OBJECTIVE: To explore the neuroprotective effect of electroacupuncture therapy on damaged cholinergic neurons in hippocampus in aged rats with Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: Thirty six aged male rats were randomly divided into normal control group, sham-operated group, untreated group and electroacupuncture group. Animal model of AD was established with fimbria-fornix transection. The rats in the electroacupuncture group received electroacupuncture on Baihui (DU 20), Yongquan (KI 1), Taixi (KI 3) and Xuehai (SP10). The activity of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in septal area of brain was detected by radioimmunoassay, and the protein expressions of nerve growth factor (NGF) and c-fos in CA3 region of hippocampus were detected by immunohistochemical assay. RESULTS: The ChAT activity and the expression levels of NGF and c-fos proteins in the electroacupuncture group were significantly higher than those in the untreated group. CONCLUSION: Electroacupuncture therapy can protect cholinergic neurons in hippocampus in aged rats with AD by means of promoting synthesis of c-fos protein and increasing the expression level of NGF.

Objective:To assess the effects of intranasal cortisteroids application on IL-5 expression in nasal polyps.Methods:Nasal polyps from topical nasal steroid treated patients (n=16) and untreated patients (n=16) were investigated.The specimens were stained by ABC immunohistochemical approach.Results:Most of the IL-5 positive cells were eosinophils,and there was a significant correlation of the mean IL-5 positive cell numbers with total (chromotrope 2R-positive) eosinophil numbers (y=14.782+2.002x,r=0.648,P＜0.01).Compared with untreated polyps,the steroid-treated polyps contained a slightly lower tissue density of IL-5 positive cells,and the difference was not statistically significant.Conclusions:Eosinophils are one of the origins of IL-5 synthesis.The treatment used here was insufficient to affect IL-5 expression in nasal polyps.

Desensitization, Immunologic ; methods ; Humans ; Injections, Subcutaneous

Objective To analyze the characteristics of bone scintigraphy in 117 cases with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT).Methods Of these 117 cases (50 males and 67 females),there were 116 parathyroid adenomas and 1 parathyroid cancer.Mean age was 61.1(12-86) years old.All had ~(99)Tc~m-methylene diphosphonate (MDP) bone scintigraphy.The bone images could be classified into 4 categories.Category Ⅰ:normal;category Ⅱ:localized abnormal,which could be subcategorized as Ⅱ A with skull and mandible involvement,and Ⅱ B with Ⅱ A characteristics plus metabolic derangement;category Ⅲ:systemic,whole-body incmased tracer uptake;category Ⅳ:systemic plus localized metabolic derangement.Data were analyzed statistically with X~2 and t-test (isolated samples).Results According to the scintigraphic findings,there were 47 cases(40.17%)of category Ⅰ,35 cases(29.91%) category Ⅱ (21/35cases Ⅱ A and 14/35 cases Ⅱ B),30 cases (25.64%) category Ⅲ,and 5 cases (4.27%) category Ⅳ.Combining categories Ⅱ、Ⅲ and Ⅳ together,there were 70 abnormal cases.These patients had history of abnormal bone images such as bone fracture (39 cases,55.71%),calculus (8 cases,11.43%),bone fracture plus calculus(7 cases,10.00%),osteoporosis (51 cases,72.86%) or ostalgia(26 cases,37.14%);however,in the 47 cases of category Ⅰ,only 1 (2.13%),0,0,10(21.28%)and 10 cases (21.28%),respectively,were found.Therefore.these case history characteristics were statistically significant (X~2=11.152,P=0.01).The tumor size,parathyroid hormone (PTH),blood calcium,blood phosphorus in the patients of abnormal PHPT categories Ⅱ to Ⅲ were(14.52±13.72)cm~3,(731.67±618.40)ng/L,(3.05±0.29) mmol/L and (0.71±0.14) mmol/L,respectively.with statistically significant difference compared to category Ⅰ:(0.78±1.33) cm~3,(112.04±62.98)ng/L,(2.56±0.42) mmol/L and (1.03±0.36)mmol/L(t=-5.724,-5.741,-7.274 and -6.451;all P＜0.01).Conclusions (1)Bone scintigraphy was normal in 40% of PHPT patients.(2)The bone images of PHPT could be classified into 4 categories and each could reflect the duration and severity of the disease status on bone.(3)The bone imaging characteristic could be useful for differential diagnostic purposes.

