Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of Zhi Shen Tiao Sui (regulating the mind and marrow) needling in treating depression after ischemic stroke. Methods: A total of 145 patients with depression after ischemic stroke were recruited between January 2016 and January 2018 and divided into two groups using random number table method, with 72 cases in the control group and 73 cases in the observation group. The control group received conventional treatment for ischemic stroke and medication, while the observation group was given additional Zhi Shen Tiao Sui acupuncture. The two groups were treated for 4 successive weeks. Clinical efficacy was analyzed after treatment. The neurological function pertinent scores [Hamilton depression scale (HAMD), clinical neurological deficit score (CNDS), activities of daily living (ADL), Fugl-Meyer assessment scale (FMA) and Barthel index (BI) scores], as well as the levels of cortisol (CORT) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) were recorded in the two groups. Adverse reactions that occurred during treatment were also observed. Results: The clinical total effective rate was 82.2％ in the observation group, significantly higher than 66.7％ in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the HAMD and CNDS scores were markedly reduced in both groups (all P<0.05), and the ADL, FMA and BI scores were markedly increased (all P<0.05). The HAMD and CNDS scores were significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group after treatment (both P<0.05), and the ADL, FMA and BI scores were significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group (all P<0.05). The levels of CORT and ACTH declined significantly after treatment in the two groups (all P<0.05), and were markedly lower in the observation group than in the control group (both P<0.05). The adverse reaction rate was 2.7％ in the observation group, versus 4.2％ in the control group, and the between-group difference was statistically insignificant (P>0.05). Conclusion: Compared with sole use of Western medication, medication combined with Zhi Shen Tiao Sui acupuncture can promote the recovery of neurological function, down-regulate the levels of CORT and ACTH and enhance the clinical efficacy in treating patients with depression after ischemic stroke, with a relatively high safety rating.

AIMTo study the effects of FAK-ERK1/2 signaling pathway and FAK antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) on vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) migration and adhesion stimulated by fibronectin (FN).

METHODSMigration and adhesion of cultured SMCs were stimulated by different concentrations of FN, FAK, ERK1/2. And their phosphorylation were detected by immunoprecipitation and Western blot. FAK antisense ODNs were transfected into SMCs by cationic lipid to investigate its modulatory effects on tyrosine phosphorylation, SMCs migration and adhesion were also measured by modifing Boyden Chamber and morphological enumeration, respectively.

RESULTSFAK were expressed when SMCs adhesion and migration were successfully simulated by FN (5, 10, 20, 40, 60 micrograms.mL-1), high contents of FAK and ERK1/2 phosphorylation were detected by 20 micrograms.mL-1 FN or more. FAK antisense ODNs were transfected efficiently by cationic lipid. FAK and ERK1/2 phosphorylation were inhibited magnificently after FAK antisense ODNs transfection. Cell migration stimulated by FN 10, 20, 40 and 60 micrograms.mL-1 were reduced by 23.26%, 21.63%, 19.31% and 17.88% respectively (P < 0.05). SMCs adhesive spreading in 5-60 micrograms.mL-1 FN groups were reduced by 17.89%-27.67% (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONFAK-ERK1/2 mediated signal transduction play important roles in SMCs migration and adhesion stimulated by extracellular matrix. The process can be inhibited by FAK antisense ODNs effectively.

Animals ; Aorta ; cytology ; Cell Adhesion ; drug effects ; Cell Movement ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Fibronectins ; pharmacology ; Focal Adhesion Kinase 1 ; Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 ; biosynthesis ; metabolism ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; biosynthesis ; metabolism ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; cytology ; drug effects ; Oligodeoxyribonucleotides, Antisense ; pharmacology ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction ; Transfection

Objective To explore the relationship between immune and pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the investigation of neurofilaments phosphorylation and ultrastructure features in spinal cord ventral horn motor neuron injury mediated by immune.Methods Using transmission electron microscope,we studied the uhrastructure features of abnormal accumulations of neurofilaments (NF) in motoneuron of the spinal cord ventral horn,and immunohistochemically investigated neurofilaments phosphorylation.Results Electron microscope found that there was abnormal accumulation of interwoven NFs in motor neuronal perikarya and proximal axons.Immunohistochemical study revealed that the SMI-32 immunoreactive positive neurons (12.00?1.05),compared with control (18.00?1.83),were reduced (P

