ObjectiveTo compare the therapeutic efficacy of acupuncture plus medication versus using Chinese medication or acupuncture alone in treating perimenopausal syndrome.MethodNinety patients with perimenopausal syndrome were randomized into 3 groups, 30 in each group, to respectively receive acupuncture plus Chinese medication, Chinese medication alone, and acupuncture alone, totally for 3 months. Modified Kupperman index was adopted to evaluate therapeutic efficacy.ResultAfter intervention, the Kupperman scores decreased significantly in all three groups (P<0.01). The Kupperman score of the acupuncture-medication group was markedly superior to that ofthe medication group and acupuncture group (P<0.05).Conclusion Combination of acupuncture and medication can significantly improve the symptoms of perimenopausal syndrome, and is valuablein clinic.

Objective:To establish an experimental phalloplasty model with sensory restoration in rabbits and to explore a new surgical technique to improve the postoperative sensory function in phallic reconstruction. Methods: Adult male New Zealand white rabbit was used. Penile reconstruction was performed with superficial epigastric faciovascular pedicle flap. Free saphenous nerve graft was dissected, embedded in the flap, and end-to-end anastomosed to dorsal nerve of penis. Postoperatively, H-E staining and CGRP immunohistochemical staining were applied to observe the morphology of the regenerated nerves in the reconstructed penis at different stages. Results:Only a few CGRP-positive fibers scattered in deep corium in the reconstructed penis 1 month after surgery, while the quantity of CGRP nerve fibers increased markedly and the CGRP-positive fibers appeared in both superficial corium and papillae corii after 3 months. Six months postoperatively, the positive nerve fibers were also observed around the cutaneous accessories and in the epidermis-corium boundary layer. Conclusion: This rabbit model demonstrates the possibility of a new method for phalloplasty with sensory recovery, which may redound to clinical application.

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy of along-meridian distal point selection in treating post-cerebral infarction shoulder-hand syndrome.MethodSixty patients with post-cerebral infarction shoulder-hand syndrome were randomly allocated to treatment and control groups, 30 cases each. The control group was treated by routine neurological medical treatment, conventional acupuncture for stroke-attack on meridians and rehabilitation training and the treatment group, by along-meridian distal point selection in addition. The therapeutic effects were evaluated in both groups after four courses of treatment. The VAS scores, affected-side hand swelling scores and upper limb FMA scores were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. ResultThe VAS score, affected-side hand swelling score and upper limb FMA score were significantly better in both groups after treatment than before (P<0.01). Post-treatment VAS score, affected-side hand swelling score and upper limb FMA score were significantly better in the treatment group than in the control group; there were statistically significant differences (P<0.01,P<0.05). ConclusionAlong-meridian distal point selection has clinically a better improving effect on the pain, affected-side hand swelling and upper limb function in patients with post-cerebral infarction shoulder-hand syndrome.

ObjectiveTo study the inhibiting effects on the invasion and metastasis of melanoma by CXCR4 gene silence in nude mice.MethodsThe CXCR4 specific recombinant plasmid vector was constructed and transfected into the cultured MV3 cell line with lipofectamine.The models of subcutaneous melanoma in nude mice were established with MV3 cells.The nude mouse model of lung metastasis was established by injection of MV3 cells into the tail vein.The animals were sacrificed at 8weeks after the melanoma cells injection.CXCR4-shRNA plasmid vectors were discontinuously injected directly into the established tumor and vein.The changes of weight and size of the tumors and the mice body weight during the therapy were calculated respectively.Histological observation was performed to evaluate the presence and number of metastatic tumors.ResultsThe subcutaneous melanoma tumors in nude mice were established successfully.The growth of tumors in the CXCR4-shRNA injected nude mice was inhibitted obviously through tumor growth curve. There were significant differences between negative shRNA control nude mice and blank control nude mice (P＜0.01).Melanoma cells with CXCR4 shRNA permanent transfection had a much lower lung and brain and liver metastatic potential in nude mice than control cells and mock control cells in vivo.ConclusionsCXCR4 gene silencing mediated by shRNA significantly suppresses the growth of MV3 cell in vitro.Silencing of CXCR4 mediated by shRNA can also effectively decrease the metastatic potential of lung and liver and brain.

Objective:To investigate effects of viola on macrophage TOLL-like receptor expression ,and tentatively explore the partial mechanism of viola intervention on macrophage function.Methods: Using viola water decoction lavage intervention in clean grade SD rats of conventional preparation containing serum ,In a certain concentration coculture with mouse peritoneal macrophages in 96-well plates.After 24 hours,cell phagocytosis activity was determined by neutral red uptake assay ,changes in expression levels of TLR-1,TLR-2,TLR-3,TLR-4,TLR-5 mRNAs were determined by RT-PCR.Results:Compared with the same concentration of normal serum group :(1 ) viola-containing serum group macrophage activity was significantly increased ( P<0.01 );( 2 ) Within certain concentration,viola containing serum group with increased or decreased expression levels of TLR -1,TLR-2,TLR-3 mRNA(P<0.05 or P<0.01 ) ,the expression level of TLR-4 was not significantly altered in each group ( P>0.05 ) ,and the expression level of TLR-5 was significantly increased in each group ( P<0.01 ).Conclusion:Viola-containing serum has obvious promoting effect on macrophage phag-ocytosis,the mechanism of which may be related to that this drug regulates and controls part of macrophage TOLL -like receptor expres-sion.

