[Effect of electronic moxibustion on memory function in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electronic moxibustion on memory function in the patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). METHODS: A total of 59 aMCI patients were randomized into an electronic moxibustion group (30 cases) and a placebo moxibustion group (29 cases). In the electronic moxibustion group, the electronic moxibustion was applied to Baihui (GV 20), Dazhui (GV 14), Mingmen (GV 4) and Taixi (KI 3), 45 ℃ in temperature, 20 min each time. The treatment was given once a day, 5 times a week. The treatment for 4 weeks was as one course and 2 courses were required totally. In the placebo moxibustion group, the moxa-free patch was used, 38 ℃ in temperature. The acupoint selection and the treatment frequency were same as the electronic moxibustion group. Before and after treatment, Rivermead behavior memory test (RBMT) was adopted to evaluate the global memory function of the patients in the two groups and the N-back task test was adopted to evaluate working memory function separately. Additionally, the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and its immediate memory, Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) and its delay recall were adopted to evaluate the global cognitive function and memory function. RESULTS: In the electronic moxibustion group, after treatment, RBMT score, N-back accuracy rates, MMSE and MoCA scores and the scores of immediate memory and delay recall were improved significantly as compared with those before treatment (P<0.01). In the placebo moxibustion group, the accuracy rates of 1-back and 2-back task and the scores of immediate memory and delay recall were improved obviously as compared with those before treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01). After treatment, the improvements of RBMT score, the accuracy rates of N-back task and MMSE and MoCA scores in the electronic moxibustion group were higher than those in the placebo moxibustion group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Electronic moxibustion improves memory function in the patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

Modulatory effects of acupuncture on brain networks in mild cognitive impairment patients.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging has been widely used to investigate the effects of acupuncture on neural activity. However, most functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have focused on acute changes in brain activation induced by acupuncture. Thus, the time course of the therapeutic effects of acupuncture remains unclear. In this study, 32 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment were randomly divided into two groups, where they received either Tiaoshen Yizhi acupuncture or sham acupoint acupuncture. The needles were either twirled at Tiaoshen Yizhi acupoints, including Sishencong (EX-HN1), Yintang (EX-HN3), Neiguan (PC6), Taixi (KI3), Fenglong (ST40), and Taichong (LR3), or at related sham acupoints at a depth of approximately 15 mm, an angle of ± 60°, and a rate of approximately 120 times per minute. Acupuncture was conducted for 4 consecutive weeks, five times per week, on weekdays. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging indicated that connections between cognition-related regions such as the insula, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, inferior parietal lobule, and anterior cingulate cortex increased after acupuncture at Tiaoshen Yizhi acupoints. The insula, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus acted as central brain hubs. Patients in the Tiaoshen Yizhi group exhibited improved cognitive performance after acupuncture. In the sham acupoint acupuncture group, connections between brain regions were dispersed, and we found no differences in cognitive function following the treatment. These results indicate that acupuncture at Tiaoshen Yizhi acupoints can regulate brain networks by increasing connectivity between cognition-related regions, thereby improving cognitive function in patients with mild cognitive impairment.

[Distribution of CD45RO⁺ T and CD45RA⁺ T Cells in Peripheral Blood of Patients with Peripheral T Cell Lymphoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical significance of memory T cells (CD45RO⁺ T) and the initial T cells (CD45RA⁺ T) distribution in peripheral blood of patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL). METHODS: A total of 27 patients diagnosed as PTCL in our hospital from February 2010 to February 2014 were collected in this study; whereas 30 healthy people were enrolled as control. The distribution of CD45RO⁺ T and CD45RA⁺ T cells were detected seperately in each group, and the results were analysed further. RESULTS: The expression of T cell antigens in lymphnodes of PTCL patients were diverse: the CD4⁺ T cells were the main immune phenotype, while the B cell-related antigen was not expressed. The CD4⁺/CD8⁺, CD4⁺ CD45RO⁺ T in the peripheral blood of PTCL patients were significantly lower than that in normal group (P < 0.05); while the CD4, CD45RA⁺ T, CD8⁺ CD45RA⁺ T and CD8⁺ CD45RO⁺ T were significantly higher than that in normal group (P < 0.05). The patients in stage I/II had higher CD4⁺/CD8⁺, CD4⁺ CD45RO⁺ T than those in stage III/IV (P < 0.05), whereas the CD4⁺ CD45RA⁺ T, CD8⁺ CD45RA⁺ T and CD8⁺ CD45RO⁺ T were significantly lower than those in the stage III/IV patients (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The distributions of CD45RA⁺ T and CD45RO⁺ T in PTCL patients are quite different, and the corresponding treatment might be adopted according to the different distribution of these cells, so as to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of PTCL.

