Hyperthermia increases HSP production in human PDMCs by stimulating ROS formation, p38 MAPK and Akt signaling, and increasing HSF1 activity.

BACKGROUND: Human placenta-derived multipotent cells (hPDMCs) are isolated from a source uncomplicated by ethical issues and are ideal for therapeutic applications because of their capacity for multilineage differentiation and proven immunosuppressive properties. It is known that heat shock preconditioning induces the upregulation of heat shock proteins (HSPs), which enhance survival and engraftment of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) during transplantation in live animal models, although whether heat shock preconditioning has the same effects in hPDMCs is unclear. METHODS: The hPDMCs were isolated from placenta of healthy donors. The cells were treated with heat shock (43 °C, 15 min), followed by evaluation of cell viability. Furthermore, the HSPs expression was assessed by Western blot, qPCR. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and signal pathway activation were determined by flow cytometry and Western blot, respectively. The regulatory pathways involved in HSPs expression were examined by pretreatment with chemical inhibitors, and siRNAs of MAPK, Akt, and heat shock factor 1 (HSF1), followed by determination of HSPs expression. RESULTS: This study demonstrates that heat shock treatment induced ROS generation and HPSs expression in hPDMCs. Heat shock stimulation also increased p38 MAPK and Akt phosphorylation. These effects were reduced by inhibitors of ROS, p38 MAPK and Akt. Moreover, we found that heat shock treatment enhanced nuclear translocation of the HSF1 in hPDMCs, representing activation of HSF1. Pretreatment of hPDMCs with ROS scavengers, SB203580 and Akt inhibitors also reduced the translocation of HSF1 induced by heat shock. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that heat shock acts via ROS to activate p38 MAPK and Akt signaling, which subsequently activates HSF1, leading to HSP activation and contributing to the protective role of hPDMCs.

[Effects of cultivating Coptis chinensis and Paris polyphylla on soil microarthropod communities.] / 种植黄连和重楼对小型土壤节肢动物群落的影响.

In recent years, the area of herbal medicine planting is rapidly increasing. The effects of planting herbal medicines on soil invertebrate communities are still unclear. To reveal the effects of planting different herbal medicines on the soil microarthropod communities, soil microarthropods in two fields of planting Coptis chinensis and Paris polyphylla for 3-year and 5-year, respectively, were investigated in Pengzhou, Chengdu in July 2020. A total of 526 individuals of soil microarthropods were recorded and classified into 4 classes, 17 orders, 69 families, and 98 genera or taxonomic groups. The communities were dominated by Isotoma, Piatynothrus, Folsomia, and Paranura. The community structure of soil microarthropods differed obviously among the two herbal medicine fields, with the main influencing taxonomic groups of Proisotoma, Ocesobates and Epicridae. The total taxonomic group richness of soil microarthropods were richer in C. chinensis field than P. polyphylla field. There was no significant difference in the abundance and diversity index between the two fields. With the increases of cultivating years, the abundance of soil microarthropods in C. chinensis field declined significantly, and Shannon index increased significantly in P. polyphylla field. The redundancy analysis showed that the community structure of soil microarthropods was mainly affected by soil available N, pH, total K, and available K. It suggested that the effects of cultivating herbal medicines on soil microarthropod communities differed between herbal medicine species. Therefore, we recommended to intercrop C. chinensis and P. polyphylla for maintaining the stability of soil microarthropod diversity and promoting ecosystem function.

Oxytocin Modulation of Maternal Behavior and Its Association With Immunological Activity in Rats With Cesarean Delivery.

