Acupuncture and its ability to restore and maintain immune homeostasis.

Immune homeostasis is a steady immune state that not only protects the host from pathogens but also prevents the emergence of pathological self-reactive immune cells. The disruption of immune homeostasis leads to the development of various diseases, such as cancer and autoimmune diseases. An emerging paradigm for the treatment of these diseases with dysfunctional immune systems is the restoration and maintenance of immune homeostasis. However, currently available drugs exert a unidirectional influence on immunity whereby they either augment or inhibit it. This strategy is associated with the drawback of potential adverse effects arising from uncontrolled activation or suppression of the immune system. Fortunately, evidence suggests that acupuncture can bidirectionally regulate the immune system to maintain immune homeostasis. In cases of immunosuppressive diseases (e.g. cancer), acupuncture has an enhancing effect on immunity. Conversely, in autoimmune diseases (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis), acupuncture has been observed to have an immunosuppressive effect, which helps restore normal immune tolerance. However, there is no publication systematically summarizing the bidirectional regulatory effects of acupuncture on the immune system in the literature. Here, our review provides a comprehensive overview of the various mechanisms through which acupuncture modulates the immune system in a bidirectional manner. These mechanisms include the augmentation of NK and CD8+ T cell function, as well as the restoration of Th1/Th2, Th17/Treg and M1/M2 balance. Thus, we propose the concept that acupuncture has the potential to alleviate illnesses through the facilitation of immune normalization. Moreover, we further highlight the therapeutic potential of acupuncture.

[Dietetic Materia Medica (Yue Fu Shi Wu Ben Cao) : The rise of Dietetic Materia Medica in the Edo Period in Japan].

Food was believed to have some medicinal properties apart from its everyday sustenance in Japan in the Edo period (1603-1867). The dietetic materia medica then became a knowledge system in Japan with reference of the knowledge system of traditional Chinese materia medica, following some related books published.Dietetic Materia Medica (Yue Fu Shi Wu Ben Cao) was written by Nagoya Genyi as the pioneer work on dietetic materia medica in the Edo period. The book was divided into two volumes. The first one involved a total of 290 types of dietetic materia medica and 167 types of botanical medicines (grains, vegetables, aquatic plants, fungi, fruits, and herbs). The second volume included 123 types of animal medicines (fish,meso, poultry and animal sections). Its author, Nagoya Genyi, was the first doctor to link food with clinical treatment in Japan. He mainly focused on disease treatment in terms of specific classification and exposition. In this sense, the book was characteristic of materia medica rather than its museum properties. The content of the book showed the writing style and the medical tendency of the early food materia medica in the Edo period. Researching this book can help in understanding the compilation of dietetic materia medica represented by physicians in this period in Japan.

Characterization of ovarian tissue oocytes from transgender men reveals poor calcium release and embryo development, which might be overcome by spindle transfer.

