Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of long-time needle retaining at Baihui (GV 20) in treating post-stroke cognitive impairment. Methods: A total of 60 eligible patients with post-stroke cognitive impairment were randomized into a treatment group and a control group by random digital table, 30 cases in each group. The control group was intervened by basic treatment including routine therapy in Neurology department and Western medicine rehabilitation therapy, while the treatment group was intervened by same treatment in the control group combined with long-time needle retaining at Baihui (GV 20). Mental state of patients was evaluated by National Institute of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) after 4 weeks of treatment. Results: After 4-week treatment, the NIHSS score dropped in both groups, and intra-group comparisons showed statistical significances (both P<0.05), and the score in the treatment group was statistically lower than that in the control group (P<0.01); the MMSE score in the treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group, there was a statistical inter-group difference (P<0.01); the total effective rate was 93.3%, and the marked effective rate was 50.0% in the treatment group, versus 76.7% and 20.0% in the control group, there were significant differences in the total effective rate and the marked effective rate between the two groups (all P<0.05). Conclusion: Long-time needle retaining at Baihui (GV 20) can produce a safe valid therapeutic efficacy in treating post-stroke cognitive impairment.

In the basis of a large amount of literatures, this article sumed up the characteristics and application of eggshell membrane.

AIM:To observe the effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on calcium, sodium and potassium ion channel currents of the ischemic atrial myocytes in guinea pig by whole-cell patch clamp technique.METHODS:The guinea pig atrial myocytes were obtained by enzymolysis.Under ischemia and hypoxia condition, whole-cell patch clamp was used to observe the effects of G-CSF at various concentrations on the changes of the I-V curve, activation curve and availability of L-type calcium channel current (ICa,L) and voltage-dependent sodium channel current (INa), as well as I-V curve of delayed rectifier potassium channel current (IK).RESULTS:Under ischemic condition, the I-V curves of ICa,L were changed by acute G-CSF intervention in a dose-dependent fashion.Except for G-CSF at dose of 300 μg/kg, the other concentrations of G-CSF did not change the activation curve and availability of ICa,L, indicating that the effects of G-CSF on ICa,L were in a voltage-independent fashion.The I-V curves of ICa,L under ischemic condition were gradually approaching the normal levels by the higher dose of G-CSF, while the effect of 300 μg/kg G-CSF on ICa,L was similar to 100 μg/kg G-CSF.Acute G-CSF intervention at different doses did not change I-V curve, activation curve, and availability or steady-state availability of INa.As a part of IK, the rapid activating component (IKr) was improved by 100 μg/kg and 300 μg/kg G-CSF intervention with the similar effects, while the slowly activating component (IKs) was not changed by G-CSF.CONCLUSION:G-CSF affects ion channel electrophysiological properties of ischemic atrial myocytes in a voltage-independent but concentration-dependent manner, thus reducing the incidence of atrial arrhythmia.

Altitude ; Altitude Sickness ; Animals ; Hypoxia ; Iron ; Mice ; Spleen

Objective To investigate the role of gamma secretase inhibitor-I (GSI-I) in cell proliferation and apoptosis of human glioma cell lines U87 and U251.Methods RT-PCR and fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) were employed to evaluate the expressions of Notch receptors and their target gene Hes-I in both U87 and U251 cells treated by GSI-I,respectively.Then,MTT assay was used to examine the effects of GSI-I on cell proliferation of the 2 glioma cells.Meanwhile,flow cytometry technique was also employed to detect the cell cycle changes and apoptosis induced by GSI-I treatment.Results The activity of Notch pathway was inhibited by GSI-I treatment through down-regulating the expression of Notch receptors target gene Hes-I in both U87 and U251 cells.Treatment with 2.5μmol/L GSI-I or above concentrations could significantly induce the cell cycle arrest of U87 and U251 cells and these effects were positively concentration-dependent.Flow cytometry technique showed that GSI-I inhibited the cell proliferation by inducing the cell cycle arrest of U87 cells at GI phase and inducing the apoptosis of U251 cells.Conclusion GSI-I can dramatically inhibit the cell proliferation and induce the apoptosis of U87 and U251 cells,providing a reliable evidence for clinical glioma treatment.

Adolescent ; Body Height ; drug effects ; Child ; Female ; Growth Disorders ; drug therapy ; Human Growth Hormone ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; analysis ; Male ; Recombinant Proteins ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo detect and compare the transcriptional activities of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) promoter and enhancer and survivin promoter in different human prostate cancer cell lines, and to search for some evidence for the targeting gene therapy of human prostate cancer.

METHODSThe fragments of the PSMA promoter and enhancer and survivin promoter were amplified by PCR and inserted into pGL3-Basic. The recombinant plasmids were transiently transfected into human prostate cancer cell lines and normal Chang liver cells, and, their transcriptional activities in various cells were determined by measuring the expression of luciferase.

RESULTSThe survivin promoter exhibited a higher transcriptional activity than PSMA promoter and enhancer in tumor cell lines, and the S2pro promoter showed the highest activity, reaching one third of that of the CMV promoter.

CONCLUSIONThe survivin promoter is highly activated in prostate cancer cell lines and may serve as a new tool for the transcriptional targeting gene therapy of prostate cancer.

