Objective To explore the intrinsic link between neuro-endocrine-immune (NEI) network and the viscera-state.Methods Using three databases namely TCM database, Chinese pharmacy database and combination of TCM and WM database in China Academic Journals Database, the authors searched and collected NEI-related indicators published on journals for the viscera-state researches. Then a related database was established for data mining. Through analysis of association rules, analysis of the relationship among diseases, syndromes, therapeutic principles, combination of disease and syndrome, and NEI network related indicators were performed for association rules and directional network diagrams.Results Through the association analysis, the authors drew 44 directional network diagrams of high-frequency disease positions, syndromes, therapeutic principles and NEI network related indicators, and obtained 19 association rules. Kidney and liver essence research focused on HPG axis, HPA axis, and HPT axis. Spleen essence research focused on brain-gut peptide related indicators. Heart essence research focused on vascular endothelium function indicators. Pulmonary essence research focused on humeral immunity, ET and TNF-α.Conclusion It was feasible to explore the intrinsic link between NEI network and the viscera-state by using data mining. Differences among study on NEI network of five-organs systems were found, which is of great significance for researches on the essence of the viscera-state.

Measurement of cervical lordosis is the basic method for evaluating cervical function, and important reference for determine treatment decision. However, how to choose appropriate measurement in accordance with different situation, as well as the relationship among these methods is not clear. An increasing number of studies suggested that different measurements could directly affect the judgment of cervical lordosis. Therefore, comparative study of cervical vertebrae plays an important role in clinical treatment for cervical spondylosis under different cervical curvature conditions.
Cervical Vertebrae ; anatomy & histology ; Humans ; Lordosis ; diagnosis ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Sijunzi decoction (SJZD) on malondialdehyde (MDA) content and telomerase activity in heart, liver and brain tissues of D-galactose (D-gal) induced aging model mice.

METHODSD-gal aging mice model was established by cervicodorsal region subcutaneous injection with 10% D-gal once a day for six successive months. The model mice in the low-, middle- and high-dose SJZD treated groups were treated with SJZD in a dose of 6 g/kg, 12 g/kg, 24 g/kg per day respectively in the volume of 0.2 ml/10 g for 6 successive weeks. While the mice in the normal control group (NCG, non-modeled) and the model control group (MCG, modeled but untreated) were treated with distilled water instead. The MDA content and telomerase activity in heart, liver and brain tissues of mice was measured with TBA colorimetric method and PCR-ELISA respectively.

RESULTSIn MCG, the MDA content in heart, liver and brain tissues was significantly higher (P < 0.01), and the telomerase activity in liver and heart tissues was significantly lower (P < 0.01) but that in brain tissue was insignificant different to that in NCG (P > 0.05) respectively. As compared with MCG, the MDA content was significantly lower in the three SJZD treated group (P < 0.01). In comparison of telomerase activity between MCG and SJZD treated groups, it was shown that in heart tissue, there was an increased trend of the activity in the low-dose and middle-dose group, but with statistical insignificance (P > 0.05), but it did show a significant increase in the high-dose group (P < 0.05); in liver tissue no significant difference was shown between the three SJZD treated groups and MCG (P > 0.05); as for that in brain tissue, significant increase only shown in the high-dose group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSJZD can antagonize free radical injury, decrease the MDA content of heart, liver and brain in D-gal aging mice, and increase the telomerase activity in heart and brain tissues but with no effect on that in liver tissue.

