Tenuifolin improves learning and memory by regulating long-term potentiation and dendritic structure of hippocampal CA1 area in healthy female mice but not male mice.

Polygala tenuifolia Wild is an ancient traditional Chinese medicine. Its main component, tenuifolin (TEN), has been proven to improve cognitive impairment caused by neurodegenerative diseases and ovariectomy. However, there was hardly any pharmacological research about TEN and its potential gender differences. Considering the reduction of TEN on learning and memory dysfunction in ovariectomized animals, therefore, we focused on the impact of TEN in different mice genders in the current study. Spontaneous alternation behavior (SAB), light-dark discrimination, and Morris water maze (MWM) tests were used to evaluate the mice's learning and memory abilities. The field excitatory postsynaptic potential (fEPSP) of the hippocampal CA1 region was recorded using an electrophysiological method, and the morphology of the dendritic structure was examined using Golgi staining. In the behavioral experiments, TEN improved the correct rate in female mice in the SAB test, the correct rate in the light-dark discrimination test, and the number of crossing platforms in the MWM test. Additionally, TEN reduced the latency of female mice rather than male mice in light-dark discrimination and MWM tests. Moreover, TEN could significantly increase the slope of fEPSP in hippocampal Schaffer-CA1 and enhance the total length and the number of intersections of dendrites in the hippocampal CA1 area in female mice but not in male mice. Collectively, the results of the current study showed that TEN improved learning and memory by regulating long-term potentiation (LTP) and dendritic structure of hippocampal CA1 area in female mice but not in males. These findings would help to explore the improvement mechanism of TEN on cognition and expand the knowledge of the potential therapeutic value of TEN in the treatment of cognitive impairment.

Abnormal Antennal Olfactory Sensilla Phenotypes Involved in Olfactory Deficit in Bactrocera correcta (Diptera: Tephritidae).

The guava fruit fly, Bactrocera correcta, is one of the most destructive pests in the genus Bactrocera and detects environmental odorants mainly through antennal olfactory sensilla phenotypes with nanopores. However, it is unclear whether there are naturally occurring abnormal antennal olfactory sensilla phenotypes that affect olfaction. Here, we found that there were abnormal bulges besides nanopores on the surface of trichoid and basiconic olfactory sensilla in the antennal flagellum of long-term laboratory rearing colony (LTC), and that nanopore number in these olfactory sensilla was also remarkably reduced. Notably, the electroantennogram (EAG) responses of LTC insects to methyl eugenol or ß-caryophyllene were inhibited, and their behavioral responses elicited by the same odorants were also impaired. These results revealed naturally occurring abnormal antennal olfactory sensilla phenotypes which were involved in olfactory deficit in B. correcta, providing a platform to further study nanopore-targeted pest control technologies in the future.

[Moxibustion therapy is superior to manual acupuncture in the treatment of perimenopausal insomnia: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effect of manual acupuncture and moxibustion therapies in the treatment of perimenopausal insomnia (PMI). METHODS: A total of 60 outpatients with PMI were randomly and equally divided into an acupuncture group (29 cases) and a moxibustion group (28 cases). Acupoints Zhongwan (CV12), Xiawan (CV10), Qihai (CV6) and Guanyuan (CV4) were employed in these two groups. For acupuncture group, filiform needles were inserted slowly into these acupoints and twirled mildly for a while, and then retained for 30 min. When moxibustion performed, the ignited moxa-cone was applied to the same 4 acupoints, with 7 cones for each acupoint. The treatment was conducted once daily for 10 consecutive days, suspended for 2 days, then another 10 days' treatment followed. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scale (7 items: subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, duration of sleep, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, use of sleeping medications, and daytime dysfunction, 0－3 points per item, 0－21 points in total) was used to evaluate the patient's sleep quality. The clinical therapeutic effect was also assessed according to the sleep rate (＝sleep duration/total duration from spin-in to wake-up×100%). The contents of serum follicular stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (E2) and luteinizing hormone (LH) were detected using radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: After treatment, the total score of PSQI and the score of each item were all significantly reduced in the two groups relevant to their own pre-treatment (P<0.01). The scores of sleep latency, sleep disturbance and daytime dysfunction were comparable between the two groups (P>0.05), but the total score, and scores of sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and use of sleeping medication were significantly lower in the moxibustion group than in the acupuncture group (P<0.05). Of the 29 and 28 cases in the acupuncture and moxibustion groups, 6 (20.69%) and 11 (39.29%) were cured, 7 (24.14%) and 9 (32.14%) experienced marked improvement, 9(31.03%) and 5 (17.86%) were effective, and 7(24.14%) and 3 (10.71%) ineffective, with the total effective rate being 75.86% and 89.29%, respectively. The therapeutic effect of moxibustion was obviously superior to that of acupuncture treatment (P<0.05). After the treatment, the levels of serum FSH and LH were significantly decreased (P<0.01), and that of E2 was significantly increased in both groups (P<0.01). The levels of FSH and E2 in the moxibustion group were obviously improved than those of the acupuncture group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Both acupuncture and moxibustion can relieve the sleep quality of patients with PMI, which may be associated with their effect in regulating serum hormone levels. The therapeutic effect of moxibustion is superior to that of acupuncture.

