Objective To explore the protective effects of electro-acupuncture (EA) serum onβ-amyloid protein (Aβ) induced primary rat hippcampal neurons. Methods The rat models of Alzheimer's disease were established by intracerebral injection of Aβ1-40. After treated them with EA, the serum was harvested. Primary cultured hippocampal neurons were treated with Aβ25-35 to establish neuronal damage model in vitro, and divided into normal group, model group and EA serum group. The proliferation of neurons was detected by MTT test. Neuronal apoptosis was examined by TUNEL staining, and expression of cysteine aspartic acid proteases-3 (Caspase-3) was detected by immunocytochemical staining. Results MTT test showed that the cell viability was significantly decreased after treated with Aβ. While compared with the model group, cell proliferation of EA serum group was significantly enhanced (P<0.01). TUNEL staining showed that the number of apoptotic cells in EA serum group decreased significantly compared with the model group (P<0.01). After 48 h of Aβ treatment, Caspase-3 expression levels were significantly elevated. However, compared with the model group, the number of Caspase-3 positive cells in EA serum group was significantly reduced (P<0.01). Conclusion The EA serum could promote the proliferation of hippocampal neurons, reduce the expression of Caspase-3, counteract the neurotoxicity of β-amyloid protein, and reduce neuronal apoptosis.

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a novel type of non-coding RNA with covalently closed loops which plays an important role in the occurrence and development of type 2 diabetes. In this paper, the relationship between circRNA and type 2 diabetes in terms of the regulation of pancreatic β-cell function by circRNA and the metabolic activity of heart, kidney and other organs is reviewed, and the possibility of circRNA as a clinical diagnostic marker for type 2 diabetes and its complications is emphasized, hoping to provide reference and clues for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Objective To investigate the relationship between pulmonary arterial ( PA) enlargement and pulmonary function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Methods From December 2012 to June 2016,78 patients with acute exacerbation of COPD in the Eighth People＇s Hospital of Qingdao were selected. According to pulmonary CT findings,they were divided into two groups : PA enlargement group (38 cases) was PA＞3.0cm,normal PA group(40 cases) was PA≤3.0cm.FEV1and FVC of stable phase were compared.Results The FEV1of men in the A enlargement group was (1.08 ±0.44)L,that in the normal PA group was (1.44 ±0.66)L,the difference was statistically significant (t＝2.27,P＝0.028).The FEV1of women in the PA enlargement group was (0.90 ±0.41)L,which in the normal PA group was (1.35 ±0.58)L,the difference was statistically significant (t＝2.28,P＝0.026).Correlation analysis showed that the diameter of PA was negatively related with FEV 1/FVC(r＝-0.509,P＝0.001),PA enlargement was related with lung function decline.Conclusion COPD patients with PA enlargement are more associated with accelerated loss of lung function and should be treated early.