Isoflurane preconditioning effects on brain damage induced by electromagnetic pulse radiation through epigenetic modification of BDNF gene transcription.

BACKGROUND: The effects of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) radiation on cognitive impairment have attracted much attention, but the mechanism is still unclear. Regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene expression has been found to promote memory formation and neuronal survival. Isoflurane preconditioning (IP) was reported to have a neuroprotective effect. In this study, we verified the protective effect of IP against brain injury induced by EMP exposure and examined the relation of this effect with BDNF gene regulation. METHODS: Twenty-four hours before EMP exposure, rats were pretreated with 2% inhaled isoflurane for 30 minutes. At 24 hours after EMP injury, the Morris water maze test was carried out. Meanwhile, the other rats were executed and their brain tissues were used for Nissl staining, qRT-PCR, western blot and chromatin immunoprecipitation. RESULTS: The Morris water maze results showed that 2% IP improved the spatial learning and memory ability of the rats. The Nissl staining results showed 2% of IP alleviated neuronal damage. Also, we detected the mRNA and protein expression of BDNF, and 2% IP significantly increased the expression of BDNF. We also found the expression level of histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) was increased and that EMP exposure significantly decreased H3 acetylation, while 2% IP reversed these phenomena, individually, BDNF transcription was activated, and neurogenesis after EMP exposure was alleviated. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that 2% of IP alleviates cognitive impairment induced by EMP exposure in rats. Also, the sustained elevated level of BDNF gene transcription may be an essential mechanism for stimulating neurogenesis because of the increased level of HDAC2-dependent H3 acetylation.

Efficacy study of edaravone and acetylcysteine towards bleomycin-induced rat pulmonary fibrosis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the interventional effects of Edaravone (EDA) and Acetylcysteine (NAC) towards the Bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis. 48 Wistar rats were divided into the control group, the BLM group, the hormone group, the EDA group, the NAC group and the combination group. After performing the BLM intratracheal injection to prepare the pulmonary fibrosis model, the rats were administrated EDA, dexamethasone (DEX), NAC and EDA+NAC combined intervention, the lung HRCT examination was performed on the 7(th), 21(st) and 31(st) day. On the 31(st) day, the rats were killed for the detection of serum malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) contents; the lung tissues were performed the HE and Masson staining and determined the hydroxyproline content. The rats of the intervention group exhibited mild hypoxic phenomenon, with less ground-glass shadow and consolidated shadow than the BLM group, the MDA content decreased while the SOD content increased, and the degrees of alveolar inflammatory cell infiltration and fibrosis were low. The results of the EDA group and the NAC group were similar, and those of the combination group were better. EDA could inhibit the BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis through adjusting the oxidant/antioxidant imbalance, with the effect similar to NAC, and the combined application of these 2 drugs were much more effective.

miR-15a and miR-16-1 downregulate CCND1 and induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma, the most common primary tumor of the bones, causes many deaths due to its rapid proliferation and drug resistance. Recent studies have shown that cyclin D1 plays a key regulatory role during cell proliferation, and non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) act as crucial modulators of cyclin D1 (CCND1). The aim of the current study was to determine the role of miRNAs in controlling CCND1 expression and inducing cell apoptosis. CCND1 has been found to be a target of miR-15a and miR-16-1 through analysis of complementary sequences between microRNAs and CCND1 mRNA. The upregulation of miR-15a and miR-16-1 in the cell line SOSP-9607 induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Osteosarcoma cells transfected with miR-15a and miR-16-1 show slower proliferation curves. Moreover, the transcription of CCND1 is suppressed by miR-15a and miR-16-1 via direct binding to the CCND1 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR). The data presented here demonstrate that the CCND1 contributes to osteosarcoma cell proliferation, suggesting that repression of CCND1 by miR-15a and miR-16-1 could be used for osteosarcoma therapy.

[Multicentral randomized controlled clinical trials about treatment of perimenopausal syndrome with electroacupuncture of sanyinjiao (SP 6)].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) of Sanyinjiao (SP 6) on perimenopausal syndrome (PMS). METHODS: Multicentral randomized controlled trials and single blind test were adopted in the present study. A total of 157 PMS patients were randomly divided into EA group (n=81) and medication group (n=76) . EA (2/100 Hz, 8-10 mA) was applied to bilateral Sanyinjiao (SP 6), 3 times a week and for 3 months (mon). Patients of medication group were treated by oral administration of nylestriol, 2 mg/time, twice a mon for 3 mon. For PMS patients, medroxyprogesterone (6 mg/d, for 10 days) was added from the third mon on after the treatment. The therapeutic effect was evaluated by using "symptoms-signs score scale", and changes of serum estradiol (E2), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteotrophic hormone (LH) were detected by chemiluminescence immune assay. Kupperman index was determined before and after the treatment. RESULTS: In comparison with pre-treatment, Kupperman index of EA group decreased significantly (P < 0.01). After the treatment, contents of serum FSH and LH of EA group decreased significantly (P < 0.01), while serum E2 contents of EA and medication groups increased significantly (P < 0. 01). Serum LH and E2 levels of EA group were significantly lower than those of medication group (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found between two groups in Kupperman index, markedly-effective rates and total effective rates (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: EA of Sanyinjiao (SP 6) is able to regulate serum E2, FSH and LH levels and effectively improve perimenopausal syndrome.

[Clinical observation on therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture at Sanyinjiao (SP 6) on peri-menopausal syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To objectively evaluate the effectiveness and safety of electroacupuncture (EA) at Sanyinjiao (SP 6) for treatment of peri-menopausal syndrome. METHODS: All the patients enrolled were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group. The treatment group were treated with EA at Sanyinjiao (SP 6) for 3 therapeutic courses, thrice each week, 30 min each time, one month constituting one course. The control group were treated with oral administration of nylestriol for 3 months, 2 mg each time, twice each month. For the menopausal patient, medroxyprogesterone was added from the third month of the treatment for 7 days, 6 mg each day. Changes of vasomotorial symptoms, mental symptoms and scores of Kupperman indexes before and after treatment for 1 month, 2 months and 3 months were investigated. RESULTS: EA could significantly decrease the score of Kupperman indexes, improve vasomotorial symptoms and mental symptoms in the patient of peri-menopausal syndrome with no severe adverse effects. The control group in the score of Kupperman indexes was slightly higher than the treatment group with no significant difference between the two groups, but the treatment group in improvement of the vasomotorial symptoms was better than the control group and in improvement of mental symptoms was not as good as the control group. CONCLUSION: EA at Sanyinjiao (SP 6) is effective and safe for treatment of peri-menopausal syndrome.