Oxytocin (OT), a neuropeptide produced in the supraoptic (SON) and paraventricular (PVN) nuclei, is not only essential for lactation and maternal behavior but also for normal immunological activity. However, mechanisms underlying OT regulation of maternal behavior and its association with immunity around parturition, particularly under mental and physical stress, remain unclear. Here, we observed effects of OT on maternal behavior in association with immunological activity in rats after cesarean delivery (CD), a model of reproductive stress. CD significantly reduced maternal interests to the pups throughout postpartum day 1-8. On postpartum day 5, CD decreased plasma OT levels and thymic index but increased vasopressin, interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6 and IL-10 levels. CD had no significant effect on plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone levels. In the hypothalamus, CD decreased corticotropin-releasing hormone contents in the PVN but increased OT contents in the PVN and SON and OT release from hypothalamic implants. CD also increased c-Fos expression, particularly in the cytoplasm of OT neurons. Lastly, CD depolarized resting membrane potential and increased spike width while increasing the variability of the firing rate of OT neurons in brain slices. Thus, CD can increase hypothalamic OT contents and release but reduce pituitary release of OT into the blood, which is associated with depressive-like maternal behavior, increased inflammatory cytokine release and decreased relative weight of the thymus.

[Effects of Aromatherapy on Depression and Loneliness in Elderly With Frailty Living in Day-Care Centers].

BACKGROUND: In addition to playing significant role in the decline of physiological functions and the onset of depression, frailty is involved in a vicious circle with depression that has serious physical and mental impacts on sufferers. Furthermore, elderly people with frailty are less mobile, at increased risk of dissociative interpersonal relationships, and prone to develop a sense of loneliness, which also pose health threats. PURPOSES: This study was designed to explore the improvement effects of an aromatherapy intervention on depression and loneliness in the elderly with frailty living in daycare centers. METHODS: This study adopted a quasi-experimental, pre-and-post-test research design. This study enrolled 82 frail elderly people from six daycare centers in Taipei City as the research subjects. The subjects in the experimental group received aromatherapy twice a week for 30 minutes each session for four weeks. The researcher guided the experimental group in a small group setting to perform self-massage on the face and hands with lavender essential oil. The control group was guided in the same self-massage routine using pure base oil. RESULTS: Depression in the subjects was found to be positively correlated with degree of frailty. After the intervention, depression and loneliness was found to have decreased significantly in the experimental group (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The findings support the beneficial effects of aromatherapy interventions on depression and loneliness in the elderly with frailty living in daycare centers without adverse reactions. Aromatherapy may be used to improve depression and loneliness in elderly people with frailty.

Effects and mechanism of microRNA­218 against lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the most prevalent and observed type of cancer in Xuanwei County, Yunnan, South China. Lung cancer in this area is called Xuanwei lung cancer. However, its pathogenesis remains largely unknown. To date, a number of studies have shown that microRNA (miR)­218 functions as a tumor suppressor in multiple types of cancer. However, the role of miR­218 and its regulatory gene network in Xuanwei lung cancer have yet to be investigated. The current study identified that the expression levels of miR­218 in XWLC­05 cells were markedly lower compared with those in immortalized lung epithelial BEAS­2B cells. The present study also demonstrated that overexpression of miR­218 could decrease cell proliferation, invasion, viability and migration in Xuanwei lung cancer cell line XWLC­05 and NSCLC cell line NCI­H157. Additionally, the results revealed that overexpression of miR­218 could induce XWLC­05 and NCI­H157 cell apoptosis by arresting the cell cycle at G2/M phase. Finally, the present study demonstrated that overexpression of miR­218 could lead to a significant increase in phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and YY1 transcription factor (YY1), and a decrease in B­cell lymphoma 2 (BCL­2) and BMI1 proto­oncogene, polycomb ring finger (BMI­1) at the mRNA and protein level in XWLC­05 and NCI­H157 cell lines. However, we did not observe any remarkable difference in the roles of miR­218 and miR­218­mediated regulation of BCL­2, BMI­1, PTEN and YY1 expression in the progression of Xuanwei lung cancer. In conclusion, miR­218 could simultaneously suppress cell proliferation and tumor invasiveness and induce cell apoptosis by increasing PTEN and YY1 expression, while decreasing BCL­2 and BMI­1 in Xuanwei lung cancer. The results demonstrated that miR­218 might serve a vital role in tumorigenesis and progression of Xuanwei lung cancer and overexpression of miR­218 may be a novel approach for the treatment of Xuanwei lung cancer.

