OBJECTIVE: To compare the protective effects of electroacupuncture (EA) and transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) during pregnancy on maternal immune activation (MIA)-induced adverse pregnancy outcomes, fetal developmental defects, and neuropsychological behavior abnormalities in offspring mice. METHODS: Eighty pregnant C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 5 groups: control, model, EA, TEAS, and sham-stimulation groups, 16 mice in each group. MIA models were replicated on the day 12.5 of pregnancy via tail intravenous injection with polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid. On the second day of modeling success, in the EA and TEAS groups, the interventions were delivered at bilateral "Zusanli" (ST36), with a frequency of 2 Hz, a current of 0.5 mA, and for 20 min each day in the pregnant mice; and the interventions lasted 6 days. Body mass and fertility indexes of pregnant mice, and the development indexes of offspring mice were recorded. Liquid phase suspension chip technology was used to detect the levels of cytokines and chemotactic factors in the serum of pregnant mice and and fetal brain of offspring mice. Flow cytometry was adopted to detect the proportion of the subgroups and subtypes of spleen T lymphocytes and macrophages in pregnant mice. Using the open field test, prepulse inhibition (PPI) test and Morris water maze, the spatial learning and memory were assessed in offspring mice. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect microglial count in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in offspring mice. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the model group showed a reduced body mass of pregnancy mice (P<0.01), smaller litter size and fewer live births (P<0.01, P<0.05), the increase in dead birth and the decrease in offspring survival rate (P<0.05, P<0.01). When compared with model group, in the EA group and the TEAS group, the body mass of pregnancy mice rose (P<0.05), litter size and live births increased (P<0.05, P<0.01), the dead birth was reduced and the offspring survival rate higher (P<0.05). In comparison with the control group, the model group showed the increase in the levels of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), γ-interferon (IFN-γ) in the serum of pregnant mice, and spleen M1 macrophage proportion (P<0.01, P<0.05), and the decrease in spleen M2 macrophages of pregnant mice (P<0.01); and the increase in MCP-1 and IL-6 in fetal brain of offspring mice (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the EA group and the TEAS group showed the decrease in MCP-1, IL-6 and IFN-γ, and spleen M1 macrophage proportion (P<0.01, P<0.05), and the increase in spleen M2 macrophages of pregnant mice (P<0.01, P<0.05) ; and the decrease in MCP-1 and IL-6 in fetal brain of offspring mice (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, in the model group, the total movement distance, escape incubation were extended (P<0.05, P<0.01), the frequency of entering the central area and crossing the platform decreased, and the activity duration in central area was shortened (P<0.05, P<0.01), the average speed rose (P<0.05), PPI%, the percentage of target quadrant swimming time in the total time and that of target quadrant swimming distance in the total distance were reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01) in offspring mice. When compared with the model group, in the EA group and TEAS group, the total movement distance and escape incubation were shortened, the average speed was reduced (P<0.05), PPI% and the frequency of crossing the platform increased (P<0.05, P<0.01); the percentage of target quadrant swimming time in the total time and that of target quadrant swimming distance in the total distance rose (P<0.05, P<0.01) in the offspring mice. In the EA group, the frequency of entering the central area and the activity duration in central area were higher (P<0.05, P<0.01); and in the the TEAS group, the activity duration in central area were longer (P<0.05). When compared with the control group, in the model group, microglial count in mPFC was elevated in offspring mice (P<0.05). In comparison with the model group, the EA group and the TEAS group showed the decrease of microglial count in mPFC (P<0.05). CONCLUSION EA and TEAS at "Zusanli" (ST36) during pregnancy effectively improve in the pregnancy outcomes and fetal brain developmental abnormalities induced by infection, and attenuate neurodevelopmental defects and mental disorders of offspring mice through inhibiting inflammatory activation of microglia in mPFC.
Animals ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Electroacupuncture ; Acupuncture Points ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Humans ; Male

