Heyingwuzi formulation alleviates diabetic retinopathy by promoting mitophagy via the HIF-1α/BNIP3/NIX axis.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the primary cause of visual problems in patients with diabetes. The Heyingwuzi formulation (HYWZF) is effective against DR. AIM: To determine the HYWZF prevention mechanisms, especially those underlying mitophagy. METHODS: Human retinal capillary endothelial cells (HRCECs) were treated with high glucose (hg), HYWZF serum, PX-478, or Mdivi-1 in vitro. Then, cell counting kit-8, transwell, and tube formation assays were used to evaluate HRCEC proliferation, invasion, and tube formation, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy was used to assess mitochondrial morphology, and Western blotting was used to determine the protein levels. Flow cytometry was used to assess cell apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and mitochondrial membrane potential. Moreover, C57BL/6 mice were established in vivo using streptozotocin and treated with HYWZF for four weeks. Blood glucose levels and body weight were monitored continuously. Changes in retinal characteristics were evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin, tar violet, and periodic acid-Schiff staining. Protein levels in retinal tissues were determined via Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and immunostaining. RESULTS: HYWZF inhibited excessive ROS production, apoptosis, tube formation, and invasion in hg-induced HRCECs via mitochondrial autophagy in vitro. It increased the mRNA expression levels of BCL2-interacting protein 3 (BNIP3), FUN14 domain-containing 1, BNIP3-like (BNIP3L, also known as NIX), PARKIN, PTEN-induced kinase 1, and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α. Moreover, it downregulated the protein levels of vascular endothelial cell growth factor and increased the light chain 3-II/I ratio. However, PX-478 and Mdivi-1 reversed these effects. Additionally, PX-478 and Mdivi-1 rescued the effects of HYWZF by decreasing oxidative stress and apoptosis and increasing mitophagy. HYWZF intervention improved the symptoms of diabetes, tissue damage, number of acellular capillaries, and oxidative stress in vivo. Furthermore, in vivo experiments confirmed the results of in vitro experiments. CONCLUSION: HYWZF alleviated DR and associated damage by promoting mitophagy via the HIF-1α/BNIP3/NIX axis.

Effects of pH-shifting and ultrasound on the structural and emulsifying properties of peanut globulin fractions.

This work investigated and compared the structural and emulsifying properties of peanut globulin fractions (conarachin and arachin) after ultrasonication (US) and pH2.5-shifting treatments, singly and in combination. Results showed that pH2.5-shifting was more effective in degrading peanut protein subunits and unfolding their structures than US treatment. Conarachin tended to aggregate during US and pH2.5-shifting treatments possibly due to higher free sulfhydryl content, while high molecular weight arachin tended to disaggregate during these treatments. pH2.5-shifting or US+pH2.5-shifting treatments significantly increased the surface hydrophobicity of conarachin (from 72 to 314) and arachin (from 336 to 888), which may be responsible for the enhancement of protein emulsifying activity. All treatments significantly improved the physical stability of arachin-stabilized emulsions with higher absolute potentials but lowered that of conarachin-stabilized emulsions. However, pH2.5-shifting or US+pH2.5-shifting treatments could improve the stability of conarachin-stabilized emulsions in the presence of salts.

Remodeling of the Intra-Conduit Inflammatory Microenvironment to Improve Peripheral Nerve Regeneration with a Neuromechanical Matching Protein-Based Conduit.

Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) remains a challenging area in regenerative medicine. Nerve guide conduit (NGC) transplantation is a common treatment for PNI, but the prognosis of NGC treatment is unsatisfactory due to 1) neuromechanical unmatching and 2) the intra-conduit inflammatory microenvironment (IME) resulting from Schwann cell pyroptosis and inflammatory-polarized macrophages. A neuromechanically matched NGC composed of regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) loaded with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrene sulfonate) (P:P) and dimethyl fumarate (DMF) are designed, which exhibits a matched elastic modulus (25.1 ± 3.5 MPa) for the peripheral nerve and the highest 80% elongation at break, better than most protein-based conduits. Moreover, the NGC can gradually regulate the intra-conduit IME by releasing DMF and monitoring sciatic nerve movements via piezoresistive sensing. The combination of NGC and electrical stimulation modulates the IME to support PNI regeneration by synergistically inhibiting Schwann cell pyroptosis and reducing inflammatory factor release, shifting macrophage polarization from the inflammatory M1 phenotype to the tissue regenerative M2 phenotype and resulting in functional recovery of neurons. In a rat sciatic nerve crush model, NGC promoted remyelination and functional and structural regeneration. Generally, the DMF/RSF/P:P conduit provides a new potential therapeutic approach to promote nerve repair in future clinical treatments.

