作者： 刊期： 2015年第07期

Amentoflavone is a natural biflavone compound with many biological properties, including anti-inlfammatory, antioxidative, and neuroprotective effects. We presumed that amentolfavone exerts a neuroprotective effect in epilepsy models. Prior to model establishment, mice were intragastrically administered 25 mg/kg amentoflavone for 3 consecutive days. Amentoflavone effectively prevented pilocarpine-induced epilepsy in a mouse kindling model, suppressed nu-clear factor-κB activation and expression, inhibited excessive discharge of hippocampal neurons resulting in a reduction in epileptic seizures, shortened attack time, and diminished loss and apoptosis of hippocampal neurons. Results suggested that amentolfavone protected hippocampal neurons in epilepsy micevia anti-inlfammation, antioxidation, and antiapoptosis, and then ef-fectively prevented the occurrence of seizures.

作者： 刊期： 2015年第07期

With chromium-hematoxylin staining, we found evidence for the existence of novel age-depen-dent network structures in the dura mater of rat brains. Under stereomicroscopy, we noticed that chromium-hematoxylin-stained threadlike structures, which were barely observable in 1-week-old rats, were networked in specific areas of the brain, for example, the lateral lobes and the cerebella, in 4-week-old rats. In 7-week-old rats, those structures were found to have become larger and better networked. With phase contrast microscopy, we found that in 1-week-old rats, chromium-hematoxylin-stained granules were scattered in the same areas of the brain in which the network structures would later be observed in the 4- and 7-week-old rats. Such age-depen-dent network structures were examined by using optical and transmission electron microscopy, and the following results were obtained. The scattered granules fused into networks with increas-ing age. Cross-sections of the age-dependent network structures demonstrated heavily-stained basophilic substructures. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the basophilic substructures to be clusters with high electron densities consisting of nanosized particles. We report these data as evidence for the existence of age-dependent network structures in the dura mater, we discuss their putative functions of age-dependent network structures beyond the general concept of the dura mater as a supporting matrix.

作者： 刊期： 2015年第07期

作者： 刊期： 2015年第07期

MicroRNA-124 (miR-124) is abundantly expressed in neurons in the mammalian central ner-vous system, and plays critical roles in the regulation of gene expression during embryonic neurogenesis and postnatal neural differentiation. However, the expression proifle of miR-124 after spinal cord injury and the underlying regulatory mechanisms are not well understood. In the present study, we examined the expression of miR-124 in mouse brain and spinal cord after spinal cord injury usingin situ hybridization. Furthermore, the expression of miR-124 was examined with quantitative RT-PCR at 1, 3 and 7 days after spinal cord injury. The miR-124 expression in neurons at the site of injury was evaluated by in situ hybridization combined with NeuN immunohistochemical staining. The miR-124 was mainly expressed in neurons through-out the brain and spinal cord. The expression of miR-124 in neurons significantly decreased within 7 days after spinal cord injury. Some of the neurons in the peri-lesion area were NeuN+/miR-124?. Moreover, the neurons distal to the peri-lesion site were NeuN+/miR-124+. These ifndings indicate that miR-124 expression in neurons is reduced after spinal cord injury, and may relfect the severity of spinal cord injury.

作者： 刊期： 2015年第07期

Prenatal alcohol exposure disrupts the development of normal fetal respiratory function, but whether it perturbs respiratory rhythmical discharge activity is unclear. Furthermore, it is un-known whether the 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) is involved in the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. In the present study, pregnant female rats received drinking water containing alcohol at concentrations of 0%, 1%, 2%, 4%, 8% or 10% (v/v) throughout the gestation period. Slices of the medulla from 2-day-old neonatal rats were obtained to record respiratory rhythmical discharge activity. 5-HT2AR protein and mRNA levels in the pre-B?tzing-er complex of the respiratory center were measured by western blot analysis and quantitative RT-PCR, respectively. Compared with the 0% alcohol group, respiratory rhythmical discharge activity in medullary slices in the 4%, 8% and 10% alcohol groups was decreased, and the reduc-tion was greatest in the 8% alcohol group. Respiratory rhythmical discharge activity in the 10%alcohol group was irregular. Thus, 8% was the most effective alcohol concentration at attenuating respiratory rhythmical discharge activity. These ifndings suggest that prenatal alcohol exposure attenuates respiratory rhythmical discharge activity in neonatal rats by downregulating 5-HT2AR protein and mRNA levels.

