Myasthenia gravis(MG)is an acquired autoimmune disease,which is mediated by nicotinic acetylcholine receptor(AChR)antibody,depends on cellular immunity and involves some complements.It mainly affects AChR on the postsynaptic membrane at the neuromuscular junction(NMJ).Various therapeutic methods have been used in the treatment of MG,but current therapeutic methods can not do well when used alone,and most current drugs have major side effects due to immunosuppression,We expect that novel therapies be discovered.

Objective] To trace the source of the original state of acupoints from classical TCM acupuncture documents, exposing breakthrough direction of acupuncture acupoints study. [Method] Based on classical TCM acupuncture documents, tease the interrelated thesis of factors concerning concept, origin, position, function and attribution of acupoints, explore the location and function of acupoints, and define the breakthrough direction of acupuncture acupoints study. [Result] In classical TCM acupuncture documents, the description to acupoints position is sketchy, while to that of function is in detail and develops continually. The function of acupoints concerns acupoint selection and correct position, on the other hand, it is closely related with application methods, concerning acupuncture time, Qi and blood function, acupuncture reinforcing and reducing, and stimulating amount, and other many factors;whether“bringing about the desired sensation”is very important to exert acupoints function. [Conclusion] Acupoints have many attributes, i.e. the location reflecting physiological condition, pathological state, disease treatment; just the different reactions of acupoints to physiological and pathological conditions, continual exploration and study, summarization and generalization, and repeated practice to functions of acupoints, promote the constant development of acupuncture science and clinic; the original state study of acupoints shall be the breakthrough direction of acupuncture acupoints research.

Objective To investigate the biological effect of transforming growth factor-?1(TGF-?1) on inducing myofibroblast formation in hypoxic pulmonary vascular remodeling.Methods Forty male Wistar rats were exposed to hypoxia for 0,3,7,14 or 21 days.Mean pulmonary arterial pressure(mPAP),vessel morphometry,right ventricle hypertrophy index(RVHI) were measured.Immunocytochemistry was used to measure the expression of ?-Smooth-muscle actin(?-SMA) and TGF-?1 in pulmonary artery walls and in situ hybridization was used to measure the expression of TGF-?1 mRNA in pulmonary artery walls.Ultrastructure alveolar wall vessels were observed by electron microscopy.Human embryonic lung fibroblasts(KMB17) phenotype after induction of hypoxiaand TGF-?1 were recorded through cell culture.Results(1) mPAP increased significantly after 7-day of hypoxia(P

Objective To investigate the effect of liver depression (Liver Qi Stagnation) on Th17,Treg,IL-17,IL-10 and airway inflammation in asthmatic rats,and to clarify the immune mechanism of asthma with liver depression.Methods Established the combined with disease and syndrome model of asthma with liver depression.Collected the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) to count the total and differential cell.Lung tissue was observed in microscope; the proportion of Th17 cells and Treg cells of CD4 +T cells in peripheral blood was measured by flow cytometry; the levels of IL-17 and IL-10 were determined by ELISA.Results The total number of inflammatory cells[(96.86±4.43)× 107/L,(88.22±3.22)× 107/L],the proportion of eosinophils [(27.58 ±4.65) ％,(22.67±2.43) ％],Th17 cells[(6.86±0.98) ％,(6.01 ±0.77) ％] and IL-17 level [(48.88± 8.06)pg/ml,(43.24± 6.32) pg/ml] of asthma in liver depression group and asthma group were significantly higher than the control group [(30.58 ± 2.49) × 107/L,(0.78 ± 0.12) ％,(2.80± 0.82) ％,(24.11 ±3.40)pg/ml]; Treg cells [(3.09±0.55) ％,(3.96±0.66) ％] and IL-10 level [(19.79±2.80) pg/ml,(20.29±3.12) pg/ml] were significantly lower than the control group [(8.02± 1.26) ％,(30.79 ± 4.01) pg/ml].The total number of inflammatory cells (96.86 ±4.43) × 107/L,the proportion of eosinophils (27.58±4.65) ％ and Th17 cells(6.86±0.98) ％ and IL-17 level (48.88±8.06)pg/mL of asthma in liver depression group were significantly higher than the asthma group (88.22 ± 3.22) × 107/L,(22.67 ± 2.43) ％,(6.01 ± 0.77) ％,(43.24 ± 6.32) pg/ml;the proportion of Treg cells (3.09 ±0.55)％ was significantly lower than the asthma group (3.96± 0.66)％; and the lung histopathology symptoms was more severe than asthma group.Conclusion Liver Qi Stagnation can promote the inflammation of asthma,the imbalance of Th17/Treg and IL-17 level to aggravate the asthma.Liver depression is one of the major internal factors in recurrent episodes of asthma.

