Objective To explore post-effect of acupuncturing ST36 (Zusanli) on brain functional connectivity. Methods Twelve healthy volunteers participated in this experiment. The fMRI data taken before and 25 minutes after removed acupuncturing stimulation were analyzed, while posterior cingulated cortex were chosen as seed points. Results At 25 minutes after removed acupuncturing stimulation, new increased functional connectivity were found in the left paracentral lobule, right superior parietal lobule and right postcentral gyrus. After acupuncture, there was intensity functional connectivity greater than in primary brain regions. Conclusion Post-effect of acupuncture can increase functional connectivity in healthy volunteer's brain.

Objective:To investigate the counteractive effect of mouse dermal fibroblasts (MdFBs) during their adipogenic differentiation against Staphylococcus aureus infection, and to explore its mechanisms. Methods:MdFBs were obtained from newborn C57BL/6 mice, and their adipogenic differentiation was induced by culture in an adipogenic medium for 48 hours. Real-time fluorescence-based quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) was performed to determine the mRNA expression of cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) on days 0-6 during the adipogenic differentiation of MdFBs, and Western blot analysis to determine the protein expression of CAMP in the culture supernatant of MdFBs during their adipogenic differentiation. MdFBs were divided into 4 groups: co-stimulation group stimulated by S. aureus suspensions and cultured in an adipogenic medium, adipogenic control group cultured in an adipogenic medium, S. aureus-stimulation group stimulated by S. aureus suspensions and cultured in a common medium, and control group stimulated by phosphate-buffered saline and cultured in a common medium; Western blot analysis and RT-PCR were conducted to determine the protein and mRNA expression of CAMP. S. aureus (5 × 10 4 CFU/ml) was cultured with the culture supernatant of MdFBs after 5-day adipogenic differentiation (adipogenic group), and the growth activity was evaluated every 2 hours during 10 - 24 hours after the start of co-culture; S. aureus cultured with the culture supernatant of MdFBs in a common medium served as the normal control group, and that cultured with cell-free culture supernatant served as the negative control group. Differences between groups were assessed using unpaired t-test or analysis of variance. Results:Significant differences were observed in the relative mRNA expression of CAMP among different time points (days 0, 1, 2, 4, and 6) during the adipogenic differentiation of MdFBs (1.14 ± 0.74, 68.04 ± 12.72, 683.12 ± 38.06, 1 390.68 ± 226.21, 454.57 ± 204.12, F = 50.08, P < 0.001) ; the CAMP mRNA expression was significantly higher on days 1, 2, 4, and 6 than on day 0 ( t = 9.09, 31.03, 10.63, 3.85, respectively, all P < 0.05), and showed an initial rise and subsequent fall during days 0 - 6. The CAMP protein expression in the culture supernatant of MdFBs peaked on days 2-5 and subsequently decreased. Significant differences were observed in the mRNA and protein expression of CAMP among the control group, S. aureus-stimulation group, adipogenic control group and co-stimulation group (mRNA: 0.08 ± 0.02, 0.38 ± 0.10, 0.49 ± 0.11, 0.80 ± 0.03, respectively, F = 43.25, P < 0.05; protein: 0.433 ± 0.176, 0.574 ± 0.176, 1.007 ± 0.176, 1.217 ± 0.176, respectively, F = 46.79, P < 0.05), and the relative mRNA and protein expression of CAMP was significantly higher in the co-stimulation group than in the adipogenic control group, S. aureus-stimulation group and control group (all P < 0.05). At 10 hours during culture, the growth activity of S. aureus was significantly lower in the adipogenic group (0.053 ± 0.015) than in the normal control group and negative control group (0.109 ± 0.015, 0.106 ± 0.015, t = 11.30, 13.26, respectively, both P < 0.05) ; during 10 - 24 hours, the growth activity of S. aureus also showed a significant decrease in the adipogenic group compared with the normal control group and negative control group (all P < 0.05) . Conclusion:MdFBs secreted CAMP during the adipogenic differentiation, and could inhibit the proliferation of S. aureus.