STUDY QUESTION: Can spindle transfer (ST) overcome inferior embryonic development of in vitro matured ovarian tissue oocytes (OTO-IVM) originating from testosterone-treated transgender men? SUMMARY ANSWER: ST shows some potential to overcome the embryo developmental arrest observed in OTO-IVM oocytes from transgender men. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: OTO-IVM is being applied as a complementary approach to increase the number of oocytes/embryos available for fertility preservation during ovarian tissue cryopreservation in cancer patients. OTO-IVM has also been proposed for transgender men, although the potential of their oocytes remains poorly investigated. Currently, only one study has examined the ability of OTO-IVM oocytes originating from transgender men to support embryo development, and that study has shown that they exhibit poor potential. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: Both ovaries from 18 transgender men undergoing oophorectomy were collected for the purposes of this study, from November 2020 to September 2022. The patients did not wish to cryopreserve their tissue for fertility preservation and donated their ovaries for research. All patients were having testosterone treatment at the time of oophorectomy and some of them were also having menses inhibition treatment. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Sibling ovaries were collected in either cold or warm medium, to identify the most optimal collection temperature. Cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) from each condition were isolated from the ovarian tissue and matured in vitro for 48 h. The quality of OTO-IVM oocytes was assessed by calcium pattern releasing ability, embryo developmental competence following ICSI, and staining for mitochondrial membrane potential. In vitro matured metaphase I (MI) oocytes, germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes, and in vivo matured oocytes with aggregates of smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SERa) were donated from ovarian stimulated women undergoing infertility treatment and these served as Control oocytes for the study groups. ST was applied to overcome poor oocyte quality. Specifically, enucleated mature Control oocytes served as cytoplasmic recipients of the OTO-IVM spindles from the transgender men. Embryos derived from the different groups were scored and analysed by shallow whole genome sequencing for copy number variations (CNVs). MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: In total, 331 COCs were collected in the cold condition (OTO-Cold) and 282 were collected in the warm condition (OTO-Warm) from transgender men. The maturation rate was close to 54% for OTO-Cold and 57% for OTO-Warm oocytes. Control oocytes showed a calcium releasing ability of 2.30 AU (n = 39), significantly higher than OTO-Cold (1.47 AU, P = 0.046) oocytes (n = 33) and OTO-Warm (1.03 AU, P = 0.036) oocytes (n = 31); both values of calcium release were similar between the two collection temperatures. Mitochondrial membrane potential did not reveal major differences between Control, OTO-Warm, and OTO-Cold oocytes (P = 0.417). Following ICSI, 59/70 (84.2%) of Control oocytes were fertilized, which was significantly higher compared to 19/47 (40.4%) of OTO-Cold (P < 0.01) and 24/48 (50%) of OTO-Warm oocytes (P < 0.01). In total, 15/59 (25.4%) blastocysts were formed on Day 5 in the Control group, significantly higher than 0/19 (0%) from the OTO-Cold (P = 0.014) and 1/24 (4.1%) in OTO-Warm oocytes (P = 0.026). Application of ST rescued the poor embryo development, by increasing the Day 5 blastocyst rate from 0% (0/19) to 20.6% (6/29) (P = 0.034), similar to that in the ICSI-Control group (25.4%, 15/59). A normal genetic profile was observed in 72.7% (8/11) of OTO-Cold, 72.7% (8/11) of OTO-Warm and 64.7% (11/17) of Control Day 3-Day 5 embryos. After ST was applied for OTO-IVM oocytes, 41.1% (7/17) of the embryos displayed normal genetic patterns, compared to 57.1% (4/7) among ST-Control Day 3-Day 5 embryos. LARGE SCALE DATA: N/A. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Due to the limited access to human oocytes and ovarian tissue, our results should be interpreted with some caution, as only a limited number of human oocytes and embryos could be investigated. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: The results of this study, clearly indicate that OTO-IVM oocytes originating from transgender patients are of inferior quality, which questions their use for fertility preservation. The poor quality is likely to be related to cytoplasmic factors, supported by the increased blastocyst numbers following application of ST. Future research on OTO-IVM from transgender men should focus on the cytoplasmic content of oocytes or supplementation of media with factors that promote cytoplasmic maturation. A more detailed study on the effect of the length of testosterone treatment is also currently missing for more concrete guidelines and guidance on the fertility options of transgender men. Furthermore, our study suggests a potentially beneficial role of experimental ST in overcoming poor embryo development related to cytoplasmic quality. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): A.C. is a holder of FWO grants (1S80220N and 1S80222N). A.B. is a holder of an FWO grant (1298722N). B.H. and A.V.S. have been awarded with a special BOF (Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds), GOA (Geconcerteerde onderzoeksacties) and 2018000504 (GOA030-18 BOF) funding. B.H. has additional grants from FWO-Vlaanderen (Flemish Fund for Scientific Research, G051516N and G1507816N) and Ghent University Special Research Fund (Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds, BOF funding (BOF/STA/202109/005)), and has been receiving unrestricted educational funding from Ferring Pharmaceuticals (Aalst, Belgium). The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

Effects of medium-chain fatty acid supplementation on performance and rumen fermentation of lactating Holstein dairy cows.

Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) have antimicrobial properties and cause negative or positive effects on animal performance depending on its dosage. We hypothesized that MCFA supplementation at a lower dose (i.e., 0.05-0.2% of dietary DM) would increase rumen pH and milk production without decreasing nutrient digestibility which is typically observed with the higher inclusion rates (i.e., >1% of dietary DM). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of MCFA supplementation at a lower dose on productivity, plasma energy metabolite concentrations, apparent total tract nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation, and rumen microbial profile of lactating dairy cows. Thirty (n = 8 primiparous, n = 22 multiparous) Holstein cows in mid-lactation (637 ± 68.5 kg of initial BW, 98.5 ± 27.4 d in milk; mean ± standard deviation) were used in a crossover design with two 28-d periods. The MCFA supplement, consisted of 25% MCFA (containing 32% C8:0, 21% C10:0, 47% C12:0 on DM basis) and 75% carrier ingredients, was fed at 0.25% of dietary DM replacing dry ground corn in control (CON). Total inclusion of MCFA was 0.063% of dietary DM. No differences were observed in DM intake, apparent total tract nutrient digestibility and BW change between MCFA and CON. Milk and milk component yields did not differ between treatment groups. The MCFA supplementation tended to have higher minimum rumen pH (5.66 vs. 5.54), and decreased daily fluctuation range of rumen pH (1.17 vs. 1.40) compared to CON. However, the duration of acidosis (pH < 5.8, min/d) did not differ between treatment groups and ruminal total volatile fatty acid concentration and its profile did not differ between treatment groups. For rumen microbiota, the Chao1 index of bacterial community tended to be lower (10.9 vs. 11.6) whereas the Shannon index did not differ (0.91 vs. 0.93) in MCFA compared to CON, and both indices did not differ for archaeal and protozoan communities between treatment groups. The relative abundance of Methanobrevibacter gottschalkii increased when supplemented with MCFA (5.14 vs. 4.92%). These results suggest that supplementation of MCFA at 0.063% dietary DM may not affect overall animal performance or total tract nutrient digestibility, but decrease the daily range of pH and the bacterial richness in the rumen.

[Epidemiological characteristics of herpes zoster in Xicheng district of Beijing in 2019: based on the health information system of medical institutions].

Objective: Using data of health information system (HIS) of medical institutions to study epidemiological characteristics of herpes zoster in Xicheng district of Beijing. Methods: To collect data of outpatient herpes zoster cases of all 42 medical institutions in 2019 based on HIS. After distinguishing the reduplicated cases, we organized these data for descriptive epidemiological analysis. Results: A total of 3 982 primary outpatient cases were investigated, the estimated incidence was 3.38‰ (3 982/1 178 999). The incidence was 2.90‰ (1 655/570 320) for males and 3.82‰ (2 327/608 679) for females and with increasing trends with age. Herpes zoster occurred from January to December. These cases mainly visited tertiary hospitals, with central departments as dermatology and traditional Chinese medicine involved. For the first identified cases, the average age was (60.48±15.43) years old. The ages of disseminated herpes zoster patients was (74.00±8.98) years old, while the age of herpes zoster in the outer ear was (54.32±15.73) years old. The top three diseases were herpes zoster, post-herpetic neuralgia, and Herpes zoster with other neurological complications, with proportions as 82.65% (3 291/3 982), 10.37% (413/3 982), and 4.37% (174/3 982), respectively. Conclusions: Most herpes zoster cases were more than 50 years old in Xicheng district of Beijing, with females have seen more than males. Complications commonly occurred among individuals more than 50 years old and with the most widely seen complication as post-herpetic neuralgia.

2Hz-electroacupuncture attenuates heroin-seeking behaviors via adjusts CB1-Rs and CB2-Rs expression in relapse-relevant brain regions of heroin self-administration rats.

