Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; history ; China ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Medicine in Literature ; Meridians

Objective To investigate the feasibility and value of combined administration of rapamycin and low dose of cyclosporin A in kidney transplantation recipients. Methods Twenty-five recipients who received their kidney transplantations for 2 months to 10 years were transferred to a new immunosuppression regimen of combined administration of rapamycin,low dose of cyclosporin A and prednisone. During the clinical observation,the average serum trough level of cyclosporin A was maintained between 0.042 and 0.083 μmol/L,and the average serum trough level of rapamycin was controled to 4～8 μg/L. Meanwhile, the dosage of immunosuppressive drugs was adjusted properly according to the white blood cells counting,liver function,blood lipid level and clinical settings.Twenty-five kidney transplant recipients with usual immunosuppression regimen of cyclosporin A in combination with MMF and prednisone served as controls. Results Druing a follow-up period of 2 to 8 months,no acute rejection events were found in this group. All the recipients survived well with functional renal grafts. Two patients in the experimental group quitted during the follow-up. One was incurred to serious pulmonary infection diagnosed as cytomegalovirus infection,and another was sufferred from persistent unknown fever. Other main adverse effects included leucopenia, hyperlipemia and dental ulcer,similarly as control group. No significant abnormal liver function event was found in this group. Conclusions This new immunosuppression regimen of combined administration of rapamycin,low dose cyclosporin A and prednisone in kidney transplantation recipients could avoid or diminish the adverse and toxic effects of calcineurin inhibitors,mainlain well-functional allografts and not increase the incidence of severe untoward reactions. Meanwhile,the costs for taking medicine were also significantly reduced with this regimen. Therefore,it would be an ideal and optimal immunosuppressive maintainence regimen.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; history ; China ; History, Ancient ; Humans

Objective To analyse 35 cases with failure and malfunction hemodialysis access managed by interventional radiology. Methods 35 cases with failure and malfunction hemodialysis access were examined by angiography and treated by interventional management subseqently. 26 cases of thrombosis occlusilon were treated with thrombolytic therapy and 15 cases of malfunctioning hemodialysis access were done with PTA. Results The initial angiogram showed 9 patients with simple stenosis while 26 patients with thrombosis occlusion, with concurrent stenosis in 13 patients. The rate of immediate recanalization of thrombolysis was 88.4% (23/26). The PTA was successful in 12 cases, 7 of the 13 cases concurrent with stenosis and 8 cases with simple stenosis while the other 3 cases of the 15 cases confronted failure. Follow up was made in 6 patients concurrent with stenosis without further management and 3 patients failure to conduct PTA after thrombolytic therapy. Recanalization occurred in 7 cases within 1 month and then did in all the cases in 3 month. Conclusions Angiography and subsequent interventional management play a critical role in the diagnosis and treatment of failure and malfunction hemodialysis access.

More than 50％ microRNAs (miRNAs) are located in tumor-associated genome of amplification region or fragile site,which may also act as oncogenes or tumor suppressor gene (TSG).Recently,researches show that the expression of miR-449 is lower in human gastric,lung and ovarian cancer,and may act as TSG.The abnormal expression of miR-449 plays a pivotal role in carcinogenesis and progression,and elucidating its function and regulatory,mechanism can provide valuable diagnostic,prognostic biomarker for cancer management.

Chromosomally encoded toxin–antitoxin (TA) systems are thought to result in growth arrest and eventual cell death upon exposure to environmental stress in E. coli. In the chromosome of cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC6803, the genetic organization of a 360 bp open reading frame (ORF), slr0664, and another small ORF of 256 bp, ssr1114, is similar to that of TA system. The predicted protein encoded by slr0664 is homologous to RelE, but neither homologue of ssr1114 nor ssr1114-encoding protein was found in TA system. To see whether slr0664 encodes a toxin protein, ssr1114 encodes an antitoxin, an expressing plasmid containing promoter Plac and PBAD, was constructed. In this construct, Both slr0664 and ssr1114 were controlled by Plac and PBAD, respectively. Expression of slr0664 in Escherichia coli results in the inhi-bition of bacterial growth, the expression of ssr1114 neutralize the toxicity of slr0664 expression. These re-sults show that slr0664 is toxin gene and ssr1114 is antitoxin gene, both ssr1114 and slr0664 constitute achromosomal TA system in Synechocystis sp. PCC6803.

