Effects of acupuncture on microglial polarization and the TLR4/TRIF/MyD88 pathway in a rat model of traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: Neuroinflammation caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI) can lead to neurological deficits. Acupuncture can inhibit neuroinflammation and promote nerve repair; however, the specific mechanism is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore whether acupuncture could modulate the M1 and M2 phenotypic polarization of microglia in a rat model of TBI via the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/intracellular toll-interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain-containing adaptor inducing interferon-ß (TRIF)/myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) pathway. METHODS: A total of 90 adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, SPF grade, were randomly divided into a normal group, model group and acupuncture group. Each group was further divided into three subgroups (first, third, and fifth day groups) according to the treatment time (n = 10 rats/subgroup). We used the modified neurological severity score (mNSS) method to quantify neurological deficits before and after modeling. We used Nissl staining to observe the pathological changes in brain tissue, flow cytometry to detect the proportion of M1 and M2 polarized microglia in the injured area on the first, third and fifth day, and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) to examine TLR4/TRIF/MyD88 expression in microglia on the first, third and fifth day, as well as expression of the amount of binding of TLR4 with TRIF and MyD88. RESULTS: Compared to the model group, mNSS in the acupuncture group gradually decreased and pathological morphology improved. The proportion of CD11b/CD86 positive cells was decreased, while that of CD11b/CD206 was increased in the acupuncture group. Expression of IP TLR4, IP TRIF and IP MyD88 also decreased in the acupuncture group. CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrate that one of the mechanisms through which acupuncture mitigates neuroinflammation and promotes nerve repair in TBI rats may be inhibition of M1 phenotypic polarization and promotion of M2 phenotypic polarization through inhibition of the TLR4/TRIF/MyD88 signaling pathway.

Manual acupuncture relieves microglia-mediated neuroinflammation in a rat model of traumatic brain injury by inhibiting the RhoA/ROCK2 pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the regulatory mechanism of manual acupuncture (MA) on microglial polarization-mediated neuroinflammation after traumatic brain injury (TBI), focusing on the RhoA/Rho-associated coiled coil-forming protein kinase (ROCK2) pathway. METHODS: Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were used to generate a TBI model using Feeney's freefall epidural impact method. MA was performed on half of the TBI model rats, while the others remained untreated. Acupuncture was administered at GV15, GV16, GV20, GV26, and LI4. At the end of the intervention, rat brain tissue samples were collected, and the microglial M1 polarization status was observed by immunofluorescence labeling of CD86, an M1 microglia-specific protein. RhoA/ROCK2 signaling components were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the expression levels of inflammatory factors. RESULTS: Compared with normal rats, the CD86 expression density in the untreated TBI model rats was high and showed an aggregated expression pattern. The genes and proteins of the RhoA/ROCK2 signaling pathway were highly expressed, and inflammatory factors were significantly increased. The CD86 expression density in TBI rats after MA was reduced compared to that in untreated TBI rats and showed a scattered distribution. The expression of RhoA/ROCK2 signaling pathway genes and proteins was also significantly reduced, and inflammatory factors were decreased. CONCLUSION: These results show that MA may inhibit M1 polarization of microglia by regulating the RhoA/ROCK2 signaling pathway, thereby reducing neuroinflammation in TBI.

Compound Kushen Injection as an Adjunctive Therapy for the Treatment of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of compound Kushen injection (CKI) combined with chemo treatment (chemo) for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: We systematically searched the literature published in seven databases, including Embase, PubMed, central, MEDLINE, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP, from their inception to April 2019 for all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing CKI plus chemo with chemo alone in patients with NSCLC. Our main end point was clinical efficiency and the secondary outcomes were Karnofsky performance score (KPS), immune function, and adverse events. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was applied for quality assessment. RESULTS: 10 studies involving 1019 participants were included. The clinical response rate (relative risk (RR) = 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06 to 1.37; P=0.003), KPS (RR = 2.18, 95% CI: 1.49 to 3.17; P < 0.0001), immune function (mean differences (MD) = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.12 to 1.52; P=0.02) and adverse effects (RR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.60 to 0.74; P < 0.00001) in the CKI plus chemo group showed significant differences when compared with chemo alone. CONCLUSIONS: CKI combined with chemo can improve clinical efficiency, KPS, and immune function and reduce adverse reactions in patients with NSCLC when compared with chemo alone. However, more rigorously designed RCTs are needed to validate this benefit, as some of the included RCTs are of low methodological quality.

