AIM: To investigate the role of Src tyrosine kinase (Src)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) signaling pathway in high glucose (HG)-induced vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and migration.METHODS: VSMCs were incubated with HG (10~40 mmol/L) for 24 h.The cell proliferation was detected by MTT assay and EdU staining, while the migration ability of VSMCs was measured by Transwell assay.The protein levels of p-Src, Src, p-Stat3, Stat3 and GAPDH were determined by Western blot.The mRNA expression levels of cyclin D1, Myc, matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) were detected by qPCR.To further confirm the role of Src in HG-induced VSMC proliferation, the VSMCs were exposed to HG (40 mmol/L) and co-treated with Src inhibitor saracatinib (100 nmol/L) for 24 h, and then the proliferation ability and the Stat3 activity of the cells were analyzed.RESULTS: Treatment with HG dose-dependently enhanced the cell viability, increased the ratio of EdU-positive cells, and raised the migration cell number, the protein levels of p-Src and p-Stat3 and the mRNA levels of cyclin D1, Myc, MMP2 and MMP9.Inhibition of Src inhibited HG-induced VSMC proliferation and migration, and suppressed Stat3 activation and the expression of Stat3 target genes cyclin D1, Myc, MMP2 and MMP9.CONCLUSION: Src/Stat3 signaling pathway might play an important role in HG-induced VSMC proliferation and migration.

The relationship between acupuncture and stress is discussed from three aspects, including is it possible for acupuncture stimulation to be a stressor, whether acupuncture will start stress reaction, and whether acupuncture effects contain some stress factors. It is believed that correct acupuncture manipulation will not cause stress response, however, under some circumstances, such as inaccurate manipulation, improper treatment or patients who are very nervous but do not receive effective intervention, acupuncture is likely to cause stress response. Acupuncture-induced stress response is totally different from acupuncture anti-stress. The possible stress factors in acupuncture effect are explored, which can provide a new angle for the research on action mechanism of acupuncture. From the view of stress to review acupuncture treatment, there are three enlightenments: emphasizing on communication between doctors and patients, avoiding over-pursuit of deqi and focusing on analysis of the body constitution.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; adverse effects ; psychology ; Humans ; Qi ; Sensation ; Stress, Physiological

Objective To analyze the bibliometry of the literature of acupoint thread-embedding in treating simple obesity, and to provide references for clinic.Method By both computer and manual retrieval, the relevant literatures over the past 30 years were collected from the Chinese Journal Full-text Database (CJFD), Vip database, WanFang database. By using the SPSS 17.0 software for statistical analysis, the distribution (province or city), publication year, and journal of the literatures, supporting fund, sample size, research method, material of the thread, use frequency of the involved acupoints, and the meridians of the selected acupoints were summarized.Result The included eligible 175 articles were distributed over many provinces and cities; the publication amount had been increasing year by year; there was a variety of thread materials; the literature with supporting funds only occupied a small percentage, while the research with a small sample size occupied a comparatively large percentage, and the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) also had a small percentage.Conclusion As a common Chinese external therapy in treating simple obesity, acupoint thread-embedding has been paid more and more attention for its practical value and bright future. However, the relevant governmental department hasn’t paid enough attention to this therapy, and the low clinical research quality also makes it difficult to scientifically evaluate its clinical efficacy and safety. Therefore, more attention is required, RCTs of multicenter and large sample size are expected, and clinical research quality also needs improvement, to provide references for clinic.

This study was aimed to observe the protective effect of astragalus on bones of vitamin D deficiency rat model. A total of 30 male SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups, which were the control group, model group, and the astragalus group. The experimental period was 8 weeks. After the experiment, enzyme immunoassay was used for the detection of serum 25 hydroxy vitamin D3 [25 (OH)VD3], fibroblast growth factor-23 [FGF-23], Klotho, and HE staining of femur. The results showed that compared with the normal control group, the vitamin D deficiency rat model group had a decrease in both serum 25 (OH)VD3 and Klotho, and a increase in FGF-23, which meant the ex-istence of osteoporosis. Compared with the model group, the astragalus group had a decrease in both the serum 25 (OH)VD3 and FGF-23, and a increase in Klotho, which meant the osteoporosis of the astragalus group had been im-proved significantly. It was concluded that astragalus can regulate FGF-23 and Klotho in vitamin D deficiency rats in order to have a protective effect for bones.