OBJECTIVETo observe the analgesic effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats and its regulating effect on inflammation reaction and the endogenous opioid system of synovial tissues. Methods A total of 30 healthy male Wistar rats were randomly divided into a control group, a model group and an EA group, 10 rats in each one. The chronic pain model of CIA rats was made by cattle type-II collagen in the model group and EA group. Rats in the EA group were treated with EA at "Zusanli" (ST 36) and "Kunlun" (BL 60) for 30 min from 16th day after model establishment, once a day for consecutive 10 days. Rats in the control group did not receive any treatment. Rats in the model group were treated with fixation as the EA group. Threshold of pain, arthritis index, paw swelling were measured before model establishment and 16 d, 20 d, 23 d and 25 d after model establishment. The levels of beta-endorphin (β-END), met-enkephalin (met-ENK), dynorphin A (Dyn A) were measured by radioimmunoassay; the mRNA expressions of mu opioid receptor (MOR), kappa opioid receptor (KOR) and delta opioid receptor (DOR) in synovial tissues of CIA rats were detected by I quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).

RESULTSCompared with the control group, threshold of pain was reduced (all P<0. 01), arthritis index was increased (all P<0. 01) and paw swelling was increased (all P<0. 01) in the model group on the 16th day, 20th day, 23rd day, 25th day after model establishment. Compared with the model group, the threshold of pain was increased in the EA group (all P<0. 01), arthritis index and paw swelling were reduced (all P<0. 01) on the 23rd day and 25th day after model establishment. Compared with the control group, the level of Dyn A in synovial tissues of CIA rats was increased in the model group (P<0. 01); the mRNA expressions of MOR, KOR and DOR were down-regulated lower than 0. 5 fold of normal level. Compared with the model group, the level of β-END in synovial tissues of the knee joint was increased in the EA group (P<0. 05), and the mRNA expressions of MOR, KOR and DOR in synovial tissues of CIA rats were up-regulated more than 2 folds of normal level.

CONCLUSIONThe intervention of EA on chronic pain of CIA rats is superior, which is likely to be related with effects of EA on anti-inflammation and up-regulation of synovial tissue β-END and MOR, KOR, DOR.

Acupuncture Analgesia ; Acupuncture Points ; Analgesics, Opioid ; immunology ; Animals ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; immunology ; therapy ; Cattle ; Chronic Pain ; immunology ; therapy ; Dynorphins ; genetics ; immunology ; Electroacupuncture ; Enkephalin, Methionine ; genetics ; immunology ; Humans ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptors, Opioid, mu ; genetics ; immunology ; Synovial Fluid ; immunology ; beta-Endorphin ; genetics ; immunology

