The cases of feeling comfort during acupuncture and moxibustion treatment in literature were summarized and its biological basis was explored. A simple classification of comfort was made, and the importance of obtaining comfort in acupuncture treatment was pointed out. Considering the pursuit of less pain and harmlessness in modern clinical treatment, sugar needle should be advocated and popularized in current clinical practice of acupuncture and moxibustion.
Sugars ; Moxibustion ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Emotions ; Needles

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of different Conbercept treatment on diabetic macular edema(DME)with 3+PRN and 5+PRN.METHODS: Retrospective case-control study. A total of 51 patients(92 eyes)with DME who were treated in our hospital during December 2019 and June 2020 were included, and they were divided into 3+PRN group with 26 cases(48 eyes)and 5+PRN group with 25 cases(44 eyes). All patients received monthly follow-up for 12mo and the changes of best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA)and central macular thickness(CMT), the number of intravitreal injections and the occurrence of complications were compared and observed in the two groups.RESULTS:After follow-up for 12mo, there was no difference in the average injection times between the 3+PRN group and the 5+PRN group(7.24±0.91 times vs. 7.56±1.04 times, P=0.117). The BCVA and CMT of the two groups improved at 3, 6, 9, and 12mo after treatment compared with those before treatment(all P<0.05), and the BCVA and CMT of the 5+PRN group were better than those of the 3+PRN group at 6, 9, and 12mo after treatment(all P<0.05). During the follow-up period, no serious adverse events occurred in the two groups of patients, and the total incidence of ocular adverse events in the two groups was 27%. All adverse events were improved after symptomatic treatment.CONCLUSION: Both the 3+PRN and 5+PRN treatment strategy of Conbercept can treat DME safely and effectively, the total times of injection were comparable. However, the BCVA and CMT improved more in the 5+PRN group than that in 3+PRN group.

Objective: To investigate the effect of 1-acyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferaseδ (APGAT4) on the growth and lenvatinib resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and provide novel targets for HCC treatment. Methods: Using the bioinformatics methods to screen out upregulated genes in lenvatinib resistant cell lines from GEO dataset and survival related genes from TCGA dataset. Immumohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression AGPAT4 in HCC tissues, and its correlation with patients' survival. CCK8, EdU, cell cycle, and cell apoptosis assays were used to investigate the impact of role AGPAT4 on the proliferation and lenvatinib reistance of HCC cells. AGPAT4 stable knockdown cell line and subcutaneous nude mouse model were established to test the therapeutic effects of Lenvatinib. Analysis of variance was used to compare the differences between data sets. Results: APGAT4 was the common factor that predicted poor survival and Lenvatinib resistance. The mRNA and protein levels of APGAT4 were significantly upregulated in HCC tissues compared to the para-tumor tissues (P < 0.05). Using siRNA could significantly knocked down the mRNA and protein expression of APGAT4 in HCC cell lines Hep3B and HCCLM3. Compared with the control group, the proliferation ability of HCC cell lines (Hep3B and HCCLM3) in APGAT4 knockdown group was significantly inhibited, and the cell cycle was arrested in G2/M phase (P < 0.05). In addition, compared to the control group, HCC cell lines (Hep3B and HCCLM3) in APGAT4 knockdown group showed significant decrease in the Lenvatinib half maximal inhibitory concentration, and were more sensitive to lenvatinib-induced apoptosis (P < 0.05). In HCC subcutaneous nude mouse model, compared to the control group, the growth of tumor in APGAT4 knockdown group was significantly suppressed, and more apoptosis cells were induced (P < 0.05). Conclusion: APGAT4 promotes the growth and Lenvatinib resistance of HCC, which is a potential target for HCC treatment. Targeting APGAT4 treatment is conducive to inhibit the growth and Lenvatinib resistance of HCC.
Animals ; Mice ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology* ; Liver Neoplasms/pathology* ; Mice, Nude ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; RNA, Messenger ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common mood disorder that affects almost 20% of the global population. In addition, much evidence has implicated altered function of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABAergic) system in the pathophysiology of depression. Recent research has indicated that GABA receptors (GABARs) are an emerging therapeutic target in the treatment of stress-related disorders such as MDD. However, which cell types with GABARs are involved in this process is unknown. As hippocampal dysfunction is implicated in MDD, we knocked down GABARs in the hippocampus and found that knocking down these receptors in astrocytes, but not in GABAergic or pyramidal neurons, caused a decrease in immobility in the forced swimming test (FST) without affecting other anxiety- and depression-related behaviors. We also generated astrocyte-specific GABAR-knockout mice and found decreased immobility in the FST in these mice. Furthermore, the conditional knockout of GABARs in astrocytes selectively increased the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor protein in hippocampal astrocytes, which controlled the decrease in immobility in the FST. Taken together, our findings contribute to the current understanding of which cell types expressing GABARs modulate antidepressant activity in the FST, and they may provide new insights into the pathological mechanisms and potential targets for the treatment of depression.

