Effects of Electroacupuncture on Brain Function of APP/PS1 Mice: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To investigate the effects of electroacupuncture at Baihui (DU20) and Shenting (DU24) on brain function of APP/PS1 mice. Methods:Sixteen 4-month-old APP/PS1 mice in the same litter were randomly divided into model group (n = 8) and electroacupuncture group (n = 8). Eight transgenic negative mice in the same litter were as control group. The electroacupuncture group accepted electroacupuncture at Baihui and Shenting for 16 weeks. They were assessed with Object Recognition Test before and after intervention, and observed under small animal functional magnetic resonance imaging with regional homogeneity (ReHo) analysis. Results:Compared with the control group, the discrimination ratio decreased in the model group after intervention (P < 0.05), while it increased in the electroacupuncture group compared with that in the model group (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, ReHo of right basal forebrain and left hippocampus decreased in the model group before intervention. Compared with the control group, ReHo decreased in bilateral hippocampus group and increased in retrosplenial cortex in the model group after intervention; while it increased in bilateral hippocampus and motor cortex and decreased in anterior cingulate gyrus in the electroacupuncture group compared with that in the model group. Conclusion:Electroacupuncture at Baihui and Shenting may delay the decline of learning and memory ability in Alzheimer's disease model mice, which may relate to the regulation of functional activities in hippocampus.

Roles of Microglial Membrane Receptors in Alzheimer's Disease (review) / 中国康复理论与实践

β-amyloid (Aβ) plaque deposition, neurofibrillary tangles and neuroinflammation are important pathological features of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Microglial membrane receptors, such as triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2, Toll-like receptors, complement system and scavenger receptor, play a key role that mediate neuroinflammatory responses, promote Aβ clearance and signal transduction.

Effect of Electroacupuncture on Learning-memory and Expression of β-site Amyloid Precursor Protein Cleaving Enzyme 1 in APP/PS1 Mice / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective To explore the effects of electroacupuncture at Baihui (DU20) and Shenting (GV24) on Alzheimer's disease, and possible mechanism for it.Methods A total of 24 eight-month-old APP/PS1 male mice were randomly divided into model group (n = 8), electroacupuncture group (n = 8) and non-acupoint group (n = 8), and other eight wild-type mice were as wild-type group.The electroacupuncture group accepted electroacupuncture at Baihui and Shenting, while the non-acupoint group accepted electroacupuncture at bilateral subcostal non-acupoint area, and the wild-type group and the model group accepted the same grasping and fixing, for 28 days. Then they assessed with Morris water maze test. The levels of β-amyloid protein (Aβ) and β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) in cerebral cortex were detected with immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence respectively, and the level of BACE1 m RNA with RT-PCR.Results Compared with the model group, the escape latency decreased in the electroacupuncture group (P ＜ 0.001), and the times crossing platforms increased (P ＜ 0.001), while the expression of BACE1 and Aβ decreased (P ＜ 0.001).Conclusion Electroacupuncture may improve the learning-memory ability by inhibiting the expression of BACE1 in the cerebral cortex of APP/PS1 mice to decreasing the level of Aβ.

Effects of Warming Acupuncture Therapy on Expressions of IL-6 and SOCS3 in Spinal Cord in Rats with Neuropathic Pain / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To observe effects of warming acupuncture therapy on expressions of IL-6 and SOCS3 in spinal cord in rats with neuropathic pain; To discuss its mechanism for treating neuropathic pain. Methods Experimental rats were randomly divided into: normal group, model group, warming acupuncture and IL-6 group, with 6 rats in each group. Sciatic nerve chronic constriction injury neuralgia model was established in the model group, without intervention. After modeling for 5 days in the warming acupuncture group, "Pishu" and "Shenshu" acupoints were chosen for warming acupuncture therapy for 10 times. After modeling for 5 days in the IL-6 group, IL-6 group was successfully intrathecally injected 3 times with recombinant IL-6. After finishing all experiments, the mechanical pain behavior was measured with electronic Frye fibers. The mRNA levels of IL-6 and SOCS3 and protein concentration of spinal Iba-1were detected with ELISA and RT-PCR analysis. Results Compared with model group, mechanical withdrawal thresholdsin the warm acupuncture group significantly increased, and the content of Iba-1 decreased significantly (P<0.01); The mRNA level of IL-6 decreased significantly (P<0.01), and the mRNA level of SOCS3 significantly increased (P<0.01). Conclusion Warming acupuncture therapy can reduce the pain response in rats with neuropathic pain through inhibiting spinal cord microglial activation, down-regulating the gene expression of lL-6 and up-regulating the gene expression of SOCS3.