[Retracted] microRNA­146b promotes neuroblastoma cell growth through targeting NUMB.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.3892/etm.2020.8623.].

Plastid genome and its phylogenetic implications of Asiatic Spiraea (Rosaceae).

BACKGROUND: Spiraea L. is a genus comprising approximately 90 species that are distributed throughout the northern temperate regions. China is recognized as the center of species diversity for this genus, hosting more than 70 species, including 47 endemic species. While Spiraea is well-known for its ornamental value, its taxonomic and phylogenetic studies have been insufficient. RESULTS: In this study, we conducted sequencing and assembly of the plastid genomes (plastomes) of 34 Asiatic Spiraea accessions (representing 27 Asiatic Spiraea species) from China and neighboring regions. The Spiraea plastid genome exhibits typical quadripartite structures and encodes 113-114 genes, including 78-79 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 30 tRNA genes, and 4 rRNA genes. Linear regression analysis revealed a significant correlation between genome size and the length of the SC region. By the sliding windows method, we identified several hypervariable hotspots within the Spiraea plastome, all of which were localized in the SC regions. Our phylogenomic analysis successfully established a robust phylogenetic framework for Spiraea, but it did not support the current defined section boundaries. Additionally, we discovered that the genus underwent diversification after the Early Oligocene (~ 30 Ma), followed by a rapid speciation process during the Pliocene and Pleistocene periods. CONCLUSIONS: The plastomes of Spiraea provided us invaluable insights into its phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history. In conjunction with plastome data, further investigations utilizing other genomes, such as the nuclear genome, are urgently needed to enhance our understanding of the evolutionary history of this genus.

Plastome evolution and phylogenomic insights into the evolution of Lysimachia (Primulaceae: Myrsinoideae).

BACKGROUND: Lysimachia L., the second largest genus within the subfamily Myrsinoideae of Primulaceae, comprises approximately 250 species worldwide. China is the species diversity center of Lysimachia, containing approximately 150 species. Despite advances in the backbone phylogeny of Lysimachia, species-level relationships remain poorly understood due to limited genomic information. This study analyzed 50 complete plastomes for 46 Lysimachia species. We aimed to identify the plastome structure features and hypervariable loci of Lysimachia. Additionally, the phylogenetic relationships and phylogenetic conflict signals in Lysimachia were examined. RESULTS: These fifty plastomes within Lysimachia had the typical quadripartite structure, with lengths varying from 152,691 to 155,784 bp. Plastome size was positively correlated with IR and intron length. Thirteen highly variable regions in Lysimachia plastomes were identified. Additionally, ndhB, petB and ycf2 were found to be under positive selection. Plastid ML trees and species tree strongly supported that L. maritima as sister to subg. Palladia + subg. Lysimachia (Christinae clade), while the nrDNA ML tree clearly placed L. maritima and subg. Palladia as a sister group. CONCLUSIONS: The structures of these plastomes of Lysimachia were generally conserved, but potential plastid markers and signatures of positive selection were detected. These genomic data provided new insights into the interspecific relationships of Lysimachia, including the cytonuclear discordance of the position of L. maritima, which may be the result of ghost introgression in the past. Our findings have established a basis for further exploration of the taxonomy, phylogeny and evolutionary history within Lysimachia.

Exploring the common pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus via microarray data analysis.

