应用小波熵分析大鼠脑电信号的动态变化特性

应用小波熵（一种新的信号复杂度测量方法）分析大鼠在不同生理状态下脑电复杂度的动态时变特性。采用慢性埋植电极记录自由活动大鼠的皮层EEG,使用多分辨率小波变换将EEG信号分解为δ、θ、α和β四个分量,求得随时间变化的小波熵。结果表明：在清醒、慢波睡眠和快动眼睡眠三种生理状态下,EEG的小波熵之间存在显著差别,并且在不同时期其值与各个分解分量之间具有不同的关系,其中,慢波睡眠期小波熵还具有较明显的变化节律,反映了EEG微状态中慢波和纺锤波的互补性。由此可见,小波熵既能区别长时间段EEG复杂度之间的差别,又能反映EEG微状态的快速变化特性。     

仙琴蛙颜色感知具有左脑优势

蛙类在暗视条件下能辨别不同颜色,但颜色感知时大脑神经活动的动态神经机制尚不清楚。本文通过分析峨眉仙琴蛙(Nidirana daunchina)在蓝、绿、黄三种颜色光刺激下脑电信号δ、θ、α、β4种节律的功率谱,研究脑电节律与颜色感知之间的关系,探索颜色感知的动态神经机制。首先采集不同颜色刺激下端脑、间脑和中脑的脑电信号,提取δ(0.5~5.5 Hz)、θ(5.5~8.5 Hz)、α(8.5~17 Hz)、β(17~45 Hz)四个节律,分析各节律的功率谱;使用三因素(颜色、脑区和性别)重复测量ANOVA和最小显著性差异法(LSD)进行统计分析。结果显示,对δ和θ节律,蓝光诱发的功率谱显著高于绿和黄颜色光;对θ、α、β三个节律,由颜色刺激引起的左间脑功率谱显著高于右间脑(P<0.05)。上述结果表明,蓝色光引发高觉醒水平,且颜色感知具有左脑优势。     

大鼠慢波睡眠和睡眠过渡期脑电信号的小波变换分析

EEG信号经常包含许多快速的时变信息 ,将较长时间段的EEG信号近似看作平稳信号 ,进行FFT谱估计 ,存在其局限性。应用多分辨率小波变换方法 ,在频域和时域上可以同时定位分析大鼠慢波睡眠和睡眠过渡期脑电的动态变化特性。采用慢性埋植电极记录自由活动大鼠的皮层脑电 ,将信号用小波变换分解成δ、θ、α和 β四个分量 ,求各分量的功率和功率百分比的时间变化曲线 ,并与FFT功率谱分析结果进行比较。结果表明 :慢波睡眠期EEG中有 2 6 .2 %± 7.7%的时间段上δ分量功率小于总功率的 5 0 % ,且δ分量较大时 ,其他分量较小 ;δ分量较小时 ,其他分量较大 ,差别显著。此结果揭示了δ节律与θ和α节律之间的一种互补关系。而传统的FFT功率谱分析方法只能显示δ分量为主 (占总功率 70 .6 %± 6 .4 % )的功率谱 ,不能提供时变信息。对于睡眠过渡期的非稳态EEG信号 ,利用小波变换分解得到的θ和α分量可以鉴别出睡眠纺锤波 ,计算睡眠纺锤波的平均持续时间 ,并比较纺锤波和非纺锤波时期各个频谱分量的变化情况。由此可见 ,小波变换可用于计算新的EEG时频定量分析指标用于分析生理、病理和药理作用引起的睡眠EEG的变化过程 ,以弥补传统FFT功率谱分析的不足之处     

电击回避训练前后快回避反应大鼠海马CA3区神经振荡的变化

本研究旨在探讨与动物空间辨别学习能力相关的神经振荡电活动及其改变。运用Y型迷宫电击回避训练方法,筛选出与空间认知能力相关的快回避反应组和普通回避反应组大鼠,无线遥测两组动物在电击回避实验前、后海马CA3区实时局部场电位(local field potential,LFP),分析与空间辨别和学习能力相关的神经振荡成分变化。结果显示,与普通回避反应组大鼠比较,电击回避训练前快回避反应组大鼠左侧海马CA3区LFP成分无显著差异,但电击回避训练后,右侧海马CA3区0~10 Hz和30~40 Hz电节律百分比显著增加(P0.01或P0.05);快速傅里叶变换显示,0~10 Hz频段百分比增加主要发生在θ波(3~7 Hz)频段,而30~40 Hz频段改变相当于γ1频段。进一步将两组大鼠训练前后的右侧CA3区神经振荡进行自身比较,结果显示训练后快回避反应组大鼠仅出现β波、β2(20~30 Hz)和γ1节律百分比增加,θ波节律百分比在训练前后无明显变化,而普通回避反应组大鼠训练前后比较显示,训练后右侧CA3区θ波节律百分比和大幅波(强度:+2.5~-2.5 db)显著减少(P0.01)。本研究结果显示,快回避反应组大鼠电击回避训练后,右侧海马CA3区β2和γ1节律百分比增加,θ波节律百分比保持较高水平,这些改变可能与其较强的空间认知能力有关。     

