Impedance cardiographic hemodynamic variables and hypertension in elderly Han residents.

Objective: We studied the relationship between systolic blood pressure and hemodynamics using impedance cardiography in elderly Han residents in order to evaluate how different hemodynamic variables are altered with normal aging and with hypertension superimposed on aging.

Methods: A total of 670 subjects, aged 60-93 years, were evaluated with impedance cardiography for non-invasive hemodynamic variables. The subjects were categorized as hypertensives or normotensives, and then they were also divided into six subgroups according to actual systolic blood pressure values.

Short-term delayed recall of auditory verbal learning test is equivalent to long-term delayed recall for identifying amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

Delayed recall of words in a verbal learning test is a sensitive measure for the diagnosis of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and early Alzheimer's disease (AD). The relative validity of different retention intervals of delayed recall has not been well characterized. Using the Auditory Verbal Learning Test-Huashan version, we compared the differentiating value of short-term delayed recall (AVL-SR, that is, a 3- to 5-minute delay time) and long-term delayed recall (AVL-LR, that is, a 20-minute delay time) in distinguishing patients with aMCI (n = 897) and mild AD (n = 530) from the healthy elderly (n = 1215).

Premature mortality risk in people with convulsive epilepsy: long follow-up of a cohort in rural China.

Purpose: Detailed data on the mortality of epilepsy are still lacking from resource-poor settings. We conducted a long-term follow-up survey in a cohort of people with convulsive epilepsy in rural areas of China. In this longitudinal prospective study we investigated the causes of death and premature mortality risk among people with epilepsy.

Long-term outcome of phenobarbital treatment for epilepsy in rural China: a prospective cohort study.

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term outcome of phenobarbital treatment for convulsive epilepsy in rural China, and to explore factors associated with overall seizure outcomes.

Methods: We carried out follow-up assessments of people who took part in an epilepsy community management program conducted in rural counties of six provinces in China. People with convulsive epilepsy who were previously untreated (or on irregular treatment) were commenced on regular treatment with phenobarbital.

Effects of ghrelin on the intracellular calcium concentration in rat aorta vascular smooth muscle cells.

Background/aims: Ghrelin has been regarded as a cardioprotective factor with complicated mechanisms. Whether ghrelin is vasodilative or vasoconstrictive in nature is controversial, and the effects of ghrelin on intracellular calcium concentration are still unclear. To explore the mechanisms involved in the vasoactive regulation of ghrelin at the cellular level, we investigated the effects of ghrelin on calcium concentrations in rat aorta vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs).

Peripheral stimulation in treating Parkinson's disease: Is it a realistic idea or a romantic whimsicality?

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common, however, intractable neurodegenerative disorder in the aging population. Levodopa (l-dopa) administration is regarded as the most effective strategy in treating PD with prominent motor side-effects after undergoing long-term treatment. Surgical therapies such as deep brain stimulation (DBS) show certain efficacy, yet there are several limitations in adopting such surgical procedures.

Memory and Executive Screening (MES): a brief cognitive test for detecting mild cognitive impairment.

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), defined as a transitional zone between normal cognition and dementia, requires a battery of formal neuropsychological tests administered by a trained rater for its diagnosis. The objective of this study was to develop a screening tool for MCI.

Methods: One hundred ninety seven cognitively normal controls (NC), one hundred sixteen patients with amnestic MCI -single domain (aMCI-sd), one hundred ninety five patients with amnestic MCI-multiple domain (aMCI-md), and two hundred twenty eight patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) were evaluated by comprehensive neuropsychological tests and by the Memory and Executive Screening (MES).

A randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, multicenter, controlled trial on brotizolam intervention in outpatients with insomnia.

Aim: To investigate the efficacy and safety of brotizolam in outpatients with insomnia.

Methods: This randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, multicenter, controlled trial recruited 253 outpatients randomized to receive either brotizolam (n = 126) or estazolam (n = 127) for 14 days followed by 1 week of follow-up for rebound detection. Sleep Dysfunction Rating Scale (SDRS) and Clinical General Impression Scale were applied for efficacy evaluation.

Transcranial Doppler ultrasound for screening cerebral small vessel disease: a community study.

Background And Purpose: We explored the association between pulsatility index (PI) as derived from transcranial Doppler ultrasound with various measures of small vessel disease in the community.

Methods: We performed transcranial Doppler and magnetic resonance imaging in 205 consecutive community-dwelling elderly subjects who were participants of the Shanghai Aging Study. We investigated the association between middle cerebral artery (MCA) PI with measures of white matter lesions (WML), lacunes, and microbleeds.

Different impacts of blood pressure variability on the progression of cerebral microbleeds and white matter lesions.

Background And Purpose: Cerebral microbleeds (CMB) and white matter lesions (WML) are cerebral small vessel diseases. Hypertension is considered the most important risk factor. Its mechanism is not yet clarified.

miR-21 represses FasL in microglia and protects against microglia-mediated neuronal cell death following hypoxia/ischemia.

A growing body of evidence suggests that microRNA (miRNA) dysregulation contributes to many types of human disease, including central nervous system disorders. In this study, we identified an inverse correlation between the expression of miR-21 and Fas ligand (FasL) during hypoxia-induced microglial activation. Specifically, hypoxia caused the upregulation of FasL expression but the downregulation of miR-21 expression in microglia.

