OBJECTIVE: To explore the protective effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI) and the expression of high mobility group protein 1 (HMGB1) in liver tissues in rats. METHODS: A total of 40 male SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups, namely sham control, HIRI model, "Ganshu"(BL18) -"Yanglingquan"(GB34) and non-acupoint group, with 10 rats in each group. The HIRI model was induced by blocking the arteries, veins and bile ducts supplying the middle and left lobes of the liver for 1 h, and reperfusion for 4 h to induce an area of about 70% HIRI. EA was applied to bila-teral BL18 and GB34, or non-acupoints about 6-8 mm to the bilateral BL18 for 30 min before modeling. Serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were measured by using an automatic biochemical analyzer. Serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and HMGB1 levels were assayed by ELISA. Hematoxylin - eosin (H.E.) staining was used to observe histopathological changes of the liver tissue by using tissue injury scaling (0-3 scores). The expression of HMGB1 protein in liver tissues was detected by immunohistochemical staining, Western blot and PCR, separately. RESULTS: Following modeling and compared with the sham group, the levels of serum ALT, AST, TNF-α, IL-6, and HMGB1 contents, the number of HMGB1 immunoreaction (IR)-positive cells, and HMGB1 protein and mRNA were significantly increased (P＜0.01). After the treatment, the contents of serum ALT, AST, TNF-α, IL-6, and HMGB1, liver HMGB1 IR-positive cells, protein and mRNA were considerably down-regulated in the BL18-GB34 group (P<0.05), rather than in the non-acupoint group (P>0.05) in contrast to the model group. H.E. stain showed a higher liver injury score in the model group than in the sham group (P<0.01), and a lower liver injury score in the BL18-GB34 group (not the non-acupoint group) relevant to the model group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: EA of BL18 and GB34 points has a protective effect on ischemic liver injury in rats with HIRI, which may be associated with its functions in inhibiting the migration and release of HMGB1 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and in down-regulating the expression of inflammatory factors.

This study was aimed at exploring the epidemiological characteristics of plague,and the evolutionary relation-ships among the isolated plague strains in the Yunnan border area,to provide clues for further studying epidemic causes and ep-idemiological patterns.Plague epidemic data in the border area during the second epidemic period(1982-2007)were collected and analyzed with descriptive epidemiological methods.Whole genome sequences of 262 strains of Yersinia pestis in the border area were obtained for phylogenetic analysis.Plague outbreaks occurred in 17 counties(cities)among 25 border counties(cit-ies);a total of 552 epidemic foci and 123 human cases were identified.The 1.ORI2,1.ORI3,1.IN3,2.ANT and 2.MED geno-types were identified among Yersinia pestis isolated from the Yunnan border area,among which the 1.ORI2 population was dominant.A total of 258 strains of Yersinia pestis from the 1.OR12 population belonged to four subclusters.The Myanmar and Vietnam clade was embedded within the Yunnan clade in the overall phylogeny.The above results indicated that during the sec-ond period of the epidemic,the intensity of plague epidemics in Yunnan's border areas was high,showing a trend of devel-opment from west to south and east.Our findings indicated a risk of cross-border transmission of plague between Yunnan and neighboring countries;therefore,the surveillance,pre-vention,and control of plague in border areas should be strengthened.