Bidirectional myofiber transition through altering the photobiomodulation condition.

Despite remarkable advancements in modern medicine, muscular atrophy remains as an unsolved problem. It is well known that pathological characteristics of different atrophy types could vary according to the pathophysiological causes. In fact, the lesion of atrophy is not always homogenously distributed but often predominantly evident in either fast or slow myofibers. As the focalization of the atrophic lesions, the existence and the functional impairment of each fast and slow progenitor/satellite cell (SC) are suspected though there are still controversies about this hypothesis. In this study, we isolated Pax7 positive (Pax7+ve) SCs from the tibia anterior (fast) and soleus (slow) muscles respectively and successfully demonstrated, for the first time, the difference between optimal exposure durations of photobiomodulation (PBM) which was known as low level laser irradiation (LLLI) in promoting proliferation of Pax7+ve SC which were acquired from fast and slow muscles respectively. Moreover, a hypertrophy-accompanied bidirectional change in myofiber composition with neuromuscular junction alteration, either from slow to fast or fast to slow, were achieved by applying different PBM durations. Simultaneously, PBM exhibited a synergistic effect with muscle exercise on the increase in myofiber size. Our data suggested the existence of at least two different populations of Pax7+ve SC which possess distinct sensitivities towards PBM. As our data revealed the capability of PBM in bidirectional changes of skeletal muscle composition and neuromuscular junction constitution thereby strengthen its contractility through altering the irradiation condition, we believe PBM showed the potential to be as a promising clinical treatment for muscular atrophy.

[Microbial Diversity of Filamentous Sludge Bulking at Low Temperature].

To investigate the characteristics of microbial diversity during filamentous bulking at low temperature, the induction of sludge bulking was successfully carried out using a low-temperature sequencing batch reactor(SBR). With the help of Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing technology, the overall changes in the microbial community structure of activated sludge, the characteristics of each specific microbial community, and the specific genera were all investigated under different sludge sedimentation performances. The results showed that filamentous bulking can be successfully induced after the system operating temperature drops to (14±1)℃, and the COD and TN removal rates can still be maintained at approximately 90% and 86%, respectively, with the sludge volume index deteriorating to 663.99 mL·g-1. The occurrence of sludge bulking at low temperature will not only reduce the overall diversity and uniformity of microorganisms in the system and increase the abundance of filamentous bacteria from 0.49% to 26.04% but also cause the abundance of denitrifying bacteria to reduce from 21.04% to 13.99% and that of dephosphorization bacteria to reduce from 4.25% to 1.93%. Of the five filamentous genera founded, the abundances of three filamentous bacteria represented by Thiothrix increased, whereas only that of the Haliscomenobacter decreased. Of the 19 denitrifier genera founded, the abundances of five species represented by Nitrosomonas increased, whereas those of seven species represented by Nitrospira decreased. Moreover, the abundances of Pseudomonas and Tetrasphaera increased out of the eight phosphorus-removing bacteria genera, whereas the abundances of the five bacteria genera represented by Candidatus_Competibacter decreased. Although sludge bulking has a significant impact on the structure of the microbial community, the 477 operational taxonomic units and 227 bacterial species that are always present in the different sludge samples indicate that the main microorganisms in the reactor are still relatively stable during the bulking process.

Micronized sacchachitin promotes satellite cell proliferation through TAK1-JNK-AP-1 signaling pathway predominantly by TLR2 activation.

