Sleep during Ramadan intermittent fasting

During the month of Ramadan intermittent fasting, Muslims eat exclusively between sunset and sunrise, which may affect nocturnal sleep. The effects of Ramadan on sleep and rectal temperature (Tre) were examined in eight healthy young male subjects who reported at the laboratory on four occasions: (i) baseline 15 days before Ramadan (BL); (ii) on the eleventh day of Ramadan (beginning of Ramadan, BR); (iii) on the twenty-fifth day of Ramadan (end of Ramadan, ER); and (iv) 2 weeks after Ramadan (AR). Although each session was preceded by an adaptation night, data from the first night were discarded. Polysomnography was taken on ambulatory 8-channel Oxford Medilog MR-9000 II recorders. Standard electroencephalogram (EEG), electro-oculogram (EOG) and electromyogram (EMG) recordings were scored visually with the PhiTools ERA. The main finding of the study was that during Ramadan sleep latency is increased and sleep architecture modified. Sleep period time and total sleep time decreased in BR and ER. The proportion of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep increased during Ramadan and its structure changed, with an increase in stage 2 proportion and a decrease in slow wave sleep (SWS) duration. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep duration and proportion decreased during Ramadan. These changes in sleep parameters were associated with a delay in the occurrence of the acrophase of Tre and an increase in nocturnal Tre during Ramadan. However, the 24-h mean value (mesor) of Tre did not vary. The nocturnal elevation of Tre was related to a 2-3-h delay in the acrophase of the circadian rhythm. The amplitude of the circadian rhythm of Tre was decreased during Ramadan. The effects of Ramadan fasting on nocturnal sleep, with an increase in sleep latency and a decrease in SWS and REM sleep, and changes in Tre, were attributed to the inversion of drinking and meal schedule, rather than to an altered energy intake which was preserved in this study.     

Age-related alterations in responses of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis neurons to frontal cortex stimulation in rats

The present study investigated the age-related alterations in responses of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (nbM) neurons to frontal cortex (FCX) stimulation. Single unit extracellular recording from the nbM neurons were obtained with glass micropipettes in urethane-anesthetized rats. A total of 137 units were located within the nbM in the three age groups (young, 3 months; adult, 12 months; old, 24 months). FCX stimulation elicited responses in 91% of the 137 neurons. Most of them were excited. The frequency of occurrence of excitatory responses in the nbM neurons was decreased with aging. The thresholds and latencies of excitatory responses evoked by FCX stimulation were increased in old rats. The mean peak-firing rate of exciting phase was gradually reduced with aging. These findings indicate that there might be some functional changes in the nbM neurons with aging.     

神经干细胞球生长动力学模型

神经干细胞的体外大规模培养对于细胞移植治疗中枢神经系统受损及各种神经退行性疾病有重大意义。体外呈球状生长的神经干细胞球在长大到一定尺寸之后，有可能在其内部由于养分缺乏而形成坏死细胞，这对于干细胞的有效扩增是极为不利的。因此，模拟神经球的动态生长过程并分析出现坏死细胞的临界神经球尺度对于神经干细胞的大规模扩增有重要意义。本研究采用元胞自动机技术建立了模拟神经球生长的动态模型，并结合神经球内养分的扩散传递模型，求解神经干细胞球内出现坏死细胞的临界神经球尺寸以及坏死细胞的扩大规律。计算结果表明，坏死细胞的出现与体外培养条件有一定关系；坏死细胞的出现主要取决于神经球的尺寸，其外部再好的培养条件也不可能抑制坏死的出现。此外，计算结果还表明，神经球内由于氧缺乏而形成的坏死细胞的出现要早于由于葡萄糖缺乏时的情况，并且坏死细胞一旦出现，其增长速度就非常快，有可能很快使整个神经球成为坏死细胞球。本研究所建立的CA模型及神经球内的传质模型可以很好的模拟神经球的生长过程。     

