Objective To investigate the possible roles of hemodynamics, circulating hormones, cell cation transport and cyclic nucleotides in left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) of essential hypertension (EH) in vivo. Methods Blood pressure, total peripheral resistance (TPR) and plasma norepinephrine (NE), endothelin (ET), angiotensin Ⅱ (AngⅡ), endogenous digitalis like substances (EDLS) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) were determined, along with the measurements of lymphocytic membrane ion pumps, cations and cyclic nucleotides in 45 EH patients with LVH (12 concentric hypertrophy, 33 eccentric hypertrophy), 30 normal subjects and 45 EH patients without LVH (as double concurrent controls). Multiple stepwise regression analysis was computed using left ventricular mass index (LVMI) as dependent variable and 22 parameters as independent variables. Results (1) In EH patients with LVH, increases were seen in systolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure (MAP) and NE, ET, AngⅡ, EDLS and ANP as well as lymphocytic Na +, Ca 2+ , cAMP and cAMP/cGMP ratio, while Na + K + ATPase and Ca 2+ ATPase activities, K + and Mg 2+ decreased. (2) Five hormones were related respectively to ion pumps, Na +, Ca 2+ and cyclic nucleotides. (3) LVMI were correlated with NE, ET, AngⅡ and EDLS, Ca 2+ ATPase, Na +, cAMP and cAMP/cGMP ratio. (4) The regression equation revealed that NE, ET, Ca 2+ ATPase, Mg 2+ and cAMP were the independent factors affecting LVH. (5) TPR and AngⅡ were higher, K + was lower in concentric LVH than those in eccentric LVH. Conclusion The changes of hemodynamics, circulating hormones, cell cation transport and cyclic nucleotides, or their interaction may be involved in the pathogenesis of LVH in EH. NE, ET. Ca 2+ ATPase, Mg 2+ and cAMP seem to play more important parts in LVH . TPR , whereas AngⅡ and K + may relate to cocentric LVH.

Objective To explore the effect of multiplex methylation specific PCR for early diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods The methylation status of 18 genes were verified by MSP from 35 early nasopharyngeal carcinoma andmultiplex-MSP was established through the optimized working condition for rapid detection of several genes′ methylation status. Results The methylation rate of 12 genes exceeds 50%. The methylation specific products in only one group (Segment U) did reach the expected results while those from the other three groups were consistent with the MSP′s. Conclusion Multiplex-MSP is an efficient and low-cost method, and it can produce ideal experimental results similar to those by the MSP and DNA microarrays.

Oocyte-like cells (OLC) can be generated by stem cells after the induction and differentiation in vitro, and maturated when transplanted in vivo to improve the development potential. Human amniotic fluid stem cells (hAFSC) were cultured for 10 days in porcine follicle fluid (pFF) that was extracted from the medium follicle with high levels of hormones and Bmp 15 protein. After the induction, the cell aggregates showed the germ cell-like cells and produced the germ cell marker oct4, and triggered epigenetic changes with high expression of methylation transferase gene dnmt3b. The cell aggregates were packaged into porcine theca folliculi to form grafts, which were then transplanted into mouse renal capsule. After one month of transplantation, the morphology of OLC from a graft was not only similar to oocytes, but also expressed the germ cells markers (oct4, nanog, stella, ifitm3, dazl, nanos3, bmp15, and gd9). The results demonstrate that the in vivo differentiation model was useful for OLC development.
Amniotic Fluid ; cytology ; Animals ; Biomarkers ; Cell Differentiation ; Female ; Humans ; Mice ; Oocytes ; cytology ; Ovarian Follicle ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; Swine

Objective To investigate the association between the polymorphism of C-reactive protein (CRP) gene and plasma level of hs-CRP in patients with ischemic stroke.Methods 548 patients with acute ischemic stroke were considered to be the case group and 993 age-matched healthy controls were randomly selected from community-based population.Three tagging SNPs of the CRP gene (rs876537,rs3093059,and rs3091244) were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).The plasma hs CRP levels were measured by routine method and multiple logistic regression was applied to evaluate genetic effect on plasma hs-CRP level.Results (1) The hs-CRP concentration and elevation (≥3.0 mg/L) proportion were significantly higher in case group than in control group [(3.534 ± 3.484) mg/L vs.(1.957 ± 2.344) mg/L,43.1％ vs.16.6％,t=10.74 and 23.45,both P＜0.05].(2) Compared with controls,the case group had higher conventional vascular risks,including higher blood pressure [SBP:(145.33 ± 22.11) vs.(134.92±19.48) mmHg,t=14.30,P＜0.05; DBP:(88.14±12.72) vs.(81.42± 12.44) mmHg,t=12.44,P＜0.05],higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [(2.714±0.904)vs.(2.286 ± 0.704) mmol/L,t =9.72,P＜ 0.05],and lower concentration of high-density lipoproteincholesterol [(1.213±0.317) vs.(1.438±0.262) /L,t=-12.89,P＜0.05].(3) Both rs876537 and rs3093059 polymorphism of CRP gene showed statistical associations with elevation of plasma hs-CRP level in case group.After adjusted for covariates including age,sex,hypertension,type 2 diabetes and other factors,additive model and dominant model of rs3093059 showed that the adjusted ORs (95 ％ CI) were 1.548 (1.103-2.171),1.562 (1.070-2.281) respectively (both P＜ 0.05).And ORs (95％ CI) of additive model and dominant model of rs876537 were 1.368 (1.067-1.753),1.719 (I.190-2.482) respectively after adjusted for covariates (both P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Plasma hs-CRP concentration is significantly higher in ischemic stroke patients than in healthy population.The polymorphism of rs876537 and rs3093059 of CRP gene has association with elevation of plasma hs-CRP level in ischemic stroke patients.

