Migration capacity of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells towards glioma in vivo*

High-grade glioma is the most common malignant primary brain tumor in adults.The poor prognosis of glioma,combined with a resistance to currently available treatments,necessitates the development of more effective tumor-selective therapies.Stem cell-based therapies are emerging as novel cell-based delivery vehicle for therapeutic agents.In the present study,we successfully isolated human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells by explant culture.The human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were adherent to plastic surfaces,expressed specific surface phenotypes of mesenchymal stem cells as demonstrated by flow cytometry,and possessed multi-differentiation potentials in permissive induction media in vitro.Furthermore,human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells demonstrated excellent glioma-specific targeting capacity in established rat glioma models after intratumoral injection or contralateral ventricular administration in vivo.The excellent glioma-specific targeting ability and extensive intratumoral distribution of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells indicate that they may serve as a novel cellular vehicle for delivering therapeutic molecules in glioma therapy.     

Eleutheroside B or E enhances learning and memory in experimentally aged rats

Eleutheroside B or E, the main component of Acanthopanax, can relieve fatigue, enhance memory, and improve human cognition. Numerous studies have confirmed that high doses of acetylcholine significantly attenuate clinical symptoms and delay the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The present study replicated a rat model of aging induced by injecting quinolinic acid into the hippocampal CA1 region. These rats were intraperitoneally injected with low, medium and high doses of eleutheroside B or E (50, 100, 200 mg/kg), and rats injected with Huperzine A or PBS were used as controls. At 4 weeks after administration, behavioral tests showed that the escape latencies and errors in searching for the platform in a Morris water maze were dose-dependently reduced in rats treated with medium and high-dose eleutheroside B or E. Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that the number of surviving hippocampal neurons was greater and pathological injury was milder in three eleutheroside B or E groups compared with model group. Hippocampal homogenates showed enhanced cholinesterase activity, and dose-dependent increases in acetylcholine content and decreases in choline content following eleutheroside B or E treatment, similar to those seen in the Huperzine A group. These findings indicate that eleutheroside B or E improves learning and memory in aged rats. These effects of eleutheroside B or E may be mediated by activation of cholinesterase or enhanced reuse of choline to accelerate the synthesis of acetylcholine in hippocampal neurons.     

Microelectronic neural bridging of toad nerves to restore leg function

The present study used a microelectronic neural bridge comprised of electrode arrays for neural signal detection, functional electrical stimulation, and a microelectronic circuit including signal amplifying, processing, and functional electrical stimulation to bridge two separate nerves, and to restore the lost function of one nerve. The left leg of one spinal toad was subjected to external mechanical stimulation and functional electrical stimulation driving. The function of the left leg of one spinal toad was regenerated to the corresponding leg of another spinal toad using a microelectronic neural bridge. Oscilloscope tracings showed that the electromyographic signals from controlled spinal toads were generated by neural signals that controlled the spinal toad, and there was a delay between signals. This study demonstrates that microelectronic neural bridging can be used to restore neural function between different injured nerves.     

Ursolic acid induces neural regeneration after sciatic nerve injury

In this study,we aimed to explore the role of ursolic acid in the neural regeneration of the injured sciatic nerve.BALB/c mice were used to establish models of sciatic nerve injury through unilateral sciatic nerve complete transection and microscopic anastomosis at 0.5 cm below the ischial tuberosity.The successfully generated model mice were treated with 10,5,or 2.5 mg/kg ursolic acid via intraperitoneal injection.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay results showed that serum S100 protein expression level gradually increased at 1-4 weeks after sciatic nerve injury,and significantly decreased at 8 weeks.As such,ursolic acid has the capacity to significantly increase S100 protein expression levels.Real-time quantitative PCR showed that S100 mRNA expression in the L4-6 segments on the injury side was increased after ursolic acid treatment.In addition,the muscular mass index in the soleus muscle was also increased in mice treated with ursolic acid.Toluidine blue staining revealed that the quantity and average diameter of myelinated nerve fibers in the injured sciatic nerve were significantly increased after treatment with ursolic acid.10 and 5 mg/kg of ursolic acid produced stronger effects than 2.5 mg/kg of ursolic acid.Our findings indicate that ursolic acid can dose-dependently increase S100 expression and promote neural regeneration in BALB/c mice following sciatic nerve injury.     

Persimmon leaf flavonoid induces brain ischemic tolerance in mice

The persimmon leaf has been shown to improve cerebral ischemic outcomes; however, its mechanism of action remains unclear. In this study, mice were subjected to 10 minutes of ischemic preconditioning, and persimmon leaf flavonoid was orally administered for 5 days. Results showed that the persimmon leaf flavonoid significantly improved the content of tissue type plasminogen activator and 6-keto prostaglandin-F1 α in the cerebral cortex, decreased the content of thromboxane B2, and reduced the content of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in mice. Following optical microscopy, persimmon leaf flavonoid was also shown to reduce cell swelling and nuclear hyperchromatism in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of mice. These results suggested that persimmon leaf flavonoid can effectively inhibit brain thrombosis, improve blood supply to the brain, and relieve ischemia-induced pathological damage, resulting in brain ischemic tolerance.     

