Combining the immunogold-silver staining (IGSS) method with the image quantitative analytical study, changes in somatostatin(SOM)-like, neurons of the hippocampal formation were investigated in young (2 monthes), adult (10 monthes) and old (24 monthes) rats. The results were as follows:1. The number of the SOM-like neurons decreased gradually from the young to the old. Moreover, there was a significant difference among the three age groups (p

The segmental distribution of sensory and motor neurons in Neiguan (内关P6) acupoint areas was studied respectively in 8 rabbits with a horseradish peroxidase (HRP) method. The labeled neurons were found in C5-T1 segments of the spinal ganglia and in C7-T1 segments of the spinal cords (injected sides). Most labeled neurons were found concentrated in C8 and T1 of the spinal ganglia, and principally located in the circumferental areas of the spinal ganglia (47.27%). In spinal cord, the labeled neurons were located in the lateral areas of the ventral horns and the juncture of it and the lateral horns (Ⅷ-Ⅸlayers). In addition, the relation of the relative specifity of acupoints to the distributional segments of the neurons and its concentration was discussed.

Aging changes of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) -immuno reactive neurons in the locus coeruleus were examined in young (3 month-old). adult(12 month-old) and aged(20 month-old) Wistar male rats, using the IGSS method and image quantitative analysis. The results obtained are as follows: ① The number of TH-immunoreactive neurons docreased markedly (P

Changes in SOM-like neurons of the hippocampal formation were investigated inWistar male rats(young-2 months old;adult-10 months old;aged-24 months old)by using the combination of the IGSS method and image quantitative analysis.The following results were obtained:1.Number of SOM-like neurons decreased markedly(P

Aging changes in acetylcholinesterase positive (AChE-P) neurons of the globus pallidus were investigated histochemically and morphometrically in young (3 months old) and old (24 months old) Spragur-Dawley male rats. The number of the positive neurons in the old group is decreased by 11.8％ in comparison with the young group. The total process length of the AChE-P neurons in the young rat is approximately 1.4 times as that in the old rat. The length of about 8.6％ of the positive neurons in the old group, however, exceeds the average length of AChE-P cellls in the young group (232.1 ?m). In the old rat, the gray value of AChE-P neurons of the globus pallidus is notably higher than that in the young rat, but the value of nearly 6.8％ of the positive cells in 24-month-old rat is inferior to the average value in 3-month-old rat (117.8). The transverse dimensions of AChE-P cell bodies in the old group are increased by 9.2％ as compared to those in the young group. Morphological observations show that most of AChE-P neurons in the old rat globus pallidus represent a typical degenerative alterations, while a substantial number of the positive neurons in the old animal are characterized by enlarged bodies, strong histochemical reaction as well as dense processes and their branches. The above findings indicate that, in the old rat, a decline of AChE histochemical reactivity and the morphological degeneraton of AChE-P neurons with the advanced age do not occur synchronously in all the AChE-P neurons of the globus pallidus. Therefore, it is suggested that there probably exist a compensative mechanism in senescence of the globus pallidus.

There is no fast-acting treatment strate-gies against Alzheimer's disease(AD),in particular dementia-related wandering.N,N-dimethyltryptamine(DMT)is a natural psychedelic that may have rapid-onset nootropic effects.In this study,5×FAD transgenic mice which recapitulated amyloid neuropathological features of AD received one single injection of 6 or 12 mg·kg-1 DMT and tested at 0.5,1,and 2 h thereafter in Y-maze for spatial memory.5×FAD transgenic mice exhibited pro-nounced decreases in time spent,number entered,and distance travelled in the novel arm of Y-maze.DMT at 12 mg·kg-1 partially or completely reversed the three behavioral indices at multiple time points,up to 2 h post injection.The rapid-onset behavioral improvement was consistent with pharmacokinetic analysis of DMT,showing approximately 30 min to reach the maximum concentra-tion in the brain tissue.The transgenic mice also displayed dramatically impaired hippocampal long-term potentiation(LTP),an electrophysiological feature of memory forma-tion and consolidation.DMT potently enhanced LTP and restored intracellular calcium activity,expression and phosphorylation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase Ⅱ(CaMK Ⅱ)and AMPA-type glutamate receptor 1(GluR1),the two key calcium-activated mediators involved in LTP induction.Adenosine triphosphate(ATP)is purinergic signalling molecules that are involved in LTP induction and maintenance.DMT rapidly increased mito-chondrial ATP dynamics in in vivo and in vitro models.These results suggest that DMT rapidly improve spatial memory and hippocampal LTP by restoring the CaMK Ⅱ-GluR1 signaling pathway and mitochondrial ATP produc-tion.It may be served as a fast-acting nootropic agent for the treatment of AD in particular wandering.

OBJECTIVE To clarify whether the thera-peutic effect of escitalopram on depression patients is cor-related with traditional Chinese medicine syndrome types,and to provide a basis for more accurate drug applica-tion.METHODS A total of 235 depression patients were recruited and classified according to traditional Chinese medicine syndrome differentiation into 5 types:liver and qi stagnation(45),liver stagnation and fire transformation(43),liver qi stagnation and spleen deficiency(79),heart and spleen deficiency(20),and liver and kidney deficiency(38).All patients were treated with escitalopram(10 mg·d-1)for eight weeks.The Montgomery Depression Rating Scale(MADRS)and the 17 Hamilton Depression Rating Scale(HAMD-17)were used to score before treatment and 2,4,and 8 weeks after treatment,respectively.RESULTS Compared with before treatment,the MADRS and HAMD-17 scores and remission rates of each syn-drome type significantly improved with increasing medica-tion duration.The MADRS score relief rate of liver and kidney deficiency type was the most significant(69.3%),significantly higher than the other four syndrome types(47.5%-52.6%,P<0.05);The remission rate of HAMD-17 score was significantly higher than that of heart and spleen deficiency(50.7%vs.28.5%,P＜0.05).The remis-sion rate of HAMD-17 score in liver and qi stagnation type(52.2%)was significantly higher than that in liver stagnation and spleen deficiency type(37.0%,P＜0.01)and heart spleen deficiency type(28.5%,P＜0.05).CON-CLUSION Escitalopram may have a more significant therapeutic effect on patients with liver and kidney defi-ciency and liver stagnation depression.This study pro-vides a new approach for the more effective and accu-rate application of traditional Chinese medicine syndrome differentiation in the selection of clinical antidepressants.

