Effect of foot reflexology on an infant with sensorineural hearing loss: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Our study contributes to the further understanding of the mechanism of foot reflexology. Foot reflexology has been reported to affect hearing recovery, but no physiological evidence has been provided. This lack of evidence hampers the acceptance of the technique in clinical practice. CASE SUMMARY: A girl was taken to North Sichuan Medical University Affiliated Hospital for a hearing screen by her parents. Her parents reported that her hearing level was the same as when she was born. The girl was diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) by a doctor in the otolaryngology department. After we introduced the foot reflexology project, the parents agreed to participate in the experiment. After 6 months of foot reflexology treatment, the hearing threshold of the girl recovered to a normal level, below 30 dB. CONCLUSION: Foot reflexology should be encouraged in clinical practice and for families of infants with SNHL.

Mortality Prediction in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury Using Traditional and Machine Learning Algorithms.

Abstract Prognostic prediction of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in patients is crucial in clinical decision and health care policy making. This study aimed to develop and validate prediction models for in-hospital mortality after severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI). We developed and validated logistic regression (LR), LASSO regression, and machine learning (ML) algorithms including support vector machines (SVM) and XGBoost models. Fifty-four candidate predictors were included. Model performance was expressed in terms of discrimination (C-statistic) and calibration (intercept and slope). For model development, 2804 patients with sTBI in the Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in TBI (CENTER-TBI) China Registry study were included. External validation was performed in 1113 patients with sTBI in the CENTER-TBI European Registry study. XGBoost achieved high discrimination in mortality prediction, and it outperformed logistic and LASSO regression. The XGBoost model established in this study also outperformed prediction models currently available, including the International Mission for Prognosis and Analysis of Clinical Trials (IMPACT) core and International Mission for Prognosis and Analysis of Clinical Trials (CRASH) basic models. When including 54 variables, XGBoost and SVM reached C-statistics of 0.87 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.81-0.92) and 0.85 (95% CI: 0.79-0.90) at internal validation, and 0.88 (95% CI: 0.87-0.88) and 0.86 (95% CI: 0.85-0.87) at external validation, respectively. A simplified version of XGBoost and SVM using 26 variables selected by recursive feature elimination (RFE) reached C-statistics of 0.87 (95% CI: 0.82-0.92) and 0.86 (95% CI: 0.80-0.91) at internal validation, and 0.87 (95% CI: 0.87-0.88) and 0.87 (95% CI: 0.86-0.87) at external validation, respectively. However, when the number of variables included decreased, the difference between ML and LR diminished. All the prediction models can be accessed via a web-based calculator. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, age, pupillary light reflex, Injury Severity Score (ISS) for brain region, and the presence of acute subdural hematoma were the five strongest predictors for mortality prediction. The study showed that ML techniques such as XGBoost may capture information hidden in demographic and clinical predictors of patients with sTBI and yield more precise predictions compared with LR approaches.

[Mechanism of paeonol combined with paeoniflorin against myocardial ischemia injury:based on proteomics].

The study aims to investigate the effect of the compatibility of paeonol and paeoniflorin(hereinafter referred to as the compatibility) on the expression of myocardial proteins in rats with myocardial ischemia injury and explore the underlying mechanism of the compatibility against myocardial ischemia injury. First, the acute myocardial infarction rat model was established by ligation of the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery. The model rats were given(ig) paeonol and paeoniflorin. Then protein samples were collected from rat cardiac tissue and quantified by tandem mass tags(TMT) to explore the differential proteins after drug intervention. The experimental results showed that differential proteins mainly involved phagocytosis engulfment, extracellular space, and antigen binding, as well as Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG) pathways of complement and coagulation cascades, syste-mic lupus erythematosus, and ribosome. In this study, the target proteins and related signaling pathways identified by differential proteomics may be the biological basis of the compatibility against myocardial ischemia injury in rats.

Gegen Qinlian Decoction Ameliorates Hyperuricemia-Induced Renal Tubular Injury via Blocking the Inflammatory Signaling Pathway.

