How hetero-single-atom dispersion reconstructed electronic structure of carbon materials and regulated Fenton-like oxidation pathways.

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have emerged as competitive candidates for Fenton-like oxidation of micro-pollutants in water. However, the impact of metal insertion on the intrinsic catalytic activity of carrier materials has been commonly overlooked, and the environmental risk due to metal leaching still requires attention. In contrast to previous reports, where metal sites were conventionally considered as catalytic centers, our study investigates, for the first time, the crucial catalytic role of the carbon carrier modulated through hetero-single-atom dispersion and the regulation of Fenton-like oxidation pathways. The inherent differences in electronic properties between Fe and Co can effectively trigger long-range electron rearrangement in the sp2-carbon-conjugated structure, creating more electron-rich regions for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) complexation and initiating the electron transfer process (ETP) for pollutant degradation, which imparts the synthesized catalyst (FeCo-NCB) with exceptional catalytic efficiency despite its relatively low metal content. Moreover, the FeCo-NCB/PMS system exhibits enduring decontamination efficiency in complex water matrices, satisfactory catalytic stability, and low metal leaching, signifying promising practical applications. More impressively, the spatial relationship between metal sites and electron density clouds is revealed to determine whether high-valent metal-oxo species (HVMO) are involved during the decomposition of surface complexes. Unlike single-type single-atom dispersion, where metal sites are situated within electron-rich regions, hetero-single-atom dispersion can cause the deviation of electron density clouds from the metal sites, thus hindering the in-situ oxidation of metal within the complexes and minimizing the contribution of HVMO. These findings provide new insights into the development of carbon-based SACs and advance the understanding of nonradical mechanisms underpinning Fenton-like treatments.

Enhanced Oxidation of Organic Compounds by the Ferrihydrite-Ferrate System: The Role of Intramolecular Electron Transfer and Intermediate Iron Species.

Previous studies mostly held that the oxidation capacity of ferrate depends on the involvement of intermediate iron species (i.e., FeIV/FeV), however, the potential role of the metastable complex was disregarded in ferrate-based heterogeneous catalytic oxidation processes. Herein, we reported a complexation-mediated electron transfer mechanism in the ferrihydrite-ferrate system toward sulfamethoxazole (SMX) degradation. A synergy between intermediate FeIV/FeV oxidation and the intramolecular electron transfer step was proposed. Specifically, the conversion of phenyl methyl sulfoxide (PMSO) to methyl phenyl sulfone (PMSO2) suggested that FeIV/FeV was involved in the oxidation of SMX. Moreover, based on the in situ Raman test and chronopotentiometry analysis, the formation of the metastable complex of ferrihydrite/ferrate was found, which possesses higher oxidation potential than free ferrate and could achieve the preliminary oxidation of organics via the electron transfer step. In addition, the amino group of SMX could complex with ferrate, and the resulting metastable complex of ferrihydrite/ferrate would combine further with SMX molecules, leading to intramolecular electron transfer and SMX degradation. The ferrate loss experiments suggested that ferrihydrite could accelerate the decomposition of ferrate. Finally, the effects of pH value, anions, humic acid, and actual water on the degradation of SMX by ferrihydrite-ferrate were also revealed. Overall, ferrihydrite demonstrated high catalytic capacity, good reusability, and nontoxic performance for ferrate activation. The ferrihydrite-ferrate process may be a green and promising method for organic removal in wastewater treatment.

Light and nitrogen vacancy-intensified nonradical oxidation of organic contaminant with Mn (III) doped carbon nitride in peroxymonosulfate activation.

