Search Results

WRKY transcription factors are novel transcriptional regulatory factors, which play an important role in regulating plant development, metabolism and other physiological processes. In this study, a new Dendrobium officinale WRKY transcription factor, designated as DoWRKY1 was cloned by using RT-PCR and RACE (GenBank Accession No. KF953910). Bioinformatic analysis demonstrated that, the full-length cDNA of DoWRKY1 was 1,704 bp. And DoWRKY1 contained a 1,629 bp open reading frame (ORF) that encoding a peptide of 542 amino acid residues. The putative DoWRKY1 protein contained two conserved WRKY domains and it belonged to the group I WRKY family protein. Yeast one-hybrid experiment showed that DoWRKY1 had transcriptional activation ability in yeast, and it could activate the expression of downstream report genes (His3 and Ade2). Semi-quantitative RT-PCR experiment showed that DoWRKY1 expressed in roots, stems, leaves and protocorm-like bodies. Real-time qRT-PCR proved that DoWRKY1 could be induced by methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and chitosan (Chitosan), and the expression level of this gene can reach the expression peak at 2 h and 1 h, respectively. These results are useful for further determination of the regulation function of this gene in secondary metabolism of D. officinale.
Cloning, Molecular ; Dendrobium ; genetics ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; Transcription Factors ; genetics

9.Different stimulation intensities of acupuncture at Hegu (LI 4) for central facial nerve paralysis after ischemic stroke: a randomized controlled trial.

Ling-Xin LI ; Guang TIAN ; Zhi-Hong MENG ; Xiao-Nong FAN ; Chun-Hong ZHANG ; Xue-Min SHI

Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion 2014;34(7):669-674

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture at Hegu (LI 4) on central facial nerve paralysis after ischemic stroke, and explore dose-effect relationship among different stimulation intensities of acupuncture at Hegu (LI 4) as well as its optimal treatment plan.

METHODSAccording to different acupuncture stimulation intensities which were based on treatment time and needle insertion direction, fifty patients were randomly divided into a Hegu 1 group, a Hegu 2 group, a Hegu 3 group, a Hegu 4 group and a control group, ten cases in each one. Different stimulation intensities of acupuncture at Hegu (LI 4) combined with facial paralysis acupoints, including Yingxiang (LI 20), Dicang (ST 4), Jiache (ST 6) and Quanliao (SI 18), were applied in Hegu 1 to 4 groups; meanwhile acupuncture at stroke acupoints, including Neiguan (PC 6), Shuigou (GV 26) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6), and medication treatment were adopted. Except acupuncture at Hegu (LI 4), the treatment of the control group was identical as Hegu groups. The treatment duration lasted for 14 days. The House-Brackmann facial never grading systems (H-B), Toronto facial grading system (TFGS), degrees of facial never paralysis (DFNP), facial disability index (FDI) and clinical efficacy were compared among groups.

RESULTS(1) Compared before the treatment, H-B, TFGS, DFNP and physical function score in FDI were all improved significantly in the Hegu 1 to 4 groups (all P < 0.05), but social function score in FDI was not obviously improved (all P > 0.05); all the scores in the control group were not evidently changed (all P > 0.05). (2) Compared with the control group, differences of H-B before and after treatment in the Hegu 1 to 4 groups, differences of TFGS in the Hegu 2 group and differences of DFNP in the Hegu 1 and Hegu 2 group were significantly improved (all P < 0.05). The differences of any scale among Hegu 1 to 4 groups were not significant (all P > 0.05), in which the most evident change was found in Hegu 2 group. (3) The total effective rate was 90.0% (9/10), 100.0% (10/10), 90.0% (9/10) and 80.0% (8/10) in Hegu 1 to 4 groups, which were significantly higher than 60.0% (6/10) in the control group (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture at Hegu (LI 4) has affirmative clinical efficacy on central facial nerve paralysis after ischemic stroke, in which oblique insertion along the opposite direction of meridian for 5 s of twirling manipulation has the best clinical effect.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Facial Paralysis ; etiology ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stroke ; complications