OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy on post-stroke dysphagia treated with four-step acupuncture therapy for opening orifices and benefiting throat combined with neuromuscular electrical stimulation. METHODS: Sixty patients with post-stroke dysphagia were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, with 30 cases in each group. The neuromuscular electrical stimulation was adopted in the control group. Besides the treatment as the control group, in the observation group, the four-step acupuncture therapy for opening orifices and benefiting throat was supplemented. Step 1: the three areas of scalp acupuncture on the affected side were stimulated. Step 2: pricking method was operated on the posterior pharyngeal wall. Step 3: bleeding technique was operated at Jinjin (EX-HN 12) and Yuye (EX-HN 13). Step 4: deep insertion of needle was operated at three-pharynx points. The needles were retained for 30 min at the three areas of scalp acupuncture and the three-pharynx points. The intervention of each group was delivered once daily, 6 times a week, at the interval of 1 day. One course of treatment was 1 week and 4 successive courses were required. The rating of Kubota water swallow test, the score of standardized swallowing assessment (SSA) and the rating of Rosenbek penetration- aspiration scale (PAS) were observed before and after treatment in patients of the two groups. The incidence of clinical complications and clinical efficacy were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Compared with those before treatment, the rating of Kubota water swallow test, the scores of SSA and the rating of PAS of patients in the two groups were decreased after treatment (P<0.01), and the values of the observation group were lower than those of the control group after treatment (P<0.05). The incidence of clinical complications in the observation group was 13.3% (4/30), lower than 36.7% (11/30) in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate in the observation group was 93.3% (28/30), which was better than 70.0% (21/30) in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The four-step acupuncture therapy for opening orifices and benefiting throat combined with neuromuscular electrical stimulation can improve the swallowing function of patients with post-stroke dysphagia and reduce the incidence of clinical complications.
Humans ; Pharynx ; Deglutition Disorders/therapy* ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Stroke/complications* ; Water ; Electric Stimulation

Intestinal Peyer's patches （PPs） are local immune tissues of the intestine， which are considered to be the main induction site of the intestinal mucosal immune response， and closely related to immune-related refractory enteropathies， such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. In recent years， more and more scholars have tried to find a new breakthrough for treating refractory enteropathies with a limited efficacy of clinical interventions through in-depth study of the relationship between PPs and enteropathy. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） polysaccharides are considered to be a key component for immune regulation with TCM. Modern studies show that TCM polysaccharides have a significant positive intervention effect on the structure and function of PPs， with good development prospects. Based on this， this paper focuses on PPs and intestinal-related diseases， and systematically introduces the physiological structure of PPs and their drug delivery mechanism， and summarizes the interactions of PPs with effect on immune-related enteropathies， analyze of current studies and prospects of effect of TCM polysaccharides in intervening intestinal disease and its dysfunction by regulating PPs， with the aim to provide new strategies for basic studies and clinical treatment of immune-related refractory enteropathies from the perspective of PPs， and new ideas for basic studies and clinical studies on effect of TCM polysaccharides in intervening enteropathies.

Mesenchymal stem cell derived (MSC) exosomes are extracellular vesicles with a diameter of about 50-200 nm. Exosomes contain a large number of biologically active substances including mRNAs, miRNAs, cytokines, chemokines, proteins, lipids, etc. MSC exosomes exert biological effects through paracrine and endocrine pathways in vivo. Uncontrolled inflammation and multiple organ dysfunction are the key roles in the progression of sepsis, moreover, heart, lungs, kidneys and brain are the general target organs to be damaged. MSC exosomes regulate the expression of cytokines, the production of inflammatory cell, the levels of inflammatory response and the recovery of damaged tissues or organ function. Therefore, studying the application of MSC exosomes is significant for the clinical treatment of sepsis. This article reviews the systemic inflammation regulation by MSC exosomes and its protective function on targeted organs such as heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, liver, etc. to provide evidences for the treatment of sepsis.

