② Compared with control group,inhibitory effects of morphine(0.5 mmol?L~(-1) and 1.0 mmol?L~(-1)) on f-EPSPs in SCG neurons of morphine tolerant and dependent rats were obviously decreased;③ Naloxone(0.1 mmol?L~(-1)),which had no significantly effect on f-EPSPs in SCG neurons of control rats,could reversibly facilitate the amplitude of f-EPSPs in SCG neurons of morphine tolerant and dependent rats;④ No significant difference of RMP and Rm was founded between SCG neurons of control and morphine tolerant and dependent rats.Conclusion The morphine tolerant and dependent of the fast excitatory synaptic transmission in rat sympathetic ganglia has been formed in morphine tolerant and dependent rats.

Aim To study the effects of chronic morphine treatment on the contents of cAMP and cGMP in sympathetic ganglia,superior cervical ganglia(SCG) of rats.Methods The chronic morphine dependent model of rats was established by subcutaneous injection of morphine in gradually increasing doses for 5 days,the dependence and the tolerance of the model was estimated by naloxone precipitation test and 55℃ tail-flick trail test respectively.The contents of cAMP and cGMP in SCG were detected by means of 125I radioimmunoassay.Results ① Compared with control group,the content of cAMP in SCG of morphine-acute group rats was descended(P0.05;compared with morphine-acute,P0.05).Conclusion There was an up-regulation of cAMP in sympathetic ganglia of chronic morphine treated rats.

Skin melanin metabolism is a complex and fine regulation process, which is controlled by multiple genes, many enzymes and proteins. With the in-depth study of the factors affecting the skin melanin metabolism, scientists have found that the signaling pathway initiated by the combination of stem cell factor receptor c-kit and its ligand stem cell factor plays an important role in the metabolism of skin melanin.The paper summarizes the recent research progress on the role of c-kit receptor in the skin melanin metabolism, including the molecular mechanism and the clinical application.

Objective:To explore the value of reading report in upbringing the integrated faculties of medical students.Methods:To give the training of reading report to the Seven-year and the five-year program medical students in their last year.Results:Such a training stirred the students' learning interests,improved their abilities in independent study,promoted their ability in collecting and dealing with information and widened their knowledge.Medical students grasped of the essential methods in writing reading report,which settled the groundwork for research abilities in the future.Conclusions:Reading report writing is instrumental in de- veloping students' integrated faculties and worthy advocating in medical teaching.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on circadian rhythm of temperature and melatonin (MT) in depression rats model induced by chronic stress, so as to explore the biological mechanism of EA for depression.

METHODSTwenty-four SD rats were randomly divided into a control group, a model group and an EA group, 8 cases in each one. Rats in the control group were treated with normal diet for 21 days without any treatment. In the model and EA group, rat model was established by chronic unpredictable stress combined with solitarily feeding method, and rats in the EA group was treated with EA at "Baihui" (GV 20), "Yintang" (GV 29) 1 h before stress stimulation everyday, 2 Hz in frequency and intensity was favorable with the head of rat slightly shivering. The needles were retained for 20 min, once a day for totally 21 days. After EA treatment, open-field experiment was adopted to observe the behavioral improvement; the rats temperatures were monitored at six time points (2:00, 6:00, 10:00, 14:00, 18:00, 22:00) and orbital blood sampling was collected. The level of serum MT was tested by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The circadian rhythm changes of temperature and serum MT in each group were compared.

RESULTSThe numbers of horizontal movement and vertical movement in the model group were obviously lower than those in the control group (both P < 0.05), while those in the EA group were significantly improved compared with those in the model group (both P < 0.01). The circadian rhythm of temperature and MT disappeared in the model group, which was improved into normal level after EA treatment.

CONCLUSIONThe electroacupuncture has regulation effects on circadian rhythm of temperature and melatonin in depression rat model induced by chronic stress.

