Spinal cord injury is a traumatic disease,commonly seen in falling injuries,traffic accidents,heavy injuries,etc,which could cause motor,sensory and autonomic dysfunction below the level of spinal cord injury.Myelin-associated inhibitors play a role in promoting the collapse of growth cones and inhibiting axonal regeneration in the injured spinal cord microenvironment,which is the main reason for the difficult repair of spinal cord injury.Myelin-associated inhibitors(MAIs),such as neurite outgrowth inhibitor(Nogo),oligodendrocyte-myelin glycoprotein(OMgp)and myelin-associated glycoprotein(MAG),along with their receptor proteins,such as Nogo-A/Nogo-66 receptor 1(NgR1),paired immunoglobulin-like receptor B(PirB),sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2(S1PR2),are the important regulatory factors in the spinal cord microenvironment.They can inhibit therepair process of spinal cord injury by affecting the signaling pathway of neuron axon growth.Although the mechanism of spinal cord injury repair is still unclear,the regulation of myelin-related inhibitory factor proteins and downstream signaling pathways remain an important therapeutic approach for spinal cord injury.In this paper,the role of MAI proteins and their receptors in spinal cord injury repair in recent years were reviewed to provide a new target for spinal cord injury repair and provide more ideas for clinical treatment after spinal cord injury.

Currently, the randomized controlled trial (RCT) becomes the generally accepted golden standard for clinical trials. It can be classified into two types based on different design, that is, the explanatory randomized controlled trial (ERCT) and the pragmatic randomized controlled trial (PRCT). In designing a clinical trial, researcher may select either of them according to the goal of research. The design feature of PRCT and its application in designing clinical trials of acupuncture were introduced in this paper. Further attention should be paid on resolvent of how to apply PRCT in combining with other design methods organically to work out clinical trial scheme with high quality and consistent with the characteristics of acupuncture as possible, for evaluating the effect of acupuncture more accurately and objectively, so as to promote the international application and development of acupuncture therapy.
Acupuncture Therapy ; methods ; Biomedical Research ; Humans ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; methods

OBJECTIVETo appraise the effect of single- and two-layer Percoll density gradient centrifugation in sperm separation.

METHODSTwenty semen specimens underwent single-(50%) and two-layer (90% and 45%) density gradient centrifugation, respectively. The sperm class analyzer (SCA) was used to analyze sperm density, motility and dynamic parameters and round cell density before and after the treatment.

RESULTSAfter separation, the sperm recovery rate of the single-layer method was (65.5 +/- 12.8)%, significantly higher than that of the two-layer method (P < 0.01). The percentages of grade a sperm of the single- and two-layer method were significantly higher than pre-treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), that of the single-layer was significantly lower than that of the two-layer method (P < 0.05), but the percentage of grade c sperm of the former was significantly higher than that of the latter (P < 0.05). Compared with pre-treatment, the percentage of grade a + b sperm of the two-layer method was significantly higher (P < 0.05), while that of the single-layer method showed no significant difference (P > 0.05), and the round cell density of both the methods was significantly lower (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), with no significant differences between the two methods (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe single-layer method yields a higher rate of sperm recovery and causes little change in the sperm motility, while the two-layer method effects a lower rate and significantly improves sperm motility. Both the methods can efficiently separate sperm from round cells, and each has its own advantages and its application value in in vitro treatment of sperm.

Cell Separation ; methods ; Centrifugation, Density Gradient ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Povidone ; Silicon Dioxide ; Sperm Count ; methods ; Spermatozoa ; cytology

OBJECTIVETo identify antigens which may help evaluate the therapeutic effect of angiostrongyliasis from adult worm antigen of Angiostrongylus cantonensis.

METHODSThe adult worm antigens of A. cantonensis were analyzed by Western blotting with the sera of rats infected with A. cantonensis before and after treatment. The sera of rats were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSThe antigens with relative molecular mass between 38,000 and 78,000 reacted not only with the sera of rats before treatment, but also with that after treatment. The antigens with M(r) between 190,000 and 17,000 reacted with the sera of rats before treatment but not with that after treatment; those with M(r) between 32,000 and 24,000 antigens strongly reacted with the former, but the reaction became much weakened with the latter. The AC32-IgG antibody appeared earlier than the AC-IgG, and disappeared rapidly after treatment. Six of the 10 treated rats became negative for AC-IgG as found by ELISA.

CONCLUSIONThe antigens of adult worm antigen of A. cantonensis with M(r) of 190,000, 32,000, 24,000, 17,000 and 16,000 may serve as candidate antigens for therapeutic effect evaluation of angiostrongyliasis.

Angiostrongylus cantonensis ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Animals ; Antibodies, Helminth ; blood ; Antigens, Helminth ; blood ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Blotting, Western ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Strongylida Infections ; diagnosis ; immunology ; parasitology

OBJECTIVETo explore the influence of conventional metal materials in oral cavity on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

METHODSFour kinds of metal materials (metal ligature wire, forging hard and slotless denture, casting nichrome denture, casting copper alloy denture) in oral cavity were scanned through MRI. FSE sequence T1 weighted imaging (FSE T1), EPI diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequence of ordinary, Propeller DWI imaging were used.

RESULTSIn FSE T1 sequence, metal ligature wire and forging hard and slotless denture produced serious false image, casting nichrome denture produced moderate false image, casting copper alloy denture produced only little false image. In EPI DWI sequence, obvious magnetic-sensitive false image were produced in the dissection tissue of the brain by metal ligature wire. While in Propeller DWI sequence, magnetic-sensitive false image were greatly reduced and satisfactory images were formed.

