Effect of Electro-acupuncture on Expression of IRS-1/PI3K/GLUT4 Pathway in Ovarian Granulosa Cells of Infertile Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome-Insulin Resistance of Phlegm-Dampness Syndrome / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) in infertile patients with phlegm-dampness polycystic ovary syndrome-insulin resistance (PCOS-IR).@*METHODS@#Seventy-six PCOS-IR patients who underwnet in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) were equally assigned to two groups according to a random digital table: the EA group and the control group, with 38 cases in each group. Before undergoing IVF, the two groups were treated with EA or pseudo-acupuncture, respectively, for 3 menstrual cycles. The intervention was 25 min twice a week until the day of oocyte collection. The selected acupoints were Zhongwan (RN 12), Tianshu (ST 25), Daheng (SP 15), Daimai (GB 26), Qihai (CV 6), Guanyuan (CV 4), and bilateral points including Xuehai (SP 10), Fenglong (ST 40), Zusanli (ST 36), and Yinlingquan (SP 9). Evaluation of phlegm-dampness syndrome score and IR score were carried out before and after treatment. Additionally, the number of oocytes retrieved, transplantable embryo rate, high-quality embryo rate, clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate were compared between the two groups. Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis was used to monitor the mRNA expression of the insulin receptor substrate (IRS-1), phosphatidylinositiol 3-kinase (PI3K) and glucose transport factor 4 (GLUT4) in ovarian granulosa cells.@*RESULTS@#EA treatment reduced the phlegm-dampness syndrome score as well as the IR scores compared with the control group (P0.05). Moreover, the transplantable embryo rate [49.0% (284/580) vs. 41.9% (273/652)], high-quality embryo rate [36.6% (104/284) vs. 27.8% (76/273)], and live birth rate [50% (19/38) vs. 26.3% (10/38)] in the EA group were significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.05). Gene expression analyses revealed significantly elevated IRS-1, PI3K and GLUT4 mRNA in ovarian granulosa cells of the EA group compared with the control group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#EA may ameliorate the effects of phlegm-dampness syndrome and ovarian IR in PCOS-IR patients. Mechanistically, this effect might be through an upregulation of the IRS-1/PI3K/GLUT4 signaling pathway, which may result in improved oocyte quality and embryonic development potential. (Registration No. ChiCTR1800015453).

Effects of Electroacupuncture on Expression of PI3K/Akt/Foxo3a in Granulosa Cells from Women with Shen (Kidney) Deficiency Syndrome Undergoing in vitro Fertilization-Embryo Transfer / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on reproductive outcomes in women with Shen (Kidndy) deficiency syndrome after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET), and explore the underlying molecular mechanism.@*METHODS@#Sixty-six infertile patients with Shen deficiency syndrome undergoing IVF-ET were divided into EA or control groups according to a random table, 33 cases in each group. Before undergoing IVF, patients in the EA and control groups received EA therapy and placebo needle puncture, respectively, for 3 menstrual cycles. Shen deficiency syndrome scores were assessed. Other outcome measures included the number of retrieved oocytes and fertilization, high-quality embryo and clinical pregnancy rates. Follicular fluid was collected on the day of oocyte retrieval, and granulosa cell expression of phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases (PI3K), serine-threonine kinase (Akt) and forkhead box O3 (Foxo3a) mRNA were measured by reverse transcribed and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.@*RESULTS@#Syndrome scores for pre- versus post-treatments decreased significantly (16.53±1.75 to 8.67±1.61) in the EA group (P<0.05), but showed no significant change in the control group (17.18±1.58 to 14.74±1.58). A significant difference in score change was found between the EA and control groups (P<0.05). High-quality embryo and clinical pregnancy rates were both increased in the EA group compared with the control group [69.15% (195/282) vs. 60.27% (176/292) and 66.67% (22/33) vs. 42.42% (14/33), respectively, P<0.05]. The fertilization rate was equivalent in EA and control groups. No difference was found in the number of retrieved oocytes between the two groups. Granulosa cell expression levels of PI3K and Akt mRNA were significantly increased in the EA group compared with the control group, while the expression of Foxo3a was reduced (all P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#For infertile patients with Shen deficiency syndrome undergoing IVF, EA for tonifying Shen as an adjunct treatment may alleviate clinical symptoms and improve the high-quality embryo rate. The EA-induced mechanism may involve regulation of PI3K/Akt/Foxo3a expression in granulosa cells to improve the developmental microenvironment of oocytes and inhibit granulosa cell apoptosis, possibly contributing to the improved clinical pregnancy rate (Registration No. ChiCTR 1800016217).