多通道在体记录技术——动作电位与场电位信号处理

多通道在体记录可以同时记录到多个神经元的胞外放电信号以及对应的局部场电位的活动信号。如何对记录到的这两种电信号进行合适的处理,以确保实验结果的准确性,是运用好多通道在体记录技术的关键之一。本文旨在针对多通道在体记录的原始数据,介绍动作电位及场电位信号的常用数据处理方法。动作电位信号属于高频信号,一般用40 kHz的高速采样频率进行采集和记录。根据记录到的神经元胞外动作电位波形,运用主成分分析技术,再结合四电极记录技术的优势,可对来自记录电极周围不同空间位置的神经元放电信号进行良好的甄别,从而获得较精确的单神经元放电时间序列。而局部场电位信号属低频信号(300 Hz),一般用1 kHz的采样频率进行采集和记录。记录到的场电位原始信号需要进行数字滤波,从而分离出场电位信号中不同频率段的节律性振荡。啮齿类动物海马结构中常见的节律性振荡有动物清醒活动及快速眼动睡眠时的theta节律(4~12 Hz);清醒认知活动过程中,伴随着theta节律一起出现的gamma节律(30~80 Hz);以及清醒静止及慢波睡眠时的ripple高频振荡(100~250 Hz)。针对以上处理获得的数据,常用的后续数据分析方法有:神经元放电间隔分析、神经元放电自相关与互相关分析、以及信号的频谱分析等。     

6-OHDA 帕金森病大鼠快动眼睡眠状态下 皮层脑电及基底节场电位的异常变化

目的:了解帕金森病(PD)模型大鼠在快动眼睡眠状态下皮层脑电和基底节场电位的异常变化。方法:用6-羟基多巴胺(6-OHDA)脑内两点注射法建立PD大鼠模型,并经阿扑吗啡注射诱发旋转对模型进行评价。通过多导宏电极在体电生理记录技术结合视频录像,对正常大鼠和6-OHDA大鼠PD模型进行苍白球场电位和皮层M1、M2区脑电的多部位24小时同时记录。功率谱分析和相干分析用于揭示快动眼睡眠状态下各记录位点信号的频率成分以及不同记录位点神经元集群之间的变化。结果:与正常大鼠相比,6-OHDA帕金森病模型大鼠在REM期间的皮层脑电在θ和γ频段上都有变化:初级运动皮质M1区的θ频段成分消失,辅助运动区M2的θ频段成分略有增加,患侧苍白球的θ频段成分增大显著;M1区的γ频段成分增大,而γ频段成分在苍白球基本没有变化。结论:6-OHDA对中脑多巴胺能神经元的损害可造成大鼠双侧皮层M1区θ节律的消失和γ节律的增强,以及对侧M1-M2区之间在γ节律上的同步被显著增强,而γ节律在苍白球没有变化。这些异常电活动可能是由于VTA受损引起从而与帕金森病的快动眼睡眠行为障碍有关。     

睡眠2期脑电信号产生的生理机制模型仿真研究

目前慢波睡眠生理机制研究已有的理论及动物实验结果显示,慢波睡眠中,皮层-丘脑系统神经元存在三种不同节律的振荡:慢振荡(<1 HZ)、δ振荡(1-4Hz)和纺锤振荡(7-14Hz)。这些神经元电活动在皮层水平广泛同步化,产生慢波睡眠脑电。提出了能分别产生这三种节律的三种神经元环路模型,并将之组合简化成一个七细胞环路模型。由这样的大量环路组成的网络模型在合适的突触连接参数范围内,能在皮层处产生人类慢波睡眠脑电2期的完整波形。这一结果说明了如何将动物实验观察到的睡眠生理机制的结果与人自然睡眠活动的脑电结果联系起来,并提示脑信息处理中由微观神经元群放电特征整合为脑的宏观功能状态的主要环节。     