Background: Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) have an increased incidence in modern society. Although more and more evidence has supported that DM is prone to AD, the interrelational mechanisms remain fully elucidated. Purpose: The primary purpose of this study is to explore the shared pathophysiological mechanisms of AD and DM. Methods: Download the expression matrix of AD and DM from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database with sequence numbers GSE97760 and GSE95849, respectively. The common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by limma package analysis. Then we analyzed the six kinds of module analysis: gene functional annotation, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, potential drug screening, immune cell infiltration, hub genes identification and validation, and prediction of transcription factors (TFs). Results: The subsequent analyses included 339 common DEGs, and the importance of immunity, hormone, cytokines, neurotransmitters, and insulin in these diseases was underscored by functional analysis. In addition, serotonergic synapse, ovarian steroidogenesis, estrogen signaling pathway, and regulation of lipolysis are closely related to both. DEGs were input into the CMap database to screen small molecule compounds with the potential to reverse AD and DM pathological functions. L-690488, exemestane, and BMS-345541 ranked top three among the screened small molecule compounds. Finally, 10 essential hub genes were identified using cytoHubba, including PTGS2, RAB10, LRRK2, SOS1, EEA1, NF1, RAB14, ADCY5, RAPGEF3, and PRKACG. For the characteristic Aß and Tau pathology of AD, RAPGEF3 was associated significantly positively with AD and NF1 significantly negatively with AD. In addition, we also found ADCY5 and NF1 significant correlations with DM phenotypes. Other datasets verified that NF1, RAB14, ADCY5, and RAPGEF3 could be used as key markers of DM complicated with AD. Meanwhile, the immune cell infiltration score reflects the different cellular immune microenvironments of the two diseases. Conclusion: The common pathogenesis of AD and DM was revealed in our research. These common pathways and hub genes directions for further exploration of the pathogenesis or treatment of these two diseases.

Tetrabromobisphenol A-bis(2,3-dibromopropyl ether) impairs Postnatal Testis Development in Mice: The Microtubule Cytoskeleton as a Sensitive Target.

Tetrabromobisphenol A-bis(2,3-dibromopropyl ether) (TBBPA-BDBPE), a widely used flame retardant, has been frequently detected in various environmental compartments, but its health hazard remains largely unknown. Here, we investigated the adverse effects of TBBPA-BDBPE (50 and 1000 µg/kg/day) on postnatal testis development in CD-1 mice and the underlying mechanism. Following the first week of maternal exposure, neonatal mice in the high-dose group exhibited reduced seminiferous tubule area, fewer Sertoli cells and germ cells, and damaged microtubules in Sertoli cells; even microtubule damage was also observed in the low-dose group. When exposure extended to adulthood, male offspring in the high-dose group presented more remarkable alterations in reproductive parameters, including reduced sperm count; in the low-dose group, microtubule damage was also observable, along with blood-testis barrier impairment. Further molecular docking analysis and tubulin polymerization assay indicated that TBBPA-BDBPE could interact with tubulin and disrupt its polymerization. Moreover, we observed attenuated microtubules in mouse Sertoli cells in vitro (TM4) following TBBPA-BDBPE treatment, suggesting that TBBPA-BDBPE impaired testis development possibly by interfering with tubulin dynamics. This study not only highlights the male reproductive hazard of TBBPA-BDBPE but also greatly improved the understanding of the molecular mechanism for male reproductive toxicity of chemicals.

[Quality evaluation of commercial Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma Rubra based on multi-component quantitative analysis].

To comprehensively evaluate the quality of commercial Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma Rubra, 43 batches of commercial Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma Rubra were collected to determine the content of nine ginsenosides Rg_1, Re, Rb_1, Rk_3, Rh_4, 20(S)-Rg_3, 20(R)-Rg_3, Rk_1, and Rg_5 by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). The quality of the commercial Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma Rubra was evaluated by correlation analysis, principal component analysis, factor analysis, analysis of variance(ANOVA), and cluster heatmap analysis. The content determination indicated that the content of common ginsenosides in commercial Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma Rubra were higher while that of rare ginsenosides were lower. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that ginsenosides Rg_1 and Rb_1 were significantly positively correlated with rare ginsenosides, and Rg_1, Rb_1 and rare ginsenosides played an important role in evaluating the quality of commercial Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma Rubra. In combination with the processing principle and current quality situation of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma Rubra, it is recommended to improve the content limit of Rb_1 in the existing quality standards.

microRNA-146b promotes neuroblastoma cell growth through targeting NUMB.

Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that the abnormal expression of microRNA (miRNA/miR) serves a crucial role in the development of numerous types of human cancer, including neuroblastoma (NB). The present study aimed to investigate the expression levels and biological roles of miR-146b in NB. miR-146b expression levels in NB cell lines and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were analyzed using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, and the regulatory effects of miR-146b on NB cell proliferation, invasion and apoptosis in vitro were investigated using CCK-8 assay, transwell invasion assay and flow cytometry. In addition, bioinformatics analysis, western blotting and dual-luciferase reporter assays were used to determine whether NUMB was a target gene of miR-146b. miR-146b expression levels were increased in NB cell lines compared with HUVECs. The knockdown of miR-146b using a miR-146b inhibitor significantly inhibited NB cell proliferation and invasion, but promoted cell apoptosis in vitro. Furthermore, it was revealed that miR-146b promoted NB cell proliferation through targeting NUMB. In conclusion, miR-146b was suggested to serve as an oncogene, at least in part, through directly targeting NUMB, which indicated that miR-146b may be a potential therapeutic target for NB treatment.

Histiocytoid breast carcinoma, neither lobular nor ductal? A case report and literature review.

Histiocytoid breast carcinoma (HBC) is a rare type of breast cancer with controversial histogenesis, which is characterized by abundant foamy cytoplasm, fuzzy cell boundary, linear or annular infiltration, eccentric large irregular nuclei or prominent nucleoli and low mitotic activity. HBC has been considered to be a variant of lobular carcinoma, a variant of apocrine ductal carcinoma, and an apocrine variant of lobular carcinoma and to resemble lipid-rich carcinoma. We presented a case of 75-year-old woman with a 5-cm mass in the left breast. The mass was yellow-beige on cut section. HBC was diagnosed including invasive carcinoma (IC) of apocrine differentiation (diameter about 5 mm) which was surrounded by extensive carcinoma in situ (CIS, diameter about 25 mm) of apocrine type, and a 4-mm invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) in grade II. The distance between HBC and IDC was 4 mm. There was extensive (42 of 43 lymph nodes) metastasis and intravascular tumor emboli. The tumor extended into peripheral nerve. The pathology showed histiocytoid breast carcinoma with a smaller conventional invasive ductal carcinoma in adjacent area. She received a left modified radical mastectomy. However, on the follow-up imaging techniques, the mass showed no response. We discussed the pathology and immunohistochemical finding, and reviewed the literatures. We found that this case was a unique type of HBC.

Melatonin enhances thermotolerance of maize seedlings (Zea mays L.) by modulating antioxidant defense, methylglyoxal detoxification, and osmoregulation systems.

Melatonin (MT), derived from tryptophan, is an amazing signaling molecule with multiple functions in plants. Heat stress (HS) induced by high temperature is a major stress factor that limits metabolism, growth, development, and productivity of plants. However, whether MT could enhance the thermotolerance of maize seedlings and the underlying mechanisms is not completely known. In this study, treatment of maize seedlings with MT enhanced the survival percentage of maize seedlings under HS conditions, mitigated an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA, product of membrane lipid peroxidation) and electrolyte leakage, and improved tissue vitality compared with the control without MT treatment, indicating that MT treatment could enhance the theromotolerance of maize seedlings. To understand the mechanisms underlying MT-enhanced thermotolerance of maize seedlings, the antioxidant defense (guaiacol peroxidease: GPX; glutathione reductase: GR; catalase: CAT; ascorbic acid: AsA; and glutathione: GSH), methylglyoxal (MG) detoxification (glyoxalase I: Gly I; and glyoxalase II: Gly II), and osmoregulation (proline: Pro; trehalose: Tre; and total soluble sugar: TSS) systems were assayed. The results showed that MT treatment stimulated the activities of antioxidant enzymes (GPX, GR, and CAT) and MG detoxification enzymes (Gly I and Gly II), increased the contents of nonenzyme antioxidants (AsA and GSH) and osmolytes (Pro, Tre, and TSS) in maize seedlings under normal culture conditions, and maintained a higher abovementioned enzyme activity and antioxidant and osmolyte contents under HS conditions compared with the control. This work reported that MT could enhance the thermotolerance of maize seedlings by modulating the antioxidant defense, MG detoxification, and osmoregulation systems.

[Characteristics of Biofilm During the Transition Process of Complete Nitrification and Partial Nitrification].

The objective of the study was to investigate the change of biofilm characteristics when implementing the procedure of partial nitrification. A ratio control strategy (DO/NH4+-N) was taken to achieve partial nitrification, and biofilm samples were obtained at 10.27%, 52.12%, and 93.54% of the nitrite accumulation rate. The amount and spatial distribution of total bacteria, ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB), and nitrite oxidative bacteria (NOB) were observed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) through a three-dimensional excitation emission matrix (EEM) to observe the secretion and composition changes of extracellular polymer substances. Ratio control successfully enriched AOB and achieved partial nitrification under conditions when NOB was not completely washed. Heterotrophic bacteria and nitrifying bacteria coexist in the biofilm. The heterotrophic bacteria were in the outer layer, but nitrifying bacteria were distributed in the biofilm surface at 6-25 µm. During the process of short-range nitrification, the AOB/NOB value gradually increased, and the stable operation period was as high as 15.56. During the operation of the reactor, EPS and microbial flora changes are closely related. When microbial activity decreased, EPS secretion decreased. During the stable operation period of partial nitrification, NOB and other bacteria that are non-resistant to high nitrite nitrous acid declined, and the fluorescence intensity of aromatic protein-like bacteria decreased. However, the three-dimensional fluorescence spectra showed that the chemical composition of EPS was not obvious during the process of partial nitrification.

