This study explores the mechanism of Guben Jiannao Liquid on Alzheimer's disease(AD) by regulating autophagy based on the liver kinase B1(LKB1)/adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase(AMPK)/mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR) pathway. Male SD rats were randomly divided into the blank group, model group, low-dose and high-dose groups of Guben Jiannao Liquid, and rapamycin group, with 10 rats in each group. Except for the blank group, all other groups of rats were injected bilaterally in the hippocampus with β-amyloid(Aβ)_(1-42) to establish the AD model. The low-dose(6.21 g·kg~(-1)) and high-dose(12.42 g·kg~(-1)) groups of Guben Jiannao Liquid and rapamycin group(1 mg·kg~(-1)) were given the corresponding drugs by gavage, and the blank and model groups were given an equal volume of saline by gavage for four weeks. Morris water maze was used to test the learning and memory ability of rats in each group; hematoxylin-eosin(HE) and Nissl staining were used to observe the morphological and quantitative changes of neurons and Nissl bodies in the CA1 region of rat hippocampus; immunohistochemistry was utilized to detect Aβ-positive cell expression in the CA1 region of rat hippocampus; transmission electron microscopy was employed to observe ultrastructural changes in rat hippocampal tissue, and Western blot was used to examine the protein expression levels of LKB1, p-AMPK/AMPK, p-mTOR/mTOR, Beclin1, p62, and LC3-Ⅱ in the hippocampal tissue of the rats. The results showed that compared with those in the blank group, rats in the model group had elevated evasion latency and decreased number of platform transversal and residence time in the platform quadrant. The number of neurons in the hippocampal area was reduced, and the morphology was impaired. The average integral optical density value of Aβ-positive cells was elevated; the expression levels of LKB1, p-AMPK/AMPK, Beclin1, and LC3-Ⅱ were decreased, and the expression levels of p-mTOR/mTOR and p62 were increased. Compared with those in the model group, rats in the low-dose and high-dose groups of Guben Jiannao Liquid had shorter evasion latency, higher number of platform transversal, longer residence time in the platform quadrant, increased number of neurons, decreased expression of Aβ-positive cells and average integral optical density values, and increased number of autophagic lysosomes in hippocampal tissue. The expression levels of LKB1, Beclin1, and LC3-Ⅱ were elevated in the hippocampus of rats in the low-dose group of Guben Jiannao Liquid. The expression levels of LKB1, p-AMPK/AMPK, Beclin1, and LC3-Ⅱ were elevated in the hippocampal tissue of rats in the high-dose group of Guben Jiannao Liquid, and the expression levels of p-mTOR/mTOR and p62 were decreased. The findings suggest that Guben Jiannao Liquid can improve cognitive impairment in AD rats, and its mechanism of action may be related to the activation of the LKB1/AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway and the up-regulation of autophagy level.
Animals ; Alzheimer Disease/physiopathology* ; Male ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics* ; Autophagy/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics* ; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases/genetics* ; Rats ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases ; Humans ; Hippocampus/metabolism*

This study was designed to investigate the effect of dihydromyricetin (DHM) on inducing apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells A2780 through endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) pathway and the mechanisms involved in vitro and in vivo. A2780 cells were treated with different concentrations of DHM, and the protein expression levels of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) which is related to ERS increased, apoptotic proteins C/EBP-homologous protein (CHOP), and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-12 (caspase-12) elevated. After pretreatment with ERS inhibitor, 4-phenyl butyric acid (4-PBA), following the intervention with DHM, the A2780 cell viability decreased and apoptotic rate increased. All animal welfare and experimental procedures were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Chongqing Medical University. Intraperitoneal injection of DHM suspension into nude mice with ovarian cancer could significantly inhibit the growth of transplanted tumor in vivo, increase the protein expression levels of GRP78, CHOP, and caspase-3. Moreover, swollen and broken endoplasmic reticulum could be observed in tumor tissues, suggesting that DHM intervention induces apoptosis mediated by ERS. The results indicated that DHM could induce apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells and inhibit the growth of transplanted tumors in nude mice, which might be related to the activation of ERS pathway.

Objective To study the clinical application effects of nasal high flow humidification oxygen therapy in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods A total of 98 COPD patients hospitalized in PLA 81 Hospital from January to December 2016 were included in the study using convenient sampling method. Patients were randomly divided into the observation group and the control group, 49 cases respectively. Patients in the observation group received nasal high flow humidification oxygen therapy, while patients in the control group used common humidification oxygen bottle. Respiratory function indexes and the mucus viscosity were measured and compared between two groups before and after the intervention. Results Before the intervention, there were no statistically significant differences in respiratory function indexes between two groups (P> 0.05). After the intervention, there were significant differences in the respiratory frequency, PaO2, PaCO2, SaO2, heart rate, Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score between two groups (P< 0.05). Before the intervention, no significant difference in the mucus viscosity was observed between two groups (P> 0.05); at 24 h and 72 h after the intervention, significant difference in the mucus viscosity was observed between two groups (P< 0.05). Conclusions Nasal high flow humidification oxygen therapy can improve the respiratory function and airway humidification of COPD patients when compared to normal humidification oxygen therapy. Thus, it is worthy of clinical promoting.

Objective To investigate subtle structural changes of white matter in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impair-ment (aMCI)using a tractography-based method.Methods Thirty patients with clinical diagnosis of aMCI and thirty-one cases of normal control(NC)and undergone diffusion tensor imaging.Cingulum (CG),corpus callosum (CC),uncinate fasciculus (UNC) and inferior occipitofrontal fasciculus (IOFF)were reconstructed,and fractional anisotrophy (FA)values were measured along these tracts using dTV II software.Differences of white matter tracts’FA values were explored between aMCI group and NC group.In addition,correlation analyses were also done between FA values and the MMSE(mini-mental state examination)scores in the aMCI patients.Results ① aMCI patients exhibited significant lower FA values in the bilateral CG,bilateral UNC and CC than NC group. Although there were no statistically significant differences,aMCI patients exhibited lower FA values than NC group in the left IOFF.② The FA values of right CG were positively correlated with MMSE scores.Conclusion Abnormal changes of FA values in CG,UNC and CC of aMCI patients suggest that subtle damages of white matter tracts related to memory exist in the prodromal phase of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).Fiber tractography has high sensitivity in detecting early damages of white matter.

ObjectiveTo explore the correlation between gross motor function and intelligence in school-age children with cerebral palsy. Methods93 school-age children with cerebral palsy were assessed with Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) and Children Adaptive Behavior Scale (CABS). ResultsThe classification of GMFCS did not correlated with intelligence quotient （r=0.184,P>0.05), nor the adaptive behavior （r=0.056,P>0.05）. ConclusionThere is no correlation between gross motor function and intelligence in school-age children with cerebral palsy.

Objective To apply Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) on the patients injured in Sichuan Earthquake. Methods COPM was applied to evaluate 51 patients in hospital before and 1 months after treatment. The first evaluation confirmed the problems on occupational activities for them. Then the plan was made to solve the problems. The second evaluation was to assess the effect of the treatment.Results The problem of self-care activity is more than that of productive activities and leisure activities(P<0.01). Total scores of performance of occupational activity and satisfaction improved(P<0.01, P<0.01)Conclusion COPM is helpful to confirm the problems of occupational activities and contribute to develope the primary goals for rehabilitation and treatment programs.