Literatures on pain intervention with transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) were collected by searching the databases both in Chinese and English, and summarized to understand the research progress of TEAS effects on pain mediators in recent years. This will provide a more objective and scientific theoretical basis for clinical practice of TEAS to treat pain syndrome, thus promoting the clinical application of TEAS. Our literature analysis indicated that TEAS effectively regulated the release levels of various pain factors such as prostaglandin, 5-hydroxytryptamine, interleukins, substance P and tumor necrosis factor-α to achieve the analgesic effects by affecting the conduction pathways. TEAS is a safe, non-invasive and effective treatment for pain syndrome. However, further research is necessary due to the lack of rigor of the current clinical trial design.

The aim of the research is to investigate the genetic characteristics of Legionella pneumophila serogroup1 (LP1)in Sichuan Province.The sequence-based typing (SBT) and multiple-locus VNTR analysis (MLVA) were used to describe the genetic polymorphism of 42 strains which were isolated from 1989-2016 in Sichuan Province,China.According to the reference,PCR was used to detect the 8-VNTR loci and 7 housekeeping genes respectively.The VNTR results were determined by using capillary electrophoresis,and the SBT results were sequenced and compared with the database of EWGLI.Results showed that totally 42 stains were divided into 8 MLVA types with the advantage types were M08 (47.6 ％) and M07 (23.8 ％).Twelve ST types were obtained with 3 main clonal complex and 2 singleton,including 2 novel ST types,among those,ST1 was the predominant type,accounting for 52.3 ％,following by ST630 (14.2 ％).In conclusion,our results demonstrated MLVA and SBT were both applied to the research for molecular epidemiological investigation of LP1 and showed the high genetic polymorphism and the regional specificity.The results also suggest that the isolates are a potential threat to the public,effective control and prevention strategies are urgently needed.

OBJECTIVEThe reduced expression or expression deletion of LIM domain-containing protein 1(LIMD1) gene associates with the occurrence of various solid tumors, while its role in adult acute leukemia (AL) has been rarely reported, this study was to detect LIMD1 expression in adult patients with AL and to evaluate its correlation with the different clinical and laboratorial data.

METHODSThe expression levels of LIMD1 were determined by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), LIMD1 transcripts were measured by using a relative quantification with GAPDH as a housekeeping gene, and the relationship between its expression levels and clinical parameters (sex, age, subtype, leukocyte count, leukemic blasts) was investigated by statistical analysis.

RESULTSThe LIMD1 expression was reduced in de novo AL patients as compared with normal controls and complete remission patients(P < 0.01). In univariate analysis, LIMD1 associated with age and leukocyte count (P = 0.011, 0.035 respectively). LIMD1 decreased along with increasing age and leukocyte count in de novo AL patients, the LIMD1 expression levels in de novo AL patients with age ≥ 60 years old were lower than that in group of patients <60 years, and which were significantly lower in the leukocyte count ≥ 100×10(9)/L compared to leukocyte count < 100×10(9)/L. there was no statistically significant association between LIMD1 expression and sex, subtype, and leukemic blasts of patients.

CONCLUSIONSThe LIMD1 gene may be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of adult AL, and may be used as an indicator of prognosis evaluation.

Acute Disease ; Adult ; Disease Progression ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; LIM Domain Proteins ; Leukemia ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of sperm acrosin activity on the IVF-ET outcome.

METHODSWe analyzed sperm parameters, morphology and acrosin activity for 909 infertile husbands by computer-assisted self-assessment (CASA), modified Papanicolaou staining and N-alpha-benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide (BAPNA), respectively, and detected the rates of fertilization, cleavage, quality embryos, embryo cryopreservation, implantation, clinical pregnancy and abortion. The wives were identified as normal or with mere oviduct problems.

RESULTSThe rate of normal sperm morphology and sperm motility, vitality, rapid progressive velocity and concentration were significantly lower in the abnormal acrosin activity group than in the normal one (P < 0.01). Significant positive correlations were observed between acrosin activity and the above-mentioned semen parameters (P < 0.01). There were no significant differences in the number of retrieved eggs, the rates of cleavage, quality embryos, embryo cryopreservation, non-embryo transfer cycles and miscarriages, and the number of transferred embryos between the two groups (P > 0.05). The fertilization rate, the percentage of transfer cycles with only 1 embryo and the rate of implantation and clinical pregnancy were notably higher in the normal acrosin activity group than in the abnormal one (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSperm acrosin activity is closely related with semen parameters, and it helps to predict the sperm fertilizing capacity and IVF-ET outcome.