Aim To investigate the effects of Naotai formula extract(NTE)on the expression of heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) and hephaestin(Heph) in hippocampus of rats after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion by Keap1-Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway.Methods Eighty rats were randomly divided into five groups as follows: sham operation group(Sham), cerebral ischemia/reperfusion group(I/R), low dose group of NTE(4.5 g·kg-1), middle dose group of NTE (9 g·kg-1) and high dose group of NTE(18 g·kg-1).Rats were pretreated by intragastric administration for three consecutive days, and then subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) 2 hours before reperfusion.The rats were administered with intragastric administration for two days.After cerebral ischemia reperfusion 72 hours, the behavioral activity of rats was recorded by Zea Longa neurological score, and the infarct volume was measured by TTC staining.The expressions of Nrf2, HO-1 and Heph in hippocampus of cerebral ischemia reperfusion rats were observed by real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot, respectively.Results Compared with model group, the neurobehavioral scores significantly decreased in NTE high-dose and middle-dose groups (P<0.01);the infarct volume of NTE groups markedly decreased (P<0.01);the expression of HO-1 mRNA apparently increased (P<0.05) in NTE groups;the expression of Heph mRNA significantly increased in NTE middle-dose and high-dose groups (P<0.05);the expression of Nrf2 and Heph protein evidently increased in the NTE middle and high dose groups (P<0.05, P<0.01);and the expression of HO-1 protein also increased in NTE groups(P<0.01).Conclusions Naotai formula can relieve cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.The mechanism might be associated with activating Keap1-Nrf2/ARE signaling pathways, promoting HO-1 generation, advancing the expression of Heph, and then reducing brain iron deposition, to achieve the protection of neurons after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion.

Objective To investigate the effects and mechanisms of Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (ω-3 PUFA) supplementation on spatial learning and memory capacity,neuronal apoptosis,microglia activation,neuroinflammatory response and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway in cognitive impairment model rats.Methods Cognitive impairment model rats were induced by intraperitoneal injection of D-galactose.Thirty-six Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups:control group (Con),Cognitive impairment group (AD) and ω-3 PUFA supplementation group (AD+ω-3).The spatial learning and memory capacity of experimental rats were examined by the Morris water maze (MWM).Apoptotic neurons were determined by Nissl staining.The microglia activation relatived protein (Iba-1) expressions was determined by immunohistochemistry staining and western blot,respectively.While,the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α),interleukin (IL)-1 and IL-6 were tested by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).In addition,the protein expression of NF-κB related indexes including NF-κB p65,p-IκB and TLR4 were tested using western blot.Results Compared with the Con group,the escape latency increased and the distance percentage in target quadrant decreased;neurons apoptosis,microglia activation and neuroinflammatory factors significantly increased in the other two groups (P=0.00).Compared with the AD group,the escape latency was remarkably shorter (2 d:41.35±2.34vs.58.07±3.27,P=0.03;3 d:35.07±2.45 vs.44.39±3.21,P=0.02;4d:28.12±2.43vs.35.63±2.20,P=0.01;5 d:23.74±1.06 vs.29.76±1.15,P=0.03),and the distance percentage in target quadrant increased significantly [(48.26±4.02)％ vs.(34.14±3.49)％,P =0.01] after ω-3 PUFA supplementation.The incidence of neurons apoptosis significantly decreased in AD + ω-3 group [(29.93 ±3.05) ％ vs.(47.58±4.14)％,P=0.01].ω-3 PUFA supplementation inhibited the protein expression of microglia,and meanwhile inhibed the expression of microglia-induced neuroinflammatory factors [TNF-α:(85.27±9.77vs.156.13±14.53) pg/ml,P=0.00;IL-1:(41.23±5.38vs.75.04±9.27) pg/ml,P=0.01;IL-6:(47.58±4.23 vs.97.47±9.09) pg/ml,P=0.00].Compared with AD group,the protein expression of NF-κB pathway significantly decreased in AD+ω-3 group.Conclusion ω-3 PUFA supplementation can inhibited microglia activation,decrease microglia-mediated neuroinflammatory response,reduce neuron apoptosis and markedly improve spatial learning and memory capacity in cognitive impairment rats,possibly mediated by inhibiting NF-κB pathway.

