Astragalus protects PC12 cells from 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neuronal damage: A serum pharmacological study.

Accumulating evidence has already indicated that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) possesses tremendous potential for treating neurodegenerative diseases. Astragalus, also named Huangqi, is a famous traditional medical herb that can be applied to treat cerebral ischemia and prevent neuronal degeneration. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. In the present study, Astragalus-containing serum (ASMES) was prepared and added into the culture medium of PC12 cells to explore its neuroprotective effect on 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-caused neuronal toxicity. Our data showed that ASMES significantly ameliorated the cellular viability of cultured PC12 cells against the neurotoxicity induced by 6-OHDA (P < 0.05). Moreover, ASMES significantly decreased the cell apoptosis triggered by 6-OHDA (P < 0.01). Furthermore, 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate assay was performed to detect the changes in oxidative stress, and we showed that 6-OHDA elevated the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), whereas ASMES significantly reversed these changes (P < 0.01). Besides, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) assay showed that ASMES could restore 6-OHDA-damaged MMP in cultured PC12 cells (P < 0.05). In conclusion, Astragalus could protect PC12 cells from 6-OHDA-caused neuronal toxicity, and possibly, the ROS-mediated apoptotic pathway participated in this process. Collectively, our findings provided valuable insights into the potential in treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Real-Time Visualization of Solid-Phase Ion Migration Kinetics on Nanowire Monolayer.

Ion migration has been recognized as a critical step in determining the performance of numerous devices in chemistry, biology, and material science. However, direct visualization and quantitative investigation of solid-phase ion migration among anisotropic nanostructures have been a challenging task. Here, we report an in-situ ChemTEM method to quantitatively investigate the solid-phase ion migration process among coassembled nanowires (NWs). This complicated process was tracked within a NW and between NWs with an obvious nanogap, which was revealed by both phase field simulation and ab initio modeling theoretical evaluation. A migration "bridge" between neighboring NWs was observed. Furthermore, these new observations could be applied to migration of other metal ions on semiconductor NWs. These findings provide critical insights into the solid-phase ion migration kinetics occurring in nanoscale systems with generality and offer an efficient tool to explore other ion migration processes, which will facilitate fabrication of customized and new heteronanostructures in the future.

Up-regulated miR-374a-3p relieves lipopolysaccharides induced injury in CHON-001 cells via regulating Wingless-type MMTV integration site family member 5B.

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a frequent and incurable joint disease, inducing significant pain and seriously threatening to human health. It has been reported that microRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles on cancers and inflammatory diseases via cooperating with genes. However, the effect of miR-374a-3p/Wingless-type MMTV integration site family, member 5B (WNT5B) pair in OA remains to be explored. METHODS: GSE105027 and GSE55457 datasets were obtained to reveal the expression of miR-374a-3p and WNT5B in OA cartilages using log-scale. The OA cell model was established by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) stimulation in CHON-001 cells and the functional role of miR-374a-3p on OA was investigated by analyzing cell proliferation, cell apoptosis and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins (Bcl-2, Bax and Bim). Through bioinformatics prediction, WNT5B, the target gene of miR-374a-3p, was predicted and the association between miR-374a-3p and WNT5B was further explored by luciferase reporter assay. Functional experiments in vitro were conducted to assess whether WNT5B was involved in the regulation of miR-374a-3p to LPS-stimulated CHON-001. Finally, the expression of JNK/ERK/MAPK pathway-related proteins was detected to explore the underlying molecular mechanism. RESULTS: The data set showed that miR-374a-3p was decreased in OA cartilages and the consistent expressional pattern was observed in LPS-stimulated CHON-001 cells. Overexpression of miR-374a-3p significantly alleviated LPS-induced damage in CHON-001 cells, whereas miR-374a-3p inhibitor aggravated LPS-stimulated injury. Further experiments demonstrated that WNT5B was a target of miR-374a-3p and its expression was decreased by miR-374a-3p. WNT5B expression was increased in OA cartilages. Silencing WNT5B prevented CHON-001 cells from LPS-induced damage. Down-regulation of WNT5B strengthened the protective effect of miR-374a-3p on LPS-stimulated CHON-001 cells. Moreover, miR-374a-3p cooperated with WNT5B to affect cell behaviors of LPS-stimulated CHON-001 cells via mediating the JNK/ERK/MAPK pathway. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that overexpression of miR-374a-3p protects CHON-001 cells against LPS challenge by modulating WNT5B and inhibiting the JNK/ERK/MAPK pathway.

