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15 November 2012, Volume 7 Issue 32 Previous Issue    Next Issue

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Correlation between spina bifida manifesta in fetal rats and c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling Yinghuan Ma, Yongxin Bao, Chenghao Li, Fubin Jiao, Hongjie Xin, Zhengwei Yuan 2012, 7 (32):  2485-2491.  Abstract ( 183 )   PDF (251KB) ( 1104 )   Save Fetal rat models with neural tube defects were established by injection with retinoic acid at 10 days after conception. The immunofluorescence assay and western blot analysis showed that the number of caspase-3 positive cells in myeloid tissues for spina bifida manifesta was increased.There was also increased phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase, a member of the mitogen activated protein kinase family. The c-Jun N-terminal kinase phosphorylation level was positively correlated with caspase-3 expression in myeloid tissues for spina bifida manifesta. Experimental findings indicate that abnormal apoptosis is involved in retinoic acid-induced dominant spina bifida formation in fetal rats, and may be associated with the c-Jun N-terminal kinase signal transduction pathway. Related Articles | Metrics

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Expression of gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor α2 subunit in the dorsal root ganglion of rats with sciatic nerve injury Yu Lian, Yang Wang, Ketao Ma, Lei Zhao, Zhongshuang Zhang, Yuanyuan Shang,Junqiang Si, Li Li 2012, 7 (32):  2492-2499.  Abstract ( 224 )   PDF (326KB) ( 860 )   Save The γ-aminobutyric acid neurotransmitter in the spinal cord dorsal horn plays an important role in pain modulation through primary afferent-mediated presynaptic inhibition. The weakening of γ-aminobutyric acid-mediated presynaptic inhibition may be an important cause of neuropathic pain.γ-aminobutyric acid-mediated presynaptic inhibition is related to the current strength of γ-aminobutyric acid A receptor activation. In view of this, the whole-cell patch-clamp technique was used here to record the change in muscimol activated current of dorsal root ganglion neurons in a chronic constriction injury model. Results found that damage in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons following application of muscimol caused concentration-dependent activation of current, and compared with the sham group, its current strength and γ-aminobutyric acid A receptor protein expression decreased. Immunofluorescence revealed that γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor α2 subunit protein expression decreased and was most obvious at 12 and 15 days after modeling. Our experimental findings confirmed that the γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor α2 subunit in the chronic constriction injury model rat dorsal root ganglion was downregulated, which may be one of the reasons for the reduction of injury in dorsal root ganglion neurons following muscimol-activated currents. Related Articles | Metrics

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Tacrolimus reduces scar formation and promotes sciatic nerve regeneration Jun Que, Quan Cao, Tao Sui, Shihao Du, Ailiang Zhang, Dechao Kong, Xiaojia Cao 2012, 7 (32):  2500-2506.  Abstract ( 234 )   PDF (225KB) ( 1475 )   Save A sciatic nerve transection and repair model was established in Sprague-Dawley rats by transecting the tendon of obturator internus muscle in the greater sciatic foramen and suturing with nylon sutures. The models were treated with tacrolimus gavage (4 mg/kg per day) for 0, 2, 4 and 6 weeks.Specimens were harvested at 6 weeks of intragastric administration. Masson staining revealed that the collagen fiber content and scar area in the nerve anastomosis of the sciatic nerve injury rats were significantly reduced after tacrolimus administration. Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that tacrolimus significantly increased myelinated nerve fiber density, average axon diameter and myelin sheath thickness. Intragastric administration of tacrolimus also led to a significant increase in the recovery rate of gastrocnemius muscle wet weight and the sciatic functional index after sciatic nerve injury. The above indices were most significantly improved at 6 weeks after of tacrolimus gavage.The myelinated nerve fiber density in the nerve anastomosis and the sciatic nerve functions had a significant negative correlation with the scar area, as detected by Spearman’s rank correlation analysis. These findings indicate that tacrolimus can promote peripheral nerve regeneration and accelerate the recovery of neurological function through the reduction of scar formation. Related Articles | Metrics

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Morphological differences in skeletal muscle atrophy of rats with motor nerve and/or sensory nerve injury Lei Zhao, Guangming Lv, Shengyang Jiang, Zhiqiang Yan, Junming Sun, Ling Wang,Donglin Jiang 2012, 7 (32):  2507-2515.  Abstract ( 192 )   PDF (317KB) ( 892 )   Save Skeletal muscle atrophy occurs after denervation. The present study dissected the rat left ventral root and dorsal root at L4-6 or the sciatic nerve to establish a model of simple motor nerve injury,sensory nerve injury or mixed nerve injury. Results showed that with prolonged denervation time,rats with simple motor nerve injury, sensory nerve injury or mixed nerve injury exhibited abnormal behavior, reduced wet weight of the left gastrocnemius muscle, decreased diameter and cross-sectional area and altered ultrastructure of muscle cells, as well as decreased cross-sectional area and increased gray scale of the gastrocnemius muscle motor end plate. Moreover, at the same time point, the pathological changes were most severe in mixed nerve injury, followed by simple motor nerve injury, and the changes in simple sensory nerve injury were the mildest. These findings indicate that normal skeletal muscle morphology is maintained by intact innervation. Motor nerve injury resulted in larger damage to skeletal muscle and more severe atrophy than sensory nerve injury. Thus, reconstruction of motor nerves should be considered first in the clinical treatment of skeletal muscle atrophy caused by denervation. Related Articles | Metrics