Functional polymorphism in exon 5 and variant haplotype of the interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 gene are associated with susceptibility to and severity of sepsis in the Chinese population / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK1) is believed to play an important role in the pathogenesis of sepsis. Recent studies have suggested that the IRAK1 functional genetic variant could affect the severity of sepsis in Caucasians. In this report, we have investigated whether polymorphisms at the IRAK1 gene are associated with the susceptibility to and severity of sepsis among the Chinese population.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (htSNPs) were selected from the HapMap database. They were genotyped in 255 patients with sepsis and 260 control subjects by PCR/restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. The association between the selected htSNPs and the susceptibility to and severity of sepsis were estimated by Logistic regression with adjustments for age, sex, smoking, drinking, chronic disease status, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score and primary diseases.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>rs1059702 was selected to represent the six linked htSNPs for IRAK1. Genotype frequencies of the htSNPs were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for females, as were allele frequencies for both sex groups. Associations were observed in females between the htSNPs C/C genotype and increased susceptibility to sepsis (odds ratio (OR), 5.46; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.12 - 26.67; P = 0.018), and such associations were also observed between the IRAK1 variant haplotype (CC/C-allele) and increased susceptibility to sepsis (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.05 - 2.70; P = 0.031) when compared with the T/T + T/C genotype and the wild-type haplotype (TC + TT/T-allele). In the multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) subgroup, the variant haplotype was also associated with increased severity of sepsis (OR, 2.37; 95% CI, 1.13 - 4.94; P = 0.02) when compared with the wild haplotype. This association was not significant in male patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The functional polymorphism in exon 5 and the variant haplotype of IRAK1 gene mediate susceptibility to and severity of sepsis. IRAK1 might be a genetic risk factor for the occurrence and development of sepsis in the Chinese population.</p>

TRAF6 polymorphisms not associated with the susceptibility to and severity of sepsis in a Chinese population / 世界急诊医学杂志（英文）

@#BACKGROUND: The tumor necrosis factor recepter associated factor (TRAF) 6 is an important intracellular adapter protein that plays a pivotal role in activating multiple inflammatory and immune related processes induced by cytokines. TRAF6 represents a strong candidate susceptibility factor for sepsis. We investigated whether polymorphisms at the TRAF6 gene are associated with the susceptibility to and severity of sepsis. METHODS: A hospital-based case-control study was conducted with 255 patients with sepsis and 260 controls who were recruited from Zhengzhou, China. Haplotype tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (htSNPs) were selected from the HapMap database and genotyped using the SNPstream genotyping platform. The associations with the susceptibility and disease severity of sepsis were estimated by logistic regression, and adjusted for age, sex, smoking, drinking, chronic diseases status, APACHEII score and critical illness status. RESULTS: A total of 13 TRAF6 SNPs were tagged by 7 htSNPs. Five htSNPs (rs5030490, rs5030411, rs5030416, rs5030445 and rs3740961) were genotyped in the case control study. Genotype frequencies of the htSNPs were conformed to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in both patients and controls. No significant association was found between the 5 htSNPs and the susceptibility to and severity of sepsis. Compared with the main haplotype -11120A/-10688T/-9423A/805G/12967G, no certain haplotype was associated with the significantly susceptibility to or severity of sepsis. CONCLUSION: TRAF6 gene polymorphisms might not play a major role in mediating the susceptibility to and severity of sepsis in the Chinese population. A larger population-based case-control study is warranted.

