Objective To study the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on micro-vessel density (MVD) in the cerebral cortex after focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion.Methods Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a normal group ( n =4), a sham-operated group (n =4) , a model group (n = 16) and an EA group (n = 16). The middle cerebral artery was sutured to establish a model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The Baihui (DU20), Shuigou (DU26) and Zusanli (ST36) acupoints were stimulated with slow-fast wave current for 30 min daily. Streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase complex was used to detect the expression of CD34 and MVD changes in the rats' right cerebral cortex on the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 8th day.Results Compared with the normal group and the sham-operated group, MVD in the ischemic cortex of all subgroups of the model group had increased. It peaked on the 4th day and then gradually declined through the 8th day. MVD in all the subgroups of the EA group increased significantly, and more than in the model group at every time point, but the difference between the 2 groups was significant only on the 4th day.Conclusions Regulating angiogenesis in ischemic brain tissue is one of the ways EA can protect the brain.

Object To develop a new method for the culturing of Gastrodia B1 in vitro, which may provide the theoretical basis of clonal propagation for its rapid reproduction Methods The small stem tubers and the stem buds were used as explants to culture in vitro under sterile conditions In the 1/2 MS medium containing 6 BA 1 mg/L, NAA 0 5 mg/L and banana 50 mg/L, the small stem tuber was induced to form protocorm In the 1/2 MS medium containing 6 BA 2 mg/L and NAA 0 2 mg/L, the stem bud was induced to form protocorm Results Each stem tuber formed a new protocorm within 50 d, which can be separated again to form rosette protocorm within 70 d The stem bud was cultured in vitro to form the protocorm within 140 d The protocorm bloomed within 160 d Conclusion The protocorm of G elata may be induced from the stem tuber and stem bud By subdividing these rosette protocorms a virtually indefinite clonal propagation can be achieved

Objective To study the effect and mechanism of electroaeupuncture at acupoint Guanyuan on expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tropomyosine receptor kinase B (TrkB) in spinal cord and excitability of detrusor of rat with urinary retention after spinal cord injury. Methods The model of urinary retention after spinal cord injury was established by using weight drop method. Eighty female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups, namely, a normal, a sham, a model and an electroacupuncture (EA) group, with 20 rats in each group. The EA group was given electroacupuncture at aeupoint Guanyuau once a day for 10 days in total, while the other groups was given no treatment. After 10 days, the expression level of BDNF and TrkB in spinal cord of injury site was measured by immunohistochemistry staining, and excitability of detrusor was measured by using the muscle strips in vitro. Results It was revealed that, with regard to the expression level of BDNF and TrkB in spinal cord,the model group exceeded the normal and sham group, the EA group significantly exceeded the other groups ( P < 0. 05 ). With regard to the excitability of detrusor, the model group was significant-ly lower than the normal and sham group. The EA group significantly exceeded the model group ( P < 0.05 ). Conclusion Electroacupuncture at acupoint Guanyuan can raise the expression level of BDNF and TrkB in spinal cord and increase the excitability of detrusor in rats with urinary retention after spinal cord injury.

Objective To study the effect of electro-acupuncture(EA)on bladder detrusor apoptosis in rats with urinary retention after spinal cord injury(SCI),compare the effectiveness of different acupoints and explore possible mechanisms.Methods One hundred female adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 5 groups:a normal group,a sham operation group,a model control group,a Guanyuan acupoint(RN4)EA group and a Shuidao acupoint(ST28)EA group,with 20 rats in each group.A model of urinary retention after SCI was established using the weight drop method.The EA groups were given EA once daily for 10 d.The other groups had no treatment.After 10 d of EA,an electron microscope was used to observe the bladder detrusor ultrastructure,and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling(TUNEL) method and immunohistochemistry were used to observe any apoptosis in the detrusor smooth muscle cells and the expression of apoptosis-related genes bcl-2 and bax.Results After EA treatment,expansion of the rough endoplasmic reticulum was reduced significantly,and the number of edemic mitochondria was reduced compared with the model control group.In the normal and sham operation groups,little apoptosis was observed,and there was no significant difference between the two groups.Apoptosis indices(AIs)were higher in the model control group than in the normal group.The average AI in the Guanyuan EA group was lower than that in the Shuidao group.In the Guanyuan group,bax protein expression was less than that in the Shuidao group and the model group.In the Guanyuan group,bcl-2 protein expression was not significantly different from that in the Shuidao group and the model control group.Conclusion EA at the Guanyuan or Shuidao aeupoint can restrain bladder detrusor apoptosis in rats with urinary retention after SCI.EA may improve the ultrastructure of the detrosor urinae, reduce the expression of bax, change the ratio of bcl-2 to bax, and thus decrease apoptosis.The effect of EA at the Guanyuan acupoint is superior to that at the Shuidao acupoint.

