Effects of 5,7–Dihydroxytryptamine Lesions of the Prefrontal Cortex on Consumption of Sucrose-Ethanol Solutions: Relationship to Prefrontal Monoamines

Thirty adult male Wistar rats received 8 μg bilaterally of 5,7–dihy-droxytryptamine into the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Rats were then trained, via a sucrose fading paradigm, to consume increasing concentrations of alcohol. After death, dopamine (DA), norepineph-rine (NE), serotonin (5–HT), and their metabolites were measured in the mPFC, nucleus accumbens (NA), and raphe nucleus. The le-sioned group demonstrated a reduction in 5–hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5–HIAA), DA, and NE in the mPFC ( p < 0.05), and a trend toward reduction of 5–HT in the NA. In comparison with controls, lesioned animals consumed less of all solutions containing sucrose and alcohol. On regression analyses, monoamines in the mPFC (i.e., 5–HIAA, dihydrophenylacetic acid and NE) predicted consumption of the 5% ethanol solution ( p = 0.00S), 10% ethanol solution ( p = 0.0006), and the 5% sucrose solutions ( p = 0.0006), but not the 20% sucrose solutions. In each case, monoamine levels were positively correlated with consumption. No relationships were seen between monoamine levels in the NA and raphe, and in consummatory behavior.     

Influence of composition upon the variety of tastes in Cinnamomi Cortex

Cinnamomi Cortex, which is normally referred to as cinnamon, is a very popular spice as well as an important natural medicine. High-quality cinnamon is traditionally believed to taste sweet and be strongly pungent without astringency. Cinnamomi Cortex with larger amounts of cinnamaldehyde was sweeter in taste comparisons. The contents of tannins and sugars in cinnamon powder had little effect on the taste. Evaluations of the sweetness and pungency of cinnamaldehyde solutions (0.1, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.0, and 5.0 mg/ml) were performed using volunteers. The scores for sweetness increased significantly from 0.10 to 0.50 mg/ml (P < 0.05, Mann–Whitney U-test), but there was no significant difference above 0.75 mg/ml. The concentration threshold for the sweet taste of cinnamaldehyde appeared to be less than 0.75 mg/ml, and the more concentrated solutions gave excessive pungency. Therefore, two contrastive tastes of Cinnamomi Cortex, sweet and pungent, were both attributed to cinnamaldehyde. Consequently, its taste, one of its indices of quality, seems to vary mainly according to the content of cinnamaldehyde.     

清胰利胆颗粒的薄层层析鉴别

目的：建立清胰利胆颗粒的薄层层析方法。方法：采用薄层层析法对处方中的金银花、牡丹皮进行定性鉴别。结果：该法色谱斑点清晰,附近无杂质干扰。结论：建立了专属性较强的薄层鉴别清胰利胆颗粒中金银花、牡丹皮的方法,该法简便,快捷,可作为该产品质量控制的方法。     

Age-related changes in mitochondrial respiration and oxidative damage in the cerebral cortex of the Fischer 344 rat

This study probed possible age-related changes in mitochondrial bioenergetics in naïve Fischer 344 rats. Synaptic and extrasynaptic mitochondria were isolated from the cortex of one hemisphere of young (3-5 months), middle (12-14 months), or aged (22-24 months) rats. Respiration parameters were obtained using a Clarke-type electrode. Aged rats displayed no significant alterations in respiration, indicating mitochondria must be more resilient to the aging process than previously thought. Synaptic mitochondria displayed lower respiration capacities than the extrasynaptic fraction. Aged F344 rats appear capable of normal electron transport chain function without declines in ability to produce ATP. Markers of cortical oxidative damage (3-nitrotyrosine [3-NT], 4-hydroxynonenal [4-HNE], and protein carbonyls [PC]) were collected from the post-mitochondrial supernatant (PMS) from the contralateral hemisphere, and from mitochondrial samples following respiration analysis. Age-related increases in PC and 3-NT levels were found in synaptic mitochondria, whereas significant extrasynaptic elevations were only found in middle aged rats. These findings support an age-related increase in oxidative damage in the cortex, while proposing the two fractions of mitochondria are differentially affected by the aging process. Levels of oxidative damage that accumulates in the cortex with age does not appear to significantly impair cortical mitochondrial respiration of F344 rats.     

Mismatch negativity (MMN), the deviance-elicited auditory deflection, explained

The current review constitutes the first comprehensive look at the possibility that the mismatch negativity (MMN, the deflection of the auditory ERP/ERF elicited by stimulus change) might be generated by so-called fresh-afferent neuronal activity. This possibility has been repeatedly ruled out for the past 30 years, with the prevailing theoretical accounts relying on a memory-based explanation instead. We propose that the MMN is, in essence, a latency- and amplitude-modulated expression of the auditory N1 response, generated by fresh-afferent activity of cortical neurons that are under nonuniform levels of adaptation.     