Opiate addiction has a high rate of relapse. The accumulating evidence shows that electroacupuncture (EA) may be effective for the treatment of opiate relapse. However, the change of expression of CB1-Rs and CB2-Rs involve in 2Hz EA anti-relapse pathway is still unclear. To explore the changes of expression of CB1-Rs and CB2-Rs, heroin self-administration (SA) model rats were adopted and treated using 2Hz EA. The expressions of CB1-Rs and CB2-Rs were observed using immunohistochemistry method. The results showed that, compared with the control group, active pokes in the heroin-addicted group increased, while the active pokes decreased significantly in 2Hz EA group compared with heroin-addicted group. Correspondingly, the expression of CB1-Rs in prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus (Hip), nucleus accumbens (NAc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) all increased significantly while the expression of CB2-Rs in those relapse-relevant brain regions decreased obviously in heroin-addicted group when compared with the control group. In addition, the expression of CB1-Rs obviously decreased in the 2Hz EA group while the expression of CB2-Rs in those relapse-relevant brain regions increased significantly when compared with the heroin-addicted group. It indicated that 2Hz EA could attenuate the heroin-evoked seeking behaviors effectively. The anti-relapse effects of 2Hz EA might be related to the decrease of CB1-Rs and increase of CB2-Rs expression in relapse-relevant brain regions of heroin SA rats.

Vitamin D-supplemented yogurt drink reduces Candida infections in a paediatric intensive care unit: a randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of Candida infections in paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) has dramatically increased as a result of resistance to conventional anti-fungal treatments. Because vitamin D has been shown to exhibit fungicidal activity against Candida infection in an in vitro antimicrobial screening, we aimed to investigate the effect of vitamin D on Candida infections in the PICU. METHODS: Four hundred sixteen eligible children aged between 12 months to 5 years old admitted to the PICU, who were on broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy, participated in the study. Patients were randomly assigned to two study groups, receiving a plain yogurt drink (placebo group) or supplemented with 300 IU day-1 vitamin D (VD group). Primary outcome was defined as the incidences of Candida colonisation (Candida isolated from rectal swab) 14 days after enrollment. Secondary outcome measures were Candida growth in blood (candidaemia) and urine (candiduria). RESULTS: The prevalence of candiduria as well as candidaemia was significantly lower in the VD-treated group (26 cases) than in the placebo group (62 cases). The mean (SD) length of PICU stay was obviously lowered in the VD group [11.8 (1.2) days] compared to the placebo group [15.2 (2.3 days)], whereas cases of patient death were similar between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation of vitamin D effectively reduces infections of Candida in children who were critically ill and on broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment.

High tetramethylpyrazine production by the endophytic bacterial Bacillus subtilis isolated from the traditional medicinal plant Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort.

Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) with significant protective effects on cardiovascular is the active ingredient of traditional Chinese medicine Rhizoma Chuanxiong (RC). However, many studies have reported the low content of TMP in RC. The endophytes of medicinal plants have the biosynthetic potential to produce the same or similar active metabolites as the host, while few reports were conducted to explore the endophytic bacteria of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. and its productive capacity for the important ingredient TMP. The present paper focuses on the isolation and identification of TMP producing endophytic bacteria from RC. In this study, the endophytic bacteria were isolated from the rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (Umbelliferae). Yeast extract peptone glucose medium (YP) was used for fermentation medium (37 °C, 220 rpm agitation, 144 h). GC and GC/MS were performed to determine and verify the product, the fermentation characteristics were investigated. Morphological observation, physiological and biochemical indexes combining with 16S rRNA sequence analysis were carried out to identify the endophytic bacteria. As a result, five strains of endophytic Bacillus subtilis were firstly isolated and identified from RC, named as LB3, LB3-2-1, LB6-2, LB4, LB5 respectively. All five strains of endophytic B. subtilis produced TMP, while LB5 had the highest production of 10.69 g/L at the 144 h fermentation. This work demonstrates the fact that the endophytic B. subtilis of RC can produce a high level of TMP, indicating the endophytic B. subtilis might play a role in the accumulation of TMP during the growth period of RC.

[Effect of traditional Chinese medicine on osseointegration and bone absorption of implants].

Implantation of the base bone in the implant after effective and rapid bone binding and prevention and treatment of bone resorption, to ensure the success of planting surgery is of great significance. This article reviews the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine promoting bone integration and the etiopathological mechanism of bone resorption, and expounds the influence of traditional Chinese medicine on osseointegration and bone resorption.

