ObjectiveTo investigate the characteristics of gray matter structure and clinical symptoms in patients with Alzheimer's disease （AD） comorbid with apathy （AD-A）. MethodsThe study included 30 patients with AD-A， 30 AD disease patients without apathy （AD without apathy， AD-NA）， and 30 healthy controls （HCs） matched in gender， age， and years of education. All participants underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment and magnetic resonance imaging （MRI） scans. Voxel-based morphometry （VBM） was used to analyze changes in gray matter volume among the three groups. Additionally， the correlation between the identified abnormal brain regions and apathy scale scores was analyzed. ResultsThere were no statistically significant differences among the three groups in terms of age， gender， years of education， or total intracranial volume. Compared with the HCs group， both the AD-A and AD-NA groups showed significantly lower scores in cognitive function （P<0.001）. The AD-A group exhibited significantly higher apathy scale scores compared with the AD-NA group （P<0.001）. Compared with the AD-NA group， the AD-A group showed reduced gray matter volume in the bilateral caudate nucleus， left orbitofrontal cortex， lingual gyrus， inferior frontal gyrus， superior frontal gyrus， entorhinal cortex， right middle frontal gyrus and posterior cingulate cortex （FWE-corrected， P<0.05 for all）. Compared with the HCs group， the AD-A group exhibited reduced gray matter volume in the bilateral middle temporal gyrus， left fusiform gyrus， calcarine sulcus， postcentral gyrus， right inferior frontal gyrus and supramarginal gyrus （FWE-corrected， P<0.05 for all）. Compared with the HCs group， the AD-NA group showed reduced gray matter volume in the left precuneus， inferior temporal gyrus， and right inferior temporal gyrus （FWE-corrected， P<0.05 for all）. In the AD-A group， changes in the gray matter volume of the left caudate nucleus （r= -0.557， P=0.002） and right middle frontal gyrus （r=-0.620， P=0.001） were negatively correlated with the apathy evaluation scale （AES） scores. ConclusionPatients in the AD-A group exhibited significant atrophy in the frontal-temporal-basal ganglia circuit， and the degree of gray matter atrophy was correlated with the severity of apathy.

OBJECTIVETo discuss the effects on detrusor hyperreflexia treated with ginger-salt-isolated moxibustion at "Shenque" (CV 8) and its mechanism.

METHODSThirty female adult SD rats were selected. The model of detrusor hyperreflexia was prepared with complete spinal transection at T, of which, 20 rats were randomized into a model group (10 rats) and a moxibustion group (10 rats). A sham-operation group (10 rats) was set up for sham-spinal transection. In the moxibustion group, when urine incontinence occurred (about in 2 weeks of modeling), the ginger-salt-isolated moxibustion at "Shenque" (CV 8) was given, 3 moxa cones each time, once a day, continuously for 7 days. After treatment, in each group, the urodynamic parameters were determined, after which, the bladder detrusor was collected. Western blot was used to determine the protein expressions of M2 and M3 receptors.

RESULTSCompared with the sham-operation group, the micturition interval was shortened apparently (<0.01); the maximal bladder pressure was increased apparently (<0.01); the protein expression of M2 receptor in the detrusor was increased significantly (<0.05) and that of M3 receptor had no apparent change (>0.05) in the rats of the model group. Compared with the model group, the micturition interval was longer apparently (<0.01), the maximal bladder pressure was reduced apparently (<0.01), the protein expression of M2 receptor in the detrusor was reduced significantly (<0.05) and that of M3 receptor had no apparent change (>0.05) in the rats of the moxibustion group.Compared with the sham-operation group, the results of the above indicators were not different significantly in the moxibustion group (all>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe ginger-salt-isolated moxibustion at "Shenque" (CV 8) suppresses the overactive bladder in the rat with spinal transection and its effect mechanism is possibly relevant with reducing the protein expression of detrusor M2 and inhibiting the excessive contraction of the detrusor.

Even though a large amount of researches showing the clinical effectiveness of acupuncture, there are the researches indicating the absent difference between acupuncture and sham-acupuncture (placebo), which provides the doubts on the specificity of acupuncture. It may be considered that acupuncture intervention is complica-ted and may produce unique non-specific effect, which results in the failure to evaluate effectively the acupuncture efficacy. The influential factors of the non-specific effect of acupuncture include the interaction between physician and patient, expectancy, physician authority, acupuncture treatment experiences, etc. It may be also relevant with the anticipated biological effect, Hawthorne effect, Pavlovian conditioned reflex, etc.

AIM:To generate monoclonal antibodies against human augmenter of liver regeneration (rhALR). METHODS:After BALB/C mice were immunized by the purified rhALR, the cells of spleen were fused with the cells of SP2/0; The titer and speciality were respectively fathomed from ascites or foster fluid by ELISA and Western-blot test. RESULTS:2 hybridoma cell lines were successfully obtained. The McAbs titer from ascites and foster fluid are respectively about 10-3-10-5 and 10-2-10-3. It is evident that the two McAbs were directed at different epitopes. CONCLUSIONS:The McAbs have higher speciality. It is significantly useful of the value that how hALR distribute in tissue organs, how the hALR signals the metabolism in the body and the control distribution of the hALR on cell growth on the translational level and so on is researched.

AIM: To evaluate the specific cellular immune response in mice inoculated with the recombinant hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface vaccine (rHBs). METHODS: Spleen T lymphocyte reactivity to rHBs was assessed by a proliferation assay and cytokine secretion. BALB/c mouse were intraperitoneally inoculated with rHBs at doses of 0.65, 1.25, 2.5 or 5 ?g for once or twice. 4 weeks later, spleen lymphocytes were harvested and restimulated with rHBs in experimental group or with PBS as control. The spleen lymphocytes were labeled with [~3H]-thymidine for 3 days. The [~3H]-thymidine incorporation was measured, which expressed as the incorporation of [~3H] (counts?min~ -1 ) and stimulation index (SI) was calculated by the method of dividing the cpm obtained in the experimental group by that in control group. The content of IL-2 and IFN-? secreted from the spleen lymphocyte were measured by the method of ELISA. RESULTS: 2 weeks after primary vaccination, the SI in 0.65, 1.25, 2.5 and 5 groups was 1.55, 1.93, 2.41, 2.81 ng/L, respectively. IL-2 was 5.48?8.88, 9.28?6.98, 28.53?14.32, 64.69?20.88 ng/L, respectively. IFN-? was 8.22?8.61, 9.89?9.34, 20.27?15.50, 30.77?22.12 ng/L, respectively. 2 weeks after boost vaccination, the SI in 0.65, 1.25, 2.5 and 5 groups was 1.61, 2.05, 3.74, 3.62 ng/L, respectively. The IL-2 was 5.75?5.04, 102.53?67.52, 177.13?91.12, 332.10?124.31 ng/L, respectively. IFN-? was 3.63?4.42, 28.33?13.04, 59.66?25.75, 80.73?19.30 ng/L, respectively. CONCLUSION: Specific proliferation activity and IL-2, IFN-? secretion from the spleen lymphocytes of the mouse inoculated with rHBs are produced,that the strength is dependent on the dose of vaccination.