Effect of miR-125b on T Cell Activation in Aplastic Anemia by Targetting B7-H4 / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect of miR-125b on T cell activation in patients with aplastic anemia (AA) and its molecular mechanism.@*METHODS@#A total of 30 AA patients were enrolled in department of hematology, Binzhou Medical University Hospital from January 2018 to October 2021, as well as 15 healthy individuals as healthy control (HC) group. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated, in which the levels of miR-125b and B7-H4 mRNA were detected by RT-qPCR. Immunomagnetic beads were used to separate naive T cells and non-naive T cells from AA patients and healthy people to detect the levels of miR-125b and B7-H4 mRNA. Lentivirus LV-NC inhibitor and LV-miR-125b inhibitor were transfected into cells, and T cell activation was detected by flow cytometry. The dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was used to detect the targetting relationship between miR-125b and B7-H4. RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detect the levels of miR-125b, CD40L, ICOS, IL-10 mRNA and B7-H4 protein.@*RESULTS@#Compared with HC group, the expression of miR-125b was up-regulated but B7-H4 mRNA was down-regulated in PBMCs of AA patients (P <0.05), and the proportions of CD4+CD69+ T cells and CD8+CD69+ T cells in PBMCs of AA patients were higher (P <0.05). The expression of miR-125b was significantly up-regulated but B7-H4 mRNA was down-regulated in both naive T cells and non-naive T cells of AA patients (P <0.05), and non-naive T cells was more significant than naive T cells (P <0.05). Compared with NC inhibitor group, the expression of miR-125b was significantly decreased, the expression level of CD69 on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in PBMCs was also significantly decreased, while the luciferase activity was significantly increased after co-transfection of miR-125b inhibitor and B7-H4-3'UTR-WT in the miR-125b inhibitor group (P <0.05). Compared with NC inhibitor group, the mRNA and protein levels of B7-H4 were significantly increased in the miR-125b inhibitor group (P <0.05). Compared with miR-125b inhibitor+shRNA group, the expression levels of CD69 on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were significantly increased, and the levels of CD40L, ICOS and IL-10 mRNA were also significantly increased in the miR-125b inhibitor+sh-B7-H4 group (P <0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#MiR-125b may promote T cell activation by targetting B7-H4 in AA patients.

Comprehensive assessment of mismatch repair and microsatellite instability status in molecular classification of endometrial carcinoma / 中华妇产科杂志

Objective: To explore the concordance and causes of different mismatch repair (MMR) and microsatellite instability (MSI) detection results in endometrial carcinoma (EC) molecular typing. Methods: A total of 214 EC patients diagnosed from January 2021 to April 2023 were selected at the Department of Pathology, Peking University Third Hospital. The immunohistochemistry (IHC) results of MMR protein were reviewed. Tumor specific somatic mutations, MMR germline mutations, microsatellite scores and tumor mutation burden (TMB) were detected by next-generation sequencing (NGS) with multi-gene panel. Methylation-specific PCR was used to detect the methylation status of MLH1 gene promoter in cases with deficient MLH1 protein expression. In cases with discrepant results between MMR-IHC and MSI-NGS, the MSI status was detected again by PCR (MSI-PCR), and the molecular typing was determined by combining the results of TMB and MLH1 gene promoter methylation. Results: (1) In this study, there were 22 cases of POLE gene mutation subtype, 55 cases of mismatch repair deficient (MMR-d) subtype, 29 cases of p53 abnormal subtype, and 108 cases of no specific molecular profile (NSMP). The median age at diagnosis of MMR-d subtype (54 years old) and the proportion of aggressive histological types (40.0%, 22/55) were higher than those of NSMP subtype [50 years old and 12.0% (13/108) respectively; all P<0.05]. (2) Among 214 patients, MMR-IHC test showed that 153 patients were mismatch repair proficient (MMR-p), 49 patients were MMR-d, and 12 patients were difficult to evaluate directly. MSI-NGS showed that 164 patients were microsatellite stable (MSS; equal to MMR-p), 48 patients were high microsatellite instability (MSI-H; equal to MMR-d), and 2 patients had no MSI-NGS results because the effective sequencing depth did not meet the quality control. The overall concordance between MMR-IHC and MSI-NGS was 94.3% (200/212). All the 12 discrepant cases were MMR-d or subclonal loss of MMR protein by IHC, but MSS by NGS. Among them, 10 cases were loss or subclonal loss of MLH1 and (or) PMS2 protein. Three discrepant cases were classified as POLE gene mutation subtype. In the remaining 9 cases, 5 cases and 3 cases were confirmed as MSI-H and low microsatellite instability (MSI-L) respectively by MSI-PCR, 6 cases were detected as MLH1 gene promoter methylation and 7 cases demonstrated high TMB (>10 mutations/Mb). These 9 cases were classified as MMR-d EC. (3) Lynch syndrome was diagnosed in 27.3% (15/55) of all 55 MMR-d EC cases, and the TMB of EC with MSH2 and (or) MSH6 protein loss or associated with Lynch syndrome [(71.0±26.2) and (71.5±20.1) mutations/Mb respectively] were significantly higher than those of EC with MLH1 and (or) PMS2 loss or sporadic MMR-d EC [(38.2±19.1) and (41.9±24.3) mutations/Mb respectively, all P<0.01]. The top 10 most frequently mutated genes in MMR-d EC were PTEN (85.5%, 47/55), ARID1A (80.0%, 44/55), PIK3CA (69.1%, 38/55), KMT2B (60.0%, 33/55), CTCF (45.5%, 25/55), RNF43 (40.0%, 22/55), KRAS (36.4%, 20/55), CREBBP (34.5%, 19/55), LRP1B (32.7%, 18/55) and BRCA2 (32.7%, 18/55). Concurrent PTEN, ARID1A and PIK3CA gene mutations were found in 50.9% (28/55) of MMR-d EC patients. Conclusions: The concordance of MMR-IHC and MSI-NGS in EC is relatively high.The discordance in a few MMR-d EC are mostly found in cases with MLH1 and (or) PMS2 protein loss or MMR protein subclonal staining caused by MLH1 gene promoter hypermethylation. In order to provide accurate molecular typing for EC patients, MLH1 gene methylation, MSI-PCR, MMR gene germline mutation and TMB should be combined to comprehensively evaluate MMR and MSI status.