Aging ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Animals ; Brain ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Free Radical Scavengers ; pharmacology ; Galactose ; Liver ; metabolism ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Mice ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Telomerase ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the effects of preconditioning with low-concentration hydrogen peroxide ( H2O2 ) on oxidative stress-induced bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells ( BMSCs ) apoptosis and its mecha-nism.Methods Mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells ( BMSCs) were isolated and purified by differential centrifugation, and were treated with 0,200,250,300, 500 μmol/L H2O2 after preincubation with 50 μmol/L H2O2 or control medium.Apoptosis of these cells was measured by flow cytometry, and the expression of phos-phorylated PI3K, Akt and mTOR was analyzed by Western blot; BMSCs were also primed with PI3K inhibitor LY294002 for 30 min, then preincubated with 50 μmol/L H2O2 or control medium for 12 h before treatment with 300 μmol/L H2O2.Expression of apoptosis proteins Bcl-2, Bax, caspaase-3, cleaved-caspase-3 and the key pro-teins of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway were detected by Western blot .Results H2O2 induced BMSCs apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner ,and pretreatment of BMSCs with low concentration of H2O2 significantly decreased H2O2-induced apoptosis of the BMSCs .Western blot results revealed that preconditioning with low-concentration H2O2 re-markably reversed the decrease in Bcl-2, total and phosphorylated PI3K, Akt and mTOR levels, and increased in Bax, cleaved-caspase-3 expression after high-dose H2O2 treatment.Such effects were antagonized by PI3K inhibitor LY294002 .Conclusions Preincubation with low-concentration H2O2 may indnce resistance of BMSC to oxidative stress, and such effect may be mediated by inhibition of pro-apoptotic proteins and activation of the PI 3K/Akt/mTOR pathway .

Objective To explore the mechanism of Zibu Piyin Recipe (ZBPYR) on spleen yin deficiency diabetes-associated cognitive disorder (DACD). Methods The rats were randomly divided into control group, diabetes mellitus (DM) group, spleen yin deficiency group, spleen yin deficiency DM group and spleen yin deficiency DM+ZBPYR group (treatment group). Type 2 DM models were established by high-fat food feeding and low dose STZ intraperitoneal injection for 4 weeks. Then the classical compound method was used to construct spleen yin deficiency rat models by improper diet, over exertion and yin fluids exhaustion. The treatment group was given ZBPYR by gavage for 15 days, and the other groups were given the same amount of normal saline. Then cerebral cortex, hippocampus, stomach and liver were obtained and the changes of protein expression of PDHE1α in them were observed by Western Blot. Results The protein expression of PDHE1αin cortex of DM group and spleen yin deficiency DM group were lower than control group (P<0.05). PDHE1α expression of treatment group in cortex and stomach increased more significantly than spleen yin deficiency DM group (P<0.05). The expression of PDHE1α protein showed no significant difference among all groups in hippocampus and liver. Conclusion ZBPYR improved spleen yin deficiency DACD by regulating PDHE1αin cortex and stomach.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the rate of 235delC mutation in GJB2 gene in patients with idiopathic sudden hearing loss, and to explore its possible correlation with pathogenesis of idiopathic sudden hearing loss. METHOD: Two hundred and thirty-four patients with diagnosis of idiopathic sudden hearing loss in otolaryngology department were recruited as experimental group. Eighty people with normal hearing level were enrolled as control group. Their peripheral blood samples were obtained and genomic DNA was extracted. Using polymerase chain reaction, the coding region of GJB2 gene was amplified, and 235delC mutation is screened for in GJB2 gene by restriction endonuclease. At same time the clinical data of 234 patients was collected to analyze. RESULT: In 234 cases of idiopathic sudden hearing loss, 5 cases were found to have heterozygous 235delC mutation, none of them harbored homozygous 235delC mutation, the 235delC mutation rate was 2.1% (5/234). No 235delC mutation was found in control group. The rate of 235delC mutation in two group showed no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION This research shows that the rate of 235delC mutation in GJB2 is low in patients with idiopathic sudden hearing loss, and suggest that 235delC mutation possible has no correlation with idiopathic sudden hearing loss.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Connexin 26 ; Connexins ; genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Female ; Hearing Loss, Sudden ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the effect of different Chinese herbs on cell proliferation and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein(COMP)expression in chondrocyte culture.Methods Chondrocytes isolated from rabbit knee cartilage were cultured for 3 generations with the density of 2?10~4/cm~2 and were verified by collagenⅡimmunohistochemical staining.Rabbit sera containing herbs were obtained after animals orally ad- ministrated herbs at the dosage equivalent to human.At 5% and 10% serum density,cells were cultured in the medium that contained liver-softening herbal compound sera.Subgroups setting at 1,3 and 5 hours after herb intervention were observed.Rabbit and bovine sera were control groups.Seven days after intervention,chon- drocytes proliferation was observed using the MTT assay kit.For the study of COMP expression,chondrocytes were isolated from human knee cartilage supematant.Superuatant COMP level was tested by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assays(ELISA)after directly adding compound and extract from liver-softening herbs to the culture at the final concentration of 10 mg/ml for 3 days.Results Liver-softening herbal compound group had significant effect on cell proliferation compared to control,of which,3-hour subgroup was more significant than 1-and 5-hour subgroups(P

OBJECTIVETo detect the expression of the peripheral blood P2X5 receptor at various ambient temperatures, and to explore its relationship with deficiency-cold syndrome and deficiency-heat syndrome.