一种应用于视皮质假体图像压缩及编码系统的设计

背景：目前，视皮质假体已成为视觉修复实现的主要方法之一，图像压缩在视皮质假体的前期图像处理过程中占有重要地位。 目的：探讨从空域及亮度信息两个方面分别对图像信息进行压缩的方法。 方法：选取哈尔小波基对原始图像进行空间分辨率的压缩，并采用多尺度小波变换的方法对空间频率信号进行合理选取，实现信息的进一步压缩。同时，结合视觉皮质放大的特性，通过模拟视网膜对图像的前期处理，建立了非均匀压缩模型，使得图像压缩过程更接近视觉处理过程。还对亮度信息进行压缩及编码，实现了图像信息最终的压缩编码。 结果与结论：构建了基于数字信号处理器的前期图像压缩及编码系统，最终实现了在10*10的点阵图阵列中进行图像信息的表达。     

Real-time evaluation of nitric oxide (NO) levels in cortical and hippocampal areas with a nanopore-based electrochemical NO sensor

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important biomolecule for regulating various brain functions, such as the control of neurovascular tone. NO, however, cannot be stored inside cells where NO is produced and immediately diffuses through the cellular membrane and decays rapidly, which makes the detection of NO extremely hard in an in vivo setting. We constructed an amperometric NO nanosensor and utilized it to directly measure NO release in the living brain. The NO nanosensor uses nanopores (pores with an opening radii <500 nm) in which NO is oxidized at the porous platinum surface. The nanopore-based sensor was inserted vertically into the brains of anesthetized mice up to the end of the hippocampal CA 3 region, or to a depth of about 3 mm. The sensor was slowly advanced in the brain in 0.5 μm increments and in 0.05 s temporal steps. Different levels of NO release were monitored by the nanopore NO sensor during the course of the penetration. The hippocampal CA3 region had the highest level of NO release, which was followed by CA2 and CA1 of the hippocampus and the cortex. The levels of NO release were not uniformly distributed within the cortical and hippocampal areas of living brain. In sum, the nanopore-based NO sensor was able to grossly measure NO contents within living brain in real time and with high sensitivity. This study may provide good insights about the relationship between the distributions of NOS-immunoreactive neurons and the directly measured levels of NO release in brain.     

卒中后抑郁大鼠前额叶皮质、海马和杏仁核胶质纤维酸性蛋白表达

目的：探讨卒中后抑郁（ post-stroke depression, PSD ）大鼠前额叶皮质、海马和杏仁核中胶质纤维酸性蛋白（glial fibrilary acidic protein, GFAP）表达。方法健康成年SD大鼠随机分为正常组、抑郁组、卒中组和PSD组,每组5只。卒中组采用线栓法建立局灶性脑缺血模型;抑郁组采用慢性不可预见性温和应激（chronic unpredictable mild stress, CUMS ）结合孤养建立大鼠慢性应激抑郁模型;PSD组采用线栓法建立局灶性脑缺血模型,术后1周加以CUMS 和孤养建立PSD 大鼠模型。在首次CUMS 后第1天、第8天、第15天和第29天进行蔗糖水消耗实验（ sucrose preference test, SPT）和旷场实验（open-field test, OFT）评价抑郁行为,在第29天应用免疫荧光染色法检测前额叶皮质、海马和杏仁核GFAP表达。结果在CUMS后第29天时,抑郁组和PSD组SPT 蔗糖水消耗量以及OFT水平和垂直运动评分均显著低于正常组和卒中组（P均＜0.05）;PSD组前额叶皮质、海马和杏仁核GFAP免疫阳性细胞数量均显著少于正常组、抑郁组和卒中组（P均＜0.05）,而正常组、抑郁组和卒中组之间差异均无统计学意义（ P均>0.05）。结论 PS D 大鼠前额叶皮质、海马和杏仁核GFAP表达下降可能在PSD发病过程中发挥着一定的作用。     

复方黄柏液联合痔科2号方治疗急性肛周湿疹疗效观察

目的观察复方黄柏液联合痔科2号方治疗急性肛周湿疹的临床疗效。方法将湖北省中医院肛肠科收治的80例急性肛周湿疹患者随机分为治疗组(40例)与对照组(40例)。对照组患者皮损创面采用庆大霉素湿敷联合派瑞松外涂治疗,治疗组患者皮损创面采用复方黄柏液湿敷联合痔科2号方坐浴熏洗治疗,对比观察两组患者皮损创面愈合情况。结果治疗组患者创面渗液开始减少的时间为(4.36±1.73)d,创面面积开始缩小的时间为(6.39±1.57)d,治疗3周后总有效率为97.5%;对照组患者创面渗液开始减少的时间为(7.71±1.36)d,创面面积开始缩小的时间为(8.05±1.76)d,治疗3周后总有效率为77.5%,两组对比,P均0.05,差异具有统计学意义。结论 复方黄柏液与痔科2号方联合应用可有效促进急性肛周湿疹皮损创面的愈合,缓解创面疼痛、瘙痒等症状,疗效显著,值得临床推广使用。