The main acupoints were Shuigou (GV 26), Jiquan (HT 1) and Weizhong (BL 40). According to the diseased area, corresponding points were selected. Warmed needling, pushing, grasping, kneading,flicking and shaking of diseased joints were performed. Among 48 patients with rheumatoid arthritis,6 cases were clinically recovered; 14 cases were remarkablely effective; 24 cases were improved; and 4 cases were ineffective.

Objective To study the difference of detection rate between PCR and high-resolution melt (HRM)for detecting the bacterial drug resistance gene aac(6′)-Ib-cr.Methods The PCR method was adopted to detect the aac(6′)-Ib gene in 299 strains of common Gram-negative bacilli,and the PCR positive products of aac (6′)-Ib were digested with BtsCI.Meanwhile Aac (6′)-Ib and aac (6′)-Ib-cr genes in above bacterial strains were detected by adopting the HRM technique.Results A total of 29 isolates were i-dentified as aac (6′)-Ib gene,and 21 mutations were aac (6′)-Ib-cr,with a mutation rate of 72.4% (21/29)for PCR and restriction enzyme digestion.And the results of the HRM test were in good agreement with each other.Conclusion PCR and HRM are similar for the detection of the bacterial resistance gene aac (6′)-Ib-cr,and aac (6′)-Ib-cr gene could be detected by a simpler HRM tech-nique instead of PCR and enzyme digestion,especially for a large number of screening.

Acid sphingomyelinase (aSMase) is an important enzyme in sphingolipid metabolism. Studies concerning the relationship between aSMase and tumor are relatively rare. However, the relationship between aSMase and the development and progression of tumors has already been demonstrated in previously published research. In this review, the mechanism of aSMase activation and the role of aSMase in the development and progression of tumors as well as its application value are summarized. Copyright © 2012 by TUMOR.

The quality of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) has been mainly evaluated based on chemical ingredients, yet recently more attentions have been paid on biological ingredients, especially for pill-based preparations. It is a key approach to establish a fast, accurate and systematic method of biological ingredient analysis for realization of modernization, industrialization and internationalization of TCMs. The biological ingredient analysis of TCM preparations could be abstracted as the identification of multiple species from a biological mixture. The metagenomic approach based on high-throughput-sequencing (HTS) and big-data-mining has been considered as one of the most effective methods for multiple species analysis of a biological mixture, which would also be helpful for the analysis of biological ingredients in TCMs. Simultaneous identification of diverse species, including the prescribed species, adulterants, toxic species, protected species and even the biological impurities introduced through production process, could be achieved by selecting appropriate DNA biomarkers, as well as applying large-scale sequence comparison and data mining. By this approach, it is prospective to offer an evaluation basis for the effectiveness, safety and legality of TCM preparations.
Biological Products ; chemistry ; Data Mining ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Metagenomics ; methods

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of sacral nerve root electrostimulation (SNS) on the colon function and its mechanisms in rats with spinal cord injury (SCI).

METHODSOne hundred and four Wistar rats were divided into three groups: A, B and C. A group ( n = 24) was divided into three subgroups (n = 8) for studying the bioelectricity: Normal group (NG), SCI group (SCI) and SCI group with SNS(SNS); B group( n = 24) was divided into three subgroups( n = 8) for studying the colon motility: NG, SCI and SNS. C group( n = 56) were divided into three groups for studying the change of morphology and neurotransmitters(SP and VIP): NG (n = 8), SCI (n = 24), and SNS (n = 24) . In SCI and SNS, included of three subgroups: 24, 48, 72 h after spinal cord injury (n = 8).

RESULTSIn SCI group, the activity of bioelectricity in proximal and distal colon was reduced; the colon motility was lessened, and colon mucosa appeared different degree of damage; cell-cell connections between intestinal epithelial cells were destroyed. The expressions of substance P(SP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in colon were decreased obviously. SNS was found to activate the bioelectricity, promote the colon motility, improve the intestinal mucosal, and increase the expressions of SP and VIP. Conclusion: SNS can activate the peristalsis, rehabilitate the motility of denervated colon, protection of the intestinal mechanical barrier between intestinal epithelial cells and tight junction, rebuild the colon function through activating the bioelectricity and increase the expressions of SP and VIP.

Animals ; Colon ; physiopathology ; Electric Stimulation Therapy ; Epithelial Cells ; drug effects ; Intestinal Mucosa ; drug effects ; Lumbosacral Region ; innervation ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; therapy ; Substance P ; metabolism ; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo observe the ultrastructural change of the route of gut bacterial translocation in a rat with spinal cord injury (SCI).

