Objective To investigate the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of electroacupuncture(EA)at"Baihui"(GV20)and"Shenting"(GV24)acupoints in a rat model of insomnia.Methods An insomnia model was established by intraperitoneal injection of para-chlorophenylalanine(PCPA).Thirty-six rats were randomly divided into four groups(n=9 each):normal control group,EA-treated normal,model,and EA-treated model group.After successful modeling,EA intervention was administered for 7 days.Sleep duration and quality were monitored using an animal sleep-phase analysis system.Hypothalamic levels of serotonin(5-HT),dopamine(DA),tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α),interleukin 6(IL-6),inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS),mannose receptor(CD206),interleukin 10(IL-10),and arginase 1(ARG1)were measured by ELISA.Hypothalamic histopathology was assessed via hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining.Western Blot analyzed brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)and its receptor tropomyosin kinase B(TrkB)protein expression.Results Compared with the normal group,rats in the model group exhibited hypothalamic tissue damage,accompanied by reduced 5-HT levels,elevated DA concentrations,and significantly impaired sleep duration and sleep quality scores(P＜0.05).Concurrently,the model group showed increased levels of M1 microglial markers(TNF-α,IL-6,iNOS)but decreased levels of M2 markers(CD206,IL-10,ARG1),alongside diminished protein expression of both BDNF and TrkB in the hypothalamus,the difference being statistically significant(P＜0.05).In contrast,the EA-treated model group demonstrated attenuated hypothalamic lesions relative to the untreated model group.These rats exhibited elevated 5-HT levels,reduced DA concentrations,and significantly improved sleep duration and quality(P＜0.05).Furthermore,EA treatment decreased expression of M1 markers(TNF-α,IL-6,iNOS)while increasing M2 markers(CD206,IL-10,ARG1),with concomitant upregulation of BDNF and TrkB protein expression,the difference being statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion EA at"Baihui"and"Shenting"alleviates insomnia symptoms by promoting microglial M1-to-M2 polarization,potentially via BDNF/TrkB pathway activation.

Background:The clinical presentation of eosinophilic gastroenteritis( EG)is nonspecific and has not received much concern by physicians and pathologists. The diagnosis of EG was delayed in many cases. Aims:To explore the clinical features of EG. Methods:The clinical,laboratory,endoscopic and radiologic features and treatment in patients who were diagnosed as EG from October 2011 to September 2013 in Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University were analyzed retrospectively. Results:Median age of 10 EG patients was 41. 9 years. Four patients had a history of allergy or asthma. The time from onset to diagnose was 25 days on average. The most common symptoms were abdominal pain with bloating, diarrhea or vomiting. Eight patients had hypereosinophilia. Abdominal CT revealed uniform edema or stratified thickness of intestinal wall or ascites in 7 patients. Endoscopy revealed erythema,edema and erosion in antrum,duodenum or jejunum in 6 patients. All cases were confirmed as having eosinophilic infiltration by mucosal biopsy or examination of ascites. Seven patients were successfully treated with corticosteroid. One patients experienced relapse after discontinuing corticosteroids during following up. Conclusions:EG may be more common than previously recognized and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of unexplained abdominal pain with peripheral eosinophilia or uniform edema or stratified thickness of intestinal wall. Multiple biopsies in multiple sites including descending duodenum and pathological examination for finding eosinophil infiltration are the keys to confirm the diagnosis. Corticosteroids are effective in relieving symptoms and improving eosinophilia.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of Skp2 and PTEN in glottic carcinoma and the relationship between the two genes. METHOD: Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues, which came from 42 cases of glottic carcinoma and 16 cases of atypical hyperplasia of vocal fold and 27 cases of vocal cord polyp, were detected for the expression of Skp2, PTEN by SP immunohistochemistry, then we analyzed the result statistically. RESULT: The expression rates of Skp2 protein in vocal cord polyp, atypical hyperplasia of vocal cord and glottic carcinoma were 11.11%, 37.50%, 40.48% respectively. There was significant difference among them (P < 0.01); the expression rates of PTEN protein in vocal cord polyp, atypical hyperplasia of vocal cord and glottic carcinoma were 100.00%, 75.00%, 52.38% respectively. There was significant difference among them (P < 0.05), the expressions of Skp2 and PTEN in glottic carcinoma were associated with clinical stage, lymph nodal metastases and prognosis (P < 0.05); there was a negative correlation between the expression of Skp2 and PTEN, and their correlation coefficient was r= -0.4301 (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION The expressions of Skp2 and PTEN may play an important roles in the tumorigenesis, metastases and poor prognosis of glottic carcinoma. These changes may be the early molecular event of the carcinogenesis. The high expression of Skp2 was negative correlation with the lower PTEN in glottic carcinoma.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Glottis ; pathology ; Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; PTEN Phosphohydrolase ; metabolism ; S-Phase Kinase-Associated Proteins ; metabolism ; Young Adult