Efficacy of acupuncture for anxiety and depression in functional dyspepsia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of acupuncture for treating depression and anxiety in patients diagnosed with functional dyspepsia (FD). METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang Data, Sinomed, and VIP Database were searched until April 30, 2023 for Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) comparing acupuncture to placebo or drugs for symptom alleviation. Two independent reviewers conducted the study search, data extraction, and bias risk assessment using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Mean difference (MD), risk ratio (RR), and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were also performed. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system was employed to evaluate the evidence level. RESULTS: A total of 16 RCTs involving 1315 participants were included. Acupuncture demonstrated marked superiority over placebo (MD = -7.07, 95%CI: -11.03 to -3.10, very low quality evidence) in mitigating Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) scores and was found to be more effective in reducing Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores than either placebo (MD = -4.63, 95%CI: -6.28 to -2.98, low quality evidence) or first-line drugs (MD = -2.71, 95%CI: -5.19 to -0.23, very low quality evidence). In terms of attenuating Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) scores, acupuncture consistently outperformed both placebo (HAMA: MD = -2.58, 95%CI: -4.33 to -0.83, very low quality evidence; HAMD: MD = -1.89, 95%CI: -3.11 to -0.67, low quality evidence) and first-line drugs (HAMA: MD = -5.76, 95%CI: -10.18 to -1.35, very low quality evidence; HAMD: MD = -5.59, 95%CI: -7.59 to -3.59, very low quality evidence). However, no significant difference was observed between acupuncture and placebo in terms of improvement in Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores. CONCLUSIONS: Based on current clinical evidence, acupuncture might have a positive effect on depression and anxiety in patients with FD. Further large-sample, multi-center, high-quality RCTs validation are required, as the conclusion is limited by the quantity and quality of the included studies.

The effect of acupuncture on recovery after colorectal cancer resection: A systematic review meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture by systematically reviewing the literature on colorectal cancer resection. METHODS: Seven electronic databases were searched from inception to February 28, 2023. Randomized controlled trials on acupuncture in patients after CRC resection were included. Two reviewers independently selected relevant trials, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias. A random-effects meta-analysis model was used to obtain summary effect estimates. The data were pooled and analyzed using RevMan 5.3. The heterogeneity of selected studies was evaluated by evaluating the I-squared (I2) statistics. RESULTS: Twenty-two studies with 1878 patients were included. Results of the meta-analysis showed there was a low level evidence that acupuncture may improve early postoperative symptoms, such as time to first flatus (n = 876, MD -0.77h, 95% CI -1.22 to -0.33 h, I2 = 89%), time to first bowel movement (n = 671, MD -1.41h, 95% CI -2.20 to -0.63 h, I2 = 95%), time to first defecation (n = 556, MD -1.03h, 95% CI -1.88 to -0.18 h, I2 = 95%), and nausea/vomiting (n = 1488, RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.59-0.89, I2 = 49%) compared with usual care and sham acupuncture. However, there were no statistically significant differences in postoperative pain (n = 1188, MD-0.21, 95% CI -0.59 to 0.17, I2 = 74%). And there was no sufficient evidence of improving long-term functional outcomes. There was substantial heterogeneity across trials. The adverse events associated with acupuncture stimulation were minor in include studies. CONCLUSION SUBSECTIONS: There is currently low-level evidence supporting the use of acupuncture on postoperative symptoms for patients after colorectal cancer resection. More investigations should be established based on the STRICTA statement strictly.