BACKGROUND: Ganoderma sp., such as Ganoderma tsugae (GT), play an important role in traditional Chinese medicine. Ganoderma sp. contains several constituents, including Sacacchin, which has recently drawn attention because it can not only enhance the repair of muscle damage but also strengthen the muscle enforcement. Although Ganoderma sp. have a therapeutic effect for neuromuscular disorders, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study investigated the effect and underlying molecular mechanism of micronized sacchachitin (mSC) on satellite cells (SCs), which are known as the muscle stem cells. METHODS: The myogenic cells, included SCs (Pax7+) were isolated from tibialis anterior muscles of a healthy rat and were cultured in growth media with different mSC concentrations. For the evaluation of SC proliferation, these cultivated cells were immunostained with Pax7 and bromodeoxyuridine assessed simultaneously. The molecular signal pathway was further investigated by using Western blotting and signal pathway inhibitors. RESULTS: Our data revealed that 200 µg/mL mSC had an optimal capability to significantly enhance the SC proliferation. Furthermore, this enhancement of SC proliferation was verified to be involved with activation of TAK1-JNK-AP-1 signaling pathway through TLR2, whose expression on SC surface was confirmed for the first time here. CONCLUSION: Micronized sacchachitin extracted from GT was capable of promoting the proliferation of SC under a correct concentration.

A transient protective effect of low-level laser irradiation against disuse-induced atrophy of rats.

Satellite cells, a population of skeletal muscular stem cells, are generally recognized as the main and, possibly, the sole source of postnatal muscle regeneration. Previous studies have revealed the potential of low-level laser (LLL) irradiation in promoting satellite cell proliferation, which, thereby, boosts the recovery of skeletal muscle from atrophy. The purpose of this study is to investigate the beneficial effect of LLL on disuse-induced atrophy. The optimal irradiation condition of LLL (808 nm) enhancing the proliferation of Pax7+ve cells, isolated from tibialis anterior (TA) muscle, was examined and applied on TA muscle of disuse-induced atrophy model of the rats accordingly. Healthy rats were used as the control. On one hand, transiently, LLL was able to postpone the progression of atrophy for 1 week through a reduction of apoptosis in Pax7-veMyoD+ve (myocyte) population. Simultaneously, a significant enhancement was observed in Pax7+veMyoD+ve population; however, most of the increased cells underwent apoptosis since the second week, which suggested an impaired maturation of the population. On the other hand, in normal control rats with LLL irradiation, a significant increase in Pax7+veMyoD+ve cells and a significant decrease of apoptosis were observed. As a result, a strengthened muscle contraction was observed. Our data showed the capability of LLL in postponing the progression of disuse-induced atrophy for the first time. Furthermore, the result of normal rats with LLL irradiation showed the effectiveness of LLL to strengthen muscle contraction in healthy control.

Effect of danefukang on symptoms and biomarkers in women with endometriosis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to observe the efficacy of Danefukang (DEFK) soft extract for the treatment of symptoms associated with endometriosis, and its effect on quality of life, the Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores, and on levels of carbohydrate antigen (CA)-125, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-6. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 174 patients with endometriosis treated from January 2010 to December 2013 were randomly divided into a control group treated with mifepristone (n = 87) or DEFK (n = 87). Both groups were treated for 3 months. Symptoms, quality of life, SAS, SD scores, and levels of CA-125, TNF-α, and IL-6 were evaluated before and after treatment. RESULTS: The effectiveness rate was 93.10% in the DEFK group and 81.61% in the mifepristone control group (χ2 = 4.215, P < 0.05). Treatment with DEFK resulted in a greater improvement in quality of life, SDS, and SAS scores compared with mifepristone (all, P < 0.05). DEFK treatment also resulted in a greater decrease of CA-125, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels compared with mifepristone (all, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Based on the current results - improved symptoms, attenuated depression and anxiety, and reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and CA-125 -treatment with DEFK is a meaningful option for patients with endometriosis. DEFK fills an unmet need in the pharmacologic treatment of endometriosis.

