Splenectomy does not affect mouse behaviors

The spleen is critical for immunity.It is the largest immune organ and immune center in the peripheral system.While the relationship between behavior and immunity has been demonstrated in physiology and diseases,the role of the spleen in behavior is not clear.To investigate the effects of the spleen on behaviors,we performed a refined splenectomy procedure on C57BL/6J mice and performed an open field test,circadian rhythm test,elevated plus maze,sucrose preference test,and Barnes maze test.Splenectomy did not induce changes in general locomotion,circadian rhythms,learning and memory,or depression/anxiety-related behaviors.To further investigate the effects of spleen on stress susceptibility,we established mouse models of depression through chronic unpredictable mild stress.The behavioral performances of mice subjected to splenectomy showed no differences from control animals.These findings suggest that splenectomy does not cause changes in baseline behavioral performance in mice.

Creation of a rabbit model for intrauterine adhesions using electrothermal injury

The pathogenesis and therapeutic treatment of intrauterine adhesions （IUAs） remain unsolved, highlighting the need for stable and effective experimental animal models. In this study, uterine electrocoagulaUon of twenty-one female New Zealand White rabbits was carried out to establish an IUA model. As rabbits have two completely separate uterine horns, each rabbit had its own internal control： one uterine horn was given an electrothermal injury （Group A, n=21）, and the contralateral uterine horn received no treatment and served as the control （Group B, n=21）. The en- dometrial morphology, number of endometrial glands, area of endometrial fibrosis, and number of implanted fetuses were compared between the two groups. In Group A, the numbers of endometrial glands on Days 7 and 14 and the number of implanted fetuses were significantly lower than those in Group B（P〈0.05, P〈0.05, and P〈0.01, respectively）, while the ratio of the area with endometrial stromal fibrosis to the total endometrial area was significantly increased （P〈0.01）. These results suggest that this method of electrothermal injury is effective for the establishment of a rabbit lUA model between 7 and 14 d after surgery.

Nine-hole Peg Test and Ten-meter Walk Test for Evaluating Functional Loss in Chinese Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease

Background：The 9-hole peg test （9-HPT） and 10-meter walk test （10-MWT） are commonly used to test finger motor function and walking ability.The aim of this present study was to investigate the efficacy of these tests for evaluating functional loss in Chinese Charcot-Marie-Tooth （CMT） disease.Methods：Thirty-four Chinese CMT patients （CMT group） from August 2015 to December 2016 were evaluated with 9-HPT,10-MWT,CMT disease examination score,overall neuropathy limitation scale （ONLS）,functional disability score,and Berg Balance Scale （BBS）.Thirty-five age-and gender-matched healthy controls （control group） were also included in the study.Student＇s nonpaired or paired t-test were performed to compare data between two independent or related groups,respectively.The Pearson test was used to examine the correlations between recorded parameters.Results：The mean 9-HPT completion time in the dominant hand of CMT patients was significantly slower than that in the healthy controls （29.60 ± 11.89 s vs.19.58 ± 3.45 s;t =-4.728,P 〈 0.001）.Women with CMT completed the 9-HPT significantly faster than men with CMT （dominant hand：24.74 ± 7.93 s vs.33.01 ± 13.14 s,t =2.097,P =0.044）.The gait speed of the average self-selected velocity and the average fast-velocity assessed using 10-MWT for CMT patients were significantly slower than those in the control group （1.03 ± 0.18 m/s vs.1.44 ± 0.17 m/s,t =9.333,P 〈 0.001;1.31 ± 0.30 m/s vs.1.91 ± 0.25 m/s,t =8.853,P 〈 0.00 1,respectively）.There was no difference in gait speed between men and women.Both 9-HPT and 10-MWT were significantly correlated with the ONLS,functional disability score,and BBS （P 〈 0.05 for all）.Conclusion：The 9-HPT and 10-MWT might be useful for functional assessment in Chinese patients with CMT.