Major depression disorder is an increasing heavy burden in modem society, but its pathological mechanism is still vague. Recent evidence indicated that two pore potassium channel, TREK1, is one of the important drug targets of antidepressants. The structural and functional research progress of TREK1 potassium channel were reviewed with an emphasis on its roles in anti-depression, neuronal protection, and neuronal plasticity. The complicated interactions between TREK1 potassium channel and monoamine transmitters-receptors were also reviewed and future directions to explore the underline mechanism were also discussed.
Animals ; Antidepressive Agents ; pharmacology ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Gene Knockout Techniques ; Humans ; Neuronal Plasticity ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Potassium Channels, Tandem Pore Domain ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; Receptors, Serotonin ; metabolism ; Receptors, Serotonin, 5-HT4 ; Serotonin ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo study clinical effects of short-segment fixation and injured vertebra bone grafting through injured pedicle for the treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures under MAST Quadrant retractor via a paraspinal muscle approach.

METHODSThe data of 42 patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures treated from June 2009 to September 2012 were reviewed. There were 19 males and 23 females, with an average age of (55.2±11.9) years old. The mean injury time was (5.8±4.3) days. Fracture segments included T10 in 3 cases, T11 in 6 cases, T12 in 13 cases, L1 in 9 cases, L2 in 7 cases, and L3 in 4 cases. According to Denis classification, 9 patients were type A, 21 patients were type B, 5 patiens were type C, 5 patients were type D, and 2 patients were type E. All the patients were treated with short-segment pedicle screw-rod system fixation under MAST Quadrant via the paraspinal muscle approach. The operative time, blood loss, complications and the height of vertebra, kyphosis Cobb angle, VAS scores, JOA scores were measured before and after treatment.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the vertebral height and kyphosis Cobb angle were restored. Compared with preoperative results, postoperative vertebral height and kyphosis Cobb angle, VAS scores and JOA scores were all improved. But there was no statistically significance in vertebral height, kyphosis Cobb angle between postoperative at 1 week and 1 year.

CONCLUSIONInternal fixation combined with injured vertebra bone grafting through the injured pedicle for the treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures via the paraspinal intermuscular approach under MAST Quadrant is a safe, minimally invasive, effective and satisfactory method.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bone Transplantation ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; methods ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; injuries ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Spinal Fractures ; surgery ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; injuries ; surgery

A strain Actinobacillus succinogenes CGMCC 1593 was selected as the parent strain.After UV-EMS and UV-DES treatments respectively,seven mutated strains with subtle improvements in acid tol-erance were obtained,and were subjected for recursive protoplast fusion.Through three rounds of genome shuffling,four shuffled strains with both higher yield and acid tolerance were obtained.The shuffled strain namely F3-21 could even survive at pH 5.2.The comparison of the shuffled strains and the parent strain for succinic acid production was also studied here.After 48 h of shake-flask fermentation,the succinic acid concentration of F3-21 was 48% higher than that of the parent strain.When F3-21 was carried out in a 5 liter stirred bioreactor with pH controlled 5.6~6.0,the accumulation of succinic acid in 48 h fermentation attained 38.1 g/L,which was increased by 45% compared with that of the parent strain(26.2 g/L).While pH was controlled at 6.5~7.0,the production of succinic acid in 32 h fermentation attained 40.7 g/L.When F3-21 was carried out in fed-batch fermentation,succinic acid concentration of 67.4 g/L was reached in 72 h fer-mentation.These results indicated that the genome shuffling could improve the acid tolerance and the suc-cinic acid production of A.succinogenes CGMCC 1593.

Objective To observe the effects of casein and excessive iodine on histomorphalogY and ultrastructure of mouse thymicL Methods Based on 2 × 3 factorial design,the experimental mice were divided into 6 groupg Animal models were estabhshed by feeding the mice with different levels of iodine water and casein food.The levels of iodine were 50,600 μg/L in drinking water and 0(Ⅰ),10%(Ⅱ),20%(Ⅲ)of casein in food respectively.After 12 months,the thyroid weight was measured and the morphology of thyroid was observed under optical and electron microscope.Results Factorial analysis showed that iodine factors obviously affected the thyroid absolute and relative weiights of mice(F=16.23,9.47,P＜0.01),and there was interaction between casein and iodine(F=5.29,4.68,P＜0.01 or＜0.05).Compared wiht 150Ⅰ[(5.91±0.82)rag,(117.0±22.2)mg/kg]and 50Ⅲ[(4.90±0.63)rag,(106.1±13.3)mg/kg]groups.thyroid absolute and relative weights of the mice increased in 600 Ⅰ[(7.60±2.40)mg,(143.3±43.2)mg/kg]and 600Ⅲ[(8.63±1.88)mg,(166.2±39.4)mg/kg]groups(P＜0.05 or＜0.01),respectively.But compared with 600 Ⅰ and 600Ⅲ groups.they were reduced obviously in 600Ⅱ[(5.76±1.13)mg,(109.8±16.5)mg/kg]group(P＜0.05 or＜O.01).Colloid goiter,lymphocyte infiltration were found,some of the follicles epithelial cells appeared active under light and electron microscope in iodine excels group,which,however,decreased obviously along with the increase of casein dose.Conclusions Long-term excessive iodine may cause colloid goiter and inflammation injury of mice,possibly leading the development of thyroiditis in mice,which may be partly reduced by casein.

Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Carbon Dioxide ; metabolism ; Chronic Disease ; Curcumin ; pharmacology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Fas Ligand Protein ; metabolism ; Hypoxia ; metabolism ; Male ; Oxygen ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; fas Receptor ; metabolism

Objective To establish an isolated rat pancreas perfusion technique,a method for the precise measurement of insulin secretion in vitro.Methods An isolated rat pancreas perfusion technique was applied in the study of insulin secretion from?-cells in 10 high-fat diet-induced obese Wistar rats.Results For the assessment of the functional integrity of the perfused pancreas,the isolated pancreas of 6 rats met all the criteria: (1)The constancy of perfusion pressure was kept over the whole experiment time[(70?5)mm Hg,1 mm Hg= 0.133 kPa].(2)The duodenal peristaltic activity of isolated pancreas and duodenum block was present after perfusion experiment.(3)Total insulin response to arginine stimulation was significantly increased as compared with glucose stimulation[maximum insulin secretion rate:(987?100)?U/min vs(545?50)?U/min,P

Objective：To investigate the changes of calcitonin gene-related peptide immunoreactive (CGRP-IR)nerve fibers in rat dental pulps during acute inflammation. Methods： Rat acute pulpitis model was established by silk thread ligation and the change of CGRP-IR nerve fibers was observed with immunohistochemical method.Results： In radical pulp,the CGRP-IR nerve fibers became denser and more heavily stained；in the coronal pulp,the number of CGRP-IR nerve fibers decreased,but the background staining was heavier. Conclusion： During acute inflammation,the amount of CGRP increases in dental pulps, and is released into the surronding tissue in a large scale in the coronal region.

Silk fibroin is a natural polymer with certain water solubility, structural modification, good biocompatibility and biodegradability, which can be used as a drug delivery carrier material. As a promising drug delivery system, drug-loaded silk fibroin nanoparticles can control drug release, reduce toxicity and improve therapeutic effects. In this paper, the basic characteristics of silk fibroin, the preparation methods of drug-loaded silk fibroin nanoparticles and the application of silk fibroin in nanoparticulate drug delivery systems are reviewed, and on this basis, the further development of drug-loaded silk fibroin nanoparticles is prospected.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) 1B is a potential therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes. Phosphotyrosine (pTyr) mimetics still dominate the currently available PTP1B inhibitors. The phenoxyacetic acid moiety was taken as a pTyr mimetic herein and phenoxyacetic acid-based compounds 2a-2g and 3a-3c were designed. Among them, compounds 2a-2g exhibited potent inhibition against PTP1B, and compound 2g showed an IC₅₀ of 0.42 μmol·L^-1 against PTP1B. Compound 2f exhibited pharmacological profiles similar to that of rosiglitazone, and could improve the insulin sensitivity and the serum total cholesterol level. The results suggest that PTP1B inhibitors might be effective in treating type 2 diabetes as well as associated metabolic syndromes.

Objective To investigate the effects of dominant-negative truncation mutant?NTCF4, lacking the N-terminal form of TCF4 gene,on biological characteristics of renal cancer cell line GRC-I and explore the molecular mechanisms.Methods GRC-I cell was transfected with pCDNA3-?NTCF4 eukary- otie expression plasmid,pCDNA3 empty vector to construct the stable cell line GRC-I/?NTCF4 and GRC-I/ Mock respectively.The morphological changes of stable cells were observed and the cells growth curve was detected through light microscope.The cellular proliferation activities were determined using the MTT assay. The protein expression of Wnt pathway downstream target gene C-Myc and Cox-2 was evaluated by immuno- cytoehemieal method and Western Blot analysis.Results After the dominant-negative?NTCF4 gene was permanently expressed,the GRC-I/?NTCF4 stable cells morphologically showed that appearance changed from circular to long-spindle shape,growth rate decreased with less karyosehisis found,malignant pheno- types reversed to normal renal tubular cells.MTT assay revealed that the proliferation activities of GRC-1/?NTCF4 cells were inhibited by 11.2%-35.5% compared with GRC-I cells (P＜0.05),while the GRC- I/Mock cells have no difference with the control cells.Immunocytochemical analysis and Western Blot showed that the C-Myc and Cox-2 protein expression level of GRC-I/?ANTCF4 cells were significantly sup- pressed in comparison with that of GRC-I/Mock and GRC-I cells.Conclusions The dominant-negative truncation mutant?NTCF4 could partially inhibit the growth of renal cancer cells and down-regulate the pro- tein expression of Wnt pathway target gene C-Myc and Cox-2.These findings provide a experimental founda- tion for applying cell signal therapy to renal cell cancer by blocking the Wnt signaling pathway.