OBJECTIVETo study on the mechanism of electroacupuncture for treatment of Alzheimer disease (AD).

METHODSSD rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a sham operation group, a model group and an electroacupuncture group, 12 rats in each group. The AD rat model was prepared by microinjection of amyloid-beta protein (Abeta1-40) into the Meynert nucleus. In the electroacupuncture group, electroacupuncture was given at "Baihui" (GV 20), "Taixi" (KI 3), "Zusanli" (ST 36). The learning and memory ability was assessed by Morris water maze and the glial cell activity in the hippocampus was determined by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSCompared with the normal group, the glial cell in the hippocampus was activated with increase of the number, and the learning and memory ability reduced in the model group (P < 0.01). After treatment, as compared with the model group, the number of the activated glial cells was reduced and the learning and memory ability was improved in the electroacupuncture group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONElectroacupuncture treatment can decrease the number of activated glial cells so as to protect the neurons, improving the learning and memory ability in the AD rat.

Alzheimer Disease ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Hippocampus ; cytology ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Learning ; Male ; Memory ; Neuroglia ; physiology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Yijing Huoxue Cuyun Decoction (YHCD) in adjusting hypoestrogenemic response induced by clomiphene.

METHODSInfertile patients caused by ovulation disturbance were randomly divided into 2 groups. The 60 patients in the observed group were treated with clomiphine plus YHCD, and the 58 patients in the control group were given clomiphine plus estradiol valerate.

RESULTSBy scoring on the cervical relaxation and improvement of cervical mucus, 38 patients (63.3%) in the observed group had Insler score of more than 8 points, while that in the control group was only 25 (43.1%), comparison between the two groups showed significant difference (P < 0.05). The endometrium thickening in the observed group was 0.98 +/- 0.19 cm, significantly different to that in the control group (0.85 +/- 0.21 cm, P < 0.01). Twenty-five patients in the observed group (41.7%), and fourteen patients in the control group (24.1%), respectively got pregnancy, the pregnant rate in the former was obviously higher than that in the latter (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONYHCD can ameliorate hypoestrinemia induced by clomiphene and increase the pregnant rate in patients.

Adult ; Clomiphene ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Estrogens ; blood ; deficiency ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility, Female ; drug therapy ; Ovulation ; drug effects ; Ovulation Induction ; Phytotherapy

Objective To explore the effect of the continuous quality improvement ( CQI) on shortening the patients ’ waiting time and improving the satisfaction of the waiting time in transfusion room . Methods The CQI procedure including setting up CQI groups , collecting and analysis the data , analyzing the cause, setting goals, making improvement plan and implement method , evaluating effect, summarizing and formulating the consolidation measures etc were carried out , and the patients’ waiting time and the satisfaction of the waiting time in transfusion room were compared before and after the implementation of the CQI . Results The average patients’ waiting time in transfusion room was (18 ±3) min after the implementation of the CQI, and was significantly lower than (30 ±5 ) min before CQI, and the difference was statistically significant (t=20.580, P<0.05).The satisfaction of the waiting time in transfusion room was 89% after the implementation of the CQI, and was significantly higher than 65% before CQI, and the difference was statistically significant (χ2 =9.416, P=0.024).Conclusions The nurses find out the best way to solve the problem and strengthen the team cooperation spirit through the implementation of the CQI and the utilization of team wisdom.The nurse work flow is smoothly, and the performance evaluation mechanism is reasonable , which greatly enhance the work enthusiasm and efficiency , shorten the patients ’ waiting time, and improve the patients’ satisfaction.

Objective To investigate the role of rosuvastatin in inhibiting inflammatory response pathway in rats with focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) . Methods Rats were randomly assigned into three groups: sham operation group, model group and experimental group, each group had 8 rats. The rats in the experimental group were lavaged with rosuvastatin 5 mg·kg-1·d-1 for 10 consecutive days before the model setting-up. The middle cerebral artery occlusion I/R model was made by the modified Zea-Longa wire bolt method. At 24 h after reperfusion, the positive cells of Toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nuclear transcription factor kappa B p65 (NF-κB p65) were measured by immunohistochemistry; the levels of the TLR4, NF-κB p65 protein and the TLR4, NF-κB p65 mRNA were measured by Western blotting and reverse transcription PCR, respectively. Results The expressions of TLR4 positive cells in sham group, model group and experimental group were (12. 69 ± 2. 55) cells, (38. 05 ± 6. 81) cells and (27. 80 ± 5. 75) cells, respectively;the expressions of NF-κB p65 positive cells in the three groups were (14. 64 ± 2. 79) cells, (47. 27 ± 7. 40) cells and (34. 83 ± 5. 60) cells, respectively; the expressions of TLR4 protein (optical density, OD) in the three groups were0. 28 ± 0. 04, 0. 63 ± 0. 09, 0. 41 ± 0. 07; the expressions of NF-κB p65 protein (OD) in the three groups were0. 21 ± 0. 04, 0. 72 ± 0. 12, 0. 36 ± 0. 06. Comparison between sham operation group and model group showed the difference of the factors were statistically significant (all P < 0. 05) ; comparison between model group and experimental group displayed the difference of the factors were statistically significant (all P < 0. 05) . The trend of gene results is consistent with that of protein. Conclusion Rosuvastatin can inhibit TLR4-NF-κB signal transduction pathway and reduce several inflammatory reaction after focal cerebral I/R.

