Objective To determine the effect of passive smoking during pregnancy on the expression of tumor necrosis factor-? (TNF-?) and cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC) in the lungs of neonatal rats. Methods Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to sidestream cigarette smoke on the 1, 8 and 15 day after pregnancy for a total of 2 h each day. Those rats who were put into the box without smoke exposure were as control. The neonatal rats were delivered by cesarean section on the 20th day of gestation and birth weight was measured. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to evaluate the expression of TNF-?、CINC mRNAs and TNF-? protein. Results The birth weight of neonatal rats born from those mothers who were exposed to sidestream cigarette smoke was significantly lower than that of control gruop(P

The history of the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies (WFAS) was reviewed through summarizing the background and process of the establishment of WFAS. The establishment background was explained in different aspects, named the recovery of acupuncture-Moxibustion in the world, the successive setup of world acupuncture-Moxibustion organizations, the divergences of International Association of Acupuncture-Moxibustion, striding forward of China reform and opening policy as well as the attention of the World Health Organization (WHO), etc. The establishment of WFAS was introduced on the proposal from eight countries, the important time of the development of acupuncture and moxibustion in China, 1984, divergences and consensus as well as the final phase. The official establishment of WFAS represents the global benefits of acupuncture-Moxibustion colleagues. It is the international organization of acupuncture and moxibustion, contributing to the promotion of acupuncture and moxibustion in the world.
Acupuncture ; history ; organization & administration ; Acupuncture Therapy ; history ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; history ; Societies, Medical ; history

From cooperation between World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies (WFAS) and World Health Organization, works of academics and standardization, acupuncture-moxibustion education, technique service, organization development, etc., the 27-year development of WFAS since 1987 was summarized and reviewed in details. The growth of WFAS witnesses and promotes the development of acupuncture and moxibustion in the world, so by learning the experience and lessons, WFAS could have a wider path, becoming a core organization for communicating and promoting the development of acupuncture, even the traditional medicine in the world.
Acupuncture ; education ; history ; organization & administration ; standards ; Acupuncture Therapy ; history ; standards ; Global Health ; history ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; history ; standards ; Societies ; history ; World Health Organization

BACKGROUND:Caveolin-1 is expressed in mammalian brain and involved in the normal development of the brain, which can affect the proliferation of neural stem cells in the brain. OBJECTIVE:To acquire neural stem cells from caveolin-1 knockout embryonic mice in vitro and study their biological characteristics. METHODS:The whole brain was separated from C57BL/6 mice and caveolin-1 knockout C57BL/6 mice respectively at encyesis 14-16 days. Single cellsuspension was obtained by enzyme digestion, and cultured in the conditioned medium of neural stem cells. Fol owing 7 days of primary culture, the cells were induced in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium/Ham’s nutrient mixture F-12 containing 10%fetal bovine serum for 7 days. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The major cells of the cellsuspensions from the fetal mouse brain were dead at 1 day after culture, and some single cells floated in the medium and their transmittance were better, and then they gradual y formed multicellular bal s after 3 days. A smal amount of cells were adhered at the bottom of culture plate after passage, and a great amount of cellbal s appeared after 7 days. The proliferation rate of neural stem cells from caveolin-1 knockout mice was higher than that from normal mice. The cellbal s were nestin-positive and their differentiated cells was positive for neurofilament 200, glial fibril ary acidic protein or O4, respectively. Al of the cells from normal mouse brain were positive for caveolin-1, but the cells from caveolin-1 knockout mice were negative for caveolin-1 by immunocytochemistry. Moreover, the speed of cellbal formation and the number of cellbal s in neural stem cells from caveolin-1 knockout mice were better than those from normal mice. Caveolin-1 negative neural stem cells were cultured successful y from caveolin-1 knockout mouse brain, and the results show that caveolin-1 can promote the proliferation of neural stem cells and inhibit their differentiation in vitro.

