The central amygdala (CeA) is a crucial modulator of emotional, behavioral, and autonomic functions, including cardiovascular responses. Despite its importance, the specific circuit by which the CeA modulates blood pressure remains insufficiently explored. Our investigations demonstrate that photostimulation of GABAergic neurons in the centromedial amygdala (CeM^GABA), as opposed to those in the centrolateral amygdala (CeL), produces a depressor response in both anesthetized and freely-moving mice. In addition, activation of CeM^GABA axonal terminals projecting to the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) significantly reduces blood pressure. These CeM^GABA neurons form synaptic connections with NTS neurons, allowing for the modulation of cardiovascular responses by influencing the caudal or rostral ventrolateral medulla. Furthermore, CeM^GABA neurons targeting the NTS receive dense inputs from the CeL. Consequently, stimulation of CeM^GABA neurons elicits hypotension through the CeM-NTS circuit, offering deeper insights into the cardiovascular responses associated with emotions and behaviors.
Animals ; GABAergic Neurons/physiology* ; Male ; Central Amygdaloid Nucleus/physiopathology* ; Hypotension/physiopathology* ; Mice ; Blood Pressure/physiology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Solitary Nucleus/physiology* ; Photic Stimulation ; Neural Pathways/physiology*

BACKGROUND:Most balance disorders after total hip arthroplasty require a variety of rehabilitation methods to improve.Body weight support Tai Chi footwork can be used as a safe and effective balance training method. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of body weight support Tai Chi footwork on the balance function of patients after total hip arthroplasty. METHODS:Totally 74 subjects undergoing total hip arthroplasty were recruited and randomly divided into a control group(n=37)and a trial group(n=37).The control group received 30 minutes of body weight support walking training and 60 minutes of routine rehabilitation training;the trial group received 30 minutes of body weight support Tai Chi footwork training and 60 minutes of routine rehabilitation training,once a day,5 times a week,for 12 consecutive weeks.Before the intervention,4,8,and 12 weeks after intervention,the Berg balance scale and the dynamic balance ability test were used to evaluate the balance function.Harris score was used to evaluate the hip joint function,and the fall risk index was used to evaluate the fall risk. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The four observation indicators all showed significant time effects(P<0.001).(2)Berg balance scale,Harris score and fall risk index all had an interaction effect(P<0.001),and there was a significant inter-group difference after 12 weeks of intervention(P<0.001),and the effect of the trial group was better than that of the control group.(3)After 12 weeks of intervention,there was an interaction and group effect in the scores of the front and left directions of the dynamic balance test(P<0.001),and there were significant group differences in the scores of the overall,front,left and right directions(P<0.001).(4)The results showed that after 12 weeks of intervention,the balance functions of the trial group and the control group were improved,and the improvement effect of body weight support Tai Chi footwork training was better than body weight support walking training on patients after total hip arthroplasty.

Leptin, an adipocyte-derived peptide hormone, has been shown to facilitate breathing. However, the central sites and circuit mechanisms underlying the respiratory effects of leptin remain incompletely understood. The present study aimed to address whether neurons expressing leptin receptor b (LepRb) in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) contribute to respiratory control. Both chemogenetic and optogenetic stimulation of LepRb-expressing NTS (NTS^LepRb) neurons notably activated breathing. Moreover, stimulation of NTS^LepRb neurons projecting to the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN) not only remarkably increased basal ventilation to a level similar to that of the stimulation of all NTS^LepRb neurons, but also activated LPBN neurons projecting to the preBötzinger complex (preBötC). By contrast, ablation of NTS^LepRb neurons projecting to the LPBN notably eliminated the enhanced respiratory effect induced by NTS^LepRb neuron stimulation. In brainstem slices, bath application of leptin rapidly depolarized the membrane potential, increased the spontaneous firing rate, and accelerated the Ca²⁺ transients in most NTS^LepRb neurons. Therefore, leptin potentiates breathing in the NTS most likely via an NTS-LPBN-preBötC circuit.
Leptin/pharmacology* ; Membrane Potentials ; Neurons/metabolism* ; Solitary Nucleus/metabolism*

Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 outbreaks in Xiangyang, and to provide a scientific basis for curbing the development of the epidemic. Methods A retrospective epidemiological investigation was conducted to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the city from January 1 to April 30, 2020. Results Confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported throughout the city, and the epidemic situation decreased significantly after February. The median age of confirmed cases was 47 years old, and most of them were 25-65 years old (86.89%). The average interval time between first diagnosis and admission was 5.23 days, while the average interval time between diagnosis and confirmation was 1.69 days. As time went on, the time intervals between the first diagnosis and admission and between diagnosis and confirmation were significantly shortened. The higher the proportion of previous underlying diseases was, the more serious the COVID-19 infection was (χ²=44.40, P<0.05). Conclusion The infection of COVID-19 in Xiangyang is highly contagious, but the cluster epidemic was mainly mild. Novel coronavirus infection is closely related to occupational exposure, with young and middle-aged people being high-risk populations. Early diagnosis, early isolation, comprehensive treatment and active control of chronic underlying diseases are crucial to the control of COVID-19.

Objective To understand the etiological features of diarrhea in Xiangyang city and to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of diarrhea. Methods A total of 1 142 stool samples were collected from diarrheal patients admitted to the First People's Hospital of Xiangyang from 2013 to 2017 anwere tested for pathogens. The pathogenic composition, population characteristics and time distribution of diarrheal patients were analyzed. Results Of the 1 142 diarrheal patients, 737 patients (64.54%) were tested negatively. Of the 405 patients tested positively, adenovirus was the most prevalent, with proportion of 38.27% (155 patients), followed by norovirus and rotavirus. Only 20 patients (4.94%) were tested as bacterial infection. Infectious diarrhea showed obvious seasonality, with largest infectious proportion in April-June. Patients younger than 1 year old were the most susceptible to infectious diarrhea and the proportion was 29.63% (120 patients). Conclusions The majority of infectious diarrhea was viral diarrhea, and the main pathogen was adenovirus and norovirus. Only a very small proportion of diarrhea was due to bacterial infection. The guidance for infant's feeding and the surveillance and control of virus diarrhea for infants should be strengthened.

Chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (CIHH) is known to have an anti-hypertensive effect, which might be related to modulation of the baroreflex in rats with renal vascular hypertension (RVH). In this study, RVH was induced by the 2-kidney-1-clip method (2K1C) in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats were then treated with hypobaric hypoxia simulating 5000 m altitude for 6 h/day for 28 days. The arterial blood pressure (ABP), heart rate (HR), and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) were measured before and after microinjection of L-arginine into the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) in anesthetized rats. Evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (eEPSCs) and spontaneous EPSCs (sEPSCs) were recorded in anterogradely-labeled NTS neurons receiving baroreceptor afferents. We measured the protein expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and endothelial NOS (eNOS) in the NTS. The results showed that the ABP in RVH rats was significantly lower after CIHH treatment. The inhibition of ABP, HR, and RSNA induced by L-arginine was less in RVH rats than in sham rats, and greater in the CIHH-treated RVH rats than the untreated RVH rats. The eEPSC amplitude in NTS neurons receiving baroreceptor afferents was lower in the RVH rats than in the sham rats and recovered after CIHH. The protein expression of nNOS and eNOS in the NTS was lower in the RVH rats than in the sham rats and this decrease was reversed by CIHH. In short, CIHH treatment decreases ABP in RVH rats via up-regulating NOS expression in the NTS.
Animals ; Baroreflex ; physiology ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Hypertension ; metabolism ; Hypoxia ; chemically induced ; Kidney ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Solitary Nucleus ; metabolism