ObjectiveTo investigate the expression and clinical significance of OX40/OX40L (CD134/CD134L) in CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, monocytes, and B lymphocytes in peripheral blood of patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), and their overlap syndrome before and after standardized treatment. MethodsA total of 74 patients with AIH, PBC, and their overlap syndrome who were diagnosed in Subei People’s Hospital of Jiangsu from August 2015 to August 2019 were enrolled, and according to related diagnostic criteria, they were divided into AIH group (group A) with 29 patients, PBC group (group P) with 26 patients, and overlap syndrome group (group C) with 19 patients. A healthy control group with 30 individuals was also established. Peripheral blood samples were collected before and after standardized treatment to measure the expression of OX40/OX40L on the surface of peripheral blood cells by immunofluorescence flow cytometry, and the expression of OX40/OX40L was compared before and after treatment and between the three groups and the healthy control group to investigate its clinical significance. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups; the paired t-test was used for comparison of paired samples between two groups. ResultsThere were no significant differences in sex composition and age composition between the three groups (P＞0.05). Before treatment, the positive rate of OX40 in peripheral blood CD4+ T cells gradually increased in groups A, P, and C, and groups A, P, and C had a significantly higher positive rate of OX40 than the control group (14.80%±4.99%/17.11%±2.71%/25.18%±5.55% vs 6.67%±2.26%, F=14.823, P＜0.001); groups A, P, and C had a significantly higher positive rate of OX40 in CD8+ T cells than the control group (4.86%±1.54%/6.40%±1.88%/7.33%±2.12% vs 4.09%±2.69%, F=5.486, P＜0.001); the positive rate of OX40L in CD14+ monocytes was 19.84%±6.11% in group A, 21.17%±4.35% in group P, 29.13%±6.32% in group C, and 4.86%±2.34% in the control group, and there was a significant difference between groups (F=17004, P＜0.001); the positive rate of OX40L in CD19+ B cells was 17.62%±3.86% in group A, 14.75%±4.32% in group P, 1013%±2.56% in group C, and 4.50%±1.38% in the control group, showing a trend of gradual reduction, and groups A, P, and C had a significantly higher positive rate than the control group (F=12.221, P＜0.001). After treatment, the positive rate of OX40 in CD8+ T cells decreased significantly to a similar level as the control group, and there was no significant difference between groups (F=0731, P=0.538). For the other three types of cells, although there were varying degrees of reduction in the positive rate of OX40/OX40L after treatment, groups A, P, and C still had a significantly higher positive rate than the control group; in CD4+ T cells, the positive rate of OX40 was 11.00%±1.98% in group A, 13.72%±1.03% in group P, 19.72%±3.47% in group C, and 6.67%±2.26% in the control group, and groups A, P, and C had a significantly higher positive rate than the control group (F=11.365, P＜0.001); in CD14+ monocytes, the positive rate of OX40L was 11.82%±2.23% in group A, 15.19%±4.42% in group P, 24.51%±4.09% in group C, and 4.86%±2.34% in the control group, and groups A, P, and C had a significantly higher positive rate than the control group (F=13748, P＜0.001); in CD19+ B cells, the positive rate of OX40L was 9.09%±3.25% in group A, 6.81%±2.20% in group P, 748%±2.85% in group C, and 4.50%±1.38% in the control group, and groups A, P, and C had a significantly higher positive rate than the control group (F=8.052, P＜0.001). Groups A, P, and C had significant reductions in the expression of OX40/OX40L in peripheral blood CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, CD14+ monocytes, and CD19+ B lymphocytes after treatment (all P＜0.05). ConclusionThe expression of OX40/OX40L in peripheral blood increases in patients with AIH, PBC, and their overlap syndrome and decreases after treatment, indicating that the OX40/OX40L pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of the above diseases, and the role of OX40 on the surface of CD8+ T cells may better reflect the treatment outcome.

Erythropoietin-producing hepatocyte (Eph) receptors are the largest subgroup of the receptor tyrosine kinase family and are involved in the physiological processes such as embryonic development, angiogenesis, and axon guidance. Recent studies have shown that Eph receptors are overexpressed in liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and play an important role in the growth, invasion, and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma. This article explores the mechanism of action of Eph receptors in liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and points out that Eph receptors may be important molecules in the development and progression of liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.