Acupuncture for patients with chronic functional constipation: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture is used to treat chronic functional constipation (CFC) in China, despite limited evidence. We aim to assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in managing CFC. METHODS: A multicenter randomized controlled trial was performed involving 684 patients with CFC; the patients were randomly allocated to receive He acupuncture (n = 172), Shu-mu acupuncture (n = 171), He-shu-mu acupuncture (n = 171), or oral administration of mosapride (n = 170). Sixteen sessions of acupuncture were given in the treatment duration of 4 weeks. The primary outcome was the change in spontaneous bowel movements (SBMs) at week 4 (at the end of treatment) compared to baseline. The secondary outcomes included stool consistency (Bristol scale), the degree of straining during defecation, and adverse events. KEY RESULTS: The SBMs increased in all the four groups at week 4, and the magnitude of increase was equivalent in the four groups (He acupuncture, 2.7 [95% CI, 2.3-3.1]; Shu-mu acupuncture, 2.7 [95% CI, 2.3-3.0]; He-shu-mu acupuncture, 2.2 [95% CI, 1.9-2.5]; and mosapride, 2.4 [95% CI, 2.0-2.9]; P = .226). However, the change in SBMs at week 8 was significantly smaller in mosapride group (1.4 [95% CI, 1.0-1.8]) than the three acupuncture groups (2.4 [95% CI, 2.1-2.7], 2.3 [95% CI, 1.9-2.7], 2.1 [95% CI, 1.7-2.5] in He, Shu-mu, and He-shu-mu group, respectively, P = .005). CONCLUSIONS & INTERFERENCES: The three acupuncture treatments were as effective as mosapride in improving stool frequency and stool consistency in CFC, but the magnitude of the treatment effect is unknown due to the lack of sham acupuncture control.

Effects of dietary Mn-methionine supplementation on the egg quality of laying hens.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary manganese-methionine (Mn-Met) supplementation on the egg quality of laying hens. A total of 480 Jinghong-1 strain layers aged 53 wk were divided into 5 groups with 6 replicates of 16 layers. Birds in the control group were fed a diet supplemented with 60 mg Mn/kg in the form of MnSO4; the birds in other 4 experimental groups were fed a diet supplemented with 20, 40, 60, and 80 mg Mn/kg as Mn-Met, respectively. Dietary Mn-Met treatments significantly affected (P < 0.05) the albumen height, yolk color, and Haugh unit compared to those of the control diet. The Mn contents in the eggshell increased (P < 0.01) significantly by increasing the Mn-Met supplementation, whereas Mn content in eggshell was triple that in the yolk or albumen. Compared with the 60 mg/kg Mn-Met group, the transverse surface in the control group had (P < 0.01) a greater width of mammillary cones, and there were obvious cracks on the outer surface in the control. There was no difference (P > 0.05) in the eggshell gland (ESG) in the expression of calbindin-D28k (CaBP-D28k) mRNA in response to any diet treatment. In conclusion, dietary Mn-Met supplementation increased internal egg quality and the ultrastructure of the eggshell. Compared to the control, 60 mg/kg Mn-Met treatment resulted in improving egg quality, and 20 mg/kg Mn-Met treatment had similar effects the control treatment had on the egg quality. This indicates that the inorganic Mn can be replaced by the lower concentration of Mn-Met.

The anti-diabetic drug exenatide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, counteracts hepatocarcinogenesis through cAMP-PKA-EGFR-STAT3 axis.

