Effects of mind-regulating acupuncture on pain, negative emotion and sleep quality in patients with postherpetic neuralgia： a randomized controlled pilot trial. / è°ƒç¥žé’ˆæ³•å¯¹å¸¦çŠ¶ç–±ç–¹åŽé—ç¥žç»ç—›æ‚£è€ ç–¼ç—›ç¨‹åº¦ã€è´Ÿæ€§æƒ ç»ªå’Œç¡çœ è´¨é‡çš„å½±å“.

OBJECTIVES: To observe the effect of mind-regulating acupuncture on pain intensity, sleep quality, negative emotion in patients with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), and evaluate the clinical effect of mind-regulating acupuncture combined with surrounding needling and heavy moxibustion at Ashi points (Extra) in treatment of PHN. METHODS: The patients with PHN were randomly divided into a control group (35 cases, 2 cases dropped out) and a comprehensive therapy group (35 cases). The patients in the control group were treated with surrounding needling and heavy moxibustion at Ashi points. In the comprehensive therapy group, the mind-regulating acupuncture therapy was delivered besides the treatment as the control group. The treatment was given once daily, one course of treatment was composed of 6 days and 2 courses were required in the 2 groups. Before and after treatment, the pain conditions were assessed using pain rating index (PRI), visual analogue scale (VAS) and present pain intensity (PPI), the negative emotions were assessed using Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) and Hamilton depression scale (HAMD), and the sleep quality with Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). One week before and one week after treatment, the average sleep time was recorded. The therapeutic effect of 2 groups was evaluated. The effective cases of 2 groups were followed up in 2 months after treatment completion and the recurrence of neuralgia was recorded. RESULTS: There were no statistical differences in the above indicators between the 2 groups before treatment. After 2 courses of treatment, the scores of PRI, VAS, PPI, HAMA, HAMD and PSQI were reduced when compared with those before treatment in the patients of the 2 groups (P<0.05), and the average sleep time was increased (P<0.05). The scores of PRI, VAS, PPI, HAMA, HAMD and PSQI in the comprehensive therapy group, as well as the average sleep time were all improved when compared with those of the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate in the comprehensive therapy group (34/35, 97.14%) was higher than that of the control group (27/33, 81.82%, P<0.05) and the recurrence rate was lower (ï¼»2/34, 5.88%ï¼½vsï¼»8/27, 29.63%ï¼½, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of mind-regulating acupuncture with surrounding needling and heavy moxibustion at Ashi acupoint can effectively relieve PHN. Compared with the traditional surrounding acupuncture in pain area combined with moxibustion at Ashi points, this comprehensive therapy is more effective for ameliorating pain intensity, improving sleep quality and reducing negative emotions. It is also effective for declining the recurrence.

Target organ damage in untreated hypertensive patients with primary aldosteronism.

An increased risk of target organ damage (TOD) has been reported in patients with primary aldosteronism (PA). However, there is relatively little related research on the correlation between the degree of TOD and those with and without PA in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients. The aim of this study was to assess the association between PA and TOD among patients with newly diagnosed hypertension. Newly diagnosed hypertensive patients were consecutively recruited from January 2015 to June 2020 at the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital. Patients were stratified into those with and without PA. Data for left ventricular mass index (LVMI), carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and plaque, and microalbuminuria were systematically collected. A total of 1044 patients with newly diagnosed hypertension were recruited, 57 (5.5%) of whom were diagnosed with PA. Patients with PA had lower blood pressure, serum lipids, body mass index, and plasma renin activity and a higher incidence of hypokalemia than those without PA. In contrast, the prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy, increased CIMT, and microalbuminuria was higher in patients with PA than in those without PA. Multivariable regression analysis demonstrated that PA was independently associated with increased LVMI, CIMT and microalbuminuria. Among patients with newly diagnosed hypertension, those with PA had more severe TOD, including a higher LVMI, CIMT and microalbuminuria, than those without PA. These findings emphasize the need for screening TOD in newly diagnosed hypertension due to underlying PA.

