BACKGROUND: Up to now, few studies related to the mechanism of low-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in relieving pain, and the effect of low-frequency TENS on the activity potential of dorsal horn cells in rats after peripheral nerve injury. OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of low-frequency TENS on the activity potential of dorsal horn cells induced by mechanical allodynia and thermal allodynia by using animal models of peripheral nerve injury, and observe the efficacy after interfering of naloxone. DESIGN: A randomized control animal study. SETTING: Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Yanbian University. MATERIALS: The experiment was carried out in the central laboratory of Medical College, Yanbian University between February and October 2004. Eighty male Sprague-Dawley rats were used, and 60 random selected ones were operated to separate sciatic nerve, two branch tibial nerves and sural nerves of sciatic nerve were amputated after ligation, and peroneal nerve was left as the experimental group; the other 20 rats were placed at the origin after sciatic nerve was separated, and then the skin was sutured as the control group. METHODS: ① Pain detection (Behavioral test): At 1 week postoperatively, the rats were given mechanical allodynia and thermal allodynia once every 5 seconds for 10 times, and then the frequency of foot withdrawal was detected (0%-40% for mild pain, 40%-70% for moderate pain; 70% and above for severe pain). ② The spontaneous activity potential of dorsal horn cells and that induced by mechanical allodynia and thermal allodynia were detected among the rats with moderate and severe pain in the control group and study group. ③ Low-frequency TENS of 3 mA and 10 Hz was applied to the legs of rats in the experimental group with annular electrode for 10 minute, and the membrane potential of dorsal horn cell was detected before and after stimulation. ④ At the same time of low-frequency TENS was given, rats in the experimental group were injected with naloxone via audal vein, and the membrane potential of dorsal horn cell was detected before and at 10 minutes after naloxone injection.RESULTS: Finally 80 rats were involved in the analysis of results after compensation. ① The foot withdrawal frequencies induced by mechanical allodynia and thermal allodynia in the experimental group were obviously higher than those in the control group (P ＜ 0.01). ② The membrane potential of dorsal horn cell by mechanical allodynia and thermal allodynia in the experimental group were obviously higher than those in the control group (P ＜ 0.01). ③ The membrane potential of dorsal horn cell by mechanical allodynia and thermal allodynia at 10 minutes after low-frequency TENS in the experimental group were obviously higher than those in the control group [(102.6±0.9), (136.9±1.46) impulses per 10 seconds; (175.2±1.28), (240.8±1.51) impulses per 10 seconds, P ＜ 0.01]. ④ In the experimental group, the membrane potential of dorsal horn cell by mechanical allodynia and thermal allodynia at 10 minutes after naloxone injection were obviously higher than those before injection [(174.5±0.4), (235.4±1.4) impulses per 10 seconds, P ＜ 0.01].CONCLUSION: Low-frequency TENS can effectively inhibit the activity potential of spinal dorsal horn cells induced by non-noxious stimulation,and the intravenous injection of naloxone (8 mg/kg) can recover it to the pretreatment level, indicating that low-frequency TENS may alleviate pain by stimulating central nervous system to make it secrete endogenous opium system, and acting on spinal dorsal horn cells to reduce the activity.