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated a close association of type 2 diabetes and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Exenatide (Ex-4), a potent diabetes drug targeting glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R), is protective against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the Ex-4 function and GLP-1R status have yet been explored in HCC. Herein we investigated the effect of Ex-4 in diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-treated mice consuming control or high-fat high-carbohydrate diet. Administration of Ex-4 significantly improved obesity-induced hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia and reduced HCC multiplicity in obese DEN-treated mice, in which suppressed proliferation and induced apoptosis were confined to tumor cells. The tumor suppression effects of Ex-4 were associated with high expression of GLP-1R and activation of cyclic AMP (cAMP) and protein kinase A (PKA). Importantly, Ex-4 also downregulated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), which lie downstream of cAMP-PKA signaling, resulting in suppression of multiple STAT3-targeted genes including c-Myc, cyclin D1, survivin, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl. The growth inhibitory effects of Ex-4 were consistent in GLP-1R-abundant hepatoma cell lines and xenograft mouse model, wherein both PKA and EGFR had obligatory roles in mediating Ex-4 functions. In addition, Ex-4 also effectively suppressed inflammatory and fibrotic phenotypes in mice fed with methionine-choline-deficient (MCD) diet and choline-deficient ethionine-supplemented (CDE) diet, respectively. In summary, Ex-4 elicits protective functions against NAFLD and obesity-associated HCC through cAMP-PKA-EGFR-STAT3 signaling, suggesting its administration as a novel approach to reduce HCC risk in diabetic patients.

Effects of arsenic supplementation in feed on laying performance, arsenic retention of eggs and organs, biochemical indices and endocrine hormones.

1. The primary objective of this experiment was to estimate the toxic effects of arsenic (As) supplementation in feed on laying performance, As retention by eggs and organs, serum biochemical indices and endocrine hormones in laying hens. 2. A total of 320 "Jinghong Number 1" hens, 56-week-old, were randomly allocated into four treatments of four replicates with 20 layers in each. Graded arsenical was added to the basal diet in the experimental diets at As levels of 0, 17, 34 and 51 mg/kg, respectively. The trial lasted for 9 weeks including 1 week for acclimatisation. 3. Supplementation of dietary As for eight weeks had no effect on laying performance. As retention in albumen, yolk, egg, liver and kidney increased as As levels increased The level of serum phosphorus (P) was minimised at the 17 mg As/kg group. The activity of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) increased linearly. No differences were observed for levels of serum calcium (Ca), alkaline phosphatase (AKP) and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT). Concentrations of estradiol (E2) and progesterone (PG) declined at 34 and 51 mg/kg As levels compared with the control group. As supplementation exerted no influence on levels of serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinising hormone (LH), triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4) and the ratio between T3 and T4. 4. In conclusion, dietary As supplementation accelerated retention in tissues and eggs, and affected the laying rate by diminishing hormone levels of E2 and PG at 51 mg/kg.

[Research on Japanese monograph of comprehensive dietetic materia medica, the Pao chu bei yong wo ming ben cao (Japanese Materia Medica Prepared for Kitchen)].

Japanese physicians of Edo Period (1603-1867) wrote many dietetic books, by combining the knowledge system (content and compiling style) and thoughts of diet therapy from China with local condition in Japan. Among them, the Pao chu bei yong wo ming ben cao(Japanese Materia Medica Prepared for Kitchen), written by Mukai Genshou, a physician in the early Edo, is the earliest comprehensive work of dietetic materia medica. In this book, the choice and usage of Japanese dietetic materia medica reveals obvious Japanese local color, including the name, morphology, cultivation, collection, identification, nature and flavor, and indication etc., reflecting the sprouting idea of edible herbal plant at the beginning of Edo period and the characteristic of absorbing Chinese diet thoughts by Japanese physician. This is the important first-hand historical material to understand the development of Japanese dietetic herbalism in early Edo and its dietotherapy culture.

[Biological evaluation of three-dimensional printed co-poly lactic acid/glycolic acid/tri-calcium phosphate scaffold for bone reconstruction].