Objective ToimprovetherecognitionofovariancysticlesionsbyanalyzingCTand MRIappearances.Methods A retrospectivereviewofCTand MRIimagesof67caseswithpathologicallyprovenofovariancysticlesionswasperformed.Among which,58casescarriedoutplainCTscan,52casesunderwentenhancedCTscan,12casesunderwentplainMRIscan,and7casesunderwent enhancedMRIscan.Results 20caseswereovariancystadenomas,14caseswerecystadenocarcinomas,8caseswereteratomas(1case wasmalignant),5caseswerestrumaovarii,15caseswerecysts,3casesweremetastases,and2caseswereovariantuberculosis.The CTand MRIcharacteristicsofthecysticlesions,inculdingsize,shape,thicknessofcystwall,wallnodule,densityorsignalintensity andenhancementfeatureswerevaluableindifferentialdiagnosisofovariancysticlesions.Conclusion CTand MRIappearancesofovarian cysticlesionshavesomecharacteristics,includingcysticwallandseptaofcystadenocarcinomasirregularthickened,papillaryprotuberance andascites.Teratomasoftencontainfatandcalcification.Strumaovariipresentsmultilocularcystic-solidmass,withthesolidportions markedenhancement.Metastatictumorshaveahistoryofprimarygastrointestinalneoplasmsandperitonealeffusion.

Objective To analyze and evaluate the CT and MRI features of synovial sarcoma (SS).Methods Clinical and imaging data of 25 cases with SS confirmed by pathology were retrospectively analyzed.1 5 cases with CT scan,including 1 1 contrastGenhanced CT scan,and 1 2 cases with MRI scan,including 8 contrastGenhanced MRI scan.Results Among 25 cases,1 8 were located in the lower extremities,2 in the upper extremities and in the chest wall respectively,1 case in the lung parenchyma,mediastinum and spine respectively.1 8 cases were deep seated,while 1 9 cases were lobulated.On CT image,most of the lesions were isodense or hypodense to muscle,while 3 cases presented peripheral calcification,and 9 cases showed progressive enhancement.On MRI,10 cases were isointense or slight hypointense on T1 WI,while 9 cases presented hyperintense or slight hyperintense on T2 WI.9 cases showed cystic change (7 of them located in the periphery),and 8 cases showed short T1 signal.3 cases demonstrated "fluidGfluid levels",and 9 cases exhibited hypointense septa.7 cases revealed "triple sign"on T2 WI and 7 cases showed obviously heterogenous enhancement.Conclusion Synovial sarcomas are mostly located in the lower extremities,with clear margins,peripheral cystic changes,intramural hemorrhage,"triple sign"on T2 WI and progressive enhancement.