Animals ; Circadian Rhythm ; Depression ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Electroacupuncture ; Humans ; Male ; Melatonin ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective To investigate the effects of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH- a) and antagonist (GnRH-ant) on cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced ovarian damage in rats.Methods Seventy-two Sprague-Dawley female rats were divided randomly into six groups,which received normal saline (NS),CTX,GnRH-a+NS,GnRH-a+CTX,GnRH-ant+NS,and GnRH-ant+CTX respectively.Levels of serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH),luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol (E_2) were measured successively by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method,and half of the rats were killed in the first week and between the fourth and the fifth week after stop of medication,respectively to compare the weight of the ovaries and the number of the primordial follicles and the growth follicles.Results (1) Throughout experiment,the serum levels of FSH,LH and E_2 of the control group fluctuated slightly,while those in the CTX group kept rising.During medication treatment,compared with the control group[(118?16) ?g/L, (350?35) ?g/L] and the CTX group[(113?15) ?g/L,(289?42) ?g/L],the concentrations of LH [(42 ?8)-(47?7) ?g/L,(31?5)-(36?7) ?g/L] and FSH [(124?45)-(136?32)?g/L,(178 ?54)-(198+27)?g/L] in the GnRH-a groups and the GnRH-ant groups were maintained at low levels significantly and the levels of LH in the GnRH-ant groups were significantly lower than that in the GnRH-a groups,but the levels of FSH in the GnRH-ant groups were significantly higher than that in the GnRH-a groups(P0.05),but the levels of FSH,LH and E_2 of the GnRH-ant+CTX group rose obviously and were similar to the levels of the CTX group,especially the FSH,and the levels of LH and FSH of the GnRH- ant + CTX group [(156?12) ?g/L,(520?44) ?g/L] and the CTX group [(178?18) ?g/L,(546?36) ?g/L] were significantly higher than that of the other four groups [(121?15)-(132?13) ?g/L,(335 ?35)-(359?26) ?g/L] at the 4~(th)-5~(th) week after stop of treatment(P0.05),but the number of all kinds of follicles declined significantly in the GnRH-ant+CTX group[(195?15),(36?12)] and the CTX group [(212?11),(36?9)] compared to the other four groups[(302?15)-(690?43),(44?12)-(58?11),P

OBJECTIVEThis study aimed to prepare a hypoxic brain damage model in the neonatal rat using a new approach, 0% oxygen exposure, and to explore the reliability and advantages of the new model.

METHODSSeven-day-old Wistar rats were randomly exposed to either 7 minutes of 0% oxygen, to the conventional Rice-Vannucci method (ischemia + 2 hrs hypoxia exposure), or to left common carotid artery ligation (ischemia). Rat pups which were not subjected to any hypoxia-ischemia treatment were used as the control group. Brain water content and neuronal apoptosis were measured. Neurofunctional assessment was performed. Brain pathological changes were observed using hematoxylin and eosin staining.

RESULTSThe water content (88.96+/-0.29%) and apoptosis of neurons (31.52+/-5.45%) of the left brain in the 0% oxygen group were significantly higher than those of the ischemic and the control groups (P<0.01), and similar to those in the Rice-Vannucci group. The water content (88.68+/-0.24%) and apoptosis of neurons (30.85+/-5.38%) of the right brain in the 0% oxygen group were significantly higher than those of the Rice-Vannucci, the ischemic and the control groups (P<0.01). Both side brains of the 0% oxygen group showed pathological injuries, but only left brain of the Rice-Vannucci group had pathological changes. No pathological abnormalities were seen in the ischemic and the control groups. Significant neurofunctional impairments were found in the 0% oxygen and the Rice-Vannucci groups.