Background: Gegen Qinlian decoction (GGQLD) is a typical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription documented in Shang Han Lun. Clinically, GGQLD has been utilized to manage the inflammatory symptoms of metabolic diseases and to protect against renal damage in China. In the present study, a hypothesis was proposed that the multi-target solution of GGQLD produced anti-inflammatory effects on ameliorating hyperuricemia (HUA). Methods: A total of 30 primary HUA patients receiving GGQLD treatment (two doses daily) for 4 weeks were selected. Then, differences in uric acid (UA) levels and expression of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and urinary exosomes before and after treatment were analyzed. The therapeutic indexes for the active ingredients in GGQLD against HUA were confirmed through pharmacological subnetwork analysis. Besides, the HUA rat model was established through oral gavage of potassium oxonate and treated with oral GGQLD. In addition, proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs) were stimulated by UA and intervened with GGQLD for 48 h. Subsequently, RNA-seq, flow cytometry, and confocal immunofluorescence microscopy were further conducted to characterize the differences in UA-mediated inflammation and apoptosis of human renal tubular epithelial cells pre- and post-administration of GGQLD. In the meanwhile, quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was carried out to determine gene expression, whereas a western blotting (WB) assay was conducted to measure protein expression. Results: Our network analysis revealed that GGQLD treated HUA via the anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic pathways. Additionally, NLPR3 expression significantly decreased in PBMCs and urinary exosomes of HUA patients after GGQLD treatment. In vivo, GGQLD treatment alleviated HUA-induced renal inflammation, which was associated with decreased expression of NLRP3 inflammasomes and apoptosis-related mRNAs. Moreover, GGQLD promoted renal UA excretion by inhibiting the activation of GSDMD-dependent pyroptosis induced by NLRP3 inflammasomes and by reducing apoptosis via the mitochondrial apoptosis signaling pathway in vitro. Conclusion: This study indicates that GGQLD efficiently reduces inflammatory responses while promoting UA excretion in HUA. Our findings also provide compelling evidence supporting the idea that GGQLD protects against the UA-mediated renal tubular epithelial cell inflammation through the mitochondrial apoptosis signaling pathways. Taken together, these findings have demonstrated a novel therapeutic method for the treatment of HUA.

High prevalence of developmental venous anomaly in adult patients with midline thalamic diffuse gliomas.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of developmental venous anomaly (DVA) in patients with thalamic glioma. Furthermore, we explored the association between DVA and some important biomarkers, such as IDH1 mutation, and H3K27M mutation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients who received tumor resection in West China Hospital between August 2009 and October 2017 were enrolled. Propensity score matching was conducted based on a logistic regression model and 1:1 matching for case and control was used to generate a new cohort from patients with meningioma. Chi-square test, t-test, univariate and multivariate analyses were employed to assess the prevalence of DVA in thalamic glioma and meningioma and to identify risk factors associated with DVA. RESULTS: Ninety-nine patients with thalamic glioma were enrolled in the current study (male, n = 54; female, n = 45). The mean age was 42.9 ± 15.3 years old. We identified a higher prevalence of DVA in 99 patients with thalamic glioma when compared with 99 patients with meningioma (18.18% vs. 7.07%), which was slightly lower than the prevalence of DVA in glioma reported in previous studies. Furthermore, the distribution of gender, age, and tumor grade in DVA did not reach statistical significance. Chi-square test, univariate and multivariate analyses showed that IDH1 mutation, ATRX mutation, MGMT promoter methylation, p53 mutation, MMP9, EGFR, and Top II positive expression, TERT mutation, and H3K27M mutation were not associated with the development of DVA in thalamic glioma. CONCLUSION: A higher prevalence of DVA was found in thalamic glioma compared with meningioma.

Molecular Characteristics of Thalamic Gliomas in Adults.

