OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy and safety of moxibustion in treating patients with central obesity of phlegm-dampness constitution. METHODS: A total of 66 patients with central obesity of phlegm-dampness constitution were randomly assigned to a moxibustion group (n=33, 3 cases dropped out) and a sham moxibustion group (n=33, 4 cases dropped out). The moxibustion group received mild moxibustion combined with lifestyle intervention; the moxibustion was applied at Shenque (CV8) and bilateral Zusanli (ST36), 30 min per session, maintaining a local skin temperature of (43±1) ℃. The sham moxibustion group received simulated moxibustion combined with lifestyle intervention; the simulated moxibustion was applied at the same acupoints, with the same session length, but with a maintained skin temperature of (37±1) ℃. Both groups were treated once every other day, three times per week for 8 consecutive weeks. Obesity-related physical indicators (waist circumference, hip circumference, body weight, body fat percentage, body mass index [BMI]), constitution evaluation indicators (phlegm-dampness constitution conversion score, symptom score), the impact of weight on quality of life-lite (IWQOL-Lite), the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS), and the incidence of adverse events were measured before and after treatment, and after 4 weeks of follow-up. RESULTS: Compared with before treatment, both groups showed significant reductions in waist circumference, hip circumference, body weight, body fat percentage, BMI, phlegm-dampness constitution conversion score and symptom score, IWQOL-Lite, and both anxiety and depression subscale scores of HADS after treatment and at follow-up (P<0.001). These improvements were significantly greater in the moxibustion group than those in the sham moxibustion group (P<0.001, P<0.01, P<0.05). One patient in the moxibustion group experienced a mild burn that resolved with routine care; the incidence of adverse reactions was 3.0% (1/33) in the moxibustion group and 0% (0/33) in the sham moxibustion group, with no statistically significant difference (P>0.05). CONCLUSION On the basis of lifestyle intervention, moxibustion effectively improves obesity-related physical indicators, enhances quality of life, alleviates anxiety and depression, and improves the phlegm-dampness constitution in patients with central obesity. These benefits persist for at least 4 weeks after treatment.
Humans ; Moxibustion ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Obesity, Abdominal/psychology* ; Acupuncture Points ; Treatment Outcome ; Aged ; Quality of Life ; Young Adult ; Body Mass Index

BACKGROUND: Arsenic trioxide (ATO) is indicated as a broad-spectrum medicine for a variety of diseases, including cancer and cardiac disease. While the role of ATO in hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury (HIRI) has not been reported. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify the effects of ATO on HIRI. METHODS: In the present study, we established a 70% hepatic warm I/R injury and partial hepatectomy (30% resection) animal models in vivo and hepatocytes anoxia/reoxygenation (A/R) models in vitro with ATO pretreatment and further assessed liver function by histopathologic changes, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, cell counting kit-8, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) for extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 was transfected to evaluate the role of ERK1/2 pathway during HIRI, followed by ATO pretreatment. The dynamic process of autophagic flux and numbers of autophagosomes were detected by green fluorescent protein-monomeric red fluorescent protein-LC3 (GFP-mRFP-LC3) staining and transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: A low dose of ATO (0.75 μmol/L in vitro and 1 mg/kg in vivo ) significantly reduced tissue necrosis, inflammatory infiltration, and hepatocyte apoptosis during the process of hepatic I/R. Meanwhile, ATO obviously promoted the ability of cell proliferation and liver regeneration. Mechanistically, in vitro  studies have shown that nontoxic concentrations of ATO can activate both ERK and phosphoinositide 3-kinase-serine/threonine kinase (PI3K-AKT) pathways and further induce autophagy. The hepatoprotective mechanism of ATO, at least in part, relies on the effects of ATO on the activation of autophagy, which is ERK-dependent. CONCLUSION Low, non-toxic doses of ATO can activate ERK/PI3K-AKT pathways and induce ERK-dependent autophagy in hepatocytes, protecting liver against I/R injury and accelerating hepatocyte regeneration after partial hepatectomy.
Animals ; Arsenic Trioxide ; Autophagy/physiology* ; Reperfusion Injury/prevention & control* ; Mice ; Male ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/physiology* ; Arsenicals/therapeutic use* ; Oxides/therapeutic use* ; Liver/metabolism* ; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