Objective:To clone cellulose synthase-like(Csl)gene from ethnic medicinal plant Ampelopsis megalophylla,and analyze its sequence by bioinformatics. Method:Specific primers were designed for AmCsl gene sequences obtained from A. megalophylla transcriptome sequencing data. The full-length cDNA of AmCsl gene was amplified by PCR using cDNA of young leaves as template,and TA clone and sequencing was performed. The sequence was analyzed by bioinformatics. Result:The full length cDNA was 1 438 bp,containing a 561 bp open reading frame(ORF),and encoding 186 amino acids,the molecular formula of protein was C₁₀₁₁H₁₅₄₇N₂₃₃O₂₅₇S₁₀,the theoretical relative molecular weight was 22.40 kDa,the theory isoelectric point(PI)was 7.59,and the aliphatic index(AI)was 116.88.There was a transmembrane region and no signal peptide,which may be located in the endoplasmic reticulum,the average hydrophobic coefficient was 0.670,and the instability index was 42.56.It belonged to a hydrophobic unstable protein. The conserved domain contained a cellulose synthase,and the secondary structure mainly was dominated by α-helix. Amino acid sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree analysis showed that AmCsl had a high homology with Vitis vinifera. Conclusion:The full length of AmCsl gene was obtained for preliminary bioinformatics analysis,which laid a necessary foundation for further study on the accumulation of polysaccharides and the regulation of biosynthesis.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a key role in all stages of tumorigenesis and tumor progression. TAMs secrete different kinds of cytokines, chemokines, and enzymes to affect the progression, metastasis, and resistance to therapy depending on their state of reprogramming. Therapeutic benefit in targeting TAMs suggests that macrophages are attractive targets for cancer treatment. Chinese materia medica (CMM) is an important approach for treating cancer in China and in the Asian region. According to the theory of Chinese medicine (CM) and its practice, some prescriptions of CM regulate the body's internal environment possibly including the remodeling the tumor microenvironment (TME). Here we briefly summarize the pivotal effects of TAMs in shaping the TME and promoting tumorigenesis, invasion, metastasis and immunosuppression. Furthermore, we illustrate the effects and mechanisms of CMM targeting TAMs in antitumor therapy. Finally, we reveal the CMM's dual-regulatory and multi-targeting functions on regulating TAMs, and hopefully, provide the theoretical basis for CMM clinical practice related to cancer therapy.

OBJECTIVEAbnormal maternal thyroid function is associated with preterm birth. However, this association stays dubious in relevant individual studies for ethnic difference reasons and lack of direct supporting data. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between preterm birth and thyroid dysfunction or autoimmunity based on ethnic differences.

METHODSRelevant studies were identified through searches of MEDLINE, Excerpta Medica, Wan Fang, China Biological Medicine disc, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from inception to June 15, 2016. Original articles in which an incidence or prevalence of thyroid dysfunction or autoimmunity before second trimester of pregnancy could be extracted were included.

RESULTSThirty-two unique studies were included for the final meta-analysis. Patients involved were divided into two groups: Group 1 (G1) and Group 2 (G2) comprising of Asian and Caucasian populations, respectively. Positive thyroid antibodies were associated with the occurrence of preterm birth in both G1 [odds ratio (OR): 3.62, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.83-4.65] and G2 (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.17-1.56); hypothyroidism, only in G2 (OR: 1.20, CI: 1.09-1.33); and subclinical hypothyroidism or hypothyroxinemia, in neither group.

CONCLUSIONThyroid autoimmunity may be a more favorable factor leading to preterm birth among pregnant women of different ethnicities, compared with thyroid dysfunction.

Autoimmune Diseases ; ethnology ; immunology ; physiopathology ; Autoimmunity ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; ethnology ; immunology ; physiopathology ; Premature Birth ; ethnology ; immunology ; physiopathology ; Thyroid Diseases ; ethnology ; immunology ; physiopathology ; Thyroid Gland ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo study the antitumor effects and associated mechanisms of extract of the Smilax china L. rhizome (SCR) on ovarian cancer cells.

METHODSOvarian cancer cells A2780 were treated with different concentrations of SCR extract (SCRE), and compared with controls. Effects on cell growth were evaluated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay; proliferation effects by EdU incorporation assay; cell cycle by propidium iodide staining; apoptosis by annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide; cellular distribution of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) by immunofluorescence; protein levels of NF-κB, caspase-3, poly-adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), cellular inhibitor of apoptosis (cIAP)-1, anti-X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-XL), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and AKT by Western blotting; and effects of SCRE combined with cisplatin or adriamycin on A2780 cells by CCK-8 assay.

RESULTSSCRE suppressed A2780 cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05,P<0.01), arrested cells in G2/M phase and induced apoptosis by activating caspase-3, PARP and Bax. SCRE treatment also correlated with inhibition of NF-κB and downregulation of Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, cIAP-1, XIAP and AKT. SCRE can promote chemosensitivity to cisplatin and adriamycin in A2780 cells (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSCR effectively inhibits NF-κB, induces apoptosis and reduces chemoresistance to cisplatin and adriamycin in ovarian cancer cells, which might be its molecular basis for treating ovarian cancer.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Female ; Humans ; NF-kappa B ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Smilax

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of immature dendritic cells (inDC) genetically modified to express sTNFR I on acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) and the graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect ofter allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo-BMT) in leukemic mice and its mechanism.

METHODSAn EL4 leukemia allo-BMT model was established with the BALB/c (H-2d) donor mice (DM)and C57BL/6 (H-2b) recipient mice (RM). The RM received DM bone marrow (BM) cells at a 1:1 ratio with spleen cells intravenously via tail vein at 4 h after TBI. Fifty DM were separated randomly into five groups: (1) Group A: total body irradiation (TBI) group, (2) Group B: lymphoma cell leukemia group, (3) Group C: allo-BMT group, (4) Group D: pXZ9-DC group, (5) Group E: sTNFR I-DC group. Acute GVHD scores, incidence of leukemic cell infiltration, histopathological analysis, survival rate, and survival rate of the recipients were estimated after allo-BMT. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was used to detect cytokines (INF-gamma and IL-4 ) production. Flow cytometry (FCM) analysis was used to detect allogeneic chimerism.