Clinical evidence of three traditional Chinese medicine drugs and three herbal formulas for COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to spread worldwide. Integrated Chinese and Western medicine have had some successes in treating COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of three traditional Chinese medicine drugs and three herbal formulas (3-drugs-3-formulas) in patients with COVID-19. SEARCH STRATEGY: Relevant studies were identified from 12 electronic databases searched from their establishment to April 7, 2022. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), non-RCTs and cohort studies that evaluated the effects of 3-drugs-3-formulas for COVID-19. The treatment group was treated with one of the 3-drugs-3-formulas plus conventional treatment. The control group was treated with conventional treatment. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: Two evaluators screened and selected literature independently, then extracted basic information and assessed risk of bias. The treatment outcome measures were duration of main symptoms, hospitalization time, aggravation rate and mortality. RevMan 5.4 was used to analyze the pooled results reported as mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for continuous data and risk ratio (RR) with 95% CI for dichotomous data. RESULTS: Forty-one studies with a total of 13,260 participants were identified. Our analysis suggests that compared with conventional treatment, the combination of 3-drugs-3-formulas might shorten duration of fever (MD = -1.39; 95% CI: -2.19 to -0.59; P < 0.05), cough (MD = -1.57; 95% CI: -2.16 to -0.98; P < 0.05) and fatigue (MD = -1.36; 95% CI: -2.21 to -0.51; P < 0.05), decrease length of hospital stay (MD = -2.62; 95% CI -3.52 to -1.72; P < 0.05), the time for nucleic acid conversion (MD = -2.92; 95% CI: -4.26 to -1.59; P < 0.05), aggravation rate (RR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.38 to 0.64; P < 0.05) and mortality (RR = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.19 to 0.62; P < 0.05), and increase the recovery rate of chest computerized tomography manifestations (RR = 1.22; 95% CI: 1.14 to 1.3; P < 0.05) and total effectiveness (RR = 1.24; 95% CI: 1.09 to 1.42; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The 3-drugs-3-formulas can play an active role in treating all stages of COVID-19. No severe adverse events related to 3-drugs-3-formulas were observed. Hence, 3-drugs-3-formulas combined with conventional therapies have effective therapeutic value for COVID-19 patients. Further long-term high-quality studies are essential to demonstrate the clinical benefits of each formula. Please cite this article as: You LZ, Dai QQ, Zhong XY, Yu DD, Cui HR, Kong YF, Zhao MZ, Zhang XY, Xu QQ, Guan ZY, Wei XX, Zhang XC, Han SJ, Liu WJ, Chen Z, Zhang XY, Zhao C, Jin YH, Shang HC. Clinical evidence of three traditional Chinese medicine drugs and three herbal formulas for COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the Chinese population. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(5): 441-454.

[Overview and reflection on the development of the first batch of the inheritance studios of acupuncture and moxibustion academic schools].

The development status of the first 11 inheritance studios of acupuncture and moxibustion academic schools is summarized. Aiming at the current problems, it is suggested to establish qualitative and quantitative evaluation standards and establish a fair and reasonable evaluation system, build a systematic scientific theory and excavate the inherent laws of the schools, implement standardized management of the schools and protect the personalized characteristics of the schools, open outpatient clinic of acupuncture and moxibustion schools and promote the characteristic diagnosis and treatment technology, to promote the inheritance and development of acupuncture and moxibustion academic schools.

[Brief introduction of Qilu modern acupuncture methods].

Qilu acupuncture and moxibustion has promoted the formation and development of traditional Chinese medicine, which has a special historical position. By systematically collecting, sorting out and summarizing the characteristic acupuncture methods and academic ideas of several Qilu acupuncturists since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the understanding of the advantages and characteristics of Qilu modern acupuncture methods is deepened, aiming to exploring the inheritance and development pattern of Qilu acupuncture methods in the new era.

