Hypoxic acclimatization training improves the resistance to motion sickness.

Objective: Vestibular provocation is one of the main causes of flight illusions, and its occurrence is closely related to the susceptibility of motion sickness (MS). However, existing training programs have limited effect in improving the resistance to motion sickness. In this study, we investigated the effects of hypoxia acclimatization training (HAT) on the resistance to motion sickness. Methods: Healthy military college students were identified as subjects according to the criteria. MS model was induced by a rotary chair. Experimental groups included control, HAT, 3D roller training (3DRT), and combined training. Results: The Graybiel scores were decreased in the HAT group and the 3DRT group and further decreased in the combined training group in MS induced by the rotary chair. Participants had a significant increase in blood pressure after the rotary chair test and a significant increase in the heart rate during the rotary chair test, but these changes disappeared in all three training groups. Additionally, LFn was increased, HFn was decreased, and LF/HF was increased accordingly during the rotary chair test in the control group, but the changes of these three parameters were completely opposite in the three training groups during the rotary chair test. Compared with the control group, the decreasing changes in pupillary contraction velocity (PCV) and pupillary minimum diameter (PMD) of the three training groups were smaller. In particular, the binocular PCV changes were further attenuated in the combined training group. Conclusion: Our research provides a possible candidate solution for training military pilots in the resistance to motion sickness.

Notch signaling regulates vessel structure and function via Hspg2.

The abnormal structure of tumor blood vessels is an important reason for the low efficacy of anti-tumor drugs. Notch signaling is an evolutionarily highly conserved signaling pathway that plays an important role in vessel development. However, the role and mechanism of Notch signaling in the formation of vascular structure is not fully understood. In this study, we demonstrated that blocking Notch signaling in endothelial cells (ECs) leads to obstructed tumor blood vessel basement membrane formation and the reduction of blood perfusion, as well as blood-retinal barrier (BRB) and blood-brain barrier (BBB) destruction in healthy mice. Endothelial Notch overactivation exacerbates the increases in tumor blood vessel basement membrane and blood perfusion ratio, and promotes recruitment of retinal vascular smooth muscle cells in neonatal mice. Notch signaling also regulates the formation of adhesion junctions (AJs) in ECs. In addition, we confirmed that Notch signaling regulates the AJs of ECs by regulating the expression of downstream gene Hspg2. This research is of great theoretical and practical significance for understanding the mechanism of tumor vascular structure formation as well as the search for new targets for vascular-targeted therapy.

Intermittent short-duration reoxygenation protects against simulated high altitude-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats.

High-altitude pulmonary hypertension (HAPH) is a severe and progressive disease caused by chronic hypoxia and subsequent pulmonary vascular remodeling. No cure is currently available owing to an incomplete understanding about vascular remodeling. It is believed that hypoxia-induced diseases can be prevented by treating hypoxia. Thus, this study aimed to determine whether daily short-duration reoxygenation at sea level attenuates pulmonary hypertension under high-altitude hypoxia. To this end, a simulated 5000-m hypoxia rat model and hypoxic cultured human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells were used to evaluate the effect of short-duration reoxygenation. Results show that intermittent, not continuous, short-duration reoxygenation effectively attenuates hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension. The mechanisms underlining the protective effects involved that intermittent, short-duration reoxygenation prevented functional and structural remodeling of pulmonary arteries and proliferation, migration, and phenotypic conversion of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells under hypoxia. The specific genes or potential molecular pathways responsible for mediating the protective effects were also characterised by RNA sequencing. Further, the frequency and the total time of intermittent reoxygenation affected its preventive effect of HAPH, which was likely attributable to augmented oxidative stress. Hence, daily intermittent, not continuous, short-duration reoxygenation partially prevented pulmonary hypertension induced by 5000-m hypoxia in rats. This study is novel in revealing a new potential method in preventing HAPH. It gives insights into the selection and optimisation of oxygen supply schemes in high-altitude areas.

Identification of differential gene expression profile from peripheral blood cells of military pilots with hypertension by RNA sequencing analysis.

BACKGROUND: Elevated blood pressure is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is also an important factor in global mortality. Military pilots are at high risk of cardiovascular disease because they undergo persistent noise, high mental tension, high altitude hypoxia, high acceleration and high calorie diet. Hypertension is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease in military pilots. In this study, we want to identify key genes from peripheral blood cells of military pilots with hypertension. Identification of these genes may help diagnose and control hypertension and extend flight career for military pilots. METHODS: We use RNA sequencing technology, bioinformatics analysis and Western blotting to identify key genes from peripheral blood cells of military pilots with hypertension. RESULTS: Our study detected 121 up-regulated genes and 623 down-regulated genes in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from hypertensive military pilots. We have also identified 8 important genes (NME4, PNPLA7, GGT5, PTGS2, IGF1R, NT5C2, ENTPD1 and PTEN), a number of gene ontology categories and biological pathways that may be associated with military pilot hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Our study may provide effective means for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hypertension for military pilot and extend their flight career.

