Involvement of Akt/GSK3β/CREB signaling pathway on chronic omethoate induced depressive-like behavior and improvement effects of combined lithium chloride and astaxanthin treatment.

Chronic organophosphorus pesticides (OP) exposure is associated with an increased risk of depression, and there is an urgent need to find an effective treatment for the depressive-like symptoms caused by OP. The main purpose of this study was to investigate whether combined lithium chloride (LiCl) and astaxanthin (AST) treatment would manifest synergetic antidepressant effects on mice with chronic OP exposure, and to determine the role of the Akt/GSK3β/CREB signaling pathway. Our results showed that chronic omethoate exposure significantly increased immobility time in behavioral tests and induced neuron damage in HE staining.

Picroside II has a neuroprotective effect by inhibiting ERK1/2 activation after cerebral ischemic injury in rats.

In the study, the neuroprotective effect and underlying mechanism of picroside II were explored, and its involvement in the ERK1/2 signal pathway after cerebral ischemia injury in rats. A monofilament thread was inserted to generate middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in 100 Wistar rats that were administered an intraperitoneal injection of picroside II (20 mg/kg). The neurobehavioural function of rats was evaluated using a modified neurological severity score (mNSS) test.

Picroside II Inhibits Neuronal Apoptosis and Improves the Morphology and Structure of Brain Tissue following Cerebral Ischemic Injury in Rats.

This paper aimed to explore the protective effects of picroside II against the neuronal apoptosis and changes in morphology and structure that follow cerebral ischemic injury in rats. A focal cerebral ischemic model was established by inserting a monofilament thread to achieve middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in 60 Wistar rats, and intraperitoneal injections of picroside II (20 mg/kg) were administered. The neurobehavioral functions were evaluated with the modified neurological severity score (mNSS) test.

Neuregulin1β improves cognitive dysfunction and up-regulates expression of p-ERK1/2 in rats with chronic omethoate poisoning.

Objective: To observe the effects of neuregulin1β (NRG1β) on the level of phosphorylated ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2), and explore the therapeutic mechanism of NRG1β on the cognitive dysfunction in rats with chronic omethoate poisoning.

Methods: Rats with strong learning and memory ability, 50 in total, were selected by Y-electric maze test. Among which, 15 rats were randomly selected into control group, and the rest 35 rats were used to establish experimental cognitive impairment models by being injected with omethoate subcutaneously.

Optimal therapeutic dose and time window of picroside II in cerebral ischemic injury.

A preliminary study from our research group showed that picroside II inhibited neuronal apoptosis in ischemic penumbra, reduced ischemic volume, and improved neurobehavioral function in rats with cerebral ischemia. The aim of the present study was to validate the neuroprotective effects of picroside II and optimize its therapeutic time window and dose in a rat model of cerebral ischemia. We found that picroside II inhibited cell apoptosis and reduced the expression of neuron-specific enolase, a marker of neuronal damage, in rats after cerebral ischemic injury.

The neuroprotective effect of picroside II via regulating the expression of myelin basic protein after cerebral ischemia injury in rats.

Background: To explore the neuroprotective effect and optimize the therapeutic dose and time window of picroside II by orthogonal test and the expression of myelin basic protein (MBP) in cerebral ischemic injury in rats. Bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) was used to establish forebrain ischemia models. The successful rat models were grouped according to orthogonal experimental design and injected picroside II intraperitoneally at different ischemic time with different doses.

[Quantitative evaluation of the degrees of traditional Chinese medicine qualitative syndromes of osteoporosis].

Objective: To establish a quantitative estimate model for diagnosing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes of patients with osteoporosis.

Methods: Symptoms and signs of osteoporosis and methodology related to syndrome research were collected by reviewing medical literature. The symptoms and sighs were quantitatively classified into three, two or one category according to a 100-mm visual analog scale.

[A study of diagnostic criteria for traditional Chinese medicine syndromes in osteoporosis].

Objective: To establish diagnostic criteria for common traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes in osteoporosis.

Methods: Based on the collection and analysis of related medical literature, clinical investigation, and expert discussion, a draft of preliminary diagnostic criteria for the basic syndromes of TCM in patients with osteoporosis was formulated. Then it was used in clinic for verification and revised repeatedly until a formal version of diagnostic criteria was satisfactorily achieved.

Neuroprotective potential beyond immunoregulation of helminth infection as a therapeutic target in multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common disabling autoimmune disease in young adults which does not have an effective treatment. The prevalence of immune-mediated diseases is higher in developed countries with hygienic environments, suggesting that helminthic infection may protect from autoimmune diseases. Previously, we reported that soluble egg antigens (SEA) from Schistosoma japonicum suppressed experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS, through up-regulating T helper-2 (Th2) immune responses in both the peripheral and central target organs.

Interfering effect and mechanism of neuregulin on experimental dementia model in rats.

Objective: To investigate the effect of neuregulin 1β (NRG1β) on the neuronal apoptosis and the expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins in experimental dementia model rats.

Methods: Thirty adult healthy male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group, model group and treated group consisting of 10 rats, respectively. The experimental dementia models were established by injecting beta-amyloid protein 1-40 (Aβ1-40) stereotactically into the left lateral ventricle, and treated by injecting NRG1β into right lateral ventricle.

[Quantitative evaluation of the degrees of qualitative syndromes commonly encountered in patients with coronary heart disease].

Objective: To establish a quantitative model for evaluating the degree of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes often seen in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).

Methods: Medical literature concerning clinical investigation of TCM syndromes of CHD was collected and organized, and the "Hall for Workshop of Metasynthetic Engineering" expert symposium method was applied. First, the 100 millimeter scaling was used for combining with scoring on degree of symptoms to establish a quantitative criterion for classification of symptom degree in CHD patients, and the model was established by using comprehensive analytic hierarchy process as the mathematical tool to estimate the weight of the criterion for evaluating qualitative syndromes in various layers by specialists.

Asymmetry in the brain influenced the neurological deficits and infarction volume following the middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats.

Background: Paw preference in rats is similar to human handedness, which may result from dominant hemisphere of rat brain. However, given that lateralization is the uniqueness of the humans, many researchers neglect the differences between the left and right hemispheres when selecting the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in rats. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of ischemia in the dominant hemisphere on neurobehavioral function and on the cerebral infarction volume following MCAO in rats.