Molecular epidemiology of WU polyomavirus in hospitalized children with acute respiratory tract infection in China.

AIM: To explore the molecular epidemiology and clinical characteristics of Washington University polyomavirus (WUPyV) infection in pediatric patients with acute respiratory tract infections in China. MATERIALS & METHODS: A laboratory surveillance was performed to recruit pediatric patients with acute respiratory tract infections. WUPyV was detected using real-time PCR and complete genome was sequenced for randomly selected positive nasopharyngeal aspirate. RESULTS: Altogether 122 (7.5%) of 1617 children found to be infected with WUPyV and 88 (72.1%) were coinfected with other viruses during 2012-2015. The phylogenetic analysis showed that 14 strains from our study formed two new clusters (Id and IIIc) within the Branch I and Branch III, respectively. CONCLUSION: WUPyV is persistently circulating in China. Surveillance on WUPyV infection in wider areas and long persistence is warranted.

High Temperature Deformation Mechanism in Hierarchical and Single Precipitate Strengthened Ferritic Alloys by In Situ Neutron Diffraction Studies.

The ferritic Fe-Cr-Ni-Al-Ti alloys strengthened by hierarchical-Ni2TiAl/NiAl or single-Ni2TiAl precipitates have been developed and received great attentions due to their superior creep resistance, as compared to conventional ferritic steels. Although the significant improvement of the creep resistance is achieved in the hierarchical-precipitate-strengthened ferritic alloy, the in-depth understanding of its high-temperature deformation mechanisms is essential to further optimize the microstructure and mechanical properties, and advance the development of the creep resistant materials. In the present study, in-situ neutron diffraction has been used to investigate the evolution of elastic strain of constitutive phases and their interactions, such as load-transfer/load-relaxation behavior between the precipitate and matrix, during tensile deformation and stress relaxation at 973 K, which provide the key features in understanding the governing deformation mechanisms. Crystal-plasticity finite-element simulations were employed to qualitatively compare the experimental evolution of the elastic strain during tensile deformation at 973 K. It was found that the coherent elastic strain field in the matrix, created by the lattice misfit between the matrix and precipitate phases for the hierarchical-precipitate-strengthened ferritic alloy, is effective in reducing the diffusional relaxation along the interface between the precipitate and matrix phases, which leads to the strong load-transfer capability from the matrix to precipitate.

Fatal pneumonia cases caused by human adenovirus 55 in immunocompetent adults.

BACKGROUND: Adenovirus is a frequent cause of mild self-limiting upper respiratory tract infection, gastroenteritis, and conjunctivitis. Severe or fatal infection mostly occurs in newborn, elderly or immunocompromised persons. METHODS: Fatal adenovirus pneumonia in three immunocompetent adults was identified. The clinical data and virological findings were reported from patients. Additional review of recently recorded fatal patients with adenovirus infection was carried out. RESULTS: The patients presented with sudden onset respiratory distress that progressed rapidly to respiratory failure and death. Human adenovirus (HAdV)-55 was detected in both nasopharyngeal aspirates and serum samples in all three cases, and moreover detected in lung, liver, and kidney in one case. In another case, remarkably elevated aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, and lactate dehydrogenase were identified. Three HAdV-55 strains were isolated and genome sequencing revealed a high similarity with other strains from mild infection. CONCLUSIONS: Fatal infection with HAdv-55 might occur in otherwise healthy adults. Diagnosis of adenovirus infection should be considered in patients with severe pneumonia yielding negative bacterial culture and presenting no response to antibiotic therapy.

Immunologic Characterization of Cytokine Responses to Enterovirus 71 and Coxsackievirus A16 Infection in Children.

