[The life and works of Li Shouxian, a medical doctor in the Qing Dynasty].

Li Shouxian, styled as Shanshu, was a medical doctor in the Qing Dynasty. His work Zhenjiu Yixue (Easy Study of Acupuncture and Moxibustion) has numerous versions, with the most refined one being the self-engraved edition from the third year of Jiaqing's reign, housed in the Jilin Province Library. While most content of the book was drawn from Zhenjiu Dacheng (Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion), Li's condensation and arrangement of the material achieved the purpose of making it simple and easy to learn. The book has been widely spread and holds certain academic and historical value. This paper makes a textual research on Li's life, family, and his works, clarifies the content, structure and origin of the version of Zhenjiu Yixue and corrects errors in the version records of this book in the General Catalogue of Chinese Ancient Medical Books.

Dietary alanyl-glutamine improves growth performance of weaned piglets through maintaining intestinal morphology and digestion-absorption function.

Alanyl-glutamine (Ala-Gln), a highly soluble and stable glutamine dipeptide, is known to improve gut integrity and function. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether dietary Ala-Gln supplementation could improve growth performance, intestinal development and digestive-absorption function in weaned piglets. A total of 100 purebred Yorkshire piglets weaned at 21 days of age were assigned randomly to four dietary treatment groups and fed a basal diet (control group) or a basal diet containing 0.15%, 0.30% and 0.45% Ala-Gln, respectively. Compared with the control group, piglets fed the Ala-Gln diets had higher average daily gain and lower feed : gain and diarrhea rate (P < 0.05). Moreover, dietary Ala-Gln supplementation increased villous height and villous height : crypt depth ratio in duodenum and jejunum (P < 0.05), as well as the activities of maltase and lysozyme in jejunum mucosa (P < 0.05). In addition, a decrease in serum diamine oxidase activity and crypt depth in duodenum and jejunum was observed in piglets fed the Ala-Gln diets (P < 0.05). Serum cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) concentration and gene expression of cPLA2, Na+-dependent glucose transporter 1, glucose transporter 2 and peptide transporter 1 in jejunum were increased by feeding Ala-Gln diets relative to control diet (P < 0.05). These results indicated that feeding Ala-Gln diet has beneficial effects on the growth performance of weaned piglets, which associated with maintaining intestinal morphology and digestive-absorption function.

Probiotics maintain intestinal secretory immunoglobulin A levels in healthy formula-fed infants: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Formula-fed infants are more susceptible to infectious diseases because they lack the maternal immune factors transferred from breast milk, while their own immune system is still immature. As timely probiotic administration was suggested to promote immune system development in formula-fed infants, this study aimed at assessing the safety and the effects of a probiotic supplement (Bifidobacterium infantis R0033, Bifidobacterium bifidum R0071, and Lactobacillus helveticus R0052) on mucosal immune competence and digestive function in formula-fed infants. Healthy infants (3.5-6 months old) were randomised to receive either probiotic- (n=66) or placebo-supplemented (n=66) formula once a day for four weeks. In the probiotics group, faecal secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) levels remained similar between visit 2 (baseline; V2) and visit 3 (end-of-treatment; V3), but decreased in the placebo group. Changes in SIgA levels following treatment (log10ΔV3-V2 [95%CI]) between the probiotic and placebo groups were statistically significant (23 ng/dl [-57;102] and -137 ng/dl [-212;-62], respectively (P=0.0044; ANCOVA)). While log10ΔV3-V2 [95%CI] for salivary SIgA levels increased in both groups, this trend was more pronounced in the probiotics than in the placebo group with an increase of 123 ng/dl [9;236] and 37 ng/dL [-72;147], respectively (P=0.2829; ANCOVA). The weekly average number of stools/day was significantly higher in the probiotics group compared to placebo during the last week of treatment for the per protocol population. There was no difference in microbiota composition or anthropometric parameters between groups. No serious adverse event was reported, and all adverse events were mild and unrelated to the product or study. Our results show that formula-fed infants receiving probiotics maintained higher faecal SIgA levels at the end of the four-week treatment period, suggesting a positive effect of probiotics on SIgA production. This study demonstrates the safety of this probiotic formulation in infants. Formula-fed infants may benefit from probiotics supplementation to sustain the development of mucosal immunity.

A novel FGFR1-binding peptide attenuates the degeneration of articular cartilage in adult mice.