The objectives of this study were to prepare polysaccharide modified compound liposomes loaded with paclitaxel (PTX) and doxorubicin (DOX) and characterize their phyisicochemical properties,stability and in vitro release profiles.Both PTX-DOX-Lipo and N-lauryl-O-glycol chitosan (LGC) modified liposomes (PTX-DOX-Lipo-LGC) were successfully prepared,and the morphology of the liposomes was observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM),and particle size and zeta potential were analyzed by dynamic light scattering (DLS).pH and osmotic pressure were also determined.The drug loading and encapsulation efficiency,stability and in vitro release were assayed using high-performance liquid phase.Both PTX-DOX-Lipo and PTX-DOX-Lipo-LGC exhibited spherical shape with smooth surface.The average diameter was about 150 nm.pH value and osmotic pressure were in the range of 5.3-6.1 and 820-870 mOsm/kg,respectively.Both PTX and DOX could be encapsulated in liposomes with high encapsulation efficiency (greater than 90％).Compared with PTX-DOX-Lipo,PTX-DOX-Lipo-LGC exhibited lower leakage,higher stability in serum and more sustained release profiles.Moreover,a quicker release rate was observed in pH 5.8 PBS compared with pH 7.4 PBS.PTX-DOX-Lipo-LGC with high drug loading,good stability and sustained drug release profiles has a wide prospect in future clinical application.

Abstract:By using PVX derived vector pGR107, the effect of BYDV-MP nuclear localization signal on the movement of PVX was studied. BYDV-MP was cloned into pGR107 using GFP as an indicator. BYDV-MP was then shown to induce the systemic infection and exacerbate the symptom of PVX through infecting Nicotiana benthamiana. When the PVX gene encoding 25kD protein, which functioned as a systematic movemnet protein,was deleted and the above experiment was repeated, the result showed that BYDV-MP could compensate the systemic movement of PVX. A serial mutants with substitutions on the fifth, sixth and seventh amino acids of BYDV-MP nuclear localization signal was further constructed. It was found that the mutants at the fifth, sixth amino acids in BYDV-MP nuclear localization signal could only delay or weaken systemic movement of PVX whereas the mutant at seventh amino acid could entirely inhibit systemic movement of PVX.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; genetics ; Luteovirus ; physiology ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Nuclear Localization Signals ; chemistry ; physiology ; Plant Viral Movement Proteins ; physiology ; Potexvirus ; genetics ; physiology

AIM:To elucidate the association between chronic kidney injury and interleukin-33 (IL-33;an alarmin)/suppression of tumorigencity 2 (ST2) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).METHODS:Serum levels of IL-33 and soluble ST2 (sST2) were assessed by ELISA in 50 SLE patients and 30 healthy controls (HC).RESULTS:The levels of IL-33 and sST2,and IL-33/sST2 ratio were significantly higher in SLE patients than those in the HC.The IL-33 and sST2 levels were positively associated with SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI),erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR),proteinuria and triglyceride,but negatively associated with complement C3.IL-33/sST2 ratio was positively associated with SLEDAI and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).Independent explanatory variables associated with high IL-33/sST2 included chronic kidney disease (CKD) staging and albumin (R2 =0.442),especially CKD staging.CONCLUSION:Elevated serum sST2 and IL-33 levels in SLE patients are correlated with disease activity and risk factors of kidney injury.IL-33/sST2 ratio may serve as a potential biomarker for chronic kidney injury in SLE patients.