Improvement of the oocyte quality with electroacupuncture in infertility patients of kidney deficiency pattern / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the impact and effect mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) on oocyte quali ty in the patients with infertility of kidney deficiency pattern.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-six cases differentiated as kidney de ficiency and with in vitro fertilization-embryo transplantation (IVF-ET), aged fromnt 35 to 42 years were rando- mized into an observation group and a control group, 33 cases in each one. The IVF-ET therapy of the long proto- col with gonadotrophin releasing hormone agonist was adopted in the two groups. In the observation group. on the 5th day of menstruation in IVF cycle, EA was applied to Sanyinjiao (SP 6). Zigong (EX CA 1), Zhongji (CV 3) and Guanyuan (CV 4). In the control group, the sham-acupuncture was applied to the same acupoints. The treatment was given once every two days till the date of egg collection and the needles were retained for 30 min each time. The change in the score of kidney deficiency syndrome, the high-quality oocyte rate, the high-quality embryo rate and clinical pregnant rate were observed in the two groups. The levels of insulin-like growth factor-i (IGF-1) and IGF-2 in follicular fluid and the serum β-endorphin β-EP) on the date of egg collection and the correlation with oocyte quality were compared bIetween the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>1) In the observation group, the kidney deficiency syndrome score after treatment was reduced apparently as compared with that before treatment (P<0. 05), the score after treatment in the observation group was reduced much more apparently as compared with the control group (P<0.05). 2) The high-quality egg rate and the high-quality embryo rate in the observation group were both higher than those in the control group [81.3% (161/198) vs 57.6% (98/170), 59.8% (58/97) vs 37.7% (26/69), both P<0.05]. 3) Compared with the control group. the levels of IGF-1 and IGF-2 in follicular fluid and serum β-EP on the day of egg collection were all increased obviously in the observation group (all P<0. 05). 4) The levels of IGF-1 and IGF-2 in follicular fluid and serum β-EP presented the linear positive correlation with the high-quality egg rate.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EA effectively improves the expressions of IGF in follicular fluid and serum β-EP, increases the high-quality egg rate and high-quality embryo rate and relieves the symptoms of kidney deficiency.</p>

Two novel innovanoside dimers from Daphne aurantiaca and a concise total synthesis of diinnovanoside A.

Chemical examination of the methanolic extract from the stem bark of Daphne aurantiaca led to the isolation of two innovanoside dimers (1 and 2) with an unusual four-membered cyclobutane ring, together with the isoinnovanoside 3. Their chemical structures and configurations were elucidated by extensive spectral analysis and synthesis.

Studies on the defect structure for Cu2+ in CdSe nanocrystals.

The defect structure for Cu(2+) in CdSe nanocrystals is theoretically studied by analyzing the spin Hamiltonian parameters of this impurity center. This center is ascribed to Cu(2+) occupying the octahedral interstitial site, rather than the tetrahedral substitutional Cd(2+) site proposed by previous work. The Cu(2+) center exhibits slight tetragonal elongation distortion (characterized by the elongation parameter rho approximately 0.03) due to the Jahn-Teller effect. The theoretical spin Hamiltonian parameters and optical transition show good agreement with the experimental data. The above unusual defect structure (occupation and symmetry) for Cu(2+) in CdSe nanocrystals is discussed, as compared with the conventional trigonally distorted tetrahedral Cu(2+) centers in bulk II-VI semiconductors.

[Effects of Yifei Kangliu Oral Liquid on cell cycle and protein-nucleic acid synthesis of experimental lung cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of the traditional Chinese medicine Yifei Kangliu (YFKL) Oral Liquid on the proliferation, cell cycle and protein-nucleic acid synthesis of murine Lewis lung cancer cell and human lung adenocarcinoma cell line SPC-A-1. METHODS: The inhibiting rates of tumor growth were calculated by weighing the weight of tumor inoculated in vivo, combined by counting cancer cells in vitro. The ratio of the cell cycle and exponents of DNA, RNA, and protein were measured by flow cytometry (FCM). RESULTS: The inhibiting rate of tumor growth in the treated group with YFKL Oral Liquid was 30.38% (P<0.05). The proportion of cells in S phase of the treated groups with YFKL Oral Liquid was lower than that of the control group. In the group with most significant result, 72% of the cells were stagnated in G0/G1 phase. The inhibiting rates of DNA, RNA and protein in murine Lewis lung cancer were 7.4%, 23.73% and 23.31% respectively. In SPC-A-1 cell line, the inhibiting rates were 9.3%, 10.1% and 14.7% respectively, demonstrating amplified effects on lower levels. CONCLUSION: YFKL Oral Liquid significantly inhibited the proliferation of murine Lewis lung cancer cell and human lung adenocarcinoma cell line SPC-A-1 by blocking the cancer cells entering the proliferative phase resulted from its inhibition of DNA.