Different Acupuncture Therapies for Postherpetic Neuralgia: An Overview of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the most common complication of herpes zoster infection and affects patients' quality of life. Acupuncture therapy is regarded as a competitive method of treatment for analgesia. OBJECTIVE: To summarize evidence from systematic reviews (SRs) and evaluate the effectiveness and safety of different acupuncture therapies for treating PHN. METHODS: Eight electronic databases were searched from their inception to August 5, 2022, including 4 international electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) and 4 Chinese databases (Chinese Biomedical Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Database and Wanfang Database). Methodological quality was assessed by A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR 2). The Risk of Bias in Systematic Review (ROBIS) tool was used to assess the risk of bias in SRs. Evidence level was assessed by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. RESULTS: Totally, 7 SRs were included, including 128 studies and 9,792 patients. In AMSTAR 2, most of the SRs were of low or critically low levels since they had more than 1 critical deficiency. In ROBIS, 1 SR (14.29%) was rated as high risk, and the other 6 (85.71%) were rated as low risk. In the GRADE system, 9 outcomes (28.13%) were valued as high level, 5 (15.63%) as moderate level, 1 (3.13%) as low, and 17 (53.13%) as very low. In the effectiveness of acupuncture therapy, the group "moxibustion vs. original medical treatment" [mean difference (MD)=-1.44, 95% confidence interval (CI): -1.80 to -1.08, I2=99%, P<0.00001] was of the highest heterogeneity and the group "bloodletting vs. original medical treatment" (MD=-2.80, 95% CI: -3.14 to -2.46, I2=0, P<0.00001) was of the lowest heterogeneity. Six SRs have reported the safety of their studies and no serious events were shown in the treatment and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture therapy seems to be effective in treating PHN. Despite the evidence that suggested the advantages of acupuncture therapy in relieving pain and promoting efficacy and safety, the methodological quality was quite low. Further studies should pay more attention to the quality of original studies and evidence for SRs to confirm these findings. (PROSPERO registration No. CRD42022344790).

[Pollution Characterization and Comprehensive Water Quality Assessment of Rain-source River: A Case Study of the Longgang River in Shenzhen].

Rain-source urban rivers are an important part of the urban ecosystem. Due to the small water environment capacity and the rapid development of the regional economy and society, they are vulnerable to serious pollution. The goal of this study was to identify the main pollution characteristics of river water quality and to carry out a scientific comprehensive water quality assessment. Water samples from 12 sampling locations of the Longgang River in Shenzhen, a typical rain-source urban river, were collected from January to December in 2018. According to the Environmental Quality Standard for Surface Water (GB 3838-2002), 22 water quality indicators were analyzed, and the water quality of Longgang River was comprehensively evaluated using the single-factor assessment method, comprehensive pollution index method, and principal component analysis method. The results of the single-factor assessment method showed that water quality of all sampling sites of the Longgang River met the Class V of the Environmental Quality Standard for Surface Water (GB 3838-2002), and the Tiaojiao Shui and Longxi River met the Class Ⅳ and Class Ⅲ of the Environmental Quality Standard for Surface Water (GB 3838-2002), respectively. The results of the comprehensive pollution index method showed that the water quality of 12 sampling sites was clean or relatively clean. Both the results of the comprehensive pollution index and principal component comprehensive score showed that the water quality of Longxi River, Nanyue River, and Tianjiao Shui were the best among all sampling sites. There is still room for improvement in the Wutongshan River, Dakang River, Ailian River, Dingshan River, and Huangsha River, and significant consideration should be given to parameters such as nutrients (TN, TP, and NH4+-N), organic matter (COD and BOD5), fecal coliform, and anionic surfactants. The three methods were a combination of qualitative and quantitative evaluation. The results of each method were not identical. Thus, it is very necessary to explore the comprehensive water quality assessment using various methods for making scientific and reasonable water pollution control strategies.

Compressed-sensing fiber-optic white light interferometry.

In this Letter, we propose a dynamic fiber-optic white light interferometry (WLI) based on the compressed-sensing (CS) principle. The time-varying interference spectra of a Fabry-Perot cavity under vibration are considered as a two-dimensional (2D) signal with respect to both laser wavelength and time, which can be compressively sampled using a programmable semiconductor laser source during the measurement process. After CS reconstruction, the spectrum acquisition rate is equal to the random wavelength modulation rate, up to 10 MHz in this Letter, providing an attractive alternative to laser-based dynamic interferometry. Numerical simulations and nanometer-scale vibration experiments verify the effectiveness of the scheme.