[Efficacy of fan-needle radiofrequency for knee osteoarthritis guided by meridians-muscles theory].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy difference between fan-needle radiofrequency guided by meridians-muscles theory and oral administration of medication for knee osteoarthritis (KOA). METHODS: One hundred patients with KOA were randomly divided into an acupuncture group and a medication group, 50 cases in each one. The patients in the acupuncture group were treated with fan-needle radiofrequency guided by meridians-muscles theory at tendon nodes around knee joints (ashi points), 4 points per treatment, once every two weeks and two treatments were given. The patients in the medication group were treated with oral administration of celecoxib capsules, 1 capsule every day for 4 weeks. The visual analogue scale (VAS) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) in the two groups were observed before treatment, after treatment and during 4-week follow-up visit. The clinical efficacy was evaluated. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the VAS was reduced in the two groups after treatment and during 4-week follow-up visit (all P<0.05), and the VAS score in the acupuncture group was lower than that in the medication group (both P<0.05). Compared before treatment, the pain score, stiffness score, activity function score and total score of WOMAC were reduced in the two groups after treatment and during 4-week follow-up visit (all P<0.05), and the scores in the acupuncture group were lower than those in the medication group (all P<0.05). After treatment, the total effective rate was 80.0% (40/50) in the acupuncture group, which was superior to 56.0% (28/50) in the medication group (P<0.05). During 4-week follow-up visit, the total effective rate was 76.0% (38/50) in the acupuncture group, which was superior to 40.0% (20/50) in the medication group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The efficacy of fan-needle radiofrequency guided by meridians-muscles theory is superior to oral administration of celecoxib capsules for KOA, which could relieve joint pain and stiffness, improve joint mobility, and has long effective duration.

6-Gingerol inhibits hair cycle via induction of MMP2 and MMP9 expression.

6-Gingerol is the major active constituent of ginger. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the mechanisms underlying the effects of 6-Gingerol on hair growth. Mice were randomly divided into five groups; after hair depilation (day 0), mice were treated with saline, or different concentrations of 6-Gingerol for 11 days. The histomorphological characteristics of the growing hair follicles were examined after hematoxylin and eosin staining. The results indicated that 6-Gingerol significantly suppressed hair growth compared with that in the control group. And choose the concentration of 6-Gingerol at 1 mg/mL to treated with mice. Moreover, 6-Gingerol (1 mg/mL) significantly reduced hair re-growth ratio, hair follicle number, and hair follicle length, which were associated with increased expression of MMP2 and MMP9. Furthermore, the growth factors, such as EGF, KGF, VEGF, IGF-1 and TGF-ß participate in the hair follicle cycle regulation and regulate hair growth. We then measured the concentrations of them using ELISA assays, and the results showed that 6-Gingerol decreased EGF, KGF, VEGF, and IGF-1 concentrations, and increased TGF-ß concentration. Thus, this study showed that 6-Gingerol might act as a hair growth suppressive drug via induction of MMP2 and MMP9 expression, which could interfere with the hair cycle.

6-Gingerol inhibits hair cycle via induction of MMP2 and MMP9 expression

ABSTRACT 6-Gingerol is the major active constituent of ginger. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the mechanisms underlying the effects of 6-Gingerol on hair growth. Mice were randomly divided into five groups; after hair depilation (day 0), mice were treated with saline, or different concentrations of 6-Gingerol for 11 days. The histomorphological characteristics of the growing hair follicles were examined after hematoxylin and eosin staining. The results indicated that 6-Gingerol significantly suppressed hair growth compared with that in the control group. And choose the concentration of 6-Gingerol at 1 mg/mL to treated with mice. Moreover, 6-Gingerol (1 mg/mL) significantly reduced hair re-growth ratio, hair follicle number, and hair follicle length, which were associated with increased expression of MMP2 and MMP9. Furthermore, the growth factors, such as EGF, KGF, VEGF, IGF-1 and TGF-β participate in the hair follicle cycle regulation and regulate hair growth. We then measured the concentrations of them using ELISA assays, and the results showed that 6-Gingerol decreased EGF, KGF, VEGF, and IGF-1 concentrations, and increased TGF-β concentration. Thus, this study showed that 6-Gingerol might act as a hair growth suppressive drug via induction of MMP2 and MMP9 expression, which could interfere with the hair cycle.

Bt Cry1Ie Toxin Does Not Impact the Survival and Pollen Consumption of Chinese Honey Bees, Apis cerana cerana (Hymenoptera, Apidae).