RESULTS(1) The mice in group A and group B all died of the BM failure and lymphoma cell leukemia, respectively. The mice in group C developed typical clinical signs of a GVHD after BMT with an average survival time(AST) of (11.50 +/- 3.50) d. The signs of aGVHD were less evident in the group D and E, and their AST (21.70 +/- 5.80 and 25.80 +/- 5.20 days, respectively) were all longer than that in group C (P < 0.05). AST of group E was the longest (P < 0.05). The mice in group B all died of leukemia within 18 days after engraftment of EL4 cells. There was was no significant difference in groups C, D and E in the incidence of leukemia (P > 0.05). (2) Serum IFN-gamma level reached peak value. At + 12 d, then decreased gradually in group C, D, and E, and then reached the nadir at +18 d post-BMT, with the lowest in group E (P < 0.05), and the level was significantly lower in group D than in group C (P < 0.05). After BMT, serum IL-4 level slightly decreased in group C, but gradually elevated in group D and E and reached their peak at +12 d, and even more significantly increased in group E (P < 0.05). There was no statistical significance in the pair wise comparison among three group (P < 0.05). (3) The average proportion of H-2d positive cells in RM was 95%-100% on day 30 post-BMT, with complete donor-type implantation.

CONCLUSIONImmature DC can induce immuno tolerance. Immature DC genetically modified to express sTNFR I has been shown to prevent acute GVHD in lethally irradiated mice reconstituted with allogeneic bone marrow grafts while maintaining the GVL response.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; adverse effects ; methods ; Dendritic Cells ; immunology ; Female ; Graft vs Host Disease ; prevention & control ; Graft vs Leukemia Effect ; Immune Tolerance ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I ; genetics ; Transplantation, Homologous

Objective To investigate the prevalence and influencing factors related to abuse and negligence against the elderly in the rural areas. Methods 975 elderly over 60 years from 41counties in Anhui province were included. All participants completed an anonymous questionnaire including items as: educational background, marital condition, income, child-discipline, rude action to parents, daily activities, physical functions, having chronic illness, abuse and negligence against the elderly, etc. Results In the last year, rates of common physical abuse, serious physical abuse,emotional abuse, financial exploitation, negligence, overall abuse and negligence against the elderly were 4.5%, 1.5%, 26.9%, 4.9%, 7.2%, 29.9% respectively. Among the 281 victims, 80.4% reported that they were suffered more than 3 times of abuse and neglect episodes, and 34.9% reported that they were suffered more than 2 forms of abuse and negligence. The primary sadism was carried out by the daughter-in-law or son-in-law (43.2%) of the elderly. Low activity on daily life and having chronic illness were the risk factors causing common physical abuse while better education was the protective factor to it, Low ability in managing daily activity of living was the risk factor causing serions physical abuse. Less active on daily life and having rude action to parents were the risk factors to emotional abuse, but being strict with their children was the protective factor to emotional abuse. Less active on daily life, often beating their children and having rude action to parents were the risk factors related to financial exploitation. Less active on daily life, having rude action to parents and having bad physical functions were the risk factors causing negligence. Less active on daily life and having rude manner to parents were the risk factors of overall elderly abuse and negligence, but being strict with their children was protective factor to the abuse and negligence against the elderly. Conclusion High prevalence on abuse and negligence against the elderly was seen in the rural areas of China. Different forms on elderly abuse and negligence were affected by different factors that called for more attention to be paid to those elderly with lower ability in managing their daily life.

objective To investigate the effects of knocking down of miR-19a and miR-19b on the biological characteristics of SNB19 glioblastoma cells. Methods Oligonucleotides inhibitor of miR-19a and miR-19b (miR-19a inhibitor or miR-19b inhibitor) mediated by lipofectamine2000 were transfected to SNB19 cells to knock down miR-19a and miR-19b; control group (without transfection),group D (performing transfection with nonsense sequence) and group E (performing transfection with both miR-19a inhibitor and miR-19b inhibitor) were established. Real time PCR was conducted to detect the expressions ofmiR-19a and miR-19b in these groups after the transfection. The cell proliferation rate and cell cycle kinetics were detected by 3-(4, 5-Dime- -thylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and flow cytometry, respectively; the cell invasive ability was evaluated by Transwell assay.Results As compared with those in control group and group D, the expressions of miR-19a and miR-19b, proliferation activity and invasive ability of cells in the miR-19a/19b inhibitor transfected cells (group A/B) were significantly reduced (P＜0.05). The expressions of miR-19a and miR-19b and the proliferation activity and invasive ability of cells 2, 3, 4 and 5 d after the transfection in group E were significantly reduced as compared with those in group A/B (P＜0.05). Delayed cell cycle in group A/B and group E was noted as compared with that in control group and group D; and group E enjoyed more obviously delayed eell cycle than group A/B (P＜0.05). Conclusion MiR-19a and miR-19b might be oncomiRs, and may be candidate target miRNAs for gene therapy of glioma.