CONCLUSIONDifferent metal materials in oral cavity have different influence on the MRI. The false images produced by different metal materials are closely related to the type of the material. Magnetic-sensitive false images can be eliminated by Propeller DWI technique.

Dental Materials ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of acupuncture on Chinese medicine syndromes of vascular dementia (VaD).

METHODSSixty-three VaD patients were divided into three groups. Those willing to be randomized were randomly assigned to receive either acupuncture (random acupuncture group, 24 cases) or rehabilitation training (guided rehabilitation group, 24 cases) for 6 weeks. Those unwilling to be randomized also received acupuncture for 6 weeks (non-random acupuncture group, 19 cases). Patient syndromes and their severity were evaluated before treatment (baseline), at the end of treatment, and at 4-week follow-up after the completion of treatment using a CM scoring system (scale of differentiation of syndromes of vascular dementia, SDSVD). The SDSVD scores of the random and non-random acupuncture groups, and of all patients who received acupuncture (combined acupuncture group, 43 cases), were compared with those in the guided rehabilitation group.

RESULTSIn the random, non-random, and combined acupuncture groups, SDSVD scores were significantly reduced at the end of treatment and at follow-up than at baseline. In the guided rehabilitation group, SDSVD scores were similar to baseline scores at the end of treatment and at follow-up. However, there were no significant differences in SDSVD scores among the three groups or between the combined acupuncture group and the guided rehabilitation group at any time points. In the non-random and combined acupuncture groups, SDSVD scores were significantly reduced at the end of treatment than at baseline in patients with hyperactivity of Liver (Gan)-yang or phlegm obstruction of the orifices.

CONCLUSIONSAcupuncture reduced the severity of VaD. The improvement was the greatest in patients undergoing their treatment of choice. Treatments in this study were more effective for excess syndromes, such as Liver-yang hyperactivity or phlegm obstruction of the orifices than deficiency syndromes, such as Kidney (Shen)-essence deficiency.

Acupuncture ; Dementia, Vascular ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; immunology ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; immunology ; virology ; Humans ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Th1 Cells ; immunology ; Th2 Cells ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo study lymph node involvement and micro-metastasis of rectal cancer with large slice technique and tissue microarray.

METHODSLarge slice technique, combined with tissue microarray,was used in pathologic study of 31 patients after total mesorectal excision (TME) for rectal cancer.

RESULTSNine hundred and ninety- two lymph nodes were harvested and 148 were positive. More than 40% of positive lymph nodes were located in the outer layer of the mesorectum and in the same side of the mesorectum as the primary tumor was. Circumferential margin involvement was observed in 12 cases and correlated with the numbers of metastatic lymph nodes (Beta =1.166, P=0.041). Micrometastasis was found in 9 cases with negative pathological lymph nodes, but not correlated with tumor differentiation and stage (P> 0.05).

CONCLUSIONLarge slice technique combined with tissue microarray facilitates the detection of lymph node involvement and micrometastasis. There is a predominance of lymph node metastasis in the outer layer and the same side of the mesorectum. Micrometastasis can be discovered in different stages of rectal cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; pathology ; Male ; Mesentery ; pathology ; surgery ; Microtomy ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Rectal Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery

OBJECTIVEThe ratio of psychological to organic ED changes with aging. This study aimed to analyze the results of nocturnal electrobioimpedance volumetric assessment (NEVA) for ED patients of different age groups and their significance in the diagnosis of ED.

METHODSA total of 83 ED patients were divided into 4 age groups (< or = 29 yr, 30 -39 yr, 40 -49 yr and > or = 50 yr) and detected for nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) by NEVA.

RESULTSThirty-four of the cases were diagnosed as organic ED, and the other 49 as psychological ED. With the increase of age, the former was increased from 30.3% in the < or = 29 yr group to 60.0% in the > or = 50 yr group, while the latter decreased from 69.7% to 40.0%.

CONCLUSIONThe percentage of organic ED tends to grow with the increase of age, while that of psychological ED is just the opposite.

Adult ; Aging ; Electric Impedance ; Erectile Dysfunction ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Penile Erection

AIM: To explore the neuroprotective effect of fasudil combined with bone marrow -derived neural stem cells ( BM-NSCs) on the mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis ( EAE).METHODS: Female C57BL/6 mice (8~10 weeks old, n=32) were immunized with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein 35-55 (MOG35-55) to establish chronic EAE model .The mice were randomly divided into control ( ddH2 O ) group, fasudil group , BM-NSCs group , and fasudil+BM-NSCs group .The clinical score and body weight were recorded every other day .The expression of neurotrophic factors was determined by immunofluorescence staining .RESULTS:In comparison with ddH2O group, fasud-il combined with BM-NSCs delayed onset and ameliorated severity of EAE .The numbers of brain-derived neurotrophic fac-tor, glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor , nerve growth factor , neurotrophin-3 and ciliary neurotrophic factor positive cells in fasudil group, BM-NSCs group and fasudil +BM-NSCs group were all increased in various extents .In particularly, the expression of these neurotrophic factors in fasudil +BM-NSCs group was significantly higher than that in the mice treated with fasudil or BM-NSCs alone (P<0.01).CONCLUSION:Fasudil combined with BM-NSCs promotes the expression of neurotrophic factors and improves microenvironment of central nervous system , thus playing a positive role in neural restora-tion and regeneration through a synergistic and superimposed effect .