作者： 刊期： 2015年第07期

Ischemic edema can alter the structure and permeability of the blood-brain barrier. Recent stud-ies have reported that progesterone reduces cerebral edema after cerebral ischemia. However, the underlying mechanism of this effect has not yet been elucidated. In the present study, pro-gesterone effectively reduced Evans blue extravasation in the ischemic penumbra, but not in the ischemic core, 48 hours after cerebral ischemia in rats. Progesterone also inhibited the down-reg-ulation of gene and protein levels of occludin and zonula occludens-1 in the penumbra. These results indicate that progesterone may effectively inhibit the down-regulation of tight junctions, thereby maintaining the integrity of the blood-brain barrier and reducing cerebral edema.

作者： 刊期： 2015年第07期

作者： 刊期： 2015年第07期

作者： 刊期： 2015年第07期

作者： 刊期： 2015年第07期

作者： 刊期： 2015年第07期

Electroacupuncture has therapeutic effects on ischemic brain injury, but its mechanism is still poorly understood. In this study, mice were stimulated by electroacupuncture at theBaihui (GV20) acupoint for 30 minutes at 1 mA and 2/15 Hz for 5 consecutive days. A cerebral isch-emia model was established by ligating the bilateral common carotid artery for 15 minutes. At 72 hours after injury, neuronal injury in the mouse hippocampus had lessened, and the number of terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling-positive cells reduced after electroacupuncture treatment. Moreover, expression of adenosine monophos-phate-activated protein kinaseα (AMPKα) and phosphorylated AMPKα was up-regulated. Intraperitoneal injection of the AMPK antagonist, compound C, suppressed this phenomenon. Our ifndings suggest that electroacupuncture preconditioning alleviates ischemic brain injury via AMPK activation.

作者： 刊期： 2015年第07期

作者： 刊期： 2015年第07期

Paired immunoglobulin-like receptor B (PirB) is a functional receptor of myelin-associated in-hibitors for axonal regeneration and synaptic plasticity in the central nervous system, and thus suppresses nerve regeneration. The regulatory effect of PirB on injured nerves has received a lot of attention. To better understand nerve regeneration inability after spinal cord injury, this study aimed to investigate the distribution of PirB (via immunolfuorescence) in the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system 10 days after injury. Immunoreactivity for PirB increased in the dorsal root ganglia, sciatic nerves, and spinal cord segments. In the dorsal root ganglia and sciatic nerves, PirB was mainly distributed along neuronal and axonal membranes. PirB was found to exhibit a diffuse, intricate distribution in the dorsal and ventral regions. Immunore-activity for PirB was enhanced in some cortical neurons located in the bilateral precentral gyri. Overall, the ifndings suggest a pattern of PirB immunoreactivity in the nervous system after uni-lateral spinal transection injury, and also indicate that PirB may suppress repair after injury.

作者： 刊期： 2015年第07期

作者： 刊期： 2015年第07期

作者： 刊期： 2015年第07期

作者： 刊期： 2015年第07期

Fluid percussion-induced traumatic brain injury models have been widely used in experimental research for years. In an experiment, the stability of impaction is inevitably affected by factors such as the appearance of liquid spikes. Management of impact pressure is a crucial factor that determines the stability of these models, and direction of impact control is another basic ele-ment. To improve experimental stability, we calculated a pressure curve by generating repeated impacts using a lfuid percussion device at different pendulum angles. A stereotactic frame was used to control the direction of impact. We produced stable and reproducible models, including mild, moderate, and severe traumatic brain injury, using the MODEL01-B device at pendulum angles of 6°, 11° and 13°, with corresponding impact force values of 1.0 ± 0.11 atm (101.32 ± 11.16 kPa), 2.6 ± 0.16 atm (263.44 ± 16.21 kPa), and 3.6 ± 0.16 atm (364.77 ± 16.21 kPa), respec-tively. Behavioral tests, hematoxylin-eosin staining, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed that models for different degrees of injury were consistent with the clinical properties of mild, moderate, and severe craniocerebral injuries. Using this method, we established lfuid percussion models for different degrees of injury and stabilized pathological features based on precise power and direction control.

作者： 刊期： 2015年第07期

Both neurons and glia throughout the central nervous system are organized into networks by gap junctions. Among glia, gap junctions facilitate metabolic homeostasis and intercellular communication. Among neurons, gap junctions form electrical synapses that function pri-marily for communication. However, in neurodegenerative states due to disease or injury gap junctions may be detrimental to survival. Electrical synapses may facilitate hyperactivity and bystander killing among neurons, while gap junction hemichannels in glia may facilitate in-lfammatory signaling and scar formation. Advances in understanding mechanisms of plasticity of electrical synapses and development of molecular therapeutics to target glial gap junctions and hemichannels offer new hope to pharmacologically limit neuronal degeneration and en-hance recovery.

作者： 刊期： 2015年第07期

作者： 刊期： 2015年第07期