BACKGROUND:Col agen and silk fibroin materials for construction of spinal cord scaffolds have been proven to repair or partial y repair damaged spinal cord nerve function. OBJECTIVE:To introduce partial characteristics of the col agen and silk fibroin and to review the recent progress and application as scaffolds in spinal cord tissue engineering. METHODS:A computer-based search of CNKI and PubMed databases (2003-01/2012-10) was performed for articles addressing the application of col agen and silk fibroin scaffolds in spinal cord injury with the keywords of“col agen, silk fibroin, scaffold, spinal cord injury”in Chinese and English, respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Col agen has low antigenicity, good biocompatibility and biodegradability. Col agen and its degradation products can cause no inflammatory reactions in the body, but have the disadvantages of rapid degradation and poor mechanical properties. Silk fibroin has good biocompatibility and excellent mechanical properties, but its degradation is slow. The col agen and silk fibroin are compounded using an electrostatic spinning technology to improve the physical properties of the material on the basis of maintaining good biocompatibility. At present, fibroin or col agen materials in terms of nervous system repair have been studied, laying some foundation for spinal cord tissue engineering. Considering the similar characteristics and mechanics performance to the spinal cord tissue, col agen/silk fibroin composite materials are expected to become the ideal scaffold materials for spinal cord tissue engineering.

OBJECTIVETo assess the clinical efficacy of the therapeutic schema for treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) with ligustrazine and citicoline injection in combination.

METHODSAdopting double-centered randomized controlled trial, 300 patients were randomly assigned to 3 groups, who were treated respectively by ligustrazine plus citicoline (group A), ligustrazine alone (group B) and citicoline alone (group C). Clinical efficacy, symptomatic integral (SI), electromyogram ( EMG), blood sugar and blood lipids were assessed 4 weeks after treatment, and the clinical efficacy and SI were assessed at the end of 3-month follow-up.

RESULTSAfter 4-week treatment, improvements of blood sugar and blood lipids were seen in all the three groups, showing insignificant difference among them (P > 0.05). But the clinical efficacy, improvement of SI and EMG in group A were superior to those in group B and C (P < 0.05), while the difference between group B and C was insignificant. No severe adverse reaction was found. Results at the end of 3-month follow-up showed that the clinical efficacy in group A was still better than in the other two groups, so did the SI (6.39 +/- 2.04 vs 8.36 +/- 1.17 and 8.05 +/- 1.34, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe therapeutic schema of using ligustrazine and citicoline in combination is effective and safe for improving DPN, and worthy of clinical spreading.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Cytidine Diphosphate Choline ; therapeutic use ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the clinical features and TCD-detected microembolic signals in patients with hypercoagulability related multiple acute cerebral infarcts within non-single arterial territories, and to explore the possi?ble underlying mechanisms. Methods A retrospective review was conducted on all clinical, laboratory, radiological and TCD monitoring records from patients with hypercoagulability related multiple acute cerebral infarcts within non-single arterial territories, who admitted to the neurology department in our hospital. Results The data from twenty-two cases were finally included in this study. All patients presented with acute-onset localized neurological dysfunction, e.g. hemi?paresis, aphasia, hemiparesthesia, dysarthria, hemianopsia and cortical blindness. Their hypercoagulability related diseas?es included 10 cases of systemic malignancy, 5 moderate to severe hyperhomocystynemia (HCY>50μmol/L), 2 nephrot?ic syndrome, 2 antiphospholipid syndrome, 1 ulcerative colitis, 1 polycythemia vera,1 paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobin?uria. In 18 cases, the hypercoagulability related diseases were diagnosed after their initial stroke onset. DWI showed mul?tiple disseminated acute cerebral infarcts in non-single arterial territories involving bilateral anterior or anterior plus pos?terior cerebral circulation simultaneously. Foci involved lobar cortex/subcortex of cerebral hemisphere in 22 cases, deep cerebral hemisphere in 12 cases, cerebellum foci in 10 cases,brainstem foci in 2 cases. TCD revealed microembolic sig? nals in ten of 22 patients monitored. Conclusions Patients with multiple acute cerebral infarcts involving non-single arte?rial territories, should be screened for hypercoagulability as in that hypercoagulability and microembolism might be in?volved in the etiology of cerebral infarction.