Astrocytes are the most abundant cell type in the central nervous system (CNS). They provide trophic support for neurons, modulate synaptic transmission and plasticity, and contribute to neuronal dysfunction. Many transgenic mouse lines have been generated to obtain astrocyte-specific expression of inducible Cre recombinase for functional studies; however, the expression patterns of inducible Cre recombinase in these lines have not been systematically characterized. We generated a new astrocyte-specific Aldh1l1-CreER knock-in mouse line and compared the expression pattern of Cre recombinase between this and five widely-used transgenic lines (hGfap-CreER from The Jackson Laboratory and The Mutant Mouse Resource and Research Center, Glast-CreER, Cx30-CreER, and Fgfr3-iCreER) by crossing with Ai14 mice, which express tdTomato fluorescence following Cre-mediated recombination. In adult Aldh1l1-CreER:Ai14 transgenic mice, tdTomato was detected throughout the CNS, and five novel morphologically-defined types of astrocyte were described. Among the six evaluated lines, the specificity of Cre-mediated recombination was highest when driven by Aldh1l1 and lowest when driven by hGfap; in the latter mice, co-staining between tdTomato and NeuN was observed in the hippocampus and cortex. Notably, evident leakage was noted in Fgfr3-iCreER mice, and the expression level of tdTomato was low in the thalamus when Cre recombinase expression was driven by Glast and in the capsular part of the central amygdaloid nucleus when driven by Cx30. Furthermore, tdTomato was clearly expressed in peripheral organs in four of the lines. Our results emphasize that the astrocyte-specific CreER transgenic lines used in functional studies should be carefully selected.

OBJECTIVETo explore possible mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) for regulating immune function in anxiety disorder (AD) rats by observing the effect of acupuncture on the histology of thymus and expressions of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and natriuretic peptide receptor type A (NPR- A) in thymus.

METHODSTotally 34 SD healthy rats were randomly divided into the blank control group (n = 10), the model group (n = 12), the EA group (n = 12). Anxiety model was established in rats of the model group and the EA group by using chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) stimulation. EA (15/25 Hz) at Neiguan (PC6) and Shenmen (HT7) was performed in the EA group, with 15-min needle retaining, once every other day, 15 days in total. Needle was fixed at same acupoints for 15 min without electric stimulus in the other two groups. Anxiety-like behavior was measured by elevated plus-maze (EPM) test. Pathological changes of thymus tissue were observed by optical microscope. Expressions of ANP and NPR-A in thymus were measured by immunohistochemical assay.

RESULTSThe thymus tissue in the model group was severely atrophied, with unclear structure of thymic lobules, unclear margin of thymic medulla, loosely arranged lymphocytes ,and obviously enlarged volume of thymic corpuscle. The thymus tissue in the EA group was mildly atrophied, with existent structure of thymic lobules, clear margin of thymic medulla, densely arranged lymphocytes in cortical region, and widened medullary area. Com- pared with the blank control group, the percentage of open-arms entries (OE%) in the total QE times ob- viously decreased in the model group (P < 0.05), ANP expression obviously increased (P < 0.05), and NPR-A expression obviously decreased (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, OE% was obviously elevated (P < 0.05), ANP expression obviously decreased (P < 0.05), and NPR-A expression obviously increased (P < 0.01) in the EA group.

CONCLUSIONEA not only could reduce anxiety of rats, but also could improve chronic stress induced thymus injury through intervening synthesis and secretion of ANP, as well as the expression of NPR-A (a specific receptor of ANP).

Acupuncture Points ; Animals ; Anxiety Disorders ; therapy ; Atrial Natriuretic Factor ; metabolism ; Electroacupuncture ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Atrial Natriuretic Factor ; metabolism ; Thymus Gland ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of Danshen Injection () on inhibition proliferation, inducing apoptosis and its possible mechanisms on human erythroid leukemic (HEL) cells.

METHODSThe commercial Chinese patent medicine of Danshen Injection was extracted and isolated from Chinese herb of Salvia miltiorrhiza bung. The inhibition effects of proliferation were assayed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method in HEL cells treated by Danshen Injection at various concentrations for 48 h. The cellular apoptosis was observed in morphology, analyzed by flow cytometry with annexin V and propidium iodide (PI) staining, and examined by DNA degradation ladder on agarose gel electrophoresis. Meanwhile, the expression levels of mutant Janus kinasez (JAK2) gene and phosphorylation-JAK2 (P-JAK2) protein were detected by allele specific-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot.