Recently, Mn-based materials have a great potential for selective removal of organic contaminants with the assistance of oxidants (PMS, H2O2) and the direct oxidation. However, the rapid oxidation of organic pollutants by Mn-based materials in PMS activation still presents a challenge due to the lower conversion of surface Mn (III)/Mn (IV) and higher reactive energy barrier for reactive intermediates. Here, we constructed Mn (III) and nitrogen vacancies (Nv) modified graphite carbon nitride (MNCN) to break these aforementioned limitations. Through analysis of in-situ spectra and various experiments, a novel mechanism of light-assistance non-radical reaction is clearly elucidated in MNCN/PMS-Light system. Adequate results indicate that Mn (III) only provide a few electrons to decompose Mn (III)-PMS* complex under light irradiation. Thus, the lacking electrons necessarily are supplied from BPA, resulting in its greater removal, then the decomposition of the Mn (III)-PMS* complex and light synergism form the surface Mn (IV) species. Above Mn-PMS complex and surface Mn (IV) species lead to the BPA oxidation in MNCN/PMS-Light system without the involvement of sulfate (SO4• ̶) and hydroxyl radicals (•OH). The study provides a new understanding for accelerating non-radical reaction in light/PMS system for the selective removal of contaminant.

Insight into Chinese medicine residue biochar combined with ultrasound for persulfate activation in atrazine degradation: Acanthopanax senticosus precursors, synergistic effects and toxicity assessment.

The synergistic activation of persulfate by multiple factors could degrade pollutants more efficiently. However, the co-activation method based on metal ions has the risk of leakage. The non-metallic coupling method could achieve the same efficiency as the metal activation and meanwhile release environmental stress. In this study, the original biochar (BC) was prepared through using Chinese medicinal residue of Acanthopanax senticosus as the precursor. Compared with other biochar, the pore size structure was higher and toxicity risk was lower. The ultrasonic (US)/Acanthopanax senticosus biochar (ASBC)/persulfate oxidation system was established for Atrazine (ATZ). Results showed that 45KHz in middle and low frequency band cooperated with ASBC600 to degrade nearly 70 % of ATZ within 50 min, and US promoted the formation of SO4- and OH. Meanwhile, the synergy index of US and ASBC was calculated to be 1.18, which showed positive synergistic effect. Finally, the potential toxicity was examined by using Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) and luminescent bacteria. This study provides a promising way for the activation of persulfate, which is expected to bring a new idea for the win-win situation of pollutant degradation and solid waste resource utilization.

Machine learning approaches to predict the apparent rate constants for aqueous organic compounds by ferrate.

The apparent second-order rate constant with hexavalent ferrate (Fe(VI)) (kFe(VI)) is a key indicator to evaluate the removal efficiency of a molecule by Fe(VI) oxidation. kFe(VI) is often determined by experiment, but such measurements can hardly catch up with the rapid growth of organic compounds (OCs). To address this issue, in this study, a total of 437 experimental second-order kFe(VI) rate constants at a range of conditions (pH and temperature) were used to train four machine learning (ML) algorithms (lasso regression (LR), ridge regression (RR), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and the light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM)). Using the Morgan fingerprint (MF)) of a range of organic compounds (OCs) as the input, the performance of the four algorithms was comprehensively compared with respect to the coefficient of determination (R2) and root-mean-square error (RMSE). It is shown that the RR, XGBoost, and LightGBM models displayed generally acceptable performance kFe(VI) (R2test > 0.7). In addition, the shapely additive explanation (SHAP) and feature importance methods were employed to interpret the XGBoost/LightGBM and RR models, respectively. The results showed that the XGBoost/LightGBM and RR models suggestd pH as the most important predictor and the tree-based models elucidate how electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups influence the reactivity of the Fe(VI) species. In addition, the RR model share eight common features, including pH, with the two tree-based models. This work provides a fast and acceptable method for predicting kFe(VI) values and can help researchers better understand the degradation behavior of OCs by Fe(VI) oxidation from the perspective of molecular structure.

Effect of Electroacupuncture on Gut Microbiota in Participants With Knee Osteoarthritis.