[Analysis of acupoints selection rules and efficacy evaluation of acupuncture and moxibustion for allergic rhinitis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the rules of acupoints selection of acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR) by using data mining technology, as well as to compare the efficacy of different acupoints selection methods. METHODS: Papers about acupuncture and moxibustion for treating AR published from January 2002 to August 2022 was retrieved from Chinese and English databases including CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed and PubMed by using keywords of "acupuncture", "moxibustion" and "allergic rhinitis". According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the collected literature was screened to establish the AR database. Frequency statistic analysis was conducted for detecting high-frequency acupoints and specific acupoints frequency, and the curative effects of different acupoints selection methods were compared. SPSS26.0 software was used for factor analysis, cluster analysis and QUEST decision tree model identification. RESULTS: A total of 289 papers were included, with 384 acupuncture prescriptions extracted. A total of 99 acupoints were involved with the application frequency of 2 430 times. Among them, the application frequency of Yingxiang (LI20) is the highest (296 times, 12.18%), followed by Yintang (GV24+) and Hegu (LI4), etc. The main invloved meridians are the Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang, the Large Intestine Meridian of Hand-Yangming and the Governor Vessel. The involved specific acupoints with the highest frequency of application is the crossing acupoints. Nine common factors of acupoints combinations units were extracted by factor analysis, and two cluster prescriptions of acupoints combinations correlation were obtained by cluster analysis. Three decision paths of simplified acupoints selection were simulated by the decision tree, with LI20 as the dependent variable. CONCLUSION: In the treatment of AR with acupuncture and moxibustion, the regularities and characteristics of acupoints selection are as follows: 1) often selecting local acupoints and acupoint combinations along meridians, 2) focusing on combination of dispelling pathogenic factors with strengthening vital energy, 3) advocating diversification of acupoint matching methods. The combination of factor analysis, cluster analysis and QUEST decision tree application provides three directions for clinical acupoints selection of AR.

Quality of the Evidence Supporting the Role of Acupuncture Interventions for Vascular Dementia.

Background: Inflammation is an important pathogenesis of vascular dementia (VaD), and the regulatory effect of acupuncture on neuroinflammation has received extensive attention. There is conflicting evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for postpartum VaD. This overview aims to systematically evaluate systematic reviews/meta-analyses (SRs/MAs) of acupuncture on VaD. Methods: From the establishment of the electronic database to August 2022, search and identify SRs/MAs on acupuncture treatment for VaD. The Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 (PRISMA 2020), and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system were used to evaluate the methodological, reporting, and evidence quality of the included SRs/MAs. Results: Twelve SRs/MAs were included in this research, and the quality of methodological, reporting, and evidence for these SRs/MAs were not satisfactory. The shortcomings of these SRs/MAs mainly include lack of protocol registration, incomplete literature search, missing list of excluded literature, and high risk of bias of included original clinical trials. Conclusion: VaD patients may benefit from acupuncture therapy. However, the high risk of bias in original clinical trials and the low quality of SRs/MAs make evidence-based decisions less reliable.

Acupuncture-assisted anaesthesia for catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation to reduce the consumption of morphine hydrochloride and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Patients often experience postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) because of the use of opioids for anaesthesia and analgesia during the procedure. Some clinical trials have demonstrated that acupuncture-assisted anaesthesia (AAA) reduces opioid consumption and prevents PONV. Although several studies have been conducted on AAA, its safety and efficacy in AF catheter ablation remain unclear due to small sample sizes and a paucity of methodologically rigorous designs. Therefore, this trial was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of AAA in reducing PONV and morphine hydrochloride consumption during catheter ablation. METHODS: This single-centre, patient-blinded, randomised, non-penetrating sham-controlled trial will be conducted in China. A total of 100 patients will be randomly assigned to the AAA and conventional anaesthesia (CA) groups in a ratio of 1:1. The patients will receive AAA or CA plus sham acupuncture during catheter ablation and will be followed up for 30 days. The primary outcomes include the total amount of morphine hydrochloride consumed during catheter ablation and PONV within the first 24 hours after the procedure. The secondary outcomes include pain, nausea and vomiting, anxiety, patient's ability to cope during catheter ablation, AF recurrence and quality of life, as assessed using the numeric rating scale. Adverse events will be recorded and their influence will be analysed at the end of the trial. DISCUSSION: This study will help in evaluating the safety and efficacy of AAA applied for AF catheter ablation in reducing opioid doses during the procedure and the occurrence of PONV. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The results of the study will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences if possible. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR 2100042646; Chinese Clinical Trial Registry.