The 2016 World Health Organization classification of central nervous system tumor firstly introduces molecular diagnosis to glioma, while the molecular features of adult thalamic gliomas (ATGs) in a relatively large sample have not been reported. We aimed at exploring molecular characteristics in ATGs. The data of 97 and 575 newly diagnosed ATGs and superficial gliomas (SGs) patients were collected, and we performed a comparative analysis of molecular characteristics between them. We analyzed expressions of molecules as follow: H3 K27M, isocitrate dehydrogenase1 (IDH1), Ki-67, O6-Methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter, EGFR, p53, ATRX, GFAP, Oligo2, PTEN, MGMT, and MMP9 by immunohistochemistry. Direct gene sequencing was performed to test the H3 K27M, IDH1, and TERT promoter mutation. The median age at diagnosis of ATGs was 36.0 years, and majority of them were high-grade glioma. We found a significant difference in H3 K27M mutation (P = 0.003), IDH1 mutation (P < 0.001), MGMT promoter methylation (P = 0.005), and Ki67 > 0.1 (P < 0.001) between ATGs and SGs. The statuses of IDH1 (P < 0.001), MGMT promoter (P < 0.001), and Ki67 (P < 0.001) were significantly different between these two groups in lower-grade gliomas. And statuses of IDH1 (P < 0.001), Ki67 (P < 0.001), and EGFR (P = 0.032) were different between these two groups in high-grade gliomas. Only Ki67 > 0.1 was differentially expressed between lower- and high-grade gliomas in ATGs (P = 0.014). The high occurrence of H3 K27M mutation and Ki67 > 0.1, rare occurrence of IDH1 mutation, and MGMT promoter methylation in ATGs suggested that ATGs may be a distinct type of glioma entity.

Prognostic Factors for the Survival Outcome of Bilateral Thalamic Glioma: An Integrated Survival Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to perform an integrated survival analysis of patients with bilateral thalamic glioma and to assess the influence of various prognostic factors on overall survival. METHODS: A literature search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar was performed for literature in English published from 1964 to May 2017. Detailed information including demographics, clinical characteristics, treatments, critical events, and time to events for survival analysis were extracted from the included articles. In addition, 2 cases diagnosed in our institution were included. RESULTS: The study included 53 cases from 32 published articles and 2 cases from our institution that were selected for analysis. Univariate analysis showed the duration of symptoms (≥2 or <2 months), glioma type (astrocytoma or glioblastoma multiforme), and World Health Organization (WHO) grade (low or high) had a significant correlation with overall survival (log-rank P = 0.011, 0.001, and <0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that the duration of symptoms (hazard ratio [HR], 0.299; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.121-0.736; P = 0.009), and WHO grade (HR, 4.639; 95% CI, 1.891-11.382; P = 0.001) were independent prognostic factors for bilateral thalamic glioma (BTG) survival. CONCLUSIONS: This comprehensive analysis of rare BTG patients revealed that a longer duration of symptoms (≥2 months) and low WHO grade were significantly associated with improved survival and were independent prognostic factors for overall survival.

IDH1 status is significantly different between high-grade thalamic and superficial gliomas.

BACKGROUND: While major progress has been made in diagnosis and treatment of gliomas based on molecules, molecular features of thalamic glioma have rarely been reported till now. OBJECTIVE: IDH1 mutation is important for prognosis of gliomas and represents a distinctive category of glioma. We intended to survey specific molecular abnormalities in high-grade thalamic gliomas (WHO III-IV). METHODS: We collected data of 50 and 93 newly diagnosed high-grade thalamic and superficial glioma patients respectively and conducted a comparative analysis of molecular characteristics between them. We analyzed expressions of molecules as follow: IDH1/2, P53, Ki-67, ATRX, PTEN, MMP9 and MGMT by Immunohistochemistry (IHC). Direct gene sequencing was performed to test the IDH1(R 132H) mutation. RESULTS: We found a significant difference of IDH1 mutation between those high-grade gliomas, with 92% (46/50) of the thalamic tumors and 71% (66/93) of the superficial gliomas showing IDH1 wild-type (p= 0.004). It also showed that IDH1 mutation in superficial glioblastomas 18.6% (13/70) occurred more than thalamic glioblastomas 2.6% (1/39) (p= 0.017). As to high-grade superficial gliomas, there were 26 patients with IDH1 mutation, which contained 7, 13, and 6 high, moderate and low Ki-67 expression gliomas, respectively. The IDH1 wild-type group (62 patients), was composed of 29, 30, and 3 high, moderate and low Ki-67 expression gliomas, respectively. There was a significant distinction between the IDH1 mutation and Ki-67 expressions (p= 0.024). We also noted that the occurrence of low Ki-67 expressions 23.1% (6/26) in IDH1 mutation group was outnumbered than IDH1 wild-type group 4.8% (3/62) (p= 0.018). In addition, we found PTEN negative correlated with MMP9 negative in thalamic high-grade gliomas, whereas no such difference was found in superficial gliomas (p= 0.016). CONCLUSION: The rare occurrence of IDH1 mutant high-grade thalamic gliomas strongly suggested that the high-grade thalamic glioma is another distinct tumor entity as compared to the high-grade superficial gliomas.