Anti-inflammatory effects of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease / 中西医结合学报

Numerous randomised controlled trials have suggested the positive effects of acupuncture on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the underlying therapeutic mechanisms of acupuncture for COPD have not been clearly summarized yet. Inflammation is central to the development of COPD. In this review, we elucidate the effects and underlying mechanisms of acupuncture from an anti-inflammatory perspective based on animal studies. Cigarette smoke combined with lipopolysaccharide is often used to establish animal models of COPD. Electroacupuncture can be an effective intervention to improve inflammation in COPD, and Feishu (BL13) and Zusanli (ST36) can be used as basic acupoints in COPD animal models. Different acupuncture types can regulate different types of inflammatory cytokines; meanwhile, different acupuncture types and acupoint options have similar effects on modulating the level of inflammatory cytokines. In particular, acupuncture exerts anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the release of inflammatory cells, inflammasomes and inflammatory cytokines. The main underlying mechanism through which acupuncture improves inflammation in COPD is the modulation of relevant signalling pathways: nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) (e.g., myeloid differentiation primary response 88/NF-κB, toll-like receptor-4/NF-κB, silent information regulator transcript-1/NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling pathways (extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, p38 and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase), cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, and dopamine D2 receptor pathway. The current synthesis will be beneficial for further research on the effect of acupuncture on COPD inflammation. Please cite this article as: Jiang LH, Li PJ, Wang YQ, Jiang ML, Han XY, Bao YD, Deng XL, Wu WB, Liu XD. Anti-inflammatory effects of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(6): 518-527.

Multicenter Prospective Study of Different Induction Regimens of Azacytidine in Treatment of Elderly Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the efficacy and safety of different induction regimens of same total dosage of azacitidine (Aza), including standard dose (standard dose group) and low-dose long-term (adjusted dose group), in the treatment of elderly acute myeloid leukemia (AML).@*METHODS@#A total of 103 elderly patients with AML (non-acute promyelocytic leukemia) from January 2020 to June 2021 were enrolled. Aza was administered at the standard dose of 75 mg/(m2·d) for 7 days in the standard dose group (50 cases), while at 100 mg/d for 7-12 days in the adjusted dose group (53 cases). The administration days in adjusted dose group was calculated based on the total standard dose of the patient's single course of treatment. The efficacy and safety between standard dose group and adjusted dose group were compared. Subgroup analysis were performed in the two groups for Aza alone, Aza combined with BCL-2 inhibitor, and Aza combined with low-dose chemotherapy for efficacy and safety.@*RESULTS@#There were no significant differences in overall response rate (ORR), incidence of adverse reaction, and 1-year overall survival (OS) rate between standard dose group and adjusted dose group (P >0.05). The ORR of combination was higher than that of Aza alone (P < 0.05), while there was no significant difference in ORR between Aza combined with BCL-2 inhibitor and Aza combined with low-dose chemotherapy (P >0.05). The combination of BCL-2 inhibitor did not increase the incidence of adverse reactions compared wtih Aza alone. There was a higher risk of myelosuppression and pulmonary infection with a combination of low-dose chemotherapy than with a combination of BCL-2 inhibitor and Aza alone (P <0.05). No significant difference was observed in 1-year OS between Aza alone, Aza combined with BCL-2 inhibitor, and Aza combined with low-dose chemotherapy (P >0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Both two induction regimens can be used in elderly AML patients who cannot tolerate intensive chemotherapy with similar overall effectiveness and safety. Aza combined with low-dose chemotherapy may result in increased ORR and an increased incidence of serious adverse reactions, and may not result in longer survival compared with Aza alone. Aza combined with BCL-2 inhibitor not only has similar effect in complete remission, objective response rate, and OS compared with Aza combined with low-dose chemotherapy, but also has higher safety.