γ节律振荡机制在视觉研究中的新进展

γ节律振荡是大脑皮质中常见的,频率在30～80 Hz之间的神经振荡模式,在初级视觉通道中能观察到多种起源的γ节律振荡.在小鼠、猫与猴V1的视觉诱发的γ节律振荡主要起源于L2/3和L4B,并对刺激参数敏感.猫与小鼠初级视觉通道(视网膜、LGN与V1)中观察到起源于视网膜由亮度诱发的高频γ节律振荡;在猴LGN却没有观察到γ节律振荡,而在V1上记录到亮度诱发的γ活动.γ节律振荡的产生与抑制性中间神经元网络有重要的关系,其中抑制性中间神经元中PV细胞被认为与自发γ节律振荡的产生相关. SOM细胞的参与对低频γ节律振荡(20～40 Hz)的产生起到关键作用;而光栅诱发的高频γ节律振荡(65～80 Hz)主要与PV细胞有关.动物在不同生理状态、发育阶段与脑疾病状态下光栅诱发的γ节律振荡存在较大差异,反映大脑对视觉信息加工的变化.     

前额叶皮层和纹状体的局域场电位的功率编码奖励信息

前额叶皮层和纹状体是大脑内两个重要的区域,研究表明它们都参与了许多高级认知过程,如学习记忆、奖励信息处理、行为决策等。单细胞电生理记录实验已显示前额叶皮层和纹状体的神经元能够编码奖励信息,但不清楚这两个区域的局域场电位(local field potential,LFP)是否也能编码奖励信息。为研究这个问题,当猴子在进行一个奖励预测实验时,用多通道电极同时记录了前额叶皮层和纹状体的LFP。采用短时傅里叶变换,将记录的LFP转换为时、频域上的信号,比较不同奖励条件(大容量水奖励和小容量水奖励)下功率值的分布。结果显示前额叶皮层和纹状体的LFP的功率能够区分不同的奖励条件,并且小容量水奖励条件下的功率值大于大容量水奖励条件下的功率值;进一步研究显示LFP在β频段(14~30 Hz)能更好地编码奖励信息。以上结果表明前额叶皮层和纹状体的LFP能够有效地编码奖励信息,有助于进一步理解LFP在处理奖励信息过程中的作用。     

基于前额联络皮层脑电信号的海洛因戒断大鼠个体觅药行为状态识别*

目的: 探究海洛因诱导位置偏爱大鼠不同行为状态下额叶联络皮层(FrA)无线遥测脑电新的分析方法,以期能精确实时识别海洛因诱导大鼠个体的强迫性觅药行为。方法: 清洁级 Wistar大鼠30只,于前额皮层行电极埋藏术后,随机分为手术对照组(n=10)和海洛因诱导组(n=20);海洛因诱导组皮下注射海洛因0.5 mg/(kg·d),之后每日递增0.25 mg/kg,连续注射7 d,对照组同时间注射等量生理盐水;利用 CPP 视频系统结合脑电无线遥测技术,同步记录白-黑箱穿梭、黑箱停留、黑-白箱穿梭、白箱停留四种行为状态下已成瘾大鼠FrA区脑电信号,辨识原始脑电中含肌电等噪声信号区域,针对性的给以小波分解及振幅阈值消噪预处理,提取不同行为状态下脑电数据的样本熵值及与4个节律频率对应的小波系数标准差值,利用支持向量机算法(SVM)实现对海洛因成瘾大鼠个体不同行为状态的实时识别。结果: SVM对20只经海洛因诱导产生明显药物依赖的大鼠个体白-黑穿梭、黑箱停留、黑-白穿梭、白箱停留四种不同行为状态的实时分类识别率均值都达到80%左右,其中与觅药行为关联最紧密的黑-白穿梭状态实时识别率均值达到83.88%。结论: 本文建立的对海洛因诱导大鼠个体强迫性觅药行为的实时识别方法,可作为一种检测海洛因大鼠觅药行为发动、发生的有效手段,可用于海洛因依赖患者的临床观察和觅药行为的预防。     

A Unique Protease Cleavage Site Predicted in the Spike Protein of the Novel Pneumonia Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Potentially Related to Viral Transmissibility

正Dear Editor,In December 2019, a novel human coronavirus caused an epidemic of severe pneumonia(Coronavirus Disease 2019,COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei, China(Wu et al. 2020; Zhu et al. 2020). So far, this virus has spread to all areas of China and even to other countries. The epidemic has caused 67,102 confirmed infections with 1526 fatal cases     

Curcuminoids as inhibitors of thioredoxin reductase: A receptor based pharmacophore study with distance mapping of the active site