A close relationship between knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and gut microbiota has recently been described. Herein, we aim to investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on gut microbiota in participants with KOA. We conducted a study of 60 participants with KOA and 30 matched healthy controls (HCs). Sixty participants were allocated to either EA group (n=30) or sham acupuncture (SA) group (n=30). Five obligatory acupoints and three adjunct acupoints were punctured in the EA group. Eight non-acupoints that were separated from conventional acupoints or meridians were used for the SA group. Participants in both groups received 24 sessions within eight weeks. Fecal microbial analyses by 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing were carried out after collecting stools at T0 and T8 weeks (Four samples with changed defecation habits were excluded). The results showed that both Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) total score (P=0.043) and NRS score (P=0.002) decreased more in EA group than those in SA group. Moreover, EA could reverse more KOA-related bacteria including Bacteroides, [Eubacterium]_hallii_group, Agathobacter and Streptococcus. The number of significantly different genera between KOA patients and HCs were less after EA treatment than that after SA treatment. This meant that EA modified the composition of the gut microbiome, making it closer to healthy people, while not significantly affecting the microbial diversity. Two genera including Agathobacter (P=0.0163), Lachnoclostridium (P=0.0144) were statistically increased than baseline in EA group (paired Wilcoxon rank sum test). After EA treatment, Bacteroides (P=0.0394) was more abundant and Streptococcus (P=0.0306) was significantly reduced in patients who demonstrated adequate response than in those with inadequate response (Wilcoxon rank-sum test). Spearman correlation test between gut microbe and KOA clinical outcomes indicated that Bacteroides and Agathobacter was negatively correlated with NRS score, WOMAC total score, and WOMAC pain, stiffness and pain scores (P<0.001 or 0.05 or 0.01), while Streptococcus was positively correlated with them (P<0.05 or 0.01). Our study suggests that EA contributes to the improvement of KOA and gut microbiota could be a potential therapeutic target.

Novel Nonradical Oxidation of Sulfonamide Antibiotics with Co(II)-Doped g-C3N4-Activated Peracetic Acid: Role of High-Valent Cobalt-Oxo Species.

Herein, we report that Co(II)-doped g-C3N4 can efficiently trigger peracetic acid (PAA) oxidation of various sulfonamides (SAs) in a wide pH range. Quite different from the traditional radical-generating or typical nonradical-involved (i.e., singlet oxygenation and mediated electron transfer) catalytic systems, the PAA activation follows a novel nonradical pathway with unprecedented high-valent cobalt-oxo species [Co(IV)] as the dominant reactive species. Our experiments and density functional theory calculations indicate that the Co atom fixated into the nitrogen pots of g-C3N4 serves as the main active site, enabling dissociation of the adsorbed PAA and conversion of the coordinated Co(II) to Co(IV) via a unique two-electron transfer mechanism. Considering Co(IV) to be highly electrophilic in nature, different substituents (i.e., five-membered and six-membered heterocyclic moieties) on the SAs could affect their nucleophilicity, thus leading to the differences in degradation efficiency and transformation pathway. Also, benefiting from the selective oxidation of Co(IV), the established oxidative system exhibits excellent anti-interference capacity and achieves satisfactory decontamination performance under actual water conditions. This study provides a new nonradical approach to degrade SAs by efficiently activating PAA via heterogeneous cobalt-complexed catalysts.

Insights into the oxidation of organic contaminants by Co(II) activated peracetic acid: The overlooked role of high-valent cobalt-oxo species.

The combination of Co(II) and peracetic acid (PAA) is a promising advanced oxidation process for the abatement of refractory organic contaminants, and acetylperoxy (CH3CO3•) and acetoxyl (CH3CO2•) radicals are generally recognized as the dominant and selective intermediate oxidants. However, the role of high-valent cobalt-oxo species [Co(IV)] have been overlooked. Herein, we confirmed that Co(II)/PAA reaction enables the generation of Co(IV) at acidic conditions based on multiple lines of evidences, including methyl phenyl sulfoxide (PMSO)-based probe experiments, 18O isotope-labeling technique, and in situ Raman spectroscopy. In-depth investigation reveals that the PAA oxidation mechanism is strongly pH dependent. The elevation of solution pH could induce major oxidants converting from Co(IV) to oxygen-centered radicals (i.e., CH3CO3• and CH3CO2•). The presence of H2O2 competitively consumes both Co(IV) and reactive radicals generated from Co(II)/PAA process, and thus, leading to an undesirably decline in catalytic performance. Additionally, as a highly reactive and selective oxidant, Co(IV) reacts readily with organic substances bearing electron-rich groups, and efficiently attenuating their biological toxicity. Our findings enrich the fundamental understanding of Co(II) and PAA reaction and will be useful for the application of Co(IV)-mediated processes.