EPCs-exos combined with tanshinone Ⅱ_A protect vascular endothelium cells from oxidative damage via PI3K/Akt pathway / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to investigate the molecular mechanism of tanshinone Ⅱ_(A )(TaⅡ_A) combined with endothelial progenitor cells-derived exosomes(EPCs-exos) in protecting the aortic vascular endothelial cells(AVECs) from oxidative damage via the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(Akt) pathway. The AVECs induced by 1-palmitoyl-2-(5'-oxovaleroyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine(POVPC) were randomly divided into model, TaⅡ_A, EPCs-exos, and TaⅡ_A+EPCs-exos groups, and the normal cells were taken as the control group. The cell counting kit-8(CCK-8) was used to examine the cell proliferation. The lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) cytotoxicity assay kit, Matrigel assay, DCFH-DA fluorescent probe, and laser confocal microscopy were employed to examine the LDH release, tube-forming ability, cellular reactive oxygen species(ROS) level, and endothelial cell skeleton morphology, respectively. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the expression of interleukin(IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(qRT-PCR) and Western blot were employed to determine the mRNA and protein levels, respectively, of PI3K and Akt. Compared with the control group, the model group showed decreased cell proliferation and tube-forming ability, increased LDH release, elevated ROS level, obvious cytoskeletal disruption, increased expression of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, and down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of PI3K and Akt. Compared with the model group, TaⅡ_A or EPCs-exos alone increased the cell proliferation and tube-forming ability, reduced LDH release, lowered the ROS level, repaired the damaged skeleton, decreased the expression of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, and up-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of PI3K and Akt. TaⅡ_A+EPCs-exos outperformed TaⅡ_A or EPCs-exos alone in regulating the above indexes. The results demonstrated that TaⅡ_A and EPCs-exos exerted a protective effect on POVPC-induced AVECs by activating the PI3K/Akt pathway, and the combination of the two had stronger therapeutic effect.

Effect of Huatan Tongluo Decoction on Gut-Brain Axis in Rats with Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the effects of Huatan Tongluo Decoction （HTTLD） on the morphology and function of brain tissues and intestine in rats with cerebral ischemia/reperfusion based on the gut-brain axis. Method:Sixty SPF male rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group， a model group， high- （28.66 g·kg^-1）， medium- （14.33 g·kg^-1）， and low-dose （7.16 g·kg^-1） HTTLD groups， and an edaravone （4 g·kg^-1）+<italic>Clostridium butyricum</italic> （5.0×10⁸ cfu·mL^-1） group. The model was established by focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion in rats. The drugs were administered by gavage. The brain tissue injury was determined by neurological deficit score and 2，3，5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride （TTC） staining. The effect of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion on intestinal motility was assessed by the propulsion rate of small intestine. The intestinal mucosal cell damage was evaluated by the pathomorphological examination of the duodenal mucosa. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to determine the content of <italic>D</italic>-lactate （<italic>D</italic>-LAC）， diamine oxidase （DAO）， and bacterial endotoxin （lipopolysaccharide， LPS） in serum. Western blot was used to detect the expression of Occludin， Claudin-5， and zonula occludens 1 （ZO-1） in the duodenum. Result:After cerebral ischemia/reperfusion， rats developed neurological deficit symptoms. The neurological deficit score in the model group was higher than that in the sham operation group （<italic>P<</italic>0.01）. Compared with the model group， the high- and medium-dose HTTLD groups could relieve the symptoms of neurological deficits and lower neurological deficit scores （<italic>P<</italic>0.01）. The results of TTC staining showed that the model group presented obvious infarcts in brain tissues compared with the sham operation group （<italic>P<</italic>0.01）. The cerebral infarction volumes of HTTLD groups were reduced compared with that in the model group （<italic>P<</italic>0.01）， especially the high-dose HTTLD group， and the effect was dose-dependent. Furthermore， the propulsion rate of small intestine in the model group was significantly reduced compared with that in the sham operation group （<italic>P<</italic>0.01）. Compared with the model group， HTTLD groups could increase propulsion rates of small intestine （<italic>P<</italic>0.01）， especially the high-dose HTTLD group， and the effect was dose-dependent. After cerebral ischemia/reperfusion， obvious duodenal mucosal damage could be observed， which was relieved after the administration of HTTLD. Western blot results showed that the protein expression of ZO-1， Occludin， and Claudin-5 in the model group was reduced compared with that in the sham operation group （<italic>P<</italic>0.01）. Compared with the model group， the HTTLD groups could up-regulate the expression of ZO-1， Occludin， and Claudin-5 to varying degrees （<italic>P<</italic>0.05， <italic>P<</italic>0.01）， especially the high-dose HTTLD group. ELISA showed that the serum <italic>D</italic>-LAC， DAO， and LPS of the model group were elevated compared with those in the sham operation group （<italic>P<</italic>0.01）. Compared with the model group， the HTTLD groups showed reduced <italic>D</italic>-LAC and DAO （<italic>P<</italic>0.05， <italic>P<</italic>0.01）， and the medium- and high-dose HTTLD groups showed reduced LPS （<italic>P<</italic>0.05， <italic>P<</italic>0.01）， especially the high-dose HTTLD group. Conclusion:After cerebral ischemia/reperfusion， the rats showed damaged brain tissues， neurological dysfunction， intestinal mucosal injury， weakened intestinal motility， and destroyed the intestinal mucosal barrier. HTTLD can protect against brain-gut axis injury after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion by reducing the damage on brain tissues and gastrointestinal mucosa， relieving the symptoms of neurological deficits， promoting gastrointestinal motility， improving intestinal barrier function， and reducing the release of intestinal bacterial metabolites or poisons.