Viral encephalitis is a serious complication of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), but characteristics of cytokines response in enterovirus 71 (EV-71) and/or coxsackievirus A16 (CV-A16) associated HFMD with or without viral encephalitis remained unclear.We performed a multigroup retrospective study and compared the serum cytokines concentrations among 16 encephalitis patients infected with EV-71 and CV-A16, 24 encephalitis patients with single EV-71 infection, 34 mild HFMD patients with EV-71 infection, 18 mild HFMD patients with CV-A16 infection, and 39 healthy control subjects.Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-22, and IL-23 were significantly higher in encephalitis patients than in HFMD-alone patients when adjusting for age and sex; IL-2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-4, IL-22, and IL-1ß were significantly higher in HFMD-alone patients of EV-71 infection than in CV-A16 infected HFMD patients; cerebrospinal fluid level of IL-6 was lower in the EV-71/CV-A16 associated encephalitis than that in the EV-71 alone associated encephalitis patients.Over or low expression of the cytokines cascade in HFMD patients appears to play an important role in the elicitation of the immune response to EV-71 and CV-A16. These data will be used to define a cytokine profile, which might help to recognize HFMD patients with the high risk of developing encephalitis.

Common adverse events associated with ribavirin therapy for Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome.

Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) is associated with high mortality rate, for which antiviral therapy with ribavirin was recommended. Based on our previous study, no visible effect of ribavirin therapy in improving clinical outcome was observed. Here we have accumulated the sample size to 634, and by performing prospective observation on the clinical progress and laboratory parameters, we found a significantly higher incidence of anemia and hyperamylasemia in patients who received ribavirin therapy in comparison with those who received no therapy. Generalized estimating equation model disclosed a significant effect on hemoglobin reduction and blood amylase augmentation from ribavirin administration. The occurrence of anemia and hyperamylasemia was associated with SFTS patients receiving ribavirin therapy, which might be adverse event of this drug administration. The recommendation of ribavirin for treating SFTS should be applied with caution.

[Effects of climate change on photosynthesis of Diospyros kaki under different soil moisture conditions].

Taking two-year-old Diospyros kaki as test material, this paper studied the effects of high CO2 concentration (700 micromol x mol(-1)), high temperature (5 degrees C higher than the mean daily temperature); and their combination on the net photosynthesis rate (Pn), evapotranspiration (Tr), stomatal conductance (Gs), water use efficiency (WUE), chlorophyll content, Fv/Fm, and Fv/Fo under different soil moisture conditions, with the ambient air temperature and CO2 concentration (380 micromol x mol(-1)) as the control. Under all test soil moisture conditions, the combination of high CO2 concentration and high temperature decreased the Tr and Gs, but increased the WUE. This combination increased the Pn when the soil moisture content was 75%-85% and 55%-65% of field capacity, but decreased the Pn when the soil moisture content was 35%-45%. High CO2 concentration increased the Pn and WUE but decreased the Gs and Tr under all test soil moisture conditions. The effects of high temperature and its combination with high CO2 concentration on the WUE depended on soil moisture condition, with the WUE increased with increasing soil moisture content. Comparing with the control, high CO2 concentration also increased the leaf Chla, Chlb, Chl (a + b), and Car concentrations and the Fv/Fm and Fv/Fo values, relieved the water stress, and increased the stress-resistance of D. kaki.

[Effect of point injection of red-sage-root on the hip joint function in ischemic femoral head necrosis patients].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect of point injection of Danshen (Red-sage-root) for treating ischemic necrosis of femoral head in patients. METHODS: A total of 62 hips of ischemic femoral head necrosis were randomly divided into point-injection group (32 hips) and core decompression (CDC) group (30 hips) according to the random digits table method. Red-sage-root (freeze-dried) solved in 5 ml normal saline solution was injected into Huantiao (GB 30) and Juliao(GB 29) on the affected side, 2.5 ml for each point, 3 times a week, for 6 consecutive months. Patients of CDC group were treated by core decompression surgery. The therapeutic effect was evaluated by the "Evaluating Method for Adult Avascular Necrosis of Femoral Head" (issued in Dandong in 1995). RESULTS: Compared with pre-treatment, scores of pain severity of two groups from the 1st month to the 6th month, joint-motion range, daily life activity and walking distance scores of point-injection group from the 1st month to the 6th month increased significantly (P<0.01, P<0.05); while those of joint-motion range, daily life activity and walking distance in CDC group had no apparent improvement (P>0.05). The difference values between post-and pre-treatment in the scores of pain severity, joint-motion range, daily life activity and walking distance in point-injection group were all significantly higher than those in CDC group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Point-injection of red-sage-root can effectively relieve the pain severity, improve the hip joint-motion function and daily life activity in ischemic femoral head necrosis patients.