Extract From Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Leaf Alleviates Pseudomonas aeruginosa Lung Infection: Network Pharmacology Analysis and Experimental Evidence.

Tetrastigma hemsleyanum Diels & Gilg (T. hemsleyanum) has attracted much attention due to its ability on pneumonia, bronchitis, and immune-related diseases, while its functional components and underlying mechanism of action on pneumonia have not been fully elucidated. Herein, we used a systematic network pharmacology approach to explore the action mechanism of T. hemsleyanum leaf in the treatment of pneumonia. In this study, the results of network pharmacology demonstrated that there were 34 active components and 80 drug-disease targets in T. hemsleyanum leaf, which were strongly in connection with signal transduction, inflammatory response, and the oxidation-reduction process. Subsequently, a mouse model of pneumonia induced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) was established to validate the predicted results of network pharmacology. In the animal experiments, aqueous extract of T. hemsleyanum leaf (EFT) significantly attenuated the histopathological changes of lung tissue in P. aeruginosa-induced mice and reduced the number of bacterial colonies in BALFs by 96.84% (p < 0.01). Moreover, EFT treatment suppressed the increase of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-17, IL-6, and TNF-α in lung tissues triggered by P. aeruginosa, which led to the increase of Th17 cells (p < 0.05). High concentration of EFT treatment (2.0 g/kg) obviously increased the anti-inflammatory cytokine levels, accompanied by the enhancement of Treg proportion in a dose-dependent manner and a notable reversal of transcription factor RORγt expression. These findings demonstrated that network pharmacology was a useful tool for TCM research, and the anti-inflammatory effect of EFT was achieved by maintaining Th17/Treg immune homeostasis and thereby suppressing the inflammatory immune response.

The complete chloroplast genome of Solanum betacea (Solanaceae, Solaneae).

Solanum betacea is a sub-tropical tree, and the fruit has high nutritional value, unique flavor and color. It is used as a functional ingredient in health care, food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications. The complete chloroplast(Cp) genome of S. betacea has been assembled and annotated in this paper. Its length was 155,937 bp, containing a large single-copy region of 86,731 bp, a small single-copy region of 18,450 bp, and a pair of IR regions of 25,378 bp in each. The complete chloroplast genome of S. betacea contained 134 genes, including 90 protein-coding genes, 36 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), and 8 ribosome RNA genes (rRNAs). The overall GC content was 37.7% and the GC contents of the LSC, SSC, and IR regions were 35.7%, 31.8%, and 43.1%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis with the reported chloroplast genomes revealed that S. betacea has been most closely related to Solanum torvum. These findings will provide useful information for further investigation of chloroplast genome evolution in Solanum betacea.

The complete chloroplast genome of Crateva unilocularis (Capparaceae).

Crateva unilocularis is naturally distributed in Southern China, which is an elite natural tree with high edible and medicinal value. In this study, whole chloroplast (cp) genome of Crateva unilocularis was assembled and characterized on the basis of Illumina pair-end sequencing data. The complete cp genome was 156,417 bp in length, containing a large single-copy region (LSC) of 85,607 bp and a small single-copy region (SSC) of 18,164 bp, which were separated by a pair of 26,323 bp inverted repeat regions (IRs). The genome contained 128 genes, including 85 protein-coding genes, 35 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The overall GC content is 36.32%, while the corresponding values of the LSC, SSC, and IR regions were 33.98, 29.45, and 42.48%, respectively. The maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analysis showed a strong sister relationship with Crateva tapia. These findings provide a foundation for further investigation of cp genome evolution in Crateva unilocularis and other higher plants.

The complete chloroplast genome of Fraxinus malacophylla (Oleaceae, Oleoideae).

Fraxinus malacophylla is one of the commonly used ecological restoration tree species in rocky desertification areas. It has high medicinal and timber value. And has high marketization prospects. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of F. malacophylla was generated by de novo assembly using whole-genome next generation sequencing. The complete chloroplast genome of F. malacophylla was 155621 bp in total sequence length and divided into four distinct regions: large single copy region (86404 bp), small single copy region (17821 bp), and a pair of inverted repeat regions (25698 bp). The F. malacophylla chloroplast genome annotation predicted a total of 131 genes, consisting of 35 tRNA genes, 8 rRNA genes, and 88 protein-coding genes. Phylogenetic analysis with the reported chloroplast genomes revealed that F. malacophylla has most closely related to F. excelsior.