The Mechanisms and Animal Models of SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which has aroused great public health concern worldwide. Currently, COVID-19 epidemic is spreading in many countries and regions around the world. However, the study of SARS-CoV-2 is still in its infancy, and there is no specific therapeutics. Here, we summarize the genomic characteristics of SARS-CoV-2. In addition, we focus on the mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 infection, including the roles of angiotensin converting enzyme II (ACE2) in cell entry, COVID-19 susceptibility and COVID-19 symptoms, as well as immunopathology such as antibody responses, lymphocyte dysregulation, and cytokine storm. Finally, we introduce the research progress of animal models of COVID-19, aiming at a better understanding of the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and providing new ideas for the treatment of this contagious disease.

Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Activities of Wolfiporia cocos (F.A. Wolf) Ryvarden & Gilb.

Poria cocos is the dried sclerotium of Wolfiporia cocos (F.A. Wolf) Ryvarden & Gilb., which was the current accepted name and was formerly known as Macrohyporia cocos (Schwein.) I. Johans. & Ryvarden, Pachyma cocos (Schwein.) Fr., Poria cocos F.A. Wolf and Sclerotium cocos Schwein. It is one of the most important crude drugs in traditional Chinese medicine, with a wide range of applications in ameliorating phlegm and edema, relieving nephrosis and chronic gastritis and improving uneasiness of minds. Its extensive pharmacological effects have attracted considerable attention in recent years. However, there is no systematic review focusing on the chemical compounds and pharmacological activities of Poria cocos. Therefore, this review aimed to provide the latest information on the chemical compounds and pharmacological effects of Poria cocos, exploring the therapeutic potential of these compounds. We obtained the information of Poria cocos from electronic databases such as SCI finder, PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, WanFang DATA and Google Scholar. Up to now, two main active ingredients, triterpenes and polysaccharides of Poria cocos, have been identified from Poria cocos. It has been reported that they have pharmacological effects on anti-tumor, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulation, and liver and kidney protection. The review summarizes the phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of Poria cocos, which suggest that researchers should focus on the development of new drugs about Poria cocos to make them exert greater therapeutic potential.

Association of the Total White Blood Cell, Neutrophils, and Monocytes Count With the Presence, Severity, and Types of Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque.

Background: Previous studies have indicated that white blood cells (WBCs) might contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. However, the associations of WBCs and WBC subgroups with carotid atherosclerotic plaque (CAP) have not been compared. Methods: A cross-sectional study including 3,569 healthy Chinese adults was conducted between January 2016 and December 2018 in Zhengzhou, China, to explore the associations of WBC and WBC subtypes with the presence, severity, and types of CAPs. Fasting peripheral venous blood was collected for measurement of the total WBC and WBC subtype counts. The size, composition, and types of CAPs in the common carotid artery, the internal carotid artery, and the external carotid artery were measured bilaterally using B-mode ultrasound. Results: The total WBC, neutrophil, and monocyte counts showed significant associations with the presence of CAPs in men, but not in women, with the adjusted odds ratios (95% CI) in the highest (compared to the lowest) quartile 1.99 (1.33-2.97), 1.65 (1.10-2.47), and 2.17 (1.41-3.18) (P trend = 0.004, P trend = 0.004, and P trend < 0.001), respectively. The three leukocyte counts were also significantly associated with the severity of CAPs, as judged by the count of CAPs, maximal internal carotid plaque thickness, and the plaque score (all P < 0.01, P trend < 0.05). Compared with individuals without CAPs, those with echolucent plaques had significantly increased total WBC and neutrophil counts, whereas those with polytype plaques had a significantly increased monocyte count. Conclusion: WBC, neutrophil, and monocyte counts were significantly associated with the presence, severity, and types of CAPs in a healthy Chinese population.

Long-Term Vegan Meditation Improved Human Gut Microbiota.

