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ObjectiveThe effects of growth hormone on cognitive dysfunction were observed in a controlled cortical impact (CCI) rat model and the underlying mechanism was explored.MethodThree-month-old male SD rats were randomly divided into sham (n = 10), control (n = 10), and CCI groups (n = 40) The parameters were set as follows: striking speed, 3.5 m/s; impact depth, 1.5 mm; and dwell time, 400 msec. Eight and ten weeks post-injury, the GH levels were measured the water maze test and novel object recognition test were performed. CCI rats were divided into normal and decreased GH groups, and further randomly divided into two sub-groups (rhGH treatment and saline vehicle groups). All rats were tested for SYN, BDNF, and TrkB mRNA in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus by RT-PCR.ResultsCCI rats 8 weeks post-injury had cognitive dysfunction regardless of the GH level (P<0.05). rhGH treatment improved cognitive function in CCI rats. There was a positive correlation between the expression of prefrontal BDNF and SYN mRNA in CCI rats after rhGH therapy and the water maze test score (r = 0.773 and 0.534, respectively; P<0.05). Furthermore, the expression of BDNF, TrkB, and SYN mRNA in the hippocampus was negatively correlated with the water maze test score (r = 0.602, 0.773, 0.672, and 0.783, respectively; P<0.05). There was a difference in the expression of hippocampal and prefrontal BDNF, TrkB, and SYN mRNA (P<0.05)ConclusionrhGH treatment had a positive effect on cognitive function, which was more evident in GH-deficient rats. The increased expression of hippocampal and prefrontal BDNF and TrkB mRNA is implicated in rhGH therapy to improve cognitive function. Changes in the expression of hippocampal SYN mRNA following rhGH therapy may also play a role in improving cognitive function.

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In many countries, assessment of legal age, also known as age of majority, has become increasingly important over the years. In China, individuals older than 18 years of age have full capacity regarding civil conduct and can be tried as an adult for criminal charges. Therefore, from a legal point of view, it is crucial to determine whether an individual is an adult. The developmental degree of the third molar is widely recognized as a suitable site for age estimation in late adolescence. This article uses the third molar maturity index (I) with a cutoff value of I = 0.08, which was established by Cameriere et al. in 2008, to distinguish whether an individual is a minor or an adult (≥ 18 years of age) in a northern Chinese population. A total of 840 digital orthopantomograms (OPTs) from 420 male and 420 female northern Chinese subjects aged 12 to 25 years were evaluated. It was found that an increase in I corresponded to a decrease in chronological age. In our study, I = 0.10 showed better accuracy in age discrimination in both men and women. This threshold also resulted in high sensitivity (0.929 and 0.809) and specificity (0.940 and 0.973) in males and females, respectively. The proportion of correctly classified subjects was 0.917 (95% CI, 0.898 to 0.935) in total, 0.938 (95% CI, 0.915 to 0.961) in male and 0.895 (95% CI, 0.866 to 0.925) in female subjects. Bayes post-test probabilities were 0.967 (95% CI, 0.947 to 0.986) in males and 0.983 (95% CI, 0.966 to 0.998) in females. These differences in threshold values between Chinese and Caucasian populations might be because the development of third molars is delayed in the Chinese population compared to the Caucasian population. In conclusion, I might be a useful method in legal and forensic practices to determine ages in late adolescence in northern Chinese individuals. However, a specific population should be tested before I is used for legal age estimation.

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