Neuroprotective effects of tadalafil on gerbil dopaminergic neurons following cerebral ischemia

Impairment of dopamine function, which is known to have major effects on behaviors and cognition, is one of the main problems associated with cerebral ischemia. Tadalafil, a long-acting phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor, is known to ameliorate neurologic impairment induced by brain injury, but not in dopaminergic regions. We investigated the neuroprotective effects of treatment with tadalafil on cyclic guanosine monophosphate level and dopamine function following cerebral ischemia. Forty adult Mongolian gerbils were randomly and evenly divided into five groups (n = 8 in each group): Sham-operation group, cerebral ischemia-induced and 0, 0.1, 1, and 10 mg/kg tadalafil-treated groups, respectively. Tadalafil dissolved in distilled water was administered orally for 7 consecutive days, starting 1 day after surgery. Cyclic guanosine monophosphate assay and immunohistochemistry were performed for thyrosine hydroxylase expression and western blot analysis for dopamine D₂ receptor expression. A decrease in cyclic guanosine monophosphate level following cerebral ischemia was found with an increase in thyrosine hydroxylase activity and a decrease in dopamine D₂ receptor expression in the striatum and substantia nigra region. However, treatment with tadalafil increased cyclic guanosine monophosphate expression, suppressed thyrosine hydroxylase expression and increased dopamine D₂ receptor expression in the striatum and substantia nigra region in a dose-dependent manner. Tadalafil might ameliorate cerebral ischemia-induced dopaminergic neuron injury. Therefore, tadalafil has the potential as a new neuroprotective treatment strategy for cerebral ischemic injury.     

Ultrasound measurement of the corpus callosum and neural development of premature infants

Length and thickness of 152 corpus callosa were measured in neonates within 24 hours of birth.Using ultrasonic diagnostic equipment with a neonatal brain-specific probe,corpus callosum length and thickness of the genu,body,and splenium were measured on the standard mid-sagittal plane,and the anteroposterior diameter of the genu was measured in the coronal plane.Results showed that corpus callosum length as well as thickness of the genu and splenium increased with gestational age and birth weight,while other measures did not.These three factors on the standard mid-sagittal plane are therefore likely to be suitable for real-time evaluation of corpus callosum development in premature infants using cranial ultrasound.Further analysis revealed that thickness of the body and splenium and the anteroposterior diameter of the genu were greater in male infants than in female infants,suggesting that there are sex differences in corpus callosum size during the neonatal period.A second set of measurements were taken from 40 premature infants whose gestational age was 34 weeks or less.Corpus callosum measurements were corrected to a gestational age of 40 weeks,and infants were grouped for analysis depending on the outcome of a neonatal behavioral neurological assessment.Compared with infants with a normal neurological assessment,corpus callosum length and genu and splenium thicknesses were less in those with abnormalities,indicating that corpus callosum growth in premature infants is associated with neurobehavioral development during the early extrauterine stage.     

The existence of propagated sensation along the meridian proved by neuroelectrophysiology

Propagated sensation along the meridian can occur when acupoints are stimulated by acupuncture or electrical impulses. In this study, participants with notable propagated sensation along the me-ridian ...     

Changes in nerve microcirculation following peripheral nerve compression

Following peripheral nerve compression, peripheral nerve microcirculation plays important roles in regulating the nerve microenvironment and neurotrophic substances, supplying blood and oxygen and maintaining neural conduction and axonal transport. This paper has retrospectively analyzed the articles published in the past 10 years that addressed the relationship between peripheral nerve compression and changes in intraneural microcirculation. In addition, we describe changes in different peripheral nerves, with the aim of providing help for further studies in peripheral nerve microcirculation and understanding its protective mechanism, and exploring new clinical methods for treating peripheral nerve compression from the perspective of neural microcirculation.     

骨不连治疗的研究与技术应用进展*

背景：骨不连是骨折晚期常见的临床问题，数十年来，在各种新式内外固定材料、普及的显微外科技术、创新的植骨材料，尤其是分子生物学技术的全面帮助下，骨不连的治疗取得了突破性进展。
　　目的：总结骨不连治疗的研究进展，为以后更好地治疗骨不连提供技术理论和方法选择。
　　方法：由第一作者运用计算机检索系统检索1990年1月至2013年5月发表的有关骨不连原因及治疗方法的文献，以“fracture nonunion，treatment，progress”或“骨不连，治疗方法，进展”为检索词。同一领域则选择近期发表或者发表在权威杂志的文章。
　　结果与结论：排除重复性研究及时间跨度大的文献，从检索结果中共选择了48篇文章进一步分析。骨不连治疗手段主要有两种：非手术方式和手术方式，目前临床上以手术方式为主且高效。骨折愈合是多环节参与的复杂过程，一旦骨不连发生，应具体问题具体分析，根据患者的实际情况采取个体化治疗原则，重视软组织的保护，必要时联合运用多种手术及非手术方法，才能取得满意的疗效。