The Effect and Safety of Xuefu Zhuoyue Prescription for Coronary Heart Disease: An Overview of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.

Background: In China, the traditional Chinese medicine compound Xuefu Zhuoyue prescription (XFZY) has been widely used in the therapy of coronary heart disease (CHD). Currently, several systematic reviews (SRs)/meta-analyses (MAs) of XFZY for the treatment of CHD have been published. This overview aims to evaluate the existing SRs/MAs and provide a scientific basis for evaluating the efficacy and safety of XFZY for the therapy of CHD. Methods: The SRs/MAs of XFZY for the treatment of CHD were obtained from 7 electronic databases with the search date set at March 7, 2022. Two researchers independently assessed the methodological quality, reporting quality, and evidence quality of the included SRs/MAs using the following tools: the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 (PRISMA 2020), and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. Results: A total of 11 SRs/MAs were included in this overview. All SRs/MAs assessed by means of AMSTAR-2 had more than one critical defect, so all SRs/MAs were rated low. Regarding the assessment of reporting quality, the results of PRISMA 2020 showed that none of the SRs/MAs were fully reported. In addition, the results of the GRADE assessment of the quality of evidence indicated that only one outcome was rated as high quality across all SRs/MAs. Conclusion: Current evidence suggests that XFZY is effective and safe for the management of patients with CHD. However, the high risk of bias of the original clinical studies and the low quality of the SRs/MAs reduced the reliability of the results.

[Analysis on combination regularities of Houxi (SI3) in ancient times of China based on latent structure model].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility and application value of combination regularities of acupoint Houxi (SI3) in Chinese ancient times based on latent structure model. METHODS: Relevant articles about SI3 for treating various diseases with acupuncture, moxibustion, acupoint application, etc. were mainly searched from book Chinese Medical Classics (5th edition), followed by establishment of a Database of Houxi Acupoint Recipes. The Lantern 5.0 software was used to construct and analyze the latent structure model of high-frequently-used acupoints. RESULTS: A total of 46 high frequently-used acupoints contained in 240 articles of 26 medical books were collected. The top 7 acupoints are Shenmai (BL62), Hegu (LI4), Qiangu (SI2), Fengchi (GB20), Jianshi (PC5), Wangu (SI4) and Quchi (LI11) in sequence. After modeling the 46 high-frequently used adjunct acupoints, 12 latent variables (Y0-Y11) and 24 latent classes were obtained by setting the cumulative coverage threshold ratio to be 95%. According to the Bayesian information criterion (BIC) measure, the model score was -2 170.68 points. Seven comprehensive clustering models were summarized up according to the latent structure. Compared with the yin meridians, the yang meridians played a more significant role. The multiple combinations of SI3 with specific acupoints provided a reference for clinical practice. The supplementary acupoints mainly distribute in the upper and lower limbs, head, face, neck, etc. and the SI3 acupoint recipes function mainly in dredging and activating meridians and collaterals, clearing away pathologic heat and wind, improving eyesight, and relieving swelling and pain. CONCLUSION: The latent structure model is applicable in analysis of the regularities of SI3 acupoint combination for treating some diseases. Comprehensive clustering is employed to determine the primary acupoint SI3 and adjunct acupoint matching, revealing the common regularity and logical progressive relationship between the primary and secondary points, which may be helpful for teaching, clinical and scientific research.

