Mechanism underlying the protective effect of Kaixin Jieyu Fang on vascular depression following cerebral white matter damage

The Chinese compound Kaixin fieyu Fang can be used to treat vascular depression; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study established a rat model of chronic cerebral ischemia-caused white matter damage by ligation of the bilateral common carotid arteries. Rats received daily intragastric administration of a suspension of Kaixin ]ieyu Fang powder. After 3, 7 and 21 days of treatment, the degree of white matter damage in the cerebral ischemia rat model was alleviated, Bcl-2 protein and mRNA expression in brain tissue increased, and Bax protein and mRNA expression decreased. These results indicate that Kaixin Jieyu Fang can alleviate cere- bral white matter damage, and the underlying mechanism is associated with regulation of Bcl-2/ Bax protein and mRNA expression, which is one of possible mechanism behind the protective effect of Kaixin Jieyu Fang against vascular depression.

Optimal compatible doses and effects of ephedrine and naloxone on neural plasticity in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion rats

BACKGROUND： Ephedrine promotes neural plasticity in rats following cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Ephedrine has been combined with naloxone in some studies, and it has been confirmed that their combination has synergistic effects on increasing neural plasticity following cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. OBJECTIVE： To investigate the effects of ephedrine combined with various doses of naloxone on neural plasticity and to find an optimal dose of naloxone in rats after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by analyzing growth associated protein-43 （GAP-43）, synaptophysin and β-endorphin expression in the hippocampal CA3 area. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： This immunohistochemical, randomized, controlled, animal experiment was performed at the Chongqing Research Institute of Pediatrics, China from September 2007 to June 2008. MATERIALS： Ephedrine hydrochloride injection and naloxone hydrochloride injection were respectively purchased from Shandong Lvliang Pharmaceutical Factory, China and Sichuan Jingwei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., China. A total of 192 healthy adult Sprague Dawley rats were used to establish models of left middle cerebral artery occlusion using the suture occlusion method. METHODS： At 2 hours following cerebral ischemia, the rats were intraperitoneally injected with 1.5 mg/kg/d ephedrine （ephedrine group）, with 0.1, 0.2, or 0.3 mg/kg/d naloxone （low, moderate and high doses of naloxone groups）, with 1.5 mg/kg/d ephedrine ＋ 0.1, 0.2, or 0.3 mg/kg/d naloxone （ephedrine ＋ low, moderate and high doses of naloxone groups）, and with 0.5 mL saline （model group）, respectively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： GAP-43, synaptophysin and β -endorphin expression were detected in the hippocampal CA3 area using immunohistochemistry 1-4 weeks after surgery. Sensorimotor integration in rats was assessed using the beam walking test. RESULTS： GAP-43 and synaptophysin expression was greater in the ephedrine group, and in the ephedrine ＋ moderate and high doses of naloxone groups compared with the model group. GAP-43 and synaptophysin expression was greatest in the ephedrine ＋ high dose of naloxone group at 2 and 3 weeks alter surgery. β -endorphin expression was significantly lower in the ephedrine group, and in the ephedrine ＋ moderate and high doses of naloxone groups compared with the model group （P 〈 0.05）. β -endorphin expression was persistently low in the ephedrine ＋ high dose of naloxone group. At 1-3 weeks after surgery, the beam walking test score was significantly higher in the ephedrine group and ephedrine ＋ various doses of naloxone groups than in the model group （P 〈 0.05）. The score was higher in the ephedrine ＋ moderate and high doses of naloxone groups than in the ephedrine group （P 〈 0.05）. Moreover, the score was increased as the dose of naloxone increased in the ephedrine ＋ various doses of naloxone groups. CONCLUSION： Ephedrine promotes GAP-43 and synaptophysin expression, inhibits /3 -endorphin expression in the hippocampal CA3 area, and improves motor function in rats following cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Naloxone does not have the above-mentioned effects. During combined treatment with ephedrine and naloxone, however, the above-described effects are enhanced with an increased dose of naloxone. The combination of ephedrine （1.5 mg/kg/d） and naloxone （0.3 mg/kg/d） can produce optimal therapeutic efficacy in treatment of cerebral ischemic injury.

Side effects of different doses of ephedrine in rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury

Ephedrine has a protective effect against cerebral ischemia,but its side effects limit its clinical application.Results from a previous study showed that 1.5 mg/kg per day ephedrine can promote motion recovery in rats following cerebral ischemia/reperfusion without significant side effects.In the present study,ephedrine at doses of 3.0,2.5 and 2.0 mg/kg was used to treat rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion and the effects of ephedrine on the heart,liver,kidney and cerebrum were observed.Results showed that the blood pressure of rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury following ephedrine treatment was lower than in rats that recovered naturally from cerebral ischemia/reperfusion,but the pressure decreased with increasing doses of ephedrine.In addition,serum aspartate transaminase,alkaline phosphatase and creatinine concentration in rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury following ephedrine treatment were greater than in rats that recovered naturally from cerebral ischemia/reperfusion.The concentrations of these enzymes were decreased with increasing doses of ephedrine.Ephedrine-treated rats displayed hyperemia,degeneration and edema in the cerebrum,liver,heart and kidney.Results demonstrated that ephedrine exhibited side effects on the cerebrum,heart,liver and kidney in rats following cerebral ischemia/reperfusion in a dose-dependent manner.

