Altered resting-state functional connectivity between subregions in the thalamus and cortex in migraine without aura.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Migraine is a complex and disabling neurological disorder, the exact neurological mechanisms of which remain unclear. The thalamus is considered to be the hub of the central processing and integration of nociceptive information, as well as the modulation of these processes. METHODS: A total of 48 migraineurs without aura (MWoAs) during the interictal phase and 48 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. We utilized masked independent component analysis and seed-based functional connectivity (FC) to investigate whether MWoAs exhibited abnormal FC between subregions in the thalamus and the cortex regions. RESULTS: The MWoAs showed significantly weaker FC between the anterior dorsal thalamic nucleus and left precuneus. Additionally, MWoAs exhibited significantly reduced FC between the ventral posterior nucleus (VPN) and left precuneus, right inferior parietal lobule (R-IPL) and right middle frontal gyrus. Furthermore, the FC Z-scores between the VPN and R-IPL were negatively correlated with pain intensity in MWoAs. The disease duration of patients was negatively correlated with the FC Z-scores between the VPN and R-IPL. CONCLUSION: These altered thalamocortical connectivity patterns may contribute to multisensory integration abnormalities, deficits in pain attention, cognitive evaluation and pain modulation. Pain sensitivity and disease duration are closely tied to abnormal FC between the VPN and R-IPL. Remarkably, recurrent headache attacks might contribute to this maladaptive functional plasticity closely related to pain intensity.

[Research on dermatosis presenting recipes published in journals of traditional chinese medicine under the view of "Presenting Recipes Movement"].

A large number of secret recipes, verified recipes and efficacious-tested recipes were the product of "Presenting Recipes Movement" in the 1950s. The recipes of dermatosis were important component part in presenting recipes, and accounted for 14.5% of the total number of articles in 8 kinds of journals of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). This essay analyzed the dermatosis recipes presented as cases, and compared them with other literatures, found that these recipes were accumulated of the clinical experiences and have good efficacious cures. These recipes were related to the circumstance of epidemic diseases. These actions showed that the editors of traditional Chinese medical journals have high medical skills and knowledges at that time.

Expression of the RORα gene in Inner Mongolian cashmere goat hair follicles.

The expression of retinoid-acid-related orphan receptor α (RORα) was evaluated at the mRNA level using real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and its expression localization was determined by in situ hybridization of adult Inner Mongolian cashmere goats at different times of the year. In situ hybridization demonstrated that RORαwas expressed in secondary hair follicles of the hair shaft, inner root sheath, outer root sheath, medulla, and other parts that are target organs of the RORαreceptor gene. qRT-PCR results showed that there was no significant difference in the RORa mRNA abundance in February, April, August, and October (P > 0.05), and the only difference occurred in December relative to February, August, and October (P < 0.05). This difference revealed that melatonin possibly promotes cashmere growth through the nuclear receptor RORα. This study provides a good foundation for future studies on the relationship between the melatonin receptor and cashmere growth; in addition, it provides new insights for increased cashmere production and quality.

Identification of neutral genes at pollen sterility loci Sd and Se of cultivated rice (Oryza sativa) with wild rice (O. rufipogon) origin.

Pollen sterility is one of the main hindrances against the utilization of strong intersubspecific (indica-japonica) heterosis in rice. We looked for neutral alleles at known pollen sterility loci Sd and Se that could overcome this pollen sterility characteristic. Taichung 65, a typical japonica cultivar, and its near isogenic lines E7 and E8 for pollen sterility loci Sd and Se were employed as tester lines for crossing with 13 accessions of wild rice (O. rufipogon). Pollen fertility and genotypic segregations of the molecular markers tightly linked with Sd and Se loci were analyzed in the paired F(1)s and F(2) populations. One accession of wild rice (GZW054) had high pollen fertility in the paired F(1)s between Taichung 65 and E7 or E8. Genotypic segregations of the molecular markers tightly linked with Sd and Se loci fit the expected Mendelian ratio (1:2:1), and non-significances were shown among the mean pollen fertilities with the maternal, parental, and heterozygous genotypes of each molecular markers tightly linked with Sd and Se loci. Evidentially, it indicated that the alleles of Sd and Se loci for GZW054 did not interact with those of Taichung 65 and its near isogenic lines, and, thus were identified as neutral alleles Sd(n) and Se(n). These neutral genes could become important germplasm resources for overcoming pollen sterility in indica-japonica hybrids, making utilization of strong heterosis in such hybrids viable.

Cerebral response to patient's own name in the vegetative and minimally conscious states.