OBJECTIVESTo analyze the differential expression genes (DEGs) among hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), para-cancerous tissue (PCT) and normal liver tissue (NLT) and explore the target genes related to the development and progression of HCC.

METHODSThe total RNAs of matched HCC, PCT and NLT of HCC patients were isolated using one step Trizol method. Matched RNAs were qualified using 10 g/L agarose gel electrophoresis and lab-on-chip. cRNAs were synthesized, fluorescence labeled and purified after total RNAs were purified. The RNAs of HCC and NLT, HCC and PCT were hybridized with Agilent oligo microarray (21,074 probes). The fluorescence intensity features were detected by Agilent scanner and quantified by feature extraction software. The selected candidate genes were confirmed by SYBR Green I stained real time RT-PCR.

RESULTS(1) The total RNA, reverse transcription product and fluorescence labeled cRNA were all of high quality; (2) There were 420 up-regulated genes and 552 down-regulated genes among 2-fold DEGs, including DKK1 (dickkopf homolog 1) which was 5-fold up-regulated; (3) The results of real time RT-PCR, using beta-actin as an internal control, showed that the 2-Delta Ct values of DKK1 in HCC, PCT and NLT were 0.089 504, 0.007,65 and 0.000,631 respectively.

CONCLUSION(1) The high throughput and effective Agilent oligo microarray can screen novel therapy targeted genes by analyzing the DEGs in development and progression of HCC; (2) The development and progression of HCC is a complicated process involving multigenes and multiprocedures; (3) DKK1, as a novel gene, is involved in the development and progression of HCC and may be a new therapy target.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; genetics ; pathology ; Gene Expression ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; RNA, Neoplasm ; genetics

Objective To investigate the added diagnostic value of SPECT/CT imaging over routine planar whole-body bone scintigraphy (WBBS) for bone metastases from lung cancer. Methods One hundred and forty-six patients with lung cancer, confirmed by pathological examination, underwent routine 99Tcm-MDP (1110 MBq) WBBS, followed by SPECT/CT over the regions with indeterminate findings on WBBS. Both WBBS and bone SPECT/CT images were interpreted by two experienced nuclear medicine physicians in consensus as the positive, negative or uncertain bone metastases. The final diagnosis was comfirmed by pathology or clinical follow-up. x2 test was used to compare the differences between the two imaging methods. Results Finally, 45 patients were diagnosed as positive bone metastases and the other 101 as negative. The diagnostic sensitivity of bone SPECT/CT for bone metastases from lung cancer was 93.3%(42/45), singnificantly higher than that of WBBS (64.4%, 29/45) (x2 = 19.944, P＜0.05). The diagnostic accuracy of bone SPECT/CT was 89.7% ( 131/146), much higher than that of WBBS (44.5%,65/146) ( x2 = 69. 598,P ＜ 0.05). The uncertain and incorrect diagnostic rates of bone SPECT/CT and WBBS were 10.3% ( 15/146, raging from 5.3% to 15.2% with 95% confidence interval (CI) ) and 55.5% (81/146, raging from 47. 4% to 63.5% with95% CI), respectively. Conclusion BoneSPECT/CT provides incremental diagnostic value over routine WBBS for bone metastases from lung cancer.