慢性乙型肝炎患者肝组织中HBV抗原表达特征及其临床意义

目的探讨慢性乙型病毒性肝炎肝活检组织中检测乙肝表面抗原(HBsAg)和乙肝核心抗原(HBcAg)表达强度及表达方式的必要性。方法采用EnVision免疫组织化学法检测196例慢性乙型肝炎患者肝穿组织中HBsAg和HBcAg的表达水平,并用荧光定量PCR检测其血清中的HBV DNA的含量。对肝组织进行炎症活动度分级和纤维化分期。结果肝组织中的HBsAg表达强度和表达方式与炎症分级、纤维化分期和血清乙肝病毒载量均无相关性(P>0.05)。HBcAg表达强度与炎症分级无相关性(r=-0.02,P>0.05);与纤维化分期呈负相关(r=-0.28,P<0.01);与血清乙肝病毒载量呈正相关(r=0.53,P<0.01)。HBcAg表达方式与炎症分级为负相关(r=-0.27,P<0.01),其中浆型组炎症活动度分级高于核型组和混合型组(P<0.01),混合型组高于核型组(P<0.01)。HBcAg表达方式与纤维化分期亦呈较弱的负相关(r=-0.23,P<0.01),其中浆型组纤维化分期高于核型组和混合型组(P<0.05)。HBcAg表达方式与血清乙肝病毒载量呈正相关(r=0.22,P<0.01)。结论区分肝组织中的HBsAg表达强度和表达方式无益于了解慢性乙型肝炎患者肝损害的程度,而检测肝组织中的HBcAg则有助于临床抗病毒治疗。     

Sequence analysis of hepatitis B virus genomes from an infant with acute severe hepatitis and a hepatitis B e antigen-positive carrier mother

It is well known that fulminant hepatitis B can occur in infants born to hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative hepatitis B virus (HBV) carrier mothers, whereas fulminant hepatitis and severe hepatitis are uncommon in infants born to HBeAg-positive mothers. We have encountered an infant with severe acute hepatitis B born to a HBeAg-positive mother. The aim of this study was to determine whether HBV variants contribute to the pathogenesis of fulminant hepatitis and severe hepatitis in an infant born to an HBeAg-positive mother. The nucleotide sequence of HBV genomes from the infant and his HBeAg-positive carrier mother was analyzed. All HBV isolated from the infant and his mother were subtype adr. The sequences of the cloned HBV genomes, each including a part of the X and precore/core regions, isolated from the infant were almost identical (homology of 99.1-99.9%) to those from his mother. There was no mutation in any of the 17 clones examined at nucleotides 1762 and 1764 in the core promoter, which is reported to be associated with fulminant hepatitis. A point mutation at nucleotide 1758 in the second AT-rich region of the basic core promoter was present in all clones. None of the clones had a point mutation at nucleotide 1896 of the precore region. In this study, no specific HBV variants contributing to the development of neonatal severe hepatitis were found. There is a possibility that host factors rather than viral factors play an important role in some cases of severe neonatal hepatitis B.     

CT引导下经皮穿刺活检术在肺癌诊断中的应用

目的 探讨CT引导下穿刺活检术在肺癌诊断中的准确性和并发症发生率。方法 40例使用弹簧芯状活检针经皮穿刺活检，CT扫描确定并引导穿刺途径，达预定位置取材。结果 37例有明确的病理诊断，诊断准确性92．5％。活检后并发气胸3例，咯血2例。结论 CT引导下经皮穿刺活检可以进一步明确肺癌的病理诊断，提高诊断的准确性，并发症发生率低，可为临床提供治疗依据。     

Functions of the nucleus of the optic tract (NOT).