Objective:To examine the clinical characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC)-related pericardial effusion/cardiac tamponade in neonates.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of two neonates with PICC-related pericardial effusion/cardiac tamponade admitted to Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital (School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China) between October 2019 and February 2021. Literature was searched using keywords "peripherally inserted central catheter", "central venous catheter", "deep venous catheter", "pericardial effusion", "cardiac tamponade", and "neonate" in databases including CNKI, Wanfang, Yiigle, VIP Database, PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases up to June 2023. Clinical characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of neonates with PICC-related pericardial effusion/cardiac tamponade were summarized. Descriptive statistical analysis was used, and Fisher's exact test was employed to compare the impact of different treatment methods on the prognosis of the infants.Results:(1) Case report: Both infants experienced sudden onset of decreased heart rate and oxygen saturation, respiratory distress, pallor, and cyanosis of the lips. Case 1 did not undergo pericardiocentesis, while Case 2 did. Both infants died. (2) Literature review: A total of 25 articles (six in Chinese and 19 in English) were retrieved, involving 45 infants. Including the two cases from our institution, there were 47 infants in total. Among the 47 infants, 44 (94%) were preterm, and three (6%) were full-term. The gestational age of 46 infants was (29.5±3.9) weeks, with one full-term infant not reporting a specific gestational age. The birth weight of 46 infants was (1 227±600) g, with 43 (91%) being low birth weight infants. Nine cases (19%) did not specify the insertion site; 32 cases (68%) had the catheter inserted from the upper limb and six cases (13%) from the lower limb. After the onset of pericardial effusion/cardiac tamponade symptoms, the catheter tip was located at or near the right atrium in 26 cases (55%), at the junction of the vena cava and right atrium in three cases (6%), within the pericardial cavity or cardiac silhouette in three cases (6%), in the superior vena cava in two cases (4%), in the pulmonary artery in one case (2%), in the left atrium in one case (2.1%), and in the right ventricle in one case (2%). Ten cases (21%) did not specify the exact location. Among the 47 cases, 13 (28%) experienced catheter migration, and 11 (23%) had catheter kinking or angulation. Thirty cases (64%) underwent pericardiocentesis, one case (2%) underwent pericardiotomy, and 16 cases (34%) received conservative treatment. The cure rate in the non-conservative treatment group (pericardiocentesis or pericardiotomy) was 81% (25/31), higher than that in the conservative treatment group (6/16) (Fisher's exact test, P=0.004). Conclusion:Once sudden hemodynamic or respiratory abnormalities occur, cardiac ultrasound should be promptly performed to confirm the diagnosis, and pericardiocentesis should be timely conducted to improve the survival rate of the neonates.

The pathogenesis of cerebral malaria is biologically complex and involves multi-factorial mechanisms such as microvascular congestion, immunopathology by the pro-inflammatory cytokine and endothelial dysfunction. Recent data have suggested that a pleiotropic T-cell immunomodulatory protein (TIP) could effectively mediate inflammatory cytokines of mammalian immune response against acute graft-versus-host disease in animal models. In this study, we identified a conserved homologue of TIP in Plasmodium berghei (PbTIP) as a membrane protein in Plasmodium asexual stage. Compared with PBS control group, the pathology of experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) in rPbTIP intravenous injection (i.v.) group was alleviated by the downregulation of pro-inflammatory responses, and rPbTIP i.v. group elicited an expansion of regulatory T-cell response. Therefore, rPbTIP i.v. group displayed less severe brain pathology and feverish mice in rPbTIP i.v. group died from ECM. This study suggested that PbTIP may be a novel promising target to alleviate the severity of ECM.
Animals ; Brain ; Cytokines ; Down-Regulation ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Injections, Intravenous ; Malaria, Cerebral ; Membrane Proteins ; Mice ; Models, Animal ; Pathology ; Plasmodium berghei ; Plasmodium ; Staphylococcal Protein A ; T-Lymphocytes

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic effects of electromyography feedback functional electrical stimulation (FES) on plantar pressure of stroke patients. Methods 18 subjects were included in this study, who were with drop foot resulting from stroke, but could partly dorsiflex the paretic limb's ankle (Manual Muscle Test >2). They were tested on the RS-footscan plate before and after stimulation. The plantar pressure data of paretic foot and walking velocity before and after stimulation were compared. Results The initial touchdown points of most paretic foot were changed from Meta (metatarsal) 5 to heel; the time of initial touchdown of heel medial and heel lateral significantly improved, while that of Meta 3, Meta 4 and Meta 5 significantly delayed; the peak force, impulse and contact area of the heel significantly improved after stimulation (P<0.05). At the same time, the time of initial touchdown of heel medial and heel lateral of nonparetic foot significantly improved (P<0.05). Conclusion Electromyography feedback functional electrical stimulation can improve the gait pattern and the stability of patients with stroke.