[Acupuncture Reduces Acute Cerebral Ischemia by Suppressing Local and Peripheral Inflammation and Regulating Expression of Cerebral Protein Silent Information Regulator Factor 2-related Enzyme 1 and Nuclear Factor-κB in Rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture on the expression of silent information regulator factor 2-related enzyme 1 (SIRT 1) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in rats with acute cerebral ischemia (ACI), so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of ACI. METHODS: One hundred female SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: normal control (normal), sham-operation (sham), model, non-acupoint and acupoint, with 20 rats in each. The ACI model was established by occlusion (electric coagulation) of the middle cerebral artery after craniotomy. "Baihui" (GV 20) and "Shuigou" (GV 26) or non-acupoints were punctured with filiform needles which were retained for 30 min after rotating for 1 min. The treatment was conducted once after modeling and 24 h thereafter. The cerebral infarct volume was measured after 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. The contents of interleukin-1 ß (IL-1 ß), IL-6 and IL-8 in the serum and ischemic brain tissue were detected by radioimmunoassay, and the expression of protein SIRT 1 and NF-κB p 65 in the ischemic brain tissue was detected by immunoblotting. RESULTS: The brain infarction volume was obvious in the model group in comparison with the normal group (P<0.01), but was markedly reduced in the acupoint group relevant to the model group (P<0.05). The contents of IL-1 ß, IL-6 and IL-8 in the serum and ischemic brain tissues, and the expression level of cerebral NF-κB p 65 protein were significantly increased (P<0.01), and the expression of cerebral SIRT 1 was obviously decreased in the model group compared with the normal group (P<0.01). Following acupuncture intervention, the increased IL-1 ß, IL-6 and IL-8 contents and NF-κB p 65 expression were considerably down-regulated, and the decreased SIRT 1 expression was markedly up-regulated in the acupuncture acupoint group (P<0.05). No significant changes were found in the levels of all the indexes mentioned above between the normal and sham groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture intervention at acupoints can reduce the ischemic infarction volume in ACI rats, which may be associated with its effects in down-regulating the levels of IL-1 ß, IL-6 and IL-8 in the serum and ischemic brain tissue, and in regulating cerebral SIRT 1/NF-κB signaling.

Sarcoidosis in gastric cancer at the time of diagnosis: A case report.

Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic inflammatory disease that commonly affects the lungs and lymphatic system and is characterized by the formation of non-caseating granulomas. Although the association between sarcoidosis and malignant diseases has been well described, it remains controversial whether this association is merely a coincidence or the consequence of a common pathophysiological mechanism. The present study reports a rare case of sarcoidosis that was present in a patient with gastric cancer at the time of diagnosis. A 64-year-old female diagnosed with stage I gastric cancer underwent curative surgery, and the postoperative pathology of the lymph nodes revealed non-caseating granulomas. At the 4-year follow-up, the sarcoidosis remained stable, and no recurrence of cancer was identified. The present case revealed that sarcoidosis and gastric cancer may coexist simultaneously and focused on the potential advantages of histological confirmation in patients with cancer and sarcoidosis.

[Study on Trace Water Influence on Electrical Properties of Insulating Oil Based on the Mid-Infrared Spectrum Analysis].

Trace water has a significant impact on the electrical performances of the insulating oil, such as the dielectric loss factor, resistivity. So there is an important significance to investigate the influence of insulating oil by trace water, and monitor its operating status with effective measures. First, it is necessary to prepare the insulating oil samples with different water content and treat them 8 hours with ultrasonic oscillator, and observe microscopic images about the water-oil mixtures in order to study their relative uniformity and stable time, in the way it can be concluded that the relative uniformity can be kept favorable during the 25 min stable time for free water and emulsification water in oil; Based on this conclusion, the dielectric loss factor, resistivity were tested and the electrical performances of insulating oil with different water content in oil can obtained by analyzing these data; Then, the absorbance value of the different water content in oil at the spectral wave number of 1 640, 3 400, 3 450, 3 615 cm(-1), with the mid-infrared spectral scanning and analyzing to the different water content in oil, Therefore, combined the water absorbance values by the mid-infrared spectral scanning and analyzing with the experimental data of dielectric loss factor value, resistivity value of oil samples. The results shows that the absorbance value of the different water content in oil has a significant difference at the spectral wave number of 1 640, 3 400, 3450, 3 615 cm(-1), their correlation coefficient are 0.964 1, 0.984 8, 0.984 5, 0.944 0 between the absorbance value and water content at the spectral wave number of 1 640, 3 400, 3 450, 3 615 cm(-1), it can be obtained that the absorbance value of sample of moisture in the corresponding characteristic wave number can better reflect the change trend of water content; there is the highly relative of water absorbance values at the spectral wave number of 3 400 and 3 450 cm(-1) with the trends of oil dielectric loss factor values, their correlation coefficient are 0.860 6, 0.863 6; and relative of water absorbance values at the spectral wave number of 1 640 and 3 615 cm(-1) with the trends of oil resistivity values, their correlation coefficient is -0.931 5 and -0.968 0, this result can be lay the foundation research for monitoring the trace water in oil.

Regulation of the growth of cotton bollworms by metabolites from an entomopathogenic fungus Paecilomyces cateniobliquus.