Objective:To investigate the promotive effect of 4,5,6,7-tetrabromobenzotriazole (TBB) on the apoptosis of the human cervical cancer HeLa cells,and to clarify its effect mechanism in related signaling pathways.Methods:The human cervical cancer HeLa cells at logarithmic growth phase were divided into control group(without TBB) and experiment group(with TBB).MTT assay was used to detect the survival rate of the HeLa cells;the morphology of HeLa cells was observed under inverted microscope;Annexin Ⅴ-FITC/PI double staining and flow cytometry(FCM) were used to determine the apoptotic rates of the HeLa cells;the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins p-Akt,Akt,Bcl-2,Bax,cleaved-caspase-3,and Pro-caspase-3 were detected by Western blotting method.Results:The MTT results showed that the survival rates of the HeLa cells in experiment group were significantly decreased(P<0.01) in a dose-dependent manner compared with control group.The apoptotic morphology of the HeLa cells in experiment group were found as cell shrinkage and karyopyknosis under inverted microscope.The Annexin Ⅴ-FITC/PI double staining and FCM results showed that the apoptotic rates of the HeLa cells in experiment group (3,6,12 and 24 h) were higher than that in control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01).The Western blotting results showed that compared with control group,the expression levels of the anti-apoptotic proteins p-Akt and Bcl-2 in HeLa cells in experiment group were decreased obviously,whereas the expression levels of the pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and cleaved-caspase-3 were increased and the expression levels of Pro-caspase-3 were decreased.Conclusion:TBB may promote the apoptosis of human cervical cancer HeLa cells by inhibiting the Akt signaling pathway.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) posse the specialty of tumor tropism and be able to migrate specifically to tumor cells. NSCs are also cross the blood brain barrier. NSCs keep in touch with tumor cells preferentially under the tumor microenvironment, and surround the target cells. Based on these characteristics, NSCs can be used as a carrier for therapeutic virus, enzymes/prodrugs, genes or suicide genes, etc. which are selectively delivered to the glioma cells. NSCs may be modified by a variety of different genes to establish a reliable, safe and effective therapy for glioma.

Objective:Stems,petioles,stem sections with axillary and leaves of Scrophularia ningpoensis were taken as the material in vitro to screen out the suitable plantlet regeneration system and optimal exercising seedling conditions. Method:Different explants,hormones and concentrations on the induction and proliferation of cluster bud were studied by L₁₆(4⁵) orthogonal test. One factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) was made on the induction of adventitious buds rooted with different concentrations of hormones. At the same time,different substrates,watering cycles and transition modes were selected to optimize key technologies of exercising seedlings of S. ningpoensis. Result:Stem sections with axillary was the best explant,which was followed by stems,leaves and petioles. The suitable media for the induction of adventitious buds was MS+6-BA 0.5 mg·L^-1+NAA 0.2 mg·L^-1,with the induction rate of 100.0% and the proliferation multiple of 9.84.The suitable media for root induction was 1/2 MS+IBA 0.2 mg·L^-1,with the rooting rate of 100.0% and the number of roots of 39.45.For matrix,they were transplanted with nutrient soil,vermiculite and perlite (5:2:1) as the media,to keep proper matching of fertility,permeability and water retention. The container seedlings can grow well,and the survival rate was more than 95% when they were watered every 2 days,the acclimatization of plantlets took 20 days indoor and 10 days in shaded greenhouses. Conclusion:The clonal propagation system of S. ningpoensis was established to provide an effective way for the efficient,rapid and steady plantlet regeneration,the breeding of high-quality seedlings and the suitable exercising seedling conditions of S. ningpoensis.

As the incidence of diabetes mellitus is rapidly increasing worldwide,that of related complications,such as diabetic kidney disease(DKD),also increases,conferring a heavy economic burden on the patients,families,society,and government.Diabetes mellitus complicated with chronic kidney disease(CKD)includes DKD and the CKD caused by other reasons.Because of the insufficient knowledge about CKD,the assessment of diabetes mellitus complicated with CKD remains to be improved.The therapies for diabetes mellitus complicated with CKD focus on reducing the risk factors.In clinical practice,DKD may not be the CKD caused by diabetes.According to clinical criteria,some non-diabetic kidney disease may be misdiagnosed as DKD and not be treated accurately.This review summarizes the status quo and research progress in the assessment,diagnosis,and treatment of diabetes mellitus complicated with CKD and predicts the directions of future research in this field.
Humans ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications* ; Diabetic Nephropathies/etiology* ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/therapy* ; Risk Factors ; Diabetes Mellitus/therapy*

This study was designed to test the effect of short-term high-fat diet feeding on the cognitive impairment in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease. After establishment of Alzheimer's disease model, the rats were fed on a high-fat diet, and subjected to water maze (Morris water maze, MWM) behavioral test for learning and memory ability. Western blot was used to detect the expression of caspase-1 pathway. The results showed that short-term high-fat diet could alleviate the damage of okada acid in Morris water maze. The mechanism may be mediated by the regulation of the NLRP3/caspase-1 signaling pathway, which alleviates neuronal damage, resulting in a protective effect.

Ginsenoside Rg1 is one of the main active components of ginseng with various pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidation, anti-aging, anti-tumor and anti-apoptosis. Ginsenoside Rg1 plays a protective role in multiple tissues and organs, which shows the multiple targeting properties of the pharmacological effects. Recently, a number of studies have demonstrated that ginsenoside Rg1 has a protective role in the liver due to its multiple pharmacological effects. In chemical liver injury models, or in other liver injury models, ginsenoside Rg1 can alleviate liver necrosis induced by oxidative stress and inflam-mation. This article provides a review of the recent studies on the efficacy of ginsenoside Rg1 in the treatment of various liver damage and the molecular mechanism.

Objective:To investigate the promotion effect of 4,5,6,7-tetrabromobenzotriazole (TBB)on the apoptosis of human colon cancer SW480 cells,and to explore its possible mechanism.Methods:The human colon cancer SW480 cells at logarithmic growth phase were divided into control group (0 μmol·L-1 TBB)and experiment group (1,3,10,30,and 100 μmol·L-1 TBB).The viability of cells was measured by MTT assay;the apoptotic rate of the SW480 cells and the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS)were analyzed by Annexin Ⅴ-FITC/PI double staining and flow cytometry.The expression levels of anti-apoptotic proteins p-Akt and Bcl-2,and pro-apoptotic proteins Bad, pro-caspase-9 and cleaved-caspase-3 were detected by Western blotting method. Results:The MTT results showed that the viabilities of SW480 cells in experiment group were decreased in a dose-dependent manner,which were lower than that in control group (P < 0.05).The Annexin Ⅴ-FITC/PI double staining and flow cytometry results showed that the apoptotic rates of SW480 cells in experiment group (3,6,12, and 24 h)were significantly higher than that in control group (0 h)(P <0.05).The flow cytometry results showed the levels of ROS in SW480 cells after treated with TBB for 3,6,12 and 24 h were higher than that in 0 h group (P <0.05).The Western blotting results showed that the expression levels of anti-apoptotic proteins p-Akt and Bcl-2 in SW480 cells in experiment group (3,6,12,and 24 h)were decreased obviously,whereas the expression levels of the pro-apoptotic proteins Bad and cleaved-caspase-3 were increased and the expression level of pro-caspase-9 was decreased compared with those in control group (0 h) (P < 0.05 ).Conclusion: TBB could inhibit the cell proliferation and induce the apoptosis of human colon cancer SW480 cells,and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the activity of Akt and the promotion of the level of intracellular ROS.

A mouse model of cholestatic liver fibrosis was established by bile duct ligation (BDL) method. The effect of ginsenoside Rg1 in the disease progress and the mechanism of cholestatic liver fibrosis are investigated in this mouse model. All animal experiments in this paper have been approved by the Unit Ethics Committee. Analysis of serum biochemical indicators and pathological sections assessed liver function, liver damage and fibrosis in mice. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot assays were used to detect vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in BDL-induced mice. Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and inflammatory factors were detected to investigate related mechanism of Rg1. The results showed that expression of VCAM-1 was up-regulated and peaked at 7 days, followed by decreased expression, but still efficiently expressed compared to the sham-operated group. Compared with the model group, 40 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 Rg1 treatment reduced serum aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and total bilirubin (T.Bili) levels (P<0.05 or P<0.01) and liver function damage,alleviated BDL-induced liver fibrosis, significantly down-regulated the expression of VCAM-1 (P<0.05), and inhibited the inflammatory response. In addition, Rg1 significantly reduced NF-κB p65 level in the cellular nucleus (P<0.05). This study demonstrates that VCAM-1 is dynamically altered during BDL-induced liver fibrosis. Rg1 could dampen inflammation and alleviate cholestatic liver fibrosis via regulation of the NF-κB/VCAM-1 pathway. The results provide an experimental basis for Rg1 application for treating liver fibrosis.