[Effect of acupuncture intervention on neurological function, cerebral microglia activation and secondary nerve damage in traumatic brain injury rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture on activities of microglia in traumatic brain injury (TBI) rats. METHODS: Fifty-four male SD rats were randomly and equally divided into normal control, model and acupuncture groups according to the random number table (n＝18 rats in each group). The TBI model was established by using a free fall brain injury striking device after exposing the local cranial bone (to induce the left parietal cerebral contusion). Acupoints "Baihui" (GV20), "Shuigou" (GV26), "Fengfu" (GV16), "Yamen" (GV15) and bilateral "Hegu" (LII4) were stimulated intensively by twirling the filiform needles with force at a range of >360° and a frequency of 160－180 cycles/min for 10 sec in every acupoint, once every 5 min during the 15 minutes' needle retaining. The treatment was given once every day for successive 14 days. The rats of the normal and model groups were grabbed and fixed with the same procedure. The behavioral changes were tested using modified neurological severity score (mNSS). The histopathological changes of the injured cerebral cortex tissues were observed by using hematoxylin-eosin (H.E.) staining, and the fluorescence intensity of Iba-1 (marker of microglia) positive products in the surrounding tissue of the cerebral focus was displayed by immunofluorescence staining, and the contents of neuron specific enolate (NSE) and neurite outgrowth inhibitor-A (Nogo-A) in serum (indicating a secondary nerve damage) were assayed by ELISA. RESULTS: The mNSS scores were significantly increased on day 1, 3, 7 and 14 in the model group in comparison with the normal group (P<0.01) and considerably decreased at the 4 time-points after acupuncture intervention relevant to the model group (P<0.05, P<0.01). H．E. staining showed that modeling induced pathological changes such as the excursion of cell nucleus, cellular swel-ling, vacuole-like change, neuron death, karyopyknosis dissolution, and proliferation of fibrous tissue were relatively milder in the acupuncture group. The average fluorescence intensity values of Iba-1-positive products, serum NSE and Nogo-A contents on day 3, 7 and 14 were significantly higher in the model group than in the normal group (P<0.05, P<0.01), and notably down-regulated in the acupuncture group than in the model group (P<0.05, P<0.01, except Nogo-A on day 3). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture intervention may accelerate neurological function recovery in TBI rats, which is closely related to its effects in inhibiting the activation of microglia and secondary nerve damage.

Effect of acupuncture on the TLR2/4-NF-κB signalling pathway in a rat model of traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of acupuncture on the TLR2/4-NF-κB signalling pathway in the cortex of Sprague-Dawley rats following traumatic brain injury (TBI), and investigate the possible mechanism underlying the effects of acupuncture on scar repair. METHODS: TBI was established using Feeney's free-falling epidural percussion model. In total, 108 rats were randomly divided into a normal group (n=18), untreated TBI model group (TBI group, n=36) and manual acupuncture-treated TBI group (TBI+MA, n=36). Each group of rats was subdivided into three time groups: 3-day (3d), 7-day (7d) and 14-day (14d). No treatment was given to rats in the normal and TBI groups. The TBI+MA group received manual acupuncture at GV20, GV26, GV16 through GV15, and bilateral LI4. mRNA expression of TLR2, TLR4, NF-κB and protein in the rat cortices was quantified using real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western blot analyses. RESULTS: The modified neurological severity score (mNSS) scores of the TBI+MA group were improved compared with baseline scores 12 hours after modelling, and improved at 7d and 14d compared with the TBI group (P<0.05), while the score of the TBI group did not improve until 14d compared to baseline. mRNA and protein expression of TLR2, TLR4 and NF-κB in the TBI group were higher than the normal group at 3d (P<0.05), reached a peak at 7d, then began to decrease at 14d. mRNA and protein expression of TLR2, TLR4 and NF-κB were higher in the TBI+MA group compared with the TBI group at 3d (P<0.05), were significantly down-regulated at 7d (P<0.01), and decreased to normal levels at 14d. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture has a bidirectional regulatory effect on the TLR2/4-NF-κB signalling pathway-related genes TLR2, TLR4 and NF-κB in the TBI rat cortex, promoting their expression in the early stage and inhibiting it in the later stage.

