Structural and functional brain changes in early- and mid-stage primary open-angle glaucoma using voxel-based morphometry and functional magnetic resonance imaging.

To investigate structural and functional brain changes in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) by using voxel-based morphometry based on diffeomorphic anatomical registration through exponentiated Lie algebra (VBM-DARTEL) and blood oxygenation level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI), respectively.Thirteen patients diagnosed with POAG and 13 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled in the study. For each participant, high-resolution structural brain imaging and blood flow imaging were acquired on a 3.0-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Structural and functional changes between the POAG and control groups were analyzed. An analysis was carried out to identify correlations between structural and functional changes acquired in the previous analysis and the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL).Patients in the POAG group showed a significant (P < 0.001) volume increase in the midbrain, left brainstem, frontal gyrus, cerebellar vermis, left inferior parietal lobule, caudate nucleus, thalamus, precuneus, and Brodmann areas 7, 18, and 46. Moreover, significant (P < 0.001) BOLD signal changes were observed in the right supramarginal gyrus, frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, left inferior parietal lobule, left cuneus, and left midcingulate area; many of these regions had high correlations with the RNFL.Patients with POAG undergo widespread and complex changes in cortical brain structure and blood flow. (ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT02570867).

[Therapeutic effect of emodin in experimental periodonititis rats].

AIM: Through observing the change of Nitric Oxide (NO) in the peripheral blood and gingival tissue, to explore the mechanism of Emodin (EMD) in the therapy of periodontal disease. METHODS: SD rats were randomly divided into four groups of thirty (group N, group P, group PL and the group PH). The periodontitis model was made and EMD was administered at PL and PH. At the 4th, 6th, 8th weeks after the animal models were established, the rats were killed respectively and the maxilla and the peripheral blood were collected. A side of maxilla was stained with HE for histological examination and the other side of gingival tissue surround ligated tooth was collected for the measurement of NO. Also, it was measured in the peripheral blood. GLM method using SPSS was used to compare changes in each of the variables over time. RESULTS: The levels of NO in the peripheral blood and gingival tissue in PL and PH groups were significantly lower than that in P groups(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Emodin can take effect on periodontitis by reducing the levels of NO in the peripheral blood and gingival tissue.