Effect of Astragaloside Ⅳ Combined with Notoginseng Total Saponins on Angiogenesis After Transplantation of BMSCs in Rats with Cerebral Ischemia / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of astragaloside Ⅳ（AST Ⅳ）and Notoginseng total saponins （NTS） combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell （BMSC） transplantation on neural repair and angiogenesis in rats with cerebral ischemia. Method:The rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group， a model group， low- and high-dose AST Ⅳ + NTS groups， a BMSC infusion group， and low- and high-dose BMSC infusion+AST Ⅳ （10 and 20 mg·kg^-1） + NTS group （25， 50 mg·kg^-1）. BMSCs were isolated and purified by whole bone marrow adherent culture. The positive expression of surface markers of BMSCs （CD29， CD90， CD34， and CD45） was detected by flow cytometry. The focal cerebral ischemia model was established by middle cerebral artery occlusion （MCAO）. The PKH26-labeled BMSCs were injected into the tail vein of rats in the BMSC infusion group， once a day. The rats in the combination groups received BMSC injection once a day and intragastric administration of drugs twice a day. Other groups were administered twice a day by gavage. The sham operation group and the model group received the same amount of normal saline. Symptoms and signs of neurological deficits were assessed by the Longa method and the cerebral infarction rate was determined by TTC staining. The survival and vascularization ［double positive expression of PKH26/vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）］ after transplantation of BMSCs were observed by the immunofluorescence method. The protein expression of Ang1 and TGF-<italic>β</italic>₁ was measured by Western blot. Result:BMSCs were properly isolated and cultured. The identification of surface markers CD29， CD90， CD34， and CD45 was consistent with the characteristics of BMSCs. The neurological deficit score and cerebral infarction rate of the model group were significantly increased （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. All drugs and cell transplantation could alleviate the above pathological changes in varying degrees. The strongest effect was observed in high-dose BMSC infusion+AST Ⅳ+NTS group （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， which was superior to those in the AST Ⅳ+NTS groups or the BMSC infusion group. BMSC injection helped cells survive in the ischemic brain tissues and promoted angiogenesis， and this effect could be enhanced by the combination with drugs. After cerebral ischemia， the expression of Ang1 and TGF-<italic>β</italic>₁ was increased， and the effect in the BMSC infusion+AST Ⅳ+NTS groups was the strongest （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Conclusion:AST Ⅳ combined with NTS can promote the survival of transplanted BMSCs and facilitate angiogenesis after target repair of damaged blood vessels after cerebral ischemia. The mechanism may be related to the improvement of the local microenvironment in the brain after cerebral ischemia and the promotion of the survival and differentiation of transplanted stem cells.

Effect of Exercise on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Systemic Inflammation and Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction: A Systematic Review / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective To systematically review the effects of exercise on systemic inflammation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and skeletal muscle dysfunction. Methods The literature about the effect of exercise on COPD systemic inflammation and skeletal muscle dysfunction were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, VIP and Wanfang data, until June, 2021, supplemented by reference review and manual retrieval. Results A total of 192 literatures were retrieved and eight were included, involving 245 subjects. The comprehensive results showed that exercise could decrease the level of pro-inflammatory factors and increase the level of anti-inflammatory factors. Exercise can improve the motor ability and skeletal muscle structure of patients with COPD. Exercise can improve systemic inflammation of COPD, which is related to the mode, intensity and duration of exercise. Exercise may affect ubiquitin-protease, insulin-like growth factors -1/phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/Akt and other pathways by regulating the inflammatory response, and improve skeletal muscle dysfunction. Conclusion Exercise has certain effect on reducing systemic inflammation and improving skeletal muscle dysfunction.