Objective To investigate awareness of definition, diagnostic criteria, severity classification and standard diagnosis and treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among primary-care physicians at the grassroots in urban and suburban Shanghai.Methods In total, 298 physicians were surveyed by unified questionnaire for COPD-related knowledge in two secondary-care general hospitals (one in urban and suburban areas each ) and 12 community primary-care centers (four in urban and eight in suburban areas) in Shanghai.One hundred and fifteen physicians in two urban hospitals and one suburban hospital were trained professionally and then evaluated for its effectiveness.Results Awareness of diagnostic criteria of COPD was only 22.4% (35/156), 25.6% ( 10/39), 4.3 % (3/69)and 26.5% (9/34) among physicians in urban primary-care hospitals, urban secondary-care hospitals,suburban primary-care hospitals and suburban secondary-care hospitals, respectively.Their awareness of knowledge about use of anti-cholinergic agents was 13.5 % (21/156), 35.9 % ( 14/39), naught (0/69),and 14.7 % ( 5/34 ), respectively.Only 0.67 % of them ( 2/298 ) knew about severity classification of COPD.Awareness of definition and diagnostic criteria for COPD in the physicians increased to 72.2 % ( 83/115) after training from 18.2% (21/115) before it, and their awareness of severity classification for COPD increased to 45.2% (52/115) after training from 0.8 % (1/115) before it.Conclusions Awareness of COPD-related knowledge, especially of standard diagnosis and treatment for COPD, was poor in primary-care physicians at the grassroots in Shanghai, so it is necessary to strengthen training for them in COPD-related knowledge, including pulmonary function tests.

Objective To investigate the effect of lung ischemic preconditioning (IP) on the expression of aquaporin-1 (AQP1) during lung ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) induced by cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in dogs.Methods Twelve adult mongrel dogs,weighing 15-20 kg,were randomly divided into 2 groups (n =6 each):lung I/R (group I/R) and ischemic preconditioning group (group IP).The left pulmonary artery was occluded at 10 min of off-pump CPB and mechanical ventilation was stopped in the left lung,60 min later occlusion was released,and mechanical ventilation was recovered to establish the model of left lung ischemia-reperfusion injury induced by CPB.In group IP,lung ischemic preconditioning was induced by 2 cycles of 5 min ischemia followed by 5 min reperfusion before occlusion of the left pulmonary artery.Before CPB (T1),immediately after occlusion of the left pulmonary artery (T2),at the end of CPB (T3),and at 2 h after the end of CPB (T4),pulmonary specimens were collected for determination of wet to dry lung weight ratio (W/D ratio) and expression of AQP1 and for examination of the pathological changes of lungs which were scored.Respiration index (RI),oxygenation index (OI),and alveolar-arterial oxygen tension difference (P(A-a)O2) were calculated at T1,T3 and T4,and the left pulmonary alveolar fluid clearance (AFC) was calculated at T4.Results Compared with group I/R,P(A-a) O2 and RI were significantly decreased,OI was increased,W/D ratio and pathological scores were decreased,the expression of AQP1 was up-regulated,and the AFC was increased at T3 and T4 in group IP.The pathological changes of the lung were significantly attenuated in group IP as compared with group I/R.Conclusion The mechanism by which lung ischemic preconditioning mitigates lung I/R injury induced by CPB is related to upregulation of the expression of AQP1 in dog lung tissues.

Objective To understand the changes of cardiac systolic and diastolic function in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients without evidence of cardiac disease in China.Methods Forty-two HIV-infected patients who were followed up in the Department of Infectious Diseases at Peking Union Medical College Hospital without cardiac involvement were recruited.All the HIV-infected patients had received highly active antiroviral therapy (HAART) for more than 12 months with viral suppression.And 30 age and sex matched healthy subjects without cardiac disease manifestations were enrolled as controls.Every group members underwent transthoracic echocardiography evaluation.The indexes of cardiac systolic and diastolic function between HIV-infected patients and healthy controls were compared.Results Diastolic abnormality occurred in 20 cases in HIV-infected group and 6 cases in control group, with statistically significant difference (χ2=5.79, P=0.007).The E wave deceleration time (EDT) in HIV-infected patients were significantly decreased than healthy controls ([161.87±21.64] ms vs.[190.34±37.22], t=-3.20, P=0.002).There were no significant differences of E/A ratio ([1.16±0.35] vs.[1.19±0.26]), E/Ea ratio ([5.43±1.99] vs.[5.78±0.91]), isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT), ([93.18±20.34] ms vs.[93.57±18.55]ms), Ea ([10.18±2.80] cm/s vs.[11.45±2.75] cm/s) between HIV-infected patients and controls (t=1.13,1.53,0.67 and 0.29, respectively, all P>0.05).Among cardiac systolic function markers, left ventricular ejection fractions in HIV-infected patients and control group were (66.7±6.4)% and (68.7±4.2)%, respectively.And left ventricular shortening rates were (37.08±4.79)% and (38.17±3.96)%, respectively.Both showed no significant difference between the two groups (t=-1.51 and-1.00, respectively, both P>0.05).Conclusions Compared with control group, subclinical cardiac diastolic dysfunction is more frequently observed in HIV-infected patients.However, there are no significant differences of cardiac systolic function markers between HIV-infected patients and controls.