Activation of peripheral respiratory chemoreceptors provokes respiratory and cardiovascular reflexes, providing a novel understanding of pathogenic mechanism of hypertension. Here we hypothesize that activation of peripheral respiratory chemoreceptors by hypoxia causes enhanced cardiorespiratory activity in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Using whole body plethysmography in combination with radio telemetry, pulmonary ventilation, arterial blood pressure and heart rate were examined in SHRs and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. We found that exposure to hypoxia induced greater increases in tidal volume and minute ventilation volume in SHRs compared to WKY rats. In addition, hypoxia caused a robust increase in arterial blood pressure and heart rate in SHRs relative to WKY counterparts. After carotid body denervation, the hypoxic ventilatory response was significantly decreased in both SHRs and WKY rats, but without significant difference between the two strains; moreover, the differences of arterial blood pressure and heart rate changes during hypoxic exposure were statistically insignificant between SHRs and WKY rats. It is concluded that hypoxia remarkably potentiates cardiorespiratory activity in the SHRs, suggesting an enhanced sensitivity of carotid bodies to hypoxia.
Animals ; Blood Pressure ; Heart Rate ; Hypertension ; physiopathology ; Hypoxia ; physiopathology ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Rats, Inbred WKY

Objective To observe the effects of Crk-SH3 domain guanine exchange factor(C3G)overexpression on the pro-liferation and apoptosis of high glucose-induced H9C2 cardiomyocytes.Methods H9C2 cardiomyocytes were transiently transfected with pCXN2-Flag(empty plasmid)and pCXN2-Flag-hC3G(human C3G mRNA)plasmids,then conducted high glucose(HG)in-tervention.The experiment was divided into the blank group,empty vector group,C3G overexpression group,blank + HG group, empty vector + HG group and C3G overexpression+ HG group.The C3G protein expressions,apoptosis and proliferation rate were respectively detected in each H9C2 cardiomyocytes groups.Results The proliferation rate in the blank+ HG group and empty vec-tor+ HG group were significantly decreased compared with the blank group and empty vector group,while the apoptosis rate was significantly increased.Compared with blank group and empty vector group,blank + HG and empty vector + HG group,the C3G protein expression and proliferation rate in the C3G overexpression group and C3G overexpression+ HG group were increased sig-nificantly,while the apoptosis rate was decreased significantly.Conclusion High glucose inhibits H9C2 myocardial cell proliferation and promots its apoptosis;furthermore,C3G overexpression can reversed the decrease of high glucose-induced H9C2 cardiomyocyte prolifer-ation rate and apoptosis increase.C3G overexpression can promote the survivability of high glucose-induced H9C2 cardiomyocytes.

Objective To explore the clinical effect of small dose mannitol,glycerol fructose combined with β-sodium aescinate on treating patients with cerebral hemorrhage.Methods Totally 60 patients with cerebral hemorrhage were divided into control group and observation group.The control group was treated with low dose mannitol and glycerin fructose,while the observation group was treated with additional β-sodium aescinate on the basis of control group.Efficiency,the incidence of adverse reaction and control of intracranial pressure (onset time of intracranial pressure reduction,duration of intracranial pressure reduction).Results The total effective rate of observation group was 96.67％,which was significantly higher than 66.67％ of the control group (P ＜ 0.05).The incidence rate of adverse reaction was 10％ in observation group,which was significantly lower than 33.33 ％ in the control group (P ＜ 0.05).In observation group,onset time of intracranial pressure reduction and duration of intracranial pressure reduction were significantly better than control group (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Low dose mannitol,glycerol fructose combined with β-sodium aescinate is effective in the treatment of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.

Objective To explore the clinical effect of small dose mannitol,glycerol fructose combined with β-sodium aescinate on treating patients with cerebral hemorrhage.Methods Totally 60 patients with cerebral hemorrhage were divided into control group and observation group.The control group was treated with low dose mannitol and glycerin fructose,while the observation group was treated with additional β-sodium aescinate on the basis of control group.Efficiency,the incidence of adverse reaction and control of intracranial pressure (onset time of intracranial pressure reduction,duration of intracranial pressure reduction).Results The total effective rate of observation group was 96.67％,which was significantly higher than 66.67％ of the control group (P ＜ 0.05).The incidence rate of adverse reaction was 10％ in observation group,which was significantly lower than 33.33 ％ in the control group (P ＜ 0.05).In observation group,onset time of intracranial pressure reduction and duration of intracranial pressure reduction were significantly better than control group (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Low dose mannitol,glycerol fructose combined with β-sodium aescinate is effective in the treatment of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.