OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the intestinal flora in rats with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and explore its possible mechanism based on the gut-lung axis theory. METHODS: A total of 30 male SD rats of SPF grade were randomly divided into a normal control (NC) group, a model group and an EA group, 10 rats in each one. In the model group and the EA group, COPD model was established by intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide combined with cigarette fumigation. In the EA group, EA was applied at bilateral "Feishu" (BL13) and "Zusanli" (ST36), with disperse-dense waves, in frequency of 4 Hz/20 Hz, current of 1-3 mA, 20 min a time, once a day for 14 days continuously. Before and after modeling, as well as after intervention, body weight was observed; after intervention, the lung function indexes (forced expiratory volume in 0.1 second [FEV_0.1], FEV_0.1/forced vital capacity [FVC]%, forced expiratory volume in 0.3 second [FEV_0.3] and FEV_0.3/FVC%) were measured, serum levels of inflammatory factors (tumor necrosis factor-α[TNF-α], interleukin-6[IL-6], interleukin-1β[IL-1β] and interleukin-10[IL-10]) were detected by ELISA, histopathology of lung and colon tissues was observed by HE staining, the intestinal flora were analyzed by 16S rRNA, and the correlations between lung function and intestinal flora were analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with the NC group, in the COPD group, the body weight and lung function indexes were reduced (P<0.01); the lung and colon tissues were damaged, the mean linear intercept (MLI) of alveolus and inflammatory cell numbers of 100 μm² in lung tissue were increased (P<0.01); the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β were increased (P<0.01, P<0.05), and the serum level of IL-10 was decreased (P<0.01); α-diversity indexes of intestinal flora were increased (P<0.01); the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria and Oscillospira, Bacteroides, Coprococcus was increased (P<0.01), the relative abundance of Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Tenericutes, TM7 and Lactobacillus, Allobaculum, Bifidobacterium, YRC22 was decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05); 31 different expressed metabolic pathways were identified between the two groups. Compared with the COPD group, in the EA group, the body weight and lung function indexes were increased (P<0.01); the damage of lung and colon tissues was improved, the MLI of alveolus was decreased (P<0.05); the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β were decreased (P<0.05), and the serum level of IL-10 was increased (P<0.05); α-diversity indexes of intestinal flora were decreased (P<0.01); the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria and Oscillospira, Bacteroides, Coprococcus was decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05), the relative abundance of Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Tenericutes, TM7 and Lactobacillus, Allobaculum, Bifidobacterium, YRC22 was increased (P<0.01); 35 different expressed metabolic pathways were identified between the two groups. The lung function was positive related with Actinobacteria, Tenericutes, TM7 and YRC22, and was negative related with Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria and Oscillospira, Bacteroides, Coprococcus. CONCLUSION EA may ameliorate lung function and tissue injury of COPD by regulating intestinal flora dysbiosis and inflammatory response, suggesting an anti-inflammatory effect mediated via "gut-lung" axis.
Animals ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/genetics* ; Male ; Electroacupuncture ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Lung/metabolism* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Humans ; Interleukin-6/immunology* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/immunology* ; Intestines/microbiology* ; Interleukin-10/immunology*

Aim To explore the key genes in the blood transcriptome of atherosclerosis patients based on blood transcriptomics.Methods Three datasets GSE12288,GSE27034 and GSE90074 were extracted from the GEO data-base and performed the merging and normalization processing.The differential genes in peripheral blood samples of ather-osclerosis patients and controls were analyzed,and enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes were performed.Then weighted gene co-expression network analysis was performed for all genes.Using differentially expressed genes to construct protein-protein interaction(PPI)network,and using CytoHubba to screen key genes based on co-expression net-work and PPI network.And the expression levels of key genes were detected by RT-qPCR.Results 74 down-regu-lated genes and 145 up-regulated genes were identified between atherosclerosis patients and controls.GO and KEGG en-richment analyses revealed that they were significantly enriched in neutrophil activation,granulocyte activation,cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and chemokine signaling pathway.In addition,the top 10 genes in the co-expression network and the top 20 genes in the PPI network were also identified,in which PRF1,NKG7,GZMB and CCL5 played a high core role in the PPI network and co-expression network.The RT-qPCR results showed that compared with the non coronary atherosclerosis controls,the mRNA expression levels of PRF1 and GZMB in peripheral venous blood peripheral blood mono-nuclear cell(PBMC)of coronary atherosclerosis patients were significantly reduced(P＜0.05),while the mRNA expres-sion levels of NKG7 and CCL5 were significantly increased(P＜0.05).Conclusion PRF1,GZMB,NKG7 and CCL5 may be key genes in the blood transcriptome of atherosclerosis patients,and are expected to be potential biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment of atherosclerosis.

Objective To investigate the contrast enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)features of ovarian tumor torsion(OTT).Methods Seventeen cases with OTT were evaluated using CEUS.CEUS was performed with low mechanical index and the contrast agent of Sono Vue.Results Thirteen cases with total torsion of ovarian tumor appeared as no enhancement.Four cases with partial torsion showecl hyperechoic enhancement in the early phase and hypoechogenicity in the late phase.Conclusions The enhancement of OTT has characteristic,which would be helpful for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of OTT.

Objective To explore the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)in the differential diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma and endometrial hyperplasia.Methods Forty-five patients with endometrial carcinoma and 21 patients with hyperplasia were studied by CEUS.Twenty-four normal women were enrolled as contrast group.Results In normal uterus, myometrium exhibited earlier enhancement later washout than the endometrium.Similar phenomenon was observed in patients with hyperplasia.In patients with endometrial carcinoma,the lesion showed wash-in and washout earlier, at least not later than the myometrium.Conclusions Endometrial carcinoma and hyperplasia showed different enhancement patterns,which may be helpful for the diagnosis of the two diseases.

Genomic DNA from 17 primary human tcsticular seminomas was screend for the presence of mutations in exon 5 - 8 of P53 gene, using the single strand conformation polymorphism assay, followed by direct DNA sequencing. P53 mutations in one alle'e leading to an amino acid change were identified in 4 of 17 seminomas. Sites of mutations were in exon 5(codon 141), exon 7 (codon 238, codon 258) and exon 8(codon 279). The present study suggests that mutation of P53 gene is involved in the development of human testicular seminoma.

The numbers of nucleolar organizer region (AgNOR) were counted by one-step silver colloid technique in 6 cases of normal bladder tissue, 9 chronic cystitis and 56 transitional cell carcinoma of bladder. The results revealed that the mean number of AgNOR per nucleus was not statistically different between normal bladder tissue and chronic cystitis while a significant difference was observed between normal, or inflammatory tissue and malignant tissue or between various grades of bladder tumor. The results also indicated that the mean number of AgNOR per nucleus was closely related to the prognosis of bladder tumor. So it is suggested that the AgNOR counting with silver stain technique may play a role in the differentiation of benign and malignant lesions and in the grading and prognosis of bladder tumors.