Erythropoietin accelerates the proliferation of glioma cells via activating Akt pathway / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine whether erythropoietin (EPO) promotes rapid proliferation of glioma through Akt pathway.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We detected the expression of EPO in human glioma tissues using immunohistochemistry. A nude mouse model bearing human glioma U87 cell xenograft was established and given intraperitoneal injection of EPO or saline every other day, and the tumor growth was observed. In the in vitro experiment, U87 cells were treated with PBS (control), EPO, or EPO with Akt inhibitor, and the expression of p-Akt and cyclin D1 was detected using Western blotting; the cell proliferation rate was determined using cell counting kit-8 and clone formation assay, and the cell cycle changes were analyzed with flow cytometry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with low-grade glioma tissues, high-grade glioma tissues exhibited a significantly increased EPO expression (P=0.0002). In the tumor-bearing mice, EPO treatment significantly increased the expression of EPO (P=0.0006) and p-Akt (P=0.0003) in the tumor and obviously increased the tumor volume (P<0.0001) and weight (P=0.0003). In U87 cells cultured in vitro, EPO treatment obviously accelerated the cell proliferation (P=0.020 on day 3 and 0.028 on day 5), promoted clone formation (P=0.0010), and increased proliferation index (P=0.0028); EPO significantly enhanced the protein expression of p-Akt (P=0.0020) and cyclin D1 (P=0.0022). The application of Akt inhibitor significantly suppressed the effect of EPO in enhancing cyclin D1 and p-Akt expression (both P<0.0001) and promoting cell proliferation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EPO can significantly accelerate the proliferation of glioma through Akt pathway.</p>

Effects of acupuncture at "Zusanli" (ST 36) on eosinophil apoptosis and related gene expression in rats with asthma / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observed efficacy differences of acupuncture at "Zusanli" (ST 36) in rats with asthma and asthma with spleen-deficency, so as to investigate the therapeutic mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups according to their weight, named as an asthma with spleen-deficency group (group A), an acupuncture on asthma with spleen-deficency group (group B), an asthma group (group C), an acupuncture on asthma group (group D) and a control group. The rat models with spleen-deficiency in the first two groups were set up by TCM, then the rats of asthma model in the first four groups were induced by egg albumin, but the control group was treated by the same dose of saline. The group B and the group D were both treated with acupuncture at "Zusanli" (ST 36), once each day for 8 days, and the other groups remained unhandled. The mRNA expressions of Fas and Bcl-2 in the lung tissues were detected by hybridization in situ and apoptosis was detected by TUNEL (terminal dexynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dutp nick end labeling).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control group, in both the group A and the group C, the expression of Fas mRNA significantly decreased, but the expression of Bcl-2 mRNA significantly increased (all P < 0.01), and eosinophils (EOS) counts significantly increased, but EOS apoptosis rate significantly decreased (all P < 0.01). Compared with the group C, in the group A, the expressions of Fas mRNA significantly decreased, but the expressions of Bcl-2 mRNA and EOS counts significantly increased (all P < 0.01). At the same time, compared with the corresponding asthma groups, in both acupuncture groups, Fas mRNA expression obviously increased, Bcl-2 mRNA expression was significantly reduced (all P < 0.01), EOS counts remarkably decreased and EOS apoptosis rate significantly increased (all P < 0.01). There were no significant differences in the expressions of Fas mRNA and Bcl-2 mRNA between the two acupuncture groups (both P > 0.05), but compared with group B,in the group D, EOS counts significantly decreased and EOS apoptosis rate significantly increased (both P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture at "Zusanli" (ST 36) can regulate the disorders of Fas mRNA and Bcl-2 mRNA expression in the state of both asthma and asthma with spleen-deficency, promote EOS apoptosis so as to inhibit the development of inflammatory reaction of asthma, showing that acupuncture at "Zusanli" (ST 36) has certain advantages on regulation of related gene of EOS in asthma with spleen-deficency.</p>

Combination of acupuncture with cupping increases life quality of patients of osteoporosis / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe therapeutic effect of "general regulation" acupuncture and cupping therapy on osteoporosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty cases of primary osteoporosis were treated with the "general regulation" acupuncture-cupping therapy: warming needle moxibustion, plum-blossom needle, moving cupping and retaining the cup, thrice each week, for 3 months. The therapeutic effect was assessed by modified life quality scale for the patient of osteoporosis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 60 cases, 3 cases did not complete the therapeutic course and 48 cases had a significant increase of life quality, the score of the life quality scale decreased from (67.45 +/- 15.67) before treatment to (42.28 +/- 27.89) after treatment with a significant difference (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The "general regulation" acupuncture-cupping therapy can effectively increase life quality of the patient with osteoporosis, which is an effective therapy for osteoporosis.</p>