Objective To investigate the relationship among the concentration of plasma interleukin (IL)-10 and plasma IL-13 and the clinical therapeutic effect in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD).Methods Thirty-six AECOPD inpatients were enrolled in this study.Blood samples of the subjects were collected as soon as hospitalization, and plasma IL-10 and IL-13concentrations were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The clinical manifestations of subjects were quantified by a special designed score standard, and were evaluated at the time points of hospitalization, 48 hours treatment and 96 hours treatment.The therapeutic effect was evaluated by clinical manifestations score combined with pulmonary ventilation functional parameter.Eventually, the correlation among the concentration of IL-10 concentration and IL-13 and the clinical therapeutic effect were analyzed.Results The correlation coefficients between clinical manifestations score decrease and pulmonary ventilation function improvement with plasma IL-10 concentration after 48 hours treatment were 0.85 and 0.48 respectively,then, 0.64 and 0.52 after 96 hours treatment.The correlation coefficients between clinical manifestations score decrease and pulmonary ventilation function improvement with plasma IL-13 concentration after 48hours treatment were -0.41 and -0.34, after 96 hours treatment , correlation coefficients between clinical manifestations score decrease with plasma IL-13 concentration was -0.36.All of the above correlation coefficients were statistically significant.Conclusion Plasma IL-10 concentration was positively, whereas, IL-13 concentration was negatively correlated with the therapeutic effect in AECOPD patients.

Long terms of chronic pain may induce emotional disorder such as depression,anxiety and aversion.It is worthy of studying the mechanism and therapy on pain emotional disorder.The animal model is important in basic researches,and the quantitative evaluation methods on the psychiatric factors are gradually applied in the pain research.The methods of evaluating the psychiatric disorder of pain are discussed in this paper,which will provide theory basis in the relevant fields.

Objective To determine the functional motif of the recombinant Ricin B(rRicin B) in Vibrio vulnificus cytolysin (VVC) and understand its molecule pathogenic mechanism.Methods The motif of VVC was predicted through bioinformatics analysis and cloned into a procaryotic expression vector pET28a-rRicin B.The recombinant plasmid was transformed into E.coli BL21 (DE3) and induced by IPTG to express rRicin B.The expressed protein was further analyzed by SDS-PAGE and purified by Ni2+-NTA agarose.Renaturation of the rRicin B were also carried out for further analysis.ELISA assay and confocal microscope was applied to identify the activity of the rRicin B on human Hela cells.Results Ricin B motif located in the 336-465 amino acids of Vibrio vulnificus cytolysin with a relative molecular weight of 20×103.The result of ELISA showed that the antigenicity of rRicin B was 28.71 U/L after renaturation.FITC labeled rRicin B could bind to the cell membrane and enter the cytoplasm of human Hela cells.Conclusion The Ricin B motif in Vibrio vulnificus cytolysin bearing the similar ability with the natural Ricin B can bind to the cell membrane and enter the cytoplasm.This feature may play an important role in the activity of pore-forming and the cytotoxicity of Vibrio vulnificus cytolysin.

Diabetic neuropathic pain(DNP)is one of the most common complications in clinical, which influenced patients’ daily functions greatly, without clear mechanisms and effective methods.P2X3 receptors play a pivotal role in the formation, transmission and conduction of pain under neuropathic pain models, associated with peripheral sensory nerve excitability enhancement.This paper focuses on the establishment of DNP models, and the effects of P2X3 receptors in diabetes mellitus.

Objective To investigate the change of mu opioid receptor ( MOR) in dorsal root ganglion ( DRG) in rat chronic inflammatory pain model and the effect of MOR agonist and antagonis tintraplantarly ( i.pl.) injected on pain threshold, so as to determine the role of peripheral MOR in chron in inflammatory pain .Methods Chronicin flammatory pain model was established by i .pl.injection of CFA in rats.The expression of MOR in DRG was detected by immunohistochemistry .Pain threshold before and after i .pl.injection of MOR agonist and antagonist was measured by radiant heat method .Results Rats suffered from an intraplantar injection of CFA developed chronic inflammatory pain , and the painthreshold still reduced on 18 day after CFA injection compared to that in the normal group . Immunohistochemistry staining revealed that compared with the normal group , the expression of MOR in DRG of CFA rats was increased ( P<0.01 ) .After the paw dorsal surface injection of MOR agonist , the pain threshold of CFA rats was increased, while that of normal rats exhibited no significant change .After the paw dorsal surface injection of MOR antagonist, the pain threshold of CFA rats was reduced , while that of normal rats had no significant change .Conclusion Under chronic inflammatory pain condition , DRG MOR expressionis enhanced , which participates in the regulation of chronic inflammatory pain , and may contribute to the prevention of further more serious pain .