Chemical investigation of one entomopathogenic fungus Paecilomyces cateniobliquus YMF1.01799 led to the isolation and identification of six metabolites, which include three new compounds (2-3, and 5) and three known metabolites. Their structures were established by spectroscopic studies such as 1D and 2D NMR and MS analysis. Insect growth experiments suggested that polyketide-derived compound 1 showed significant inhibitory effect on the growth of cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera, while terpenoid-derived metabolite 5 promoted the growth of the larvae. The findings revealed that the entomopathogenic fungus P. cateniobliquus could produce different types of metabolites to regulate growth of the insect.

Expression of COX-2 and Bcl-2 in primary fallopian tube carcinoma: correlations with clinicopathologic features.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of COX-2 and Bcl-2 in primary fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC), as well as their correlations with clinicopathologic features. We studied a cohort of 33 patients with a pathological diagnosis of PFTC. Thirty normal tubal tissues used for controls were obtained from patients diagnosed with uterine myomas. Expression analysis for COX-2 and Bcl-2 was performed using the immunohistochemical technique. The rate of preoperative diagnosis was 18.2%. With a median survival of 61.0 months (95% CI: 43.2 to 78.8 months), the estimated five-year overall survival rate in the 33 patients was 39.0%. Increased expression of COX-2 and Bcl-2 was observed in tumor specimens compared to normal controls (p = 0.026; p = 0.003). The expression rate of COX-2 in node-positive tumors was significantly higher than that of node-negative tumors (p = 0.024). Moreover, the expression rate of COX-2 was statistically significantly higher in patients with infiltration through the serosa (p = 0.019). Positive significant associations were observed between Bcl-2 staining index and FIGO stage (p = 0.015), and between Bcl-2 staining and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.010). There was a significant correlation between COX-2 expression and Bcl-2 staining index (r = 0.517, p = 0.002). We conclude that COX-2 and Bcl-2 may potentially be useful prognostic markers for PFTC. The exact molecular mechanism for correlations between COX-2 and Bcl-2 remains to be elucidated.

Isolation of talathermophilins from the thermophilic fungus Talaromyces thermophilus YM3-4.

Six indole alkaloids with various levels of prenylation were isolated from the thermophilic fungus Talaromyces thermophilus strain YM3-4. Their structures were identified by NMR and MS spectroscopic analyses. Compounds 1 and 2 are new analogues of the key versatile precursor notoamide E. Compound 3 is a novel analogue of preechinulin, and compound 4 was reported as a natural occurring cyclo(glycyltryptophyl) for the first time. The metabolite profile of this thermophilic organism displayed a biosynthetic pathway for talathermophilins.

[Effect of shRNA-mediated survivin gene silencing on apoptosis and proliferation of leukemia cell line].

OBJECTIVE: To transfect a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) against survivin gene into human T lymphoblastic leukemia cell line Jurkat, and to explore the effects on apoptosis and proliferation of transfected cells. METHODS: The survivin-shRNA expression vector were constructed and transfected into Jurkat cells. Expression of survivin mRNA and protein were assessed by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis respectively. Apoptosis index of transfected Jurkat cells was quantified by flow cytometry. The potential of cell proliferation was described by cell growth curves. RESULTS: In survivin-shRNA transfected Jurkat cells, survivin mRNA levels were significantly reduced by 66.67% ( transient transfection) and 60.69% ( stable transfection) respectively, compared with that in control-shRNA treated group and PBS treated group (P < 0.05); and the levels of survivin protein were significantly reduced by 63.41% (transient transfection) and 60.18% (stable transfection), compared with that in the two control groups (P < 0.05). Apoptosis index was significantly increased during both transient and stable transfection, respectively [(22. 41 +/- 2.83)% and (20.73 +/- 2.56)% (P < 0.05)]. Survivin-shRNA also inhibited the proliferation of Jurkat cells. CONCLUSIONS: Vector-based survivin-shRNA can effectively reduce the expression of survivin gene, induce apoptosis

Knockdown of survivin gene by vector-based short hairpin RNA technique induces apoptosis and growth inhibition in Burkitt's lymphoma Raji cell line.

Survivin is the smallest member of mammalian IAP (inhibitor of apoptosis) family. It is ubiquitous during embryonic development but is not expressed in normal post-natal tissues, except the thymus, colonic epithelial cells and CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells. However, its expression is upregulated during neoplastic transformation in both solid organ and hematological malignancies, including leukemia and lymphoma. In this study, we used RNA interference with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) technique to inhibit survivin expression in a Burkitt's lymphoma cell line Raji and validated its effects on apoptosis and cell proliferation. A survivin-shRNA expression vector were constructed and introduced into Raji cells. Expression of survivin mRNA and protein was assessed by RT-PCR and western blot analysis. Apoptosis index of transfected cells was quantified by flow cytometry and cell proliferation was enumerated by trypan blue exclusion. In Raji cells treated with survivin-shRNA expression vector, survivin mRNA levels were significantly reduced by 67.14% (transient transfection) and 64.28% (stable transfection) respectively, compared with control-shRNA treated group and PBS treated group (p<0.05). The levels of survivin protein were significantly reduced by 62.50% (transient transfection) and 60.93% (stable transfection), compared with the two control groups (p<0.05). Apoptosis index was significantly increased during transient transfection and stable transfection, respectively 31.20+/-2.45% and 29.40+/-1.72% (p<0.05). Survivin-shRNA inhibited the proliferation of Raji cells of stable transfection. In conclusion, the vector-based survivin-shRNA can effectively reduce the expression of survivin gene and induce apoptosis and growth inhibition of transfected Raji cells. We suggest that survivin can be regarded as an ideal target for new anticancer intervention of NHL.