Study on needling depth and direction from different acupoints to sphenopalatine ganglion / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe and survey the location of Xiaguan (ST 7), "Die'e" and Quanliao (SI 18) on the surface, and the needling depth and direction from the 3 points to sphenopalatine ganglion.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifteen corpses (30 sides) of adult male were fixed by 10% formalin. The lateral areas of face were dissected from the surface to the deep on the 3 acupoints: the electric drill with the kirschner wire punctured towards the sphenopalatine ganglion and extended to the contralateral areas according to different directions of puncturing sphenopalatine ganglion from the 3 acupoints. The corresponding puncturing points of the 3 acupoints were measured by the coordinate location method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) Surface location: the distance between Quanliao (SI 18) and "Die'e" was 21 mm and the distance between Xiaguan (ST 7) and "Die'e" was 17 mm; (2) Inserting depth of each point to sphenopalatine ganglion: the depths of Xiaguan (ST 7), "Die'e" and Quanliao (SI 18) were 49.9 mm, 46.9 mm and 46.6 mm, respectively; (3) The coordinate location of the corresponding puncturing points: the puncturing direction of Xiaguan (ST 7) was anterointernal upper corresponding to the area of connecting center between contralateral Taiyang (EX-HN 5) and Tongziliao (GB 1), the distance between the corresponding inserting point of Xiaguan (ST 7) and Sizhukong (TE 23) was 17.6 mm; the puncturing direction of "Die'e" point was posterointernal upper, and the horizontal distance from the corresponding puncture point to the zygomatic arch was 33 mm and the vertical distance from the corresponding puncture point to the eyes' outer canthus was 42 mm; the puncturing direction of Quanliao (SI 18) was posteriointernal upper and the distance between the corresponding inserting point and the area of contralateral parietal tuber, the distance between the corresponding inserting point of Quanliao (SI 18) and the connecting line of bilateral external acoustic pore was 28 mm, the distance between the corresponding inserting point of Quan-liao (SI 18) and the medial line of the head was 62 mm.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Understanding the surface location, inserting depths and the general puncturing directions of the 3 points can provide basis for puncturing the sphenopalatine ganglion in clinical practice.</p>

Reversal of multidrug resistance property of carcinoma cells by down-regulating transcription of mdr-1 / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To reverse the multidrug resistance (MDR) property of carcinoma cells by blocking transcription of activating sites of mdr-1.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Breast carcinoma cells were transinfected with several antisense oligonucleotide (ASODN) complementary to mdr-1 by lipofectin. RT-PCR was used to detect the production of mdr-1mRNA. The expression of P-glycoprotein (gp) was then detected by immunohistochemistry and the function of P-gp was detected by rhodamine123 retention.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Forty-eight hours after transfection, mdr-1 index of cells treated by ASODN complementary to MA zone (major initiation start zone), MI (minor initiation start zone), C zone (CAAT box), G zone (GC box) of mdr-1 gene was 1.4, 1.9, 1.6 and 2.1 respectively. The rate of P-gp protein expression in treated cells was 14%, 43%, 26% and 39% respectively. The intracellular Rh123 retention in treated cells was 125%, 83%, 102% and 77% respectively. There was significant difference between cells treated by ASODN complementary to MA zone and C zone and drug-resistant cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The ASODN complementary to MA zone and C zone of mdr-1 gene can reverse MDR of drug-resistant cells to various extent, amongst which the former is more effective. Down-regulating transcription of mdr-1 by blocking transcription activating sites can reduce the expression of mdr-1mRNA and P-gp, and thus reversing MDR of carcinoma cells. The ASODN complementary to MI zone, G zone of mdr-1 however do not significantly reverse the MDR property.</p>