Effect of Acupuncture on the Notch Signaling Pathway in Rats with Brain Injury.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture on the Notch signaling pathway in rats with traumatic brain injury and to explore the pathogenesis of acupuncture intervention on traumatic brain injury. METHODS: Feeney's freefall epidural impact method was used to establish a traumatic brain injury model in rats; the rats were randomly divided into a normal group, sham operation group, model group and acupuncture group. Acupuncture was performed in the Baihui (DU 20), Shuigou (DU 26), Fengfu (DU 16), Yamen (DU 15) and Hegu (LI 4) acupoints in the rat, and Yamen was punctured via Fengfu. Then, the rats in each group were randomly divided into three subgroups, namely the day 3 subgroup, day 7 subgroup and day 14 subgroup according to treatment duration. The modified neurological severity scores (mNss) method was used to perform neurobehavioral scoring for evaluating the degree of injury in the rats. The hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining method was used to observe the pathological change in the brain tissue of rats in each group. Real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) technology was used to detect changes in the Notch1, Hes1 and Hes5 gene expression levels in the cortex on the injured side. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression changes. RESULTS: One day after modeling, the mNss scores in the model group and in the acupuncture group were significantly higher than those in the normal and sham operation groups (P<0.01) ; there was no statistically significant difference between the normal group and the sham operation group. The scores decreased with increased treatment time, and the scores in the acupuncture group decreased more significantly than those in the model group (P<0.01). The pathological examination by the HE staining method demonstrated that the brain tissue of the rats in the acupuncture and model groups relatively significantly changed. The Notch1 gene expression level in the acupuncture group was significantly higher than the level in all of the other groups (P<0.01) ; the Hes1 and Hes5 gene expression levels were also higher in the acupuncture group. The expression changes of the Notch1 and Hes1 protein were consistent with that of mRNA. In each experimental group, the mNss score and the pathological results by the HE staining method were consistent with the mRNA results. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture could significantly promote high expression levels of Notch1, Hes1 and Hes5 in the brain tissue of traumatic brain injury rats. Therefore, acupuncture might be an important intervention for inducing endogenous stem cell proliferation and for promoting nerve repair.

[Analysis of Meridians and Acupoints Rules in Acupuncture Treatment of Dysmenorrhea Based on Data Mining].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the rules of acupoints and meridians selection for dysmenorrhea based on data mining. METHODS: The literature on acupuncture treatment of dysmenorrhea was reviewed and a database of dysmenorrhea prescriptions regarding the main points of acupuncture was established with Excel 2003 software, using the relevance rule and cluster analysis methods in data mining technology to analyze the characteristics and laws in acupuncture prescription. RESULTS: One hundred and fourteen acupuncture prescriptions were included. The highest frequency of acupoint, meridian and location was San-yinjiao(SP 6), Spleen Meridian, lower limb knee and below knee, respectively. The results of relevance rule indicated that the highest confidence for acupoint combination was SP 6-Taichong(LR 3), the highest support for acupoint combination was SP 6-Guanyuan(CV 4), and the results of cluster analysis showed that there were three effective cluster groups. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of SP 6-LR 3-CV 4 can be applied in the clinic to cure dysmenorrhea, and Zusanli(ST 36), Ciliao(BL 32), Zhongji(CV 3) can be matched based on syndrome differentiation.

Effect of rivaroxaban on preventing deep vein thrombosis in aged diabetics with femoral neck fractures after hip replacement.

The present study estimates the effect of rivaroxaban on preventing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in aged diabetics with femoral neck fractures after hip replacement. Our study consisted of 236 aged diabetics with femoral neck fractures, which were divided into the rivaroxaban and control groups. Reaction time (R time), clot formation time (K time), α angle (α), maximum amplitude (MA), clot elasticity (G) and coagulation index (CI), prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) were measured. DVT was diagnosed by color duplex Doppler ultrasound (CDDU). The risk factors of DVT were analysed by logistic regression analysis. Compared with the control group, in the rivaroxaban group, R time and K time were extended and α, MA and G decreased 1 day before operation. One day after operation, the rivaroxaban group had less PT and APPT and lower incidence of DVT than the control group. In the two groups, preoperative and postoperative PT and APPT significantly differed. Body mass index (BMI) ≥25, abnormal coagulation indicators, use of cemented femoral hip prosthesis, high haemoglobin content and non-ankle pump exercise after operation were the risk factors for DVT. Rivaroxaban could prevent DVT in aged diabetics with femoral neck fractures after hip replacement.

Long-term moderate wind induced sediment resuspension meeting phosphorus demand of phytoplankton in the large shallow eutrophic Lake Taihu.

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of sediment resuspension and phosphorus (P) release on phytoplankton growth under different kinds of wind-wave disturbance conditions in the large and shallow eutrophic Lake Taihu in China. Short-term strong wind (STSW) conditions, long-term moderate wind (LTMW) conditions, and static/calm conditions were investigated. To address this objective, we (1) monitored changes in surface water P composition during field-based sediment resuspension caused by STSW conditions in Lake Taihu, and also conducted (2) a series of laboratory-based sediment resuspension experiments to simulate LTMW and calm conditions. The results showed that under both strong and moderate wind-wave conditions, suspended solids (SS) and total phosphorus (TP) in the water column increased significantly, but total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) remained low throughout the experiments, indicating that the P released from sediments mainly existed in particulate forms. In STSW conditions, alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) and enzymatically hydrolysable phosphorus (EHP) increased rapidly, with the peak value occurring following the peak value of wind speed for 1-2 days, and then rapidly decreased after the wind stopped. Under LTMW conditions, APA and EHP increased steadily, and by the end of the laboratory experiments, APA increased by 11 times and EHP increased by 5 times. Chlorophyll a (Chl-a) in LTMW conditions increased significantly, but remained low under STSW conditions, demonstrating that the former type of sediment P release promoted phytoplankton growth more effectively, and the latter type did not. Despite the fact that STSW conditions resulted in the release of more TP, TP settled to the bottom rapidly with SS after the wind stopped, and did not promote algal growth. Under LTMW conditions, suspended particulate P was hydrolyzed to SRP by phosphatase and promoted algae growth. Algal growth in turn secreted more phosphatase and accelerated particulate P regeneration, which may be the main mechanism of sediment bio-available P release that promotes phytoplankton growth in shallow lakes.

Effect of the Interaction of Veratrum Nigrum with Panax Ginseng on Estrogenic Activity In Vivo and In Vitro.

Panax ginseng (GS) and Veratrum nigrum (VN) are representative of incompatible pairs in "eighteen antagonistic medicaments" that have been recorded in the Chinese medicinal literature for over 2,000 years. However, evidence linking interference effects with combination use is scare. Based on the estrogen-like effect of GS described in our previous studies, we undertake a characterization of the interaction on estrogenic activity of GS and VN using in vivo models of immature and ovariectomized (OVX) mice and in vitro studies with MCF-7 cells for further mechanism. VN decreased the estrogenic efficacy of GS on promoting the development of the uterus and vagina in immature mice, and reversing the atrophy of reproductive tissues in OVX mice. VN interfered with the estrogenic efficacy of GS by decreasing the increase of the serum estradiol and the up-regulation of ERα and ERß expressions by treatment with GS. And VN antagonized the estrogenic efficacy of GS on promoting the viability of MCF-7 cells and up-regulation of protein and gene expressions of ERs. In conclusion, this study provided evidence that GS and VN decreased effects on estrogenic activity, which might be related to regulation of estrogen secretion and ERs.

Effects of acupuncture on cortical expression of Wnt3a, ß-catenin and Sox2 in a rat model of traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of acupuncture treatment on the expression of Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway-related genes (Wnt3a, ß-catenin and Sox2) in the injured cerebral cortex of rats with traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS: A controlled impact model of TBI was established using Feeney's free-drop method. Seventy-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the following three groups: a normal group (n=18) that was left untreated; a model group (n=30) that received no treatment after TBI; and an acupuncture group (n=30) that received acupuncture (at LI4, GV20, GV26 and GV16) after TBI. Rats in each group were randomly and equally divided into 3-day, 7-day and 14-day subgroups according to the duration of therapy. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to measure mRNA expression of Wnt3a, ß-catenin and Sox2. Western blots were performed to determine the expression levels of WNT3a, ß-Catenin and SOX2. RESULTS: Wnt3a mRNA was upregulated in the 7-day and 14-day acupuncture subgroups compared with the corresponding model subgroups (p<0.05). ß-catenin expression was significantly increased in the 7-day and 14-day acupuncture subgroups compared with the corresponding model subgroups (p<0.01). In the 3-day and 7-day acupuncture subgroups, Sox2 expression was significantly higher than that in the normal and model groups (p<0.01 each). The levels of WNT3a, ß-catenin and SOX2 were generally consistent with the corresponding mRNA levels. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture exerts a regulatory effect on the Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway, which may in turn influence the proliferation and differentiation of endogenous neural stem cells.