The production of high-quality oocytes requires precisely orchestrated intercellular communication. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived nanoparticles that play a vital role in the transfer of bioactive molecules, which has gained much attention in the field of diagnosis and treatment. Over the past ten years, the participation of EVs in the reproductive processes of oocytes has been broadly studied and has shown great potential for elucidating the intricacies of female reproductive health. This review provides an extensive discussion of the influence of EVs on oocytes, emphasizing their involvement in normal physiology and altered cargo under pathological conditions. In addition, the positive impact of therapeutic EVs on oocyte quality and their role in alleviating ovarian pathological conditions are summarized.
Humans ; Extracellular Vesicles/physiology* ; Oocytes/cytology* ; Female ; Animals ; Cell Communication/physiology*

Several types of arthritis share the common feature that the generation of inflammatory mediators leads to joint cartilage degradation. However, the shared mechanism is largely unknown. H2BK120ub1 was reportedly involved in various inflammatory diseases but its role in the shared mechanism in inflammatory joint conditions remains elusive. The present study demonstrated that levels of cartilage degradation, H2BK120ub1, and its regulator WW domain-containing adapter protein with coiled-coil (WAC) were increased in cartilage in human rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) patients as well as in experimental RA and OA mice. By regulating H2BK120ub1 and H3K27me3, WAC regulated the secretion of inflammatory and cartilage-degrading factors. WAC influenced the level of H3K27me3 by regulating nuclear entry of the H3K27 demethylase KDM6B, and acted as a key factor of the crosstalk between H2BK120ub1 and H3K27me3. The cartilage-specific knockout of WAC demonstrated the ability to alleviate cartilage degradation in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and collagenase-induced osteoarthritis (CIOA) mice. Through molecular docking and dynamic simulation, doxercalciferol was found to inhibit WAC and the development of cartilage degradation in the CIA and CIOA models. Our study demonstrated that WAC is a key factor of cartilage degradation in arthritis, and targeting WAC by doxercalciferol could be a viable therapeutic strategy for treating cartilage destruction in several types of arthritis.

Isopentenyl flavonoids are a class of characteristic components in Sophora flavescens Ait. (S. flavescens). They have biological activities such as anti-tumor, anti-bacteria, anti-inflammol/ Lation and anti-oxidation. In this paper, the structural types, toxicology and pharmacological effects of isopentenyl flavonoids from S. flavescens were briefly reviewed. Furthermore, the worth of further study on pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, toxicology, action targets, molecular mechanisms and structure-function relationships of isopentenyl flavonoids were proposed. The deep exploration on functional characterastics of isopentenyl flavonoids of S. flavescens and their application on development of innovative drugs are of great significance to further improve the added value of isopentenyl flavonoids and expand their application fields.

Objective:To analyze the changes in biological characteristics including infectivity, growth and pathogenicity of Chlamydia muridarum ( Cm) after serial passage in vitro in special conditions in order to provide reference for screening attenuated live vaccines and virulence-related genes. Methods:Wild-type Cm strain (G0) was cultured for several passages using conventional cell culture method under alternate unassisted and assisted culture conditions. Then, the 28th generation (G28) of Cm was selected and compared with the parental G0 strain in terms of centrifugation dependence, attaching ability, intracellular growth curve, plaque size and fallopian tube lesions after genital tract infection in a mouse model. Results:Compared with the parental G0 strain, the G28 strain showed significantly decreased dependence on centrifugation during cell infection ( P<0.05) and increased attachment capacity to cells ( P<0.05). No significant differences were observed in the growth curves 32 h after cell infection or in the plaque sizes between the parental G0 and G28 strains. In the in vivo virulence test, fallopian tube lesions were observed in 87.5% of G0-infected mice and 37.5% of G28-infected mice ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared with the parental G0 strain, the G28 strain showed significantly enhanced in vitro infection ability, but decreased in vivo pathogenicity, which brought hope for further identification of virulence genes, isolation of attenuated strains with single genotype and development of live attenuated Chlamydia vaccines.

