Objective To evaluate the effect of hydrogen-rich saline on the expression of phosphor-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-p38MAPK) during cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in rats.Methods Seventy-two adult male Sprague-Dawley rats,weighing 220-250 g,were randomly divided into 3 groups (n =20 each) using a random number table:sham operation group (group S),I/R group and hydrogen-rich saline group (group I/RH).Cerebral ischemia was induced in chloral hydrate-anesthetized rats by 2 h middle cerebral artery occlusion in I/R and I/RH groups.The artery was only exposed but not occluded in group S.At 3 days before operation and immediately after onset of reperfusion,hydrogen-rich saline (0.6 mmol/L) 10 ml/kg was intraperitoneally injected in group I/RH,while the equal volume of normal saline was given in S and I/R groups.Neurological deficits were blindly assessed and scored at the end of 24 h reperfusion.The animals were then sacrificed,and brains were removed for microscopic examination and for determination of the cerebral infarct size (by TTC),brain water content,cell apoptosis (by TUNEL),and expression of p38MAPk and phosphor-p38MAPK (p-p38MAPK) (by immunohistochemistry and Western blot).Apoptosis index was calculated.Results Compared with group S,neurological deficit score,apoptosis index,brain water content and cerebral infarct size were significantly increased,and the expression of p38MAPK and p-p38MAPK was up-regulated in I/R and I/RH groups.Compared with group I/R,neurological deficit score,apoptosis index,brain water content and cerebral infarct size were significantly decreased,and the expression of p38MAPK and p-p38MAPK was down-regulated in group I/RH.The pathological changes of cerebral tissues were significantly attenuated in group I/RH as compared with group I/R.Conclusion Hydrogen-rich saline can reduce cell apoptosis through inhibiting p-p38MAPK expression,thus attenuating cerebral I/R injury in rats.

Objective To evaluate the effect of hydrogen on the activation of caspase-3 in brain tissues during cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in rats.Methods Thirty-six healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley rats,weighing 220-250 g,were divided into 3 groups (n=12 each) using a random number table:sham operation (group S),I/R group and hydrogen group (group H).Cerebral ischemia was induced by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery followed by reperfusion in I/R and H groups.In group H,hydrogen-rich saline 5 ml/kg (0.6 mmol/L) was injected intraperitoneally at 3 days before establishment of the model and immediately after the onset of reperfusion.At 24 h of reperfusion,the rats were sacrificed,and hippocampal tissues were obtained for determination of neuroapoptosis (by TUNEL),apoptotic neuron count and expression of activated caspase-3 (by Western blot).The brain tissues in the ischemic area were obtained and stained with haematoxylin and eosin for examination of the pathological changes.Results Compared with group S,the expression of activated caspase-3 was significantly up-regulated,and the apoptotic neuron count was increased in I/R and H groups (P<0.05).Compared with group I/R,the expression of activated caspase-3 was significantly down-regulated,the apoptotic neuron count was decreased (P<0.05),and the pathological changes of brain tissues were significantly reduced in group H.Conclusion The mechanism by which hydrogen inhibits neuroapoptosis during cerebral I/R is probably related to inhibited activation of caspase-3 in brain tissues of rats.

Objective To investigate the expression of VIT-1 gene in melanocytes of patients with vitiligo, and to analyze the difference of its sequence. Methods The skin from the foreskins of healthy men by circumcision and from the non-lesional area on the buttocks of 5 patients were digested by dispase, then the epidermis and dermis were separated, and the melanocytes were isolated. Then we cultured the melanocytes from the controls in TICVA medium and those from the patients in TICVA medium supplemented with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and endothelin-1 ( ET-1). The expression of VIT-1 gene was measured by RT-PCR, the full-length cDNA of VIT-1 ORF was cloned and sequenced, and sequence difference was analyzed by CLUSTAL W ( 1.83 ) software. Results The expression levels of VIT-1 gene were significantly lower in melanocytes from the patients than in those from the controls. An 81 bp-intron was found in the VIT-1 ORF. VIT-1 was a fragment of FBXO11, located at its 3' end. Conclusion VIT-1 gene is not a new gene, but a fragment of FBXO11, and a member of F-box protein family.

