ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the humoral factor of acupuncture in improving functional activities of the organism. METHODS: Neurons of the cerebral cortex from the new born rats were taken to be cultured in a strictly controlled medium. Seven to ten days later, fluorescein-molecular probe Fluo-3AM was used for staining intracellular Ca(2+). Ca(2+) concentration and its changes after application of acupuncture serum were measured by using a laser confocal microscope. Normal serum and acupuncture serum were derived from the normal control rats and the rats undergoing electro-acupuncture of "Baihui (GV 20)", "Zusanli (ST 36)", "Quchi (LI 11)" and "Sanyinjiao (SP 6)" for 2 weeks. RESULTS: After application of normal serum, the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration increased strikingly immediately at the beginning, and gradually got stable afterwards. When acupuncture serum was added to the culture fluid, Ca(2+) concentration lowered significantly. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that bioactive substances in serum collected from rats undergoing acupuncture can affect the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration of the cerebral neurons, and the humoral factor may participate in the effect of acupuncture in regulating functional activities of the organism.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To study the relationship between telomerase activity and the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Methods:Telomerase activity and expression of PCNA in 68 cases of OSCC,34 cases of epithelium immediately adjacent to carcinomas and 12 cases of normal oral mucosa were detected by TRAP-PCR-ELISA and immunohistochemical SP method. Results:The positive rate of telomerase in OSCC, the epithelium immediately adjacent to carcinomas and the normal oral mucosa was 67.65%(46/68), 8.82%(3/34) and 0(0/12) respectively. Telomerase activity in OSCC was related to the grade of the clinicopathology(P