Effect of Exercise on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Systemic Inflammation and Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction: A Systematic Review / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective To systematically review the effects of exercise on systemic inflammation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and skeletal muscle dysfunction. Methods The literature about the effect of exercise on COPD systemic inflammation and skeletal muscle dysfunction were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, VIP and Wanfang data, until June, 2021, supplemented by reference review and manual retrieval. Results A total of 192 literatures were retrieved and eight were included, involving 245 subjects. The comprehensive results showed that exercise could decrease the level of pro-inflammatory factors and increase the level of anti-inflammatory factors. Exercise can improve the motor ability and skeletal muscle structure of patients with COPD. Exercise can improve systemic inflammation of COPD, which is related to the mode, intensity and duration of exercise. Exercise may affect ubiquitin-protease, insulin-like growth factors -1/phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/Akt and other pathways by regulating the inflammatory response, and improve skeletal muscle dysfunction. Conclusion Exercise has certain effect on reducing systemic inflammation and improving skeletal muscle dysfunction.

Effect of fluoride varnish on primary teeth in children aged 3-6 years in Huangpu District of Shanghai / 上海预防医学

Objective To evaluate the implementation process, and cost-effectiveness of fluoride varnish in preventing primary caries project for children aged 3-6 years in Huangpu District.This would provide the basis for the popularization of fluoride varnish project in preschool children as a basic measure of caries prevention in community health service. Methods From 2016 to 2017, children aged 3-6 years old from 12 kindergartens in Huangpu District were varnished by fluoride twice a year.Three-years-old children in 12 kindergartens were divided into intervention group and control group according to the baseline survey results.The intervention group was implemented according to the established norms, while the control group was implemented according to the routine requirements.Follow-up examinations were conducted after 4 interventions to monitor primary caries increment among these children. Results Caries rate, average caries index and SiC in children aged 3, 4, 5 and 6 years were all dropped after fluorination in year of 2018.The caries rate of 5-year-old deciduous teeth decreased from 58.8% in 2015 to 45.0% in 2018.The dental caries rate in the intervention group was lower than that in the control group, and the frequency of fluoride application per capita was higher than that in the control group, showing a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in the rate of fluoride application and average caries index between the two groups (P > 0.05).The direct input-output ratio of the project is 1 : 5.16. Conclusion Fluorinated caries prevention project using fluoride varnish for preschool children can effectively reduce the incidence of dental caries in deciduous teeth and has good economic benefits.The application of standard fluorine coating on preschool children′s deciduous teeth can affect caries prevention.

Effect of Group Occupational Training Based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Post-stroke Cognitive Impairment / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To explore the clinical effect of group occupational training based on cognitive behavior on patients with post-stroke cognitive impairment. Methods:From May, 2018 to March, 2019, 56 patients with post-stroke cognitive impairment were randomly divided into control group (n = 29) and experimental group (n = 27). Both groups received routine rehabilitation, and the experimental group received group occupational therapy, three times a week, for twelve times. They were assessed with Montreal Cognition Assessment (MoCA), modified Barthel Index (MBI) and the Short Form of Health Survey (SF-36) before and after intervention. Results:The scores of MoCA, MBI and SF-36 increased in both groups after intervention (t > 2.275, P < 0.05), and their difference before and after intervention was more in the experimental group than in the control group (t > 2.835, P < 0.01). Conclusion:Group occupational training can improve the cognitive function of patients with post-stroke cognitive impairment and improve their activities of daily living and quality of life.

Study on borneol combined with astragaloside IV and Panax notoginseng saponins promoting bioactive components into brain in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion model of rats / 中草药

Objective To investigate whether borneol can promote the bioactive components of the combination of astragaloside IV (AST IV) and Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) into the blood-brain barrier of rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)/reperfusion. Methods Using the model of MCAO/reperfusion, rats were randomly divided into sham-operation group, model group, borneol group, AST IV group, PNS group, AST IV + PNS group and borneol + AST IV + PNS group, and the content of AST IV and the bioactive components of PNS (ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Rb1, and notoginsenoside R1) in the cerebral cortex and the cerebellum of the affected side and the healthy side were determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Results AST IV, whether used alone or combined with PNS and borneol, was mainly distributed in the cerebral cortex after oral administration, especially in the affected cerebral cortex. Borneol combined with AST IV and PNS significantly increased the content of AST IV in the affected and the healthy cerebral cortex. The bioactive components of PNS such as ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Rb1, and notoginsenoside R1 was mainly distributed in the affected side of the cerebellum when PNS was used alone. Borneol combined with AST IV + PNS significantly increased the content of ginsenoside Rb1 in the cerebral cortex, especially in the affected cortex, increased the content of Rg1 in the healthy and the affected cortex, and increased the content of notoginsenoside R1 in the cerebral cortex, especially in the affected cortex, as well as in the cerebellum. Conclusion AST IV and the bioactive components of PNS such as ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Rb1, and notoginsenoside R1 have a certain distribution in the cerebral cortex and the cerebellum after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion in rats. AST IV was mainly distributed in the cerebral cortex when it was used alone, ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Rb1, and notoginsenoside R1 were mainly distributed in the cerebellum when PNS was used alone. The combination of borneol combined with AST IV and PNS can promote the gather of AST IV, ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Rb1, and notoginsenoside R1 to the cerebral cortex, especially to the cortex of the ischemia-reperfusion side; Moreover, it can promote the absorption of AST IV, ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Rb1, and notoginsenoside R1 in the cerebral cortex to varying degrees, especially in the affected cortex.

