Scalp-nape acupuncture as adjuvant therapy for pharyngeal dysphagia of stroke at recovery stage: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the therapeutic effect of scalp-nape acupuncture for pharyngeal dysphagia of stroke at recovery stage on the basis of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and rehabilitation training.@*METHODS@#A total of 42 patients with pharyngeal dysphagia of stroke at recovery stage were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 21 cases in each group. Conventional medical symptomatic treatment was given in both groups. NMES and rehabilitation training were adopted in the control group, 30 min for each one. On the basis of the treatment in the control group, scalp-nape acupuncture was given in the observation group, scalp acupuncture was applied at lower 2/5 of anterior and posterior oblique lines of parietal and temporal, nape acupuncture was applied at Fengchi (GB 20), Yiming (EX-HN 14), Gongxue (Extra), Zhiqiang (Extra), Tunyan (Extra), etc. The treatment was given once a day, 5 days a week for 3 weeks in both groups. Before and after treatment, the videofluoroscopic dysphagia scale (VDS) score, the Kubota water swallowing test grade, the functional oral intake scale (FOIS) grade and the swallowing quality of life (SWAL-QOL) score were observed in both groups.@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the VDS scores were decreased and the SWAL-QOL scores were increased compared before treatment (P<0.05), the Kubota water swallowing test grade and FOIS grade were improved compared before treatment (P<0.05) in both groups. The changes of VDS score and SWAL-QOL score, Kubota water swallowing test grade and FOIS grade in the observation group were superior to those in the control group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Based on NMES and rehabilitation training, scalp-nape acupuncture can enhance the therapeutic effect on pharyngeal dysphagia of stroke at recovery stage, and improve the patients' swallowing function and quality of life.

Study on sperm damage caused by trichloroethylene in male rats / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study in vitro sperm damage caused by trichloroethylene in male rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sperms of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were collected 4 hours after being contaminated by trichloroethylene of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mmol/L in vitro. Giemsa staining was performed to observe the morphological changes of sperms, and flow cytometer was used to detect the changes in mitochondrial membrane potential.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The sperm motilities in 6, 8, and 10 mmol/L trichloroethylene groups decreased significantly compared with that in control group (P <0.01); the sperm aberration rates in 8 and 10 mmol/L trichloroethylene groups were significantly higher than that in control group (P<0.01). With the increase in exposure dose, the proportion of sperms with reduced mitochondrial membrane potential increased, and there were significant differences in sperm apoptosis rate between the 4, 6, 8, and 10 mmol/L trichloroethylene groups and control group (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In vitro exposure to trichloroethylene can reduce sperm motility and increase the aberration rate and apoptosis rate of sperms in male SD rats.</p>

A cell-based detection of ciguatoxin using sodium fluorescence probe / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a cell-based detection method of ciguatoxin using fluorescence assay.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Mouse neuroblastoma N-2A cells were exposed to ouabain and veratridine and different concentrations of standard ciguatoxin samples (P-CTX-1) to establish the curvilinear relationship between the toxin dosage and fluorescence intensity using the sodium fluorescence probe CoroNaTM Green. The toxicity curvilinear relationship was also generated between the toxin dosage and cell survival using CCK-8 method. Based on these standard curves, the presence of ciguatoxin was detected in 33 samples of deep-sea coral fish.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A correlation was found between the detection results of cell-based fluorescence assay and cytotoxicity assay, whose detection limit reached 103 g/ml and 1012 g/ml, respectively. The cell-based fluorescent assay sensitivity showed a higher sensitivity than cytotoxicity assay with a 2-4 h reduction of the detection time.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The cell-based fluorescent assay can quickly and sensitively detect ciguatoxin and may serve as a good option for preliminary screening of the toxin.</p>

Study on mRNA expression of immune-related genes in patients with allergic dermatitis induced by trichloroethylene / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study mRNA expression of immune-related genes (Foxp3, GATA3, CTLA4 and T-bet) in peripheral blood of the patients with allergic dermatitis induced by trichloroethylene (TCE).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The peripheral blood samples were collected from 8 healthy workers (control group) and 8 patients with allergic dermatitis induced by TCE (case group). Real-time quantitative PCR was applied to detect mRNA expression of immune-related genes (Foxp3, GATA3, CTLA4, T-bet).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mRNA expression levels of Foxp3, GATA3 and CTLA4 genes increased by 115%, 97% and 241% in case group, as compared with control group (P < 0.01). The mRNA expression level of T-bet gene decreased by 47% in case group, as compared with control group (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The mRNA expression levels of some immune-related genes changed in patients with allergic dermatitis induced by TCE, those genes may play an important role in TCE-induced allergy.</p>