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of grain-sized moxibustion in treating chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its effect on quality of life (QOL). Methods: Eighty NSCLC patients admitted to the Inpatient Department of Zhejiang Cancer Hospital between September 2016 and March 2018 were recruited and divided into an observation group and a control group by random number method, with 40 cases in each group. The two groups both received chemotherapy with paclitaxel plus cisplatin (TP regimen). The control group received oral administration of leucogen tablets starting from the first day of chemotherapy, 20 mg each time, three times a day, for consecutive 14 d; the observation group was additionally given grain-sized moxibustion, once a day, five days per week at a two-day interval, until the fourteenth day. The myelosuppression severity was observed and compared between the two groups prior to chemotherapy, at the 3rd, 7th and 14th days of chemotherapy; the QOL in the two groups was evaluated before chemotherapy, at the 14th and 21st days of chemotherapy. Results: Regarding myelosuppression, the peripheral blood indicators increased significantly at the 3rd day of chemotherapy in both groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01); at the 7th and 14th days of chemotherapy, the peripheral blood indicators presented a decreasing tendency in the two groups, but the level in the observation group was still significantly higher than that before chemotherapy (P<0.01); at the 3rd, 7th and 14th days of chemotherapy, the peripheral blood indicators in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01); the occurrence rate of myelosuppression in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.01). The QOL score in the observation group was markedly higher than that in the control group at the 14th and 21st days of chemotherapy (both P<0.05). Conclusion: Grain-sized moxibustion can effectively improve myelosuppression after chemotherapy for NSCLC, reducing its occurrence and enhancing the patient's QOL.

The authors explained the process of organizing and implementing of the designed experiments.The designed experi- ments can improve students' creative thinking ability and activate students'initiative and meanwhile,it can improve teachers' level and contribute to making progress in teaching and studying although there are still some problems to solve.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effect of extracts from Cichorium endivia (CEE) in H2O2-induced HepG2 cell oxidative stress injury, and explore the antioxidant mechanism of CEE in HepG2 cells.

METHODThe viability of H2O2-induced HepG2 cells and the intracellular ROS level were measured by MTT assay and DCFH-DA fluorescence staining assay. The antioxidant-response element (ARE)-Luciferase activity was tested in HepG2 cells stably transected by ARE reporter gene. The fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR was adopted to determine the mRNA expressions of genes containing ARE sequence in HepG2 cells.

RESULTThe cell viability reduced, while the ROS level increased after HepG2 cells were treated by H2O2. Different concentrations of CEE could be added to significantly improve the above results. After HepG2 cells transected by ARE reporter gene were treated with different concentrations of CEE, the intracellular ARE activity could increase in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, the mRNA expressions of regulatory genesGCLC, GCLM and HMOX-1 containing ARE sequence in HepG2 cells were up-regulated in a concentration-dependent manner by CEE.

CONCLUSIONCEE inhibited the H2O2-injured HepG2 cells by reducing the ROS level. CEE's antioxidant mechanism for HepG2 cells may be closely related to the antioxidant defense system associated with its effect of activating Nrf2-ARE pathway in HepG2 cells.

Antioxidants ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Asteraceae ; chemistry ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; pharmacology ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Response Elements ; genetics

In recent years, layer-by-layer self-assembly (LbL) has developed rapidly. It has been widely used in various industries such as medicine and metallurgy because of its simplicity, flexibility and controllability. In the study of drug delivery system, hollow microcapsules constructed by LbL method as drug carrier have great advantages in drug release, circulation in vivo and bioavailability, providing a technical platform for targeted drug release. In this paper, we summarize the types of film-forming materials and the driving force used in LbL technology, the way of loading drug into hollow micro capsule, and the variety of loaded drugs. We focus on the release mechanism, its evaluation and safety evaluation of self-assembled film as drug carrier in vivo and in vitro. The review shows the great application prospect of LbL technology in the field of drug delivery.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on pain threshold and spinal NR2B subunit expression in a rat model of neuropathic pain due to chronic compression injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve and explore the analgesic mechanism of EA.