METHODSForty Wistar rats were divided into the following groups: control group and 3 SCI groups (10 in each group). The rats in the SCI groups were established SCI model at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h after SCI. Small intestine mucous membrane tissue was identified and assayed by transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope and immunofluorescence microscopy.

RESULTSSmall intestine mucous membrane tissue in control group was not damaged significantly, but those in SCI groups were damaged significantly. Proliferation bacteria in gut lumen attached on microvilli. The extracellular bacteria torn the intestinal barrier and perforated into the small intestinal mucosal epithelial cell. The bacteria and a lot of particles of the seriously damaged region penetrated into the lymphatic system and the blood system directly. Some bacteria were internalized into the goblet cell through the apical granule. Some bacteria and particles perforated into the submucosa of the M cell running the long axis of M cells through the tight junctions. In the microcirculation of mucosa, the bacteria that had already broken through the microvilli into blood circulation swim accompanying with erythrocytes.

CONCLUSIONThe routes of bacterial translocation interact and format a vicious circle. At early step, the transcellular pathway of bacterial translocation is major. Following with the destroyed small intestine mucous, the routes of bacterial translocation through the lymphatic system and the blood system become direct pathways. The goblet cell-dendritic cell and M cell pathway also play an important role in the bacterial translocation.

Animals ; Bacteria ; Bacterial Translocation ; Epithelial Cells ; microbiology ; Goblet Cells ; microbiology ; Intestinal Mucosa ; microbiology ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Intestine, Small ; microbiology ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Microvilli ; microbiology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; microbiology

Acupuncture Analgesia ; Animals ; Central Nervous System ; metabolism ; Electroacupuncture ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Pain Threshold ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Tenascin-C (TNC) is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein, which is usually highly expressed in embryonic tissues and tumor tissues, but is not expressed or just lowly expressed in mature tissues. TNC is involved in various complex signaling pathways during tumor metastasis, especially through modulating FAK, RhoA, Wnt and Notch pathways by interacting with syndecan-4, integrin α5β1, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). As a result, TNC affects epithelial mesenchymal transition, tumor cell adhesion, proliferation and angiogenesis, which eventually enhances the invasion and metastasis ability of many tumors. Further studies have demonstrated that TNC could be used as prognosis or metastasis marker of patients with malignant tumor.
Cell Adhesion ; Humans ; Integrins ; Matrix Metalloproteinases ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasms ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; Signal Transduction ; Tenascin ; physiology ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

Objective To study the effects of sulphur dioxide(SO 2 )inhalation on the blood pressure of rats.Methods The male Wistar rats were exposed to28.6,57.3and114.4mg /m 3 SO 2 six hours each day for7days respectively by the tech-nique of dynamic fumigation and the ratsblood pressures were measured using RBP-1model blood pressure meter every day af-ter the SO 2 inhalation.Results28.6mg /m 3 SO 2 inhalation could cause a decrease of the ratsblood pressures compared with the background value at3rd and4th day(P

Objective To investigate the hygienic quality of drinking water in rural areas of Xiamen and to provide scientific bases for the improvement of drinking water quality and protection of human health.Methods The well water samples were sampled randomly according to the proportion and the water quality was analysed and the incidences of water-borne diseases were investigated in Xiamen rural areas.Results Water sources for drinking water in most parts of Xiamen rural areas are shallow-layer ground-water.As being polluted by surface ranoff water,the indices of total bacte-rial count and coliform bacteria in the well water were heavily over the standard with the over standard rates61.6%and85.1%respectively.The contents of fluoride in drinking water were at the higher levels(the highest one was1.6mg /L)in some villages and still there were more villages where the iodine contents in drinking water was at the lower level.The iodine content in well water,spring water and tap water was11.1,2.5and4.45?g /L respectively,in which the unqualified rate was48.3%,90%and58.1%respectively.The incidence of dental fluorosis in school-age children was70%in the high fluoride areas and the incidence of endemic goiter was20.9%in the low iodine areas.Conclu-sion The main hygienic problem of drinking water in rural areas of Xiamen was biological pollution and lower iodine contents and higher fluoride contents in water in some areas.In order to eliminate the water-borne diseases,the most important rural sanitary measures need to be taken:improving the sanitary conditions around the wells,repairing the well wall s and using deep ground-water or drinking water and developing centralized water supply in the areas with unbal-anced health-related microelemeuts in drinking water if possible in some villages.