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05 October 2013, Volume 8 Issue 28 Previous Issue    Next Issue

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Baicalin inhibits colistin sulfate-induced apoptosis of PC12 cells Hong Jiang, Pengfei Lv, Jichang Li, Hongjun Wang, Tiezhong Zhou, Yingzi Liu, Wei Lin 2013, 8 (28):  2597-2604.  doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.28.001 Abstract ( 207 )   PDF (332KB) ( 1586 )   Save Baicalin, a type of flavonoid extracted from the dried root of Scutellaria baicalensis georgi, has been shown to effectively inhibit cell apoptosis. Therefore, we assumed that baicalin would suppress colistin sulfate-induced neuronal apoptosis. PC12 cells exposed to colistin sulfate (62.5–500 μg/mL) for 24 hours resulted in PC12 cell apoptosis. In addition, caspase-3 activity, lactate dehydrogenase level and free radical content increased in a dose-dependent manner. Subsequently, PC12 cells were pretreated with baicalin (25, 50 and 100 μg/mL), and exposed to 125 μg/mL colistin sulfate. Cell morphology markedly changed, and cell viability increased. Moreover, caspase-3 activity, lac-tate dehydrogenase level and free radical content decreased. Results indicated that baicalin inhib-ited colistin sulfate-induced PC12 cell apoptosis by suppressing free radical injury, and reducing caspase-3 activity and lactate dehydrogenase activity. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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5-Hydroxymethylfurfural from wine-processed Fructus corni inhibits hippocampal neuron apoptosis Hai Gu, Zequn Jiang, Mingyan Wang, Haiying Jiang, Fengming Zhao, Xia Ding, Baochang Cai, Zhen Zhan 2013, 8 (28):  2605-2614.  doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.28.002 Abstract ( 420 )   PDF (389KB) ( 1679 )   Save null References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Protective effects of dl-3n-butylphthalide against diffuse brain injury Yaning Zhao, Jianmin Li, Pan Zhang, Changxiang Chen, Shuxing Li 2013, 8 (28):  2615-2624.  doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.28.003 Abstract ( 248 )   PDF (335KB) ( 2151 )   Save null References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Persimmon leaf flavonoid promotes brain ischemic tolerance Mingsan Miao, Xuexia Zhang, Ming Bai, Linan Wang 2013, 8 (28):  2625-2632.  doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.28.004 Abstract ( 207 )   PDF (319KB) ( 1334 )   Save Persimmon leaf flavonoid has been shown to enhance brain ischemic tolerance in mice, but its mechanism of action remains unclear. The bilateral common carotid arteries were occluded using a micro clip to block blood flow for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes of ischemic preconditioning, 200, 100, and 50 mg/kg persimmon leaf flavonoid or 20 mg/kg ginaton was intragastrically administered per day for 5 days. At 1 hour after the final administration, ischemia/reperfusion models were estab-lished by blocking the middle cerebral artery for 2 hours. At 24 hours after model establishment, compared with cerebral ischemic rats without ischemic preconditioning or drug intervention, plasma endothelin, thrombomodulin and von Willebrand factor levels significantly decreased and intercel-lular adhesion molecule-1 expression markedly reduced in brain tissue from rats with ischemic pre-conditioning. Simultaneously, brain tissue injury reduced. Ischemic preconditioning combined with drug exposure noticeably improved the effects of the above-mentioned indices, and the effects of 200 mg/kg persimmon leaf flavonoid were similar to 20 mg/kg ginaton treatment. These results indicate that ischemic preconditioning produces tolerance to recurrent severe cerebral ischemia. However, persimmon leaf flavonoid can elevate ischemic tolerance by reducing inflammatory reactions and vascular endothelial injury. High-dose persimmon leaf flavonoid showed an identical effect to ginaton. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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The existence of propagated sensation along the meridian proved by neuroelectrophysiology Jinsen Xu, Shuxia Zheng, Xiaohua Pan, Xiaoxiang Zhu, Xianglong Hu 2013, 8 (28):  2633-2640.  doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.28.005 Abstract ( 204 )   PDF (275KB) ( 1866 )   Save null References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Orthogonal design to sift the optimal parameter of Neiguan acupuncture for cerebral infarction Yanan Zhang, Sha Yang, Xiaonong Fan, Shu Wang, Nina He, Lingxin Li, Ding Luo, Xuemin Shi 2013, 8 (28):  2641-2648.  doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.28.006 Abstract ( 191 )   PDF (304KB) ( 1472 )   Save The individual difference and non-repeatability in acupuncture have not only restricted the devel-opment of acupuncture, but have also affected the specificity of acupoints. The present study used instruments to control needle depth, lifting and thrusting frequency, and the duration of acupuncture. Effects of the quantified acupuncture were observed at Neiguan (PC6) with different stimulation parameters. A frequency of 1, 2, or 3 Hz and duration of 5, 60, or 180 seconds were used to observe cerebral blood flow and ratio of infarct volume recovery. Results showed that stimulation at Neiguan with a frequency of 1 Hz and long duration of 180 seconds or 2/3 Hz and long duration of 5/60 se-conds significantly increased cerebral blood flow and decreased the ratio of infarct volume. Interac-tions between frequency and duration play a critical role in quantified acupuncture therapy. Related Articles | Metrics

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A central analgesic mechanism of acupuncture for migraine An ongoing functional MRI study Lei Lan, Yujie Gao, Fang Zeng, Wei Qin, Mingkai Dong, Mailan Liu, Taipin Guo, Fanrong Liang 2013, 8 (28):  2649-2655.  doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.28.007 Abstract ( 306 )   PDF (187KB) ( 2067 )   Save Shaoyang acupoints are the most frequently used in migraine treatment. However, the central anal-gesic mechanism remains poorly understood. Studies have demonstrated that single stimulus of the verum acupuncture in healthy subjects can induce significant connectivity or activity changes in pain- related central networks compared with sham acupuncture. However, these findings are not indicative of the central analgesic mechanism of acupuncture at Shaoyang acupoints. Thus, we recruited 100 migraine sufferers and randomly assigned them into five groups: Shaoyang uncommon acupoint, Shaoyang common acupoint, Yangming uncommon acupoint, non-acupoint control, and blank control groups. Subjects were subjected to evaluation of curative effects and functional MRI prior to and after 10 and 20 acupuncture treatments. All subjects were diagnosed by physicians and enrolled following clinical physical examination. Subjects were observed during 1–4 weeks after inclusion. At the fifth week, the first clinical evaluation and resting functional MRI were conducted. The Shaoyang uncom-mon acupoint, Shaoyang common acupoint, Yangming uncommon acupoint, and non-acupoint control grousp then were treated with acupuncture, five times per week, 20 times in total over 4 weeks. The second and third clinical evaluations and resting functional MRI screenings were conducted following 10 and 20 acupuncture treatments. The blank control group was observed during the 5 to 8 week pe-riod, followed by clinical evaluation and resting functional MRI. The aim of this study was to examine changes in brain functional activity and central networks in subjects with migraine undergoing acu-puncture at Shaoyang uncommon acupoints. This study provides a further explanation of the central analgesic mechanism by which acupuncture at Shaoyang acupoints treats migraine. Related Articles | Metrics

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Two outward potassium current types are expressed during the neural differentiation of neural stem cells Ruiying Bai, Guowei Gao, Ying Xing, Hong Xue 2013, 8 (28):  2656-2665.  doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.28.008 Abstract ( 264 )   PDF (304KB) ( 1078 )   Save The electrophysiological properties of potassium ion channels are regarded as a basic index for determining the functional differentiation of neural stem cells. In this study, neural stem cells from the hippocampus of newborn rats were induced to differentiate with neurotrophic growth factor, and the electrophysiological properties of the voltage-gated potassium ion channels were observed. Immunofluorescence staining showed that the rapidly proliferating neural stem cells formed spheres in vitro that expressed high levels of nestin. The differentiated neurons were shown to express neuron-specific enolase. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that the neural stem cells were actively dividing and the percentage of cells in the S + G2/M phase was high. However, the ratio of cells in the S + G2/M phase decreased obviously as differentiation proceeded. Whole-cell patch-clamp re-cordings revealed apparent changes in potassium ion currents as the neurons differentiated. The potassium ion currents consisted of one transient outward potassium ion current and one delayed rectifier potassium ion current, which were blocked by 4-aminopyridine and tetraethylammonium, respectively. The experimental findings indicate that neural stem cells from newborn rat hippo-campus could be cultured and induced to differentiate into functional neurons under defined condi-tions in vitro. The differentiated neurons expressed two types of outward potassium ion currents similar to those of mature neurons in vivo. References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for hallucination in schizophrenia spectrum disorders A meta-analysis Yingli Zhang, Wei Liang, Shichang Yang, Ping Dai, Lijuan Shen, Changhong Wang 2013, 8 (28):  2666-2676.  doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.28.009 Abstract ( 213 )   PDF (306KB) ( 1830 )   Save OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the efficacy and tolerability of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for treatment of auditory hallucination of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. DATA SOURCES: Online literature retrieval was conducted using PubMed, ISI Web of Science, EMBASE, Medline and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from January 1985 to May 2012. Key words were “transcranial magnetic stimulation”, “TMS”, “repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation”, and “hallucination”. STUDY SELECTION: Selected studies were randomized controlled trials assessing therapeutic ef-ficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for hallucination in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Experimental intervention was low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in left temporoparietal cortex for treatment of auditory hallucination in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Control groups received sham stimulation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was total scores of Auditory Hallucinations Rating Scale, Auditory Hallucination Subscale of Psychotic Symptom Rating Scale, Positive and Negative Symptom Scale-Auditory Hallucination item, and Hallucination Change Scale. Secondary outcomes included response rate, global mental state, adverse effects and cognitive function. RESULTS: Seventeen studies addressing repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for treatment of schizophrenia spectrum disorders were screened, with controls receiving sham stimulation. All data were completely effective, involving 398 patients. Overall mean weighted effect size for repeti-tive transcranial magnetic stimulation versus sham stimulation was statistically significant (MD = –0.42, 95%CI: –0.64 to –0.20, P = 0.000 2). Patients receiving repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation responded more frequently than sham stimulation (OR = 2.94, 95%CI: 1.39 to 6.24, P =0.005). No significant differences were found between active repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and sham stimulation for positive or negative symptoms. Compared with sham stimulation, active repeti-tive transcranial magnetic stimulation had equivocal outcome in cognitive function and commonly caused headache and facial muscle twitching. CONCLUSION: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation is a safe and effective treatment for auditory hallucination in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Related Articles | Metrics

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Mild hypothermia as a treatment for central nervous system injuries Positive or negative effects? Rami Darwazeh, Yi Yan 2013, 8 (28):  2677-2686.  doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.28.010 Abstract ( 306 )   PDF (185KB) ( 2315 )   Save Besides local neuronal damage caused by the primary insult, central nervous system injuries may secondarily cause a progressive cascade of related events including brain edema, ischemia, oxida-tive stress, excitotoxicity, and dysregulation of calcium homeostasis. Hypothermia is a beneficial strategy in a variety of acute central nervous system injuries. Mild hypothermia can treat high intra-cranial pressure following traumatic brain injuries in adults. It is a new treatment that increases sur-vival and quality of life for patients suffering from ischemic insults such as cardiac arrest, stroke, and neurogenic fever following brain trauma. Therapeutic hypothermia decreases free radical produc-tion, inflammation, excitotoxicity and intracranial pressure, and improves cerebral metabolism after traumatic brain injury and cerebral ischemia, thus protecting against central nervous system dam-age. Although a series of pathological and physiological changes as well as potential side effects are observed during hypothermia treatment, it remains a potential therapeutic strategy for central nervous system injuries and deserves further study. Related Articles | Metrics