Recently a number of acupuncture clinical trial projects mainly conducted by conventional scientists have generated many negative results. A large meta-analysis of patient-level acupuncture data for the treatment of chronic pain conditions have demonstrated that the effects of verum acupuncture on pain improvement have statistically significant, but small, differences compared with sham-acupuncture procedures and no difference between acupuncture points and non-points. These conclusions have puzzled the acupuncture community and made confusion for acupuncture research and practices. The purpose of this paper was to compare differences between acupuncture clinical practices and the trial studies, which include "acupuncture technical principles", "acupuncture clinical trial design", and "acupuncture practice based on the theory of traditional Chinese medicine". These factors contribute to the puzzle between the acupuncture community/practice and acupuncture clinical trials, which can be improved in future studies.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Chronic Disease ; Clinical Trials as Topic ; Humans ; Meta-Analysis as Topic ; Pain Management ; methods ; Research Design

BACKGROUND:Effective sorting of prostate cancer stem cels is the basis of experimental studies in prostate cancer developing. The most common sorting method is magnetic-activated cel sorting. OBJECTIVE:To separate CD133+/CD44+ cels in prostate cancer tissues using self-designed magnetic beads folowed by culture, passage and immunological identification. METHODS:Self-designed magnetic microspheres were applied to establish immunomagnetic beads to sort CD133+/CD44+ cels in prostate cancer tissues. The sorted cels were cultured in serum-free medium. The sphere formation, cel morphology, and proliferation ability after cel passage were statisticaly compared between the sorted cels and the normal tumor cel lines. Immunofluorescence detection was performed to detect the expression of specific antibodies. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Self-designed immunomagnetic beads had smal diameter and a high-sorting effect. The sorted cels possessed a high capacity of microsphere formation. After cel culture and passage, the cels highly expressed CD133 and CD44 antigens. The sorted cels with no induction had varying shapes and grew vigorously. After induction with transforming growth factor-β, the cultured cels were noted to have a single shape and grow slowly. The cel proliferation ability of sorted cels in these two groups differed significantly from that of the normal cancer cel lines (bothP < 0.05). In conclusion, the CD133+/CD44+ cels sorted from prostate tumor cels possessed cel morphology and function characteristics of stem cels which can provide a basis for extraction and culture of prostate cancer stem cels. Cite this article:Gong R, Li SY, Huo ZX, Ding H, Sun EL. Extraction of prostate cancer stem cels using self-designed magnetic beads. Zhongguo Zuzhi Gongcheng Yanjiu. 2016;20(1):36-41.

Objective To study the relationship between the choice of operation and the efficacy on hepa- tolithiasis.Methods From Januray of 1995 to December of 2006,89 patients with hepatolithiasis underwent surgical treatment were retrospectively analyzed.Of them 33 cases underwent hepaticoplasty,hepatolobectomy in 7 cases, cholangiojejunostomy in 22 cases,choledocholithotomy with T-tube drainage in 27 cases.Results Out of the 89 cas- es,follow-up was completed in 81 cases for 6 months to 12 years.The postoperative stone residual rate of the group which underwent hepaticoplasty was 15.15 %(5/33)and cholannitis recurrence rate was 12.50 %(4/32),hepa- tolobecromy was 14.29%(1/7)and 16.67%(1/6),cholangiojejunostomy was 18.18%(4/22)and 30%(6/20), choledocholithotomy with T-tube drainage was 33.33 %(9/27)and 29.17 %(7/24).Conclusion Hepaticoplasty and hepatolobecromy were superior to cholangiojejunostomy and choledocholithotomy with T-tube drainage for treat- ment of hepatolithiasis.

Objective To investigate the correlation of spinal canal stricture and intramedullary increased signal intensity (ISI) in patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). Methods 92 patients with OPLL were divided into 3 groups, those with the sagittal diameter remained ≥66.7% were as group A, 33.3%~66.7% as group B, and <33.3% as group C. The incidence of intramedullary ISI was recorded, and their neurological condition was assessed with the Japanese Orthopedics Association Assessment (JOA). Results ISI were found in 6 cases in the group A (20.7%), 17 cases in the group B (47.2%) and 19 cases in the group C (70.4%) (P<0.05). The score of JOA was (7.1±2.1) in the group A, (6.0±1.8) in the group B and (5.6±2.0) in the group C (P<0.05). Conclusion The incidence of intramedullary ISI increased with the severity of spinal canal stricture, and with more severe nerve damage in OPLL patients.

