By summarizing the recent literatures on brain mechanisms with acupuncture intervention based on blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD)-functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the BOLD-fMRI examination and analysis methods, the points to be acupunctured, the corresponding meridian activation regions, the specific intensity range, functions and indications of the acupoints, the manifestation of 'bi-directional regulation' characteristics, fMRI performance of chronergy, laterality and needling qi of acupuncture were reviewed to provide the ideas for future research in this area.

Amblyopia greatly affects the physical and mental development of children. Acupuncture is effective for amblyopia, though its mechanism remains unclear. This article summarized the mechanism of acupuncture treatment of amblyopia from the perspectives of morphology of neurons in visual cortex, visual electrophysiology, and molecular biology, etc. It was found that acupuncture may treat amblyopia through repairing the morphological and ultrastructural damages of neurons in visual cortex, promoting the electrical activities in visual pathway and visual cortical neurons, and modulating the synthesis and expression levels of factors involved in visual system. Nevertheless, further studies are required to unveil the mechanism of acupuncture treatment of amblyopia.

Objective To investigate the cause of tumor cell migration by comparing the effect of substrate stiffness on hepatic and hepatoma carcinoma cell migration so as to understand the invasive characteristics of tumor cells. Methods Immunofluorescence staining, morphological analysis and transwell were employed to observe the morphological characteristics of HCCLM3 and L02 cells on different substrates and test their migration characteristics with the quantitative analysis. Results (1) The migration rate and net translocation of HCCLM3 and L02 cells on 4 kPa substrate was higher than those both on 0.5 kPa(most soft one) and on glass (the hardest one) substrates, and L02 cells also displayed higher migration efficiency than HCCLM3 cells on such substrates. (2) The mean squared displacement of HCCLM3 and L02 cells on different substrates showed consistent tendency, and the directional persistence of L02 cells on the softer substrate was significantly higher than that of HCCLM3 cells. (3) In 0.5 and 1 mg/mL three dimensional collagen environment, the number of invasive cells of HCCLM3 was remarkably more than that of L02 cells. After adding MMPs inhibitor GM6001 (40 μg/mL), the number of invasive cells was notably increased in HCCLM3 cells, but notably decreased in L02 cells. Conclusions (1) In two dimensional comparatively soft environment, L02 cells displayed an efficient migration due to its higher directional persistence. (2) In three-dimensional collagen environment, the invasion efficiency of HCCLM3 cells was significantly higher due to the various modes of migration adaptation to the microenvironment.

Human parathyroid hormone (hPTH) was highly expressed in Escherichia coli by inserted the synthesized whole hPTH cDNA into the vectors pBV220 and pET22b. After expression and disruption, the purified product was acquired through cation exchange chromatography and reverse phase chromatography. From the results of N-terminal sequencing and MALDI-TOF-MS analysis the recombiant prtein was indentified as intact hPTH. In in vitro Bioassays the recombinant hPTH stimulated adenylate cyclase as the standard did. In ovariectomized rats the recombinant hPTH markedly increased the femoral bone mass and bone mineral density.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; Bone Density ; drug effects ; Chromatography, Ion Exchange ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Ovariectomy ; Parathyroid Hormone ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sequence Alignment ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization

OBJECTIVETo explore electrophysiology mechanism of acupuncture for treatment and prevention of visual deprivation effect.

METHODSEighteen healthy 15-day Evans rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group and an acupuncture group, 6 rats in each one. Deprivation amblyopia model was established by monocular eyelid suture in the model group and acupuncture group. Acupuncture was applied at "Jingming" (BL 1), "Chengqi" (ST 1), "Qiuhou" (EX-HN 7) and "Cuanzhu" (BL 2) in the acupuncture group. The bilateral acupoints were selected alternately, one side for a day, and totally 14 days were required. The effect of acupuncture on visual evoked potential in different spatial frequencies was observed.

METHODSUnder three different kinds of spatial frequencies of 2 X 2, 4 X 4 and 8 X 8, compared with normal group, there was obvious visual deprivation effect in the model group where P1 peak latency was delayed (P<0.01) while N1 -P1 amplitude value was decreased (P<0.01). Compared with model group, P1 peak latency was obviously ahead of time (P<0.01) while N1-P1 amplitude value was increased (P<0.01) in the acupuncture group, there was no statistical significance compared with normal group (P>0.05). Under spatial frequency of 4 X 4, N1-P1 amplitude value was maximum in the normal group and acupuncture group. With this spatial frequency the rat's eye had best resolving ability, indicating it could be the best spatial frequency for rat visual system.

CONCLUSIONThe visual system has obvious electrophysiology plasticity in sensitive period. Acupuncture treatment could adjust visual deprivation-induced suppression and slow of visual response in order to antagonism deprivation effect.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Amblyopia ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Animals ; Evoked Potentials, Visual ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Long-Evans

OBJECTIVETo establish a rapid method for detecting MTHFR gene 677C>T polymorphisms with high-resolution melting curve method (HRM) and pyrosequencing.

METHODSPeripheral blood samples were collected from 155 Down syndrome patients and 182 normal controls from Children's Hospital of Shanghai. The accuracy of three methods including regular HRM, internal control HRM and artificial heterozygosity HRM was compared. Meanwhile, allele frequencies in 10, 30 and 50 mixed samples were measured with pyrosequencing, and the results were compared with that of HRM.

RESULTSHeterozygosity of 677C>T polymorphism could be distinguished by various HRM methods. However, homozygotes CC and TT were only identifiable by internal control HRM and artificial heterozygosity HRM. The accuracy of pyrosequencing for allele frequency has improved with increased sample number. When the number of mixed samples has exceeded 30, the difference between pyrosequencing results and actual values became less than 4%. TT genotype was more frequent in Down syndrome patients than controls (25.2% vs. 14.3%). No significant difference was found in T allele frequency between the two groups (44.9% vs. 40.1%).

CONCLUSIONRespectively, internal control HRM and pyrosequencing may be ideal methods for determination of genotypic and allelic frequencies.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Down Syndrome ; diagnosis ; enzymology ; genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2) ; genetics ; Point Mutation ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; methods ; Transition Temperature

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of iron on the growth, physiology and photosynthesis of cyanobacteria.

METHODSA gradient of iron concentrations was employed to investigate the growth, photo-pigments (chlorophyll A and phycocyanin), and cell chemical contents (C, N, P) of Microcystis aeruginosa in response to different iron additions.

RESULTSThe specific growth rate during the exponential growth phase, as well as the cell chlorophyll A and the phycocyanin content, was limited by iron below 12.3 tmol Fe x L(-1). The growth was inhibited when the iron concentration was at 24.6 micromol Fe x L(-1). The cell chlorophyll A and the phycocyanin content were saturated when the iron concentration was above 12.3 micromol Fe x L(-1) and declined slightly at 24.6 micromol Fe x L(-1). At a low iron concentration (about 6.15 micromol Fe x L(-1) and less), the cell nitrogen and carbohydrate content were iron limited, and the variation of the cell phosphorus content was similar to that of the nitrogen and carbohydrate, with a transition point of 12.3 micromol Fe x L(-1).

CONCLUSIONThe variation of cynobacteria growth is synchronous with that of the photo-pigments or the cell chemical content, and there exist relationships among photosynthesis, growth and internal chemical content, which could be useful for the growth estimation from the cell characteristics.