OBJECTIVE: We previously reported that genetic ablation of (Fibroblast Growth Factors Receptors) FGFR1 in knee cartilage attenuates the degeneration of articular cartilage in adult mice, which suggests that FGFR1 is a potential targeting molecule for osteoarthritis (OA). Here, we identified R1-P1, an inhibitory peptide for FGFR1 and investigated its effect on the pathogenesis of OA in mice induced by destabilization of medial meniscus (DMM). DESIGN: Binding ability between R1-P1 and FGFR1 protein was evaluated by enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA) and molecular docking. Alterations in cartilage were evaluated histologically. The expression levels of molecules associated with articular cartilage homeostasis and FGFR1 signaling were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The chondrocyte apoptosis was detected by terminal-deoxynucleoitidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. RESULTS: R1-P1 had highly binding affinities to human FGFR1 protein, and efficiently inhibited extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 pathway in mouse primary chondrocytes. In addition, R1-P1 attenuated the IL-1ß induced significant loss of proteoglycan in full-thickness cartilage tissue from human femur head. Moreover, this peptide can significantly restore the IL-1ß mediated loss of proteoglycan and type II collagen (Col II) and attenuate the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP13) in mouse primary chondrocytes. Finally, intra-articular injection of R1-P1 remarkably attenuated the loss of proteoglycan and the destruction of articular cartilage and decreased the expressions of extracellular matrix (ECM) degrading enzymes and apoptosis in articular chondrocytes of mice underwent DMM surgery. CONCLUSIONS: R1-P1, a novel inhibitory peptide for FGFR1, attenuates the degeneration of articular cartilage in adult mice, which is a potential leading molecule for the treatment of OA.

Yin Yang 1 positively regulates BRCA1 and inhibits mammary cancer formation.

Expression of the breast cancer-associated gene 1 (BRCA1) in sporadic breast cancers is usually reduced, yet the underlying mechanisms remains elusive. To identify factors that are responsible for reduced BRCA1 expression, we screened 92 known transcription factors for their ability to regulate expression of BRCA1. Among several potential regulators, the Gli-Krueppel-related transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) showed the most dramatic transactivation of the BRCA1 promoter. YY1 binds to the promoter of BRCA1, and its overexpression resulted in increased expression of BRCA1 and a number of BRCA1 downstream genes. We further showed that overexpression of YY1 in cancer cells inhibited cell proliferation, foci formation and tumor growth in nude mice. To assess the clinical relevance between YY1 and BRCA1, we studied expression of YY1 and BRCA1 from human breast cancer samples and tissue arrays, and detected a significant positive correlation between the level of YY1 and BRCA1 expression in these cancers. Taken together, these findings suggest that YY1 is a key regulator of BRCA1 expression and may be causally linked to the molecular etiology of human breast cancer.

Identification of a differential gene HUMMLC2B between F1 hybrids Landrace x Yorkshire and their female parents Yorkshire.

In order to investigate heterosis on a molecular basis, suppression subtractive hybridization was used to analyze the differences in gene expression between porcine F1 hybrids Landrace x Yorkshire and their female parents Yorkshire. From two specific subtractive cDNA libraries, the clones screened out by reverse Northern high-density blots screening were chosen to clone full-length cDNA by RACE. An expression-upregulated gene for Yorkshire skeletal muscle, designated as HUMMLC2B, was identified. Porcine HUMMLC2B contains an open reading frame (ORF) encoding 169 amino acids residues with 59 and 115 nucleotides in the 5' and 3' untranslated regions (UTRs), respectively. In the porcine genome, it contains seven exons separated by six introns. High allelic variations and four SINEs were detected in it. Comparison of derived amino acid sequence of HUMMLC2B with database sequences revealed highly conserved 12 amino acid residues in a putative calcium-binding region. RT-PCR analysis showed a tissue-specific pattern of expression in skeletal muscle and a similar level of expression during skeletal muscle development. The possible role of HUMMLC2B and its relation to porcine heterosis are discussed.

Corticosterone treatment of the chick embryo affects light-stimulated development of the thalamofugal visual pathway.

By injecting a single 60 microg dose of corticosterone into the eggs of domestic chicks on day 18 of incubation, we have shown that elevated levels of this hormone affect the development of asymmetry in the visual projections from the thalamus to the Wulst regions in the left and right hemispheres of the forebrain. In vehicle-treated (control) embryos this visual pathway develops asymmetry in response to light stimulation during the final stages of incubation, when the embryo is oriented so that its left eye is occluded by its body and its right eye can be stimulated by light entering through the egg shell. Pre-hatching exposure to light leads to more projections from the left side of the thalamus to the right Wulst than from the right side of the thalamus to the left Wulst, as confirmed here by injection of the tracers Fluorogold and Rhodamine into the left and right Wulst followed by counting the number of labelled cell bodies in the thalamus (asymmetry greater in males than females). The chicks injected with corticosterone pre-hatching did not develop any group bias for asymmetry in response to light exposure before hatching. They were random with respect to presence/absence of lateralization and, when present, the lateralization was not as strong as in the controls and its direction was random. The corticosterone-treated group had fewer projections from the left side of the thalamus to the right Wulst than did the controls. The results are considered with respect to maternal deposits of the hormone in the yolk and pre-hatching stress of the embryo.

cDNA cloning, genomic structure and polymorphism of the porcine FHL3 gene.