Objective: To observe the effect oftuina plus music therapy on range of motion of ankle joints and muscle spasm of lower limbs in children with spastic cerebral palsy. Method:All of 286 cases that conformed to the diagnostic criteria of infantile cerebral palsy were treated with 7 types of tuina manipulations respectively to unblock the Governor Vessel, reinforce the kidney and strengthen the spleen, pinch along the spine, stimulate specific foot-reflex area and different spinal segments, accelerate recovery of muscle strength and increase joint range of motion, 25-30 rain each treatment, once or twice a day, 30 d constitute a course of treatment.After this, the efficacy on femoral medial adduction and dorsiflexion angle and composite spasticity score (CSS) was evaluated. Result: The statistical analysis showed significant differences in dorsiflexion and femoral medial adduction angle and CCS scores (P<0.01) after the treatments. Conclusion: Tuina plus music therapy can lubricate the joints, relax contraction of tendons, alleviate muscle spasm and improve scissors and toe-walking gaits, thereby benefiting the gross motor function of infants in sitting, kneeling, standing and walking.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of the over-expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and invasive potency of LNCaP cells in vitro and in vivo.

METHODSWe cultured LNCaP cells stably expressing HIF-1alpha (LNCaP/HIF-1alpha) and LNCaP cells, identified the over-expression of HIF-1alpha, determined the proliferation of the two cell lines by MTT assay and the level of PSA in the supernatant of culture medium, and detected the anchorage independent growth by soft-agar colony formation assay. A subcutaneous tumor model was established in nude mice by injecting LNCaP/HIF-1alpha and LNCaP cells followed by observation of the tumor growth. Tumor specimens were obtained for immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThe over-expression of HIF-1alpha was confirmed in the LNCaP/HIF-1alpha cells by immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting. The level of PSA was obviously decreased in LNCaP/HIF-1alpha as compared with that in LNCaP cells. MTT assay identified the increased proliferation of LNCaP/HIF-1alpha cells. The cell colony forming ability of the LNCaP cells was significantly lower than that of the LNCaP/HIF-1alpha cells. The rate of tumorigenesis was increased and its time shortened in the LNCaP/HIF-1alpha group. Immunohistochemistry revealed an up-regulated expression of vimentin and a down-regulated expression of E-cadherin in the tumor specimens.

CONCLUSIONThe overexpression of HIF-1alpha can up-regulate the expression of vimentin and down-regulate the expression of E-cadherin, which may enhance the invasive potency of LNCaP cells by inducing EMT.

Animals ; Cell Hypoxia ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of post-treatment PSA kinetics on the prognosis of prostate cancer (PCa).

METHODSWe retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 114 cases of locally advanced PCa treated by maximal androgen blockade (MAB) combined with brachytherapy, and analyzed the association of the changes in PSA kinetics with the prognosis of the patients.

RESULTSThe median survival time of the patients was 81 (15 - 144) months, with 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates of 91. 23%, 78.07% and 68.42% , respectively. Univariate analysis indicated that the baseline PSA level, PSA nadir, the time of PSA decreasing to nadir, PSA doubling time, and the extent of PSA declining were all predictive factors for the survival time of the PCa patients. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that PSA nadir, the time of PSA decreasing to nadir, and the extent of PSA declining were three independent prognostic factors, which prolonged the long-term survival of the patients by 1.7, 3.2 and 6.8 times, respectively.

CONCLUSIONFor locally advanced PCa treated by MAB combined with brachytherapy, PSA nadir <1 micro g/L, the time to nadir <3 months, and the extent of PSA declining >96% are independent prognostic factors.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Androgens ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Brachytherapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; metabolism ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; therapy ; Retrospective Studies