OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) for ameliorating diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) based on the analysis of gut microbiota and metabolomics. METHODS: Thirty SPF-grade male SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, and an EA group, with 10 rats in each one. Except in the normal group, the intraperitoneally injection with streptozotocin was used to induce diabetes mellitus model in the rest groups. In the EA group, acupuncture was delivered at bilateral "Zusanli" (ST36), "Sanyinjiao" (SP6), "Pishu" (BL20) and "Shenshu" (BL23), and electric stimulation was attached to "Zusanli" (ST36)-"Sanyinjiao" (SP6) and "Pishu" (BL20)-"Shenshu" (BL23), on the same side, with continuous wave and a frequency of 2 Hz, for 10 min in each intervention. The intervention measure of each group was delivered once every 2 days, 3 times a week, for 8 consecutive weeks. Body weight, random blood glucose (RBG), thermal withdrawal latency (TWL), and mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) before intervention, and in 4 and 8 weeks of intervention, separately, as well as sensory nerve conduction velocity (SCV) and motor nerve conduction velocity (MCV) of the sciatic nerve after intervention were measured. Metagenomic sequencing (MS) was used to analyze gut microbiota and screen for differential species. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was employed to detect the differential metabolites in plasma, and the metabolic pathway enrichment analysis was performed on the differential metabolites. Spearman correlation analysis was adopted to assess the relationship between gut microbiota and metabolomics. RESULTS: After 4 and 8 weeks of intervention, when compared with the model group, the EA group showed the increase in body weight, TWL, MWT (P<0.01), and the decrease in RBG (P<0.01). Compared with the normal group, SCV and MCV, as well as Chao1 index were dropped in the model group (P<0.01), and those were elevated in the EA group when compared with those in the model group (P<0.01). The dominant bacterial phyla of each group were Firmicutes (F) and Bacteroidota (B), the ratio of them (F/B) in the model group was lower than that of the normal group (P<0.05), and F/B in the EA group was higher when compared with that in the model group (P<0.05). In comparison with the normal group, the relative abundance increased in Prevotella, Segatella, Prevotella-hominis and Segatella-copri (P<0.05); and it decreased in Ligilactobacillus, Eubacterium, Pseudoflavonifractor, Ligilactobacillus-murinus (P<0.05) in the model group. Compared with the model group, the relevant abundance of the above mentioned gut bacteria was all ameliorated in the EA group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Among the three groups, 120 differential metabolites were identified and enriched in 28 key metabolic pathways, such as glycerophospholipid and linoleic acid, of which, glycerophospholipid was the most significantly affected pathway in EA intervention. Spearman correlation analysis showed that 6 phosphatidylcholine metabolites were significantly positively correlated with Pseudoflavonifractor and were negatively with Prevotella, Segatella, Prevotella-hominis, Segatella-copri; 5 phosphatidylethanolamine metabolites were significantly negatively correlated with Pseudoflavonifractor and positively correlated with Prevotella, Segatella, Prevotella-hominis, Segatella-copri. CONCLUSION EA may regulate metabolic pathways such as glycerophospholipid, modulate specific gut microbiota such as Pseudoflavonifractor, Prevotella, and Segatella, and the co-expressed differential metabolites like phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine, thereby reducing blood glucose and protecting nerve function, so as to relieve the symptoms of DPN of rats.
Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Male ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Diabetic Neuropathies/microbiology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Metabolomics ; Humans ; Acupuncture Points

Objective:To evaluate the accuracy of two-dimensional ultrasound(2D-US), three-dimensional volume ultrasound (3D-US) and ultrasound strain elastography (USE) in the measurement of preoperative tumor size of breast cancer and its influencing factors.Methods:A total of 101 patients with breast cancer in Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University from April to November 2016 were recruited in this study. The maximum diameter of the lesion was examined by 2D-US 3D-US and USE before core needle biopsy or surgery biopsy. The Bland-Altman analysis and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used to analyze the consistency between the ultrasonic technique measurements and the pathological measurements of postoperative lesion. Chi-square test or Fisher exact test was used to analyze whether the accuracy of three imaging techniques was affected by different clinical pathologic factors and imaging characteristics.Results:3D-US showed better agreement with histology than 2D-US and USE, with a higher ICC (ICC 3D-US=0.90>ICC 2D-US=0.81>ICC SUE=0.78) and low variation. In 3D-US, the accuracy rate of the age >40 years old group was higher than ≤40 years old group. In 2D-US, the measurement accuracy of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) without intraductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) group was higher than DCIS with DCIS group, non-microcalcifications group was more accurate than microcalcifications group. The long diameter of lesion ≤2 cm group was more accurate than >2 cm group, IDC group was more accurate than invasive lobular carcinoma(ILC) group. In USE, the measurement accuracy of IDC without DCIS group was higher than DCIS with DCIS group, non-microcalcifications group was more accurate than microcalcifications group. All the differences mentioned above were statistically significant(all P<0.05). Conclusions:For accurate measurement of the size of breast cancer lesions, 3D-US is the best, which is least affected by clinicopathological factors and imaging features, followed by 2D-US and USE. This has certain significance for clinically determining the extent of breast cancer lesions.