CONCLUSIONSA hypoxic brain damage model of neonatal rat was successfully prepared using 7 minutes 0% oxygen exposure. The new approach appears to be simple and reliable.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Apoptosis ; Brain ; pathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Hypoxia, Brain ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Objective To analyze the relationship between influenza epidemic and genetic characteristic on the whole genome of influenza virus subtype A/H3N2 strains isolated in Zhejiang province during 1998 to 2009. Methods All of the eight genes from the 19 Zhejiang influenza virus isolates, circulated during 1998 to 2009, were amplified by RT-PCR and sequenced. The obtained sequences were aligned and analyzed with the vaccine strains being used in the last 10 years.Results The highest mutation happened within HA and NA genes and the amino acid divergent ratios were 13.98% and 10.00%. Amongst the six internal proteins, the amino acid divergent ratios of NP, M2 and NS1 were 6.43%, 6.19% and 3.48% respectively, and the others were lower than 3%.Other than the HA and NA genes, mutations were also observed on six internal genes of the strains isolated in those years when the influenza virus subtype A/H3N2 was widely circulating.Additionally, there had been an obvious genetic lag between vaccine strains recommended by WHO and the contemporary Zhejiang epidemic strains for many years. Conclusion Besides on HA and NA genes, surveillance programs should also be covered mutations regarding the internal genes of influenza virus subtype A/H3N2 strains, in order to provide important information for forecasting and warning of a new round of influenza epidemic.

Aptamers are single-stranded oligonucleotides ( DNA or RNA ) selected through a technology termed "Systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment" ( SELEX ) . In addition to high affinity and high specificity for their target molecules, aptamers have some advantages such as low molecular weight, easy synthesis, high chemical stability, low immunogenicity, and convenient modification. Based on the Cell-SELEX technique, a panel of aptamers which can specifically recognize target cell lines has been generated. By targeting specific membrane proteins in their native state, these aptamers can identify subtle molecular differences among different cell lines, thus have attracted a broad interest in biomedical research. In this review, we summarized the development of aptamers and their use in detection, profiling and imaging of tumor cells. Also, their perspectives were discussed.

OBJECTIVETo analyze the consistency of evolution condition between HA gene and the whole genome of influenza virus subtype A/H3N2 strains isolated in Zhejiang province from 1998 to 2009, and to study the potential antigenic region on the whole genome.

METHODSThe sequences of whole genome of 19 Zhejiang influenza virus isolates circulated from 1998 to 2009, which conserved by influenza laboratory of Zhejiang Provincial Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, were amplified using RT-PCR assays. The obtained sequences were used to conduct phylogenetic analysis with 10 contemporaneous vaccine strains. Three methods, including comparison of the amino acid substitutions, calculation of the entropy value and the filtering of positive selection sites, were used to confirm the mutable sites on each gene.

RESULTSThe whole genome of influenza virus subtype A/H3N2 was 4466 amino acids in length, with 137 stable mutations. The 144, 158 aa of HA gene mutate four and three times respectively; 93, 143, 307, 370, 372 aa of NA gene and 450 aa of NP gene mutate twice, and there were 29% (12/41) and 77% (24/31) mutations of HA and NA genes occurred on the non-epitope regions respectively. Analysis of the entropy value suggest that many amino acid sites on the non-epitope regions were prone to mutation, including 3, 225, 361 aa of HA gene; 93, 143, 147, 150, 372 aa of NA gene; 113, 576, 586 aa of PB1 gene; 101,256, 382, 421, 437 aa of PA; 377, 450 aa of NP gene; 218 aa of M1 gene and 31 aa of M2 gene.

CONCLUSIONBased on the whole genome of influenza virus subtype A/H3N2 strains isolated in Zhejiang province in 1998 to 2009, there may be several unknown or new antigen sites existing on the non-epitope regions of HA and NA genes and parts of internal genes. The phylogenetic tree constructed based on the complete sequence was more comprehensive than on the HA gene to reflect the genetic relationship and law of evolution among the influenza virus strains.

China ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; DNA, Viral ; genetics ; Evolution, Molecular ; Genetic Variation ; Genome, Viral ; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Sequence Analysis