METHODSMale SD rats weighing 200-280 g were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=10), namely the sham-operated group, CCI group, EA+CCI group, and sham EA+CCI group. All the rats underwent tests of the mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal threshold. On day 13 after the surgery, all the rats were decapitated to collect the L4-6 segments of the spinal cord to examine NR2B expression using Western blotting.

RESULTSThe postoperative mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal threshold were significantly lowered in CCI, EA+CCI and sham EA+CCI groups as compared to those before the surgery (P<0.05). EA obviously alleviated the hypersensitivity in the rats with CCI and inhibited spinal NR2B expressions (P<0.05). No significant differences were found in the mechanical withdrawal threshold, thermal threshold or spinal NR2B subunit expression between CCI group and sham EA+CCI group (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONEA may alleviate neuropathic hypersensitivity partially by inhibiting NR2B expression in the spinal cord of rats with neuropathic pain resulting from CCI of the sciatic nerve.

Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Male ; Neuralgia ; metabolism ; pathology ; therapy ; Pain Threshold ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate ; metabolism ; Spinal Cord ; metabolism

The aim of this study was to evaluate the roles of interleukin (IL)-17A in risk stratification and prognosis of patients with sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SAKI). Methods: We enrolled 146 sepsis patients (84 non-SAKI and 62 SAKI patients) admitted to the emergency department from November 2020 to November 2021. Patients with SAKI were differentiated based on the severity of acute kidney injury. All clinical parameters were evaluated upon admission before administering antibiotic treatment. Inflammatory cytokines were assessed using flow cytometry and the Pylon 3D automated immunoassay system (ET Healthcare). In addition, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was utilized to determine the prognostic values of IL-17A in SAKI. Results: The levels of creatinine, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-17A, tumor necrosis factor alpha, C-reactive protein, and procalcitonin (PCT) were significantly higher in the SAKI group than in the non-SAKI group (p < 0.05). The level of IL-17A revealed significant differences among stages 1, 2, and 3 in SAKI patients (p < 0.05). The mean levels of PCT, IL-4, and IL-17A were significantly higher in the non-survival group than in the survival group in SAKI patients (p < 0.05). In addition, the area under the ROC curve of IL-17A was 0.811. Moreover, the IL-17A cutoff for differentiating survivors from non-survivors was 4.7 pg/mL, of which the sensitivity and specificity were 77.4% and 71.0%, respectively. Conclusion: Elevated levels of IL-17A could predict that SAKI patients are significantly prone to worsening kidney injury with higher mortality. The usefulness of IL-17A in treating SAKI requires further research.

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of different parameters (frequency, intensity, needle-retained time and treatment interval) of electroacupuncture at Fenglong (ST 40) for adjusting blood lipids, so as to find out the optimization parameter.

METHODSFifty-four cases meeting the criteria for hyperlipoidemia were randomly divided into 27 groups with orthogonal design L27 (3(13) ). According to the orthogonal design program they were treated with electroacupuncture at Fenglong (ST 40). Ten sessions constituted one course with a one week's interval between two course. The treatment was given for 2 courses.

RESULTS(1) The parameters of EA at Fenglong (ST 40) for regulating blood lipids in primary and secondary orders are: frequency, needle-retained time, interval of treatment, intensity. (2) The parameters of EA at Fenglong (ST 40) for various programs in regulating various blood lipids are: for TG, frequency AM 50 Hz, needle-retained time 20 ain, intensity 1 mA, twice each week; for TC, frequency AM 100 Hz, needle-retained time 30 min, intensity 1 mA, once every other day; for LDL-C, frequency Am 100 Hz, needle-retained time 30 min, intensity tolerable and comfortable, once every other day.

Acupuncture Points ; Aged ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; Cholesterol, LDL ; blood ; Electroacupuncture ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; blood ; therapy ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged