Objective: To observe the impact of mind-regulating acupuncture plus donepezil on the cognitive ability, mean cerebral blood flow velocity, event-related potential P300, and activities of daily living (ADL) in the aged patients with Alzheimer disease (AD).Methods: Sixty senile AD patients were divided into a treatment group and a control group following the envelope method for random allocation, with 30 cases in each group. Based on the conventional treatment of the internal medicine, the control group received oral donepezil, and the treatment group received oral donepezil plus mind-regulating acupuncture. After 4-week treatment, the two groups were evaluated by the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Alzheimer disease assessment scale-cognitive part (ADAS-Cog), and ADL; changes in P300 and the mean cerebral blood flow velocity were also observed.Results: Before treatment, there were no significant differences in the scores of MMSE, ADAS-Cog, or ADL between the two groups (P>0.05). The MMSE score increased after treatment in both groups and was notably higher in the treatment group than in the control group, showing intra-group and inter-group statistical significance (P<0.05). After treatment, the ADAS-Cog and ADL scores dropped in both groups and were markedly lower in the treatment group than in the control group, also showing intra-group and inter-group statistical significance (P<0.05). Compared with the same group before treatment, the latency of P300 was shortened and the amplitude was extended in both groups, all with statistical significance (P<0.05); the latency was shorter and the amplitude was larger in the treatment group than in the control group after treatment, presenting significant between-group differences (P<0.05). The mean blood flow velocity accelerated after the intervention in both groups, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05); the improvement in the treatment group was more notable than that in the control group (P<0.05).Conclusion: Mind-regulating acupuncture plus donepezil can regulate the latency and amplitude of P300, increase cerebral blood flow, and improve the learning and memory abilities of AD patients.

Limbal epithelial stem cell is extremely significant in the study of ocular surface reconstruction. But it still a problem to identify, purify and culture them. At present, the identification of limbal epithelial stem cell still depends on its associated markers such as P63, ABCG2, integrin, etc. And, there are many kinds of methods to purify the stem cells, e.g. using flow cytometry, attaching to extra-cellular matrix quickly, measuring cell size, etc. But none of them could isolate stem cells effectively. This review summarizes some hot limbal epithelial stem cell markers, purification methods and stem cell niche created methods in vitro, which may meet future research needs for further improvement of the tissue engineering cornea.
ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Sub-Family G, Member 2 ; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters ; metabolism ; Biomarkers ; Cells, Cultured ; Epithelium, Corneal ; cytology ; metabolism ; Humans ; Integrins ; metabolism ; Limbus Corneae ; cytology ; Membrane Proteins ; metabolism ; Neoplasm Proteins ; metabolism ; Stem Cell Niche ; cytology ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; metabolism

Objective To evaluate the effect of red yeast rice on chemokines of collagen-induced arthritis in rats. Methods Rat arthritis was induced by injecting bovine type Ⅱ collagen(BⅡC)to Wistar rats.The rats were randomly divided into six groups including the normal control group,the CIA control group which were treated with normal saline,ibuprofen group,large dose red yeast rice group,moderate dose of red yeast rice group and small dose of red yeast rice group.Mice were sacrificed after 48 days of immune injection and their venous blood were collected. The effect of cytokines and chemokinos on CIA was measured by ELISA.Results Red yeast rice significantly degraded the expression of TNF-α,IL-6 compared with the model groups,the difference was significantly different(P＜0.05).The degree of IL-8 decrease was more evident in the high dose of Red yeast rice group and moderate dose of Red yeast rice group than that of the model group(P＜0.05).Red yeast rice could significantly degrad the expression of MCP-1,R.ANTES and IP10 in serum of CIA rats(P＜0.05).Conclusion The mechanism of anti-inflammatory action of red yeast rice is related to the inhibition of inflammatory factors.

Objective: To study the biomechanical property and histocompatibility of acellular porcine fascia so as to supply a new substitute material for tissue repair. Methods: Samples of normal porcine fascia, acellular porcine fascia and normal human fascia were prepared for histological and biomechanical examination. Xenogeneic fresh porcine fascia, acellular porcine fascia and allogeneic rabbit fascia were implanted into the back of rabbit. Tissues were taken for HE staining and histocompatibility test. Results: Histological examination showed that the cellular components which elicit immune rejections had been removed in the acellular porcine fasciam, with the complete extracellular matrix reserved. Arrangement of collagen fiber was loose in the acellular porcine fascia. The biomechanical performance test of the three samples showed that there was no significant difference in the extreme tensile strength (4.47±0.54) MPa, (4.49±0.91) MPa, (4.79±1.35) MPa for acellular porcine fascia, normal porcine fascia and normal human fascia respecively, P>0.05). There was no significant difference between acellular porcine fascia extracellular matrix and porcine fascia with the cell in breaking elongation (501.83%±52.01%, 661.17%±200.28%, P>0.05). However, there was a significant difference in the breaking elongation between human fascia (98.08%±26.02%)and the other 2 kinds of porcine fascia (P<0.01). Histocompatibility test showed the local reactions of the acellular porcine fascia group were weaker than the normal porcine fascia group. Conclusions With sound preparativemethod, the acellular porcine fascia has good biomechanical property and histocompatibility and may serve as a good alternative material for tissue repair.

Objective To investigate the effect of the timing of radiotherapy on the prognosis of limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) in the elderly. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 80 elderly patients with LS-SCLC who were treated with radical sequential thoracic chemoradiotherapy from 2008 to 2014.The correlations of SER(time from the start of any treatment to the end of radiotherapy) and the number of induction chemotherapy cycles with overall survival(OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates was analyzed. The treatment outcomes were compared between early radiotherapy group (no later than 3 cycles of induction chemotherapy,n=37) and late radiotherapy group (after 3 cycles of induction chemotherapy,n=43).The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. Results In all patients,the median OS and PFS were 23.5 and 13.3 months respectively. SER was significantly correlated with OS and PFS (P=0.001;P=0.001).The median OS in patients undergoing radiotherapy after 2,3,4,5,and 6 cycles of induction chemotherapy was 33.2,26.7,20.6,16.9,and 17.9 months (P=0.000),respectively. The median OS time and 1-,2-,and 5-year OS rates were 27.8 months, 87%,62%,and 34%,respectively,in the early radiotherapy group,and 17.9 months,74%,37%,and 15%, respectively,in the late radiotherapy group (P=0.017).The median PFS time and 1-,2-,and 5-year PFS rates were 17.1 months,65%,43%,and 28%,respectively,in the early radiotherapy group,and 11.9 months,49%,21%,and 14%,respectively,in the late radiotherapy group( P= 0.022). Conclusions Shorter SER achieves better treatment outcomes in elderly patients with LS-SCLC undergoing sequential chemoradiotherapy. Early radiotherapy provides a survival benefit for patients.