MicroRNA is a kind of about 18 to 22 nt long, non-coding small RNA, which regulates the expression of gene by promoting mRNA deregration or inhibiting mRNA translation, influencing cell growth, pro-liferation, differentiation, apoptosis,etc.MicroRNA have the function of oncogenes or tumor suppressor in the formation and development of tumor, thus maintain normal physiological and pathological activities of human body.This review focus on the role of microRNA in the occur-rence and development, early diagnosis and metastasis of breast cancer, and summarizes current research about microRNA and breast cancer.

Objective:To investigate the clinical significance of epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR),proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA),laminin(LN)and type IV collagen expression in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma(SACC).Methods:EGFR gene in 78 cases of SACC with complete clinical data was detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH)technique,the expression of EGFR,PCNA,LN and type IV collagen protein was detected by immunohistochemistry technique(IHC),their correlation with the clin-icopathological parameters was analysed by SPSS 13.00 software.Results:EGFR gene amplification levels(69.2%)was positively related to the ratio of EGFR protein positive expression(7 1 .8%),the expression of EGFR,PCNA,LN and type IV collagen was posi-tively related to the clinical pathological parameters(P<0.05).There was a positive correlation between EGFR and PCNA expression (P<0.05),a negative correlation between LN protein and type IV collagen protein expression(P<0.05).Conclusion:EGFR gene is amplified in SACC.EGFR,PCNA,LN and type IV collagen take part in the occurrence and development of SACC.

Objective To investigate the effect of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 (rhBMP-2) on the osteogenic activities of human osteosarcoma cell line SaOS-2. Methods SaOS-2 cells were exposed to rhBMP-2 for 12,24,48 h at 0(control) ,2,20,200 μg/L, respectively. The mRNA expression of alkaline phosphatase(ALP) and bone gla(BCP) were detected by real time polymerase chain reaction. Results The mRNA expression of ALP and BGP of SaOS-2 cells increased gradually with rhBMP-2. The mRNA expression of ALP of the 20 μg/L group exposed for 48 h(1.60 ± 0.64), and the 200 μg/L group exposed for 12,48 h(1.70 ± 0.41, 1.80±0.19) were significantly higher than those of control (12 h: 0.80±0.25, 48 h: 0.74±0.21, allP<0.05). The mRNA expression of BGP of the 2 μg/L group exposed for 24 h(1.67 ± 0.33), the 20 μg/L group exposed for 12,24 h(2.42 ± 0.13,1.82 ± 0.14) and the 200 μg/L group exposed for 12,24 h(1.46 ± 0.11,1.24 ± 0.07) were significantly higher than those of control( 12 h: 1.01 ± 0.14, 24 h: 0.84 ± 0.12, all P< 0.05). Conclusions rhBMP-2 can promote the mRNA expression of ALP and BGP of SaOS-2 cells. They have a dose-response relationship, but represent a different dose-response effect.

Objective To observe the effects of recombinant human parathyroid hormone 1 to 34(referred to as hPTH) on the expression level of alkaline phosphatase(ALP) and bone gla protein(BCP) in human osteosarcoma cell line SaOS-2(referred to as SaOS-2 cells). Methods SaOS-2 cells were subcultured and treated with 1, 10 and 100 nmol/L hPTH for 12, 24 and 48 h. Total cellular RNA was extracted, cDNA was synthesized by reverse doses of hPTH, different duration of action, and their interaction on the expression level of ALP mRNA of SaOS-2 cells was significantly different(F = 29.32, 2.92, 7.64, all P < 0.05). The expression level of ALP mRNA(0.78 ± 0.43, 0.71 ± 0.05, 0.75 ± 0.19, 0.76 ± 0.14) of SaOS-2 cells after treatment with 0, 1, 10 and 100 nmol/L hPTH for 48 h was lower than those of treated for 12 h(1.01 ± 0.16, 1.37 ± 0.38, 1.49 ± 0.16, 2.52 ± 0.70, all P< 0.05) and 24 h (1.80 ± 0.47, 1.30 ± 0.36, 1.27 ± 0.17, 1.17 ± 0.11, all P< 0.05). The expression level of ALP mRNA of SaOS-2 cells after treatment with 100 nmol/L hPTH for 12 hours was higher than that of the control(P < 0.05); the expression level of ALP mRNA of SaOS-2 cells after treatment with 1, 10 and 100 nmol/L hPTH for 24 h interaction on the expression level of BGP mRNA of SaOS-2 were significantly different (F = 8.26, 10.33, 5.51, all P< 0.05). The expression level of BGP mRNA(1.17 ± 0.28, 0.98 ± 0.08, 0.92 ± 0.17 and 0.84 ± 0.59) of SaOS2 cells after treatment with 0, 1, 10 and 100 nmol/L hPTH for 48 h was lower than those of treated for 12 h( 1.01 ± 0.14, 1.21 ± 0.18, 1.34 ± 0.30, 1.68 ± 0.62, all P< 0.05), and 24 h(1.71 ± 0.35, 1.41 ± 0.47, 1.28 ± 0.31 and 1.01 ± 0.18, all P < 0.05). The expression level of BGP mRNA of SaOS-2 cells after treatment with 100 nmol/L hPTH for 12 h was higher than that of those groups treated with 0 and 1 nmol/L hPTH(all P< 0.05). The expression level of BGP mRNA of SaOS-2 cells after treatment with 10 and 100 nmol/L hPTH for 24 h and 48 h was lower than those of the control(all P < 0.05). The expression level of BGP mRNA of SaOS-2 cells after treatment with 100 nmol/L hPTH for 24 hours was lower than that the group treated with 1 nmol/L hPTH(P < 0.05). Conclusions In vitro, hPTH significantly enhances osteogenic activities of human osteoblast in a short time, however, with prolonged stimulation time, osteogenic activity can show a downward trend.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the value of miR-29a and miR-10a-5p in predicting 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis-induced acute kidney injury.

METHODSSeventy-four patients with sepsis-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) and 41 patients with sepsis but without AKI (control) were examined for serum levels of miR-29a and miR-10a-5p using RT-PCR. The patients were followed up for 28 days to record their survival. Pearson correlation analysis was used to test the correlations of miR-29a and miR-10a-5p with serum creatinine (Scr), cystatin C (Cys-C), and KIM-1 in patients with AKI. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the correlations of miR-29a, miR-10a-5p, Scr, Cys-C, KIM-1 and other risk factors with the 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis. The predictive value of these indicators for evaluating the prognosis of patients with sepsis was analyzed using ROC curve, and miR-29a combined with miR-10a-5p was assessed for their value in predicting the prognosis of the patients.

RESULTDuring the follow-up for 28 days, 21 of the 74 (35.53%) AKI patients died. Compared with the survivors, the patients died within 28 days showed significantly increased serum levels of Scr , Cys-C, KIM-1, miR-29a, and miR-10a-5p (P<0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that miR-29a and miR-10a-5p were positively correlated with serum Scr, Cys-C, and KIM-1 levels; multivariate regression analysis identified miR-29a and miR-10a-5p as the independent risk factors for mortality in the septic patients. The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of miR-29a and miR-10a-5p was 0.82 (95%CI: 0.71-0.89) and 0.75 (95%CI: 0.64-0.85), and that of Scr, Cys-C and KIM-1 was 0.72 (95%CI: 0.66-0.86) , 0.71 (95% CI: 0.63-0.84) and 0.81 (95% CI: 0.72-0.81), respectively. The AUC of miR-29a combined with miR-10a-5p was significantly greater than that of miR-29a, miR-10a-5p, Scr, Cys-C and KIM-1 alone (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONmiR-29a and miR-10a-5p have good predictive value in assessing the 28-day mortality of patients with sepsis.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the feasibility, effectiveness and practicability of transurethral enucleation plus pneumocystostomy rotary cut (TUE + PCRC) for large benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

METHODSWe performed TUE + PCRC for 26 BPH patients aged 62 - 85 years with the prostate volume of 80 - 165 ml. We conducted transurethral enucleation of the hyperplastic prostate glands and pushed them into the bladder, followed by bladder puncture for pneumo-cystostomy rotary cut.

RESULTSAll the surgical procedures were successfully accomplished, with the mean surgical time of 41 (32 - 54) minutes and intraoperative blood loss < 60 ml in all the cases. Twenty-three of the patients were followed up for 2 - 8 months, which revealed no stricture of the urethra or any other severe complications. Compared with the preoperative baseline, significant improvement was achieved in the IPSS (6.5 +/- 2.2 vs 26.2 +/- 2.4), QOL (1.4 +/- 0.9 vs 4.6 +/- 1.2) and Qmax ([5.8 +/- 1.0 ] vs [19.6 +/- 2.8] ml/s) of the patients after surgery (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONTUE + PCRC, with its advantages of short operation time and less severe complications, is a safe and effective approach to the management of large BPH.