Heterojunction structured BiOCl-Bi2S3 nanosheets as mitochondria-targeted near-infrared photothermal and photodynamic therapy agent.

Mitochondria-targeted phototherapy, especially combined photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT), has been regarded as an attractive strategy for the treatment of tumor. In this study, a facile approach to prepare two-dimensional (2D) BiOCl-Bi2S3 nanostructures was developed, where Bi2S3 quantum dots were doped in/on the ultrathin BiOCl nanosheets, forming a p-n heterojunction. The BiOCl-Bi2S3 shows favorable photothermal conversion efficiency (32%) and synergistically reactive oxygen species (ROS) generating capability under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation. Moreover, the conjugation of synthetic targeting ligand to the surface of BiOCl-Bi2S3 endows the heterojunction effective tumor targeting ability and selective mitochondrial accumulation. The combined cancer targeting ability and synergistic PTT/PDT permit enhanced cooperative phototherapeutic efficiency of the 2D heterojunction. This study provides an attractive way for designing new class of heterostructure materials for potential applications in subcellular-targeted phototherapy.

Electroacupuncture at ST36 Improve the Gastric Motility by Affecting Neurotransmitters in the Enteric Nervous System in Type 2 Diabetic Rats.

Electroacupuncture (EA) can effectively relieve hyperglycemia and gastric emptying disorders in diabetic gastroparesis (DGP). However, the effect of EA on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) gastroparesis and its mechanism in the enteric nervous system (ENS) are rarely studied. We investigated the therapeutic effect of EA at ST36 and its effect on the main inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters in the ENS in DGP rats. Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were fed a high-fat diet for 2 weeks and injected with streptozotocin (STZ) at 35 mg/kg to induce T2DM. T2DM rats were divided into the diabetic mellitus (DM) group and the EA group. The control (CON) group comprised normal rats without any intervention. EA treatment was started 6 weeks after the induction of DM and continued for 5 weeks. The body weight and food intake of the rats were recorded every week. Blood glucose, insulin, glucose tolerance, gastric emptying, and antral motility were measured after treatment. The expression of protein gene product 9.5 (PGP9.5), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in gastric antrum were quantified by western blotting and quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The T2DM gastroparesis model was successfully established. EA treatment reduced the body weight, food intake, and blood glucose; improved glucose intolerance and insulin resistance; increased the gastric emptying rate, the mean antral pressure, and the amplitude of antral motility; and decreased the frequency of antral motility compared with those in the DM group. EA treatment increased the expression level of nNOS, ChAT, and PGP9.5 proteins, and nNOS and ChAT mRNA. The results suggested that EA at ST36 could ameliorate DGP, partly restore the damage to general neurons, and increase nNOS and ChAT in the gastric antrum. EA improved DGP partly via reducing the loss of inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters in the ENS.

Electroacupuncture Regulates Inguinal White Adipose Tissue Browning by Promoting Sirtuin-1-Dependent PPARγ Deacetylation and Mitochondrial Biogenesis.

Background: Previous studies had suggested that electroacupuncture (EA) can promote white adipose tissue (WAT) browning to counter obesity. But the mechanism was still not very clear. Aim: In this study, we aim to study the effect of EA on promoting inguinal WAT (iWAT) browning and its possible mechanism. Method: Three-week-old rats were randomly divided into a normal diet (ND) group and a high-fat diet (HFD) group. After 10 weeks, the HFD rats were grouped into HFD + EA group and HFD control group. Rats in the EA group were electro-acupunctured for 4 weeks on Tianshu (ST25) acupoint under gas anesthesia with isoflurane, while the rats in HFD group were under gas anesthesia only. Body weight and cumulative food intake were monitored, and H&E staining was performed to assess adipocyte area. The effect of EA on WAT was assessed by qPCR, immunoblotting, immunoprecipitation and Co-immunoprecipitation. Mitochondria were isolated from IWAT to observe the expression of mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM). Results: The body weight, WAT/body weight ratio and cumulative food consumption obviously decreased (P < 0.05) in the EA group. The expressions of brown adipose tissue (BAT) markers were increased in the iWAT of EA rats. Nevertheless, the mRNA expressions of WAT genes were suppressed by 4-week EA treatment. Moreover, EA increased the protein expressions of SIRT-1, PPARγ, PGC-1α, UCP1 and PRDM16 which trigger the molecular conversion of iWAT browning. The decrease of PPARγ acetylation was also found in EA group, indicating EA could advance WAT-browning through SIRT-1 dependent PPARγ deacetylation pathway. Besides, we found that EA could activate AMPK to further regulate PGC-1α-TFAM-UCP1 pathway to induce mitochondrial biogenesis. Conclusion: In conclusion, EA can remodel WAT to BAT through inducing SIRT-1 dependent PPARγ deacetylation, and regulating PGC-1α-TFAM-UCP1 pathway to induce mitochondrial biogenesis. This may be one of the mechanisms by which EA affects weight loss.

A cytogenetic analysis of male meiosis in Asparagus officinalis.

