OBJECTIVETo explore the impact of electroacupuncture (EA) on the protein expression of adenosine receptors in the heart of the rats with myocardial ischemia (MI).

METHODSThirty healthy male SD rats were divided randomly into a control group (=6), a model group (=12) and an EA group (=12). We ligated the left anterior descending artery (LAD) for MI model in the model group and EA group, and exposed the heart after opening the chest without ligation in the control group. EA, 2 Hz /15 Hz and 1.5-2 mA, was applied at bilateral"Neiguan"(PC 6) in the EA group for 20 min, once a day for continuous 5 days. No intervention except grabbing and fixation was used in the control group and model group. We applied 2% TTC staining to observe the infarct size of myocardium, colorimetry to analyze serum lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB), radio-immunity assessment to detect cardiac troponin T (cTnT), Western blot to evaluate the adenosine A1 receptor (A1AR), A2aAR, A2bAR and A3AR.

RESULTSAfter treatment, myocardial infarction of (27.56±3.24)% was obvious in the model group; the myocardial infarction in the EA group was (21.04±3.61)%, with statistical significance (<0.05). The expressions of serum LDH, CK, CK-MB and cTnT levels in the model group increased compared with those in the control group (all<0.01), and the expressions of LDH, CK, CK-MB and cTnT levels in the EA group decreased compared with those in the model group (<0.05，<0.01). The A1AR expression in the model group was not different from that in the control group (>0.05), and A2aAR、A2bAR、A3AR expressions decreased (<0.05,<0.01). A2aAR and A2bAR expressions in the EA group increased compared with those in the model group (both<0.01), and there was no statistical significance between A1AR and A3AR expressions (both>0.05). .

CONCLUSIONEA may achieve cardioprotective effect by regulating the expressions of A2aAR and A2bAR in myocardial tissue, which induce the corresponding signal cascade for reducing myocardial infarction area.

OBJECTIVETo analyze the changes in endogenous small molecule metabolites after benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) exposure in rat cerebral cortex and explore the mechanism of B[a]P neurotoxicity.

METHODSFive-day-old SD rats were subjected to gavage administration of 2 mg/kg B[a]P for 7 consecutive weeks. After the exposure, the rats were assessed for spatial learning ability using Morris water maze test, ultrastructural changes of the cortical neurons under electron microscope, and metabolite profiles of the cortex using GC/MS. The differential metabolites between the exposed and control rats were identified with partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and the metabolic pathways related with the differential metabolites were analyzed using Cytoscape software.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the rats exposed to B[a]P showed significantly increased escape latency (P<0.05) and decreased time spent in the target area (P<0.05). The exposed rats exhibited widened synaptic cleft, thickened endplate membrane and swollen cytoplasm compared with the control rats. Eighteen differential metabolites (VIP>1, P<0.05) in the cortex were identified between the two groups, and 9 pathways associated with B[a]P neurotoxicity were identified involving amino acid metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle and Vitamin B3 (niacin and nicotinamide) metabolism.

CONCLUSIONB[a]P can cause disturbance in normal metabolisms and its neurotoxicity is possibly related with disorders in amino acid metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle and vitamin metabolism.

OBJECTIVE To identify potential mutations in five infants with neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis caused by citrin deficiency (NICCD). METHODS The SLC25A13 gene was analyzed by next-generation sequencing. Suspected mutations were confirmed by PCR and Sanger sequencing in the probands and their parents. Impact of novel mutations was predicted with PolyPhen-2 software. RESULTS All neonates have harbored mutations of the SLC25A13 gene. Eight mutations were discovered, which included two novel mutations (c.1357A>G and c.1663dup23). All parents were found to be carriers of the mutations. CONCLUSION Mutations of the SLC25A13 gene probably underlie the NICCD among the five patients, among which 851del4 and 1638-1660dup were the most common ones. This has enriched the spectrum of SLC25A13 mutation in association with NICCD.

Chronic high-salt diet-associated renal injury is a key risk factor for the development of hypertension. However, the mechanism by which salt triggers kidney damage is poorly understood. Our study investigated how high salt (HS) intake triggers early renal injury by considering the ‘gut-kidney axis’. We fed mice 2% NaCl in drinking water continuously for 8 weeks to induce early renal injury. We found that the ‘quantitative’ and ‘qualitative’ levels of the intestinal microflora were significantly altered after chronic HS feeding, which indicated the occurrence of enteric dysbiosis. In addition, intestinal immunological gene expression was impaired in mice with HS intake. Gut permeability elevation and enteric bacterial translocation into the kidney were detected after chronic HS feeding. Gut bacteria depletion by non-absorbable antibiotic administration restored HS loading-induced gut leakiness, renal injury and systolic blood pressure elevation. The fecal microbiota from mice fed chronic HS could independently cause gut leakiness and renal injury. Our current work provides a novel insight into the mechanism of HS-induced renal injury by investigating the role of the intestine with enteric bacteria and gut permeability and clearly illustrates that chronic HS loading elicited renal injury and dysfunction that was dependent on the intestine.
Animals ; Bacteria ; Bacterial Translocation ; Blood Pressure ; Drinking Water ; Dysbiosis ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Gene Expression ; Hypertension ; Intestines ; Kidney ; Mice* ; Microbiota ; Permeability ; Risk Factors

Stomach pain in Chinese medicine (CM) is a very common disorder in clinical practice and it has been listed as one of the pilot three conditions in Hong Kong to develop evidence-based CM clinical practice guidelines (CM CPGs). The aim of this stomach Pain CPG is to summarize the treatment methods of stomach pain with CM and evaluate reasonably, then to guide local licensed CM practitioners and provide beneficial reference for social medical decision makers and patients. In this manuscript, we defined stomach pain in CM and the category of chronic gastritis in Western medicine. The clinical manifestation, CM pattern classification, and CM intervention including herbal medicine treatment based on pattern differentiation, symptomatic treatment, acupuncture treatment, regulation and nursing were illustrated.

BACKGROUNDAlthough obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been recognized as a major risk factor for cardiovascular complications and its clinical features are well characterized, it is difficult to replicate the OSA hypoxic model in humans. We aimed to establish an experimental rabbit model for chronic OSA and to explore its application to measure blood pressure (BP), myocardial systolic function, and oxidative stress.

METHODSThe rabbit model for OSA was established by repeatedly closing the airway and then reopening it. A tube specially designed with a bag that could be alternately inflated and deflated according to a predetermined time schedule, resulting in recurrent airway occlusions and chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) imitating OSA patterns in humans, was used. Twenty-four rabbits were randomly divided into obstruction, sham, and control groups, and their upper airways were alternately closed for 15 s and then reopened for 105 s in a 120-s-long cycle, for 8 h each day over 12 consecutive weeks. Before and after the experiment, the BP of each rabbit was monitored. Levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the serum, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) contents, as well as Na+-K+-ATPase/Ca2+-ATPase activities in cardiac muscle were examined. In addition, cardiac functional parameters were measured using echocardiography.

RESULTSAfter 3 months, all rabbits in the obstruction group manifested sleepiness performance similar to that observed in OSA patients. Traces of airflow and SpO2showed that this model mimicked the respiratory events involved in OSA, including increased respiratory effort and decreased oxygen saturation. Gradually, the BP rose each month. CIH led to obvious oxidative stress and injured myocardial systolic performance. The serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α increased significantly (64.75 ± 9.05 pg/ml vs. 147.00 ± 19.24 pg/ml and 59.38 ± 8.21 pg/ml vs. 264.75 ± 25.54 pg/ml, respectively, both P < 0.001). Compared with the sham and the control groups, myocardial activities of Na+-K+-ATPase/Ca2+-ATPase and SOD in the obstruction group decreased markedly, while ROS and MDA content increased.

CONCLUSIONSThese results show that the rabbit model for OSA simulates the pathophysiological characteristics of OSA in humans, which implies that this animal model is feasible and useful to study the mechanisms involved in the cardiovascular consequences of OSA.