METHODSSubjects were selected by questionnaire and expert diagnosis, and assigned to the normal control group, the deficiency-cold syndrome group, and the deficiency-heat syndrome group, 20 in each group. 5 mL venous blood was collected at room temperature (25 °C) and cold temperature (-4-5 °C) respectively. Then the expression of P2X5 receptor was relatively quantified by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, and compared at room temperature and cold temperature respectively.

RESULTSThe expression of P2X5 receptor in deficiency-cold syndrome and deficiency-heat syndrome groups was lower than that in the normal control group at room temperature (P < 0.05). It decreased more at cold temperature in the deficiency-cold syndrome group than in the normal control group (P < 0.01) as well as in the deficiency-heat syndrome group (P < 0.05). The expression of P2X5 receptor showed no difference in all groups at two different temperatures (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe expression of P2X5 receptor was different in different syndrome groups at various ambient temperatures. Ambient temperatures had insignificant effect on the expression of P2X5 receptor of the population with the same syndrome.

Cold Temperature ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Receptors, Purinergic P2X5 ; metabolism ; Syndrome

OBJECTIVETo study the correlation between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of monoamine oxidase A gene (MAOA) and anger regulation.

METHODSEnrolled were healthy students from some college, including 225 of the high trait anger and 221 of the low trait anger. Subjects were recruited referring to the state-trait anger expression inventory 2 (STAXI-2) and their blood sampled. The DNA was extracted using phenol-chloroform method, 4 tag SNPs of MAOA (rs5906957, rs2235186, rs1181275, and rs5905613) were genotyped by PCR-based ligase detection reaction (PCR-LDR). The scores for trait anger expression inventory and the scores for trait anger expression control at the 4 tag SNPs of MAOA in the different sexes groups of the high and the low trait anger were statistical analyzed.

RESULTSThere was statistical difference in anger control score of locus rs2235186 of MAOA gene group (P = 0.037). There was no significant difference in anger expression or anger control score of different genotypes of the other three tag SNPs (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONMAOA gene tag SNP rs2235186 was correlated with anger control traits of healthy female college students of the low trait anger in China.

Adaptation, Psychological ; Anger ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Monoamine Oxidase ; genetics ; Personality Inventory ; Phenotype ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo discuss our experience on the diagnosis and treatment of thoracic aorta rupture (TAR) that is one of the main common causes of death in the victims under blunt chest trauma.

METHODSBetween July 2001 and March 2006, 9 patients (6 men and 3 women, aged from 20 to 54 years) suffering from acute traumatic aorta rupture after motor vehicle accidents received emergent surgical treatments in our hospital. Based on our experience in the rescue of the first TAR patient we introduced a practical procedure on the diagnosis and treatment of TAR in our department. All the other patients generally followed this procedure. Eight patients received contrast material enhanced helical computerized tomography scan before the operation. The leakage of constrast medium from the aorta isthmus was found, and diagnosis of TAR was confirmed. Seven patients underwent immediate operation within 14 hours after accidents. One patient was treated on the 5th day of the accident because of delayed diagnosis of aortic rupture. All patients received general anesthesia with double lumen endotracheal tube and normothermic femoro-femoral partial cardiopulmonary bypass, with beating heart and aortic clamping. One patient received simple repair, and others received partial replacement of thoracic aorta with artificial vascular graft.

RESULTSSeven TAR patients were successfully salvaged. Three patients combined brain injury as well as extremitiy hemiplegia before operation. After treatments one was fully and two partially recovered without paraplegia.

CONCLUSIONSProper practical protocol is emphasized for the surgical repair of TAR because it will reduce the mortality of severe blunt chest injury.

Accidents, Traffic ; Adult ; Aorta, Thoracic ; injuries ; Aortic Rupture ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rupture