Objective: To explore the implementation of the WeChat platform combined with family participation in the health management of dyslipidemia. Methods: A total of 100 patients with dyslipidemia who underwent physical examination in the Health Management Center of Chongqing General Hospital from March to August 2017 were selected. Participants were divided into an intervention and control group by independent registration, with 50 patients in each group. The control group received routine health guidance and telephone follow-ups. The intervention group underwent the health management mode of the WeChat platform combined with family participation beginning in September for six months. Dyslipidemia was managed through joint participation of family members and medical care, and the professional health management and medical team conducted real-time consultation, monitoring, follow-ups, and answered questions. A t-test was performed to compare total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, and LDL cholesterol in the two groups, and a χ² test was used to compare improvements in living habits in the two groups. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups before intervention （P>0.05）. After 6 months of intervention, fasting total cholesterol (6.18±0.93) mmol/L, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (2.96±0.67) mmol/L and triglyceride (2.20±0.35) mmol/L were all lower in the intervention group than in the control group (7.17±1.07) mmol/L, (3.26±0.57) mmol/L and (2.41±0.36) mmol/L, respectively, with statistically significant difference (P<0.05). After 6 months of intervention, the proportion of people in the intervention group (18% irregular diet, 22% lack of exercise, 26% insomnia, 14% smoking and 18% drinking) was significantly lower than that in the control group (58% irregular diet, 74% lack of exercise, 54% insomnia, 38% smoking and 42% drinking), and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusions Dyslipidemia is closely related to living habits. Through the help of the WeChat platform, family members and medical staff can participate together and effectively improve the living habits of people with dyslipidemia, so as to improve the indicators of lipid metabolism.

Objective To evaluate the clinical effect of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for treatment of chronic dilated cardiomyopathy complicated with systolic heart failure.Methods Fifty-nine patients with chronic dilated cardiomyopathy and systolic heart failure in Henan Provincial People's Hospital from December 2013 and December 2014 were selected and divided into treatment group (n =30)and control group (n =29).All patients were given routine drug treatment.Based on this,the patients in treatment group were given umbilical cord MSCs 20mL by intracoronary transplantation;the patients in control group were given the same volume of saline.The changes of cardiac function,left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF),left ventricular end diastolic diameter(LVEDD),6 minutes walking distance,the amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels,the re-hospitalization rate,mortality rate of patients in the two groups were observed and compared at 1 month and 6 months after treatment.Results The cardiac function grading of the New York Heart Association (NYHA)of patients in the two groups were improved at 1 month and 6 months after treatment (P ＜ 0.05);the NYHA cardiac function grading of patients in the treatment group was significantly better than that in the control group at 1 month and 6 months after treatment (x2 =12.64,16.75;P ＜ 0.05).There was no statistic difference in LVEDD,LVEF,serum level of NT-proBNP and 6-min walking distance of patients between the two groups before treatment (P ＞ 0.05).There was statistic difference in LVEDD,LVEF,serum level of NT-proBNP and 6-min walking distance of patients in the two groups before treatment and 1 month,6 months after treatment(P ＞ 0.05).There was no statistic difference in LVEDD of patients between the two groups at 1 month after treatment (P ＞ 0.05);the LVEF,6-min walking distance of patients in the treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control group,but the serum level of NT-proBNP of patients in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group at 1 month after treatment (P ＜ 0.05).At 6 months after treatment,the LVEDD,serum level of NT-proBNP of patients in the treatment group were significantly lower than those in the control group,but the LVEF and 6-min walking distance of patients in the treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P ＜ 0.05).The mortality rate of patients in the treatment group (6.67％,2/30) was significantly lower than that in the control group (24.14％,7/29) (x2 =4.99,P ＜ 0.05).The re-hospitalization rate of patients in the treatment group and control group was 16.67％ (5/30) and 31.031.(9/29) respectively;there was no statistic difference in the re-hospitalization rate of patients between the two groups (x2 =1.68,P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion Umbilical cord MSCs can improve the cardiac function and cardiac remodeling,reduce the mortality rate of patients with chronic dilated cardiomyopathy complicated with systolic heart failure.