Objective:To investigate the differences in multi-b-value apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and exponential apparent diffusion coefficient (eADC) between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and paracancerous liver tissue, distant cancerous liver tissue, and background liver tissues by ultra-high field 3.0T diffusion-weighted (DWI) MRI imaging.Methods:Sixty-eight consecutive HCC cases confirmed by surgical pathology from January 2018 to October 2021 were enrolled and divided into a cirrhosis ( n=39) and a non-cirrhosis group ( n=29) according to the presence or absence of cirrhosis.The average ADC and eADC of liver tissues of paracancerous (including proximal and distal), distant cancerous, and background were measured by DWI images with diffusion sensitivity factors (b) of 50, 100, 400, 600 s/mm 2, and 1 000 s/mm 2, respectively. The Kruskal-Wallis H test and Bonferroni method were used to test the differences between the measured values of the five tissues. The statistical differences were used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the five tissues by parametric receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the curve (AUC). Results:The comparison of average ADC and eADC among five types of tissues in the liver cirrhosis group showed that the average ADC and eADC measured at b values of 50, 100, 400, and 600 s/mm 2 had statistically significant differences (adjusted P<0.005) between cancerous and proximal paracancerous, distal paracancerous, distant cancerous, and background liver tissue, as well as the average ADC measured at b=1 000 s/mm 2 between cancerous and proximal paracancerous tissue. The average ADC and eADC in the non-cirrhosis group had statistically significant differences (adjusted P<0.005) between cancerous and proximal paracancerous, distant paracancerous, distant cancerous, and background liver tissue measured at b values of 50, 100, and 400 s/mm 2, respectively. The average ADC and eADC measured at b=600 s/mm 2 showed statistically significant differences (adjusted P<0.005) between cancerous and proximal paracancerous, distal paracancerous, and distant cancerous liver tissue, as well as the average ADC measured at b=1 000 s/mm 2 between cancerous and distal paracancerous, and distant cancerous liver tissue. The average ADC and eADC in the cirrhosis group had no statistically significant difference between the proximal paracancerous and the distant cancerous, as well as the background liver tissue measured at b-values of 50, 100, 400, 600, and 1 000 s/mm 2, respectively (adjusted P>0.005), while there were statistically significant differences (adjusted P<0.005) in the average ADC values in the non-cirrhosis group between the proximal paracancerous and the distant paracancerous and background liver tissues at b=50 s/mm 2, as well as the average ADC and eADC values between the proximal paracancerous and the distant liver tissues at b=100 s/mm 2. The average ADC and eADC values measured in the cirrhosis group and non-cirrhosis group had no statistically significant difference between the distant paracancerous, distant cancerous, and background liver tissue (adjusted P>0.005). The efficacy of average ADC and eADC in distinguishing five types of tissues (cancerous and proximal paracancerous, distant paracancerous, distant cancerous, and background liver tissue) showed that in the cirrhosis group, the diagnostic efficacy was best at b=50 s/mm 2. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of average ADC was 0.815, 0.828, 0.855, and 0.855, respectively, and the AUC of average eADC was 0.815, 0.830, 0.856, and 0.855, respectively. The diagnostic efficacy was best in the non cirrhosis group at b=100 s/mm 2, with average ADC AUCs of 0.787, 0.823, 0.841, and 0.821, and average eADC AUCs of 0.836, 0.874, 0.893, and 0.873, respectively. The AUC of the average ADC in the non-cirrhosis group for distinguishing between proximal paracancerous and distant cancerous liver tissues, as well as proximal paracancerous and background liver tissues, with b=50 s/mm 2, were 0.605 and 0.604, respectively. The average AUC of ADC and eADC for distinguishing between proximal paracancerous and distant liver tissues with b=100 s/mm 2 were 0.619 and 0.620, respectively. Conclusion:The average ADC and eADC measured by multiple b-values are helpful in distinguishing HCC from proximal paracancerous, distal paracancerous, distant-cancerous, and background liver tissues in patients with cirrhosis and non-cirrhosis, while the average ADC and eADC at b=50 s/mm 2 and 100 s/mm 2 exhibit differences between the proximal paracancerous from the distant cancerous liver tissue and background liver tissue in patients with non-cirrhosis.

