ABSTRACT
Objective@#To assess the effects of subchronic intake of high-dose Dendrobium officinale on body weight, food intake, food utilization, and blood biochemical parameters in rats, so as to provide insights into assessment of edible safety of D. officinale.@*Methods@#Eighty SPF-grade SD rats were randomly divided into the low-, medium- and high-dose groups and the control group, of 10 male and 10 female rats in each group. Rats in the low-, medium- and high-dose groups were administered with D. officinale feeds at doses of 2.0, 4.0, and 8.0 g/kg body weight, respectively, while animals in the control group were given basic diet for successive 13 weeks. The rat body weight, food intake, food utilization, and blood biochemical parameters were compared between groups.@*Results@#Normal diet and activity was seen in all rats, and no abnormal syndromes, signs or deaths were found during the study. There were no significant differences in rat body weight, food intake, total weight gain, total food intake, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, urea nitrogen, creatinine, triacylglycerol, cholesterol, total protein, albumin, albumin/globulin ratio or blood glucose among four groups (P>0.05). The food utilization 7 weeks post-administration [(8.71%±0.78%) vs. (10.54%±1.37%), P<0.05] and the total food utilization [(18.00%±0.41%) vs. (19.51%±1.21%), P<0.05] were significantly lower in male rats in the high-dose group than in the control group.@*Conclusion@#Subchronic intake of high-dose D. officinale shows no toxicity in rats, and reduced food utilization may be associated with the health function of D. officinale in male rats.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: G protein coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) has been demonstrated to play a crucial role in the development of chronic pain. Acupuncture is an alternative therapy widely used for pain management. In this study, we investigated the role of spinal neuronal GRK2 in electroacupuncture (EA) analgesia. METHODS: The mice model of inflammatory pain was built by subcutaneous injection of Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) into the plantar surface of the hind paws. The mechanical allodynia of mice was examined by von Frey test. The mice were subjected to EA treatment (BL60 and ST36 acupuncture points) for 1 week. Overexpression and down-regulation of spinal neuronal GRK2 were achieved by intraspinal injection of adeno associated virus (AAV) containing neuron-specific promoters, and microglial activation and neuroinflammation were evaluated by real-time PCR. RESULTS: Intraplantar injection with CFA in mice induced the decrease of GRK2 and microglial activation along with neuroinflammation in spinal cord. EA treatment increased the spinal GRK2, reduced neuroinflammation, and significantly decreased CFA-induced mechanical allodynia. The effects of EA were markedly weakened by non-cell-specific downregulation of spinal GRK2. Further, intraspinal injection of AAV containing neuron-specific promoters specifically downregulated neuronal GRK2, and weakened the regulatory effect of EA on CFA-induced mechanical allodynia and microglial activation. Meanwhile, overexpression of spinal neuronal GRK2 decreased mechanical allodynia. All these indicated that the neuronal GRK2 mediated microglial activation and neuroinflammation, and subsequently contributed to CFA-induced inflammatory pain. CONCLUSION: The restoration of the spinal GRK2 and subsequent suppression of microglial activation and neuroinflammation might be an important mechanism for EA analgesia. Our findings further suggested that the spinal GRK2, especially neuronal GRK2, might be the potential target for EA analgesia and pain management, and we provided a new experimental basis for the EA treatment of pain.
Subject(s)
Animals , Mice , Electroacupuncture , Microglia/physiology , G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2/physiology , Pain Management , Pain/chemically induced , Inflammation/chemically induced , Inflammation/therapy , NeuronsABSTRACT
·Familial exudative vitreoretinopathy ( FEVR ) is a hereditary disease associated with abnormal angiogenesis in the pediatric period. The most prominent finding of the disease is avascularity in the peripheral retina. Whereas, the phenotypic features are variable. In some minor cases, missed diagnosis would happened due to asymptom, while, in severe FEVR, neovascularization, retinal exudation, retinal folds, macular heterotopy and retinal detachment may occur and give rise to extremely poor vision or even blindness. Mutations in the FZD4, LRP5, NDP, TSPAN12, ZNF408, and KIF11 genes have been reported to contribute to FEVR with X - linked recessive, autosomal dominant, and autosomal recessive inheritance manners. We have summarized aspects of pathogenesis, clinical features and classification, mutations genes as well as diagnosis and treatment of FEVR in this review.
ABSTRACT
Objective @#To investigate the effectiveness of fluoride varnish in preventing first permanent molars caries inschool-age children and provide necessary information for oral health instruction. @*Methods@#378 children aged 6-7 years old in the first grade of primary school in dahua country, hechi city, Guangxi province (1 053 first permanent molars) were randomly recruited into 2 groups. The test group (542 first permanent molars in 191 children) was treated with fluoride varnish one time in a half year and given oral hygiene instruction 3 times; The control group (511 first permanent molars in 187 children) was only given oral hygiene instruction 3 times. All first permanent molars were checked after 18 months later for caries. @*Results@#After intervention, the caries prevalence rate in the test group raised from 21.99% to 27.75% compared with the control group from 24.60% to 37.43%. The caries incidence rate in test and control group was 5.76% and 12.83% respectively. There was a significant difference between 2 groups regardless of caries prevalence, caries incidence, the DMFT reduction, the DMFs reduction, the occlusal caries prevalence, the pit and fissure caries prevalence, the proximal caries prevalence. @*Conclusion @#Semi-annual application of fluoride varnish is effective in the prevention of dental caries in first permanent molars , which was worth of being popularized in clinic.