Background Posterior capsular opacification (PCO) is a primary complication after extracapsular cataract extraction.The mechanism of PCO is associated with proliferation,migration and epithelialmesenchymal transition (EMT) of human lens epithelial cells (LECs).To explore the target treatment of PCO is very important.Objective This study was to investigate the biological effects of second mitochondria-derived activator of caspases (Smac) on the proliferation and apoptosis of LECs.Methods Human LECs line (HLE-B3) and Smac-overexpressed LECs line were cultured,and the cells were transfected using small interfering RNA (siRNA)-Smac3 plasmid with green fluorescent protein (GFP) for 24 hours.Different concentration of transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2) (5,10,20 and 50 μg/ml) or 200 μmol/L H2O2 were added respectively into the culture medium to establish PCO model and oxidative stress model.Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was used to compare the cell proliferative activity among PBS group,TGF-β2 group and Smac-hyperexpression +TGF-β2 group.Flow cytometry was used to evaluate the apoptotic rate of the PBS group,H2 O2 group and siRNA-Smac+H2 O2 group.The expressions of Smac,caspase-3 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) mRNA and their proteins in the cells were detected by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blot.Results The GFP+ cells were≥ 80％ 12 hours after siRNA-Smac3 transfection,with the optimal plasmid of siRNA-Smac3.GFP+ cell rate was (72.32 ± 2.31)％ in the siRNA-Smac3 transfection group,which was significantly higher than that in the blank plasmid group ([4.91 ±0.24] ％) (t=116.342,P＜0.001).The relevant expression levels of Smac was 35.21 ±4.11 in the Smachyperexpression group,and that in the blank plasmid group was 15.24±2.48,with a significant difference between them (t =215.47,P＜0.05).The cell viability of 20 ng/ml TGF-β2 affected PBS group,TGF-β2 group and Smachyperepression+TGF-β2 group was (98.4 ± 1.7) ％,(98.9 ± 0.1) ％ and (64.2 ± 3.1) ％,and the cell viability of Smac-hyperepression+TGF-β2 group was significantly lower in the Smac-hyperepression+TGF-β2 group than that in the TGF-β2 group (P＜0.05).The apoptotic rate in the PBS group,H2 O2 group and siRNA-Smac+H2 O2 group were (2.9 ± 1.2) ％,(45.1 ±4.5) ％ and (27.5 ± 1.8) ％,and the apoptotic rate was evidently lower in the siRNA-Smac +H2O2 group than that in the H2O2 group (P＜0.05).RT-PCR results showed that the expression levels of caspase-3 mRNA in PBS group,H2 O2 group and siRNA-Smac + H2 O2 group were 0.321 ± 0.103,0.715 ± 0.112 and 0.479 ±0.209,respectively.Compared with the H2 O2 group,the relative expression level of caspase-3 mRNA in siRNA-Smac+ H2O2 group was significantly decreased,the difference was statistically significant (P＜ 0.05).The PCNA mRNA expression levels in PBS group,TGF-β2 group and Smac-hyperepression+TGF-β2 group were 0.299±0.013,0.645± 0.102 and 0.490±0.209,respectively.Western blot results showed that the relative expression of caspase-3 protein in siRNA-Smac+H2O2 group and H2O2 group was 0.712±0.012 and 0.973±0.051,with significant difference between the two groups (t =132.52,P＜0.05).The relative expression of PCNA protein in Smac-hyperepression+TGF-β2 group was 0.782±0.212,which was lower than 1.126±0.251 in the TGF-β2 group (P＜0.05).Conclusions Smac may prevent and treat PCO by inhibiting the proliferation and promoting apoptosis of human LECs.

Objective To investigate focal cerebral ischemia on cell proliferation and expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP) in caveolin-1 knockout mice.Methods Focal cerebral ischemia was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO) to caveolin-1-knockout mice and homologous C57 wild-mice.Expression of BrdU and GFAP in the brain were detected using immunohistochemistry in the postoperative 7d.Results The number of BrdU( (29.04 ± 1.68 )/mm2 ; (24.13 ±- 1.57 )/mm2 ) and GFAP-positive cells ( ( 10.75 ± 2.32 )/mm2 ; ( 18.14 ± 1.95 )/mm2 ) were increased in wild-type and caveolin-1 -knockout mice after ischemia,and there was significant difference compared with sham group (BRDU( 6.15 ± 1.09 )/mm2,(6.23 ± 1.05 )/mm2 ; GFAP (2.31 ±0.98)/mm2,(2.07 ± 1.01 )/mm2 ) (P＜0.05).Expression of BMU in knockout mice was less than that in wild mice,but expression GFAP in knockout mice was stronger than that in wild mice,and the difference was statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05 ).Conclusion Cerebral ischemia can promote cell proliferation and glial activation in brain,loss of caveolin-1 reduced cell proliferation and enhanced glial activation early stage of brain ischemia.