Objective To investigate the association of C-reactive protein (CRP) gene polymorphisms and plasma hs-CRP level,and effect on the genetic susceptibility of ischemic stroke (IS).Methods A case-control study was conducted and 548 patients with acute ischemic stroke and 993 agematched controls from community-based population were included in this study.Epidemiological questionnaires were managed to collect for demographic information.Blood pressure was measured and blood glucose,triacylglycerol,cholesterol,and high sensitivity C-reaction protein (hs-CRP) were detected.Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used for genotyping of CRP gene in all participants.Results The levels of plasma hs-CRP and the proportion of elevated plasma hs-CRP (≥3.0 mg/L) in the ischemic stroke patients (3.534 ± 3.484) mg/L (43.1％) were significantly higher than those of controls (1.957 ±2.344) mg/L (16.6％),t =9.475,P ＜ 0.01,x2 =128.326,P ＜ 0.01.The results of association analysis indicated that rs3093059 and rs3091244 of CPR gene presented statistical associations with ischemic stroke.After correction for confounding factors,ORs (95％ CI) of additive model and dominant model of rs3093059 were 0.697 (0.528-0.921),0.671 (0.487-0.923) respectively.ORs 95％ CI) of dominant model of rs3091244 was 0.728 (0.536-0.988).Further analysis indicated the polymorphism of rs876537,rs3093059,rs3091244 of CPR genotyping were significantly associated with plasma hs-CRP elevation (≥ 3.0 mg/L) both in ischemic stroke patients and in controls (P ＜0.05).Conclusion The CRP genetic polymorphisms were negatively associated with ischemic stroke,and positively corrleted with plasma hs-CRP elevation.However,plasma hs-CPP was positively correlated with ischemic stroke.These results suggested that the plasma hs-CRP levels might be accompanied by ischemic stroke.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of yang-supplementing fire moxibustion in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in stable stage. Method Totally 120 COPD patients of yang deficiency type in stable stage were divided into 3 groups by the random number table, a yang-supplementing fire moxibustion group (yang-supplementing group), a dry mild moxibustion group (mild moxibustion group), and a regular Western medication group (regular group), 40 cases in each group, and 30-day treatment was taken as a course. They were treated and observed for a course, followed by a 3-month follow-up study. The pulmonary function indexes, yang-deficiency signs, quality of life, and comprehensive therapeutic efficacy were observed in the three groups. Result After treatment, the pulmonary function indexes, yang deficiency signs, quality of life, and comprehensive therapeutic efficacy were significantly improved in the three groups (P<0.01); the percent of predicted forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1%) and yang deficiency signs were significantly improved after intervention in the mild moxibustion group (P<0.05); meanwhile, the quality of life was also significantly improved after intervention in the mild moxibustion group and regular group (P<0.01); the therapeutic efficacy of the yang-supplementing group was better than that of the mild moxibustion group and regular group, and the efficacy of the mild moxibustion group was better than that of the regular group. Conclusion Yang-supplementing fire moxibustion can improve the pulmonary function, postpone the progressive decrease of pulmonary function, significantly improve the yang deficiency constitution, enhance the quality of life and comprehensive therapeutic efficacy in treating yang-deficient COPD patients in stable stage.

Calcium/cahnodulin-dependent protein kinase Ⅱ (CaMK Ⅱ) is a multifunctional serine/threonine protein kinase.It plays a vital role in the regulation of neurotransmitters,cell metabolism,and synaptic plasticity,as well as in many diseases of the nervous system.As CaMK Ⅱ alpha is specifically located at excitatory neurons,it has long been regarded as crucial for the treatment of epilepsy.CaMK Ⅱ shows decreased activity after seizures in different in vivo and in vitro models of epilepsy.This article provides a new theoretical basis for further research on the pathological process of epilepsy and its treatment,by exploring several recent experimental studies on CaMK Ⅱ and epilepsy.

