Amorphous selenium inhibits oxidative stress injury of neurons in vascular dementia rats by activating NMDAR pathway.

Vascular dementia (VD) is one of the most common causes of dementia, taking account for about 20% of all cases. Although studies have found that selenium supplementation can improve the cognitive ability of Alzheimer's patients, there is currently no research on the cognitive impairment caused by VD. This study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of Amorphous selenium nanodots (A SeNDs) in the prevention of VD. The bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) method was used to establish a VD model. The neuroprotective effect of A SeNDs was evaluated by Morris water maze, Transcranial Doppler TCD, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, Neuron-specific nuclear protein (Neu N) staining and Golgi staining. Detect the expression levels of oxidative stress and Calcium-calmodulin dependent protein kinase II (CaMK II), N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit NR2A, and postsynaptic dense protein 95 (PSD95). Finally, measure the concentration of calcium ions in neuronal cells. The results showed that A SeNDs could significantly improve the learning and memory ability of VD rats, restore the posterior arterial blood flow of the brain, improve the neuronal morphology and dendritic remodeling of pyramidal cells in hippocampal CA1 area, reduce the level of oxidative stress in VD rats, increase the expression of NR2A, PSD95, CaMK II proteins and reduce intracellular calcium ion concentration, but the addition of selective NR2A antagonist NVP-AAMO77 eliminated these benefits. It suggests that A SeNDs may improve cognitive dysfunction in vascular dementia rats by regulating the NMDAR pathway.

Antidepressant Activity of Euparin: Involvement of Monoaminergic Neurotransmitters and SAT1/NMDAR2B/BDNF Signal Pathway.

Depression is the most significant risk factor for suicide, yet the causes are complex and disease mechanism remains unclear. The incidence and disability rate of depression are very high and the efficacy of some traditional antidepressants is not completely satisfactory. Recently, some studies have found that benzofurans have anti-oxidation and anti-monoamine oxidase properties, which are related to depression. Euparin is a monomer compound of benzofuran, previous work by our team found that it improves the behavior of depressed mice. However, additional antidepressant effects and mechanisms of Euparin have not been reported. In this study, the Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress (CUMS) model of mice was used to further investigate the effect and mechanism of Euparin on depression. Results showed that Euparin (8, 16 and 32 mg/kg) reduced depression-like behavior in mice compared with the model group. Meanwhile, all doses of Euparin were found to increase the contents of monoamine neurotransmitter and decrease monoamine oxidase and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in brain of depression mice. Additionally, Euparin restored CUMS-induced decrease of Spermidine/Spermine N1-Acetyltransferase 1 (SAT1), N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subtype 2B (NMDAR2B) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression. These findings demonstrate that Euparin has antidepressant properties, and its mechanism involves the SAT1/NMDAR2B/BDNF signaling pathway.

[Progress of the application of PET technology in acupuncture research].

To further investigate the application of positron emission tomography (PET) technology in acupuncture research field, with "PET" and "acupuncture" as keywords, the related literature published from 1997 to 2018 was searched in PubMed, CNKI and WANFANG database; then the literature was classified and analyzed. The results showed that in clinical and experimental studies, whether in physiological or pathological conditions, PET technology has verified the specificity of acupoints, bidirectional regulation of acupoints, and the clinical effect of qi-arrival from the level of brain functional activity. It has deeply revealed the central mechanism underlying that acupuncture has multi-target, multi-channel and multi-level overall effects. The purpose of this study is to provide objective scientific basis for acupuncture research, and then potentially guide the clinical practice.

[Meridian differentiation of low back pain in Neijing (Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor)].

There are various contents about diagnosis and treatment of low back pain in Neijing (Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor), which are closely related to meridians and collaterals, forming a complete theoretical system of meridian differentiation for low back pain. Its theory and application are interpreted in this paper from five main aspects, including 18 meridians and collaterals densely distributing in the tendons and bones of the waist, the pathogenesis of low back pain lying in the disorders of the meridian qi and blood, the nature of low back pain being reflected by the color and shape of meridians and collaterals, the disordered meridians of low back pain being first identified based on syndrome differentiation, the acupuncture prescription being selected according to meridian differentiation. The purpose of this paper is to guide clinical practice, explore the advantages and characteristics of meridian differentiation, and provide theoretical reference and evidence for promoting the standardization of TCM.