Efficacy of acupuncture in improving symptoms and quality of life of patients with acne vulgaris: a randomized sham acupuncture-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating the symptoms and quality of life (QoL) of patients with moderate or severe acne vulgaris (AV). METHODS: Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive 12 treatment sessions of acupuncture or sham acupuncture over 4 weeks with 24 weeks of follow-up. The primary outcome was the change from baseline in the Skindex-16 scale total score at treatment completion. Secondary outcomes included Skindex-16 subscale score, Dermatology Life Quality Index scale total score, total lesion count and inflammatory lesion count, and visual analogue scale scores for itch and pain evaluation. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant between-group difference for the primary outcome or any secondary outcomes after 4 weeks of treatment and at 16 and 28 weeks of follow-up, except for the Skindex-16 emotions subscale at week 4 (p = 0.026). No serious adverse events occurred in either group. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture may not effectively relieve the symptoms of patients with moderate or severe AV, or improve QoL. Given the limitations of a relatively short treatment course compared to other studies and the likelihood that sham acupuncture is not inert, further studies with treatment durations of 12 weeks or longer and a waitlist (no treatment) control or Western medicine-treated control group should be considered to evaluate the effects of acupuncture on AV. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR-1900023649 (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry).

Microbial controls on heavy metals and nutrients simultaneous release in a seasonally stratified reservoir.

The eutrophication of reservoirs can change the physicochemical parameters of water, thus affecting the migration and transformation of heavy metals. At present, there is insufficient research on the coupling mechanisms between nutrients and heavy metals, especially between heavy metals in suspended particles. In this paper, spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of nutrients dissolved heavy metals, and heavy metals in suspended particles were analyzed in a seasonally stratified reservoir. Combined with the nitrogen and phosphorus biogeochemical process, the coupling mechanisms between heavy metals and nutrients were discussed. The results showed that the Aha Reservoir had temperature and dissolved oxygen stratification in April and July. The reduction and dissolution of Fe and Mn oxide/hydroxide and the resuspension of sediments might result in a simultaneous increase in the concentrations of nutrients, dissolved heavy metals and heavy metals in suspended particles in hypolimnion in July and October. In the presence of dissimilatory iron-reducing bacteria (DRIB), the dissolution of iron-bound phosphorus in sediments and suspended particulate matter (SPM) might lead to the simultaneous release of iron and phosphorus into the water. The dissolution of metal sulfides in the sediments and SPM under the action of dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) bacteria might lead to the simultaneous release of ammonia nitrogen and heavy metals into the water. Due to the coupling between nitrogen and phosphorus and heavy metals, seasonal stratified reservoir may face the risk of periodic simultaneous pollution of eutrophication and heavy metals in summer and autumn. This research provides theoretical support for the treatment of heavy metal and eutrophication combined pollution in karst areas.

Effectiveness of Yiqi Fumai lyophilized injection for acute heart failure: Rationale and design of the AUGUST-AHF cohort study.

Introduction: The effect of Yiqi Fumai lyophilized injection (YQFM) on acute heart failure (AHF) patients has been evaluated in a large sample, randomized, controlled trial (AUGUST-AHF RCT study). However, restrictive eligibility criteria from a randomized clinical trial may raise concerns about the generalizability of the results to under-represented groups or complex patients with multimorbidity. Therefore, we intend to conduct the AUGUST-AHF cohort study which aims to assess the effectiveness of YQFM in patients with AHF in a real-world setting and compare the results with AUGUST-AHF RCT study. Methods and analysis: This prospective, multicenter cohort study will be conducted at 50 secondary and tertiary hospitals in China and comprise 1,200 patients with AHF. The participants will be followed for up to at least 180 days. The primary outcome is a composite of 90-day all-cause mortality or readmission for heart failure. The secondary outcomes include length of hospital stay, cardiac-specific death, MACE, NYHA cardiac function classification. Cox proportional-hazards regression models will be used to estimate the association between YQFM use and the primary outcome. The primary analysis will use propensity-score matching methods to balance the differences in baseline variables between treatment cohorts. Ethics and dissemination: Approval for the study has been obtained from the Ethical Committee of Dongzhimen Hospital (approval No. 2022DZMEC-327-02) and registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05586048). The study results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at scientific conferences.

[Discussion on the theory of he-sea point in Neijing (Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor) and Nanjing (Yellow Emperor's Classic of Eighty-one Difficult Issues )].