Objective: To biologically evaluate the three-dimensional(3D) printed co-poly lactic acid/glycolic acid/tri-calcium phosphate(PLGA/TCP) scaffold which could be used for repairing oral and maxillofacial bone defects, and to provide experimental evidence for its further research and clinical application. Methods: PLGA/TCP scaffolds were fabricated using low temperature rapid prototyping technique. Micro-CT and scanning electron microscope(SEM) were used to characterize the surface morphology. MC3T3-E1 cells were seeded onto the scaffold and stained with the rhodamine phalloidin and calcein acetomethoxy. After that, confocal laser scanning microscope was exploited to observe the features and viability of the cells. Moreover, the cells were co-cultured with the extract of PLGA/TCP and complete medium, respectively. The proliferation capability of the cells was assessed by the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd day. The PLGA/TCP scaffolds incorporated with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2(rhBMP-2) of 0, 30, 60 µg(i.e. blank control group, low-dose group and high-dose group) were implanted into the latissimus dorsi muscle of the rats, and 6 weeks later, the samples were harvested to estimate the volume and pattern of new bone. Results: The 3D printed PLGA/TCP scaffold possessed a regular and well-defined porous stereo-structure with porosity of (73±3)%. Micro-CT and SEM showed that pore size were (379±32) and (453±29) µm respectively, and distance between layers were (452± 24) and (415±25) µm, and cylinder diameter were (342±24) and (350±28) µm. It also exhibited excellent cell adhesion and growth ability on the exterior and inner surface through rhodamine phalloidin and calcein acetomethoxy staining. The CCK-8 test demonstrated that the absorbance value of extract group on the 1st and 2nd day(0.51±0.08 and 0.63±0.09) were significantly higher than those in the blank control group(0.39± 0.05 and 0.53±0.05)(P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between the extract group(0.67±0.06) and the blank control group(0.68±0.04)(P>0.05) on the 3rd day. For in vivo test, there was obvious ectopic new bone formation on the PLGA/TCP scaffold incorporated with rhBMP-2, and this was demonstrated using the histological examination and micro-CT. The bone formation in the low-dose group was similar to the shape of the pre-implanted 3D printed scaffold, while much diversity was revealed in the high-dose group duo to over osteogenesis which was validated by the examinations of gross observation, histology and micro-CT. Conclusions: Customized PLGA/TCP scaffolds can be manufactured by 3D printing technique. The scaffold showed an excellent biocompatibility and ectopic osteogenesis when incorporated with rhBMP-2. However, further research is needed to validate it's effect on repairment of the oral and maxillofacial bone defects.

[Research on the"Association of Han medicine of State of Manchuria"].

The"Association of Han medicine of State of Manchuria"was a puppet TCM academic society founded by the Puppet Manchukuo government, with well-organization system and widespread scope. During its period, though some efforts were made to promoting the TCM academic progress, improving the quality of TCM doctors, developing TCM clinic, education, academic research and administration, its essence was still a tool for the puppet government to controlling, transforming and utilizing TCM.

Maternal obesity during pregnancy is negatively associated with maternal and neonatal iron status.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Obesity among pregnant women may adversely affect both maternal iron status throughout pregnancy and placental transfer of iron. The objective of this study was to determine the association of maternal body mass index (BMI) with (1) maternal iron status and inflammation in mid and late pregnancy, (2) the change in maternal iron status throughout pregnancy and (3) neonatal iron status. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We examined longitudinal data from 1613 participants in a pregnancy iron supplementation trial in rural China. Women with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies were enrolled in the early second trimester of pregnancy and followed through parturition. Maternal blood samples obtained at enrollment and in the third trimester and cord blood samples were analyzed for a range of hematological and iron biomarkers. RESULTS: There was a negative association between maternal BMI and iron status at enrollment (transferrin receptor (sTfR): r=0.20, P<0.001; body iron (BI): r=-0.05; P=0.03). This association was markedly stronger among obese women. Maternal BMI was positively associated with maternal inflammation (C-reactive protein: r=0.33, P<0.001). In multiple linear regression models, maternal BMI was negatively associated with neonatal iron status (cord serum ferritin: -0.01, P=0.008; BI: -0.06, P=0.006) and associated with a lower decrease in iron status throughout pregnancy (sTfR: -4.6, P<0.001; BI: 1.1, P=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Maternal obesity during pregnancy may adversely affect both maternal and neonatal iron status, potentially through inflammatory pathways.

Development and characterization of genic-SSR markers from different Asia lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) types by RNA-seq.