The cry1Ie gene may be a good candidate for the development of Bt maize because over-expression of Cry1Ie is highly toxic to Lepidopteran pests such as Heliothis armigera Hübner and Ostrinia furnacalis Guenée. The Bt cry1Ie gene also has no cross resistance with other insecticidal proteins such as Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry1Ah, or Cry1F. Chinese honey bees (Apis cerana cerana) are potentially exposed to insect-resistant genetically modified (IRGM) crops expressing Cry1Ie toxin via the collection of IRGM crop pollen. In this study, we tested whether Chinese honey bee workers are negatively affected by sugar syrup containing 20, 200, or 20,000 ng/ml Cry1Ie toxin and 48 ng/ml imidacloprid under controlled laboratory conditions. Our results demonstrated that the Cry1Ie toxin does not adversely impact survival and pollen consumption of Chinese honey bees. However, imidacloprid decreases Chinese honey bee survival and the total pollen consumption on the 5th, 6th, and 18th d of exposure. The described bioassay is suitable to assess the effects of GM expressed toxins against honey bee.

Boron and strontium isotope ratios and major/trace elements concentrations in tea leaves at four major tea growing gardens in Taiwan.

Isotopic compositions of B and Sr in rocks and sediments can be used as tracers for plant provincial sources. This study aims to test whether tea leaf origin can be discriminated using (10)B/(11)B and Sr isotopic composition data, along with concentrations of major/trace elements, in tea specimens collected from major plantation gardens in Taiwan. The tea leaves were digested by microwave and analyzed by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS). The data showed significant variations in (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratios (from 0.70482 to 0.71462), which reflect changes in soil, groundwater or irrigation conditions. The most radiogenic tea leaves were found at the Taitung garden and the least radiogenic ones were from the Hualien garden. The δ (11)B was found to change appreciably (δ (11)B = 0.38-23.73 ‰) which could be due to fertilizers. The maximum δ (11)B was also observed in tea samples from the Hualien garden. Principal component analysis combining (87)Sr/(86)Sr, δ (11)B and major/trace elements results successfully discriminated different sources of major tea gardens in Taiwan, except the Hualien gardens, and this may be due to rather complicated local geological settings.

[Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis by Tendons of Minimally Invasive Therapy Combined Drug Ther- apy: a Clinical Observation of Sixty Cases].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of tendons of minimally invasive therapy (TMIT) combined drug therapy by comparing it with treatment by drug therapy alone on patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). METHODS: Totally 60 KOA patients were assigned to the treatment group and the control group according to random digit table, 30 in each group. Patients in the control group took Hydrochloric Acid Glucosamine Capsule and Celecoxib Capsule. Patients in the treatment group additionally received TMIT. The treatment course for all was 4 weeks. Scores for visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) Osteoarthritis Index were observed and recorded at week 1 and 4 after treatment by acupotomology mirror. RESULTS: Compared with before treatment, improvement was shown in VAS score, pain and stiffness degrees, activities and functions, and WOMAC scores at week 1 and 4 after treatment in all patients with statistical difference (P < 0.05). Besides, better effect was shown in the treatment group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: TMIT combined drug therapy could relieve KOA patients' pain, stiffness and joint activities, elevate the overall efficacy. TMIT was easily operated with less injury.

Hyperthermia induces apoptosis through endoplasmic reticulum and reactive oxygen species in human osteosarcoma cells.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a relatively rare form of cancer, but OS is the most commonly diagnosed bone cancer in children and adolescents. Chemotherapy has side effects and induces drug resistance in OS. Since an effective adjuvant therapy was insufficient for treating OS, researching novel and adequate remedies is critical. Hyperthermia can induce cell death in various cancer cells, and thus, in this study, we investigated the anticancer method of hyperthermia in human OS (U-2 OS) cells. Treatment at 43 °C for 60 min induced apoptosis in human OS cell lines, but not in primary bone cells. Furthermore, hyperthermia was associated with increases of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and caspase-3 activation in U-2 OS cells. Mitochondrial dysfunction was followed by the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria, and was accompanied by decreased anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, and increased pro-apoptotic proteins Bak and Bax. Hyperthermia triggered endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which was characterized by changes in cytosolic calcium levels, as well as increased calpain expression and activity. In addition, cells treated with calcium chelator (BAPTA-AM) blocked hyperthermia-induced cell apoptosis in U-2 OS cells. In conclusion, hyperthermia induced cell apoptosis substantially via the ROS, ER stress, mitochondria, and caspase pathways. Thus, hyperthermia may be a novel anticancer method for treating OS.