Antigens, Surface ; genetics ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II ; genetics ; Humans ; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins ; genetics ; Male ; Plasmids ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; genetics ; therapy ; Transcription Initiation Site ; Transcriptional Activation ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETo clone DNA sequence of the survivin promoter and study is transcriptional activities in human prostate cancer cells and normal Chang liver cells.

METHODSThe fragment of the survivin promoter was acquired by PCR amplification and inserted into pPRIME vectors to reconstruct a recombinant plasmid named pPRIME-S1pro and pPRIME-S2pro. Then the reconstructed plasmid was transiently transfected into human prostate cancer cells lines LNCaP and normal Chang liver cells. The transcriptional activities of the survivin promoter in various cells was determined by measuring the expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP).

RESULTSThe survivin promoter had transcriptional activities in LNCaP cells and the transcriptional activity of the S2pro was much higher that of the S1pro, reaching a level of 39% of the transcriptional activity of the CMV promoter.

CONCLUSIONThe survivin promoter cloned in the therapy for prostate cancer.

Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins ; Male ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Neoplasm Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Plasmids ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transfection

The medicinal fungi, which are of great importance in traditional medicine, are facing the problems of wild resources scarcity and low concentration of bioactive compounds. Velvet family and LaeA global regulator play a vital role in secondary metabolism and developmental programs, which are found in a wide variety of fungi ranging from Chytridiomycota to Basidiomycota. This review elaborates the structures and functions between Velvet family and LaeA protein. The Velvet family which shares the Velvet protein domain, including VeA (Velvet), VelB (Velvet like B), VosA (viability of spores A) and VelC (Velvet like C), acts on the regulation function is secondary metabolism and developmental programs such as asexual and sexual development. Furthermore, the function is affected by environmental factors such as light and temperature. LaeA protein which owns S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferase domain, coordinately regulates development and secondary metabolism by regulating and modifying the Velvet proteins. The regulation of LaeA is mediated by light receptor proteins. Therefore, clarifying the mechanism of Velvet and LaeA proteins in medicinal fungi will pave the way for nurturing medicinal fungi and improving production of bioactive compounds.
Fungal Proteins ; metabolism ; Fungi ; chemistry ; Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal ; Genes, Regulator ; Protein Structure, Tertiary ; Secondary Metabolism ; Structure-Activity Relationship

OBJECTIVETo understand the high risk behaviors of female sex workers (FSWs) in Yunnan province in 2013.

METHODSA cross-sectional investigation was conducted during April to June, 2013 in Yunnan province, census was used to the investigation where the number of FSWs was close to 200, while probability sampling was used where the number of FSWs was obviously over 200. A total of 25 574 cases were investigated, and data on demography and risk behaviors were obtained by questionnaires one by one.

RESULTSA total of 25 574 cases were investigated, AIDS awareness among FSWs in high-level places, middle-level places and low-level place were 98.8% (92/7 401), 98.6% (150/10 995), and 96.0% (281/6 655). FSWs from low-level place had a lower rate than those from the other two types of places (P < 0.01). The rate of condom use each time when having sex with clients within the recent one month among FESs from high-level places, middle-level places and low-level place were 93.4% (6 307/6 755), 93.8% (10 109/10 782) and 90.4% (6 053/6 697), and the FSWs working in low-level place had a lower rate than those from the other two types of places(P < 0.01). Multi-factor logistic regression analysis showed that the following had a lower rate of condom use: the FSWs working in low-level place (OR = 1.56, 95% CI:1.36-1.79; OR = 1.36, 1.16-1.59), over 30 years old (OR = 0.77, 95%CI:0.69-0.85), Yunnan citizen (OR = 0.88, 95% CI:0.77-1.00), minority (OR = 1.32, 95% CI:1.16-1.50), under senior high school (OR = 0.61, 95%CI:0.49-0.75), married (OR = 0.81, 95% CI:0.71-0.92), living together (OR = 0.70, 95% CI:0.51-0.96), divorced or lost spouses (OR = 0.81, 95% CI:0.65-1.02), worked less than 6 months in local areas (OR = 1.74, 95% CI:1.34-2.27), drug users (OR = 1.65, 95% CI:1.11-2.46), had not accepted HIV interventions (OR = 2.91, 95% CI:2.36-3.58), had no knowledge about AIDS (OR = 4.50, 95% CI:3.48-5.82). The main reasons for not using condoms were the clients' unwilling to use, which accounted for 47.62% (270/567). The total rate of drug use was 1.0% (264/25 567) and the FSWs working in middle-level places had the highest rate of injecting drugs, which accounted for 0.6% (70/11 141). The FSWs working in low-level places had a higher rate than those who worked in high-level places and middle-level places in venereal diseases, which accounted for 1.2% (85/6 934) (P < 0.01). The rate of receiving effective interventions was 96.7% (24 717/25 574), the rate of accepting treatment and clean needles among drug users was 21.6% (57/264).

CONCLUSIONHigh risk behaviors were serious among the FSWs who worked in low-level places, especially among the olders, the minorities, people who had lower educational level, the new-comer and drug users, which indicated that more attention needs to be paid among these populations.

Age Factors ; China ; Condoms ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Demography ; Drug Users ; Female ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Marital Status ; Risk-Taking ; Safe Sex ; Sex Workers ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires