OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of catgut implantation at acupoint on the content of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and to explore its mechanism for treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

METHODSSeventy-four AS patients were randomly assigned to the observation group and the control group by digit random table, 37 in each group. Patients in the control group took Sulfasalazine Enteric-coated Tablet (SECT), 0.5 g each time, three times daily for 3 months. Those in the observation group additionally received catgut implantation at acupoint for 3 months. Changes of visual analogue scale (VAS), Schober test, pillow wall distance, thoracic activity, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C reactive protein (CRP), and TNF-alpha were compared after 3 months of treatment.

RESULTSThere was obvious change in VAS, Schober test, pillow wall distance, thoracic activity, ESR, CRP, and TNF-alpha after treatment in the both groups, showing statistical difference when compared with before treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The aforesaid indices were obviously improved after treatment in the observation group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONCatgut implantation at acupoint, as an assistant therapy, could significantly improve clinical symptoms and signs, decrease the level of TNF-alpha, and its effect was superior to that of oral SECT administration alone.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; blood ; therapy ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood ; Young Adult

Objective To study the effect of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor(GM-CSF)on angiogenesis of rat with acute myocardial injury induced by isoproterenol(Iso). Methods A total of 60 adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: normal control group, GM-CSF pretreatment group (GM-CSF group), and lso injury group, 20 rats in each group. GM-CSF group was administered recombinant human(rh)GM-CSF(5.0 μg/kg), through tail intravenous injection once a day for three days. Then the GM-CSF group and the Iso injury group were anesthetized by intraperitoneal injection of lso( 15.0 mg/kg) once a day for three days. The same dose of saline was administered in the same way to the control rats. Ten days after injection, pathological changes of myocardial damage and infarct area were examined by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA expression levels of polypeptide antigen (CD34), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor KDR/flk- 1 were measured by RT-PCR. Results The difference of myocardial necrosis area between groups was statistically significant(F=10.07, P < 0.01), in which GM-CSF group[(37.37 ± 12.98)%] was significantly less than Iso injury group[(45.51 ±14.96)%, P < 0.05]. The difference of myocardial neovascularization density index of rats between groups was statistically significant ( F = 25.54, P < 0.05 ), in which GM-CSF group [(3980.05 ± 477.22) No/mm2] was significantly higher than Iso injury group((2605.93±361.49)No/mm2,P<0.01).The differences of myocardial CD34,VEGF,KDR/flk-1 mRNA expression between groups were statistically significant(F=17.83,4.29,4.10,all P<0.01).Compared to Iso mjury group[CD34(23.85±6.06),VEGF(31.80±8.05),KDR/flk-1(30.16±8.01)]were higher in the GM-CSF group[CD34(44.04±10.13),VEGF(49A±11.59),and KDR/flk-1(46A9±7.90),all P<0.01].The expressions of myocardiM VEGF mRNA and its receptor KDR/flk-1 mRNA was positively correlated(r=0.725,R2=0.526,P<0.01).Conclusions GM-CSF prelreatmcnt increases the density ofnew blood vessels in myocardium,and reduces the Iso-induced myocardial injury in rats.

Microbial metabolomics is a subject that chiefly studying all the low molecular weight metabolites in an organism or cells during their growing process. The progress of analytical technology promotes microbial metabolomics to make advancement. In this paper, the commonly used analytical technology, sample preparation and its application were discussed and the prospects of the analytical methods were also discussed.

Objective To investigate the effects of hydrogen gas on the myocardial injury in rats with endotoxemia.Methods Forty-eight healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats,weighing 200-220 g,were randomly divided into 4 groups (n =12 each ):control group (group C ),hydrogen gas control group (group HC ),endotoxemia group (group E) and hydrogen gas + endotoxemia group (group LH).Endotoxemia was induced by intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 20 mg/kg in groups E and LH,while the equal volume of normal saline was given in groups C and HC.After LPS administration,the rats were exposed to the air containing 2％ hydrogen gas for 6 h in groups HC and LH,and the rats were exposed to the air for 6 h in groups C and E.Blood samples were taken from the abdominal aorta after 6 h inhalation of hydrogen gas to determine the serum level of cTnI.The hearts were then removed to determine the content of TNF-α and IL-6 and expression of phosphorylated nuclear factor κB ( NF-κB) inhibitory protein (p-IκB-α) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-p38MAPK) in the myocardial tissues.Results Compared with group C,no significant change was found in the levels of cTnI,TNF-α and IL-6 and expression of p-IκB-α and p-p38MAPK in group HC ( P ＞ 0.05),and the levels of cTnI,TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly increased and the expression of p-IκB-α and p-p38MAPK was up-regulated in groups E and LH ( P ＜ 0.05).Compared with group E,the levels of cTnI,TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly decreased and the expression of p-IκB-α and p-p38MAPK was down-regulated in group LH ( P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Hydrogen gas can reduce the myocardial injury in rats with endotoxemia,and inhibition of the p38MAPK and NF-κB pro-inflammatory pathway and reduction of the inflammatory response of myocardial tissues are involved in the mechanism.

Objective To evaluate the role of silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) in ischemic preconditioning (IPC)-induced alleviation of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats.Methods Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats,aged 12 weeks,weighing 200-250 g,were randomly divided into 4 groups (n =12 each):sham operation group (S group),I/R group,IPC group and IPC + SIRT1 inhibitor ex527 group (IPC + ex527 group).Myocardial I/R was induced by 30 min occlusion of left anterior descending branch of coronary artery followed by 120 min reperfusion.IPC was induced by 3 episodes of 5 min occlusion of left anterior descending branch at 5 min intervals before myocardial ischemia.SIRT1 inhibitor ex527 1 μg/kg was injected intravenously 15 min before myocardial ischemia and at 1 min before reperfusion.Blood samples were collected before myocardial ischemia and at 120 min of reperfusion for measurement of serum TNF-α and IL-6 concentrations by ELISA.The rats were then sacrificed and myocardial specimens were obtained for determination of myocardial lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase MB (CK-MB) activities,SIRT1 expression and acetylation of NF-κB p65.Results Compared with S group,the serum TNF-α and IL-6 concentrations at 120 min of reperfusion,and myocardial LDH and CK-MB activities and acetylation of NF-κB p65 were significantly increased,and SIRT1 expression was down-regulated in I/R and IPC + ex527 groups (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with I/R group,the serum TNF-α and IL6 concentrations at 120 min of reperfusion,and myocardial LDH and CK-MB activities and acetylation of NF-κB p65 were significantly decreased,SIRT1 expression was up-upregulated in group IPC (P ＜ 0.05),and no significant change was found in the parameters mentioned above in group IPC + ex527 (P ＞ 0.05).Compared with IPC group,the serum TNF-α and IL-6 concentrations at 120 min of reperfusion,and myocardial LDH and CK-MB activities and acetylation of NF-κB p65 were significantly increased,and SIRT1 expression was down-regulated in group IPC + ex527 (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion SIRT1 is involved in IPC-induced alleviation of myocardial I/R injury in rats.

Air ; analysis ; Air Pollutants, Occupational ; analysis ; Formates ; analysis ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; methods ; Humans ; Occupational Exposure ; analysis ; Workplace

Animal Feed ; Animals ; Cysteamine ; Female ; Goats ; Mammary Glands, Animal ; growth & development ; physiology

Humans ; Pneumoconiosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Radiographic Image Enhancement ; Radiography ; methods

Objective To explore the clinical and pathologic features of Langerhans cell histiocytosis(LCH).Method Thirty-eight cases of LCH from both in hospital and outpatient department in dermatology and pediatry department from Jan.1991 to Jun.2006 were analyzed about the features of clinic,pathology and immunohistochemistry.Results The mean age of onset was 2.18 years old.The male /female ratio was 1.71.Skin lesions occurred in 78.9% of the patients.Among them,68.5% were as the first manifestation.The eruptions mainly distributed on trunk,90% of them presented as hemorrhagic maculopapules,nevertheless,3.3% of the eruptions showed as crust with hilar depression,which was similar to pityriasis lichenoides etvarioliformis acuta.Fever,hepatomegalia and splenomegia occurred in patients at a rate of 60.5%,68.4%,55.3% respectively.Thirty-one point six percent of the patients had got lymphadenectasis,the neck and inguinal lymph nodes were the common site to be affected.Ossature involvement occurred in 31.6% of the patients,which 8.3% got multiple injuries,howe-ver,91.7% got a solitary bone involved.Skull was the main site to be injured,else were lumbar,humerus,hipbone,an so on.Respiratory tract,auditory canal,mucosa were also the sites involved in this disease,but the incidence rate was lower than 10%,respectively.The laboratory data showed that 81.3% of the patients were anaemia,60.7% with abnormal subgroup of T-cell,and 32.1% positive for EBV-IgG.The skin histopathology data of 26/30 cases revealed that lichenoid infiltrates of Langerhans cells confined to the upper dermis.Cytologic features were cells with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasms,and longitudinally grooved or reniform nuclei.Lymphocytes and a few eosinophils also could be seen.Four cases of thirty showed that the proliferative Langerhans cells were with pale cytoplasms,besides,there were numerous eosinophils,and sometimes a few multinucleate cells were scattered.The immunity test of 20 cases of thirty displayed that CD1a(+)S100(+)KP-1(-).Biopsy of lymphaden and tumor of the skull of the rest 8 patients were all diagnosed as eosinophilic granuloma through both hematoxylin and eosin-stained section and immune marks.Conclusions Multiple systems can be involved in LCH.Hemorrhagic maculopapules,fever and splenohepatomegalia are common presentations in this disease.The morphous of nucles of histiocytes is particular,and to diagnose definitely,both CD1a(+) and S-100(+) are needed.