Scorpion inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most malignant diseases worldwide. The unfavorable clinical outcome and poor prognosis are due to high rates of recurrence and metastasis after treatments. Some scholars of traditional Chinese medicine suggested that endogenous wind-evil had played an important role in metastasis of malignant tumor. Therefore, the drug of dispelling wind-evil could be used to prevent cancer metastasis and improve the poor prognosis. So we wondered whether Scorpion, one of the most important wind calming drugs, has antitumor effect especially in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis of HCC in this research. We found that Scorpion-medicated serum could inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis, and decrease migration and invasion capacity of Hepa1-6 cells in vitro. Meanwhile, we observed that water decoction of Scorpion restrained tumor growth and metastasis in nude mouse of HCC metastasis models. Further experiments showed that Scorpion could suppress EMT, which is characterized by increased epithelial marker E-cadherin expression and decreased mesenchymal markers N-cadherin and Snail expression following Scorpion treatment both in vitro and in vivo. These results suggested that the Scorpion could inhibit Hepa1-6 cells' invasion and metastasis in part by reversing EMT and providing a possible potential approach for preventing HCC metastasis. Impact statement The unfavorable clinical outcome and poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are due to high rates of recurrence and metastasis after treatments. Here we found Scorpion, one of the most important wind calming drugs, has antitumor effect. Scorpion-medicated serum inhibited the proliferation, induced apoptosis, and decreased migration and invasion capacity of Hepa1-6 cells in vitro. Water decoction of Scorpion restrained tumor growth and metastasis in nude mouse of HCC metastasis models. Further experiments showed that Scorpion could suppress EMT of HCC both in vitro and in vivo. Our results suggested that the Scorpion could inhibit Hepa1-6 cells' invasion and metastasis in part by reversing EMT and providing a possible potential approach for preventing HCC metastasis.

The Traditional Chinese Medicine and Relevant Treatment for the Efficacy and Safety of Atopic Dermatitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) has become a common skin disease that requires systematic and comprehensive treatment to achieve adequate clinical control. Traditional Chinese medicines and related treatments have shown clinical effects for AD in many studies. But the systematic reviews and meta-analyses for them are lacking. OBJECTIVE: The systematic review and meta-analysis based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement were conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicines and related treatments for AD treatment. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched based on standardized searching rules in eight medical databases from the inception up to December 2016 and a total of 24 articles with 1,618 patients were enrolled in this meta-analysis. RESULTS: The results revealed that traditional Chinese medicines and related treatments did not show statistical differences in clinical effectiveness, SCORAD amelioration, and SSRI amelioration for AD treatment compared with control group. However, EASI amelioration of traditional Chinese medicines and related treatments for AD was superior to control group. CONCLUSION: We need to make conclusion cautiously for the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine and related treatment on AD therapy. More standard, multicenter, double-blind randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of traditional Chinese medicine and related treatment for AD were required to be conducted for more clinical evidences providing in the future.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of traditional insect Chinese medicines combined chemotherapy for non-surgical hepatocellular carcinoma therapy.

On the background of high morbidity and mortality of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and rapid development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement to assess the clinical effectiveness and safety of traditional insect Chinese medicine and related preparation for non-surgical HCC. RCTs were searched based on standardized searching rules in mainstream medical databases from the inception up to May 2016. Ultimately, a total of 57 articles with 4,651 patients enrolled in this meta-analysis. We found that traditional insect Chinese medicine and related preparation combined chemotherapy show significantly effectiveness and safety in objective response rate (P < 0.001), survival time extension [12 months (P < 0.001); 18 months (P < 0.001); 24 months (P < 0.001); 36 months (P < 0.001)], amelioration for life quality [QoL scores improvement (P < 0.001); KPS improvement (P < 0.001); AFP improvement (P < 0.001)] and reduction of therapeutic toxicity [WBC decrease (P = 0.04); gastrointestinal adverse reactions (P < 0.001)]. In conclusion, traditional insect Chinese medicine and related preparations could be recommended as auxiliary therapy combined chemotherapy for HCC therapy.