Objective To characterize the clinical manifestations, laboratory findings of patients with occult sys?temic malignant neoplasms, whose initial manifestation presented as multiple acute cerebral infarcts including coagula?tion function,radiological imaging and microembolic signals (MES) detection by transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) and to explore the possible underlying mechanisms. Methods All clinical records, laboratory hematological tests includ?ing hypercoagulable states measured by D-dimer levels, brain MRI including DWI, and TCD monitoring MES, the treat?ment and prognosis were retrospectively reviewed in 12 patients with multiple acute cerebral infarcts as the first manifes?tation of occult systemic malignancy. Results The clinical manifestations presented as localized neurological dysfunction, e.g. hemiparesis, aphasia, hemiparesthesia, dysarthria, vertigo and seizures, etc. DWI revealed multiple disseminated acute cerebral infarcts in multiple arterial territories such as the bilateral anterior or anterior plus posterior cerebral circu?lation in all patients. Eleven of 12 patients tested had elevated D-dimer. TCD detected MES in 5 of 7 patients. There were 12 patients diagnosed with occult systemic malignancy including 5 lung cancer, 3 pancreatic cancer, 1 gastric can?cer, 1 colon cancer, 1 endometrial adenocarcinoma and 1 metastatic poorly differentiated mucinous adenocarcinoma with unknown primary. Ten patients already had remote metastasis at diagnosis. The prognosis was usually poor and there were 7 cases with ischemic stroke recurrence, 4 cases with acute myocardial infarction, 3 cases died during hospitaliza?tion. Conclusions When patients present with multiple disseminated acute cerebral infarcts involving multiple arterial territories as initial manifestation, the underlying occult systemic malignancy should be considered. Hypercoagulopathy and MES might provide the clues to the diagnosis.

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV), an enveloped positive-stranded RNA virus in the genus Pestivirus of the Flaviviridae family, is the causative agent of a highly contagious swine disease characterized by symptoms of hemorrhagic fever and immune depression, usually leading to substantial economic losses. The serological methods for detection of CSFV antibody such as ELISA are important means for the diagnosis of CSFV and immune surveillance. It is difficult to obtain CSFV antigen with high quality using traditional method because its titration titer is low in cell culture. CSFV has four structural protein named C, E0, El and E2. The E2 protein contains major antigenic determinants that are conserved between different CSFV strains and involved in neutralization by antibodies. So recombinant E2 protein can be developed as an alternative to the intact viral antigen. So far, CSFV E2 have not been expressed in E. coli with high level. Many factors, such as the secondary structure, the stability of 5' and 3' terminus of gene, the location of SD sequence and the bias of codes, are involved in the expressing level of foreign gene in E. coli . In this study, two sites of the E2 gene sequence were confirmed to be detrimental to its expression efficiency in E. coli through the computer-aided analysis. So they were mutated using recombinant PCR without changing the amino acids sequence of CSFV E2 gene. A plasmid was constructed by inserting the mutated E2 gene into the prokaryotic expression vector pET-28a(+) and named pETE2. The E. coli competent host BL21 (DE3)lysS transformed with pETE2 could express the E2 gene at high level, amounting to 28% of the total protein of the induced recombinant bacteria at the presence of IPTG. Except the hydrophobic transmembrane domain at C terminus, the recombinant E2 protein includes the total aa sequence. So it contains all the potential linear antigen epitopes of E2 protein because hydrophobic aa region can not form epitope. The recombinant E2 protein was CSFV-specific as proved by Western blotting and indirect ELISA. The rabbits immunized with the recombinant E2 can be protect from the challenge of hog cholera lapinized virus. This is the first report that E2 gene is expressed with high level expression in E. coli. In conclusion, it is an effective measure that mutate the CSFV E2 gene to increase its expression level in E. coli. The recombinant CSFV E2 protein possess fine immunonicity and can be used the antigen for the detection of CSFV antibody.
Antigens, Viral ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Blotting, Western ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed ; methods ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Recombinant Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Viral Envelope Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism

Objective:To explore the effects of staged aerobic training with peer support in patients undergoing targeted therapy for breast cancer.Methods:A total of 90 patients with breast cancer who were hospitalized in the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University from March 2021 to March 2022 were selected by convenience sampling and divided into a control group ( n=45) and a research group ( n=45). Patients in the control group received routine nursing care, while those in the research group were given staged aerobic training with peer support based on the nursing care provided to the control group. The 6-min walking distance, step test duration, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Revised Piper Fatigue Scale (RPFS), and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast Cancer (FACT-B) scores were statistically compared between the two groups before and after the intervention. Results:After the intervention, the 6-minute walking distance of the research group was longer than that of the control group, and the duration of the step test was longer than that of the control group, with statistically significant differences ( P<0.05) ; the PSQI and RPFS scores of the research group were lower than those of the control group, while the society and family, function, emotion, physiological condition and additional attention scores were higher than those in the control group, with statistically significant differences ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:Staged aerobic training with peer support can improve the body's exercise capacity and cardiorespiratory endurance, reduce cancer-related fatigue, and improve the quality of sleep and life of patients with breast cancer.