The effects of climate warming on the migratory status of early summer populations of Mythimna separata (Walker) moths: A case-study of enhanced corn damage in central-northern China, 1980-2016.

Mythimna separata (Walker) moths captured in light traps were monitored in Luohe, central-northern China, from 1980 to 2016. Annual average temperature recorded an increase of 0.298°C/10 years in this region in the period. Our results indicate that a rising April and May average temperature and earlier occurrences of days recording the highest day temperature (30°C) caused an advanced peak and increasing proportion of high ovarian development levels of first-generation females in earlier summers. Results using Johnson's formulation of "oogenesis-flight syndrome" indicate that increasing sexual maturity proportion has resulted in more emigrant individuals in the local first-generation moth becoming residents, and then increased individuals rapidly in the local second-generation moth since 2006. Consequences of this action have a boom in corn damage since 2007 in this region. Advanced peak dates of the first and second-generation moth revealed the same response to increasing average monthly temperatures in the monitoring period. Increasing temperatures, the average May temperature exceeds or equal to 22°C, during the early 2000's may represent a physiological threshold for M. separata development. Our results suggest that climate warming may impact M. separata migratory status and cause a problem of crop production in this region.

[Therapeutic effect of intradermal needling combined with rehabilitation intervention on knee osteoarthritis in the middle and early stages].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of intradermal needing combined with rehabilitation intervention on middle and early knee osteoarthritis. METHODS: Seventy patients were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 35 cases in each group. Excluding the dropping cases, finally, 34 cases in the observation group and 32 cases in the control group were included in the statistics. Intradermal needing combined with rehabilitation intervention were given in the observation group, the intradermal needing was applied at Dubi (ST 35), Neixiyan (EX-LE 8), Xuehai (SP 10), Liangqiu (ST 34), Yanglingquan (GB 34), ashi point, and retained for 24 h; the simple conventional rehabilitation intervention was given in the control group. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate knee pain before treatment, the end of initial treatment, 1 month after treatment, and 3 months after treatment. The Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) was used to assess the joint function of the knee, the active knee flexion range (ROM) was used to assess the joint mobility of the knee before treatment and 1 month after treatment, and the efficacy of the two groups was evaluated. RESULTS: At the end of the initial treatment, the VAS score in the observation group were significantly improved as compared with that before treatment and the control groups (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the control group compared with that before treatment (P>0.05). After 1 month of treatment, the VAS score, WOMAC score and ROM measurement in the two groups were significantly improved as compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), and the observation group was superior to the control group (P<0.05); the total effective rate in the observation group was 97.1% (33/34), which was better than 81.3% (26/32) in the control group (P<0.05). At the follow-up, the VAS scores in the two groups were slightly higher than those after 1 month of treatment, but the difference was still statistically significant as compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), and the observation group was still superior to the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The combination of intradermal needing combined with rehabilitation intervention can effectively alleviate knee pain and improve joint function. It has a beneficial effect on the rehabilitation of middle and early knee osteoarthritis.

[Clinical Effectiveness of Intradermal Needle-embedding Therapy for Swallowing Function in Stroke Patients with Dysphagia].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of intradermal needle-embedding therapy in the treatment of dysphagia in stroke patients. METHODS: A total of 80 stroke patients with dysphagia were randomly divided into treatment group and control group (n ＝ 40 in each). The control group was treated with conventional medicines, neuromuscular electrical stimulation of the bilateral midlines of the neck and swallowing function training, and the treatment group treated by intradermal needle-embedding at Lianquan (CV 23), Jialianquan-point, Yifeng (TE 17), Ashi-point, etc. (once every other day for 20 days) on the basis of the treatments used in the control group. Swallowing function (0－10 points scaling, the bigger the better)and surface electromyography (sEMG) of the bilateral suprahyoid muscles and infrahyoid muscles in the relaxing, nothing swallowing and water-swallowing conditions were tested before and after the treatment. RESULTS: After treatment, the swallowing scores were significantly increased in both groups compared with those of their individual pre-treatment (P<0.05), suggesting an improvement of swallowing function. During relaxing, nothing swallowing and water-swallowing conditions, the peak amplitudes of sEMG were considerably increased in both groups relevant to those of their individual pre-treatment (P<0.05)．The swallowing function score, and maximum amplitudes of sEMG during relaxing, nothing swallowing and water-swallowing conditions were significantly higher in the treatment group than in the control group (P<0.05), suggesting a better efficacy of intradermal needle-embedding treatment. CONCLUSION: Intradermal needle-embedding can significantly improve the swallowing function of stroke patients with dysphagia.