Objective To investigate the additional diagnostic value of 99Tcm-MDP SPECT/CT over conventional SPECT scan in patients with spinal bone malignancy. Methods Fifty-two patients (mean age (56±14) years) with suspicious spinal bone diseases underwent both bone SPECT and SPECT/CT imaging right after 99Tcm-MDP whole-body planar bone scintigraphy. All patients were pathologically diagnosed by either spine operation or trans-spinal biopsy. The images were evaluated by two independent reviewers; inter-reviewer agreement was evaluated using a weighted Kappa score. Each focus of abnormality was recorded using a 4-point diagnostic confidence scale: benign (B), possibly benign (PB), possibly malignant (PM) or malignant (M). Results Accord to the pathological results, 36 patients had bone malignancy (19 with metastatic tumors and 17 with non-metastatic tumors) and 16 had benign lesions. Over SPECT images, two reviewers rated 73.1% (38/52) and 67.3% (35/52) the lesions as the equivocal (PB or PM) respectively. Over SPECT/CT images, they rated only 25.0% (13/52) and 13.5% (7/52) lesions as the equivocal. Inter-reviewer agreement was 63.5% (weighted Kappa score=0.62) for SPECT and 78.9% (weighted Kappa score=0.81) for SPECT/CT. Conclusions Compared with99Tcm-MDP SPECT, 99Tcm-MDP SPECT/CT results in a significant reduction of equivocal diagnoses for the spinal bone malignancy.

Female ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tissue Array Analysis ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; metabolism

Curcumin has a wide spectrum of pharmaceutical properties such as antitumor, antioxidant, antiamyloid, and anti-inflammatory activity. However, poor aqueous solubility and low bioavailability of curcumin are major challenge in its development as a useful drug. To overcome many of these problems, curcumin-loaded long-circulating liposomes (Cur-LCL) were prepared by the ethanol injection method. Morphology of Cur-LCL was observed by transmission electron microscope, mean particle size and Zeta potential were detected by laser particle size analyzer, entrapment efficiency and drug loading were evaluated by ultracentrifugation. The drug release behavior in vitro and pharmacokinetic behavior in rats of Cur-LCL were investigated with curcumin (Cur) and curcumin liposomes (Cur-Lips) as control. The results showed that the mean diameter of Cur-LCL was 110 nm, the Zeta potential was -5.8 mV. The entrapment efficiency and drug loading of Cur-LCL was 80.25%, 2.06%, respectively. The release behavior in vitro studied by dialysis in PBS buffer showed significant sustained release profile that 48.95% Cur were released from Cur-LCL in 7 h, 88.92% in 24 h. The pharmacokinetic parameters showed that compared with Cur and Cur-Lips, the t(1/2beta) of Cur-LCL was extended to 13 and 1.8-fold, respectively. Besides, the AUC values was significantly increased (P < 0.01), and the clearance was evidently decreased (P < 0.01). These results from in vitro and in vivo indicated that Cur-LCL were able to realize controlled drug release and increase circulation time.
Animals ; Curcumin ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Delayed-Action Preparations ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Drug Carriers ; chemistry ; Female ; Humans ; Liposomes ; chemistry ; Male ; Particle Size ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Solubility

OBJECTIVETo improve the accuracy of the diagnosis of the disease on the basis of the clinical features and genetic characteristics of patients with Silver Russell syndrome (SRS).

METHODPatients diagnosed with SRS by Price criteria in 2006 to 2011 were reviewed for their clinical manifestations, physical signs, laboratory examinations and treatments.

RESULTTwenty cases with SRS were 0.08-12.17 yr old. Fifteen were male and 5 were female. The clinical characteristics included more than 80% of cases had postnatal growth retardation 100% (20/20), craniofacial dysmorphism 100% (20/20), small for gestation age 95% (19/20), asymmetry and thinning of the face and/or limbs 90% (18/20), fifth finger clinodactyly 80% (16/20), BMI < -2 SDS 80% (16/20). Their height was obviously lagging behind in the bone age. HD SDS/average of bone retardation was 3.08. The two patients with the chief complaint of external genital abnormalities would have aggressive surgical treatment and they did not use the growth hormone (GH) treatment. Only six patients had used the GH treatment. GH treatment at a dose of 0.1 IU/(kg·d) used in 2 cases achieved a growth velocity (GV) 8 - 11 cm/yr but in another 2 cases < 5 cm/yr. In genetic study, 6 patients were found to have 11p15 low methylation, 1 had low and high methylation, 1 had duplication, no relation between clinical and methylation of 11p15 was found.

CONCLUSIONThere were great variations of clinical features in SRS characterized by small for gestation age and/or postnatal growth retardation, craniofacial dysmorphism, asymmetry of the face and/or limbs or ultrafine limbs, fifth finger clinodactyly. Severely low BMI was seen and height was obviously lagging behind in the bone age. The findings of laboratory tests and imaging of SRS were not specific. Some of SRS had 11p15 imprinting defects. The treatment of SRS is mainly symptomatic.

Abnormalities, Multiple ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Adolescent ; Body Height ; Bone Density ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 11 ; genetics ; DNA Methylation ; Female ; Genetic Association Studies ; Genomic Imprinting ; Growth Disorders ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Silver-Russell Syndrome ; diagnosis ; genetics