Right median nerve electrical stimulation for acute traumatic coma (the Asia Coma Electrical Stimulation trial): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has become the most common cause of death and disability in persons between 15 and 30 years of age, and about 10-15% of patients affected by TBI will end up in a coma. Coma caused by TBI presents a significant challenge to neuroscientists. Right median nerve electrical stimulation has been reported as a simple, inexpensive, non-invasive technique to speed recovery and improve outcomes for traumatic comatose patients. METHODS/DESIGN: This multicentre, prospective, randomised (1:1) controlled trial aims to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of electrical right median nerve stimulation (RMNS) in both accelerating emergence from coma and promoting long-term outcomes. This trial aims to enrol 380 TBI comatose patients to partake in either an electrical stimulation group or a non-stimulation group. Patients assigned to the stimulation group will receive RMNS in addition to standard treatment at an amplitude of 15-20 mA with a pulse width of 300 µs at 40 Hz ON for 20 s and OFF for 40 s. The electrical treatment will last for 8 h per day for 2 weeks. The primary endpoint will be the percentage of patients regaining consciousness 6 months after injury. The secondary endpoints will be Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale, Coma Recovery Scale-Revised and Disability Rating Scale scores at 28 days, 3 months and 6 months after injury; Glasgow Coma Scale, Glasgow Coma Scale Motor Part and Full Outline of Unresponsiveness scale scores on day 1 and day 7 after enrolment and 28 days, 3 months and 6 months after injury; duration of unconsciousness and mechanical ventilation; length of intensive care unit and hospital stays; and incidence of adverse events. DISCUSSION: Right median nerve electrical stimulation has been used as a safe, inexpensive, non-invasive therapy for neuroresuscitation of coma patients for more than two decades, yet no trial has robustly proven the efficacy and safety of this treatment. The Asia Coma Electrical Stimulation (ACES) trial has the following novel features compared with other major RMNS trials: (1) the ACES trial is an Asian multicentre randomised controlled trial; (2) RMNS therapy starts at an early stage 7-14 days after the injury; and (3) various assessment scales are used to evaluate the condition of patients. We hope the ACES trial will lead to optimal use of right median nerve electrical treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02645578 . Registered on 23 December 2015.

[Mechanism of Electropuncture for Reducing Diet-induced Obesity Rat Weight through Hypothala- mus TSC1 -mTOR Signal Pathway].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of electropuncture (EA) for reducing diet-induced obesity (DIO) rat weight through tuberous sclerosis complex 1 (TSC1 )-mammalian target of rapa- mycin (mTOR) signal pathway in hypothalamus. METHODS: Forty male SD rats were randomly divided into the model group (n =30) and the normal control group (n =10). DIO rat model was prepared by high fat forage for 12 successive weeks. Successfully modeled 19 rats were further randomly divided into the model group (n =9) and the EA group (n =10). EA at Tianshu (ST25) , Sanyinjiao (SP6) , Zhongwan ( RN12) , Zusanli (ST36) was performed in the EA group, 5 successive days per week with a 2-day rest, 4 weeks in total. No intervention was given to rats in the model group and the normal control group. Body weight was observed in all rats. Methylation of TSC1 promotor was detected by bisulfite sequencing method. mRNA expression of mTOR in hypothalamus was detected by RT-PCR. RESULTS: After EA treatment body weight in the EA group were obviously reduced (P <0. 05). Compared with the normal control group, body weight was not statistically different between the model group and the EA group after treatment (P> 0. 05). Methylation rate of TSC1 promotor was higher in model group (94. 0% ±4. 5%) than in the normal control group (87. 0% ±3. 6%) and the EA group (87. 4% ±3. 9%) (P <0. 05). Expression of mTOR in the model group (1. 84 ±0. 51) was higher than that in the normal control group (1. 02 ±0. 22) and the EA group (1. 46 ±0. 29) (P <0. 05). CONCLUSION: EA could lower DIO rats' body weight by down-regulating methylation rate of TSC1 promotor and regulating expression of mTOR in hypothalamus.