By collecting and analyzing the explanation/conception, acupoint name, acupoint location, indications, acupuncture and moxibustion techniques and contraindications of he-sea point recorded in Neijing (Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor) and Nanjing (Yellow Emperor 's Classic of Eighty-one Difficult Issues), it is found that conception of he-sea point of five-shu points has been specifically formed, the names of he-sea points of eleven meridians, the locations and the ways to locate them were recorded. But, the summaries relevant to the indications of the many he-sea points have not been included in teaching materials, thus, it needs to be further analyzed. The acupuncture-moxibustion techniques at he-sea point are flexible and the attention should be paid to distinguish "needling he-sea point in autumn" from "needling he-sea point in winter". Besides, the consideration should be given on coma/fainting induced by arterial bleeding when needling he-sea point, as well as the joint motor impairment caused by over deep insertion in acupuncture.

Fertilized egg cells secrete endopeptidases to avoid polytubey.

Upon gamete fusion, animal egg cells secrete proteases from cortical granules to establish a fertilization envelope as a block to polyspermy1-4. Fertilization in flowering plants is more complex and involves the delivery of two non-motile sperm cells by pollen tubes5,6. Simultaneous penetration of ovules by multiple pollen tubes (polytubey) is usually avoided, thus indirectly preventing polyspermy7,8. How plant egg cells regulate the rejection of extra tubes after successful fertilization is not known. Here we report that the aspartic endopeptidases ECS1 and ECS2 are secreted to the extracellular space from a cortical network located at the apical domain of the Arabidopsis egg cell. This reaction is triggered only after successful fertilization. ECS1 and ECS2 are exclusively expressed in the egg cell and transcripts are degraded immediately after gamete fusion. ECS1 and ESC2 specifically cleave the pollen tube attractor LURE1. As a consequence, polytubey is frequent in ecs1 ecs2 double mutants. Ectopic secretion of these endopeptidases from synergid cells led to a decrease in the levels of LURE1 and reduced the rate of pollen tube attraction. Together, these findings demonstrate that plant egg cells sense successful fertilization and elucidate a mechanism as to how a relatively fast post-fertilization block to polytubey is established by fertilization-induced degradation of attraction factors.

Cytoplasmic ribosomal protein L14B is essential for fertilization in Arabidopsis.

Plant cytoplasmic ribosomal proteins not only participate in protein synthesis, but also have specific roles in developmental regulation. However, the high heterogeneity of plant ribosome makes our understanding of these proteins very limited. Here we reported that RPL14B, a component of the ribosome large subunit, is critical for fertilization in Arabidopsis. RPL14B is existed in a majority of organs and tissues. No homozygous rpl14b mutant is available, indicating that RPL14B is irreplaceable for sexual reproduction. Smaller-sized rpl14b pollens could germinate normally, but pollen tube competitiveness is grievously weakened. Beside, cell fate specification is impaired in female gametophytes from heterozygous rpl14b/RPL14B ovules, resulting in defect of micropylar pollen tube attraction. However, this defect could be restored by restricted expression of RPL14B in synergid cells. Successful fertilization requires normal pollen tube growth and precise pollen tube guidance. Thus our results show a novel role of RPL14B in fertilization and shed new light on regulatory mechanism of pollen tube growth and precise pollen tube guidance.

Cloning of nitrite reductase gene from Haematococcus pluvialis and transcription and enzymatic activity analysis at different nitrate and phosphorus concentration.