OBJECTIVETo detect the expression of IGF1R and estrogen receptor, and to explore the relationship between their expression and the pathological complete response (pCR) rate of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (docetaxel plus epirubicin) in breast cancer patients.

METHODSWe selected 139 women with breast cancer who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (docetaxel plus epirubicin), and detected the expression of IGF1R and estrogen receptor in the samples taken before chemotherapy by Immunohistochemistry. The association between their expression and pCR rate of neoadjuvant chemotherapy was analyzed.

RESULTSAmong the 139 cases, IGF1R was highly expressed in 45.3% (63/139) cases, and ER was positively expressed in 62.6% (87/139) cases. IGF1R was highly expressed in 54.0% (47/87) of the ER+ cases, significantly higher than that of ER- cases (30.8%, P<0.01). The overall pCR rate of all the 139 patients who received docetaxel plus epirubicin as neoadjuvant chemotherapy was 10.1% (14/139). The pCR rate was 19.2% (10/52) of the ER- patients and 4.6% (4/87) of the ER+ patients (P<0.05). The pCR rate was 10.5% (8/76) in the patients with low IGF1R expression and 9.5% (6/63) in the patients with high IGF1R expression (P>0.05). The patients with negative expression of ER and high expression of IGF1R showed the highest pCR rate (31.2%, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSBreast cancer patients with negative expression of ER and high expression of IGF1R are more sensitive to neoadjuvant chemotherapy of docetaxel plus epirubicin, and their pCR rate is significantly higher than that of other patients.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Epirubicin ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Receptors, Estrogen ; metabolism ; Receptors, Somatomedin ; metabolism ; Taxoids ; administration & dosage

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy and safety of paclitaxel liposomal and docetaxel for neoadjuvant chemotherapy of breast cancer.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 188 operable patients with breast cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. According to the treatment regimens, they were divided into the group of paclitaxel liposome (86 patients) and group of docetaxel (102 patients) treatment. All the patients received a combination therapy with epirubicin and cyclophosphamide, i.e. neoadjuvant chemotherapy with three drugs, 21 days as a cycle, and a total of 6 cycles. Surgery was carried out three weeks after the end of chemotherapy, and the chemotherapy efficacy and adverse reaction of both groups were evaluated.

RESULTSPathological complete response (pCR) rate in the paclitaxel liposome group and docetaxel group was 10.5% and 9.8%, respectively, the objective response rate (ORR) was 80.2% and 79.4%, respectively, and the disease control rate (DCR) was 95.3% and 93.1%, respectively, showing a non-significant difference in therapy efficacy between the two groups (P > 0.05). Safety analysis indicated that all the occurrence rates of skin and nail toxic reaction, body fluid retention, oral mucositis, allergic reaction (such as facial blushing, chest distress, palpitation, dyspnea. etc.), and grade III-IV leukopenia and neutropenia in the paclitaxel liposome group were significantly lower than that of the docetaxel group (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSCompared with docetaxel, paclitaxel liposome has the same anti-tumor efficacy, but causes fewer and milder adverse reactions with a higher safety in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Cyclophosphamide ; therapeutic use ; Epirubicin ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Liposomes ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Neutropenia ; Paclitaxel ; therapeutic use ; Remission Induction ; Taxoids ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVEThis study was conducted to analyze the Ki-67 expression before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and clinicopathological characteristics of different biological breast cancer phenotypes. The significance and prognostic predictive value of the changes of Ki-67 expression in different biological breast cancer phenotypes were analyzed.

METHODSA regression analysis was performed on 178 patients with invasive breast carcinoma who accepted neoadjuvant chemotherapy at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital from August 2007 to August 2008. These patients were subtyped by hormone receptor status and HER-2 status. The Ki-67 index (percentage of Ki-67-positive cancer cell nuclei) was determined by immunohistochemistry. The prognostic value of Ki-67 index for disease-free survival (DFS) in different biological breast cancer phenotypes was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival and multivariable Cox regression.

RESULTSThe overall pathologic CR (pCR) rate, defined as no invasive residuals in the breast and axilla, was 15.2%. The highest pCR rate of 25.0% was observed in the TNBC patients, which was 14.3%, 10.3% and 18.2% in the luminal A, luminal B and HER2 overexpressing patients, respectively (P = 0.040). The changes of Ki-67 expression in pre-NAC and post-NAC patients showed a prognostic significance in luminal A and TNBC (P = 0.019 and P = 0.022, respectively) cases. Clinical stage, the efficacy of NAC, and changes of Ki-67 expression between pre- and post-NAC were independent prognostic factors in TNBC patients who did not achieve pCR.

CONCLUSIONSThe Ki-67 expression after neoadjuvant chemotherapy is an independent prognostic factor affecting the disease-free survival (DFS) in TNBC patients who have not achieved pCR.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; therapy ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Ki-67 Antigen ; metabolism ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Phenotype ; Prognosis ; Receptor, ErbB-2 ; Receptors, Estrogen ; Receptors, Progesterone