Acrosin ; metabolism ; Adult ; Embryo Transfer ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Semen Analysis ; Spermatozoa ; enzymology

Gout is the second largest metabolic disease in China， which can cause joint tissue damage and a variety of chronic diseases， and seriously affect human life and health. The increase in uric acid caused by disorder of purine metabolism or abnormal uric acid excretion is the biochemical basis of its pathogenesis. Western medical treatment mainly uses anti-inflammatory drugs such as colchicine， non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs， and uric acid lowering drugs such as febuxostat and benzbromarone， which have obvious effects， but there are problems such as easy to recurrence after drug withdrawal and more adverse reactions. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has a long history in the treatment of gout， and has the advantages of multi-channel， multi-target， and multi-level symptomatic treatment. It exerts therapeutic effects through lowering uric acid， anti-inflammatory， anti-oxidation， and protecting the kidneys. Its curative effect is obvious and the adverse reaction rate is low. In recent years， there have been many studies on the mechanism of TCM for gout animal models. Based on the review of relevant literature in recent years， this article has systematically sorted out the pathogenesis of gout， the mechanism of TCM for gout and related experimental design. The paper summarized and analyzed the mechanism of TCM in the treatment of gout from the aspects of regulating the level of inflammatory factors， inhibiting oxidation reaction， reducing uric acid and regulating signaling pathway， so as to provide reference for the research and development of drugs for gout.

OBJECTIVETo explore the expression of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP3) in acute myeloid leukemia and its clinical significance.

METHODSUsing GAPDH as internal reference, IGFBP3 gene expression was detected in the bone marrow mononuclear cells of 43 de novo AML patients, 36 patients with complete remission (CR) and 28 cases of controls by using SYBR-Green I real-time quantitative PCR, the differences of gene expression between the three groups were compared.

RESULTSIGFBP3 gene expression level in the de novo group were lower than that in CR group and control group (P < 0.05), but there was no statistically significant difference of IGFBP3 expression level in CR group and control group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe IGFBP3 as a tumor suppressor gene may play a role in the pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia, its expression level is recovered after complete remission, therefore, IGFBP3 can be used as an indicator of evaluating clinical curative effect.

Bone Marrow Cells ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the molecular characteristics and intracellular growth ability of Legionella pneumophila (L. pneumophila) strains from 1989 to 2016 in Sichuan Province, China. METHODS: Seventy-nine isolates of L. pneumophila were collected from environmental and clinical sources, including cooling towers, hot springs, bath water, fountains, and patients, and identified with 16S rRNA gene analysis and serum agglutination assay. The isolates were then typed by Sequence-Based Typing (SBT), and Genotyping of forty-two LP1 strains were analyzed by means of multiple-locus VNTR analysis with 8 loci (MLVA-8). All strains were further analyzed for two virulence genes: Legionella vir homologue (lvh) and repeats in structural toxin (rtxA). The intracellular growth ability of 33 selected isolates was determined by examining their interaction with J774 cells. RESULTS: All isolates were identified to L. pneumophila including 11 serogroups, among which the main serogroup were LP1, accounting for 54.43%. Thirty-three different sequence types (STs) from five main clonal groups and five singletons were identified, along with 8 different MLVA patterns. Both the lvh and rtxA loci were found in all 79 strains. Thirty isolates showed high intracellular growth ability in J774 cells. CONCLUSION L. pneumophila is a potential threat to public health, and effective control and prevention strategies are urgently needed.
Bacterial Proteins ; genetics ; Bacterial Toxins ; genetics ; China ; Genotyping Techniques ; Humans ; Legionella pneumophila ; genetics ; growth & development ; isolation & purification ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; genetics ; Water Microbiology

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect between acupuncture combined with medication and simple medication on migraine and cerebral hemodynamics. METHODS: A total of 120 patients with migraine were randomized into an acupuncture plus medication group (60 cases, 3 cases dropped off) and a medication group (60 cases, 6 cases dropped off). In the medication group, flunarizine hydrochloride capsule was given orally before sleep, 10 mg a day. On the basis of the treatment in the medication group, acupuncture was applied at Sizhukong (TE 23), Shuaigu (GB 8), Taiyang (EX-HN 5), Fengchi (GB 20) and etc. in the acupuncture plus medication group, 30 min each time, once a day. Treatment for 4 weeks was required in both groups. Before and after treatment, the visual analogue scale (VAS) score, indexes of cerebral hemodynamic [blood flow velocity of anterior cerebral artery (ACA), middle cerebral artery (MCA), posterior cerebral artery (PCA), vertebral artery (VA) and basilar artery (BA)] and total TCM syndrome score were observed, and the clinical therapeutic effect and the incidence of the adverse events were evaluated in both groups. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the VAS scores, the blood flow velocity of ACA, MCA, PCA, VA, BA and the total TCM syndrome scores were decreased in both groups ( CONCLUSION Acupuncture combined with flunarizine hydrochloride capsule can effectively relieve the pain in patients with migraine, reduce the cerebral blood flow velocity, the efficacy is superior to simple flunarizine hydrochloride capsule.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Migraine Disorders/therapy* ; Pain ; Treatment Outcome