[Quantitative evaluation of the degrees of traditional Chinese medicine qualitative syndromes of osteoporosis].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a quantitative estimate model for diagnosing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes of patients with osteoporosis. METHODS: Symptoms and signs of osteoporosis and methodology related to syndrome research were collected by reviewing medical literature. The symptoms and sighs were quantitatively classified into three, two or one category according to a 100-mm visual analog scale. Fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model of TCM qualitative syndromes was performed based on analytic hierarchy process. Then "Hall for Workshop of Metasynthetic Engineering" expert symposium was held on subjects of syndrome quantification method and weight of evaluation indices in different levels for developing the analysis model of common syndromes. For clinical verification, the created models were applied to patients with osteoporosis for discriminating syndromes. Syndrome of each patient was also identified by 8 experts major in integrative medicine treating osteoporosis for comparing the coincidence rate using a self-made clinical questionnaire. RESULTS: Through literature reviewing, symptoms and signs quantification and expert discussing, the authors formed estimate models of essence deficit, qi deficiency, yin deficiency, yang deficiency, and blood stasis. A total of 220 patients with osteoporosis were enrolled and filled the clinical questionnaire. All 8 experts completed and returned the questionnaire (1 760 cases), and 1 545 of them were filled in completely. Experts' opinion on syndrome differentiation was exactly coincidence to estimate model in 611 cases and almost coincidence in 639 cases. The total coincidence rate reached to 94.05%. CONCLUSION: The estimate model for syndrome differentiation of osteoporosis has a high-coincidence rate with the fuzzy evaluation from experts, with good rationality and feasibility, and is worthy of promotion in the clinical study.

[A study of diagnostic criteria for traditional Chinese medicine syndromes in osteoporosis].

OBJECTIVE: To establish diagnostic criteria for common traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes in osteoporosis. METHODS: Based on the collection and analysis of related medical literature, clinical investigation, and expert discussion, a draft of preliminary diagnostic criteria for the basic syndromes of TCM in patients with osteoporosis was formulated. Then it was used in clinic for verification and revised repeatedly until a formal version of diagnostic criteria was satisfactorily achieved. RESULTS: The basic syndromes listed in the diagnostic criteria for patients with osteoporosis consisted of two parts: qualitative diagnosis and localization diagnosis. Results of qualitative diagnosis showed that the qualitative syndromes included damage of essence, deficiency of vital energy, deficiency of yin, deficiency of yang and blood stasis. The localization diagnosis showed that location of osteoporosis is bone and corresponds to the kidney, and also involves liver, lung, spleen (stomach) and heart. The diagnostic content has established the specific symptoms and the non-specific symptoms during various stages. Each of the above syndromes could be diagnosed according to a specific combination of its corresponding symptoms or signs. The clinical verification results showed that the total matching ratio of qualitative diagnosis was 80.56% between the diagnoses made according to the criteria and the diagnoses acquired from the experts' experience, and the total matching ratio of localization diagnosis was 85.56%. CONCLUSION: The TCM syndrome diagnostic criteria for osteoporosis is generally consistent with TCM clinical practice, worthy of further popularization and application in clinical practice.

Pedicle screw fixation against burst fracture of thoracolumbar vertebrae.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the application of vertebral pedicle screw fixation in the treatment of burst fracture of thoracolumbar vertebrae. METHODS: A total of 48 cases (31 males and 17 females, aged from 18-72 years, mean: 41.3 years) with thoracolumbar vertebrae burst fracture were treated by pedicle screw system since January 2004. According to the AO classification of thoracolumbar vertebrae fracture, there are 36 cases of Type A, 9 of Type B and 3 of Type C. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 6-25 months (average 12 months), no secondary nerve root injury, spinal cord injury, loosening or breakage of pedicle screw were observed. The nerve function of 29 patients with cauda equina nerve injury was restored to different degrees. The vertebral body height returned to normal level and posterior process angle was rectified after operation. CONCLUSIONS: The vertebral pedicle screw internal fixation was technologically applicable, which can efficiently reposition and stabilize the bursting fractured vertebrae, indirectly decompress canalis spinalis, maintain spine stability, scatter stress of screw system, reduce the risk of loosening or breakage of screw and loss of vertebral height, and prevent the formation of posterior convex after operation.

[Stress distribution on the femoral neck at different abduction angles of the hip joint: a finite element analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the stress distribution and its changes of the femoral neck at different abduction angles of the hip joint to provide biomechanical evidence for the treatment of hip joint disease. METHODS: A three-dimensional finite element model of the femoral head region was reconstructed on the basis of data available in the dataset of No.1 Virtual Male Chinese. Different abduction angles of the hip joint were simulated under the load of body weight, and the stress distribution on the femoral neck was calculated and compared. RESULTS: With different abduction angles of the hip joint, the stresses on the medial and lateral sides of the femoral neck were obviously greater than those on the anterior and posterior regions. As the abduction angle of the hip joint increased, the stress on the posterior aspect of the femoral neck decreased while that in other regions increased (except for the anterior aspect of the femoral neck which remained unchanged). CONCLUSION: The lateral aspect of the femoral neck withstands the most intense stress of the body weight, which increases with the abduction angle of the hip joint.