[Puerarin alleviates cognitive impairment and tau hyperphosphorylation in APP/PS1 transgenic mice].

To observe the effect of puerarin on learning and memory function and tau phosphorylation in APP/PS1 transgenic mice, drugs were administered to 3-month old APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Learning and memory function of mice were assessed by Morris water maze test 3 months after treatment. Animals were decapitated after behavioral test. The levels of Aß were detected by ELISA, the expression of protein [tau, phosphorylated tau, GSK3ß and p-GSK3ß(Ser9)] were assessed by Western blot. Morris water maze test showed that the escape latency of APP/PS1 double transgenic mice was significantly longer than that of the normal control group, and the residence time of the original quadrant was significantly shorter. The escape latency of puerarin group was significantly shorter and the residence time of the original quadrant was prolonged compared with the model group. Compared with the normal control group, the levels of Aß in the cortex of APP/PS1 transgenic mice were increased, the expression of phosphorylated tau was significantly increased, and the expression of phosphorylated GSK3ß(Ser9) protein was decreased. Treatment with puerarin, the latency of APP/PS1 transgenic mice was significantly reduced, the level of Aß was decreased, the expression of phosphorylated tau was significantly decreased, and the expression of phosphorylated GSK3ß(Ser9) protein was increased. Puerarin improves the learning and memory impairment by reducing the formation of Aß, activating the GSK3ß signaling pathway, inhibiting the phosphorylation of tau in APP/PS1 double transgenic mice.

[Mechanisms of foam cell formation in smooth muscle cell derived from bone marrow stem cells].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a model of smooth muscle cells differentiated from bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC-SMCs) in vitro and explore the relationship between scavenger receptors A (SR-A) and caveolin-1. METHODS: BMSCs were isolated from the femoral bone of SD rats by adherent culture. After treatment of the BMSC-SMCs with 80 mg/L ox-LDL for 72 h, Western blotting was performed to detect the expression of scavenger receptor SR-A, cell cholesterol transport protein ATP-binding cassette transporter Al (ABCA1) and caveolin-1. RESULTS: BMCS-SMCs became foam cells after treatment with ox-LDL. BMSC-SMC gave rise to more foam cell formation than VSMCs did. Western blotting showed that treatment with 80 mg/L ox-LDL for 72 h resulted in significantly increased expression of SR-A and significantly decreased expressions of ABCA1 and caveolin-1. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of BMCS-SMCs with ox-LDL results in cholesterol ester accumulation in the cells to result in foam cells, the mechanism of which involves up-regulation of scavenger receptor SR-A expression and down-regulation of the reverse cholesterol transport protein ABCA1 and caveolin-1 expression.

[Proton spectroscopy findings of meningioma].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the characteristics of 1HMRSI and its diagnostic value on meningioma. METHODS: The findings of conventional MRI and of 1HMRSI from 11 cases of clinically proven meningiomas and from 12 normal volunteers were comparatively analyzed. The imaging sequences included T1-weighted imaging and T2-weighted imaging; additionally T1-weighted imaging with injection of the contrast agent of Gd-DTPA was performed in all meningioma cases. Two-dimensional phase encoding of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (2D 1HMRSI) were obtained in all cases. RESULTS: On conventional pre-contrast MRI, the signals in 8 meningioma cases showed medium or faintly low intensities and in 3 cases showed mixed intensities on T1WI. On T2WI, the signals in 7 cases showed medium or faintly high intensities and in 4 cases showed mixed intensities. After injection of Gd-DTPA, the solid portion of tumors exhibited obvious enhancement in all meningioma cases. "Dural trail sign" was revealed in 7 cases. Peri-tumor edema was evident in 11 meningioma cases. Compared with control group, 1HMRSI of all meningiomas revealed different spectral peaks, including absent acetylaspartate (NAA), prominent choline (Cho), and reduced phosphocreatine (Pcr). The ratios of Cho/Pcr obviously increased. The peak of lactate (Lac) was visualized in 2 meningioma cases. CONCLUSION: Most cases of meningioma can be diagnosed with conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 1HMRSI can yield more informative findings about meningioma via the observed metabolic materials changes in tumor cells. So conventional MRI is the most important technology for diagnosing meningioma and 1HMRS combined with MRI can improve the diagnostic accuracy. 1HMRSI can be an important supplemental means in the diagnosis of meningiomas.

[Diagnostic value of MR diffusion tensor imaging on radiation-induced early brain injury of nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiotherapy].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: MR diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), a new MRI technique, can observe water molecule diffusion non-invasively at molecular level. This study was to assess diagnostic value of DTI on post-radiotherapy brain injury by quantitatively analyzing diffuse features of water in bilateral temporal lobes alba of those nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients with normal conventional MRI performances. METHODS: DTI was performed in 13 NPC patients with normal conventional MRI performances after radiotherapy, and 21 healthy controls. Isotropic apparent diffusion coefficient (ADCiso) and anisotropic index (AI) were measured in bilateral temporal lobes alba. RESULTS: ADCiso of patient group was (631.30+/-27.83) x 10(-6) mm2/s, while that of control group was (651.76+/-39.10) x 10(-6) mm2/s (P>0.05). Temporal lobes diffusion AI decreased significantly in patient group, mean fractional anisotropy (FA) was 0.405+/-0.042, mean relative anisotropy (RA) was 0.355+/-0.044, and mean 1 minus volume ratio (1-VR) was 0.192+/-0.042; while those in control group were 0.463+/-0.047, 0.418+/-0.052, and 0.257+/-0.055, respectively (P< 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: DTI can early detect subtle alba changes in NPC patients after radiotherapy, which conventional MRI failed to sense. AI is more sensitive than ADCiso, may better describe the diffuse features of water molecules, and evaluate the temporal lobes alba changes before and after NPC radiotherapy.