High CCR6/CCR7 expression and Foxp3+ Treg cell number are positively related to the progression of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Chemokine receptors CCR6 and CCR7 have been reported to play important roles in T cell migration and organ-specific metastasis of various tumors. In the present study, we evaluated the expression and clinical significance of CCR6, CCR7, their ligands and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and metastatic lymph nodes (LNs). The expression of CCR6, CCR7 and their ligands mRNA (CCL20, CCL19/CCL21) as well as the CCR6 and CCR7 proteins were detected by real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC), respectively. Flow cytometry was used to investigate the percentage of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Furthermore, a number of cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12p70, interferon (IFN)-γ and transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1 were detected by ELISA. The results showed that CCR6 and CCR7 were expressed in tumors in situ, metastatic LNs and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs. It was hypothesized that the expression profile of CCR6, CCR7 and the proliferation of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs affected the process of LN metastasis in LSCC patients. Therefore, the increased percentage of the Foxp3+ Tregs and the upregulation of Foxp3 expression on CCR6+ Tregs in LSCC patients may have accounted for the downregulation of antitumor immunity in these patients, which could be valuable for assessment of prognosis in LSCC treatment.

[Intravenous contrast-enhanced ultrasound of metastatic lymph nodes in rabbit VX2 tongue carcinoma model].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the sonographic features of the cervical lymph nodes in rabbit VX2 tongue carcinoma model and hyperplasia cervical lymph nodes model using gray scale contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) after intravenous administration of SonoVue (a sonographic contrast agent) and to evaluate the potential utility of CEUS in detecting early metastatic cervical lymph nodes in the rabbit VX2 tongue carcinoma model. METHODS: Twenty New Zealand rabbits were placed into 2 groups, 12 for node metastasis and 18 for node hyperplasia. Cervical CEUS was performed in the rabbits of both groups before and after intravenous administration of SonoVue(0.6 ml). The phase, pattern, beginning area and echogenicity of enhancement of the lymph nodes on the right neck were observed and recorded. Dissection of the lymph nodes were guided by the marks made during CEUS and examined histopathologically. RESULTS: On the right side of each rabbit only one lymph node were detected in both groups. All 8 cases in the hyperplasia group showed homogeneous enhancement starting from central, while in the metastasis group one case showed homogeneous enhancement starting from the central, 3 cases showed inhomogeneous enhancement starting from periphery, and 8 cases showed inhomogeneous enhancement starting both from central and periphery. One lymph node was dissected on the right side of the neck in each rabbit in both groups. Pathological examination showed all 12 lymph nodes in the metastatic group were metastatic lymph nodes, and all 8 lymph nodes in the hyperplasia group were hyperplastic lymph nodes. CONCLUSIONS: After intravenous CEUS, metastatic lymph nodes show inhomogeneous enhancement starting from periphery/central or periphery area, while hyperplastic lymph nodes show homogeneous enhancement starting from central area. Metastatic lymph nodes can be characterized as being neoplastic or benign on the basis of the enhancement patterns evaluated by CEUS.