[Clonal kinetic proliferative change of TCR Vbeta subfamilies in peripheral blood of patients transplanted with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells and its relation to GVHD].

This study was purposed to investigate the dynamic change of clonal proliferation of T cell receptor V subfamilies in peripheral blood of patients received allo-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and to analyze the relationship between T cell clonal proliferative changes and GVHD. The peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples from 70 cases (17 GVHD patients) undergoing allo-PBCST patients were detected for CDR3 (complementarity determining region 3 repertoire analysis of T cell receptor Vbetagene) using reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The products were further analyzed by genescan to identify T cell clonality. The results showed that the patients of HSCT generally passed through a transformation from monoclone to polyclone. At day 60 - 90 after HSCT, half of the cases were monoclonal and the remainders were polyclonal. After 120 days, most of patients without GVHD transferred into polyclones, however, patients with GVHD remained monoclonal after one year because of immunosuppressive agents and GVHD itself. The peripheral blood of GVHD patients mainly expressed monoclone/biclone at the time of target organ damage conspicuously, after medication intervention, partial monoclone or bioclone expressed TCR Vbeta subfamilies were diverted to polyclonal expression. It is concluded that the T cells present clonal proliferation and T cell receptors are prone to be used when patients are in earlier period of transplantation or with GVHD especially. The expression of TCR Vbeta subfamilies can return to normal polycloning along with the recovery of hematopoiesis and immunity in patients.

[Recipient lymphopenia state enhances the expansion and anti-leukemia effect of leukemia specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of recipient lymphopenia state in the expansion and function of leukemia specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were induced to lymphopenia with 6 Gy total body irradiation. Spleen T cells or leukemia specific T cells from EGFP+ transgenic C57BL/6-EGFP mice were adoptively transferred by intravenous injection. The mice were challenged subcutaneously with 1 x 10(6) FBL3 leukemic cells at day 2 after irradiation. The peripheral WBC count, percentage of EGFP+ cells, subsets of T cells and tumor sizes were monitored. RESULT: Both of the spleen T cell and leukemia specific CTL proliferated efficiently with the percentage of EGFP+ cells of 28. 81% and 42.24%, respectively, after infused into lymphopenic recipients. However, spleen T cells had no anti-leukemia effect regardless of its expansion. In contrast, leukemia specific CTLs showed a more rapid and extensive expansion under the condition of lymphopenia and a enhanced anti-leukemia immunity. CONCLUSION: Transfusion of leukemia specific CTLs under lymphopenia state could be a feasible strategy to expand leukemia specific CTLs and generate favorable anti-leukemia effect in vivo.

[Establishment of a mouse model for detecting multi-drug resistant minimal residual leukemia cells expressing green fluorescent protein].

This study aimed to investigate the pathophysiology and therapy of multi-drug resistant model of minimal residual leukemia in mice. The multi-drug resistant model of minimal residual leukemia was established by using P388/VCR-G cell line expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and DBA mice. The results showed that P388/VCR-G were inoculated in the abdominal cavities of DBA mice, the incidence of leukemia was 100%. Any of these mice with leukemia could not obtain remission spontaneously. The model of leukemia was sensitive to cyclophosphamide (Cy) and the time of survival was related to the dose of Cy received. The logarithm of cells inoculated in mice correlated regressionally with the dose of Cy. So this model was ideal for research on minimal residual leukemia. The distribution of residual leukemia cells in complete remission was not uniform in different organs including liver, spleen, thymus and bone marrow. Minimal residual leukemia cells could be found by fluorescent microscopy in freezing tissue slice. It is concluded that the multi-drug resistant model of minimal residual leukemia expressing EGFP can be established by using P388/VCR-G cell line and DBA mice. The minimal residual leukemia cells can be observed by fluorescence microscopy in complete remission stage.