The role of type-2 astrocytes in the repair of central nervous system injury remains poorly un-derstood. In this study, using a relatively simple culture condition in vitro, type-2 astrocytes, differentiated from oligodendrocyte precursor cells by induction with bone morphogenetic pro-tein-4, were co-cultured with dorsal root ganglion neurons. We examined the effects of type-2 astrocytes differentiated from oligodendrocyte precursor cells on the survival and growth of dorsal root ganglion neurons. Results demonstrated that the number of dorsal root ganglion neurons was higher following co-culture of oligodendrocyte precursor cells and type-2 astrocytes than when cultured alone, but lower than that of neurons co-cultured with type-1 astrocytes. The length of the longest process and the length of all processes of a single neuron were shortest in neurons cultured alone, followed by neurons co-cultured with type-2 astrocytes, then neurons co-cultured with oligodendrocyte precursor cells, and longest in neurons co-cultured with type-1 astrocytes. These results indicate that co-culture with type-2 astrocytes can increase neuronal survival rate and process length. However, compared with type-1 astrocytes and oligodendrocyte precursor cells, the promotion effects of type-2 astrocytes on the growth of dorsal root ganglion neurons were weaker.
作者： 刊期： 2014年第02期
Depression is closely linked to the morphology and functional abnormalities of multiple brain regions;however, its topological structure throughout the whole brain remains unclear. We col-lected resting-state functional MRI data from 36 ifrst-onset unmedicated depression patients and 27 healthy controls. The resting-state functional connectivity was constructed using the Auto-mated Anatomical Labeling template with a partial correlation method. The metrics calculation and statistical analysis were performed using complex network theory. The results showed that both depressive patients and healthy controls presented typical small-world attributes. Compared with healthy controls, characteristic path length was signiifcantly shorter in depressive patients, suggesting development toward randomization. Patients with depression showed apparently abnormal node attributes at key areas in cortical-striatal-pallidal-thalamic circuits. In addition, right hippocampus and right thalamus were closely linked with the severity of depression. We se-lected 270 local attributes as the classiifcation features and their P values were regarded as criteria for statistically significant differences. An artificial neural network algorithm was applied for classiifcation research. The results showed that brain network metrics could be used as an effec-tive feature in machine learning research, which brings about a reasonable application prospect for brain network metrics. The present study also highlighted a signiifcant positive correlation between the importance of the attributes and the intergroup differences;that is, the more sig-niifcant the differences in node attributes, the stronger their contribution to the classiifcation. Experimental ifndings indicate that statistical signiifcance is an effective quantitative indicator of the selection of brain network metrics and can assist the clinical diagnosis of depression.
作者： 刊期： 2014年第02期
This study established an aged rat model of cognitive dysfunction using anesthesia with 2%iso-lfurane and 80%oxygen for 2 hours. Twenty-four hours later, Y-maze test results showed that isoflurane significantly impaired cognitive function in aged rats. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry results showed that isolfurane also signiifcantly increased the levels of N,N-diethy-lacetamide, n-ethylacetamide, aspartic acid, malic acid and arabinonic acid in the hippocampus of isolfurane-treated rats. Moreover, aspartic acid, N,N-diethylacetamide, n-ethylacetamide and malic acid concentration was positively correlated with the degree of cognitive dysfunction in the isolfurane-treated rats. It is evident that hippocampal metabolite changes are involved in the formation of cognitive dysfunction after isoflurane anesthesia. To further verify these results, this study cultured hippocampal neurons in vitro, which were then treated with aspartic acid (100 μmol/L). Results suggested that aspartic acid concentration in the hippocampus may be a biomarker for predicting the occurrence and disease progress of cognitive dysfunction.
作者： 刊期： 2014年第02期
Acupuncture at Baihui (GV20) and Dazhui (GV14) reduces neuronal loss and attenuates ultra-structural damage in cerebral ischemic rats. However, whether acupuncture can treat addiction and prevent readdiction through changes to brain cell ultrastructure remains unknown. In this study, cell apoptosis was observed in the hippocampus and frontal lobe of heroin readdicted rats by electron microscopy. Immunohistochemical staining displayed a reduction in Bcl-2 ex-pression and an increase in Bax expression in the hippocampus and frontal lobe. After rats were given acupuncture at Baihui and Dazhui, the pathological damage in the hippocampus and frontal lobe was signiifcantly reduced, Bcl-2 expression was upregulated and Bax expression was downregulated. Acupuncture exerted a similar effect with methadone, a commonly used drug for clinical treatment of drug addiction. Experimental ifndings suggest that acupuncture at Dazhui and Baihui can prevent brain cell apoptosis in heroin readdicted rats.