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) has several traits that make it a useful model for cytogenetic studies, however, few studies of the meiosis process have been made in asparagus. Here, we present in detail an atlas of male meiosis in asparagus, from preleptotene to telophase II. The meiosis process in asparagus is largely similar to those of the well-characterized model plants Arabidopsis thaliana, Zea mays, and Oryza sativa. However, most asparagus prophase I meiotic chromosomes show a strongly aggregated morphology, and this phenotype persists through the pachytene stage, highlighting a property in the control of chromosome migration and distribution in asparagus. Further, we observed no obvious banding of autofluorescent dots between divided nuclei of asparagus meiocytes, as one would expect in Arabidopsis. This description of wild-type asparagus meiosis will serve as a reference for the analyses of meiotic mutants, as well as for comparative studies among difference species. Abbreviations: DAPI: 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole; FISH: fluorescence in situ hybridization; PBS: phosphate-buffered saline; PMC: pollen mother cell; SEM: Scanning Electron Microscope.

[Effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on severe obesity complicated with hyperlipidemia in different genders].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on severe obesity complicated with hyperlipidemia in different genders and their comprehensive effect, lipid indexes, and obesity indexes. METHODS: A total of 264 patients of severe obesity complicated with hyperlipidemia were assigned into a male group (106 cases) and a female group (158 cases)．According to their clinical symptoms and patterns, acupuncture and moxibustion differentiation therapies were applied for stomach and intestine heat type, spleen deficiency and dampness resistance type, phlegm-dampness internal resistance type, liver depression and spleen deficiency type, spleen and kidney yang deficiency type and yin deficiency and blood stasis type．The obesity indexes were weight (W), obesity degree (A), body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (F); the blood lipid indexes were total cholesterol (TC)，triglyceride (TG)，low density lipoprotein (LDL-C) and high density lipoprotein (HDL-C). The comprehensive effect, obesity and blood lipid indexes were observed．. RESULTS: The total effective rate of the male group was 91.5% (97/106), and the total effective rate of the female group was 85.4% (135/158) , without statistical significance (R>0.05). After treatment, the obesity indexes of W, A, BMI and F and the blood lipid levels of TC, TG, LDL-C decreased, the levels of HDL-C increased compared with those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05, P<0.01). The different values before and after treatment of the above all indexes in the male group were higher than those in the female group (all P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture and moxibustion can both improve the obesity and blood lipid indexes for the patients with obesity complicated with hyperlipidemia. The effect is better for male than for female. The methods can prevent and treat hyperlipidemia.

[Effects of electroacupuncture for visceral fat of simple obesity with stomach and intestinal heat].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of electroacupuncture (EA) for visceral fat of simple obesity with stomach and intestinal heat. METHODS: Forty patients (waistline of male ≥ 90 cm and female ≥ 80 cm) were treated with EA at Quchi (LI 11), Zusanli (ST 36), Xiajuxu (ST 39), Shangjuxu (ST 37), Neiting (ST 44), Qiangu (SI 2), Erjian (LI 2), Tianshu (ST 25) and Fenglong (ST 40) for continuous 3 courses (12 treatments as 1 course) once every other day. The observation items before and after treatment were obesity indices[body weight (W), obesity degree (A%), body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (F%, skinfold thickness me-thod)], body circumference indices (chest measurement, waistline, hip circumference, thigh circumference, waist-to-hip ratio) and body composition indices[body fat percentage (F%), body moisture content ratio, visceral fat cross assessment index (VFA)]. Besides, 40 healthy control subjects with similar ages and gender ratio were recruited as control. RESULTS: The total effective rate of the observation group was 97.5% (39/40), with lower W, A%, F%, BMI, chest measurement, waistline, hip circumference, thigh circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and VFA as well as higher body moisture content ratio after treatment (all P<0.01). While there was statistical significance between the two groups for all the indices after treatment (all P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: EA can induce body weight and visceral fat of simple obesity with stomach and intestinal heat as well as improve body composition. Besides, body moisture ratio increases.

[Transient therapeutic effect and safety of superficial needling therapy for treatment of periarthritis of shoulder].

OBJECTIVE: To scientifically assess effectiveness and safety of mono-use fu-needle. METHODS: Sixty cases of periarthritis of shoulder were randomly divided into a fu-needle group and a routine acupuncture group. The fu-needle group were treated with fu-needle, and the routine acupuncture group were treated with a needle of 0.38 mm in diameter and 40 mm in length. The articular mobility of the most limited direction, soft tissue pain self-rating score and self-rating score of shoulder tenderness before and after treatment, stabbing times and degree at inserting the needle, scattering and during retention of the needle, and bleeding at withdrawing the needle were compared in the two groups. RESULTS: The fu-needle group was better than the routine acupuncture group in improvement of mobility-related pain, tenderness, and the articular mobility of the most limited direction, indicating that the transient effect in the fu-needle group was better than the routine acupuncture group, and the stabbing times and degree at insertion of the needle were less than the routine acupuncture group. And there was no significant difference between the two groups in stabbing times and degree at scattering and retaining the needle and bleeding times in withdrawing the needle. CONCLUSION: The superficial needling therapy with mono-use fu-needle is more effective and more safe than the routine acupuncture for treatment of periarthritis of shoulder.

[Effect of acupuncture on plasma peptide YY in the patient of simple obesity].

OBJECTIVE: To observe changes of plasma peptide YY (PYY) in acupuncture for slimming. METHODS: Thirty-four cases of simple obesity were treated with acupuncture for 3 courses. Body mass index (BMI), and fat percent (F%), and insulin, PYY, blood fat, and blood sugar levels before and after treatment were determined, with 20 normal persons used as controls. RESULTS: The clinical total effective rate was 88.23%. Acupuncture could increase the decreased insulin sensitive index and PYY level (both P < 0.01), with no correlativity between them (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Regulation of PYY is possibly one of the mechanisms of acupuncture in slimming, but the relation of PPY with insulin resistance remains to be studied.