Honokiol improves learning and memory impairments induced by scopolamine in mice.

Honokiol, a lignan isolated from the bark of Magnolia officinalis, has been reported to ameliorate the learning and memory impairments in senesed (SAMP8) mice. However, whether honokiol could improve scopolamine (SCOP)-induced learning and memory deficits in mice is still unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether honokiol could reverse the SCOP-induced learning and memory impairments in mice and to elucidate its underlying mechanisms of action. Mice were given daily intraperitoneal injection of honokiol (10 and 20mg/kg) for 21 consecutive days. The results showed that honokiol significantly improved spatial learning and memory function (as assessed by the Morris water maze test) in the SCOP-treated mice. In addition, treatment with honokiol significantly decreased the protein and mRNA levels of interleukin (IL)-1ß and the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), while significantly increased the protein and mRNA levels of IL-10, and the level of acetylcholine (Ach) in the brain of the SCOP-treated mice. Moreover, honokiol also significantly suppressed the production of prostaglandin E 2 (PGE2) and mRNA expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in the brain of the SCOP-treated mice. Mechanistic investigations revealed that honokiol could markedly reverse the amount of phosphorylated Akt and extracellular regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) changes in the brain of the SCOP-treated mice. These results amply demonstrated that honokiol could improve learning and memory impairments induced by SCOP in mice, and the protective action may be mediated, at least in part, by inhibition of AChE activity, and amelioration of the neuroinflammatory processes in the SCOP-treated mice.

[Tsc1 promoter methylation rate, mTOR expression in food-induced obese rat hypothalamus].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the methylation rate of tuberous sclerosis complex 1 (Tsc1) promoter and expression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in food-induced rat hypothalamus. METHODS: 16 male SD rats were divided into high fat diet induced group (8 rats) and normal control group (8 rats) feeding for 12 weeks. Body mass, mass of celiac fat, celiac fat/body mass were measured. Methylation of Tsc1 promoter, mRNA and protein expression of mTOR were detected by bisulfite sequencing method, RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. RESULTS: Mass of celiac fat, celiac fat/body mass were higher in food-induced rat than that in control group. There were 11 methylation sites in SD rat hypothalamus. Obese group has significantly higher methylation rates (94.50% +/- 4.66%) than that of control group (86.60% +/- 3.49%) (P<0.002). The mRNA and protein expression of mTOR were noted lower in control group than in obese group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The increased methylation rate of Tsc1 promoter in food-induced rat hypothalamus and up-regulated expression of mTOR, downstream gene of Tsc1 may promote the obesity.

Gamma knife surgery for pineal region tumors: an alternative strategy for negative pathology / Cirurgia com gamma knife como tratamento experimental para tumores da região da pineal: uma estratégia alternativa quando os dados anatomopatológicos são negativos

Objective : Pineal region tumors (PRTs) are uncommon, and treatments vary among neoplasm types. The authors report their experience with gamma knife surgery (GKS) as an initial treatment in a series of PRT patients with unclear pathological diagnoses. Method : Seventeen PRT patients with negative pathology who underwent GKS were retrospectively studied. Nine patients had further whole-brain and spinal cord radiotherapy and chemotherapy 6–9 months after GKS. Results : Sixteen of 17 cases were followed up over a mean of 33.3 months. The total response rate was 75%, and the control rate was 81.3%. No obvious neurological deficits or complications were attributable to GKS. Conclusion : The findings indicate that GKS may be an alternative strategy in selected PRT patients who have negative pathological diagnoses, and that good outcomes and quality of life can be obtained with few complications. .