Castleman's disease is a slowly progressive and rare lymphoproliferative disorder. Here, we report a 55-year-old woman with superior mediastinal Castleman's disease being misdiagnosed for a long term. We found a 4.3 cm mass localized in the superior mediastinum accompanied with severe clinical symptoms. The patient underwent an exploratory laparotomy, but the mass failed to be totally excised. Pathologic examination revealed a mediastinal mass of Castleman's disease. After radiotherapy of 30 Gy by 15 fractions, the patient no longer presented previous symptoms. At 3 months after radiotherapy of 60 Gy by 30 fractions, Computed tomography of the chest showed significantly smaller mass, indicating partial remission. Upon a 10-month follow-up, the patient was alive and free of symptoms.
Antigens, CD20 ; metabolism ; Castleman Disease ; diagnosis ; immunology ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mediastinal Diseases ; diagnosis ; immunology ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Mediastinum ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Multimodal Imaging ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Objective To investigate the intervention effect of CD147 on learning and memory ability in rat model of Alzheimer's disease. Methods A total of 60 healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, model group and CD147 group, 20 rats in each group. All of the rats were anesthetized with intraperitoneal injection of 10％chloral hydrate (0.3 g/kg). The rats in the model group and the CD147 group were injected with Aβ1-40 (10μg) in the bilateral hippocampal CA1 regions, while the rats in the sham operation group were injected with the same amount of saline at the same sites. After 48 h, the rats in CD147 group were injected with CD147 cDNA in the bilateral ventricles, while the rats in model group and sham operation group were injected the same amount of saline at the same sites. Morris water maze test was used to detect the ability of learning and memory of rats. The expressions ofβamyloid protein (Aβ) andγ-secretase were detected by Western blot assay. Results The escape latency was significantly longer in model group than that of sham operation group, while which was significantly lower in CD147 group than that of model group (P<0.05). The number of times across the platform and the time of staying on platform were significantly lower in model group than those of sham operation group, while which was significantly higher in the CD147 group than that of model group (P<0.05). The expressions of Aβandγ-secretase were increased significantly in model group compared to those of sham operation group, while which were significantly decreased in CD147 group compared with those of model group (P<0.05). Conclusion Exogenous CD147 can significantly improve the learning and memory ability of AD rats, and its specific mechanism may be related to regulating the activity ofγ-secretase and down regulating the expression of Aβ.

Background & Objective: Radiotherapy and temozolomide are the standard therapy for newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). However, it is unclear whether adding another agent to the commonly used radiotherapy-temozolomide (RT + TMZ) benefits newly diagnosed GBM patients. The present network meta-analysis aimed to assess the efficacy of combining other agents with RT + TMZ for GBM treatment. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted on PubMed, EMBASE.com, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception to September 23, 2014, to include all randomized controlled trials of RT + TMZ-based therapy in GBM patients. Pairwise and network meta-analyses were performed to compare the therapeutic regimens. Results: Seventeen studies involving 4,148 patients were identified. The results of pairwise meta-analysis indicated no significant differences among most comparison groups, except for bevacizumab + RT + TMZ versus RT + TMZ for progression-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.59–0.86; P = 0.000) and RT + TMZ versus RT alone for overall survival (HR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.58–0.88; P = 0.001). The results of network meta-analysis also showed no significant differences in most comparisons; however, adverse events were more common among patients receiving additional therapeutic agents other than RT + TMZ. The ranking probability analysis indicated that bevacizumab + RT + TMZ and nimustine + cisplatin + RT + TMZ were associated with the best progression-free and overall survival, but they also caused the most adverse events in GBM patients. RT + bevacizumab + irinotecan had the highest probability of being the best regimen for minimizing adverse events. Conclusions: The addition of other targeted agents, particularly bevacizumab and nimustine, to RT + TMZ could be slightly effective for the treatment of newly diagnosed GBM patients; however, adverse events remained common.
Glioblastoma

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between the -308G/A, -857C/T and -1031T/C of tumor necrosis factor alpha gene (TNF- alpha), -174G/C and -572C/G of interleukin-6 gene (IL-6) polymorphisms and schizophrenia.

METHODSGenomic DNA was isolated from the venous blood leukocytes of 346 unrelated patients with schizophrenia and 323 healthy unrelated individuals (control group). All of the polymorphisms were genotyped by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLP). Genotype and allele frequencies were analyzed by SPSS13.0 software.

RESULTSThere were significant differences in both allele and genotype frequencies of -857C/T of TNF-alpha gene between the schizophrenia and control groups (P< 0.05). The allele T of -857C/T in schizophrenia group was significantly higher than that in control group (chi-square was 9.414, P=0.002, OR=1.511, 95%CI:1.160-1.969). In addition, there were significant differences in the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) total score and negative symptoms between the patients with different -857C/T genotypes, and the negative symptom score of TT genotype was significantly higher than that of CC genotype (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThere is an association between -857C/T of TNF-alpha gene and schizophrenia, individuals with T allele of -857C/T are susceptible to schizophrenia, and there is an association between -857C/T and negative symptom score.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; genetics ; Male ; Phenotype ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; genetics ; Schizophrenia ; genetics ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; genetics ; Young Adult