OBJECTIVE: Meditation has been widely used for the treatment of a variety of psychological, cardiovascular, and digestive diseases as well as chronic pain. Vegetarian diets can effectively prevent hypertension, metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity, and certain cancers. Meditation and vegetarian diets have been recognized as components of a healthy lifestyle and have therefore attracted more people around the world. Meditation can help regulate overall health through the neural-endocrine-immune network. Changes in dietary habits can affect the composition of the intestinal flora, which in turn affects human physiology, metabolism, nutrition, and immune function through the bacteria-intestine-brain axis. Here, we aimed to investigate the effect of long-term meditation and vegan diet on human intestinal flora. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study used 16S rDNA sequencing technology to detect the differences in intestinal flora between 12 healthy vegan subjects receiving long-term meditation training and 12 healthy omnivorous subjects who never received any meditation training. RESULTS: The results showed that, compared with the subjects in the omnivorous healthy control group who had never received any meditation training, the intestinal flora structure in the people who followed the long-term vegan meditation practices changed significantly. The intersection set between the results of the LEfSe analysis and the Wilcoxon rank sum test includes 14 bacterial genera. These 14 genera are defined as the dominant genera, and the AUC value was 0.92 in the ROC curve, which demonstrates that the 14 genera can be used as a biomarker to distinguish the two groups. Three beneficial bacteria genera (Bifidobacterium, Roseburia, and Subdoligranulum) were significantly enriched in the meditation group with a threshold of 4, according to the LDAs. The functional prediction of differentially enriched intestinal flora showed that the metabolism of tyrosine, propionate, niacin, and nicotinamide in the intestinal micro-organisms in the meditation group was significantly reduced compared with those in the control group, while the biosynthesis of flavones, flavone alcohols, butosin, and neomycin; flavonoid-mediated oocyte maturation; cytoskeleton protein pathways; and antigen processing and presentation were significantly enhanced. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that long-term vegan meditation plays a positive role in improving the body's immunity and adjusting endocrine and metabolic levels, enabling the body to be in a state of good health.

Detecting Migration and Infiltration of Neutrophils in Mice.

Neutrophils are a major member of the innate immune system and play pivotal roles in host defense against pathogens and pathologic inflammatory reactions. Neutrophils can be recruited to inflammation sites via the guidance of cytokines and chemokines. Overwhelming infiltration of neutrophils can lead to indiscriminate tissue damage, such as in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Neutrophils isolated from peritoneal exudate respond to a defined chemoattractant, N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP), in vitro in Transwell or Zigmond chamber assays. The air pouch experiment can be used to evaluate the chemotaxis of neutrophils towards lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vivo. The adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) mouse model is frequently used in RA research, and immunohistochemical staining of joint sections with anti-myeloperoxidase (MPO) or anti-neutrophil elastase (NE) antibodies is a well-established method to measure neutrophil infiltration. These methods can be used to discover promising therapies targeting neutrophil migration.

Association between lipid profiles and presence of carotid plaque.

It is indicated that lipids profiles are associated with carotid plaque and Atherosclerosis. However, studies about the relationship between serum lipid profiles and carotid plaque composition in Chinese Population is limited. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 3,214 participants between January 2015 and December 2017 in China, to investigate the association between various lipid profiles and the prevalence of carotid plaque. Logistic regression model was used to investigate the association between plasma lipid profiles and odds of carotid plaque. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare the mean plasma lipid profiles among different number and composition of carotid artery plaques. HDL-C, Non-HDL-C levels, TC/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C were significantly associated with the presence of carotid plaque; HDL-C, LDL-C, Non-HDL-C levels, TC/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C were significantly associated with the presence of common carotid artery (CCA) plaque. Compare with participants without carotid plaque, increased level of LDL-C/HDL-C was found in those with echolucent/polytype plaque. Similarly, compared with participants without CCA plaque, increased level of LDL-C/HDL-C was found in those with echolucent plaque. In conclusion, we found that serum HDL-C, Non-HDLc level, TC/HDLc, and LDLc/HDLc were all associated with the prevalence of carotid plaque, and LDL-C/HDL-C differed among different group of carotid plaque composition.