Association of cooking oil fumes exposure and oxidative DNA damage among occupational exposed populations / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Previous investigations indicate that cooks are exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from cooking oil fumes (COF). However, Emission of PAH and their carcinogenic potencies from cooking oil fumes sources have not been investigated among cooks.</p><p><b>AIMS</b>To investigate the urinary excretion of a marker for oxidative DNA damage, 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), in different groups of cooks and different exposure groups, and to study the association between 8-OHdG and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), a biological marker for PAH exposure.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Urine samples were collected from different groups of cooks (n = 86) and from unexposed controls (n = 36), all are male with similar age and smoking habits. The health status, occupational history, smoking, and alcohol consumption 24 hours prior to sampling was estimated from questionnaires. The urinary samples were frozen for later analyses of 8-OHdG and 1-OHP by high performance liquid chromatography.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Excretion in urine of 8-OHdG were similar for controls (mean 1.2 µmol/mol creatinine, n = 36), and for those who had been in the kitchen room with exhaust hood operation (mean 1.5 µmol/mol creatinine, n = 45). COF exposed cooks without exhaust hood operation had increased excretion of 8-OHdG (mean 2.3 µmol/mol creatinine, n = 18). The difference between this group and the unexposed controls was significant. The urinary levels of ln 1-OHP and ln 8-OHdG were still significantly correlated in a multiple regression analysis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Results indicate that exposure to PAH or possibly other compounds in COF may cause oxidative DNA damage.</p>

Construction of a eukaryotic expression vector harboring the small interfering RNA targeting HCMV-IE1 gene and its gene silencing efficiency / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of RNA interference targeting human cytomegalovirus immediate early gene 1 (HCMV- IE1) on the gene expression in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>According to the sequence of HCMV-IE1 gene, the small interfering RNA (siRNA) sequences were designed and introduced into the eukaryotic expression vector containing the U6 promoter. After verification by sequence analysis, the recombinant eukaryotic plasmid (pHCMV-IE1i) was transfected into HEL HCMVAD169 cells. The effectiveness of HCMV-IE1 gene silencing was investigated by fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry and RT-PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Sequence analysis confirmed successful construction of the recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmid pHCMV-IE1i. The expression of HCMV-IE1 was effectively suppressed by pHCMV-IE1i transfection in HEL cells as shown by fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry (P < 0.05) and RT-PCR (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The expression of HCMV-IE1 can be effectively suppressed by RNA interference technique in vitro, which provides experimental data for prevention and treatment of HCMV infection.</p>

Effect of cadmium chloride on the expression and phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase in normal rat kidney epithelial cells / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effect of cadmium chloride on the expression and phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in normal rat kidney epithelial (NRK) cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The NRK cells were incubated with cadmium chloride either at respective dose (0, 1, 5, 10, 20, 40 µmol/L) for 24 h or at same dose (10 µmol/L) for respective time (0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0 h). Western blotting was applied to test the expression of MAPK in NRK cells (ERK1/2, p38, JNK); and phosphor-specific antibody to detect the phosphorylated MAPK (p-ERK1/2, p-p38, p-JNK).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was no significant difference in the MAPK expression among the groups either treated with different doses or for different time; however, the level of phosphorylated MAPK was comparatively higher than it in control group. There was an obvious expression of p-ERK1/2 at 1.00 ± 0.06 in the group incubated with 10 µmol/L CdCl(2); and the expression in the 20 µmol/L and 40 µmol/L CdCl(2) group was 2.58 ± 0.11, 2.76 ± 0.23 respectively, which was 1.58 and 1.76 times more than it in 10 µmol/L CdCl(2) group. The differences were statistically significant (F = 827.70, P < 0.01). The respective expression of p-p38MAPK in the 20 µmol/L (2.47 ± 0.20)and 40 µmol/L CdCl(2) group (3.73 ± 0.25)was 1.47 and 2.73 times more than it in control group (1.00 ± 0.02), and the differences were also statistically significant (F = 280.06, P < 0.01). There was a dose-effect relationship of the concentration of cadmium in the expression of p-ERK1/2 (r = 0.919, t = 4.69, P = 0.009) and p-p38MAPK (r = 0.945, t = 5.79, P = 0.004). Additionally, phosphorylated MAPK expressed in a time-dependent manner. The expression of p-ERK1/2 was obvious in the group incubated for 1 h (1.26 ± 0.11), and the respective expression in the 4 h group (1.51 ± 0.07) and 8 h group (3.53 ± 0.23) was 1.5 and 3.5 times of it in the control group (1.00 ± 0.02). The differences were statistically significant (F = 427.82, P < 0.001). The expression of p-p38MAPK increased significantly in 1 h group (1.31 ± 0.07); while the respective expression in 4 h group (3.53 ± 0.32) and 8 h group (4.41 ± 0.38) was 3.5 and 4.4 times of it in control group (1.00 ± 0.03). The differences were also statistically significant (F = 280.06, P < 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Cadmium chloride could significantly enhance the phosphorylation of MAPK in NRK cells; and it is probably associated with the activation of MAPK.</p>