作者： 刊期： 2014年第02期
Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have shown that the insular cortex has a signif-icant role in pain identiifcation and information integration, while the default mode network is associated with cognitive and memory-related aspects of pain perception. However, changes in the functional connectivity between the default mode network and insula during pain remain unclear. This study used 3.0 T functional magnetic resonance imaging scans in 12 healthy sub-jects aged 24.8 ± 3.3 years to compare the differences in the functional activity and connectivity of the insula and default mode network between the baseline and pain condition induced by intramuscular injection of hypertonic saline. Compared with the baseline, the insula was more functionally connected with the medial prefrontal and lateral temporal cortices, whereas there was lower connectivity with the posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus and inferior parietal lobule in the pain condition. In addition, compared with baseline, the anterior cingulate cortex exhibited greater connectivity with the posterior insula, but lower connectivity with the anterior insula, during the pain condition. These data indicate that experimental low back pain led to dysfunction in the connectivity between the insula and default mode network resulting from an impairment of the regions of the brain related to cognition and emotion, suggesting the impor-tance of the interaction between these regions in pain processing.
作者： 刊期： 2014年第02期
To investigate the effect of early rehabilitation on neurofunctional outcome after surgery in chil-dren with spinal tumors, this study reviewed the medical charts and radiographic records of 70 pediatric patients (1-17 years old) who received spinal tumor surgical removal. The peddiatric patients received rahabilitation treatment at 4 (range, 2-7) days after surgery for 10 (range, 7-23) days. Results from the Modiifed McCormick Scale, Functional Independence Measure for Chil-dren, American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale and Karnofsky Performance Status Scale demonstrated that the sensory function, motor function and activity of daily living of pedi-atric children who received early rehabilitation were signiifcantly improved. Results also showed that tumor setting and level localization as well as patients’s clinical symptoms have no inlfuences on neurofunctional outcomes.
作者： 刊期： 2014年第02期
Percutaneous microballoon compression of the trigeminal ganglion is a brand new operative technique for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. However, it is unclear how the procedure mediates pain relief, and there are no standardized criteria, such as compression pressure, com-pression time or balloon shape, for the procedure. In this study, percutaneous microballoon compression was performed on the rabbit trigeminal ganglion at a mean inlfation pressure of 1,005 ± 150 mmHg for 2 or 5 minutes. At 1, 7 and 14 days after percutaneous microballoon compression, the large-diameter myelinated nerves displayed axonal swelling, rupture and demy-elination under the electron microscope. Fragmentation of myelin and formation of digestion chambers were more evident after 5 minutes of compression. Image analyzer results showed that the diameter of trigeminal ganglion cells remained unaltered after compression. These experi-mental ifndings indicate that a 2-minute period of compression can suppress pain transduction. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that vascular endothelial growth factor expression in the ganglion cells and axons was signiifcantly increased 7 days after trigeminal ganglion compression, however, the changes were similar after 2-minute compression and 5-minute compression. The upregulated expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in the ganglion cells after percu-taneous microballoon compression can promote the repair of the injured nerve. These ifndings suggest that long-term compression is ideal for patients with recurrent trigeminal neuralgia.
作者： 刊期： 2014年第02期
Fractional anisotropy values in diffusion tensor imaging can quantitatively relfect the consistency of nerve ifbers after brain damage, where higher values generally indicate less damage to nerve ifbers. Therefore, we hypothesized that diffusion tensor imaging could be used to evaluate the effect of mild hypothermia on diffuse axonal injury. A total of 102 patients with diffuse axonal injury were randomly divided into two groups:normothermic and mild hypothermic treatment groups. Patient’s modiifed Rankin scale scores 2 months after mild hypothermia were signiifcant-ly lower than those for the normothermia group. The difference in average fractional anisotropy value for each region of interest before and after mild hypothermia was 1.32-1.36 times higher than the value in the normothermia group. Quantitative assessment of diffusion tensor imaging indicates that mild hypothermia therapy may be beneifcial for patients with diffuse axonal injury.