Curcumin is the yellow pigment of turmeric that interacts irreversibly forming an adduct with thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), an enzyme responsible for redox control of cell and defence against oxidative stress. Docking at both the active sites of TrxR was performed to compare the potency of three naturally occurring curcuminoids, namely curcumin, demethoxy curcumin and bis-demethoxy curcumin. Results show that active sites of TrxR occur at the junction of E and F chains. Volume and area of both cavities is predicted. It has been concluded by distance mapping of the most active conformations that Se atom of catalytic residue SeCYS498, is at a distance of 3.56 from C13 of demethoxy curcumin at the E chain active site, whereas C13 carbon atom forms adduct with Se atom of SeCys 498. We report that at least one methoxy group in curcuminoids is necessary for interation with catalytic residues of thioredoxin. Pharmacophore of both active sites of the TrxR receptor for curcumin and demethoxy curcumin molecules has been drawn and proposed for design and synthesis of most probable potent antiproliferative synthetic drugs.     

Comparative morphology of the carpel in the Liliaceae: Hewardieae, Petrosavieae, and Tricyrteae

The young pistils in the melanthioid tribes, Hewardieae, Petrosavieae and Tricyrteae, are uniformly tricarpellate and syncarpous. They lack raphide idioblasts. All are multiovulate, with bitegmic ovules. The Petrosavieae are marked by the presence of septal glands and incomplete syncarpy. Tepals and stamens adhere to the ovary in the Hewardieae and the Petrosavieae but not in the Tricyrteae. Two vascular bundles occur in the stamens of the Hewartlieae and Tricyrtis latifolia. Ventral bundles in the upper part of the ovary of the Hewardieae are continuous with compound septal bundles and placental bundles in the lower part. Putative ventral bundles occur in the alternate position in the Tricyrteae and putative placental bundles in the opposite. position in the Petrosavieae. The dichtomously branched stigma in each carpel of the Tricyrteae is supplied by a bifurcated dorsal bundle.     

Enterovirus 71 3C proteolytically processes the histone H3 N-terminal tail during infection

Highlights
1. The N-terminal tail of histone H3 is specifically cleaved during EV71 infection.
2. Viral protease 3C is identified as a protease responsible for proteolytically processing the N-terminal H3 tail.
3. Our finding reveals a new epigenetic regulatory mechanism for Enterovirus 71 in virus-host interactions.     

Detection of EBV and HHV6 in the Brain Tissue of Patients with Rasmussen’s Encephalitis

Rasmussen’s encephalitis (RE) is a rare pediatric neurological disorder, and the exact etiology is not clear. Viral infection may be involved in the pathogenesis of RE, but conflicting results have reported. In this study, we evaluated the expression of both Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human herpes virus (HHV) 6 antigens in brain sections from 30 patients with RE and 16 control individuals by immunohistochemistry. In the RE group, EBV and HHV6 antigens were detected in 56.7% (17/30) and 50% (15/30) of individuals, respectively. In contrast, no detectable EBV and HHV6 antigen expression was found in brain tissues of the control group. The co-expression of EBV and HHV6 was detected in 20.0% (6/30) of individuals. In particular, a 4-year-old boy had a typical clinical course, including a medical history of viral encephalitis, intractable epilepsy, and hemispheric atrophy. The co-expression of EBV and HHV6 was detected in neurons and astrocytes in the brain tissue, accompanied by a high frequency of CD8⁺ T cells. Our results suggest that EBV and HHV6 infection and the activation of CD8⁺ T cells are involved in the pathogenesis of RE.     

Perinatal Vertical Transmission of Chikungunya Virus in Ruili,a Town on the Border between China and Myanmar

正Dear Editor,Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an arbovirus in the family of Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus, is transmitted by the A.aegyptii or A. albopictus mosquito, and causes disease in humans characterized by fever, rash, and arthralgia (Silva and Dermody 2017; Suhrbier 2019). It was first reported in 1953 in Tanzania, and caused only a few outbreaks and sporadic cases in Africa and Asia in last century. However, in the epidemic in 2004, CHIKV acquired mutations that conferred enhanced transmission by the A. albopictus mosquito(Schuffenecker et al. 2006). Since then, it has successively caused outbreaks in Africa, the Indian Ocean, South East Asia, the South America, and Europe (Zeller et al. 2016).     

Development of a Novel Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Method for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2

In conclusion, the novel visual RT-LAMP assay is a simple, rapid, and sensitive approach for detection of SARS-CoV-2, and it is ready for application in primary care and community hospitals or health care centers, and even patients' own houses in response to the current SARS-CoV-2 epidemic because the assay does not require sophisticated equipment and skilled personnel. Furthermore, it is also ready to be used in fields for screening samples from wild animals and environments to facilitate the identification of potential intermediate hosts that mediate the cross-species transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from bats to humans.