Screening and identification of differential serum proteins related to dermatitis medicamentosa-like of trichloroethylene / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To screen and identify differential serum proteins which might be involved in dermatitis medicamentosa-like of trichloroethylene (DMLT).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Three groups of sera were collected from population exposed to trichloroethylene (TCE) (group I), patients suffering from DMLT (group II), and the healed cases (group III). After removing albumin and IgG in the three pools of sera, a comparative proteomic analysis was carried out. The images were analyzed using ImageMaster Platinum 2D 5.0 to screen the differentially expressed proteins. The protein spots were then subjected to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry sequencing of tryptic peptides for further identification.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The depletion of albumin and IgG greatly increased the number of protein spots to 300 ± 12.Five differential spots were identified, which were complement component C4b, apolipoprotein A-I, apolipoprotein C-III apolipoprotein C-II and transthyretin. Compared with group I, the expression levels of complement component C4b in group III and apolipoprotein C-II in group II were up-regulated (1.352 88-fold, 1.512 14-fold, respectively); compared with group I, the expression levels of apolipoprotein A-I, apolipoprotein C-III and transthyretin in group II were down-regulated (1.601 17-fold, 1.034 49-fold, 1.313 35-fold, respectively).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The findings of this study show that most of the identified differential proteins are closely related to immunity and liver dysfunction, which provides some evidence on elucidating the mechanisms and screening of biomarkers of TCE intoxication.</p>

Effect of hydroquinone on expression of ubiquitin-ligating enzyme Rad18 in human L-02 hepatic cells / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of hydroquinone (HQ) on expression of ubiquitin-ligating enzyme Rad18 in human hepatic cells (L-02), and to explore the role and possible mechanism of Rad18 involved in toxicity of HQ to hepatic cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>After L-02 hepatic cells were exposed to HQ with various concentrations (0, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80 and 160 micromol/L) for 24 h, cell survival rate was measured by MTT assay; DNA impairment was evaluated by single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE); The expression levels of Rad18 mRNA and protein were detected by Real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) technique and Western blot method respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>HQ with concentration from 0 to 80 micromol/L had little effect on survival rate of L-02 (P > 0.05); Whereas the survival rate in the group of 160 micromol/L was significantly lower than in the control with the significant difference (P < 0.01) after treated with HQ for 24 h; The higher dose of HQ presented, the more degrees of olive tail moment (OTM) were produced and a dose-dependent relationship was shown. HQ in a low concentration (0 to approximately 40 micromol/L) could induce increase in the expression of Rad18 mRNA and protein which was in proportion to the increment of HQ concentration; the expression of Rad18 mRNA was enhanced increasingly, while the expression of Rad18 protein unchanged basically once the concentration of HQ exceeded 40 micromol/L; Besides, there was a positive correlation between OTM and the expression level of Rad18 mRNA (r = 0.919, P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>HQ could regulate up the expression of Rad18 in L-02 hepatic cells.</p>

Breast cancer resistance protein expression and 5-fluorouracil resistance / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To filtrate breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP)-mediated resistant agents and to investigate clinical relationship between BCRP expression and drug resistance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>MTT assay was performed to filtrate BCRP-mediated resistant agents with BCRP expression cell model and to detect chemosensitivity of breast cancer tissue specimens to these agents. A high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay was established, and was used to measure the relative dose of intracellular retention resistant agents. RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were employed to investigate the BCRP expression in breast cancer tissue specimens.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>MTT assay showed that the expression of BCRP increased with the increasing resistance of 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) (P<0.05, n=3) in the cell model, while HPLC assay indicated that the intracellular retention dose of 5-Fu was significantly correlated with the expression of BCRP (r=-0.897, P<0.05, n=3). A total of 140 breast cancer tissue specimens were collected. BCRP-positive expression was detected in forty-seven specimens by both RT-PCR and IHC. As shown by MTT assay subsequently, the resistance index (RI) of 47 BCRP-positive breast cancer tissue specimens to 5-Fu was 7-12 times as high as that of adjacent normal tissue samples. BCRP expression was related to 5-Fu resistance (R2=0.8124, P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Resistance to 5-Fu can be mediated by BCRP. Clinical chemotherapy for breast cancer patients can be optimized based on BCRP-positive expression.</p>