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A standardized method to create peripheral nerve injury in dogs using an automatic non-serrated forceps Xuhui Wang, Liang Wan, Xinyuan Li, Youqiang Meng, Ningxi Zhu, Min Yang, Baohui Feng, Wenchuan Zhang, Shugan Zhu, Shiting Li 2012, 7 (32):  2516-2521.  Abstract ( 194 )   PDF (151KB) ( 1000 )   Save This study describes a method that not only generates an automatic and standardized crush injury in the skull base, but also provides investigators with the option to choose from a range of varying pressure levels. We designed an automatic, non-serrated forceps that exerts a varying force of 0 to 100 g and lasts for a defined period of 0 to 60 seconds. This device was then used to generate a crush injury to the right oculomotor nerve of dogs with a force of 10 g for 15 seconds, resulting in a deficit in the pupil-light reflex and ptosis. Further testing of our model with Toluidine-blue staining demonstrated that, at 2 weeks post-surgery disordered oculomotor nerve fibers, axonal loss, and a thinner than normal myelin sheath were visible. Electrophysiological examination showed occasional spontaneous potentials. Together, these data verified that the model for oculomotor nerve injury was successful, and that the forceps we designed can be used to establish standard mechanical injury models of peripheral nerves. Related Articles | Metrics

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Rapid genetic screening of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A and hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies patients Xiaobo Li, Xiaohong Zi, Lin Li, Yajing Zhan, Shunxiang Huang1, Jin Li, Xuning Li, Xigui Li,Zhengmao Hu, Kun Xia, Beisha Tang, Ruxu Zhang 2012, 7 (32):  2522-2527.  Abstract ( 212 )   PDF (196KB) ( 1062 )   Save We used the allele-specific PCR-double digestion method on peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22) to determine duplication and deletion mutations in the proband and family members of one family with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1 and one family with hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies. The proband and one subclinical family member from the Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1 family had a PMP22 gene duplication; one patient from the hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies family had a PMP22 gene deletion. Electron microscopic analysis of ultrathin sections of the superficial peroneal nerve from the two probands demonstrated demyelination and myelin sheath hyperplasia, as well as an ‘onion-like’ structure in the Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A patient. We observed an irregular thickened myelin sheath and ‘mouse-nibbled’-like changes in the patient with hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies. In the Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A patient, nerve electrophysiological examination revealed moderate-to-severe reductions in the motor and sensory conduction velocities of the bilateral median nerve, ulnar nerve, tibial nerve, and sural nerve. Moreover, the compound muscle action potential amplitude was decreased. In the patient with hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies, the nerve conduction velocity of the bilateral tibial nerve and sural nerve was moderately reduced, and the nerve conduction velocity of the median nerve and ulnar nerve of both upper extremities was slightly reduced. Related Articles | Metrics

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Ultrasound guided neural stem cell transplantation through the lateral ventricle for treatment of cerebral palsy in children Sheng He, Zuo Luan, Suqing Qu, Xuan Qiu, Daqing Xin, Wenkai Jia, Yanhua Shen, Zehui Yu,Tao Xu 2012, 7 (32):  2529-2535.  Abstract ( 212 )   PDF (171KB) ( 1002 )   Save A total of 24 children with cerebral palsy were enrolled in this study and underwent ultrasound guided transplantation of neural stem cells through the lateral ventricle. Neural stem cells (3.8 × 106–7.3 × 107) were injected into the lateral ventricles. Mild injury of lateral ventricular blood vessels occurred in only two cases (8.3%). Seven cases (29.2%) experienced a fever. Clinical manifestations were improved to varying degrees in eight cases (28.0%) within 3 months after transplantation. Patient condition did not worsen, and no patient experienced severe adverse reactions. Related Articles | Metrics

