Effects of the pestle needle therapy, a type of acupoint stimulation, on post-hemorrhoidectomy pain: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Hemorrhoids are one of the most common conditions that lead to surgery, and until now surgical hemorrhoidectomy has been the major effective treatment. Post-operative pain from hemorrhoidectomy has been experienced by thousands of patients and remains a major inconvenience of the operation. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the clinical efficacy of the pestle needle therapy, an acupoint stimulation method, for relief of post-hemorrhoidectomy pain. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS: This was a single-center, patient-assessor-blinded and randomized controlled trial with 154 patients receiving Milligan hemorrhoidectomy surgery. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to either a treatment group or a control group at a ratio of 1:1. The treatment group received the pestle needle therapy, with manual stimulation at Yaoshu (DU2), Mingmen (DU4), Changqiang (DU1), Chengshan (BL57), Erbai (EX-UE2) and the perianal points (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11o'clock around the lesion); while the control group received a sham treatment with very light pressure. Three sessions of treatment were performed at 30 min, 4 h and 12 h after the surgery, and each lasted for 15 min. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was post-operative pain measured with the visual analogue scale (VAS) at 12 h after surgery. The secondary outcomes included the VAS scores measured at 0.5, 2, 4, 6, 8, 24 and 48 h after surgery, the analgesic dose, the time and the VAS score of the patients' first defecation after surgery, as well as the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAMA) evaluated before discharge. RESULTS: The mean pain score of the treatment group was significantly lower than that of the control group (3.10 ± 1.27 vs 4.82 ± 1.29; P < 0.001) at 12 h after surgery. Compared with the control group, patients in the treatment group needed a smaller dose of analgesic within the first 24 hours after surgery (P = 0.002); and their HAMA scores before discharge were lower (4.07 ± 2.40 vs 5.10 ± 2.45, P = 0.009). Compared to the treatment group, patients in the control group had a greater time to the first defecation after surgery ([52.34 ± 15.72] h vs [27.08 ± 13.68] h; P < 0.001), but there was no difference in their VAS scores at the first defecation (P = 0.092). CONCLUSION: The pestle needle therapy was effective for relieving pain, reducing anxiety and improving bowel function after hemorrhoidectomy, and it is worthy of clinical application.

Expression patterns of genes encoding plasma membrane aquaporins during fruit development in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.).

Aquaporins are membrane channels precisely regulating water movement through cell membranes in most living organisms. Despite the advances in the physiology of fruit development, their participation during fruit development in cucumber still barely understood. In this paper, the expressions of 12 genes encoding plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) were analyzed during cucumber fruit development in our work. Based on the homology search with known PIPs from rice, Arabidopsis and strawberry, 12 cucumber PIP genes subfamily members were identified. Cellular localization assays indicated that CsPIPs were localized in the plasma membrane. The qRT-PCR analysis of CsPIPs showed that 12 CsPIPs were differentially expressed during fruit development. These results suggest that 12 genes encoding plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (CsPIPs) play very important roles in cucumber life cycle and the data generated will be helpful in understanding their precise roles during fruit development in cucumber.

[Expression of B-glucosidase gene of Sacchromycopsis fibuligera in Pichia pastoris].

A beta-Glucosidase gene (BGL 1) was amplified with PCR from the total DNA of Sacchromycopsis fibuligera, and was linked with pGEM-T vector. After cut down by restriction enzyme from pGEM-T vector, BGL 1 was inserted into the expression vector pPIC9K of Pichia pastoris in reading frame with alpha-factor secreting signal peptide sequence to construct the recombinant plasmid pSHL9K. The recombinant plasmid pSHL9K was transformed into Pichia pastoris GS115 with electroporation. The recombinant Pichia pastoris strains which could efficiently secret recombinant beta-Glucosidase were selected. The optimum temperature of the recombinant beta-Glucosidase was 50degreesC, and the optimum pH was 5.4. The activity of beta-Glucosidase could reach to 47U/mL in the culture medium.

[Integrative expression of XynB of Aspergillus niger UV-11 in industrial yeast].

The cDNA sequence of beta-xylanase gene (xynB) was cloned from Aspergillus niger UV-11. It was inserted into the yeast expression vector and the recombinant plasmid pAX2 was obtained. The plasmid pAX2 was introduced into an industrial S. cerevisiae 2.346 and integrated into yeast genome by co-transformation of a YEPtype plasmid pBEJ16 carrying G418 resistance. The stable engineered yeast strain XY2 was obtained. It could express and secret extracellular xylanase, and enhance the alcohol production in wheat flour fermentation compared with the host strain S. cerevisiae 2.346.

[Phylogenetic diversity analyse of rumen bacteria using culture independent method].

Culture independent method was used to study the diversity of rumen bacteria. Molecular diversity of rumen bacteria was analyzed by PCR amplification and sequencing of 16S rDNA clone libraries prepared from the rumen content of Holstein cows. The total DNA directly extracted from rumen fluid was used as PCR template. Bacteria universal primer 27F and 1492R was used as primer. Random clones, containing almost full size 16S rDNA sequences (about 1.5 kb long), were sequenced and subjected to an on line similarity search. The 16S rDNA sequence analysis indicated that more than half of the sequences belonged to the not-yet-cultured groups. The 16S rDNA similarity levels with cultured species was less than 90%. The bacterial community structure was also revealed by phylogenetic tree of known sequences and selected sequence. In the library from the rumen fluid, the sequences were mainly affiliated with the following major phyla: low G + C Gram-positive bacteria, Cytophaga-Flexibacter-Bacteroides, and the remaining sequences were placed within not-yet-uncultured groups that had an uncertain affiliation. These several sequences are likely to represent novel taxonomic groupings. The nucleotide sequences have been submitted to the GenBank/EMBL /DDBJ databases under accession numbers AY986777-AY986791.

[Expression of endo-beta-mannanase gene from Trichoderma reesei in Pichia pastoris].

Complete mannanase gene with two introns was cloned from Trichoderrna reesei by PCR. The two introns were then removed by overlap extension PCR. The gene encoding the mature mannanase protein was inserted into the expression vector pPIC9K, downstream of a alpha-factor signal peptide sequence. The resultant recombinant vector was named pM242. After linearized with Sac I , pM242 was transformed to Pichia pastoris GS115 by electroporation. After screening, the recombinant strain Gpmf25 that expresses the secretory protein at high level was obtained. The activity of the recombinant mannanase reached 12.5 IU/mL. Optimum pH and temperature for the recombinant enzyme were 5.0 and 80 degrees C, respectively. The enzyme was stable at pH 5.0-6.0 and maintained over 50% of original activity after incubation at 70 degrees C for 30 min.

[Expression, purification and enzymatic characterization of Bacillus polymyxa beta-glucosidase gene( bglA ) in Escherichia coli].

The beta-glucosidase encoding gene bglA was cloned from Bacillus polymyxa 1.794. The bglA gene was inserted in expression vector pET28a(+) and transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), finally the recombinant strain BL1979 was obtained. Induced by IPTG, the expression P-glucosidase activity reached to 24.7 IU/mL. The optimum temperature and optimum pH of the recombinant expression P-glucosidase in BL1979 were 37 degrees C and 7.0 respectively,the purity can reach to 92.7%. Analysis of the fusion protein by nondenaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, we found the fusion protein exists in dimmer, tetramer,hexamer and octamer, they all have hydrolase activity.