BACKGROUND: Hippocampal structure in brain is the division related to learning and memory, generally it is closely relevant to spatial cognitive activity. Marginal division of striatum is a latest discovered subdivision related to learning and memory function of brain, whether is its learning and memory function different from that in hippocampus?OBJECTIVE: To compare the difference, function and importance in learning and memory function between marginal division of striatum and hippocampus in brain and observe the difference in escape learning and memory between marginal division of striatum and hippocampus.DESIGN: Completely randomized controlled experiment.SETTING: Institute of Neuroscience in Zhujiang Hospital Affiliated to First Military Medical University of Chinese PLA.MATERIALS: The experiment was performed in Institute of Neuroscience in Zhujiang Hospital Affiliated to First Military Medical University of Chinese PLA from March 2002 to July 2003. Totally 109 normal male adult SD rats were employed and 75 rats of them were screened as the qualified animals by twice Y-maze test. Randomly, 25 rats were divided into damaged marginal division of striatum group (DMD group), 10 rats were into bilateral fimbria-fornix transection group (FFT group), 30 rats were into the control of marginal division of striatum (MD control) and 10 rats were into the control of bilateral fimbria-fornix group (FF control). After 24 hours training in Y-maze,In DMD group, 10 g/L kainic acid 0.1 to 0.2 μL was used to damage bilateral marginal division of striatum of rats. In MD control, physiological saline of minim dose was injected in bilateral marginal division of striatum of rats. In FFT group, bilateral fimbria-fornix was transectioned. In FF control, the cortical tissue of the superficial layer of bilateral fimbria-fornix was transectioned. The operation was done on the second day after the 2nd screening. The behavior of rats in learning and memory was observed in Y-maze on the 5th day after operation (during 30 times of maze test, if success frequency ≥ 15,normal capacity of learning and memory was identified.).MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Success frequency of rats in different groups in Y-maze learning before and after operation.RESULTS: Of 109 normal male adult SD rats, 75 rats were screened to be qualified after twice Y-maze test. During the experiment, 3 rats were died and other 32 rats fell into disuse for the drug or physiological saline was not injected accurately to the marginal division of striatum. Terminally, 40 rats entered the analysis in total, of which, 11 rats were in DMD group, 9 rats in MD quency in Y-maze learning of rats in DMD group after operation was lower than MD control, FFT group and FF control [(9.27±4.29) times, (22.56±4.25)frequency in Y-maze learning of rats in DMD group after operation was also significantly lower than that before operation [(9.27±4.29) time, (18.27±3.07)FFT group was basically same as FF control and MD control (P=0.660 and P=0.489) and it was basically same to the success frequency in Y-maze learning before operation (P=0.700).CONCLUSION: The learning of Y-maze in rats with damaged marginal division of striatum was remarkably reduced and there was no obvious change in learning and memory between the rats with fimbria-fornix transaction and without transaction. It is verified that marginal division of striatum can reflex complex learning and memory behavior in electric Y-maze test, which cannot be achieved in hippocampus. It is further explained the difference of the two divisions in controlling learning and memory in cerebrum, the marginal division of striatum is able to control hippocampus in learning and memory function.

BACKGROUND: The marginal division, a new sub-region in rat brain striatum discovered in recent decades, has been found to closely relate to learning and memory function of the brain. The immediate-early genes such as c-fos and c-jun participate in the signal transduction of learning and memory in the marginal division. But what other intermediate events are initiated in the marginal division in the process of learning and memory?Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element-binding protein (CREBP) is an molecule essential for the formation of long-term memory,and investigation of the expression and distribution of phosphorylated CREBP in the striatum may help understand the signal transduction mechanism in the striatum during learning and memory at the molecular level.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of phosphorylated CREBP in rat brain stratum during learning and memory process.DESIGN: Completely randomized controlled study.SETTING: Institute of Neurosciences, Zhujiang Hospital of the First Military Medical University of Chinese PLA.MATERIALS: This experiment was conducted in the Institute of Neurosciences, Zhujiang Hospital of the First Military Medical University of Chinese PLA between April and August 2003. Totally 48 normal male adult SD rats were provided from the Experimental Animal Center of First Military Medical University, and after two Y-maze tests, 40 rats were selected for this study (MG-2 type, Sanshengxing electricity company).METHODS: The 40 SD rats were randomized into 4 equal groups. The rats in the first group were subjected to training to acquire dark avoidance reflex in a Y maze, those in the second group underwent sham training with only light stimulation in the Y maze without electricity on the floor.The rats in the third group were trained in the Y maze with electricity on the floor but not light stimulations, with the rest 10 rats serving as the control group subjected to sham training in the Y maze without either electric or light stimulations. After the training in the Y maze, the rats were sacrificed immunohistochemical detection of phosphorylated CREBP expression in the brain striatum.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Expression of phosphorylated CREBPin rat brain striatum.RESULTS: All the 40 rats enrolled in this study were examined for phosphorylated CREBP expression. Positive expression of phosphorylated CREBP was observed in the medial marginal division of the brain striatum after the rats were trained in the Y maze with electric stimulation, but no obvious expression was seen in rats in the sham training or control groups.Massive expression of phosphorylated CREBP could be observed, typically,in the hippocampus, front prefrontal lobe cortex and cingulate gyrus of the rat brain.CONCLUSION: The transcriptional factor phosphorylated CREBP in the marginal division of the striatum participates in the signal transduction for learning and memory in rats receiving Y maze training to acquire dark avoidance reflex.

Objective To observe the clinical curative effect of selective bronchial arterial embolization for severe hemoptysis.Methods Thirty-eight hospitalized patients with severe hemoptysis was enrolled in this study.Of which 31 patients were recurrent hemoptysis,27 patients were with bronchiectasis,4 patients were with bronchial lung cysts,4 patients had unknown causes,3 patients were with tuberculosis.All patients were diagnosed by chest imaging examination,fiber bronchoscopy,bronchial arteriography,and they were all treated by selective bronchial arterial embolization.Results The most times of embolization was 3,and bronchial arterial imaging were performed for vascular malformation.After having bronchial arterial embolization,35 patients were immediately released of bleeding.Postoperative 24 h,8 patients had hemoptysis again,of which 1 case was performed with conservative treatment and subsequently had pneumonectomy,5 patients had effective conservative treatment,2 cases were performed embolization again after failed conservative treatments.Hemoptysis completely disappeared within 1 week.The total effective rate was 97.4％(37/38).Patients were followed up for 1 year,of which 13 patients relapsed again,11 patients'annual and each time's quantity of hemoptysis reduced 50％.Two patients had pneumonectomy after a number of embolization.The total effective rate was 94.7％ (36/38).After treatment,3 patients had mild chest pain in short time,2 patients had shoulder pain,3 patients had chest tightness,and 3 patients had subcutaneous passive congestion.After being treated for short-term,these symptoms disappeared eventually.Conclusion Selective bronchial arterial embolization for the treatment of acute or recurrent severe hemoptysis is very effective,and can avoid the risk of surgery.It is effective for recurrent cases and worthy of clinical application.

Acupuncture Points ; Head ; anatomy & histology ; Humans