Carbohydrates ; analysis ; Culture Media ; chemistry ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Iron ; pharmacology ; Microcystis ; chemistry ; cytology ; drug effects ; physiology ; Nitrogen ; analysis ; Phosphorus ; analysis

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Liver ; pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 ; analysis ; Young Adult

Objective To evaluate the safety of preoperative oral carbohydrate treatment for the patients in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) and the treatment effect on the perioperative state of the patients.Methods A prospective controlled research was conducted in the patients who had received selective operation for fractures at Department of Orthopaedic Trauma,Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from August 2016 to August 2017.They were divided into 2 groups according to the floor where they stayed.In the traditional fasting group (group TF),fasting was performed one day before operation at 12:00 p.m.;in the preoperative carbohydrate treatment group (group PCT),12.6％ mahodextrin fructose beverage was indicated one day before operation and on the day of operation.The patients in both groups were managed according to ERAS requirements perioperatively.The fasting blood glucose values were measured at admission,just before operation,immediately after operation,and on the next day after operation.The subjective feelings,grip strength and adverse reactions in the 2 groups were observed and recorded.Results A total of 171 patients,112 in group TF and 59 in group PCT,participated in the whole observation.The blood gluco.se value just before operation in group PTC(5.9 ± 1.0 mmol/L) was significantly higher than that (5.2 ±0.6 mmol/L) in group TF (P ＜ 0.05).In group TF,the blood glucose values immediately before operation,immediately and on the next day after operation (5.2 ± 0.6 mmol/L,5.4 ± 1.1 mmol/L and 5.4 ± 1.0 mmol/L) were significantly lower than that at admission (5.7 ± 1.1 mmol/L) (P ＜ 0.05);in group PTC,the blood glucose values immediately and on the next day after operation (5.4 ±0.7 mmol/L and 5.2 ±0.7 mmol/L) were significantly lower than those immediately before operation and at admission (5.9 ± 1.0 mmol/L and 5.9 ± 1.0 mmol/L) (P ＜0.05).Patients in group PTC reported milder uneasy subjective feelings than those in group TF.The grip strength values immediately and on the next day after operation in group PTC (34.3 ± 10.4 kg and 34.5 ± 10.9 kg) were higher than those in group TF (29.1 ± 13.1 kg and 30.1 ± 12.0 kg).Patients in group PCT showed higher satisfaction with perioperative fasting management than those in group TF [9 (9,9) versus 8 (7,9)].All the above differences were significant (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Preoperative carbohydrate treatment by oral intake of maltose and fructose drinks may be safe and feasible in fracture patients,benefiting their energy storage during fasting and improving their perioperative subjective feelings.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the safety of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cell (BM-MNCs) transplantation by intracoronary infusion in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

METHODSOne hundred and eighty-four patients with AMI treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were randomized in a 1:1 way to either intracoronary transplantation of autologous BM-MNCs (n = 92) right after PCI or to sodium chloride concluding heparin (controlled, n = 92) via a micro infusion catheter. In the process of the intracoronary infusion of BM-MNCs, the complications should be recorded, which were aberration reflect (including of pale, syncope, nausea, hypotension and shock), deterioration of angina or heart failure, arrhythmias (including of bradycardia, sinus arrest or atrial ventricular block or ventricular fibrillation), embolism etc. Body temperature, blood pressure and heart rates should be monitored during the first week after transplantation. Holter, coronary angiography and ultrasonic cardiography were performed at the designed time points. Main heart accidents, restenosis and tumor were recorded during 2-years follow up.

RESULTSDuring the period of bone marrow puncture and intracoronary infusion of BM-MNCs, few patients occurred pale, dizziness, bradycardia and hypotension, which were transient and due to vagus reflect. No stem cell-related arrhythmias, deterioration of angina were noted. In BM-MNCs group one patient developed in-stent reocclusion in one week after transplantation, five developed in-stent restenosis during further follow-up 30 months, which were similar with control group. There were no deaths, major adverse cardiac events, tumor and other late adverse events during follow-up period in both groups.

CONCLUSIONIntracoronary transplantation of autologous BM-MNCs in the acute phase after AMI is feasible and seems safe in the 30 months of follow-up.

Adult ; Aged ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; methods ; Coronary Vessels ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction ; surgery ; Transplantation, Autologous