Airway Obstruction ; blood ; pathology ; Animals ; Blood Pressure ; physiology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Hypoxia ; blood ; pathology ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; blood ; Oxidative Stress ; Rabbits ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; blood ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; blood ; pathology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

BACKGROUNDThe treatment of the condylar fractures is difficult. Factors that result in the fractures are complex. The objective of this morphometric study was to investigate the relationship between condylar fracture patterns and condylar morphological characteristics.

METHODSWe conducted a retrospective analysis of 107 patients admitted to the West China Hospital of Stomatology for bilateral condylar fractures caused by parasymphyseal impact. The patients were divided into five groups according to the type of condylar fracture. Ten parameters were evaluated on three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction mandible models through the Mimics 16.0 (Materialize Leuven, Belgium) anthropometry toolkit. Each parameter of the 3D models was analyzed using multivariate analysis. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between the five groups.

RESULTSThe results showed that the differences of condylar head width (M1), condylar neck width (M3), the ratio of condylar head width to condylar anteroposterior diameter (M1/M2), the ratio of condylar head width to condylar neck width (M1/M3), the ratio of condylar height to ramus height (M8/M7), and mandibular angle (M10) were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Type A condylar head fractures were positively associated with M1 (compared to Type B: OR =1.627, 95% CI: 1.123, 2.359; compared to Type C: OR = 1.705, 95% CI: 1.170, 2.484) and M1/M2 (compared to Type B: OR =1.034, 95% CI: 0.879, 2.484). Type B condylar head fractures were negatively associated with M10 (compared to Type C: OR = 0.909, 95% CI: 0.821, 1.007). Condylar neck fractures were negatively associated with M3 (compared to condylar head: OR = 0.382, CI: 0.203, 0.720 ; compared to condylar base: OR = 0.436, 95% CI: 0.218, 0.874), and positively associated with M1/M3 (compared to condylar head: OR = 1.229, 95% CI: 1.063, 1.420 compared to condylar base: OR = 1.223, 95% CI: 1.034, 1.447). Condylar base fractures were positively associated with M10 (OR = 1.095, 95% CI: 1.008, 1.189) and negatively associated with M8/M7 (OR = 0.855, 95% CI: 0.763, 0.959) as compared with condylar head fractures.

CONCLUSIONSCondylar fracture pattern is associated with the anatomical features of the condyles when a fracture occurs from parasymphyseal impact.

Adult ; Female ; Fractures, Bone ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Mandibular Condyle ; injuries ; surgery ; Mandibular Fractures ; surgery ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

Environmental problems are the most serious challenges in the 21st century. With the rapid development of modern industry and agriculture, ecological and environmental deterioration have become the most important factors to restrict the sustainable development of social economy. Microbial cells have strong ability for environmental remediation, but their evolution speed is slower than the speed of emerging pollutants. Therefore, the treatment using the synthetic biology is in urgent need. Full understanding of the microbial degradation characteristics (pathways) of refractory organic pollutants with the help of abundant microbial and gene resources in China is important. Using synthetic biology to redesign and transform the existing degrading strain will be used to degrade particular organic pollutants or multiple organic pollutants. For the complex pollutants, such as wastewater, based on the establishment of metabolic or regulation or resistance related gene modules of typical organic pollutants, artificial flora could be designed to solve the complex pollutants. The rational design and construction of engineering bacteria for typical environmental organic pollutants can effectively promote microbial catabolism of emerging contaminants, providing technical support for environmental remediation in China.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy of bowel plication combined with early enteral nutrition (EEN) in the enhanced recovery after surgery(ERAS) of jejunal atresia (JA) neonates.