Objective:To determine the role of type Ⅱ alveolar epithelial stem cells (AEC Ⅱ) in radiation-induced pulmonary injury and investigate the potential mechanism by observing the dynamic changes in the expression levels of anti-prosurfactant protein C (proSP-C) proSP-C (AEC Ⅱ biomarker), homeobox only protein X (HOPX, type I alveolar epithelial cell biomarker) or vimentin (a mesenchymal marker) and transforming growth factor β 1(TGF-β 1), a profibrotic cytokine. Methods:Eight-week old C57BL/6j female mice were exposed to X-ray thoracic irradiation. Mouse lungs were collected at 8 different time points of 24 h, 1 week, 1 to 6 months after irradiation. The histopathological changes of the lungs at different time points were observed with H& E staining to determine the time of formation of pulmonary fibrosis. In addition, the co-expression of proSP-C with HOPX or vimentin in AEC Ⅱ was confirmed by immunofluorescence staining to track AEC Ⅱ phenotypes at different injury phases following thoracic irradiation. The expression levels of those proteins and TGF-β 1 were quantitatively detected by Western blot. Results:After thoracic exposure to a single dose of 20 Gy X-ray for 3 months, the fibrotic lesions in the lungs could be noted. The co-expression of proSP-C with vimentin or HOPX could be observed in AEC Ⅱ. Western blot demonstrated that the expression levels of TGF-β 1 and those proteins were also changed along with the lung injury. Conclusion:AEC Ⅱ can be differentiated into mesenchymal-like cells after X-ray irradiation due to the up-regulated expression of TGF-β 1, which is a potential cause of radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

Objective To evaluate the effects of combined treatment for advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma and to analyze its prognostic factors Methods Fifty three patients treated with a three step combined therapeutic regimen were defined as research arm The procedures of the three step combined treatment were as follows: induction of tumor remission, sequential chemotherapy and adjuvant immunotherapy Three hundred and eighteen patients with advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma treated with cytoreductive surgery and systemic chemotherapy were retrospectively classified into control arm Results The rates of complete response and partial response in the research arm were significantly differed from those in the control arm (90 6%, 5 7% Vs 70 1%, 5 3%, P

Objective To investigate individualized and multi-phase management of recurrent epithelial ovarian carcinoma in order to improve survival of the patients. Methods From 1998 to 2002, 70 patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian carcinoma were enrolled in the present study. The treatments were divided into: (1) Induction of tumor remission:platinum sensitive patients were treated with paclitaxol + cisplatin (TP) or carboplatin + cyclophosphamide(CP)regimen; platinum resistant patients used Taxol + mitomycin(TM)or etoposide+ mitomycin(VM)regimen. Resection of tumors was done in an attempt to reduce the residual tumor with a diameter less than 1cm. Local radiotherapy was performed for those with residual tumor and who achieved clinical response after chemotherapy or surgery. (2) Consolidation therapy: chemotherapy with lower doses was administrated after disease remission. Interferon was used as immunotherapy during chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Survial analysis was done. Results (1) The 1, 2, 3, 4, 5-year survival rates were 67%, 51%, 45%, 38%, 32% . Median survival was 38.57 months. (3)The 1,2,3-year progression-free survival rates of the research arm were 41%, 37%, 24%. Median progression-free survival was 12.00 months. (4) Multivariate analysis revealed that platinum-free interval (P

Purpose:To study prognostic factors of younger women's eptihelial ovarian neoplasms.Methods: From Jan. 1980 to Dec. 1992, there were 86 cases of younger women's epithelial ovarian carcinoma in our hospital. We studied serveral prognostic factors retrospectively.Results:In this setting, 2 year survival rate were 79.07%, 5 year survival rate were 54.65%. There were 49 cases with stage Ⅰ and 41 cases with grade Ⅰ. No recurrence was found in 4 patients who preserved ovarian function. Cox model multifactor results showed that grade, residual tumor size and the method of surgery were prognostic factors( P 0 05). The pathological type, FIGO staging, grade, residual tumor size, the method of surgery were important factors according to unifactor analyze ( P