[Effect on chronic urticaria and serum IL-4 and IgE in the patients treated with moving cupping therapy and autohemotherapy with acupoint inection].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical efficacy and effect mechanism on chronic urticaria treated with moving cupping therapy combined with autohemotherapy with acupaint injection for desensitization at acupoints. METHODS: One hundred and four patients of chronic urticaria were randomized into a comprehensive therapy group and a medication group, 52 cases in each one. In the comprehensive therapy group, the moving cupping therapy along the governor vessel and bladder meridian of foot-taiyang was applied combined with autohemotherapy with acupaint injection for desensitization at acupoints. The self-venous blood was injected at bilateral Quchi (LI 11) and Zusanli (ST 36), 1 mL at each acupoint, once every 3 days. In the medication group, cetirizine tablets, 10 mg were prescribed for oral administration, once every day, and the compound dexamethasone acetate cream was used externally, once to twice a day. The clinical efficacy: was observed in 30 days of treatment in the two groups. The changes of serum interleukin 4 (IL-4) and immunoglobulin E (Ig E) before and after treatment were observed. The recurrence rate was compared between the two groups in 3 months after treatment. RESULTS: The cured and markedly effective rate was 90.4% (47/52) in the comprehensive therapy group, which was higher obviously than 78.8% (41/52, P < 0.05) in the medication group. The levels of serum IL-4 and IgE were reduced in the patients of the two groups, indicating the significant difference in comparison before and after treatment (all P < 0.01) and the reducing degree in the comprehensive therapy group was much more significant than that in the medicine group (both P < 0.01). The recurrence rate was 19. 1% (9/47) in the comprehensive therapy group in the 3-month follow-up after treatment, and apparently lower than 51.2% (21/41, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The moving cupping therapy combined with autohemotherapy with acupaint injection for desensitization at acupoints achieves the better efficacy on chronic urticaria compared with the routine western medicine treatment and the recurrence rate is low. The effect mechanism is possibly related to the down-regulation of serum IL-4 and IgE in the patients.

[The role of adhesion molecules in the pathogenic mechanisms of hypertension in obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the role of adhesion molecules in the pathogenesis of hypertension in obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). METHODS: The levels of serum soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and L-selectin in 30 OSAHS patients accompanied by hypertension, 30 normotensive OSAHS patients and 30 healthy controls were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. The relationship of the concentration of ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and L-selectin with the polysomnogram (PSG) parameters was analyzed. RESULTS: The levels of serum soluble ICAM-1 [(601 +/- 406) microg/L, (513 +/- 244) microg/L, respectively] and VCAM-1 [(578 +/- 176) microg/L, (480 +/- 144) microg/L, respectively] were significantly higher in OSAHS accompanied by hypertension and normotensive OSAHS than those in the healthy controls [(355 +/- 119) microg/L, (310 +/- 163) microg/L, q = 4.78, 3.07; 9.09, 5.76, P < 0.01, respectively]. But the levels of serum L-selectin was not significantly different among the three groups (P > 0.05). The levels of serum VCAM-1 were significantly higher in OSAHS accompanied by hypertension than those in the normotensive OSAHS (q = 3.32, P < 0.05). The was not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05). There was a significantly positive correlation between the concentration of ICAM-1 and the apnea hyponea index (AHI) as well as microarousal index in all the 60 OSAHS patients with and without hypertension (r = 0.465, P < 0.01, r = 0.226, P < 0.05). There was a significantly negative correlation between the concentration of ICAM-1 and the lowest oxygen desaturation in all the 60 OSAHS patients with and without hypertension (r = -0.368, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The high level of serum VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 is an important risk factor for the development of hypertension in OSAHS patients.