作者： 刊期： 2014年第02期
The distance between the two electrode tips can greatly inlfuence the parameters used for record-ing compound nerve action potentials. To investigate the optimal parameters for these recordings in the rat median nerve, we dissociated the nerve using different methods and compound nerve action potentials were orthodromically or antidromically recorded with different electrode spac-ings. Compound nerve action potentials could be consistently recorded using a method in which the middle part of the median nerve was intact, with both ends dissociated from the surrounding fascia and a ground wire inserted into the muscle close to the intact part. When the distance be-tween two stimulating electrode tips was increased, the threshold and supramaximal stimulating intensity of compound nerve action potentials were gradually decreased, but the amplitude was not changed signiifcantly. When the distance between two recording electrode tips was increased, the amplitude was gradually increased, but the threshold and supramaximal stimulating intensity exhibited no signiifcant change. Different distances between recording and stimulating sites did not produce signiifcant effects on the aforementioned parameters. A distance of 5 mm between recording and stimulating electrodes and a distance of 10 mm between recording and stimulating sites were found to be optimal for compound nerve action potential recording in the rat median nerve. In addition, the orthodromic compound action potential, with a biphasic waveform that was more stable and displayed less interference (however also required a higher threshold and higher supramaximal stimulus), was found to be superior to the antidromic compound action potential.
作者： 刊期： 2014年第02期
Ghrelin, a brain-gut peptide that induces anxiety and other abnormal emotions, contributes to the effects of insomnia on emotional behavior. In contrast, the traditional Chinese Medi-cine remedy Wen Dan Tang reduces insomnia-related anxiety, which may perhaps correspond to changes in the brain-gut axis. This suggests a possible relationship between Wen Dan Tang’s pharmacological mechanism and the brain-gut axis. Based on this hypothesis, a sleep-deprived rat model was induced and Wen Dan Tang was administered using oral gavage during model es-tablishment. Wen Dan Tang signiifcantly reduced insomnia-related anxiety and prevented Ghrelin level decreases following sleep deprivation, especially in the hypothalamus. Increased expression of Ghrelin receptor mRNA in the hypothalamus was also observed, suggesting that reduced anxi-ety may be a result of Wen Dan Tang’s regulation of Ghrelin-Ghrelin receptors.
作者： 刊期： 2014年第02期
Previous studies have shown that somatic sensation by acupuncture and visceral nociceptive stimulation can converge in the nucleus tractus solitarii where neurons integrate signals impact-ing on the function of organs. To explore the role of the nucleus tractus solitarii in the protective mechanism of pre-moxibustion on gastric mucosa, nucleus tractus solitarii were damaged in rats and pre-moxibustion treatment at the Zusanli (ST36) point followed. The gastric mucosa was then damaged by the anhydrous ethanol lavage method. Morphological observations, enzyme linked immunosorbent assays, and western immunoblot analyses showed that gastric mucosa surface lesion and the infiltration of inflammatory cells were significantly ameliorated after pre-moxibustion treatment. Furthermore, the gastric mucosal damage index and somatostatin level were reduced, and epidermal growth factor content in the gastric mucosa and heat-shock protein-70 expression were increased. These results were reversed by damage to the nucleus tractus solitarii. These findings suggest that moxibustion pretreatment at the Zusanli point is protective against acute gastric mucosa injury, and nucleus tractus solitarii damage inhibits these responses. Therefore, the nucleus tractus solitarii may be an important area for regulating the signal transduction of the protective effect of pre-moxibustion on gastric mucosa.
作者： 刊期： 2014年第02期
作者： 刊期： 2014年第02期
One hundred and ifve patients with primary unipolar depression were randomly divided into three groups:drug group (Seroxat administration), acupuncture group (Seroxat plus acupunc-ture), and electroacupuncture group (Seroxat plus acupuncture plus electroacupuncture). Patients’ symptoms were evaluated using a psychometric questionnaire, the Symptom Check-list-90, before intervention and after 2, 4, 6 and 10 weeks of treatment. The individual factor scores and the total score from the Symptom Checklist-90 reduced in all three groups as treat-ment progressed. In the acupuncture and electroacupuncture groups, the total score and the factor scores for obsessive-compulsive symptoms, depression, and anxiety were significantly lower than those in the drug group. There was no signiifcant difference in the factor scores or total scores between the acupuncture and electroacupuncture groups. Some factor scores in the electroacupuncture group, such as somatization, depression, hostility, and phobic anxiety, were increased at 10 weeks compared with the respective score immediately after the course of electroacupuncture at 6 weeks. Our ifndings indicate that administration of Seroxat alone or in combination with acupuncture/electroacupuncture can produce a signiifcant effect in patients with primary unipolar depression. Furthermore, acupuncture/electroacupuncture has a rapid onset of therapeutic effect and produces a noticeable improvement in obsessive-compulsive, de-pressive and anxiety symptoms.
作者： 刊期： 2014年第02期
作者： 刊期： 2014年第02期
作者： 刊期： 2014年第02期