Nelumbo nucifera is an important economic vegetable and traditional medicine, but available genetic resources remain limited. Next generation sequencing has proven to be a rapid and effective means of identifying genic simple sequence repeat (genic-SSR) markers. This study developed genic-SSRs for N. nucifera using Illumina sequencing technology to assess diversity across cultivated and wild lotus. A total of 105,834 uni-contigs were produced with an average read length of 722 bp. Exactly 11,178 genic-SSR loci were identified in 9523 uni-contigs. Di-nucleotide (64.5%) was the most abundant SSR, followed by tri-nucleotide (23%), tetra-nucleotide (8.9%), penta-nucleotide (2.5%), and hexa-nucleotide (1%) repeat types. The most common di- and tri-nucleotide repeat motifs were AG/CT (51%) and AAG/CTT (8%), respectively. Based on these SSRs sequences, 6568 primer pairs were designed, of which 72 primers were randomly selected for synthesis and validation, and 38 in-silico polymorphic primers were obtained using in-house perl scripts. A total of 110 primers were screened in the lotus samples and the results showed that 101 primers yielded amplification products, of which 80 were polymorphs. The number of alleles ranged from 2 to 17 and the PIC (polymorphism information content) ranged from 0.19 to 0.87 with a mean value of 0.55. An Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) dendrogram based on Jaccard's similarity coefficients showed that the correlation between geographical source and genotype was low. This study describes the distribution of genic-SSRs in the expressed portion of the lotus genome. These genic-SSRs have an important role to play in molecular mapping, diversity analysis, and marker-assisted selection strategies in Nelumbo.

Folic acid supplementation and dietary folate intake, and risk of preeclampsia.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Folic acid supplementation has been suggested to reduce the risk of preeclampsia. However, results from few epidemiologic studies have been inconclusive. We investigated the hypothesis that folic acid supplementation and dietary folate intake before conception and during pregnancy reduce the risk of preeclampsia. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A birth cohort study was conducted in 2010-2012 at the Gansu Provincial Maternity & Child Care Hospital in Lanzhou, China. A total of 10,041 pregnant women without chronic hypertension or gestational hypertension were enrolled. RESULTS: Compared with nonusers, folic acid supplement users had a reduced risk of preeclampsia (OR=0.61, 95% CI: 0.43-0.87). A significant dose-response of duration of use was observed among women who used folic acid supplemention during pregnancy only (P-trend=0.007). The reduced risk associated with folic acid supplement was similar for mild or severe preeclampsia and for early- or late-onset preeclampsia, although the statistical significant associations were only observed for mild (OR=0.50, 95% CI: 0.30-0.81) and late-onset (OR=0.60, 95% CI: 0.42-0.86) preeclampsia. The reduced risk associated with dietary folate intake during pregnancy was only seen for severe preeclampsia (OR=0.52, 95% CI: 0.31-0.87, for the highest quartile of dietary folate intake compared with the lowest). CONCLUSIONS: Our study results suggest that folic acid supplementation and higher dietary folate intake during pregnancy reduce the risk of preeclampsia. Future studies are needed to confirm the associations.

γ-Aminobutyric acid-mediated neurotransmission in cerebellar-hypothalamic circuit attenuates gastric mucosal injury induced by ischemia-reperfusion.

BACKGROUND: Excessive greater splanchnic nerve (GSN) activation contributes to the progression of gastric ischemia-reperfusion (GI-R) injury. This study was designed to investigate the protective mechanism of cerebellar fastigial nucleus (FN) stimulation against GI-R injury. METHODS: The GI-R injury model was induced in rats by clamping the celiac artery for 30 min, and then reperfusion for 30 min, 1, 3, 6, or 24 h, respectively. KEY RESULTS: Microinjection of L-Glu (3, 6, 12 µg) into the FN dose-dependently attenuated GI-R injury and GSN activity. In addition, there was an enhancement of gastric mucosal blood flow in GI-R rats. Pretreatment with the glutamic acid decarboxylase antagonist into the FN, the GABAA receptor antagonist into the lateral hypothalamic area or lesion of superior cerebellar peduncle all reversed the protective effects of the FN stimulation. Furthermore, the FN stimulation reduced the TUNEL-positive gastric mucosal cell and Bax-positive gastric mucosal cell in GI-R rats. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: These results indicate that the protective effects of the FN stimulation against GI-R injury may be mediated by attenuation of the excessive GSN activation, gastric mucosal cell apoptosis, and Bax expression in GI-R rats.