Objective To explore the characteristics of TCM in the treatment of asymptomatic hyperuricemia based on data mining.Methods Clinical literature on the TCM treatment of asymptomatic hyperuricemia in CNKI,Wanfang Data,VIP and SinoMed was retrieved.After screening,the prescriptions obtained were input into Excel 2019 database,and SPSS Modeler 18.0,SPSS Statistics 26.0 and Cytoscape 3.9.1 were used for frequency analysis,association rule analysis,clustering analysis and factor analysis.Results A total of 133 articles meeting the criteria were included,and 140 prescriptions were included,involving 202 kinds of Chinese materia medica,with a total frequency of 1 387 times.22 drugs,such as Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma,Coicis Semen,Dioscoreae Spongiosae Rhizoma,Astrctylodis Rhizoma,were frequently used in the treatment of asymptomatic hyperuricemia.The commonly used drugs were drugs for urine excretion to strain off dampness,tonics,clearing heat,promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis.The medicinal property was mainly warm,the medicinal taste was mainly sweet,and the meridians were mainly liver,spleen,stomach and kidney meridians.21 groups of medicinal combinations were obtained by high frequency drug association rule analysis,among which the core drug pairs were Coicis Semen-Astrctylodis Rhizoma,Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma-Dioscoreae Spongiosae Rhizoma-Coicis Semen,Coicis Semen-Astrctylodis Rhizoma-Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma,etc.Clustering analysis obtained 5 clustering methods,and factor analysis obtained 7 common factors.Conclusion In the TCM treatment of asymptomatic hyperuricemia,the main methods are urine excretion to strain off dampness,strengthening spleen and tonifying qi,and the main drugs are Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma,Coicis Semen,Dioscoreae Spongiosae Rhizoma,Astrctylodis Rhizoma,which can provide reference for clinical treatment of asymptomatic hyperuricemia.

Objective To explore the characteristics of TCM prescriptions for acute gouty arthritis based on data mining methods;To provide reference for clinical treatment.Methods The clinical literature on the TCM treatment of acute gouty arthritis was retrieved from CNKI,Wanfang Data,VIP and SinoMed.The obtained formulas were input into Excel 2019 to establish a database,and SPSS Modeler 18.0,SPSS Statistics 26.0 and Cytoscape 3.9.1 were used for frequency analysis,association rule analysis,clustering analysis and factor analysis.Results A total of 290 articles meeting the requirements were included,including 295 prescriptions,involving 218 kinds of Chinese materia medica,with a total frequency of 3 573 times.24 kinds of Chinese materia medica,including Coicis Semen,Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex,Atractylodis Rhizoma,Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma,Dioscoreae Spongiosae Rhizoma,Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma,Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix were used frequently in the treatment of acute gouty arthritis.The commonly used drugs were heat-clearing drugs,moisture-clearing drugs,blood circulation-activating drugs for removing blood stasis,and wind-dampness drugs.The property was mainly cold,the taste was mainly bitter,and the meridians were mainly liver,stomach,spleen and kidney meridians.The analysis of high-frequency drug association rules obtained 22 drug combinations,among which the core drug pairs were Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex-Atractylodis Rhizoma,Coicis Semen-Atractylodis Rhizoma-Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex.Clustering analysis obtained 4 clustering methods,and factor analysis obtained 9 common factors.Conclusion The main treatment of acute gouty arthritis by TCM is clearing heat and dampness,removing blood stasis and clearing collaterals,tonifying liver and kidney,regulating spleen and stomach,which could provide reference for the clinical treatment of acute gouty arthritis.

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the commercial SepsityperTM kit and serum separator tube coupled with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry for direct identification of microorganisms in a blood culture system.Methods A total of 138 clinical blood samples from clinical laboratory in Renji hospital were tested with two methods respectively from April to June of 2016.Performance of the assays were compared against that of conventional bacterial culture as a reference.Results A total of 138 nonduplicate positive blood culture samples were collected,including 70 (53.03％) gram negative samples,57 (43.18％) gram positive samples,3 fungus samples,2 mixed samples,and 6 false positive samples which were excluded from further analysis.The accuracy rate of SepsityperTM kit and serum separator tube was 91.67％ and 84.09％ in rapid identification of pathogen from blood samples,83.33％ and 61.36％ in correct identification to species level.The accuracy rate of SepsityperTM kit and serum separator tube was 98.57％ and 95.71％ in identifying gram-negative bacteria,87.72％ and 78.59％ in identifying gram-positive bacteria,respectively.The turnaround time for identification of each sample was 40 min by the commercial SepsityperTM kit and 25 min by serum separator tube.Conclusions MALDI SepsityperTM kit has shown slightly higher accuracy rate in identification of pathogen from blood sample than serum separator tube,but the difference is not significant (91.67％ vs.84.09％,P＞0.05).Compared with MALDI SepsityperTM kit,serum separator tube is a rapid,easy,and cost-effective pretreatment method for direct identification of microorganisms from blood cultures using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

This study uses "virtual implant" technology combined with PBL and CBL teaching methods to carry out oral implantology teaching with "restoration as the goal". By instructing students to collect preoperative data and compare actual postoperative data, the continuous cycle verification between problems, objectives, methods, and results is performed. The continuous cycle verification can improve the enthusiasm and initiative of students to learn oral implantology. At the same time, it can allow students to develop the thinking habit of understanding oral implantology with a holistic and whole-process concept and provide strong educational guidance for clinical medical students.