LIM domain proteins are important regulators of the growth, determination and differentiation of cells. Four-and-a-half LIM-only protein 3 (FHL3) is a type of LIM-only protein that contains four tandemly repeated LIM motifs with an N-terminal single zinc finger (half LIM motif). In this study, we have determined the complete coding sequence of pig FHL3 which encodes a 280 amino acid protein. The coding region of the pig FHL3 gene is organized in five exons and spans an approximately 2.1-kb genomic region. Comparative sequencing of six pig breeds revealed three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within exon 2 of which an A-->G substitution at position 313 changes a codon for arginine into a codon for glycine. The substitution was situated within a PstI recognition site and developed as a PCR-RFLP marker for further use in population variation investigations and association analysis. The A/G polymorphism was segregating only in Landrace pigs. Association studies of the FHL3 polymorphism with carcass traits provided preliminary evidence that the PstI PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) genotype may be associated with variation in several carcass traits of interest for pig breeding. Further investigations in more Landrace pigs are needed to confirm this.

Organization of intratelencephalic projections to the visual Wulst of the chick.

The avian visual Wulst, said to be the equivalent of the striate cortex in mammals, is the telencephalic visual area of the thalamofugal visual pathway. In this study, by means of retrograde labelling with fluorescent tracers injected into the Wulst regions in the left and right hemispheres, we have investigated the organization of the intratelencephalic projections to the visual Wulst in chicks. After injecting Fluorogold (FG), True blue (TB) or rhodamine into the visual Wulst, fluorescent-labelled neurones were found in the ipsilateral neostriatum frontale, pars lateralis (NFl), the ipsilateral neostriatum intermedium (NI) and the ipsilateral dorso-lateral neostriatum. Labelled neurones were also found in both the ipsilateral and contralateral archistriata. In addition, some neurones in the archistriatum were double-labelled, which indicates that these archistriatal neurones have axon collaterals projecting to the visual Wulst on both sides of the forebrain. Through these intratelencephalic afferents to the visual Wulst, visual information transmitted in the thalamofugal pathway may be modulated by other telencephalic areas. The possible roles of these connections in regulating behaviour are discussed.

Differential sensitivities of the two visual pathways of the chick to labelling by fluorescent retrograde tracers.

This study investigates the neurone structure-specific differences of sensitivities of fluorescent tracers. The tracers were used for retrograde labelling of contralateral projections in the two visual pathways of the chick. Rhodamine B Isothiocyanate (RITC), Fluorogold (FG) and True blue (TB) were injected into either the visual Wulst (thalamofugal pathway) or the nucleus rotundus (Rt; tectofugal pathway) and the retrogradely labelled neurones in the nucleus geniculatus lateralis pars dorsalis (GLd) or the optic tectum, respectively, were counted. Differential retrograde labelling in the two pathways was observed. In the thalamofugal pathway, both the contralateral and ipsilateral GLd cells were labelled by all three tracers (RITC, FG and TB). However, in the tectofugal pathway, whereas RITC labelled both the ipsilateral and contralateral tectal neurones, FG or TB labelled effectively only the ipsilateral tectal neurones. It was clear that FG and TB were taken up by the nerve endings and transported part-way along the axon but failed to be transported to the cell bodies of the contralateral tectal neurones. In addition, red beads and green beads were also injected into Rt and the differential labelling was also observed. Red beads labelled both ipsilateral and contralateral tectal neurones but green beads labelled only the ipsilateral tectal neurones. Since the contralateral tectal projections consist of divergent axon collaterals, the present study suggests that various retrograde tracers are not transported in these axon collaterals to label cell bodies. The contralaterally projecting neurones in the thalamofugal pathway are not axon collaterals and they were labelled by all of the tracers used.

[The effects of Xuezhikang on serum lipid profile, thromboxane A2 and prostacyclin in patients with hyperlipidemia].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of Xuezhikang on lipid profile, thromboxane (TX) A(2), prostacyclin (PGI(2)) in patients with hyperlipidemia. METHODS: 91 patients with hyperlipidemia were randomly divided into a treatment group (n = 47, Xuezhikang 1.2 g/d Bid, p.o) and control group (n = 44, gemfibrozil 1.2 g/d Bid, p.o). serum lipids, TXB(2) and 6-Keto-PGF(1alpha) were determined before and 8 weeks after the treatment. RESULTS: (1) After 8 weeks of treatment, the level of serum total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) decreased by 21.6% (P < 0.01) and 33.3% (P < 0. 01) in the Xuezikang group and by 20.4% (P < 0.01) and 24.8% (P < 0.01) in the gemfibrozil group respectively. Serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level elevated by 33.7% in the Xuezhikang group (P < 0.01) and 26.9% in the gemfibrozil group (P < 0.01). The effect of Xuezhikang was the same as gemfibrozil. There was no statistically significant difference between the effects of these two drugs. Triglyceride (TG) level decreased by 23.3% in the Xuezhikang group (P < 0.01) and 40.3% in the gemfibrozil group (P < 0.01). TG lowering effect of gemfibrozil was superior to that of Xuezhikang (P < 0.05). (2) The level of lipoprotein (a) [LP (a)] in the plasma decreased by 28.2% (P < 0.01) in the Xuezhikang group and by 4.9% (P > 0.05) in the gemfibrozil group. LP (a) lowering effect of Xuezhikang was superior to that of gemfibrozil (P < 0.01). (3)The Level of thromboxane (TX) B(2) in the plasma decreased by 34.2% in the Xuezhikang group (P < 0.01) and by 8.4% in the gemfibrozil group (P < 0.01). TXB(2) lowering effect of Xuezhikang was superior to that of gemfibrozil (P < 0.01). The level of 6-KetO-PGF(1alpha) in the plasma elevated by 65.4% in the Xuezhikang group (P < 0.01) and by 11.7% in the gemfibrozil group (P < 0.01); the effect of Xuezhikang was superior to that of gemfibrozil (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Xuezhikang could markedly decrease the level of TC and LDL-C and elevate that of HDL-C in patients with hyperlipidemia and the effects of Xuezhikang were the same as those of gemfibrozil. TG lowering effect of gemfibrozil was superior to that of Xuezhikang, but Xuezhikang could markedly decrease the level of Lp (a) and regluate the balance between TXA(2) and PGI(2), its effect being superior to that of gemfibrozil.

Organisation of the tectorotundal and SP/IPS-rotundal projections in the chick.

The organisation of the neural projections from the optic tectum and pretectal nuclei complex, n. subpretectalis / n. interstitio-pretecto-subpretectalis (SP/IPS), to the nucleus rotundus (Rt) in chicks was studied by using retrograde tracing techniques. After the injection of fluorescent retrograde tracers, rhodamine-conjugated latex microspheres, fluorescein-conjugated latex microspheres, True Blue, Fluoro-Gold, or rhodamine B isothiocyanate, into different regions of Rt and its middorsal extension, the nucleus triangularis (T), the distribution of retrogradely labelled neuronal cell bodies in the tectum and pretectal nuclei was assessed. Both the ipsilateral and contralateral tectorotundal projections were found to be organised topographically in as much as different sublaminas of the stratum griseum centrale (SGC) project in an orderly manner to Rt and T. The deepest stratum of SGC overlapping into the stratum album centrale projects to T. Deep SGC projects to the dorsal Rt and superficial SGC to the ventral Rt. A band running through the centre of Rt receives input from the central sublamina of SGC, and the caudal central Rt receives input from a deeper sublamina than does the rostral central Rt. The SP/IPS projects to the ipsilateral Rt only and the projection order is dorsal SP to dorsal Rt, ventral SP to ventral Rt and middle SP to the central band of Rt. The neurones in IPS and the nucleus of the tractus tectothalamicus project to T. Thus, Rt and T receive topographically both tecto- (excitatory) and SP/IPS- (inhibitory) projections. The possible functional implications for parallel information processing in these projections are discussed.

[Comparison of effect of Astragalus membranaceus and huoxuefang on thromboxane, prostacyclin and adenosine cyclic monophosphate in cerebral reperfusion injury in rabbits].

The cerebral ischemia rabbit model was made by using the occlusion of four vessels. The results showed that TXB2 and cAMP contents in brain tissues and the latter in plasma markedly increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), the 6-keto-PGF1 alpha in brain tissues significantly lowered (P < 0.05) in ischemia formed 30 minutes and 45 minutes after reperfusion. After intravenous injection of Astragalus membranaceus (AM) extracts (3.3 g/kg), Huoxuefang (HXFO and Yiqi Houxue Fang (YQHXF) consisted of AM and HXF before ischemia, the marked increase of TXB2 contents after reperfusion was inhibited (P < 0.05) and the 6-keto-PGF1 alpha in brain tissues after reperfusion were increased (P < 0.01) in HXF and YQHXF group, which change the AM extracts didn't have (P < 0.05). HXF could markedly inhibit the increase of cAMP in brain tissues after reperfusion P < 0.05), while the AM extracts and YQHXF couldn't (P > 0.05). All above-mentioned suggested that the above-mentioned suggested that the balance disorder of TXA2/PGI2 in brain tissues might participate in the occurrence of cerebral reperfusion injury and YQHXF might act against this injury by means of improving the balance of TXA2/PGI2 in brain tissues, which was mainly released by HX drugs of it.