Aurora kinase inhibitor VE 465 synergistically enhances cytotoxicity of carboplatin in ovarian cancer cells through induction of apoptosis and downregulation of histone 3.

Aurora kinases are essential for regulation of chromosome segregation and cytokinesis during mitosis and play a role in growth and progression of human tumors, including ovarian cancer. Aurora A and Aurora B are frequently overexpressed in high-grade and low-grade ovarian cancers. Targeting Aurora kinases has great potential for improving the efficacy of chemotherapies of ovarian cancer.

Synergistic effect between apolipoprotein E ε4 and diabetes mellitus for dementia: result from a population-based study in urban China.

Diabetes is thought to contribute to cognitive impairment in the elderly. The risk may be modified by genetic factors such as apolipoprotein E (APOE). We aim to determine the prevalence of dementia in Chinese diabetics and non-diabetic individuals, and assess the effect of the APOE genotype.

Effects of low-frequency hippocampal stimulation on gamma-amino butyric acid type B receptor expression in pharmacoresistant amygdaloid kindling epileptic rats.

Objective: To observe the effect of low-frequency hippocampal stimulation on gamma-amino butyric acid type B (GABA-B) receptor expression in hippocampus pharmacoresistant epileptic rats.

Materials And Methods: Sixteen pharmacoresistant epileptic rats were selected by testing their seizure response to phenytoin and phenobarbital, and they were randomly divided into a pharmacoresistant control group (PRC group, eight rats) and a pharmacoresistant stimulation group (PRS group, eight rats). Another 16 pharmacosensitive epileptic rats were served as control, also divided randomly into a pharmacosensitive control group (PSC group) and a pharmacosensitive stimulation group (PSS group).

Cognitive and mood effects of phenobarbital treatment in people with epilepsy in rural China: a prospective study.

Background: Phenobarbital is an effective treatment for epilepsy but concerns remain over its potential neurocognitive toxicity. This prospective study evaluated the effects of phenobarbital treatment on cognition and mood in people with epilepsy in rural China.

Methods: We recruited 144 adults with convulsive seizures and 144 healthy controls from six sites in rural China.

Targeted therapy for glioma using cyclic RGD-entrapped polyionic complex nanomicelles.

Background: The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of cyclic Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptide conjugated with polyionic complex nanomicelles as targeted therapy for glioma.

Methods: A stable cyclic RGD polyionic complex nanostructure, ie, a c(RGDfC) polyionic complex micelle, was synthesized and its biocompatibility with cultured neurons was assessed using a cell viability assay. Targeted binding to cultured glioma cells was evaluated by the CdTe quantum dot marking technique and a cell viability assay.

Cognitive dysfunction in people with convulsive seizures in rural China.

One hundred and forty-four people with convulsive seizures (CS) and 144 healthy controls were evaluated for cognitive function, using a battery of neuropsychological tests. People with CS performed significantly worse than the controls on the Mini-Mental State Examination, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, auditory verbal learning test, digit span test, verbal fluency test, and digit cancellation test. The percentage of patients who had abnormal scores on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale was higher than that of controls (54.

MK-801 prevents overexpression of multidrug resistance protein 2 after status epilepticus.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether NMDA receptor was involved in the upregulation of multidrug resistance protein 2 (Mrp2) expression during status epilepticus (SE).

Methods: The alterations in the expression of Mrp2 at various time points after SE, and the inhibition of glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor on Mrp2 expression in hippocampus were both tested by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot. Moreover, immunofluorescence was also used to analyze the impact of the NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801, on the distribution of Mrp2 in different brain areas.

[Survey of comorbidities for hospitalized patients with cognitive disorders].

Objective: To provide rationales for the prevention and treatment of elderly patients with cognitive disorders through comparing the comorbidities according to different etiologies and severities.

Methods: Six groups of different cognitive status were selected. There were 438 normal cognitive subjects (NC) from Jing'an community of Shanghai.

Evaluation of clinical aspects and quality of life as risk factors for depression in patients with epilepsy.

The purpose of this study was to investigate clinical aspects and quality of life (QOL) as risk factors for depression in patients with epilepsy. One hundred and forty outpatients with a diagnosis of epilepsy who were attending our epilepsy center participated. Patients anonymously filled out a questionnaire with clinical data related to epilepsy.

Evaluation of different antiepileptic drug strategies in medically refractory epilepsy patients following epilepsy surgery.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the most appropriate antiepileptic drug strategies after successful epilepsy surgery.

Methods: A total of 131 refractory epilepsy patients who underwent epilepsy surgery from January 2005 to December 2008 in the Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into three groups (monotherapy, duotherapy, and polytherapy) according to drug combinations used immediately after epilepsy surgery.

Testosterone up-regulates seladin-1 expression by iAR and PI3-K/Akt signaling pathway in C6 cells.

The previous study indicated that DHCR24/seladin-1 was an important neuroprotective effector. However, the molecular mechanisms that androgen modulates the expression of seladin-1 remain incompletely defined. In this paper, we showed that the expression of seladin-1 was significantly increased by testosterone at all concentrations tested at the protein and mRNA levels in C6 cells, the selective AR antagonist flutamide obviously inhibited the effect in a concentration-dependent manner.