Effects of exogenous ganglioside-1 on learning and memory in a neonatal rat model of hypoxia-ischemia brain injury

BACKGROUND： Exogenous ganglioside-1 （GM1） can cross the blood-brain barrier and play a protective role against hypoxia-ischemia-induced brain damage. OBJECTIVE： To examine the possible mechanisms of exogenous GM1 protection in hypoxia-ischemia-induced brain damage in a neonatal rat model by measuring changes in brain mass, pathological morphology, growth-associated protein-43 expression, and neurobehavioral manifestations. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： A randomized block-design study was performed at the Immunohistochemistry Laboratory of the Pediatric Research Institute, Children＇s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from August 2005 to August 2006. MATERIALS： A total of 36 neonatal, 7-day-old, Sprague Dawley rats were used in this experiment. The hypoxia-ischemia-induced brain damage model was established by permanently occluding the right carotid artery, followed by oxygen inhalation at a low concentration （8% O2, 92% N2） for 2 hours, METHODS： All rats were randomly divided into the following groups： GMI, model, and sham operation, with 12 rats each group. Rats in the GM 1 and model groups received hypoxic/ischemic-induced brain damage. Rats in the GM1 group received injections of GM1 （i.p., 20 mg/kg） at 0, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, and 144 hours following models established, and rats in the model group were administered （i.p.） the same amount of saline. The right carotid artery was separated, but not ligated, in the sham operation group rats. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： At 1 week after surgery, expression of growth-associated protein-43, a marker of neural development and plasticity, was detected in the hippocampal CA3 region by immunohistochemistry. Brain mass was measured, and the pathological morphology was observed. At 4 weeks after surgery, behavioral changes in the remaining rats were tested by Morris water maze, and growth-associated protein-43 expression was measured. RESULTS： （1） In the GMI and sham operation groups, growth-associated protein-43 expression was greater in the hippocampal CA3 region compared to the model group 1 week after surgery （P 〈 0.05）. In all three groups, brain weight of the right hemisphere was significantly less than the left hemisphere, in particular in the model group （P 〈 0.05）. In the GMI group, the weight difference between two hemispheres, as well as the extent of damage in the right hemisphere, was less than the model group （P 〈 0.01 ）. In the sham operation Uoup, brain tissue consisted of integrated structures and ordered cells. In the model group, the cerebral cortex layers of the right hemisphere were not defined, neurons were damaged, and neurons were disarranged in the hippocampal area. In the GM1 group, neurons were dense in the right cerebral cortex and hippocampal area, with no significant change in glial proliferation. （2） The average time of escape latency in the GM1 group was shortened 4 weeks alter surgery, and significantly less than the model group （P 〈 0.05）. In addition, the frequency platform passing in the GMI group was significantly greater than the model group （P 〈 0.01）. CONCLUSION： Exogenous GM1 may reduce brain injury and improve learning and memory in hypoxia-ischemia-induced brain damage rats. This protection may be associated with increased growth-associated protein-43 expression, which is involved in neuronal remodeling processes.

Supporting Research for ＂Double Teachers＂ Team Construction of School-enterprise Cooperation Take Professional Tourism Management School-enterprise Cooperation ＂Double＂ Teachers Construction as An Example

This paper mainly studies cooperative education problems of tourism management professional school-enterprise cooperation. Since the 1990s, many universities have begun to explore the issue of school-enterprise cooperation in running schools, and tourism management major is one of the popular professional cooperative education, there has been various forms of cooperative education, both success and failure cases. Many scholars take in-depth research of the issues and come up with many innovative ideas. Currently, much tourism management major of higher colleges gradually embarked on the road of school-enterprise cooperation. This study is under the background of the booming Chinese tourism higher education, school-enterprises cooperation have continued deepen, from both theoretical and practical aspects have a deep thinking in tourism management professional school-enterprise cooperative education issues systems.

Prospective controlled study under CBI teaching philosophy ＂Business Correspondence＂ bilingual teaching mode

Bilingual teaching vocational education is a topic that has been explored so long, this article select from bilingual teaching, content organization and arrangements, teaching methods, teaching methods and practices to guide students to learn study from several aspects of the implementation of bilingual teaching Business Correspondence program, to achieve a better teaching results.

智能控释纳米农药

传统农药制剂较低的实际利用率造成生态环境污染,农产品中农药残留,最终对人类公共健康构成严重威胁.传统农药制剂低效使用的关键问题是脱靶损失.为了减少农药用量,提高农药药效,水基纳米农药制剂有望替代传统农药制剂,解决传统农药制剂面临的主要难题.本文主要介绍了本课题组在智能(刺激响应)控释纳米农药领域的前沿研究工作.针对病虫害等有害生物和作物叶面的多级次靶标,综合考虑有害生物、作物和环境(如太阳光)的多维度刺激,研制智能纳米农药,实现农药控制释放,达到农药减施增效的目的.最后对智能纳米农药的未来挑战和发展前景进行进一步展望.

Comprehensive genome sequencing analyses identify novel gene mutations and copy number variations associated with infant developmental delay or intellectual disability(DD/ID)

To the Editor,Developmental delay or intellectual disability(DD/ID)is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disabilities worldwide with high clinical and genetic heterogeneity.Its etiology remains unexplained in nearly 70%of these patients,and an accurate diagnosis still poses a challenge in clinical practice.Previous DD/ID cohort studies mostly used panel sequencing or chromosome microarray analysis(CMA),but targeted capture probes could not be updated in time,resulting in an increased risk of missed detection of genetic abnormalities.