[Preliminary research on the regeneration of injured rabbit vocal folds after the transplantation of human amniotic epithelial cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the survival, growth and distribution of human amniotic epithelial cells (hAEC) after injected into injured rabbit vocal folds, in addition, to assess the ability of hAEC to affect the components of lamina propria extracellular matrix (ECM) and prevent vocal fold scarring. METHODS: hAEC were isolated from human amnion and marked by Lenti-EGFP. Fifteen New Zealand rabbits were used for this experiment. EGFP-hAEC was injected into the left injured vocal folds in thirteen rabbits, and the contralateral thirteen vocal folds experienced an injured procedure only ("injured untreated control"), and four vocal folds were left as untreated controls. The survival, distribution, differentiation potential and secretion function of hAEC were examined by immunofluorescence method. HE staining and immunohistochemical staining were performed for the evaluation of collagen and fibronectin respectively. RESULTS: hAEC showed a cobblestone-like growth. After implanted into the injured vocal folds, hAEC could survive in vocal fold lamina propria for 2 months. The immunofluorescence analysis showed the evidence of hAEC differentiation into muscle cells as well as secretion the ECM protein. Three months postoperatively, the density of collagen was higher in the injured untreated control folds than that in the injured vocal folds injected with hAEC and the untreated controls. Besides, the content of fibronectin in the injured untreated control group was significantly increased. CONCLUSIONS: hAEC survived in the vocal folds lamina propria, and had the potentiality to differentiate into vocal folds tissue and secret some ECM components. The histological improvement caused by the injected cells demonstrate that hAEC had the ability to promote the repairment and regeneration of injured vocal folds.

[Metastatic tumors in nasal cavity and pharynx: a clinicopathological analysis of 11 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of metastatic tumors in nasal cavity and pharynx. METHODS: The clinicopathological data of 11 patients was studied retrospectively with a literature review. Among 11 cases, 7 patients were males and 4 females. Ages ranged from 46 to 78 years old. The sites of the metastatic tumor involvement included 5 cases of nasal cavity (3 cases derived from kidney, 1 case from lung, 1 case from liver), 3 cases of nasopharynx (1 case derived from rectum, 1 case from lung, 1 case from eyelid), 2 cases of palatine tonsil (1 case derived from lung, 1 case from liver) and 1 case of laryngopharynx (1 case derived from liver). All cases were lack of specific clinical symptoms related to metastatic sites. The treatment was primarily based on radical metastasectomy and systemic therapy. RESULTS: Histopathologically, clear cell carcinoma was the most common (4/11), followed by adenocarcinoma (2/11), hepatocellular carcinoma (2/11), tubular adenocarcinoma (1/11), intrahepatic bile duct carcinoma (1/11) and eyelid board carcinoma (1/11). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of metastatic tumors in nasal cavity and pharynx is extremely low. The definite diagnosis mainly relies on the history of primary cancer and the morphological characteristics of metastatic tumor. The treatment is primarily based on radical metastasectomy and systemic therapy.

[Expression and clinical significance of CCR6, CCR7 and CD4(+)CD25(+) Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and neck lymphatic metastasis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the expressions and clinical significance of chemokine receptor 6 (CCR6), chemokine receptor 7(CCR7) and CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Treg) in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and metastatic lymph nodes. METHODS: Blood samples and fresh specimens of LSCC were obtained from 50 LSCC patients treated. Blood samples from normal subjects were donated by 20 volunteers. The mRNA expressions of CCR6, CCR7 and their ligands CCL20, CCL19/CCL21 were detected by real-time quantitative RT-PCR. Expressions of CCR6 and CCR7 proteins were examined with immunohistochemistry. Flow cytometry was used to investigate Treg in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. RESULTS: The relative expression levels of CCR6, CCR7 and CCL19 mRNA in tumor tissues with lymphatic metastases were significantly lower than those without lymph node metastases (P < 0.05), while the relative expression level of CCL20 mRNA in tumor tissues with lymphatic metastases was significantly higher than that of those without metastatic lymph nodes (t = 2.39, P < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry showed that the expression levels of CCR6 and CCR7 in tumor tissues in patients with lymph node metastases than those without lymph node metastases. CCR6 and CCR7 expressions were also detected in metastatic lymph nodes. Flow cytometry showed that the percentage of Treg in blood in LSCC patients was significantly higher than that in normal subjects (t = 2.19, P < 0.05), and those with lymph node metastasis had a much higher percentage of Treg (t = 2.14, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CCR6, CCR7 and Treg could take part in the process of lymph node metastasis in LSCC patients.

[Soil condensation water in different habitats in Horqin sandy land: an experimental study].