BACKGROUNDThe auditory brainstem implants (ABIs) have been used to treat deafness for patients with neurofibromatosis Type 2 and nontumor patients. The lack of an appropriate animal model has limited the study of improving hearing rehabilitation by the device. This study aimed to establish an animal model of ABI in adult rhesus macaque monkey (Macaca mulatta).

METHODSSix adult rhesus macaque monkeys (M. mulatta) were included. Under general anesthesia, a multichannel ABI was implanted into the lateral recess of the fourth ventricle through the modified suboccipital-retrosigmoid (RS) approach. The electrical auditory brainstem response (EABR) waves were tested to ensure the optimal implant site. After the operation, the EABR and computed tomography (CT) were used to test and verify the effectiveness via electrophysiology and anatomy, respectively. The subjects underwent behavioral observation for 6 months, and the postoperative EABR was tested every two weeks from the 1 st month after implant surgery.

RESULTThe implant surgery lasted an average of 5.2 h, and no monkey died or sacrificed. The averaged latencies of peaks I, II and IV were 1.27, 2.34 and 3.98 ms, respectively in the ABR. One-peak EABR wave was elicited in the operation, and one- or two-peak waves were elicited during the postoperative period. The EABR wave latencies appeared to be constant under different stimulus intensities; however, the amplitudes increased as the stimulus increased within a certain scope.

CONCLUSIONSIt is feasible and safe to implant ABIs in rhesus macaque monkeys (M. mulatta) through a modified suboccipital RS approach, and EABR and CT are valid tools for animal model establishment. In addition, this model should be an appropriate animal model for the electrophysiological and behavioral study of rhesus macaque monkey with ABI.

Animals ; Auditory Brain Stem Implants ; Deafness ; surgery ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem ; physiology ; Female ; Macaca mulatta ; Male

Actins ; metabolism ; Adult ; Desmin ; metabolism ; Electromyography ; Humans ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Muscle, Skeletal ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Myopathies, Nemaline ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo compare the therapeutic effect differences between electroacupuncture at Jiaji (EX-B 2) combined with blood-letting plus cupping and western medicine therapy.

METHODSFifty-three cases were randomly divided into an observation group (n=31) and a control group (n=22). The observation group was treated by electroacupuncture at Jiaji (EX-B 2) combined with blood-letting with a plum-blossom needle at the affected parts plus cupping, once each day. The control group was treated by oral administration of Valaciclovir Hydrochlordide, Indomethacin, Vitamin B1 and Vitamin B12.

RESULTSThe cured and markedly effective rate of 96.8% in the observation group was better than that of 81.8% in the control group (P < 0.05), and improvements of pain, pruritus, burning sensation and sleep in the observation group were superior to those of the control group (all P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONElectroacupuncture at Jiaji (EX-B 2) combined with blood-letting and cupping is a better therapy for herpes zoster and its therapeutic effect is better than that of routine western medicine therapy.

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Aged ; Bloodletting ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Herpes Zoster ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDActivation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) plays a critical role in the late phase of Th2-dependent allergy induction. STAT6 is essential to Th2 cell differentiation, recruitment, and effector function. Our previous study confirmed that DNA vaccination inhibited STAT6 expression of spleen cells induced by allergen. In the present study, we determined whether DNA vaccine encoding Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus group 2 (Der p2) could down-regulate the expression and activation of STAT6 in lung tissue from asthmatic mice.

METHODSAfter DNA vaccine immunization, BALB/c mice were sensitized by intraperitoneal injection and challenged by intranasal instillation of rDer p2. The levels of the cytokines IL-4 and IL-13 in BAL fluid were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The lung tissue was assessed by immunohistochemical staining with anti-STAT6. The protein expression of STAT6 was determined by Western blot. The activation of STAT6 binding ability was analyzed with electrophoretic mobility shift assay.

RESULTSDNA vaccine encoding Der p2 allergen effectively decreased the levels of IL-4 and IL-13 in the asthmatic mice. Histological evidence and Western blot showed that the expression of STAT6 in the DNA treated mice was markedly attenuated. STAT6 binding to specific DNA motif in lung tissue from the gene vaccinated mice was inhibited.

CONCLUSIONDNA vaccine encoding Der p2 prevents allergic pulmonary inflammation probably by inhibiting the STAT6 signaling pathway in mice with Der p2 allergen-induced allergic airway inflammation.

Animals ; Antigens, Dermatophagoides ; genetics ; immunology ; Arthropod Proteins ; Asthma ; prevention & control ; Down-Regulation ; Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay ; Interleukin-13 ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Interleukin-4 ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Lung ; pathology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; STAT6 Transcription Factor ; analysis ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; Signal Transduction ; Vaccination ; Vaccines, DNA ; therapeutic use