METHODSBetween January 2005 and January 2014, 58 neonates with JA underwent surgical treatment in Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. Their clinical data, including operation procedures, ages, birth weight, concomitant diseases, age at surgery, hospital stay, total parenteral nutrition (TPN), postoperative intestinal function recovery (the time to the first oral feeding and the time to oral feeding volume reaching 150 ml·kg·d), complications and reoperation, were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSAccording to the surgical procedures, the 58 neonates were divided into three groups: control group(18 cases, undergoing atretic segments resection and primary anastomosis), bowel plication group(19 cases, undergoing bowel plication after atretic segments resection and primary anastomosis) and bowel plication combined with EEN group (21 cases, undergoing bowel plication combined with EEN). No significant differences of ages, birth weight, age at operation, and concomitant diseases were found among 3 groups (all P>0.05). The time of hospital stay, the time to the first oral feeding, the time to oral feeding volume reaching 150 ml·kg·d, and the time of TPN in bowel plication group were significantly shorter than those of control group [(19.3±4.4) d vs. (22.7±3.1) d, t=2.696, P=0.011; (9.8±3.3) d vs. (12.5±3.0) d, t=2.630, P=0.013; (18.5±4.1) d vs. (21.5±2.5) d, t=2.726, P=0.011; (13.1±2.9) d vs. (15.0±2.3) d, t=2.219, P=0.033]. However, above parameters of bowel plication combined with EEN group were significantly shorter than those of bowel plication group [(15.3±3.5) d vs. (19.3±4.4), t=4.120, P=0.003; (7.7±2.2) d vs. (9.8±3.3) d, t=2.428, P=0.020; (14.8±2.5) d vs. (18.5±4.1) d, t=3.752, P=0.001; (9.5±3.0) vs. (13.1±2.9) d, t=4.370, P=0.000].

CONCLUSIONThe bowel plication combined with EEN contributes to the early use of intestinal function, shorten the time to the first oral feeding, and reduces the use of TPN, which can improve the recovery of jejunal atresia neonates.

Anastomosis, Surgical ; Comparative Effectiveness Research ; Defecation ; Digestive System Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Enteral Nutrition ; methods ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Intestinal Atresia ; rehabilitation ; surgery ; Jejunum ; abnormalities ; surgery ; Length of Stay ; Parenteral Nutrition, Total ; Postoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To explore the efficacy of ganoderma lucidum preparation(Ling Zhi) in treating APP/PS-1 transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease(AD).Methods APP/PS-1 transgenic mice of 4 months were randomly divided into model group,ganoderma lucidum treatment groups,including high [2250 mg/(kg·d)] and middle [750 mg/(kg·d)] dose groups,i.e.LZ-H and LZ-M groups,and the positive control group(treated with donepezil hydrochloride [2 mg/(kg·d)]).In addition,C57BL/6J wild mice were selected as normal group.The animals were administered for 4 months.Histopathological examinations including hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining,immunohistochemistry,special staining,and electron microscopy were applied,and then the pathological morphology and structures in different groups were compared. Results The senile plaques and neurofibrillar tangles in the cerebrum and cerebellum were dissolved or disappeared in LZ-H and LZ-M groups.Decrease of amyloid angiopathy was found in LZ-H and LZ-M groups.The immature neurons appeared more in hippocampus and dentate nucleus of LZ-H and LZ-M groups than those in AD model and donepezil hydrochloride groups(hippcampus:F=1.738,P=0.016;dentate nucleus:F=1.924,P=0.026),and these immature neurons differentiated to be neurons.More Purkinje cells loss occurred in AD model mice than that in LZ-H and LZ-M groups(F=9.46,P=0.007;F=9.46,P=0.010).The LZ-H and LZ-M groups had more new neuron stem cells grown up in cerebellum.Electromicroscopic examination showed the hippocampal neurons in LZ-H and LZ-M group were integrated,the nuclear membrane was intact,and the mitochondria in the cytoplasm,endoplasmic reticulum,Golgi bodies,microtubules,and synapses were also complete.The microglial cell showed no abnormality.No toxicity appeared in the pathological specimens of mice treated with ganoderma lucidum preparation.Conclusion The ganoderma lucidum preparation can dissolve and decline or dismiss the senile plaques and neurofibrillar tangles in the brain of AD mice and also reduce the amyloid angiopathy.