OBJECTIVETo observe the efficacy of encephalopathy therapeutic tongue acupoint apparatus (ETTAA) in the treatment of autism.

METHODSEighty-four children of autism were randomly divided into a tongue acupuncture group (group A) and a conventional training group (group B), 42 cases in each group. The behavior training and sensory integration training were carried out in group B and the ETTAA was added in group A. The apparatus was switched on for 20 min every time and 3 times a day. Treatment of two months were carried out in both groups. The score of childhood autism rating scale (CARS) and clinical efficacy in both groups were observed before and after treatment.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the CARS in both groups were significantly reduced (42.39 +/- 6.86 vs 32.15 +/- 5.12, P < 0.001; 44.58 +/- 6.76 vs 39.72 +/- 7.11, P < 0.05), which was more significant in group A (P < 0.01). The totally effective rate in group A [90.5% (38/42)] was superior to that in group B [66.7% (28/42), P < 0.01].

CONCLUSIONThe clinical efficacy in tongue acupuncture group is apparently superior to that in conventional training group, ETTAA combined with conventional training have a better curative effect in the treatment of autism.

Acupressure ; Acupuncture Points ; Autistic Disorder ; therapy ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Tongue ; anatomy & histology

Tongue acupuncture is originated from the theory of TCM through scientific research. Forty points on the tongue are discovered that correspond to organs and certain parts of the body. The findings indicate that the patient with encephalopathy is accompanied by the pathological swelling sublingual fold. The sublingual fold is correlated with spinal and limbs lesions. Tongue acupuncture provides new approaches to treat many diseases. This paper introduces the determined points, manipulation skills and the theory of tongue acupuncture. The applications of PET, fMRI and VEP in tongue acupuncture are covered in this paper.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Humans ; Tongue ; anatomy & histology

Objective To approach a semi-quantitative diagnostic criteria of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy(HIE) by comprehensive scoring, including history, clinical manifestation and laboratory data,which can be used for early diagnosis,severity grading and the institution of therapy.Methods We analyzed history, clinical manifestation and some parameters of laboratory data,and established criteria for scoring and grading,and compared this grading with the grading determined by clinical data and follow-up,which brought forward a semi-quantitative diagnostic criteria, and applied this criteria to other 41 patients with HIE to test its reliability.Results The grading criteria were established as the following:if total score ≥20.0,the patient was graded as severe one;total score between 10.5-19.5, moderate one; between 5.5-10.0,mild one;≤5.0,non-HIE one. The scoring system was used in other 41 patients with HIE,the specificity and sensitivity were 100% and 96 .9%,97.2% and 100%,100% and 100%, respectively.Conclusions For severe HIE cases who are not permitted to receive compated tomography(CT) examination or no CT can be used, this scoring system can be used to diagnoze HIE and grade the severity. This method is simple and easy to perform.Both specificity and sensitivity are high for diagnosis and severity judgment of HIE.

ObjectiveTo develop a stable model of focal cerebral infarction in rat to study the curative effect of neural stem cells transplantation.MethodsThirty-seven rats were selected which were divided into two groups in random, experimental group and control group. The focal infarction model was developed by the ligation of the left middle cerebral artery followed by the ligation of the ipsilateral common carotid artery and the temporary clip occlusion of the contralateral common carotid artery for 1.5 h. The operation adopted minimally invasive craniotomy though temporal bone. The model was evaluated by examining the neurologic deficits, ink perfusion, TTC staining and Magnetic Resonance imaging.ResultsAll the rats were in good condition after the operation, the mortality rate was 6.25% after 4 weeks. Ink perfusion and TTC staining confirmed that the ischemia was confined to the cortex. The areas of infarction measured 83.52 mm3 by Magnetic Resonance imaging after 4 weeks.ConclusionA stable focal cerebral infarction model can be achieved by minimally invasive craniotomy. It is superior for its homogeneity of infarction volume and site, and its low mortality. It can be used for the study of transplantation of neural stem cells.

Objective To investigate the association between the six single nucleotide polymorphisms ( SNP),named as rs179247,rsl2101261,rs2284722,rs4903964,rs2300525,rsl7111394 in the intron 1 of thyroid stimulating hormone receptor gene (TSHR) and Graves' disease (GD).MethodsThe genotypes of the six SNPs were genotyped by Taqman probe technique on Fluidigm EP1 platform in 618 GD patients and 646 control subjects.Meanwhile,TSH receptor antibodies (TRAb) of the patients were determined.ResultsAmong the six SNPs,five S NPs were strongly associated with GD,with the most signals at rs179247_G,rs12101261_C,rs4903964 _G (P=2.85×10-10,OR=1.73,95％CI1.46-2.05;P=1.74×10-10,OR=1.73,95％CI 1.46-2.05;P=2.24×10-10,OR=1.69,95％ CI 1.44-1.99 ).The results of logistic regression analysis indicated that rs12101261 and rs4903964 were main susceptibility loci of GD in the intron 1 of TSHR.rs179247_G,rs1210126 1_C,and rs4903964_G were associated with subset of the GD patients with positive TRAb (P=4.24× 10-13,p=5.48× 10-13,P =3.89×10-12 ).Conclusionrs179247,rs12101261,and rs4903964 in TSHR intron 1 were significantly associated with GD in the Chinese Han population from Bengbu city.rs12101261 and rs4903964 were the major susceptibility SNPs associated with GD.TSHR gene may play a main role of susceptibility gene in the subset of GD patients with persistent positive TRAb.