The tRNA-associated dysregulation in diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a complex endocrine and metabolic disorder for human health and well-being. Deregulated glucose and lipid metabolism are the primary underlying manifestations associated with this disease. Transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are considered to mainly participate in protein translation and may contribute to complex human pathologies. Although the molecular mechanisms remain, for the most part, unknown, accumulating evidence indicates that tRNAs play a vital role in the pathogenesis of DM. This paper reviews different aspects of tRNA-associated dysregulation in DM, such as tRNA mutations, tRNA modifications, tRNA aminoacylation and tRNA derivatives, aiming at a better understanding of the pathogenesis of DM and providing new ideas for the personalized treatment of this metabolism-associated disease.

Effects of electroacupuncture at Taichong (LR 3) and Baihui (DU 20) on cardiac hypertrophy in rats with spontaneous hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at Taichong (LR 3) and Baihui (DU 20) on myocardial hypertrophy in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). METHODS: Thirty-six SHRs were randomly assigned to model, EA, and Losartan groups, with twelve rats per group. Twelve Wistar Kyoto rats were selected as the normal control group. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and cardiac function were measured in all rats. Expression levels of factors associated with the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) pathway were evaluated by Western blotting and real-time PCR. Pathological changes of the heart tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. RESULTS: After treatment, enhanced SBP was significantly decreased in the EA and Losartan groups compared with the model group (P < 0.01). Echocardiographic and morphological analyses revealed that enhanced end-diastolic interventricular septal thickness and left ventricular posterior wall thickness, as well as ratio of left ventricular weight to body weight were markedly diminished in the EA and Losartan groups (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), while reduced left ventricular end-diastolic dimension and left ventricular ejection fraction were significantly ameliorated (P < 0.01). Real-time PCR and western blotting analyses showed that the expression levels of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR in SHRs were significantly up-regulated by EA and Losartan (P < 0.01), while the expression levels of PTEN and ANP were down-regulated (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: EA at Taichong (LR 3) and Baihui (DU 20) inhibited the development of cardiac hypertrophy and improved the cardiac function in SHRs, possibly through regulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling pathway.

[Discussion on safety of Xanthii Fructus and consideration on its rational use].

Xanthii Fructus is a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of sinusitis and headache,rich in medicinal materials and is widely used for more than 1 800 years. Modern pharmacological studies have showed that Xanthii Fructus has anti-inflammatory,analgesic,anti-tumor,anti-bacterial,hypoglycemic,anti-allergic,immunomodulatory and other pharmacological effects,which can be commonly used in the treatment of diseases relating to immune abnormalities,such as rheumatoid arthritis,acute and chronic rhinitis,allergic rhinitis,and skin diseases,with a high medicinal value. Toxicological studies have shown that Xanthii Fructus poisoning can cause substantial damage to organs,such as the liver,kidney,and gastrointestinal tract,especially to liver. Because of the coexisting of its efficacy and toxicity,Xanthii Fructus often leads to a series of safety problems in the clinical application process. This study attempts to summarize its characteristics of adverse reactions,analyze the root cause of the toxicity of Xanthii Fructus from such aspects as processing,dose,course of treatment and eating by mistake,discuss the substance of its efficacy/toxicity from chemical compositions,and put forward exploratory thinking about how to promote its clinical rational application from the aspects such as strict processing,reasonable compatibility,medication information,contraindication,strict control of the dose,and course of treatment,so as to promote the safe and reasonable application of Xanthii Fructus.

Association of microRNA-423 rs6505162 C>A polymorphism with susceptibility and metastasis of colorectal carcinoma.

Studies have evaluated the association between the SNP miRNA-423 rs6505162 C>A and cancer risk in several cancers with contradictory outcomes. It was reported that miRNA-423 rs6505162 C>A polymorphism was associated with the overall survival and the recurrence-free survival of colorectal carcinoma. However, no studies have reported the association between miRNA-423 rs6505162 C>A polymorphism and susceptibility of colorectal carcinoma.In this study, we investigated the association between miRNA-423 polymorphism with risk and clinicopathological parameters of colorectal carcinoma. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method was used to genotype 117 colorectal carcinoma patients and 84 healthy controls.Our data indicated the frequencies of rs6505162 genotypes and alleles were significantly different between colorectal carcinoma patients and controls. Compared with CC homozygote, the AC heterozygote exhibited a significantly decreased risk of colorectal carcinoma; and the combination of AC and AA genotype was associated with decreased risk of colorectal carcinoma. The allele distribution of rs6505162 was significantly different between cases and controls. Furthermore, miR-423 rs6505162 C>A genotype showed a significant association with metastasis in patients (P = .022).Our study suggested that miR-423 rs6505162 C>A polymorphism was associated with the susceptibility and metastasis of colorectal carcinoma, and that miR-423 rs6505162 C>A polymorphism might be a potential biomarker for colorectal carcinoma.