Effects of astragaloside IV combined with Panax notoginseng saponins on proliferation, apoptosis, migration and neuronal differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in OGD/R model rats / 中草药

Objective: To observe the effects of astragaloside IV (AST IV) combined with Panax Notoginseng saponins (PNS) on proliferation, apoptosis, migration and neuronal differentiation of oxygen glucosedeprivation/reoxygenation model rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Methods: BMSCs were isolated, cultured, amplified and purified by the whole bone marrow adherent method. The positive expression rates of BMSCs surface markers, CD29, CD90, CD34, and CD45 were detected by flow cytometry. The third generation of BMSCs was pretreated with AST IV and PNS doses of high (100 μmol/L + 60 μmol/L), medium (50 μmol/L + 30 μmol/L), and low (25 μmol/L + 15 μmol/L) for 24 h. The model of ischemia-reperfusion injury was established by OGD/R. Meanwhile, the normal group (BMSCs were cultured normally) and the model group (OGD/R was used to establish an ischemia reperfusion injury model) were established. The cell increment rate was detected by CCK-8 assay. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. Transwell assay was used to detect the migration of BMSCs. The condition of BMSCs differentiation into neurons and astrocytes was observed by Nestin/NSE and Nestin/GFAP immunofluorescence double labeling. Results: BMSCs were successfully cultured and separated, and the positive rates of CD29 and CD90 detected by flow cytometry were 94.23% and 94.69%, while the positive rates of CD34 and CD45 were 5.76% and 5.31%. Compared with the normal group, the survival rate of the model group was reduced significantly and the apoptosis rate was increased significantly (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the combination of different doses of AST IV and PNS could promote the proliferation of BMSCs (P < 0.05, 0.01) and inhibit the apoptosis (P < 0.05, 0.01). Compared with the normal group, the model group and the AST IV and PNS group at different doses could promote the migration of BMSCs (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the number of migrated cells in the AST IV and PNS groups at different doses was increased significantly (P < 0.05). Compared with the normal group, the model group and the AST IV and PNS groups at different doses could promote the differentiation of BMSCs into neurons and astrocytes (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the positive expression rates of Nestin/NSE and Nestin/GFAP in the AST IV and PNS groups at different doses were increased significantly (P < 0.01). Conclusion: AST IV combined with PNS can promote the proliferation and migration of BMSCs of ischemia-reperfusion model in vitro, inhibit the apoptosis, and induce their directional differentiation into neurons and astrocytes.

Advance in Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation on Skeletal Muscle in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(review) / 中国康复理论与实践

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation(NMES)is one of the electrotherapy that exerts a low-frequency current over the targeted nerves and muscles to induce skeletal muscle contractions to treat skeletal muscle dysfunction in patients.As an alternative rehabilitation modality,NMES is essential for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) who are unable to participate in conventional rehabilitation program.NMES could effectively improve the skeletal mus-cle strength,endurance,exercise capacity and quality of life of the patients with COPD.It may be related to remodeling skeletal muscle structure,reducing oxidative stress in skeletal muscle,and improving balance of skeletal muscle protein metabolism.

Impact of neutrophil/lymphocytes ratio on the prognosis in breast cancer patients who underwent modified radical mastectomy / 中国现代普通外科进展

Objective:To purpose of this study is to introduce how peripheral blood neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) before operations influences the prognosis of patients with breast cancer.Methods:Review of systems were used to analyze patients who suffered from breast cancer and accepted modified radical mastectomy of breast cancer according to the clinical data of 180 cases of Shenyang Military Region General Hospital between January 2002 and January 2005.All the patients were classified into two groups according to the NLR with the critical value at 6.0.2 statistics were used to evaluate the relationship between NLR of two groups and clinical pathological characteristic.Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox's proportional hazards regression model were used to analyze the relationship among NLR of two groups,other clinical pathologic characteristic and prognosis of patients.Results:The high level of NLR is related with the size of patients' tumor,lymph node metastasis and TNM stages (P＜0.05).Kaplan-Meier survival curves indicated the group of high level of NLR's overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) was significantly lower than the low level NLR group (P＜0.05).Single factor and multivariate cox's proportional hazards regression model indicated the high level of NLR before operations,the size of tumor,lymph node metastasis and TNM stages were significantly related with the OS and DFS (P＜0.05).Conclusion:The high level of NLR before operations is an independent risk factor to influence the OS and DFS of the patients who accepted modified radical mastectomy of breast cancer.