Tumores da região da pineal (TRP) são pouco frequentes e as propostas de tratamento são bastante variadas. Os autores relatam sua experiência em cirurgias com uso gamma knife (CGK) como tratamento experimental inicial em séries de TRP que não têm diagnóstico anatomopatológico ou nos quais o diagnóstico não ficou claro. Foram estudados retrospectivamente 17 pacientes com TRP nestas condições e que foram submetidos a CGK. Destes, 9 pacientes foram submetidos posteriormente a radioterapia de todo o encéfalo e medula espinhal entre 6 e 9 meses depois da CGK. Dezesseis dos 17 pacientes foram acompanhados por um período médio de 33,3 meses. A taxa total de resposta nos pacientes foi de 75% e a taxa dos controles, 81,3%. Não houve nenhum déficit neurológico evidente que pudesse ser atribuído à CGK. A CGK como tratamento experimental pode ser uma estratégia alternativa no grupo específico de pacientes com TRP em que não há diagnóstico anatomopatológico, podendo ser obtida uma boa qualidade de vida com poucas complicações para esse grupo de pacientes.

Isorhynchophylline Protects PC12 Cells Against Beta-Amyloid-Induced Apoptosis via PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway.

The neurotoxicity of amyloid- ß (A ß ) has been implicated as a critical cause of Alzheimer's disease. Isorhynchophylline (IRN), an oxindole alkaloid isolated from Uncaria rhynchophylla, exerts neuroprotective effect against Aß 25-35-induced neurotoxicity in vitro. However, the exact mechanism for its neuroprotective effect is not well understood. The present study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the protective action of IRN against Aß 25-35-induced neurotoxicity in cultured rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. Pretreatment with IRN significantly increased the cell viability, inhibited the release of lactate dehydrogenase and the extent of DNA fragmentation in Aß 25-35-treated cells. IRN treatment was able to enhance the protein levels of phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) and glycogen synthase kinase-3 ß (p-GSK-3 ß ). Lithium chloride blocked Aß 25-35-induced cellular apoptosis in a similar manner as IRN, suggesting that GSK-3 ß inhibition was involved in neuroprotective action of IRN. Pretreatment with LY294002 completely abolished the protective effects of IRN. Furthermore, IRN reversed Aß 25-35-induced attenuation in the level of phosphorylated cyclic AMP response element binding protein (p-CREB) and the effect of IRN could be blocked by the PI3K inhibitor. These experimental findings unambiguously suggested that the protective effect of IRN against Aß 25-35-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells was associated with the enhancement of p-CREB expression via PI3K/Akt/GSK-3 ß signaling pathway.

[Experimental observation of SIVmac239 Chinese rhesus monkey model at sub-acute phase of AIDS].

OBJECTIVE: To observe T lymphocyte subsets and indicators of changes in viral load in sub-acute period in Chinese rhesus monkey model of AIDS SIVmac239. To explore Virology related index variation in sub-acute period of the Chinese rhesus monkey model of AIDS. METHOD: To replicate Chinese rhesus monkey model of AIDS, healthy Chinese rhesus monkey was inoculated with SIVmac239 viral strain. To observe changes in T lymphocyte subsets indexes and viral load after infection with the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) in sub-acute period on an animal model. The clinical symptoms of the animal model was recorded simultaneously. RESULT: During the 10 weeks after SIV acute infection, body weight and BMI index were relatively stable, the difference was not significant at all time points. Twelve monkeys were tested SIV positive by real-time PCR after three days of infection. On the 7th day after infection, 15 monkeys were tested SIV positive. Viral load increased rapidly, but reached a peak on the 10th-14th day after infection, then showed a level of volatility decline. T lymphocyte subsets showed significant changes, among them, CD3% and CD3 counts fluctuated upward trend and reached to the highest level in two weeks after infection; of CD4% and CD4 count changes were not synchronized, CD4% declined trend while the CD4 count was an increasing trend after the infection; of CD8% and CD8 counts fluctuate upward trend, and reached to a highest level in two weeks after infection ;the ratio of CD4/CD8 and the counts of CD4CD28 T cells decreased significantly in two weeks after infection; the former followed by a slow decline, the latter followed by a rapid rise. Three mouths after the infection 3 monkeys showed significant clinical symptoms. One of the rhesus monkeys had symptoms of diarrhea and two of them had reduced food intake. CONCLUSION: This experiments established standardization of Chinese Rhesus monkeys used in the research of AIDS and provide a detailed contents in the changes of sub-acute phase.

