Human Umbilical Cord Blood Cells Ameliorate Motor Deficits in Rabbits in a Cerebral Palsy Model.

Cerebral palsy (CP) has a significant impact on both patients and society, but therapy is limited. Human umbilical cord blood cells (HUCBC), containing various stem and progenitor cells, have been used to treat various brain genetic conditions. In small animal experiments, HUCBC have improved outcomes after hypoxic-ischemic (HI) injury.

Functional correlates of central white matter maturation in perinatal period in rabbits.

Anisotropy indices derived from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) are being increasingly used as biomarkers of central WM structural maturation, myelination and even functional development. Our hypothesis was that the rate of functional changes in central WM tracts directly reflects rate of changes in structural development as determined by DTI indices. We examined structural and functional development of four major central WM tracts with different maturational trajectories, including internal capsule (IC), corpus callosum (CC), fimbria hippocampi (FH) and anterior commissure (AC).

Unmyelinated axon loss with postnatal hypertonia after fetal hypoxia.

Objective: White matter (WM) injury due to myelination defects is believed to be responsible for the motor deficits seen in cerebral palsy. We tested the hypothesis that the predominant injury is to functional electrical connectivity in unmyelinated WM fibers by conducting a longitudinal study of central WM tracts in newborn rabbit kits with hypertonia in our model of cerebral palsy.

Methods: Pregnant rabbits at 70% gestation underwent 40-minute uterine ischemia.

Developmental susceptibility of neurons to transient tetrahydrobiopterin insufficiency and antenatal hypoxia-ischemia in fetal rabbits.

Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) is important for normal brain development as congenital BH4 deficiencies manifest movement disorders at various childhood ages. BH4 transitions from very low levels in fetal brains to higher "adult" levels postnatally, with the highest levels in the thalamus. Maternal supplementation with the BH4 precursor sepiapterin reduces postnatal motor deficits and perinatal deaths after 40-min fetal hypoxia-ischemia (HI) at 70% gestation, suggesting that brain BH4 is important in improving function after HI.

Antenatal insults modify newborn olfactory function by nitric oxide produced from neuronal nitric oxide synthase.

Newborn feeding, maternal, bonding, growth and wellbeing depend upon intact odor recognition in the early postnatal period. Antenatal stress may affect postnatal odor recognition. We investigated the exact role of a neurotransmitter, nitric oxide (NO), in newborn olfactory function.

[Study on the prevalence rate and risk factors of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in rural community population in Hubei province].

Objective: To explore the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its risk factors in rural area in the southern part of Hubei province and to provide evidence for prevention and treatment.

Methods: Using uniform scheme, procedures and questionnaire, a multistage survey for 1883 people in rural area in southern part of Hubei province was performed, and physical examinations and lung function tests were conducted for every participant.

Results: In this survey, 186 COPD cases were identified with a overall prevalence of 9.