Abstract Objectives: Depression is common after both lacunar stroke and non-lacunar stroke and might be associated with lesion locations as proven by some studies. This study aimed to identify whether lesion location was critical for depression after both lacunar and non-lacunar strokes. Methods: A cohort of ischemic stroke patients was assigned to either a lacunar stroke group or a non-lacunar stroke group after a brain MRI scan. Neurological deficits and treatment response was evaluated during hospitalization. The occurrence of depression was evaluated 3 months later. Logistic regressions were used to identify the independent risk factors for depression after lacunar and non-lacunar stroke respectively. Results: 83 of 246 patients with lacunar stroke and 71 of 185 patients with non-lacunar stroke developed depression. Infarctions in the frontal cortex, severe neurological deficits, and a high degree of handicap were identified as the independent risk factors for depression after non-lacunar stroke, while lesion location was not associated with depression after lacunar stroke. Conclusion: The main determinants for depression after lacunar and non-lacunar stroke were different. Lesion location was critical only for depression after non-lacunar stroke.

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the impact of Ramipril (RAM) on the expressions of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and renal mesangial matrix (RMM) in rats with diabetic nephropathy (DN). Methods: The Sprague Dawley rats were divided into normal control (NC) group (n = 12), DN group (n = 11), and DN+RAM group (n = 12). The ratio of renal weight to body weight (RBT), fasting blood glucose (FBG), HbA1c, 24-h urine protein (TPU), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr), renal pathological changes, the levels of IGF-1, fibronectin (FN), type IV collagen (Col-IV), and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 were compared among the groups. Results: Compared with NC group, the RBT, FBG, HbA1c, TPU, BUN, Cr, and RMM in DN group were significantly increased (P < 0.05), the IGF-1, FN, and Col-IV were significantly upregulated (P < 0.05), while MMP was significantly downregulated (P < 0.05). Compared with DN group, the indexes except for the FBG and HbA1c in DN+RAM group were significantly improved (P < 0.05), among which IGF-1 exhibited significant positive correlation with TPU(r=0.937), FN(r=0.896) and Col-IV(r=0.871), while significant negative correlation with MMP-2 (r=-0.826) (P<0.05). Conclusion: RAM may protect the kidneys by suppressing IGF-1 and mitigating the accumulation of RMM.

Abstract Background Cimicifuga racemosa is one of the herbs used for the treatment of climacteric syndrome, and it has been cited as an alternative therapy to estrogen. Apart from hectic fevers, dyspareunia and so on, dry mouth also increase significantly after menopause. It has not yet been reported whether C. racemosa has any impact on the sublingual gland, which may relate to dry mouth. In an attempt to determine this, we have compared the effects of estrogen and C. racemosa on the sublingual gland of ovariectomized rats. Results HE staining showed that the acinar cell area had contracted and that the intercellular spaces were broadened in the OVX (ovariectomized rats) group, while treatment with estradiol (E2) and iCR (isopropanolic extract of C. racemosa) improved these lesions. Transmission electron microscopy showed that rough endoplasmic reticulum expansion in mucous and serous acinar epithelial cells and apoptotic cells was more commonly seen in the OVX group than in the SHAM (sham-operated rats) group. Mitochondria and plasma membrane infolding lesions in the striated ducts were also observed. These lesions were alleviated by both treatments. It is of note that, in the OVX + iCR group, the volume of mitochondria in the striated duct was larger than in other groups. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the ratio of caspase-3 positive cells was significantly increased in the acinar cells of the OVX group compared with the SHAM group (p < 0.05); and the MA (mean absorbance) of caspase-3 in the striated ducts also increased (p < 0.05). Estradiol decreased the ratio of caspase-3 positive cells and the MA of caspase-3 in striated ducts significantly (p < 0.05). ICR also reduced the ratio of caspase-3 positive cells and the MA in the striated ducts (p < 0.05), but the reduction of the MA in striated ducts was inferior to that of the OVX + E2 group (p < 0.05). Conclusion Both estradiol and iCR can inhibit subcellular structural damage, and down-regulate the expression of caspase-3 caused by ovariectomy, but their effects were not identical, suggesting that both drugs confer a protective effect on the sublingual gland of ovariectomized rats, but that the specific location and mechanism of action producing these effects were different.