Background Retinal neovascularization (RNV) occurs in multiple eye diseases,which can lead to bleeding and retinal detachment.Therefore,inhibition of pathological RNV is becoming crucial to the treatment of ocular diseases.Research has shown that α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) inhibits retinal angiogenesis during physiological development;however,the effects of α-MSH on pathological RNV remain unknown.Objective This study was to investigate the effects of intravitreal injection of α-MSH at different concentrations on pathological RNV in a mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR).Methods Forty healthy clean C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into OIR+0.33 μg/μl α-MSH,OIR+ 1.67 μg/μl α-MSH,OIR+3.30 μg/μl α-MSH,OIR,and normal control groups at postnatal day 7 (P7),with 8 pups in each group.The α-MSH intervention groups and OIR group were exposed to high oxygen (75 ±2)％ for 5 days,then maintained under normal air condition for another 5 days;whereas the normal control group was raised under normoxia for 10 days.Retro-orbital injection of high molecular weight fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FITC-dextran) was performed on P17 mice.The retina whole mounts were prepared to reveal retinal vasculature and quantify relative area of vessel obliteration.The mouse eyeballs were subjected to paraffin sections and hematoxylin-eosin staining,and the average number of pre-retinal nuclei per section was quantified.Results FITC-dextran labeled retinal whole mounts showed that the relative vessel obliteration area in normal control,OIR,OIR+0.33 μg/μl α-MSH,OIR+ 1.67 μg/μl α-MSH,and OIR+3.30 μg/μl α-MSH groups were (0.00±0.00) ％,(23.01 ±3.39) ％,(18.14±7.20) ％,(15.64±7.07) ％,and (7.62±6.52) ％,respectively.There was a statistical significance in the relative avascular area among the groups (F=19.635,P＜0.05).The relative avascular area in the OIR group was significantly higher than that in the OIR+3.30 μg/μl α-MSH group (t=4.293,P＜0.01).The results of histopathological examinations showed that the average number of pre-retinal nuclei per section in normal control,OIR,OIR+0.33 μg/μl α-MSH,OIR+1.67 μg/μl α-MSH,and OIR+3.30 μg/μl α-MSH groups were 0.00±0.00,11.45 ±4.26,6.35 ±2.34,4.96 ± 1.79 and 1.03 ± 1.25,respectively.There was a statistical significance in the average number of pre-retinal nuclei per section among the groups (F =147.87,P＜0.05).The average number of pre-retinal nuclei per section in the OIR group was significantly higher than that in the OIR+0.33 μg/μl α-MSH,OIR+ 1.67 μg/μl α-MSH,and OIR+3.30 μg/μl α-MSH groups,the differences between the groups had statistical significances (all at P＜0.001).Conclusions α-MSH reduces the relative area of vessel obliteration and the average number of pre-retinal nuclei in the retinas of OIR mouse model.The inhibitory effects of α-MSH on the pathological RNV are dose-dependent.

BACKGROUND: Insufficient bone mass in the posterior maxilla region often increases the difficulty of dental implantation. The application of maxillary sinus floor elevation successfully solves this problem. In the surgery bone grafting can be used to obtain sufficient bone mass. However, nonuse of graft materials can shorten the cycle of patient's treatment and reduce trauma and cost. OBJECTIVE: Combining the latest relevant research trends, to review the advances in the study of maxillary sinus floor elevation with and without bone grafting. METHODS: The first author searched PubMed, VIP, WanFang and CNKI databases using computer for relevant articles published from January 1985 to August 2018. The key words were "dental implant, maxillary sinus, bone augmentation, bone substitute" in English and Chinese, respectively. Finally, 78 articles were included in result analysis after screening and summarizing. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Ideal results can be achieved in the maxillary sinus floor elevation with or without simultaneous bone grafting In addition, the nonuse of grafting materials have the advantages of simplifying surgical procedures, shortening treatment cycles, reducing trauma and pain, reducing treatment costs, reducing complications and failure rates, thus gaining the favor of doctors and patients. Therefore, the maxillary sinus floor elevation without simultaneous bone grafting will be the primary choice of the doctors engaged in dental implantation in the future.

Objective:To revaluate the systematic reviews/meta-analysis of the literature on acupuncture in the treatment of stroke spastic hemiplegia.Methods:CNKI, Wangfang, VIP, CBM, Cochrane Library, PubMed and Embase were searched for systematic reviews/meta-analyses of acupuncture in the treatment of stroke spastic hemiplegia from the establishment of the databases to July 27, 2022. AMSTAR 2 Scale, Prisma statement (2020) and GRADE system were used to evaluate the quality of the collected literature.Results:A total of 5 systematic reviews/meta-analyses were included, all of which were rated as very low by AMSTAR 2. The 5 studies involved a total of 22 outcome measures, and the GRADE rating results were intermediate evidence in 5, low evidence in 8, and very low evidence in 9.Conclusions:Acupuncture therapy has certain therapeutic effects on reducing the degree of limb spasms and improving limb motor function in patients. However, the methodological quality of the included literature is poor, and there is limited high-level evidence to support conclusions. More high-quality experimental research is still needed to provide strong evidence-based medicine evidence.