Objective To confirm whether in post-resuscitation myocardial dysfunction involved in myocyte apoptosis mechanism in porcine model of cardiac arrest and apoptosis index varied from different modalities of cardiopulmonary resuscitation or not.Methods A total of 22 WZSP inbred small swine were randomly (random number) divided into sham operation group (SHAM) (n =6),defibrillation first group (DF,n =8) and chest compression first group (CF,n =8).Eight minutes after ventricular fibrillation was set up,standard CPR was carried out subsequently after defibrillation in porcine models of cardiac arrest in DF group and defibrillation after standard CPR in CF group,and hemodynamics were monitored.Twentyfour hours after restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC),animals were sacrificed,and myocardial specimens were examined with electron microscopy,Western blot,quantitative RT-PCR,and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay.The experimental data were analyzed by SPSS 17.0.Student's t test was employed for comparisons between two groups.Differences within groups at different time intervals were compared with repeated measures ANOVA.A two-tailed value of P ＜ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results Myocardial function was significantly impaired after ROSC.Levels of Bcl-2,Bax and caspase-3 protein was markedly increased in the CF and DF groups than those in the SHAM group (P ＜ 0.05) at 24 h after ROSC,while Bcl-2/Bax was significantly reduced in the CF and DF group compared with the SHAM group (P ＜ 0.05),and much more apoptotic cells were observed in cardiac arrest animals in comparison with sham-operation animals (P ＜ 0.05).Six hours after ROSC,hemodynamic indicators improved significantly in group DF than those in group CF,but Bcl-2,Bax and caspase-3 protein levels and apoptotic index were not significantly different bewteen the DF group and CF group (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions Caspase-3-mediated apoptosis might be one of the main pathological mechanisms of postresuscitation myocardial injury in a porcine model of cardiac arrest,but there was no statistically significant difference in apoptosis index between two resuscitation modalities,showing no one modality was superior over another.

AIM: To evaluate the relationship between uPA and NF-?B p65 expression and its clinical significance in breast cancer. METHODS: The uPA mRNA was measured by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR in 46 cases of breast cancer tissues and their adjacent counterparts. NF-?B p65 were measured using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The expression of uPA gene was elevated in 63% of cases, and there was a strong correlation between NF-?B p65 and uPA expression (r=0.451,P

AIM:To observe the effect on NF-?B pathway and cell motility in breast cancer cell lines after transfection of dominant negative I?B? plasmid.METHODS:After stable transfection of mutant I?B? plasmid into highly metastatic breast cancer lines MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-435,we detected NF-?B binding activity by EMSA,cell growth ability by cell growth curve,colony forming test,and cell motility by millicell-PCF chamber.RESULTS:Constitutive activities in MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-435 were observed.Stable transfection of a dominant negative Ⅰ?B? resulted in downregulation of NF-?B binding activity,thus inhibited cell mobility without significant effect on cell growth.CONCLUSION:Cell migration ability is inhibited in highly invasive breast cancer cells by inhibition of NF-?B pathway in vitro.

Objective To examine the effects of different pre-treatment nutritional status and inflammatory markers on acute adverse reactions in esophageal cancer patients during concurrent intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and chemotherapy.Methods The acute adverse reactions of 338 eligible esophageal cancer patients who received concurrent IMRT and chemotherapy in our hospital from 2006 to 2014 were reviewed.The effects of different pre-treatment nutritional status, such as body mass index level (BMI), albumin level (ALB), total lymphocyte count (TLC), the presence or absence of anemia, and inflammatory indicators including neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR), on acute adverse reactions in the patients were examined.Data were analyzed using the chi-square test with continuity correction and logistic regression analysis.Results The incidence rate of malnutrition in the patients based on their nutritional status was 5.62%-54.14%.The incidence rate of grade≥2 acute radiation esophagitis (RE) was significantly higher in the low ALB group than in the normal ALB group (P=0.000).The incidence rate of adverse reactions in the hematologic system increased as TLC decreased (P=0.006), but the incidence rate of acute radiation pneumonitis (RP) was reduced as TLC decreased (P=0.001).In addition, the incidence rate of grade ≥2 acute RE was significantly higher in the anemia group than in the non-anemia group.Inflammatory marker analysis demonstrated that the incidence rate of acute RE was significantly higher in the high NLR group and high PLR group than in the low NLR group and low PLR group (P=0.000 and P=0.024, respectively).Logistic regression analysis of nutritional status and inflammatory markers showed that TLC was an independent risk factor for acute adverse reactions in the hematologic system (P=0.001), and ALB and PLR were independent risk factors for acute RE (P=0.017 and P=0.011,respectively).Conclusions Nutritional status and inflammatory markers are associated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy-induced acute adverse reactions in esophageal carcinoma patients, and hence may be valuable indicators of acute adverse reactions during treatment.In addition, nutritional treatment and support care should be actively provided to the patients to prevent the development of acute adverse reactions during treatment.

AIM: To investigate the role of nuclear factor ?B (NF-?B) in the induction of IL-8 gene by TNF-? in colon cancer cells and the effect of antioxidant on the induction of IL-8. METHODS: ELISA was used to detect the concentrations of IL-8. IL-8 mRNA was analyzed by using RT-PCR. NF-?B in the cell nuclei was detected with electrophoretic mobility shift assay. RESULTS: (1) IL-8 production and IL-8 mRNA expression induced by TNF-? was blocked by pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC). (2) TNF-? triggered the activation and translocation of NF-?B and PDTC inhibited the activation of NF-?B induced by TNF-?. CONCLUSION: The induction of IL-8 gene and protein by TNF-? is dependent on the activation of NF-?B. Antioxidants may inhibit the induction of IL-8 gene and protein through inhibiting NF-?B activation.