Study on the relationship between breast cancer resistance protein expression and 5-fluorouracil resistance / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To screen breast cancer resistance protein BCRP-mediated resistance agents and to investigate the relations between BCRP expression and drug resistance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>MT assay was performed to screen BCRP-mediated resistant agents with established BCRP expression cell model. While, the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay was administrated to measure the related dosage of intracellular retention resistant agents. The BCRP expression was investigated by both real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay in 140 clinical breast cancer tissue specimens. Chemosensitivity to resistant agents for clinical breast cancer tissue specimens was analyzed by MT assay. The Nonparametric variance statistics method was used to analyze the correlations between clinical breast cancer tissue of BCRP expression and drug resistance.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>MT assay showed that increasing resistance of 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) climbed with the increases of the BCRP expressions by 10.58 times (P < 0.05, n = 3) in cell model. HPLC assay also proved that a significant negative correlation between the intracellular retention dose of 5-Fu with different expression of BCRP (r = -0.897, P < 0.05, n = 3). Forty-seven tissue specimens of BCRP-positive expression were rapidly determined by using both real-time RT-PCR and IHC in 140 clinical breast cancer tissue specimens. Subsequently, the resistance index (RI) for 47 BCRP-positive clinical breast cancer tissues to 5-Fu was shown from 7 to 12 times compared with normal cancer-side tissues through MT assay. The statistical correlation between BCRP expression and 5-Fu resistance was observed in clinical breast cancer tissue specimens (R2 = 0.8124, P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This study results showed that there is a significant relationship between BCRP expression and 5-Fu resistance. Moreover, the results suggest that the chemotherapy scheme could be optimized on BCRP-positive expression breast cancer patients.</p>

Possible role of DNA polymerase beta in protecting human bronchial epithelial cells against cytotoxicity of hydroquinone / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the toxicological mechanism of hydroquinone in human bronchial epithelial cells and to investigate whether DNA polymerase beta is involved in protecting cells from damage caused by hydroquinone.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>DNA polymerase beta knock-down cell line was established via RNA interference as an experimental group. Normal human bronchial epithelial cells and cells transfected with the empty vector of pEGFP-C1 were used as controls. Cells were treated with different concentrations of hydroquinone (ranged from 10 micromol/L to 120 micromol/L) for 4 hours. MTT assay and Comet assay [single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE)] were performed respectively to detect the toxicity of hydroquinone.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>MTT assay showed that DNA polymerase beta knock-down cells treated with different concentrations of hydroquinone had a lower absorbance value at 490 nm than the control cells in a dose-dependant manner. Comet assay revealed that different concentrations of hydroquinone caused more severe DNA damage in DNA polymerase beta knock-down cell line than in control cells and there was no significant difference in the two control groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Hydroquinone has significant toxicity to human bronchial epithelial cells and causes DNA damage. DNA polymerase beta knock-down cell line appears more sensitive to hydroquinone than the control cells. The results suggest that DNA polymerase beta is involved in protecting cells from damage caused by hydroquinone.</p>

Study on differential proteomic expression in human liver cells stimulated by trichloroethylene with proteomics / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the differential proteomic expression in human liver cells L-02 induced by different dosages of trichloroethylene (TCE).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Human liver cells L-02 were treated with different concentrations of TCE and the solvent control (dimethylsulfoxide). The total cellular proteins were separated using 2DE and visualized with silver staining after TCE treatment. The images were analyzed with Image Master 2D Platinum 5.0 analysis software. The differentially expressed protein spots were identified by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-TOF-MS).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Fifteen protein spots with significant difference were found, and went upward or downward or disappeared after the stimulation of TCE with different dosages, which indicated that TCE induced the change of the proteomic expression in the liver cells. The mass spectrum identification and the IPI human database retrieval were used for identifying 9 proteins related to the L-02 Liver cells induced by TCE.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The result provides an insight to TCE-related molecular mechanism and which might be useful for further study of the TCE-associated proteins and molecular markers.</p>