We studied the role of the nucleus of the optic tract (NOT) in adapting the gain of the angular vestibulo-ocular reflex (aVOR) in rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys using lesions and temporary inactivation with muscimol. The aVOR gain was adaptively reduced by forced sinusoidal rotation (0.25 Hz, 60 degrees/s) in a self-stationary visual surround, i.e., a visual surround that moved with the subject, or by wearing x0.5 reducing lenses during natural head movements. The aVOR gains dropped by 20-30% after 2 h and by about 30% after 4 h. Muscimol injections caused a loss of adaptation of contraversive-eye velocities induced by the aVOR, and their gains promptly returned to or above preadapted levels. The gains of the adapted ipsiversive and vertical eye velocities produced by the aVOR were unaffected by muscimol injections. Lesions of NOT significantly reduced or abolished the animals' ability to adapt the gain of contraversive aVOR-induced eye velocities, and the monkeys were unable to suppress these contraversive-eye velocities in a self-stationary surround. The lesions did not affect ipsiversive aVOR-induced eye velocities, and the animals were still able to suppress them. Lesions of NOT also affected the unadapted or "default" aVOR gains. After unilateral NOT lesions, gains of ipsiversive aVOR-induced eye velocity were reduced, while gains of contraversive aVOR-induced eye velocity were either unaffected or slightly increased. Consistent with this, muscimol injections into the NOT of unadapted monkeys slightly reduced the gains of ipsiversive and increased the gains of contraversive-eye velocities by about 8-10%. We conclude that each NOT processes ipsiversive retinal-slip information about visual surround movement relative to the head induced by the aVOR. In the presence of visual surround movement, the retinal-slip signal is suppressed, leading to adaptive changes in the gain of aVOR-induced contraversive horizontal eye velocities. NOT also has a role in controlling and maintaining the current state of the aVOR gains. Thus, it plays a unique role in producing and supporting adaptation of the gain of the horizontal aVOR that is likely to be important for stabilizing gaze during head movement. Pathways through the inferior olive are presumably important for this adaptation.     

乙型肝炎病毒C基因在毕赤酵母中的表达

目的:研究乙肝病毒核心(C)基因在毕赤(Pichia pastoris)酵母中的表达,以期获得高效表达的具有良好免疫反应性和特异性的重组乙肝病毒核心蛋白(HBcAg)。方法:采用PCR法从含HBV全基因序列的质粒pHBV1中扩增C基因,亚克隆到pGEM-T载体中,经DNA序列分析后将目的基因定向克隆到酵母表达载体pPIC9中,构建重组质粒pPIC9-cAg。然后用电转法将重组质粒转化入酵母菌GS115,0.5%甲醇诱导表达。采用SDS-PAGE、Western blot和ELISA法对表达产物进行分析。结果:限制性内切酶酶切和DNA序列分析证实HBV C基因已正确克隆到酵母表达载体pPIC9中;SDS-PAGE结果显示重组HBcAg在毕赤酵母细胞中表达;ELISA及Western blot分析表明,表达产物具有良好的免疫反应性和特异性,重组HBcAg的滴度可达1∶12 800。结论:成功构建了pPIC9-cAg重组质粒,并在毕赤酵母中高效表达了具有良好免疫反应性和特异性的重组HBcAg,为进一步研制抗-HBc诊断试剂盒奠定了基础。     

Muscarinic modulation of acetylcholine release from slices of guinea pig nucleus basalis magnocellularis

Spontaneous and electrically evoked endogenous acetylcholine release and [³H]-choline efflux from slices of guinea pig nucleus basalis magnocellularis (nbM) were studied. Tetrodotoxin reduced the spontaneous endogenous release by 55%, while the Ca²⁺-free medium reduced it by about 30%. Evoked [³H]-choline efflux was Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ dependent and frequency related. Physostigmine, 30 μM, nearly halved the stimulation-evoked efflux; atropine, 0.15 μM, not only antagonized, but even reversed this effect into facilitation. Pirenzepine, 1 μM, and AFDX 116, 1 μM, were less effective than atropine, and reversed the inhibitory effect of physostigmine only when applied together. 4-DAMP, 0.01 μM, was ineffective. These findings indicate that acetylcholine release in guinea pig nbM slices is inhibited by the cooperation of muscarinic autoreceptors, possibly belonging to the M₁ and M₂ subclasses.