[Treatment of premature ovarian failure patients by bushen tiaojing recipe combined hormone replacement therapy: a clinical observation].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect on treatment of premature ovarian failure (POF) patients by Bushen Tiaojing Recipe (BTR) and hormone replacement therapy (HRT). METHODS: Totally 72 POF patients were randomly assigned to three groups by random digit table, i.e., the Chinese medicine group, the Western medicine group, and the integrative medicine group, 24 in each group. Those in the Chinese medicine group took BTR. Those in the Western medicine group were treated by HRT. Those in the integrative medicine group were treated by BTR + HRT. All were treated for three courses and followed-up for 3 months after treatment. The clinical efficacy, integrals of clinical symptoms, and serum sex hormones levels [follicular stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (E2), luteinizing hormone (LH)] were compared among the three groups before treatment, at the end of treatment, and 3 months after withdrawal. RESULTS: (1) The total effective rate was better in the integrative medicine group than in the Chinese medicine group and the Western medicine group (P < 0.05). (2) At the end of treatment, the integrals of clinical symptoms decreased in the 3 groups when compared with before treatment in the same group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The integrals of clinical symptoms were higher at 3 months after withdrawal than at the end of treatment in the Western medicine group (P < 0.05). But there was no statistical difference in changes of integrals between the Chinese medicine group and the integrative medicine group (P > 0.05). (3) By the end of treatment serum E2 increased (P < 0.01), FSH and LH decreased (P < 0.01) in the three groups, more significantly in the integrative medicine group and the Western medicine group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). At 3 months after withdrawal serum E2 decreased, FSH and LH increased in the Western medicine group, showing statistical difference when compared with the other two groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). There was no statistical difference in changes of serum E2, FSH, or LH between the Chinese medicine group and the integrative medicine group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: BTR combined HRT had significant effect on treatment of POF, could significantly improve patients' clinical symptoms, menstrual states, and serum sex hormones levels. It had lower recurrence rate. Patients suffered from less adverse reactions.

Treatment of premature ovarian failure patients by bushen tiaojing recipe combined hormone replacement therapy: a clinical observation / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the clinical effect on treatment of premature ovarian failure (POF) patients by Bushen Tiaojing Recipe (BTR) and hormone replacement therapy (HRT).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 72 POF patients were randomly assigned to three groups by random digit table, i.e., the Chinese medicine group, the Western medicine group, and the integrative medicine group, 24 in each group. Those in the Chinese medicine group took BTR. Those in the Western medicine group were treated by HRT. Those in the integrative medicine group were treated by BTR + HRT. All were treated for three courses and followed-up for 3 months after treatment. The clinical efficacy, integrals of clinical symptoms, and serum sex hormones levels [follicular stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (E2), luteinizing hormone (LH)] were compared among the three groups before treatment, at the end of treatment, and 3 months after withdrawal.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) The total effective rate was better in the integrative medicine group than in the Chinese medicine group and the Western medicine group (P < 0.05). (2) At the end of treatment, the integrals of clinical symptoms decreased in the 3 groups when compared with before treatment in the same group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The integrals of clinical symptoms were higher at 3 months after withdrawal than at the end of treatment in the Western medicine group (P < 0.05). But there was no statistical difference in changes of integrals between the Chinese medicine group and the integrative medicine group (P > 0.05). (3) By the end of treatment serum E2 increased (P < 0.01), FSH and LH decreased (P < 0.01) in the three groups, more significantly in the integrative medicine group and the Western medicine group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). At 3 months after withdrawal serum E2 decreased, FSH and LH increased in the Western medicine group, showing statistical difference when compared with the other two groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). There was no statistical difference in changes of serum E2, FSH, or LH between the Chinese medicine group and the integrative medicine group (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>BTR combined HRT had significant effect on treatment of POF, could significantly improve patients' clinical symptoms, menstrual states, and serum sex hormones levels. It had lower recurrence rate. Patients suffered from less adverse reactions.</p>

A standardized chinese herbal decoction, kai-xin-san, restores decreased levels of neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors in the brain of chronic stress-induced depressive rats.