Effect of Human Umbilical Cord Blood-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells on the Proliferation and Apoptosis of Leukemic Cells and Its Mechanism / 中国实验血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells(HUCMSC) on the leukemic cell line HL-60 and acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line Jurkat as well as the role of CXCL12/CXCR4.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>HL-60 cells and Jurkat cells were co-cultured with human umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cell (HUCMSC), and the model was treated with G-CSF, AMD3100 and their combination. The cell viability and cell cycle were measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), the apoptosis and the cell-cycle analysis were assessed by flow cytometry with the Annexin V/PI double staining. The expression of surface CXCR4 protein and total CXCR4 protein of leukemic cells were detected by flow cytometry and Western blot respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>HUCMSC could decrease the viability of HL-60 cells and Jurkat cells, as well as the percentage of apoptotic cells, they could also increase the number of G/Gcells, while G-CSF and AMD3100 could reduce the proliferation of HL-60 cells and Jurkat cells in HUCMSC co-culture model, destructed the anti-apoptotic effect of HUCMSC on HL-60 cells and Jurkat cells, and the combination of 2 drugs resulted in a synergistic effect. The G-CSF could reduce the expression of surface CXCR4 protein and total CXCR4 protein in leukemic cells, while AMD3100 could only decrease the expression of surface CXCR4 protein of leukemia cell membrane, having no effect on the expression of CXCR4 protein in cytoplasm.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Human umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells can inhibit the proliferation and apoptosis of acute leukemia cells and increase the number of G/Gphase cells in leukemic cells. The AMD3100 can decrease the expression of surface CXCR4 protein in leukemia cells, G-CSF can decrease expression of total CXCR4 protein as well as membrane CXCR4 protein. Both of them can block the CXCL12/CXCR4 signal axis, weakening the relationship between leukemia cells and microenvironment. And on the basic of HUCMSC influenced leukemia cells' growth and proliferation, the cell viability will be weakened, its apoptosis will be promoted, and the percentage of G/Gphase cells in leukemia cells will be decreased.</p>

Effect of astragaloside Ⅳ combined with Panax notoginseng saponins on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury and study of pharmacokinetics in rats / 中国中药杂志

The aim is to study the effect of astragaloside Ⅳ (AST Ⅳ) combined with Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, and to probe the synergistic mechanism through the pharmacokinetics of the four major components such as AST Ⅳ, ginsenoside Rg₁ (Rg₁), ginsenoside Rb₁ (Rb₁), notoginsenoside R₁ (R₁) in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats. Following the establishment of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion model in rats by modified suture method, neurological function score, cerebral infarction area and pathomorphology were used to evaluate the pharmacological effect that the combination of AST Ⅳ and PNS antagonized cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury; the contents of AST Ⅳ, Rg₁, Rb₁, R₁ in rat plasma of different time points were determined with ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem massspectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated and pharmacokinetics changes of the main effective components were analyzed. The results showed that AST Ⅳ, PNS alone and their combination could reduce the cerebral infarction area of rats, relieve the behavioral scores of neurologic deficit, improve the pathological changes after cerebral ischemia, the effects of the combination were better. Among AST Ⅳ, Rg₁, Rb₁, R₁, the area under the curve (AUC) was significantly increased, the mean residence time of (MRT0-t) was delayed, the peak concentration (Cmax) was significantly raised, the apparent volume of distribution (Vz/F) was reduced, and the clearance rate in vivo was significantly slowed. It suggested that AST Ⅳ combined with PNS has synergistic enhancement on anti-cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, moreover, make the pharmacokinetic behavior of the main effective components change, the mechanism may be associated with prolonging the retention time of the effective components in cerebral ischemia condition, elevating the bioavailability.

Expression of HOXB4, PRDM16 and HOXA9 in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Its Clinical Significance / 中国实验血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate HOXB4, PRDM16 and HOXA9 gene expression in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and its clinical significance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) with SYBR Green assay was used to detect the expression of HOXB4, PRDM16 and HOXA9 gene in AML patients (40 cases), the patients with complete remission (9 cases) and patients with non-malignant hematologic diseases as control (10 cases). The relationship between the expression levels of gene HOXB4, PRDM16, HOXA9 and clinical features was investigated by statistical analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The gene expression levels of HOXB4, PRDM16, HOXA9 in newly diagnosed or relapsed AML patients were significantly higher than those in patients with non-malignant hematologic disease (P < 0.05). It was observed that the expression of HOXB4 gene in newly diagnosed or relapsed patients positively correlates with leukemic blasts in bone marrow (r = 0.39). The expression levels of HOXB4, PRDM16 and HOXA9 positively correlate with each other. There was statistical significance among gene expressions in different phases (newly diagnosed, relapse, remission). No correlation was observed between expression levels of HOXB4, PRDM16, HOXA9 and chromosome risk status. It was noticed that expression levels of HOXB4, PRDM16, HOXA9 genes were lower in the patients achieved remission after two courses of chemotherapy than those in the other. And high expression group of each gene had a lower remission rate than that in the low expression group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The expression level of HOXB4, PRDM16, HOXA9 genes and leukemic blasts somewhat correlate with curative effect and prognosis. The expression of HOXB4, PRDM16, HOXA9 genes is higher in newly diagnosed and relapsed leukemia patients, and lower in the patients acquired CR/PR. High expression of HOXB4, PRDM16, HOXA9 genes predicts an adverse prognosis.</p>