Weighing method was adopted to study the formation time and the amount of soil condensation water in four habitats (mobile sandy land, fixed sandy land, farmland, and Mongolian pine forest land) in Horqin Sandy Land in August 2007. The soil condensation water began to form at 20:00-22:00, increased gradually at 22:00-4:00, and began to evaporate after 4:00. In the four habitats, soil condensation water was mainly formed in 0-9 cm layer, and the amount was the greatest in 0-3 cm layer, accounting for 40% of the total. The soil condensation water also formed in 9-30 cm layer, but in very small amount. There was a greater difference in the mean daily amount of soil condensation water in 0-3 cm layer in the four habitats, with the sequence of fixed sandy land > mobile sandy land > farmland > Mongolian pine forest land, which indicated that the habitat with better vegetation condition was not benefit the formation of soil condensation water. The mean daily amount of soil condensation water in 0-30 cm layer was 0.172 mm in fixed sandy land, 0.128 mm in Mongolian pine forest land, 0.120 mm in mobile sandy land, and 0.110 mm in farmland.

Cloning, in vitro expression, and bioactivity of interleukin-18 isolated from a domestic porcine breed found in Henan.

To evaluate the effects of recombinant porcine interleukin-18 (rpIL-18) on the replication of viruses in host cells and proliferation of lymphocytes, porcine IL-18 (pIL-18) isolated from a domestic big-white porcine breed found in the Henan province (HN) was cloned using a reverse transcriptase-PCR. The cloned HN pIL-18 contained an ORF of 579 base pairs encoding a 192-amino-acid precursor protein. The amino acid sequence of HN pIL-18 was compared with all the other pIL-18 amino acid sequences and varied by at least one amino acid to the consensus of all the others available. HN pIL-18 mature protein gene was inserted into a prokaryotic vector pGEX-4T-1 and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21. The expression of glutathione-S-transferase-pIL18 fusion protein was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blot analysis. The rpIL-18 induced in vitro proliferation of concanavalin-A-stimulated porcine splenocytes, as revealed by the MTT assay. We studied the antiviral activities of the rpIL-18 on the replication of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), pseudorabies virus (PRV), and porcine parvovirus (PPV) cultured in two homologous cell lines. The results suggested that rpIL-18 can stimulate the proliferation of lymphocytes and inhibit viral pathogens infecting the porcine population.

[Sinonasal teratocarcinosarcoma: a clinical, radiologic and pathologic study of 5 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical, radiologic and pathologic features, as well as differential diagnosis of teratocarcinosarcoma in nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. METHODS: Light microscopic examination and immunohistochemical study was performed in 5 cases of sinonasal teratocarcinosarcoma. The clinical, radiologic and pathologic features were analyzed and the literature was reviewed. RESULTS: All 5 patients were males and their age ranged from 34 to 43 years (mean age = 39 years). The clinical presentation was nasal obstruction, epistaxis and headache. Physical examination often revealed a polypoid mass with contact bleeding. Computed tomography showed a homogeneous nasal mass with obturation of sinuses. Cystic changes, calcification or ossification was not observed. Histologically, the tumor showed a heterogeneous admixture of components from the 3 germ cell layers, exhibiting various degrees of maturation. Squamous epithelium, smooth muscle cells, chondro-osseous tissue, intestinal or respiratory type epithelium, "fetal-type" clear cells and immature neuroepithelium were commonly seen. Immunohistochemical study demonstrated that the epithelial component expressed cytokeratin and epithelial membrane antigen, while the mesenchymal component variably expressed vimentin, smooth muscle actin and S-100 protein. On the other hand, the neuroepithelial component expressed neuron-specific enolase, synaptophysin and chromogranin, and the primitive component expressed CD99. The initial biopsy diagnosis included capillary hemangioma, olfactory neuroblastoma, craniopharyngioma and malignant mixed tumor. Follow-up information was available in all patients. Two of which had local recurrence and 1 had cervical lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: Sinonasal teratocarcinosarcoma is a rare and highly malignant tumor occurring in sinonasal tract. It manifests mainly in adult males and is characterized by a complex admixture of teratomatous and carcinosarcomatous components. "Fetal-type" clear cells, squamous epithelium and immature neuroepithelium represent important histologic characteristics useful in diagnosis.