Evaluating meridian-sinew release therapy for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

Objective. In recent years, public health experts have concluded that the impact of osteoarthritis is equal in magnitude to that of cardiovascular disease. Osteoarthritis of the knee is prevalent in the elderly population; however, there are currently no effective treatments for this condition. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of "meridian-sinew release," a newly developed technique which entails using a meridian-sinew scope and a meridian-sinew knife to treat osteoarthritis of the knee. Methods. Patients (N = 90) with knee osteoarthritis were prospectively randomized to meridian-sinew release therapy, acupuncture therapy, or drug therapy groups, respectively. Outcome evaluation included pain, stiffness, physiological function, total symptom score, and overall changes in the condition. Results. After 12 weeks, patients' general assessment (GA) and doctors' general assessment (GA) of the condition were not significantly different among the three groups. However, significant differences in primary endpoint pain, joint stiffness, and total symptom score were found between the meridian-sinew group and the acupuncture group and between the meridian-sinew group and the control group (P < 0.05). No adverse events occurred during the trial. Conclusion. Our study suggests that meridian-sinew release therapy can improve knee osteoarthritis, alleviate joint pain, and improve functional movement disorder. It is a safe and effective treatment for knee osteoarthritis.

[Clinical observation on idiopathic sudden hearing loss treated by warming-promoting needling technique].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effective therapeutic method in the treatment of idiopathic sudden hearing loss (ISHL). METHODS: One hundred and eighty-eight cases of ISHL were randomized into a warming-promoting needling group (74 cases), a conventional acupuncture group (56 cases) and a medication group (58 cases). In the conventional acupuncture group, the conventional needling technique was applied to Baihui (GV 20), Fengchi (GB 20), Yifeng (TE 17), Tinggong (SI 19), Touqiaoyin (GB 11) and Zhigou (TE 6) on the affected side. The treatment was given 5 times each week. Totally, the treatment of 6 weeks was required. In the warming-promoting needling group, on the basic treatment as the conventional acupuncture group, the warming-promoting needling technique was applied to Fengchi (GB 20). In the medication group, the intravenous drop with salvia injectio and mecobalamin was prescribed, once per day, for 10 days totally. Meanwhile, Erlong Zuoci Wan was prescribed for oral administration, 8 pills each time, three times a day for 30 days continuously. RESULTS: All of the three therapeutic methods achieved the effect on ISHL. The total effective rate was 89.2% (66/74) in the warming-promoting needling group, which was better than 62.5% (35/56) in the conventional acupuncture group and 53.4% (31/58) in the medication group (both P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The warming-promoting needling techinque achieves the significant efficacy on ISHL. The hearing improvement is superior to that treated with either the conventional needling technique or medication.

Acupuncture for promoting intelligence of children--an observation on 37 cases with mental retardation.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture on intelligence quotient (IQ) in children with mental retardation (MR). METHODS: One hundred children with MR were randomly divided into an acupuncture group and a control group, 50 in each. There were 37 and 36 cases with complete data in the former and latter group respectively. Four-week treatment constituted a course, the comprehensive therapeutic effect of two groups was compared after 3 courses of treatment, and the influence of acupuncture on IQ was estimated. RESULTS: The total effective rate in the acupuncture group was 78.4%, better than 30.56% in the control group, the difference being significant (P < 0.01). Both groups were improved in IQ but the effect of the former group was better than that of the latter group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture can obviously improve IQ of children suffering from MR.