Objective To investigate the effects of tongue cancer resistance-associated protein 1 (TCRP1) in proliferation of chronic myeloid leukemia cells (CML),and explore the new thoughts of pathogenesis of CML.Methods The expression of TCRP1 was detected in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of CML with real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot.After the expression of TCRP1 was interfered in K562 cells,the proliferation of cells was detected by 3-(4,5-dimenthylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assay and soft agar colony forming assay,and the expression of protein kinase B (AKT) and its phosphorylation were tested by Western blot.Results In PBMC of CML patients,the mRNA and protein levels of TCRP1 were significantly higher than those of normal controls.The results of MTS assay and soft agar colony forming assay showed that the proliferation of K562 cells was significantly decreased after the expression of TCRP1 was interfered.After knockdown of TCRP1 in K562 cells,the phosphorylation of AKT was significantly decreased while the expression of total AKT did not change.Conclusions The expression of TCRP1 was increased in CML cells.High expression of TCRP1 might contribute to proliferation of K562 cells via the phosphorylation of AKT.

AIM:To study whether ischemic preconditioning(IPC) has a protective effect against ischemia/reperfusion(I/R) injury in brain, and the possible relationship between IPC and the regulating function of microcirculation. METHODS: The I/R models were established both in I/R and IPC groups of Sprague-Dawley rats. Additional procedure was performed of short term cerebral ischemic preconditioning in IPC group 24 hours before I/R. Skull windows were performed through which microcirculation features were measured before ischemia, during ischemia, and reperfusion. Finally, brains were cut into slices and stained with red tetrazoline(TTC). RESULTS: Most TTC stained brains in I/R group presented irregular palely red areas which were few in IPC group. Compared with I/R group, IPC group presented relatively increase in accumulated length of capillaries, mean cerebral microcirculatory perfusion, and microcirculatory velocity in ischemic and reperfusion phase. There was no-reflow phenomenon in I/R group in reperfusion phase, which was substituted by the course of increasing reperfusion in IPC group. CONCLUSIONS:IPC could relieve the reduction of tissue perfusion during ischemia and the no-reflow phenomenon during reperfusion by improving the regulating function of microcirculation, which relatively promote the opening of capillaries and accelerating of microvascular flow, therefore protect brain from I/R injury.

AIM: To investigate the effects of human urotensin Ⅱ (hUII) on in vivo mesenteric microcirculation in rats. METHODS: For recording of microcirculation images in the mesentery, the intestinal loop was mounted on the stage of an intravital microscope equipped with a TV camera. Video images of microcirculation were stored by a video cassette recorder. Temporal changes in internal diameter and microcirculatory velocity of microvesseles were measured by computer using the ImagePro software. The blood flow in intestinal wall was measured with PIMII laser Doppler perfusion Imager (Lisca Sweden). RESULTS: The internal diameters of arterioles and venules in control group were (21.4?2.3) ?m and (38.1?3.6) ?m,respectively. In UII group, the arterioles and venules contracted immediately after treated with UII and up to the peak at 1 min [(14.1?1.4) ?m and (22.2?5.2) ?m vs control,P0.05). The blood flow in intestinal wall increased 1 min after treated with UII and up to high peak at 5 min(6.4?1.1 perfusion unit vs control 4.2?0.9,P

Objective To evaluate the effect on salvage treatment of sudden deafness with comprehensive Chinese medicine therapy. Methods Fifty-three sudden deafness patients failing in conventional western medicine treatment were given comprehensive Chinese medicine therapy, and the salvage treatment followed by oral use of Chinese medicine, intravenous injection of Chinese patent medicine, acupoint injection, ear acupoint plastering, acupoint application, acupuncture, sound healing, and massage. The therapeutic effect and the relief of major accompanying symptoms were evaluated after treatment, and the relationship of disease course with clinical efficacy was also investigated. Results (1) After treatment, 4 cases were cured, 9 were markedly effective, 13 were effective, 27 were ineffective, and the total effective rate was 49.06%. (2) Except for the 2 excluded cases, the major accompanying symptoms such as tinnitus, auricular distress, and vertigo were relieved to various degrees in other cases. ( 3) Twenty-two patients had a course of disease within 14 days, and the total effective rate for them was 72.73%. A total effective rate of 32.26% was achieved in 31 cases with disease course over 14 days. It is indicated that the therapeutic effect for patients with a disease course less than 14 days was superior to that with a disease course over 14 days (P<0.01). Conclusion Comprehensive Chinese medicine therapy exerts inspiring therapeutic effect on salvage treatment of sudden deafness, and earlier intervention results into better effect.