RESULTSThe proliferation of HEL cells was effectively inhibited by Danshen Injection in a dose-dependent manner, with suppression rates from 19.46±2.31% to 50.20±5.21%. Typical apoptosis cells was observed in Danshen Injection treated HEL cells, the rates of annexin V positive cells increased obviously in a dose-dependent manner, as well as the DNA degradation ladder of apoptosis revealed on gel electrophoresis. The expression levels of mutant JAK2 gene and P-JAK2 protein reduced gradually with increasing dosage of Danshen injection.

CONCLUSIONDanshen Injection could not only significantly inhibit the proliferation, but also induce apoptosis in HEL cells; down-regulation of the mutant JAK2 gene and P-JAK2 protein expressions are probably one of its molecular mechanisms.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Base Sequence ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; DNA Primers ; Down-Regulation ; drug effects ; Humans ; Janus Kinase 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute ; enzymology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mutation ; Phosphorylation ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of exogenous Ca2+ on photosynthetic parameters of Pinellia ternate and accumulations of active components under high temperature stress.

METHODThe pigment contents of P. ternata leaves, photosynthesis parameters and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of P. ternata leaves, the contents of guanosine, adenosine and polysaccharide in P. ternata tubers were measured based on different concentrations of exogenous Ca2+ in heat stress when the plant height of P. ternata was around 10 cm.

RESULTThe contents of total chlorophyll and ratio of chlorophyll a/b were relatively higher by spaying Ca2+. Compared with the control, spaying 6 mmol x L(-1) Ca2+ significantly enhanced the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration (Tr) and stomatal limitation (L8), but reduced intercellular CO2 concentration (C) in P. ternata leaves. With the increase of Ca2+ concentration, maximal PS II efficiency (Fv/Fm), actual photosynthetic efficiency (Yield) and photochemical quenching coefficient (qP) initially increased and then decreased, however, minimal fluorescence (Fo) and non-photochemical quenching coefficient (NPQ) went down first and then went up. The contents of guanosine and polysaccharide and dry weight of P. ternata tubers showed a tendency of increase after decrease, and the content of adenosine increased with the increase of Ca2+ concentration. The content of guanosine and polysaccharide in P. ternata tubers and its dry weight reached maximum when spaying 6 mmol x L(-1) Ca2+.

CONCLUSIONWith the treatment of calcium ion, the inhibition of photosynthesis and the damage of PS II system were relieved in heat stress, which increased the production of P. ternata tubers.

Breeding ; Calcium ; pharmacology ; Chlorophyll ; metabolism ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Heat-Shock Response ; drug effects ; Organ Size ; drug effects ; Photosynthesis ; drug effects ; Pinellia ; drug effects ; growth & development ; metabolism ; physiology ; Plant Leaves ; drug effects ; growth & development ; metabolism

Amniotic Fluid ; metabolism ; Biomarkers ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Embolism, Amniotic Fluid ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Keratin-13 ; metabolism ; Pregnancy ; Respiratory Aspiration ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical effect and complications of subfascial breast augmentation and submammary breast augmentation.

METHODFrom Sept. 2009 to May 2012 , 25 patients with subfascial breast augmentation and 31 patients with submammary breast augmentation were observed. The postoperative results including visible implant edge or ripple, upper pole of the implant and long-term implant ptosis were compared respectively. The complications including hematoma, infection and capsular contraction were also recorded.

RESULTS56 cases were followed up for 2 months to 26 months. The incidence rate of visible implant edge or ripple was 4.0% (1/25 ) in the subfascial group and 29.0% (9/31) in the submammary group, showing a significant difference between them ( PC 0.05). The incidence rate of convex upper pole of the implant was 8.0% (2/25) in the subfascial group and 35.5% (11/31) in the submammary group, showing a significant difference between them ( P < 0.05). Long-term implant ptosis was not found in the two groups. The incidence rate of hematoma was 4.0% (1/25) in the subfascial group and 6.5% (2/31) in the submammary group, infection was not found. The incidence rate of capsular contraction was 8.0% (2/25) in the subfascial group and 12.9% (4/31) in the submammary group, showing no statistical difference between them ( P > 0.05 ).

CONCLUSIONSSubfascial breast augmentation has more clinical advantages compared with submammary breast augmentation, but no evident difference was found in the common complication rate, such as capsular contraction.

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Mammaplasty ; adverse effects ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult