OBJECTIVE: Inadequate postnatal nutritional support is an important factor contributing to growth failure, which leads to poor neurological outcome. In this study, co-word analysis was used to investigate the research on nutrition of premature infants over the last six years in China, describe the research trend in this field in China, and provide possible directions for future research. METHODS: A literature search was performed in January 2013 using the CNKI database and the key words “preterm infant” and “nutrition”. A total of 772 articles were retrieved. Then high-frequency key words were extracted using Excel 2010 to create a co-occurrence matrix. Finally, a visualized network was built using Ucinet 6.0. RESULTS: The knowledge domain map of research on nutritional support for premature infants in China showed that the major topic of relevant research is still the combination of parenteral nutrition and enteral nutrition, with the goal of maintaining appropriate growth rates in premature infants. Researchers have paid much attention to the adverse effects of parenteral nutrition. Feeding intolerance is still the main problem in nutritional support, especially enteral nutrition, for premature infants. CONCLUSIONS: A visualized network of current research on nutrition of premature infants in China has been created, and a knowledge domain map has been drawn to reflect the hot topics in this field of study over the last six years.

This paper summarizes the clinical features, causative genes and treatment progress of patients with rickets-like genetic diseases, including X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (XLH), hypophosphatasia, achondroplasia, vitamin D-dependent rickets, pycnodysostosis and ectodermal dysplasia, who visited the pediatric or child health clinic due to the symptoms of rickets, including bow legs, delayed closure of the anterior fontanelle, and sparse hair. Children with XLH usually go to hospital for bow legs and short stature, and biochemical evaluation reveals significantly low serum phosphorus so it is easily diagnosed. This disease is treated using phosphate mixture and 1,25(OH)2D3, which is different from the treatment of nutritional vitamin D deficiency rickets. Hypophosphatasia is characterized by a significant decrease in serum alkaline phosphatase, as well as normal serum calcium and phosphorus. The disease is caused by mutations in TNSALP gene. Patients with achondroplasia show short-limbed dwarfism and special face in addition to bow legs, but with normal serum calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase. Bone X-ray and FGFR3 gene test contribute to the diagnosis. Vitamin D-dependent rickets is an autosomal recessive disease, and active vitamin D supplement is effective in treatment of the disease. Patients with pycnodysostosis may be first seen at hospital because of large anterior fontanelle; in addition, they also show obtuse mandibular angle, dental abnormalities and dysplastic nails, which are caused by mutations in TSK gene. Children with ectodermal dysplasia may see a doctor for sparse hair, and they are easily misdiagnosed with nutritional vitamin D deficiency rickets. Ectodermal dysplasia is related to EDA, EDAR, EDARADD and WNT 10A genes.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the expression of dynamin-1 and phosphor-dynamin-1 in the hippocampus of children and rats with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) and to investigate the roles of dynamin-1 and phosphor-dynamin-1 in the development of MTLE. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (aged 25 days) were randomly divided into acute control (AC), acute seizure (AS), latent control (LC), latent seizure (LS), chronic control (CC) and chronic spontaneous seizure (CS) groups. Lithium chloride-pilocarpine was used to induce a rat model of MTLE. The hippocampus samples of 5 children with a pathologically confirmed hippocampal sclerosis who received surgical operation were collected as a human model (HM) group, and the hippocampus samples of 4 dead children (without organic lesion of the hippocampus) were collected by autopsy as a human control (HC) group. The expression of dynamin-1 and phosphor-dynamin-1 in the hippocampus of children and rats with MTLE was measured by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The Western blot showed that the expression of phosphor-dynamin-1 was significantly lower in the AS and CS groups than in the corresponding control groups (AC and CC groups) (P<0.05). The expression of phosphor-dynamin-1 was significantly lower in the HM group than in the HC group (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the expression of dynamin-1 among the AS, LS and CS groups and between the HM and HC groups (P>0.05). The immunohistochemical results showed that phosphor-dynamin-1 was highly expressed in the cytoplasm of hippocampal neurons of AC, CC and HC groups, but its expression was significantly reduced in the AS, CS and HM groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The expression of phosphor-dynamin-1, not dynamin-1, is downregulated in the hippocampus of children and rats with MTLE during seizures, which suggests that the phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of dynamin-1 may be involved in the development of MTLE.

OBJECTIVE: Adequate nutrition is paramount for premature infants. Longitudinal information is scant on the effects of early nutrition and later growth. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of early energy and protein provision in premature infants on adolescent body composition and blood pressure. METHODS: In 2007-2008 we obtained data from 36 male (12.3±1.7 years) and 25 female (11.5±1.8 years) adolescents born preterm at <34 weeks gestation (range 23-34 weeks) between October 1st 1989 and December 31st 1995 (birth weight <1850 g). The adolescents were divided into groups depending on infant intake mode (enteral vs parenteral), energy provision (<70 kcal/kg/d and ≥70 kcal/kg/d) and protein provision (>2.5 g/kg/d for ≥5 days and>2.5 g/kg/d for <5 days) during the first 14 days of life. RESULTS: After controlling for birth weight and biological maturity, adolescents who received ≥70 kcal/kg/d during infancy were significantly taller (163±11 cm vs. 156±11 cm) and heavier (58±16 kg vs. 49±16 kg) than adolescents who received <70 kcal/kg/d. There were no significant differences in systolic and diastolic BP and total percent body fat between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggests that higher infant energy provision appears to be related to adolescent size, it does not appear to contribute to adverse risk factors such as higher systolic BP or increased body fat.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of down-regulating Tim-3 gene in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of an asthmatic mouse model by short hairpin RNA (shRNA) and to explore the effect of Tim-3 on Th1 and Th17 cell differentiation. METHODS: An asthmatic murine model was established by ovalbumin sensitization and challenge. PBMCs were isolated from asthmatic mice and transfected by shRNA targeting Tim-3 gene. The mRNA and protein expressions of Tim-3 were detected by quantitative PCR and Western blot. Flow cytometry analysis was performed to determine the levels of Th1 and Th17, and ELISA was performed to determine concentrations of IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-17 in the supernatant. RESULTS: Tim-3 mRNA expression in PBMCs was significantly increased in asthmatic mice. The mRNA and protein expression of Tim-3 decreased significantly in the shRNA group. Compared with the negative groups, Th1 cell levels increased and Th17 cell levels decreased significantly in the asthmatic groups after Tim-3 shRNA interference. In the Tim-3 shRNA interference groups concentrations of IFN-γ increased significantly while IL-17 decreased significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Specific Tim-3 shRNA effectively silences the expression of Tim-3 and change in Tim-3 expression could affect T cell differentiation.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the role of spinal MAPK-ERK signal pathway in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. METHODS: Sixty male Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats (80-100 g) were randomly divided into 3 groups: sham (n=10), PD98059 (n=25) and I/R groups (n=25). Three days after successful intrathecal implantation, 5 μg DMSO was injected intrathecally into the sham group, and then the left coronary arteries were separated without being tied. Rats in the I/R and PD98059 groups were injected with 5 μL DMSO and PD98059 (5 μg) 30 minutes before thoractomy respectively. Then the left coronary artery was tied for 30 minutes followed by 120 minutes of reperfusion. After the experiments, the ERK phosphorylation condition of T1-T4 spinal cord segments was detected with immunofluorescence; the myocardiac apoptosic index and infarct size were measured. RESULTS: Expression of p-ERK in the I/R group was significantly higher than in the sham and PD98059 groups (P<0.05). Myocardial apoptotic index and infarct size in the PD98059 group were significantly lower than in the I/R group (P<0.05), but higher in the PD98059 group than in the sham group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The MAPK-ERK pathway in the superior thorathic spinal cord can be activated by myocardial ischemia-reperfusion and inhibition of the pathway can play a protective role in myocardial ischemiareperfusion injury.

influenza virus can infect humans and cause disease. The clinical presentation of human infection is usually mild, but the infection caused by A(H5N1) avian influenza virus occurring initially in Hongkong in 1997 or the A(H7N9) virus isolated first at the beginning of this year in China is severe and characterized by high mortality. The mortality rate of adolescents and children caused by H5N1 avian influenza is lower than that of adults and the younger the child the lower the mortality rate. A few pediatric H7N9 avian influenza cases recovered soon after treatment. A child was determined to be a H7N9 avian influenza virus carrier. These findings suggested that the pediatric H7N9 avian influenza infection was mild. It is very important to start anti-virus treatment with oseltamivir as early as possible in cases of avian influenza infection is considered. Combined therapy, including respiratory and circulatory support and inhibiting immunological reaction, is emphasized in the treatment of severe cases.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a simple, rapid and reliable method of purifying SpragueDawley (SD) rat islets by sequential filtration through two cell strainers of different sizes and to evaluate the efficacy of the method. METHODS: Islets were isolated from 8 to 12-week-old clean grade Sprague-Dawley rat pancreases using the standard collagenase digestion procedure and purified with either the generally used Ficoll density gradient method or the innovative two-step sequential filtration method. The purity and vitality of the isolated islets were visualized and assessed with DTZ and AO/PI staining. Glucose stimulating tests were performed to assay cell activity, and immunohistochemical staining was used to evaluate the synthesis function of islet cells. RESULTS: The yield of islets in the two-step filtration method group was 782±115 IEQ per rat, which was significantly higher than in the conventional Ficoll density gradient method group (598±135 IEQ per rat, P<0.01). Purity of the isolated islets in the two-step filtration method group was 90%-100% and vitality was over 95%. In the conventional Ficoll density gradient method group, islet purity was 65%-85% and vitality was 85%-95%. With regard to the high-sugar stimulation test in the two-step filtration method group, insulin concentrations in islets cultured for 24 hours were significantly higher than in those that were freshly purified (76.9 ± 6.1 μg/L vs 49.4 ± 3.9 μg/L; P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: A two-step sequential filtration method for rat islet purification was developed and the method was simple and reliable, with high islet vitality, purity and yield.

Childhood asthma is the most common chronic airway inflammation disease. The phenotypes of childhood wheezing, early diagnosis of asthma and the difficulties in diagnosis, tailor-made treatment and monitoring are focus problems at present. Early diagnosis, tailor-made treatment and dynamic monitoring are key strategies of asthma control