Three-dimensional architecture of the left ventricular myocardium.

Concepts for ventricular function tend to assume that the majority of the myocardial cells are aligned with their long axes parallel to the epicardial ventricular surface. We aimed to validate the existence of aggregates of myocardial cells orientated with their long axis intruding obliquely between the ventricular epicardial and endocardial surfaces and to quantitate their amount and angulation. To compensate for the changing angle of the long axis of the myocytes relative to the equatorial plane of the ventricles with varying depths within the ventricular walls, the so-called helical angle, we used pairs of cylindrical knives of different diameters to punch semicircular slices from the left ventricular wall of pigs, the slices extending from the epicardium to the endocardium. The slices were pinned flat, fixed in formaldehyde, embedded in paraffin, sectioned, stained with azan or hematoxilin and eosin, and analyzed by a new semiautomatic procedure. We made use of new techniques in informatics to determine the number and angulation of the aggregates of myocardial cells cut in their long axis. The alignment of the myocytes cut longitudinally varied markedly between the epicardium and the endocardium. Populations of myocytes, arranged in strands, diverge by varying angles from the epicardial surface. When paired knives of decreasing diameter were used to cut the slices, the inclination of the diagonal created by the arrays increases, while the lengths of the array of cells cut axially decreases. The visualization of the size, shape, and alignment of the myocytic arrays at any side of the ventricular wall is determined by the radius of the knives used, the range of helical angles subtended by the alignment of the myocytes throughout the thickness of the wall, and their angulation relative to the epicardial surface. Far from the majority of the ventricular myocytes being aligned at angles more or less tangential to the epicardial lining, we found that three-fifths of the myocardial cells had their long axes diverging at angles between 7.5 and 37.5 degrees from an alignment parallel to the epicardium. This arrangement, with the individual myocytes supported by connective tissue, might control the cyclic rearrangement of the myocardial fibers. This could serve as an important control of both ventricular mural thickening and intracavitary shape.

Selenium deficiency sensitizes the skin for UVB-induced oxidative damage and inflammation which involved the activation of p38 MAPK signaling.

Ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation causes oxidative damage and inflammation, and ultimately increases the risk of skin carcinogenesis. Selenium is an essential trace element, previous studies indicated selenium deficiency impairs tissue antioxidant capacity in different experimental models. However, the synergistic effect of selenium deficiency and UVB radiation on skin damage is not clear. In the current study, our data revealed selenium deficiency resulted in further increases of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and phosphorylated H2AX levels, decreases of GSH level and antioxidant enzyme activities in UVB-irradiated mice. Selenium deficiency also exacerbated UVB-induced cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1beta (IL-1ß) and IL-6 mRNA expressions. Mechanism studies indicated that UVB-induced p38 signaling was further elevated in the skin of mice maintained with selenium deficiency diet, compared with those maintained with selenium adequate diet. Our investigation suggested that selenium deficiency diet weakens the antioxidant capacity of UVB-irradiated mice skin, which sensitizes to UV radiation-induced oxidative damage and inflammation.

The molecular mechanism of curcumol on inducing cell growth arrest and apoptosis in Jurkat cells, a model of CD4⁺ T cells.

CD4(+) T cells in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) express growth signaling pathway in association with deregulated growth and resistance to apoptosis. The janus kinase (Jak) 3 and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway play a critical role in interleukin-2 (IL-2)-induced CD4(+) T cell proliferation. The present study aimed to explore the anti-cell proliferation mechanism of curcumol, a pure monomer extracted from Chinese medical plant Rhizoma curcumae. Cell proliferation was determined using WST-1 assay after curcumol treatment. The cell cycle distribution and Bcl-2 protein expression were assessed by flow cytometry. The cellular morphology of apoptosis was evaluated by Hoechst 33258 staining. The expressions of phosphorylated-Jak3 (p-Jak3), p-STAT3, and p-STAT5a following IL-2 stimulation were determined by western blot analysis. The Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay was used to detect the DNA binding activities of transcription factors STAT3 and STAT5. The study results showed that curcumol could inhibit the IL-2-induced Jurkat cell proliferation in a concentration- and time-dependent manner in vitro. Curcumol could cause cell cycle arrest at the S phase, induce cell apoptosis, and inhibit the expression of Bcl-2 in a dose-dependent manner. Curcumol at 50µg/mL and Jak3 inhibitor ZM39923 could inhibit the phosphorylation of Jak3 and STAT5a. In conclusion, the underlying mechanism of curcumol on suppressing CD4(+) T cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis might partly be mediated by inhibition of Jak3-STAT5-related molecular activities and Bcl-2 expression, respectively; further studies are required in vivo to test the use of curcumol as a promising therapeutic option for RA.

Role of α-lipoic acid in LPS/d-GalN induced fulminant hepatic failure in mice: studies on oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis.

This study investigated the protective effect of α-lipoic acid (LA) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/d-galactosamine (d-GalN)-induced fulminant hepatic failure in mice. First, we found that LA markedly reduced LPS/d-GalN-induced increases in serum ALT and AST activities, which were supplemented with histopathological examination, suggested that LA has a protective effect on this model of hepatic damage. Livers challenged with LPS/d-GalN exhibited extensive areas of vacuolization with the disappearance of nuclei and the loss of hepatic architecture. On the contrary, these pathological alterations were ameliorated by LA treatment. Next, we found that ROS and TBARS levels were increased in LPS/d-GalN treated liver homogenates, which were attenuated by LA administration. Consistently, decreases in hepatic CAT and GPx activities were observed in LPS/d-GalN group and were significantly restored by LA administration. Moreover, pretreatment with LA markedly reduced LPS/d-GalN-induced iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, NF-κB, IL-1ß and IL-6 expressions. Furthermore, our data showed that TUNEL-positive cells increased in LPS/d-GalN-treated mice liver which was counteracted by LA administration. LPS/d-GalN induced apoptosis of hepatocytes, as estimated by caspase 3, caspase 8 and caspase 9 activations. Also, the increasing of Bax and the decreasing of Bcl-2 expressions also supported LPS/d-GalN induced apoptosis. Interestingly, LA marked relieved these apoptotic features. Taking together, our results indicated that LA plays an important role on LPS/d-GalN-induced fulminant hepatic failure through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activities.

[Survey of acupuncture development in Ecuador].

Briefly introduce the development of acupuncture in Ecuador, including acupuncture development history for more than 20 years. In Ecuador, acupuncture department of public hospital and acupuncture clinic engage in clinic, and acupuncture has already been included in medical insurance. The acupuncture education mainly relys on training abroad, and only one university set up acupuncture subject at home. Local acupuncture management is non-standard, without high clinical level and short of regular and systematic acupuncture education system. However, Ecuador government pays important attention to development of acupuncture, and acupuncture is warmly welcomed by the folk, which can treat diseases in wide range in local area.

[Observation on therapeutic effect of fire needle therapy on facial spasm].

OBJECTIVE: To compare therapeutic effects of fire needle therapy and filiform needle therapy on facial spasm. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-seven cases of such disease were divided into two groups. The treatment group (n=79) were treated with fire needle therapy at Taiyang (EX-HN 5), Cuanzhu (BL 2) and Quanliao (SI 18), and the control group (n=48) with filiform needle therapy at the same acupoints as those in the treatment group. Their therapeutic effects were compared. RESULTS: The cured rate and the effective rate were 64.6% and 92.4% in the treatment group, and 45.8% and 87.5% in the control group, respectively, with a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Fire needle therapy is an effective therapy for facial spasm, with a therapeutic effect better than that of filiform needle therapy.