Haematococcus pluvialis is an economic microalga to produce astaxathin. To study the nitrogen metabolic process of H. pluvialis, the transcription level and enzyme content of nitrite reductase at different nitrate and phosphorus concentrations were studied. In this research, nitrite reductase gene (nir) was first cloned from H. pluvialis, which consists of 5592 nucleotides and includes 12 introns. The cDNA ORF is 1776 bp, encoding a 592 amino acid protein with two conserved domains. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the nir gene in H. pluvialis had the highest affinity with other freshwater green algae. Nitrogen and phosphorus play an important role in the growth of H. pluvialis. The single factor experiments of nitrogen on growth conditions showed that the group with 0.2 g/L NaNO3 had a relative high biomass. The single factor experiments of phosphorus on growth conditions showed that the group with 0.06 g/L K2HPO4 had a relative high biomass. The transcription level and enzymatic activity of nitrite reductase were detected at different nitrate and phosphorus concentrations. In the absence of nitrogen and phosphorus in the medium, nitrite reductase activity is the highest. This research provides theoretical guidance for optimization of culture medium for H. pluvialis and also provides an experimental basis for understanding of nitrogen metabolism pathway in H. pluvialis.

Efficacy of electroacupuncture compared with transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation for functional constipation: Study protocol for a randomized, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: To treat functional constipation, both electroacupuncture (EA) therapy and transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) are safe and effective. However, no head-to-head comparison trial has been conducted. This trial compares the efficacy of electroacupuncture relative to transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation for functional constipation. METHODS: Individuals with functional constipation will be randomly allocated to receive either EA or TENS (n = 51, each), 3 times per week for 8 weeks. The primary outcome is the percentage of participants with an average increase from baseline of 1 or more complete spontaneous bowel movements at week 8. The secondary outcome measures are the following: at the time of visits, changes in the number of complete spontaneous bowel movements, number of spontaneous bowel movements, stool character, difficulty in defecation, patients' assessment of quality of life regarding constipation (self-report questionnaire), and use of auxiliary defecation methods. DISCUSSION: The results of this trial should verify whether EA is more efficacious than TENS for relieving symptoms of functional constipation. The major limitation of the study is the lack of blinding of the participants and acupuncturist.

Cloning and transcription analysis of the nitrate reductase gene from Haematococcus pluvialis.

OBJECTIVES: To optimize the cultivation media for the growth rate of Haematococcus pluvialis and to study the transcription regulation of the algal nitrate reductase (NR), a key enzyme for nitrogen metabolism. RESULTS: The NR gene from H. pluvialis hd7 consists of 5636 nucleotides, including 14 introns. The cDNA ORF is 2718 bp, encoding a 905 aa protein with three conserved domains. The NR amino acids of H. pluvialis hd7 are hydrophilic and have similarity of 72% compared to that of Dunaliella. NR transcription increased with an increase of nitrate concentration from 0.4 to 1 g/l. A deficiency of nitrogen increased NR transcription significantly. The transcription level of NR increased at phosphorus concentrations from 0.08 to 0.2 g/l, with a maximum at 0.08 g/l. The optimum parameters of medium component for transcription of NR and growth of H. pluvialis were 0.3 g NaNO3/l, 0.045 g KH2PO4/l and 1.08 g sodium acetate/l. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a better understanding of nitrate regulation in H. pluvialis.

Gene cloning, expression and activity analysis of manganese superoxide dismutase from two strains of Gracilaria lemaneiformis (Gracilariaceae, Rhodophyta) under heat stress.

Manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) plays a crucial role in antioxidant responses to environmental stress. To determine whether Mn-SOD affects heat resistance of Gracilaria lemaneiformis, we cloned Mn-SOD cDNA sequences of two strains of this red alga, wild type and cultivar 981. Both cDNA sequences contained an ORF of 675 bp encoding 224 amino acid residues. The cDNA sequences and the deduced amino acid sequences of the two strains shared relatively high identity (more than 99%). No intron existed in genomic DNA of Mn-SOD in G. lemaneiformis. Southern blotting indicated that there were multiple copies, possibly four, of Mn-SOD in both strains. Both in the wild type and cultivar 981, SOD mRNA transcription and SOD activity increased under high temperature stress, while cultivar 981 was more heat resistant based on its SOD activity. This research suggests that there may be a direct relationship between SOD activity and the heat resistance of G. lemaneiformis.