[Meridian differentiation of low back pain in Neijing (Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor)].

There are various contents about diagnosis and treatment of low back pain in Neijing (Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor), which are closely related to meridians and collaterals, forming a complete theoretical system of meridian differentiation for low back pain. Its theory and application are interpreted in this paper from five main aspects, including 18 meridians and collaterals densely distributing in the tendons and bones of the waist, the pathogenesis of low back pain lying in the disorders of the meridian qi and blood, the nature of low back pain being reflected by the color and shape of meridians and collaterals, the disordered meridians of low back pain being first identified based on syndrome differentiation, the acupuncture prescription being selected according to meridian differentiation. The purpose of this paper is to guide clinical practice, explore the advantages and characteristics of meridian differentiation, and provide theoretical reference and evidence for promoting the standardization of TCM.

[Hypothalamic Transcription Profiles Associated with Twirling-reducing Needling in Rats with Stress-induced Prehypertension].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of twirling-reducing needling on changes of profile of differentially-expressed genes in the hypothalamus in rats with stress-induced prehypertension (SI-PHT), so as to explore its mechanism under-lying improvement of prehypertension. METHODS: Wistar male rats were randomly divided into blank control group (n=12), model group (n=12) and acupuncture group (n=10). The SI-PHT model was established by planta-electric-shock stimulation (30 V, 5 s) plus noise stimulation (80-100 db, 50 ms), twice daily, continuously for 11 days. Manual acupuncture stimulation (twirling-reducing needling) was applied to bilateral "Taichong" (LR 3) and "Quchi" (LI 11) for about 1 min (60 cycles/min), followed by retaining the needles for 20 min during modeling preparation, once daily for 11 days. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) and behavior changes were recorded before intervention and on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 11th day during modeling. The expression (Fold change,|FC| ≥ 1.5) profile of genes in the hypothalamus was analyzed using Affymetrix GeneChip Rat Gene 2.0 ST Array, followed by analyzing the differentially-expressed genes involving the related biological process,molecular function, and signaling pathways by using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), separately. RESULTS: After modeling, the systolic pressure levels were remarkably increased from the 3rd day to the 11th day in both model and acupuncture groups relatively to their respective baseline levels (P<0.01), and were significantly lower in the acupuncture group than in the model group (P<0.01) from the 5th day to the 11th day. Meanwhile, 93 genes were up-regulated and 153 down-regulated in the model group relative to the control group (P<0.05,|FC| ≥ 1.5), while in comparison with the model group, 59 genes were up-regulated and 86 down-regulated in the acupuncture group (P<0.05,|FC| ≥ 1.5). The expression levels of the 40 differen-tially-expressed genes (24 up-regulated and 16 down-regulated) in the model group were evidently reversed after acupuncture stimulation (P<0.05,|FC| ≥ 1.5). After acupuncture stimulation, the expression of acyl-CoA synthetase medium-chain family member 3 (Acsm 3) gene was down-regulated, and chorionic gonadotropin-alpha (Cgα), crystal (Cry) αB and thyroid stimulating hormone beta (Tshß) genes and the autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) pathway were up-regulated (P<0.05,|FC| ≥ 1.5), suggesting an involvement of fatty acid biosynthetic processing, G-protein coupled receptor protein signaling, and hormone activity, etc. in acupuncture-induced blood-pressure lowering. CONCLUSIONS: Twirling-reducing needling of acupuncture can lower blood pressure in prehypertension rats, which may be related to its effects in regulating expression of Acsm 3, Cgα, CryαB, Tshß genes and in activating AITD pathway.