Kai-xin-san (KXS), a Chinese herbal decoction being prescribed by Sun Simiao in Beiji Qianjin Yaofang about 1400 years ago, contains Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Polygalae Radix, Acori tatarinowii Rhizoma, and Poria. KXS has been used to treat stress-related psychiatric disease with the symptoms of depression and forgetfulness in ancient China until today. However, the mechanism of its antidepression action is still unknown. Here, the chronic mild-stress-(CMS-) induced depressive rats were applied in exploring the action mechanisms of KXS treatment. Daily intragastric administration of KXS for four weeks significantly alleviated the CMS-induced depressive symptoms displayed by enhanced sucrose consumption. In addition, the expressions of those molecular bio-markers relating to depression in rat brains were altered by the treatment of KXS. These KXS-regulated brain biomarkers included: (i) the levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin (ii) the transcript levels of proteins relating to neurotransmitter metabolism; (iii) the transcript levels of neurotrophic factors and their receptors. The results suggested that the anti-depressant-like action of KXS might be mediated by an increase of neurotransmitters and expression of neurotrophic factors and its corresponding receptors in the brain. Thus, KXS could serve as alternative medicine, or health food supplement, for patients suffering from depression.

Mechanistic study on the antidepressant-like effect of danggui-shaoyao-san, a chinese herbal formula.

Danggui-Shaoyao-San (DSS), a famous Chinese herbal formula, has been widely used in the treatment of various diseases. Previous studies have shown that DSS produces antidepressant-like effect in rodents. This study aims to investigate the mechanism(s) underlying the antidepressant-like action of DDS. The results showed that DSS treatment significantly antagonized reserpine-induced ptosis in mice. In addition, DSS treatment significantly increased sucrose consumption in chronic unpredictable stress- (CUS-) treated mice. DSS treatment also markedly attenuated CUS-induced decreases in noradrenaline and dopamine concentrations in mouse brain. Furthermore, DSS treatment significantly reversed CUS-induced increase in serum malondialdehyde (MDA) content and decrease in serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in mice. The results suggest that the antidepressant-like activity of DSS is probably mediated by the modulation of central monoamine neurotransmitter systems and the reduction of oxidative stress.

Bioassay-Guided Isolation of Neuroprotective Compounds from Uncaria rhynchophylla against Beta-Amyloid-Induced Neurotoxicity.

Uncaria rhynchophylla is a component herb of many Chinese herbal formulae for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Previous study in our laboratory has demonstrated that an ethanol extract of Uncaria rhynchophylla ameliorated cognitive deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease induced by D-galactose. However, the active ingredients of Uncaria rhynchophylla responsible for the anti-Alzheimer's disease activity have not been identified. This study aims to identify the active ingredients of Uncaria rhynchophylla by a bioassay-guided fractionation approach and explore the acting mechanism of these active ingredients by using a well-established cellular model of Alzheimer's disease, beta-amyloid- (Aß-) induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells. The results showed that six alkaloids, namely, corynoxine, corynoxine B, corynoxeine, isorhynchophylline, isocorynoxeine, and rhynchophylline were isolated from the extract of Uncaria rhynchophylla. Among them, rhynchophylline and isorhynchophylline significantly decreased Aß-induced cell death, intracellular calcium overloading, and tau protein hyperphosphorylation in PC12 cells. These results suggest that rhynchophylline and isorhynchophylline are the major active ingredients responsible for the protective action of Uncaria rhynchophylla against Aß-induced neuronal toxicity, and their neuroprotective effect may be mediated, at least in part, by inhibiting intracellular calcium overloading and tau protein hyperphosphorylation.