Evaluation of combined fibroblast growth factor-2 and moderate hypothermia therapy in traumatically brain injured rats

Both the exogenous administration of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) or the induction of moderate hypothermia have been shown to attenuate histopathology and improve functional outcome after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Since combined therapeutic strategies may be more beneficial than single therapies, we examined the potential synergistic effect of FGF-2 combined with moderate hypothermia treatment induced 10 min after TBI on functional and histological outcome following controlled cortical impact (CCI) injury. Fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to one sham and four CCI treatment groups: Sham+vehicle (VEH); FGF-2 (45 microg/kg/h for 3 h i.v.)+Normothermia (37+/-0.5 degrees C); FGF-2+Hypothermia (32+/-0.5 degrees C for 3 h); VEH+Norm; VEH+Hypo. Vestibulomotor performance on the beam balance and beam-walk (BW) tasks on post-operative days 1-5 and spatial memory acquisition in the Morris water maze (MWM) on days 14-18 were assessed. After 4 weeks survival, histological evaluations (CA(1) and CA(3) cell counts and lesion volume) were performed. MWM performance improved in all treatment groups, but combined treatment was not more efficacious than either alone. The FGF-2+Hypo group performed significantly better than the other injured treatment groups in the BW task. Lastly, no significant group differences in beam balance or histological outcome were observed. These data suggest a suboptimal and incomplete synergy of combined FGF-2 and hypothermia treatment. These data may indicate that either our dose of FGF-2 or combination therapy was not optimized in our model.     

热性惊厥对大鼠情感行为及学习记忆的影响

【目的】　探讨热性惊厥对大鼠情感行为及学习记忆能力的影响。　【方法】　 3 6只雄性SD (Spraque Dawley)大鼠随机分为热性惊厥组 (febrileseizuresgroup ,FS) ,发热对照组 (febrilecontrolgroup ,FG)及正常对照组 (nor malcontrolgroup ,NG)。观察各组大鼠在旷场试验 (openfieldtest ,OFT)、避暗试验 (passiveavoidancetest,PAT)以及在Morris水迷宫 (Morriswatermaze ,MWM )试验中情感行为及学习记忆能力的改变。　【结果】　FS组大鼠与NG、FG组相比 :在OFT中穿格得分分值 ( 3 7.48± 7.0 9)降低 ,后肢性站立的次数 ( 12 .11± 4.41)减少 ,排出粪便粒数 ( 10 .62±2 .3 2 )增多 ,差异有非常显著性 (P <0 .0 1) ;在PAT中 ,FS组大鼠犯错次数 ( 4 .0 2± 1.2 9)增加 ,且记忆潜伏期 [( 169.71± 10 3 .2 2 )秒 ]缩短 ,差异有非常显著性 (P <0 .0 1) ;在Morris水迷宫试验中 ,FS组大鼠搜寻站台的逃逸潜伏期明显延长 ,差异有非常显著性 (P <0 .0 1)。　【结论】　多次热性惊厥发作可使大鼠的情感行为和学习记忆能力受损     

1,6-二磷酸果糖对热性惊厥大鼠学习记忆和情感行为损害保护作用的研究

【目的】探讨1,6-二磷酸果糖(fructose-1,6-diphosphate,FDP)对大鼠热性惊厥性学习记忆和情感行为损害的保护作用。【方法】30只21日龄雄性SD大鼠随机均分为果糖干预(FDP intervention group,FD)、盐水对照(so-dium chloride solutin control group,NS)和热性惊厥组(febrile seizure group,FS)。水浴法建立热性惊厥模型;FD组于惊厥前30min腹腔注射FDP25mg/100g大鼠体重;而NS组腹腔注射相同体积的0.9%氯化钠溶液;FS组不予干预。观察各组在避暗试验(passive avoidance test,PAT)、Morris水迷宫(Morris water maze,MWM)及旷场试验(open field test,OFT)中学习记忆和情感行为的变化。【结果】FDP可使惊厥大鼠在PAT中的记忆潜伏期延长[FD组为(341.16±97.44)s,NS组为(227.62±92.19)s,FS组为(213.66±90.70)s,P<0.01],错误次数减少(FD组为1.84±1.27,NS组为4.97±1.18,FS组为5.06±1.38,P<0.01);在OFT中,FDP可增强反复惊厥大鼠的兴奋性(FD组得分为65.41±8.02,NS组为46.22±7.97,FS组为48.81±7.69,P<0.0 1),提高大鼠对陌生环境的适应能力(FD组后肢性站立的次数为36.29±5.06,NS组为18.72±4.71,FS组为20.06±4.96,P<0.01),改善大鼠的紧张情绪(FD组粪便粒数为5.62±2.76,NS组为10.79±2.91,FS组为11.43±3.01,P<0.01);在MWM中,FD组大鼠逃逸潜伏期缩短,搜寻策略改善。【结论】1,6-二磷酸果糖可以改善反复惊厥大鼠的学习记忆和情感行为,对惊厥性脑功能损伤具有保护作用。     