Objective: To compare the long-term clinical outcomes of consecutive patients treated with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES) for bifurcation lesions in unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA). Methods: A total of 663 consecutively patients with unprotected left main bifurcation disease (defined as stenosis≥50%) who received either drug-eluting stents (DES) implantation (n=316) or underwent CABG (n=347) between January 2003 and July 2009 in Beijing Anzhen Hospital were enrolled retrospectively in this study.The endpoints of the study were death, repeat revascularization, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, the composite of cardiac death, MI or stroke and MACCE (major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events, the composite of cardiac death, MI, stroke or repeat revascularization). To reduce the bias between two compared groups , our study applid propensity score matching by logistic regression.Cumulative survival rate was calculated by Kaplan-Meier method.Multiple regression analyses, hazard ratio(HR) and 95%CI were tested by Cox proportional hazard models with the CABG group as the reference category. Results: The median follow-up was 7.2 years (interquartile range 5.1 to 8.3 years) in the overall patients.Unadjusted analysis showed that MACCE rate (PCI 44.5% vs. CABG 45.7%, P=0.036), the rate of repeat revascularization (PCI 33.7% vs. CABG 19.5%, P<0.001), the composite rate of serious outcomes (cardiac death, MI or stroke) (PCI 20.4% vs. CABG 34.3%, P=0.032), stroke rate (PCI 3.7% vs. CABG 23.5%, P<0.001) were significantly different for patients undergoing PCI or CABG. Death rate (PCI 13.0% vs. CABG 18.9%, P=0.12) and MI rate (PCI 11.3% vs. CABG 6.1%, P=0.108) were similar between PCI and CABG group.After adjusting covariates with multivariate Cox hazard regression model, there was no significant difference in rates of death (P=0.286), MI(P=0.165) and the composite rate of serious outcomes (cardiac death, MI or stroke) (P=0.305) between the two groups. Patients in PCI group suffered significant higher rates of MACCE(P=0.011), mainly driven by the significant higher rates of repeat revascularization(HR=2.46, 95%CI 1.662-3.642, P<0.001). However, stroke rate was still significantly higher in CABG group than in PCI group(P=0.001)after multivariate adjusting. After propensity score matching (PSM), there was no more significant difference for all covariates in the matched cohorts (202 pairs). Further PSM analysis showed that overall findings were consistent with multivariate Cox hazard regression model except for MI (PCI 12.7% vs. CABG 3.8%, P=0.039). Conclusions During a follow-up up to 8.3 years, the survival rate is similar between the PCI and the CABG group in patients with unprotected left main bifurcation disease.The rate of repeat revascularization is significantly higher whereas stroke rate is significantly lower in the PCI group compared to CABG group.After propensity score matching, PCI group not only had a significant higher rate of repeat revascularization, but also had significantly higher risk of MI in the matched cohorts; while they did not seem to translate into any disparity of mortality in ULMCA bifurcation disease patients.Accordingly, PCI for ULMCA disease can be used as a reasonable treatment option alternative to CABG.

BACKGROUND: Degeneration of the annulus fibrosus (AF), an important structure of the intervertebral disc, is one of the main causes of degenerative disc disease. Fabrication of scaffolds replicating the stratified microstructure of the AF is critical for the successful regeneration of AF. METHODS: In this study, we cultured rabbit AF-derived stem cells (AFSCs) using fabricated electrospun fibrous poly-Llactic acid scaffolds with different diameters. We applied cyclic tensile strain (CTS) on the scaffolds to regulate the differentiation of AFSCs into specific cell types that resided at the inner, middle, and outer zones of the AF. RESULTS: We found that the morphologies of AFSCs on the smaller-fiber-diameter scaffolds were nearly round, whereas spindle-like cells morphologies were observed on large-diameter scaffolds. CTS enhanced these phenomena and made the cells slender. The expression levels of collagen-I in cells increased as a function of the fiber diameter, whereas collagen-II and aggrecan exhibited opposite trends. Moreover, the application of CTS upregulated the gene expressions of collagen-I, collagen-II, and aggrecan. CONCLUSION Overlaying the scaffolds with different CTS-stimulated cells could eventually lead to engineered AF tissues with hierarchical structures that approximated the native AF tissue. Thus, the proposed methodologies could be potentially applied for AF regeneration.

BACKGROUND: Degeneration of the annulus fibrosus (AF), an important structure of the intervertebral disc, is one of the main causes of degenerative disc disease. Fabrication of scaffolds replicating the stratified microstructure of the AF is critical for the successful regeneration of AF. METHODS: In this study, we cultured rabbit AF-derived stem cells (AFSCs) using fabricated electrospun fibrous poly-Llactic acid scaffolds with different diameters. We applied cyclic tensile strain (CTS) on the scaffolds to regulate the differentiation of AFSCs into specific cell types that resided at the inner, middle, and outer zones of the AF. RESULTS: We found that the morphologies of AFSCs on the smaller-fiber-diameter scaffolds were nearly round, whereas spindle-like cells morphologies were observed on large-diameter scaffolds. CTS enhanced these phenomena and made the cells slender. The expression levels of collagen-I in cells increased as a function of the fiber diameter, whereas collagen-II and aggrecan exhibited opposite trends. Moreover, the application of CTS upregulated the gene expressions of collagen-I, collagen-II, and aggrecan. CONCLUSION Overlaying the scaffolds with different CTS-stimulated cells could eventually lead to engineered AF tissues with hierarchical structures that approximated the native AF tissue. Thus, the proposed methodologies could be potentially applied for AF regeneration.