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Characteristics of vascular lesions in patients with posterior circulation infarction according to age and region of infarct Daopei Zhang, Shuling Zhang, Hongtao Zhang, Yuming Xu 2012, 7 (32):  2536-2541.  Abstract ( 217 )   PDF (228KB) ( 983 )   Save Patients with posterior circulation infarction underwent CT angiography and magnetic resonance angiography. Intracranial and extracranial vasculopathy was evaluated according to age group and location of stroke. Patients aged > 60 years and < 60 years had similar rates of vertebral artery dominance and vertebrobasilar artery developmental or origin anomalies. Vertebrobasilar artery stenosis or occlusion and tortuosity occurred more frequently in patients aged > 60 years than < 60 years. The rates of vertebrobasilar artery anomalies and tortuosity were high in patients with posterior circulation infarction. Vertebrobasilar artery tortuosity occurred more frequently in patients aged > 60 years, whereas vertebrobasilar artery developmental anomalies occurred with similar frequency in patients aged < 60 years and > 60 years. Patients with infarction of the brainstem or cerebellum were more likely to have vertebral artery stenosis or occlusion, basilar artery stenosis or occlusion, vertebral artery dominance or tortuosity, and basilar artery tortuosity, and patients with infarction of the thalamus, medial temporal, or occipital lobes were more likely to have stenosis or occlusion of the vertebral or basilar arteries. Vertebrobasilar artery tortuosity, vertebral artery dominance (hypoplasia), and congenital variations of the vertebrobasilar system may lead to posterior circulation infarction at different locations in different age groups. Related Articles | Metrics

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Neural bases of reappraisal regulatory effect on negative emotion in high reappraisers Wencai Zhang, Jin Luo 2012, 7 (32):  2542-2547.  Abstract ( 294 )   PDF (95KB) ( 1054 )   Save Previous studies have reported that individual differences in reappraisal use are associated with particular patterns of neural activity. We hypothesized that if ‘high reappraisers’ (individuals who use reappraisal well in a behavioral experiment) completed two training sessions, they would exhibit more reliable patterns of neural activity related to cognitive reappraisal. In the present study, 13 high reappraisers were selected from 27 healthy volunteers through an initial behavioral experiment (first training) followed by a functional MRI experiment (second training). Emotional images selected from the International Affective Picture System were used for both the behavioral and functional MRI sessions of the experiment. The behavioral results revealed that reappraisal reduced subjective unpleasantness. The functional MRI results revealed that the cognitive reappraisal used by high reappraisers decreased the activation of emotion-responsive regions, including the amygdala,insula, and cingulate gyrus, and increased the activation of regulation-related regions, including the inferior prefrontal cortex, orbital prefrontal cortex, and dorsal medial prefrontal cortex. These findings suggest the involvement of inferior orbital and dorsal medial prefrontal cortex in constructing reappraisal strategies that modulate activity in emotion-processing systems. Related Articles | Metrics

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Constraint-induced movement therapy promotes brain functional reorganization in stroke patients with hemiplegia Wenqing Wang, Aihui Wang, Limin Yu, Xuesong Han, Guiyun Jiang, Changshui Weng,Hongwei Zhang, Zhiqiang Zhou 2012, 7 (32):  2548-2553.  Abstract ( 223 )   PDF (119KB) ( 1179 )   Save Stroke patients with hemiplegia exhibit flexor spasms in the upper limb and extensor spasms in the lower limb, and their movement patterns vary greatly. Constraint-induced movement therapy is an upper limb rehabilitation technique used in stroke patients with hemiplegia; however, studies of lower extremity rehabilitation are scarce. In this study, stroke patients with lower limb hemiplegia underwent conventional Bobath therapy for 4 weeks as baseline treatment, followed by constraint-induced movement therapy for an additional 4 weeks. The 10-m maximum walking speed and Berg balance scale scores significantly improved following treatment, and lower extremity motor function also improved. The results of functional MRI showed that constraint-induced movement therapy alleviates the reduction in cerebral functional activation in patients, which indicates activation of functional brain regions and a significant increase in cerebral blood perfusion.These results demonstrate that constraint-induced movement therapy promotes brain functional reorganization in stroke patients with lower limb hemiplegia. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy and diffusion weighted imaging findings of medulloblastoma in 3.0T MRI Guangyao Wu, Haopeng Pang, Prasanna Ghimire, Guobing Liu 2012, 7 (32):  2554-2559.  Abstract ( 221 )   PDF (191KB) ( 817 )   Save 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy and diffusion weighted imaging features of the cerebellar vermis in 17 medulloblastoma patients were retrospectively analyzed, and 17 healthy volunteers were selected as controls. 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that in all 17 medulloblastoma patients, N-acetyl aspartate and creatine peaks were significantly decreased, the choline peak was significantly increased, and there was evidence of a myo-inositol peak. Further, 11 patients showed a low taurine peak at 3.4 ppm, five patients showed a lipid peak at 0.9–1.3 ppm, and three patients showed a negative lactic acid peak at 1.33 ppm. Compared with the control group, the ratios of N-acetyl aspartate/choline and N-acetyl aspartate/creatine were significantly decreased, and the ratio of choline/creatine was increased, in medulloblastoma patients. Diffusion weighted imaging displayed hyperintensity and decreased apparent diffusion coefficient in medulloblastoma patients. These findings indicate that 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy and diffusion weighted imaging are useful for qualitative diagnosis of medulloblastoma. Related Articles | Metrics