Effects of orthopaedic manual therapy in knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective

This systematic review to aimed to evaluate the effects of orthopaedic manual therapy (OMT) on pain, improving function, and physical performance in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Late-onset intermittent fasting dietary restriction as a potential intervention to retard age-associated brain function impairments in male rats

Lifelong dietary restriction (DR) is known to have many potential beneficial effects on brain function as well as delaying the onset of neurological diseases. In the present investigation, the effect of late-onset short-term intermittent fasting dietary restriction (IF-DR) regimen was studied on motor coordination and cognitive ability of ageing male rats. These animals were further used to estimate protein carbonyl content and mitochondrial complex I-IV activity in different regions of brain and peripheral organs, and the degree of age-related impairment and reversion by late-onset short-term IF-DR was compared with their levels in 3-month-old young rats. The results of improvement in motor coordination by rotarod test and cognitive skills by Morris water maze in IF-DR rats were found to be positively correlated with the decline in the oxidative molecular damage to proteins and enhanced mitochondrial complex IV activity in different regions of ageing brain as well as peripheral organs. The work was further extended to study the expression of synaptic plasticity-related proteins, such as synaptophysin, calcineurin and CaM kinase II to explore the molecular basis of IF-DR regimen to improve cognitive function. These results suggest that even late-onset short-term IF-DR regimen have the potential to retard age-associated detrimental effects, such as cognitive and motor performance as well as oxidative molecular damage to proteins.     

The effects of preweaning manganese exposure on spatial learning ability and p-CaMKIIα level in the hippocampus

BackgroundThe effects and mechanisms of preweaning Manganese (Mn) exposure on cognitive dysfunction remain unclear.ObjectiveThis study evaluated the effects of preweaning Mn exposure on spatial learning and memory as well as the protein expression of CaMKIIα and p-CaMKIIα.MethodsWe treated neonate rats with Mn²⁺ doses of 0 (control group), 10, 20 and 30 mg of Mn²⁺ per kg body weight (Mn-exposed groups) over postnatal day (PND) 1–21 by intraperitoneal injection. The ability of spatial learning and memory was tested on PND 22 using the Morris water maze (MWM), while the protein expressions of CaMKIIα and p-CaMKIIα in the hippocampus were evaluated by Western blotting. The levels of Mn in the blood and hippocampus were measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).ResultsThe rats in Mn-exposed groups showed a significant delay in spatial learning ability on the third day of the MWM without dose-dependent differences, but there was no effect on the spatial memory ability. p-CaMKIIα, but not CaMKIIα protein expression significantly reduced in the Mn-exposed group.ConclusionThese findings suggested that the inhibition of p-CaMKIIα could be one of the mechanisms involved in the occurrence of Mn-induced cognitive impairments.     

Hybridizing behavioral models: A possible solution to some problems in neurophenotyping research?

The use of batteries of single-domain tests for neurophenotyping research is a common strategy to achieve higher data density and explore different behavioral domains. This approach, however, is accompanied by several methodological challenges, briefly discussed here. As an alternative, this paper advocates the wider use of extensive "hybrid" protocols that assess multiple domains in parallel, or logically/logistically combine experimental paradigms, in a way that disproportionately maximizes the number of tested phenotypes per experimental manipulation. Several examples of this approach are given in this paper, demonstrating the potential to reduce time, cost and subject requirements for the experiments. Offering behavioral analyses that are lacking in the standard single-domain tests, such "hybrid" models enable innovative modeling of neuropsychiatric disorders by more thorough and broader investigation of complex phenotypical characteristics.     

水迷宫实验动物游动的图像轨迹采集分析系统设计

本系统目标是开发一套兼容性强、计算精度较高、低成本的Morris水迷宫实时图像追踪与分析系统，将水迷宫实验动物游动的图像轨迹实时采集到计算机中，以识别出游动轨迹并对其进行系统分析处理。     

Surgery-induced behavioral changes in aged rats

Elderly patients may experience impairments in cognition or mood following surgery. To study the development and underlying mechanisms of these postoperative behavioral changes, young (3 months) and aged (18–20 months) male rats were subjected to abdominal surgery followed by behavioral testing during a period of 6 weeks. Microglia activation (IBA-1) and neurogenesis (DCX) were immunohistochemically determined. In separate experiments, the effects of anesthesia and the cytokine response (IL-6) following surgery were evaluated.