ABSTRACT Residue management in cropping systems may improve soil quality. However, there are few studies on the effects of residue management on soil aggregation and carbon content in the humin (C-HUM), humic acid (C-HAF) and fulvic acid (C-FAF) fractions in South China. Therefore, the effects on soil aggregation and on the C-HUM, C-HAF, C-FAF from incorporating winter cover crop residues in a double-cropped rice (Oryza sativa L.) system in South China fields were studied. The experiment has been conducted since winter 2004. Five winter cropping systems were used: rice-rice-ryegrass (Ry-R-R), rice-rice-Chinese milk vetch (Mv-R-R), rice-rice-potato (Po-R-R), rice-rice-rape (Ra-R-R) and rice-rice with winter fallow (Fa-R-R). The results indicated that the organic C content in the paddy soil under the Ry-R-R, Mv-R-R, Po-R-R, and Ra-R-R systems was significantly higher than the content in the Fa-R-R system at the early rice and late rice maturity stages. The different sizes of aggregates under the five treatments showed similar trends. The Po-R-R systems had the highest percentage of soil aggregates in each size class and the Fa-R-R systems had the lowest percentage of soil aggregates in each size class in the 0.00-0.05, 0.05-0.10, and 0.10-0.20 m soil depth at the early rice and late rice maturity stages. The C-HUM, C-HAF, and C-FAF increased through long-term application of winter cover crop residues. Statistical analysis showed that the C-HAF under the Ra-R-R systems was significantly higher than that in the Fa-R-R systems at the early rice and late rice maturity stages. The C-FAF and C-HUM under the Mv-R-R systems was significantly higher than the C-FAF and C-HUM in the Fa-R-R systems at the early rice and late rice maturity stages. As a result, the soil organic C content, the soil aggregates in each size class, and the C-HUM, C-HAF, and C-FAF increased from application of winter cover crop residues in double-cropped rice systems.

The role of B cells in the pathogenesis of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has not been explored in depth. In the present study, the activation status of B cells from peripheral blood of healthy controls (N = 20) and patients with acute hepatitis B (AHB, N = 15) or chronic hepatitis B (CHB, N = 30) was evaluated by measuring the expression levels of B-cell activation markers CD69 and CD86, using quantitative real-time PCR and flow cytometry. Moreover, the potential mechanism underlying B-cell activation during HBV infection was further investigated by analyzing the expression profile of FCRL1, an intrinsic activation molecule of B cells. An elevation in the levels of B-cell activation markers including CD69 and CD86 was observed in the AHB patients (44.31 ± 9.27, 27.64 ± 9.26%) compared to CHB patients (30.35 ± 11.27, 18.41 ± 6.56%, P < 0.05), which was still higher than healthy controls (12.23 ± 7.84, 8.22 ± 3.43%, P < 0.05). Furthermore, the expression of FCRL1 was found to be similar to B-cell activation markers, which was highest in AHB patients (70.15 ± 17.11%), lowest in healthy donors (36.32 ± 9.98%, P < 0.05) and half-way between these levels in patients with CHB (55.17 ± 12.03%, P < 0.05). The results were positively associated with aberrant B-cell activation. These data suggest that B cells can play a role in HBV infection, and therefore more effort should be devoted to exploring their functions.

Dois novos complexos de cobre(II), [Cu4Cl6O(C6H11 N3)4] e [CuBr2(C6H11N3)4], foram sintetizados e caracterizados por difratometria de raios X de monocristal, espectroscopia de absorção no infravermelho e análise elementar. Os compostos apresentaram voltamogramas cíclicos similares e boas atividades eletrocatalíticas com relação à redução de peróxido de hidrogênio e ácido tricloroacético. Os limites de detecção, a faixa linear de calibração e as sensibilidades dos eletrodos são, respectivamente, 0,01 μmol L-1, 0,02 a 0,20 μmol L-1 e 98,80 μA μmol L-1 para o peróxido de hidrogênio e 0,01 μmol L-1, 0,02 a 0.20 μmol L-1 e 80,05 μA μmol L-1 para o ácido tricloroacético.

Two new copper(II) complexes, [Cu4Cl6O(C6H11 N3)4] (1) and [CuBr2(C6H11N3)4] (2), were synthesized and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffractometry, IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. They were used as bulk modifiers for the fabrication of two carbon paste electrodes (Cu-CPE): 1-CPE and 2-CPE. They had similar electrochemical behaviors characterized by cyclic voltammetry and good electrocatalytic activities toward the reduction of hydrogen peroxide and trichloroacetic acid. The detection limits, linear calibration ranges and sensitivities were respectively 0.01 μmol L-1, 0.02 to 0.20 μmol L-1 and 98.80 μA μmol L-1 for hydrogen peroxide detection, and 0.01 μmol L-1, 0.02 to 0.20 μmol L-1 and 80.05 μA μmol L-1 for trichloroacetic acid detection.