Effects of HOXB4-transfecting directly and HOXB4-transfected HUCMSC on in vitro expansion of human umbilical cord blood CD34+ cells / 中国实验血液学杂志

This study was purposed to investigate the difference of nucleated cell (NC) count, CD34(+) cell ratio and expansion multiple, cell cycle and colony formation capability in in vitro expanded human umbilical cord blood CD34(+) cells from HOXB4-transfecting directly and HOXB4-transfected human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUCMSC) by means of prepared feeder layers of HUCMSC. The HUCMSC were divided into 2 groups:first group, in which HOXB4 gene was transfected into HUCMSC by using lentiviral vecfor, and feeder layers were set up; and second group in which feeder layers for HUCMSC of non-transfected HOXB4 gene were set up. The CD34(+) cells were separated from HUCB by magmatic activated cell sorting(MACS). After culture in medium with cytokines for 2 days, CD34(+) cells were divided into 5 groups, including control group and experimental group. The control groups included CD34(+) cells as group A (blank control group) and GFP-CD34(+) cells as group B (negative control group) and experimental groups included HOXB4-CD34(+) cells as group C, HUCMSC+CD34(+) cells as group D, HOXB4-HUCMSC+ CD34(+) cells as group E and cells in all groups were cultured in vitro. The number of nucleated cells were counted at day 6, 10, 14 of culture and CD34 immunophenotypes, cell cycle and colony forming capability were measured at day 10 of culture in different conditions. The results indicated that HOXB4 gene could be transfected into HUCMSC by lentiviral vector and feeder layers were set up successfully. After culture for 14 days, the nucleated cells in 5 groups could be amplified effectively, and the expansion levels in 5 groups were in order HOXB4-HUCMSC+CD34(+) cell group> HOXB4-CD34(+) cell group>HUCMSC+CD34(+) cell group> control groups (P < 0.05). At day 10 of in vitro expansion the CD34(+) cell percentage decreased significantly in all groups, while the number of CD34(+) cell increased in experiment groups, which were in order HOXB4-CD34(+) cells group> HOXB4-HUCMSC+CD34(+) cell group>HUCMSC+CD34(+) cell group>control groups (P < 0.05). The cell cycle detection showed that the percentage of cells in S+G2/M phase in experiment groups were higher than that in control groups (P < 0.05), and percentage of cells in HOXB4-HUCMSC+CD34(+) cells group was higher (41.57%) than that in HOXB4-CD34(+) cells group(37.87%) and HUCMSC+CD34(+) cell group (28.65%) (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in the CFU number between HOXB4-HUCMSC+CD34(+) cell group and HOXB4-CD34(+) cell group, which were both higher than that in HUCMSC+CD34(+) cell group and control groups (P < 0.05).It is concluded that the CD34(+) cells cultured on HOXB4-HUCMSC feeder layers can be amplified significantly and kept the characteristics of stem cells, The feeder lager of HOXB4-HUCMSC is relative safe for amplification of CD34(+) cells in vitro, it possesses the potential useful value.

miR-125b promotes proliferation of human acute myeloid leukemia cells by targeting Bak1 / 中华血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate miR- 125b regulation mechanism by identifying miR-125b target genes and its function in acute myeloid leukemia (AML).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The bioinformatics software and database were applied to predict and analyze target genes of miR-125b. The vector contained the target gene 3'-UTR portion cloned into a luciferase reporter construct. A luciferase reporter assay was performed following co-transfection of small molecular miR-125b mimics and target gene wild-type or mutant plasmid into HEK-293T cells. Further in leukemia cell lines NB4 and HL-60, the protein level of target gene was measured by Western blot after overexpression miR-125b. Finally, the viabilities of NB4 and HL-60 cells were measured by CCK-8 assay at 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 96 h after electroporation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Bcl-2-antagonist/killer 1 (Bak1), a pro-apoptotic gene, was a target gene of miR-125b by software predicts. Reporter vector containing the 3'-UTR Bak1 wild and mutation sites were co-transfected with small molecule analogues of miR-125b in HEK-293T cells. Dual luciferase reporter gene assay system showed that miR-125b significantly suppresses the reporter gene activity containing Bak1 3'-UTR by about 53.8% (P<0.05), but it didn't suppresses the reporter gene activity containing 3'-UTR Bak1 mutation. Western blot showed that miR-125b mimics significantly down-regulated the expression of Bak1 in human leukemia cell lines NB4 and HL-60. Meanwhile, the growth rate of cells treated with miR-125b obviously increased compared with that in control by CCK-8 test (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our findings strongly indicated that BAK1 was a downstream target gene of miR-125b, and miR-125b promoted proliferation in human AML cells at least partially by targeting Bak1, so we speculated that miR-125b as an oncogene could be a potential therapeutic target for treating AML.</p>