Objective:To observe the changes of metabolic intensity value of points on the face before and after needling bilateral Hegu (LI 4) in healthy people and provide scientific basis for association between Hegu (LI 4) and face/mouth. Methods:A total of 45 healthy college students were selected in this study. Using medical thermography and Pennes bio-heat transfer model, the infrared thermograph images on the face before and after needling bilateral Hegu (LI 4) were collected to observe the distribution of metabolic intensity value on the face before acupuncture and changes in these values after needling bilateral Hegu (LI 4). Results:Before acupuncture, Cuanzhu (BL 2) had the maximal metabolic intensity value. Its mean value was (0.71±0.23) W. Quanliao (SI 18) had the minimal metabolic intensity value. There were no left-right statistical significances in metabolic intensity values. After needling bilateral Hegu (LI 4), the metabolic intensity values of most points on the face were increased. Kouheliao (LI 19) obtained the maximal increase: 0.35 W on average; and Yangbai (GB 14) obtained the minimal increase: 0.08 W on average. Conclusion:Points on both sides in healthy people have good symmetry in metabolic intensity value. After needling bilateral Hegu (LI 4), the metabolic intensity values of points on the face were increased, especially points around the lips, which accords with the pathway of the Large Intestine Meridian on the head and face. This provided some scientific foundation for the association between Hegu (LI 4) and face/mouth.

Objective To investigate the specific humoral immune response and cellular immune response induced by DNA vaccine with Neisseria gonorrhoeae porin B (PorB) fused with B subunit of Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin B (LTB) in mice. Methods Target genes of porB, ltB and ltB-porB were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and cloned into eukaryotic vector pcDNA3.1(-). The recombinants were identified by PCR, enzyme digestion and DNA sequencing.The vectors were transfected into Hela cells, and expressed proteins were checked by cytoimmunofluorescence. Female BALB/c mice were intranasally immunized with recombination vectors. The humoral immune response and cellular immune response were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) colorimetric assay. The expressions of recombination vectors in intranasal mucosal tissues of the immunized mice were detected by immunohistochemistry. The means between groups were compared by analysis of variance. Results All the three recombinants were expressed in Hela cells and intranasal mucosal tissues. The PorB specific IgG in serum and sIgA in vaginal secretions in DNA vaccine immunized mice were significantly higher than those in controls (P＜0.01 ; P＜0.05). Moreover, the sIgA level in pcDNA3.1 (-)/ltB-porB group was higher than that in peDNA3, 1(-)/porB group (P＝0. 002). The levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) in the supernatants and stimulation index (SI) of spleen lymphocyte culture in pcDNA3, 1(-)/porB group were (170.04±23.89) pg/mL, (114.68±14.27) pg/mL and 1. 68±0.19, respectively; and those in pcDNA3, 1(-)/ltB-porB group were (161.42±27.50) pg/mL, (124.16±19.04) pg/mL and 1.73±0.28, respectively; which were both higher than those in pcDNA3.1(-)/ phosphate buffered saliae (PBS) group (P＜0. 01; P＜0.05) and pcDNA3.1 (-)/ltB group (all P＜0.05), while there was no significant difference between pcDNA3.1 (-)/ltB-porB group and pcDNA3. 1 (-)/porB group (0. 998, 0. 696, 0. 994; all P＞0.05). Conclusions The constructed DNA vaccines are all successfully expressed in Hela cells and murine intranasal mucosal tissues. The mucosal immunization of the vaccines [pcDNA3. 1 (- )/porB and pcDNA3.1 ( -)/ltBporB] could induce humoral immune response and cellular immune response, especially mucosal immune response. It is confirmed that mucosal adjuvant LTB could promote PorB to induce higher level of mucosal immune response in mice.