[Absorption mechanism of neobavaisoflavone in Caco-2 cell monolayer mode].

Neobavaisoflavone is one of flavonoids of traditional Chinese medicine Psoralea corylifolial. It has numerous biological properties such as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-osteoporosis effects. This paper aimed to investigate the absorption mechanism of neobavaisoflavone in Caco-2 cell monolayer model. The analyte and osalmide were separated on Thermo Syncronis C18 column with methanol-0.1% formic acid solution (90∶10) as the mobile phase, at a flow rate of 0.2 mL•min⁻¹. The concentration of neobavaisoflavone was determined in eletrospray ionization(ESI) positive ion mode with osalmide as an the internal standard. The effects of time, concentration, P-gp inhibitor verapamil, MRP-2 inhibitor MK-571 and BCRP inhibitor Ko143 on the absorption of neobavaisoflavone were investigated. According to the results, neobavaisoflavone showed a good linearity within the concentration of 10-2 000 µg•L⁻¹, and the results of its specificity, matrix effect, extraction recovery, precision, accuracy and stability all met the requirements. In the Caco-2 cell monolayer model, the transport volume of neobavaisoflavone was correlated positively with the time and concentration. The ER values of 15, 30, 50 µmol•L⁻¹ neobavaisoflavone were 1.64, 1.94,0.99, respectively. As compared with the control group, all of verapamil hyduochloride, MK-571 and Ko143 could promote the transportation of neobavaisoflavone, and the effect was more obvious in verapamil hyduochloride and Ko143. The absorption of neobavaisoflavone may be mainly of active transport in Caco-2 cell monolayer model, and also involve passive transport. Excretion mechanism of intestinal transport protein may be also involved.

Effect of aerobic exercise and low carbohydrate diet on pre-diabetic non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in postmenopausal women and middle aged men--the role of gut microbiota composition: study protocol for the AELC randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Pre-diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are associated with an unhealthy lifestyle and pose extremely high costs to the healthcare system. In this study, we aim to explore whether individualized aerobic exercise (AEx) and low carbohydrate diet (LCh) intervention affect hepatic fat content (HFC) in pre-diabetes via modification of gut microbiota composition and other post-interventional effects. METHODS/DESIGN: A 6-month randomized intervention with 6-month follow-up is conducted from January 2013 to December 2015. The target sample size for intervention is 200 postmenopausal women and middle-aged men aged 50-65 year-old with pre-diabetes and NAFLD. The qualified subjects are randomized into 4 groups with 50 subjects in each group: 1 = AEx, 2 = LCh, 3 = AEx + LCh, and 4 = control. In addition, two age-matched reference groups (5 = pre-diabetes without NAFLD (n = 50) and 6 = Healthy without pre-diabetes or NAFLD (n = 50)) are included. The exercise program consists of progressive and variable aerobic exercise (intensity of 60 to 75% of initial fitness level, 3-5 times/week and 30-60 min/time). The diet program includes dietary consultation plus supplementation with a special lunch meal (40% of total energy intake/day) which aims to reduce the amount of carbohydrate consumption (30%). The control and reference groups are advised to maintain their habitual habits during the intervention. The primary outcome measures are HFC, serum metabolomics and gut microbiota composition. The secondary outcome measures include body composition and cytokines. In addition, socio-psychological aspects, social support, physical activity and diet will be performed by means of questionnaire and interview. DISCUSSION: Specific individualized exercise and diet intervention in this study offers a more efficient approach for liver fat reduction and diabetes prevention via modification of gut microbiota composition. Besides, the study explores the importance of incorporating fitness assessment and exercise in the management of patients with pre-diabetes and fatty liver disorders. If our program is shown to be effective, it will open new strategies to combat these chronic diseases. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials: ISRCTN42622771.