[Hypothalamic Transcription Profiles Associated with Twirling-reducing Needling in Rats with Stress-induced Prehypertension].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of twirling-reducing needling on changes of profile of differentially-expressed genes in the hypothalamus in rats with stress-induced prehypertension (SI-PHT), so as to explore its mechanism under-lying improvement of prehypertension. METHODS: Wistar male rats were randomly divided into blank control group (n=12), model group (n=12) and acupuncture group (n=10). The SI-PHT model was established by planta-electric-shock stimulation (30 V, 5 s) plus noise stimulation (80-100 db, 50 ms), twice daily, continuously for 11 days. Manual acupuncture stimulation (twirling-reducing needling) was applied to bilateral "Taichong" (LR 3) and "Quchi" (LI 11) for about 1 min (60 cycles/min), followed by retaining the needles for 20 min during modeling preparation, once daily for 11 days. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) and behavior changes were recorded before intervention and on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 11th day during modeling. The expression (Fold change,|FC| ≥ 1.5) profile of genes in the hypothalamus was analyzed using Affymetrix GeneChip Rat Gene 2.0 ST Array, followed by analyzing the differentially-expressed genes involving the related biological process,molecular function, and signaling pathways by using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), separately. RESULTS: After modeling, the systolic pressure levels were remarkably increased from the 3rd day to the 11th day in both model and acupuncture groups relatively to their respective baseline levels (P<0.01), and were significantly lower in the acupuncture group than in the model group (P<0.01) from the 5th day to the 11th day. Meanwhile, 93 genes were up-regulated and 153 down-regulated in the model group relative to the control group (P<0.05,|FC| ≥ 1.5), while in comparison with the model group, 59 genes were up-regulated and 86 down-regulated in the acupuncture group (P<0.05,|FC| ≥ 1.5). The expression levels of the 40 differen-tially-expressed genes (24 up-regulated and 16 down-regulated) in the model group were evidently reversed after acupuncture stimulation (P<0.05,|FC| ≥ 1.5). After acupuncture stimulation, the expression of acyl-CoA synthetase medium-chain family member 3 (Acsm 3) gene was down-regulated, and chorionic gonadotropin-alpha (Cgα), crystal (Cry) αB and thyroid stimulating hormone beta (Tshß) genes and the autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) pathway were up-regulated (P<0.05,|FC| ≥ 1.5), suggesting an involvement of fatty acid biosynthetic processing, G-protein coupled receptor protein signaling, and hormone activity, etc. in acupuncture-induced blood-pressure lowering. CONCLUSIONS: Twirling-reducing needling of acupuncture can lower blood pressure in prehypertension rats, which may be related to its effects in regulating expression of Acsm 3, Cgα, CryαB, Tshß genes and in activating AITD pathway.

[Application of gene chip technology for acupuncture research over the past 15 years].

To explore the application of gene chip technology in the acupuncture research so as to provide evidences for the mechanism of acupuncture for regulating bodies. The literature on the application of gene chip technology in the acupuncture field from 2001 to 2016 was collected in PubMed, Springer, CNKI and WANFANG databases, which was analyzed and summarized. There were some achievements of the technology for acupuncture research, focusing on the five aspects, including the study of the relationship between meridian-point and viscera, the influencing factors of acupuncture effect, the effect and mechanism of acupuncture analgesia, the mechanism of acupuncture anti-aging, the effect and mechanism of acupuncture for diseases of each system. Gene chip technology plays an important role in researching acupuncture mechanism. It is an important technology for genomics study of acupuncture. However, there are also some disadvantages such as high cost, deficient data mining, non-uniform observation objects, deficient professionals, etc. All those need further resolution so as to promote the application of this technology in the acupuncture researching field.

[Effect of lactuside B on the expression of bcl-2 and bax mRNA and their protein in rats' cerebral cortex after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury].

This study is to investigate the effect of the major chemical composition in rhizome of Pterocypsela elata, lactuside B, on expression of bcl-2, bax mRNA and their protein in rats' cerebral cortex after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. First, middle cerebral artery ischemia-reperfusion injury model was established, and each group was treated with the corresponding medicines. Animals were separately sacrificed at 24 h and 72 h. The brain infarct volumes were detected by TTC dye, bcl-2 and bax mRNA expression was checked by RT-PCR, and the proteins of bcl-2 and bax were explored by two-step immunohistochemistry in cerebral cortex of rats. Lactuside B can reduce brain infarct volume of cerebral cortex of rats, increase the expression of bcl-2 mRNA and decrease that of bax mRNA. Moreover, the ratio of bcl-2 to bax mRNA is higher in 12.5 and 25 mg kg(-1) dose group, respectively, which is significantly different from that of model group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Generally, either 12.5 or 25 mg kg(-1) dose group is better than positive control medicine nimodipine (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). In addition, the expression of bcl-2 and bax protein is consistent with their gene expression. Infarct volume and the ratio of bcl-2 to bax mRNA expression are significantly different (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) between 72 h and 24 h group. The results demonstrated that lactuside B could play a good role in resisting cerebral ischemia by upregulating the expression of bcl-2 mRNA and protein and downregulating that of bax mRNA and protein.

15α,20ß-Dihydr-oxy-6ß-meth-oxy-6,7-seco-6,20-ep-oxy-1,7-olide-ent-kaur-16-ene.

The title compound, C(21)H(30)O(6), a natural ent-kaurane diterpenoid, was obtained from the medicinal plant Isodon serra. The five rings in the mol-ecule exhibit the expected cis and trans junctions. The three six-membered rings adopt chair, twist-boat and boat conformations, while two five-membered rings adopt envelope conformations. There are two mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit, related by a non-crystallographic twofold screw axis; the main difference is in the different degrees of distortion of ring B. In the crystal, the mol-ecules are linked by inter-molecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming chains along the b axis.