ABSTRACT
@#Objective To observe the effect of electroacupuncture at Baihui (DU20) and Shenting (DU24) on brain functional activity and working memory of rats with vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). Methods Eighteen Sprague-Dawley rats were included, in which twelve rats were ligated bilateral common carotid arteries and six rats were not ligated (sham group). The modeled rats were randomly divided into model group (n = 6) and electroacupuncture group (n = 6). The electroacupuncture group received electroacupuncture at Baihui and Shenting for four weeks. They were assessed with Y maze and Morris water maze before and after intervention, and scaned with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging after intervention to calculate regional homogeneity (ReHo). Results Compared with the sham group, alternation rate of Y maze decreased (P < 0.001), and escape latency of Morris water maze increased (P < 0.05) in the model group and the electroacupuncture group before intervention. Compared with the model group, alternation rate of Y maze increased (P < 0.05), and escape latency of Morris water maze decreased (P < 0.05) after intervention in the electroacupuncture group. Compared with the sham group, ReHo of bilateral hippocampus, olfactory cortex, sensory cortex and auditory cortex, and left striatum decreased in the model group; compared with the model group, ReHo of bilateral prefrontal lobe, hippocampus and olfactory cortex, and left amygdala increased in the electroacupuncture group. Conclusion Electroacupuncture at Baihui and Shenting can improve the memory function of VCI rats, which may be related to the functional activities of prefrontal lobes, hippocampus and amygdala.
ABSTRACT
Decoy receptor 3(DcR3),also known as tumor necrosis factor receptor 6B(TNFR6B) or TR6,is a newly discovered member of the tumor necrosis receptor superfamily,an apoptosis-prohibiting protein,which can both inhibit the apoptosis and promote the immunity escape of tumor cells.Recent researches have shown that DcR3 is expressed selectively in most human common tumors but not in normal adult tissue,and its up-regulation may predict the malignancy and prognosis of tumors.As a molecular marker of tumor,the high expression of DcR3 in the body fluid can help tumor detection and therapy monitoring.This novel biological technique can be used to inhibit the expression of the DcR3 gene and induce the apoptosis of tumor cells.