[Clinical observation on electroacupuncture for arousing consciousness of comatose patients with severe trauma brain injury].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the arousal effect of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of Baihui (GV 20), Shuigou (GV 26), etc. on severe craniocerebral injury patients. METHODS: A total of 90 cases of severe craniocerebral injury were randomly allocated to routine medication, naloxone and EA groups, with 30 cases in each group. For patients of the routine medication group, mild hypothermia therapy, medicines for dehydration, hormonal therapy, vascular dilation, cerebral nutrition supporting, anti-inflammation, etc. were given. For patients of the naloxone group, intravenous drip of naloxone 0.4 mg/kg in the first 3 days, 0.2 mg/kg for 7 days and 0. 1 mg/kg afterwards. For patients of the EA group, EA (1 Hz/50 Hz) was given for 30 min once daily. All the treatments were conducted once a day for 14 days. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) were used for assessing the therapeutic effect. RESULTS: In comparison with pre-treatment in each one of the routine medication, naloxone and EA groups, GCS scores were all obviously increased in the 3 groups following the treatment, and one month's follow-up (P<0. 05). The GCS scores of both naloxone and EA groups were significantly higher than those of the routine medication group (P<0.05). No significant difference was found between the naloxone group and EA group in GCS scores (P>0. 05). According to the GOS, one month's follow-up showed that of the three 30 cases in the routine medication, naloxone and EA groups, 6, 12 and 14 were improved, 8, 10 and 10 moderate handicap, 8, 3 and 2 severe handicap, 5, 3 and 2 vegetative state, and 3, 2 and 2 dead, with the arousal rates being 46. 66% , 73. 33% and 80. 00%, respectively. The therapeutic effects of both naloxone and EA groups were significantly superior to those of the routine medication group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: EA intervention at early stage can promote the recovery of neurological function, accelerate the consciousness from coma and improve the outcomes of patients with severe traumatic brain injury.

Effect of acupuncture on proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells in brain tissues of rats with traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture on proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells in brain tissues of rats with traumatic brain injuny. METHODS: Thirty SD rats were randomly and equally allocated to the sham-operated, the model and the acupuncture groups. The traumatic brain injury model was established by the free drop method. For the rats in the acupuncture group, acupuncture was applied once a day for 7 days. Brain histotomy was carried out when treatments were completed. Immunohistochemical techniques were adopted to detect the cells that express nestin, neurofilament proteins (NF)-200 and glial fibrillary acidic proteins (GFAP), the markers of neural stem cells, neurons, astrocytes respectively. RESULTS: Compared to the sham-operated group, the number of nestin-positive cells and NF-200-positive cells in brain tissues was decreased significantly in the model group (P < 0.01), whereas the number of GFAP-positive cells was significantly increased P<0.01). Compared to the model group, the positive cells of nestin, NF-200, GFAP in brain tissues in the acupuncture group were increased obviously (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture can significantly increase the number of nestin-positive cells, NF-200-positive cells and GFAP-positive cells, indicating the significant increase of neural stem cells, neurons and astrocytes in number. Acupuncture can improve neuranagenesis by promoting the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells in brain tissues. This might be one of the mechanisms for acupuncture to treat traumatic brain injury and to promote the repair of nervous function.

[Effects of wind-induced wave on organic aggregates physical and chemical characteristics in a shallow eutrophic lake (Lake Taihu) in China].

The physical and chemical characteristics were continually monitored during a wind course one time per day, which continued for 10 days, and other water physical and chemical parameters were concomitantly monitored. Organic aggregates (OA) abundance was significantly higher during wind period than calm stage and the maximum of OA abundance, which occurred the same day when wind speed was highest, was 29 times higher than that in the calm stage. Although OA-C, OA-N and OA-P concentration were decreased during wind period, the total C, N and P contend in OA were increased for the increased OA abundance. Additionally, suspended soil (SS), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentration during wind period were significantly higher than that of clam stage, but total dissolved phosphorus (TDP), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) were insignificantly different. During the wind, OA alkaline phosphatase activity (OA-APA) and OA enzymatically hydrolyzable phosphorus (OA-EHP) both increased significantly, which accelerated organic phosphorous mineralization and SRP release. The results indicate that SRP release induced by wind in shallow lakes may comes from suspended matter, especially OA release rather than directly comes from sediment.