BACKGROUND: A challenge in the management of severely brain-damaged patients with altered states of consciousness is the differential diagnosis between the vegetative state (VS) and the minimally conscious state (MCS), especially for the gray zone separating these clinical entities. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the differences in brain activation in response to presentation of the patient's own name spoken by a familiar voice (SON-FV) in patients with VS and MCS. METHODS: By using fMRI, we prospectively studied residual cerebral activation to SON-FV in seven patients with VS and four with MCS. Behavioral evaluation was performed by means of standardized testing up to 3 months post-fMRI. RESULTS: Two patients with VS failed to show any significant cerebral activation. Three patients with VS showed SON-FV induced activation within the primary auditory cortex. Finally, two patients with VS and all four patients with MCS not only showed activation in primary auditory cortex but also in hierarchically higher order associative temporal areas. These two patients with VS showing the most widespread activation subsequently showed clinical improvement to MCS observed 3 months after their fMRI scan. CONCLUSION: The cerebral responses to patient's own name spoken by a familiar voice as measured by fMRI might be a useful tool to preclinically distinguish minimally conscious state-like cognitive processing in some patients behaviorally classified as vegetative.

[Study on the anti-apoptotic mechanism of ginsenoside Rg1 in cultured cortical neurons].

Ginsenoside Rg1 is an active principle isolated from Panax ginseng CA Meyer. Primary neuronal culture was performed with different concentrations of Rg1. On the 14th day, the culture was changed to serum-free medium. On the 16th day, neurons were harvested and assayed under microscope and fluorescence microscope. The result showed that serum withdrawal from the medium induced apoptosis in primary cultured cortical neurons. Rg1 (1, 10 mumol.L-1) was shown to inhibit apoptosis and protect neurons against injury. Membrane fluidity was measured using fluorescence spectrophotometer in five groups of cultured cortical neurons: control (complete medium), apoptosis (serum-free medium), Rg1 0.1 mumol.L-1, Rg1 1 mumol.L-1 and Rg1 10 mumol.L-1. Neurons were isolated enzymatically and loaded with the fluorescent dye, DPH (1, 6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene). Membrane fluidity in control neurons (eta 1.2928 +/- 0.1426) was shown to be significantly higher than that in apoptosis cells (eta 2.9277 +/- 0.2004). The membrane fluidity of neurons treated with Rg1 (0.1, 1, 10 mumol.L-1) increased significantly (eta 2.9172 +/- 0.1604, 2.4731 +/- 0.2187, 1.6436 +/- 0.1483). These findings indicate a substantial alteration of membrane fluidity with neuronal apoptosis. Increment of membrane fluidity provides an aspect of elucidating the mechanism of Rg1's anti-apoptosis function.

[Effect of age and ginsenoside Rg1 on nitric oxide content and nitric oxide synthase activity of cerebral cortex in rats].

Nitric oxide(NO) content and nitric oxide synthase(NOS) activity were measured in cerebral cortex isolated from Wistar rats of three age groups(young: 3 months; adult: 9 months; and old: 27 months). No significant differences in NO content and NOS activity between young and adult rats were found(P > 0.05). The NO content and NOS activity in old rats were shown to be significantly higher than those of young and adult rats(P < 0.01). When treated with Rg1(10, 20, 40 mg.kg-1), the NO content and NOS activity in old rats decreased. The inhibitory effect of Rg1 on NOS was found to be dose-dependent in the range of 10-40 mg.kg-1. The optimal reduction in NO content and NOS activity induced by Rg1 occurred at 40 mg.kg-1 for old rats(P < 0.01). In view of the close relationship of NO content and NOS activity with aging, the inhibitory effect of Rg1 on NOS activity, as shown by our results, might provide an explanation for its antiaging function.

[Effects of age and ginsenoside RG1 on membrane fluidity of cortical cells in rats].

Membrane fluidity was measured using fluorescence spectrophotometer in cortical cells isolated from Wistar rats of five age groups (fetal); neonatal (3 days), young (3 months), adult (9 months) and old (27 months). Neurons were enzymatically isolated and loaded with the fluorescent dye, DPH (1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene). The membrane fluidity of neonatal cells was shown to be significantly higher (eta 1.485 +/- 0.211) than that in young cells (eta 2.220 +/- 0.169), and that in young cells was significantly higher than that in old cells (eta 2.842 +/- 0.143). No significant difference in fluidity, neither between fetal and neonatal cortical cells nor between young and adult ones was observed. Ginsenoside Rg1 (Rg1) is one of the important active principles of ginseng and shares many pharmacological effects of this plant. When treated with Rg1 (10, 20, 40 mg.kg-1), the membrane fluidity of old cortical cells significantly increased (eta 2.670 +/- 0.108, 2.381 +/- 0.123, 2.000 +/- 0.101). These findings indicate a substantial alteration of membrane fluidity with neuronal aging. Increment of membrane fluidity provides an aspect in elucidating the mechanisms of Rg1's antiaging action.