Ten isoflavonoids were isolated from the heartwoods of Caragana changduensis Lion f. by means of various column chromatographic techniques. Based on the detailed spectral data analysis (MS and NMR), as well as comparison with the literatures, their chemical structures were determined as 7,2'-dihydroxy-8,4'-dimethoxyisoflavone (1), 4'-hydroxy-7,3'-dimethoxyisoflavone (2), 5, 7, 4'-trihydroxy-2',5'-dimethoxyisoflavone (3), prunetin (4), afrormosin (5), odoratin (6), genistein (7), texasin (8), pratensein (9), and 6,7,3'-trihydroxy-4'-methoxyisoflavone (10). Among them, compounds 1-3 and 9-10 were isolated from the Caragana genus for the first time. All the compounds were obtained from this species for the first time. In the preliminary assays, compounds 1, 2, 6, and 7 possessed significant inhibitory effects on NO production, with IC50 values of 48.12, 25.32, 62.71, 43.59 μmol x L(-1), respectively.
Animals ; Caragana ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Isoflavones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Macrophages ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Mice ; Molecular Structure ; Nitric Oxide ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; RAW 264.7 Cells

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of CD44 in leukemia cell lines and its role in adhesion, migration and infiltration of leukemia cells.

METHODSThe expression levels of CD44 in four leukemia cell lines SHI-1, THP-1, NB4 and K562 were assayed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot when they were in logarithmic phase. And these cell lines were divided into control group (treated with same species and isotype IgG) and experimental group (treated with anti-CD44 mono-clonal antibody). The assays of cell-cell adhesion to endothelial cells line ECV304, migration through the artificial matrix membrane and infiltration through the Matrigel were performed.

RESULTSThe relative expression ratios of CD44 to GAPDH in SHI-1, THP-1, NB4 cells were 0.0731 ± 0.0072, 0.0827 ± 0.0151 and 0.1473 ± 0.0365, respectively, which were significantly higher than that in K562 cells (0.0002 ± 0.0000, P < 0.01). Cell-cell adhesion assay showed that the adhesion rates of SHI-1, THP-1 and NB4 cells in the experimental group decreased to 72.78%, 64.09% and 57.42%, respectively, and were lower than those of the control groups, while that of K562 cells in the experimental group was 106.16%. Migration assay showed that the transmembrane rates of SHI-1,THP-1 and NB4 cells were 55%, 29% and 25% in the control group, respectively, and decreased to 32%, 18% and 12% in the experimental group, respectively, while those of K562 cells in both control group and experimental group remained 2%. The infiltration rates of SHI-1, THP-1 and NB4 cells decreased from 24%, 15% and 13% in the control group to 12%, 8% and 4% in the experimental group, respectively, while K562 cells in both groups could not pass through the Matrigel.

CONCLUSIONCD44 antigen might play an important role in the adhesion, migration and infiltration of leukemia cells and be involved in the extra-medullary infiltration of leukemia cells.

Cell Adhesion ; Cell Movement ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Humans ; Hyaluronan Receptors ; metabolism ; K562 Cells ; Leukemia ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neoplasm Invasiveness

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

OBJECTIVETo investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of bone marrow stromal cells (MSCs) transfected with recombinant adenovirus-mediated ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) gene in C57BL/6 mice with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE).

METHODSAn adenovirus vector containing CNTF gene Ad-CNTF-IRES-GFP was constructed and transfected in the MSCs (MSC-CNTF). After examination of CNTF expression, the transfected cells were transplanted in C57BL/6 mice with MOG 35-55-induced EAE, which were monitored for the changes in the symptoms scores. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), inteferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin-12P35 (IL-12P35), and IL-10 in the peripheral blood of the mice were detected, and the number of MSC-CNTF cells in the spleen and spinal cord was counted. CD3+ T cell infiltration and TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma expressions in the lesions were also observed after the cell transplantation.

RESULTSCNTF gene transfection resulted in significantly increased CNTF expression in the MSCs. The mice receiving MSC-CNTF transplantation exhibited significantly improved symptoms with shortened disease course and lessened disease severity. The cell transplantation also resulted in significantly decreased peripheral blood TNF-alpha levels, ameliorated CD3+T cell infiltrations and lowered TNF-alpha expression in the lesions, while the levels of IFN-gamma underwent no significant changes.

CONCLUSIONTransplantation of CNTF gene-transfected MSCs results in decreased peripheral blood TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma levels and reduced inflammatory cells, CD3-positive cells and TNF-alpha expression in the lesion of EAE, therefore providing better effect than MSCs in relieving the symptoms of EAE in mice.

Adenoviridae ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; metabolism ; Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; therapeutic use ; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental ; therapy ; Female ; Genetic Therapy ; Interferon-gamma ; blood ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Random Allocation ; Stromal Cells ; metabolism ; T-Lymphocytes ; immunology ; Transfection ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood