Acupuncture combined with auricular point sticking for girls aged 3-8 years with incomplete precocious puberty: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the efficacy and safety of acupuncture combined with auricular point sticking for girls aged 3-8 years with incomplete precocious puberty (IPP).@*METHODS@#Sixty girls with IPP were randomly divided into an observation group (30 cases, 2 cases dropped off) and a control group (30 cases, 2 cases were eliminated). The girls in the control group were treated with healthy diet and proper exercise for 12 weeks. On the basis of the treatment in the control group, the girls in the observation group were treated with acupuncture combined with auricular point sticking. The acupuncture was applied at Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Guanyuan (CV 4), Guilai (ST 29), etc., the needles were retained for 20 min, acupuncture was given twice a week (once every 3 days). The auricular point sticking was applied at Luanchao (TF2), Neishengzhiqi (TF2), Neifenmi (CO18), Yuanzhong (AT2,3,4i), etc., twice a week. The treatment was given for 12 weeks. Before treatment, after treatment and in follow-up after 12 weeks of treatment completion, the Tanner stage of breast, serum contents of sex hormone (luteinizing hormone [LH], follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH], estradiol [E2]) were observed. The ovarian volume, the number of follicles with diameter>4 mm, and the uterine volume were measured by abdominal color Doppler ultrasound. In addition, the safety of the observation group was evaluated.@*RESULTS@#Compared with before treatment, the Tanner stage of breast in the observation group was improved after treatment and in follow-up (P<0.05); after treatment and in follow-up, the Tanner stage of breast in the observation group was better than that in the control group (P<0.05). Compared with before treatment, the serum levels of LH and E2 in the observation group were increased (P<0.05), and the volume of bilateral ovaries was larger (P<0.05) in follow-up. Compared with before treatment, the serum contents of LH, FSH and E2 in the control group were increased (P<0.05), the volume of bilateral ovaries was larger (P<0.05), and the number of follicles was increased (P<0.05) after treatment and in follow-up. The serum levels of LH, FSH and E2 in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05), the volume of bilateral ovaries was smaller than that in the control group (P<0.05), and the number of follicles was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). Compared with before treatment, the uterine volume in the two groups was larger in follow-up (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups after treatment and in follow-up (P>0.05). During the treatment, 3 cases in the observation group had slight abdominal pain and subcutaneous blood stasis, without serious adverse reactions.@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture combined with auricular point sticking could improve the Tanner stage of breast, reduce the level of sex hormone, slow down the development and maturation of ovary and follicle, and control the degree and speed of sexual development in girls aged 3-8 years with IPP.

Effect of isopentenyl pyrophosphate translocation on the biosynthesis of triptolide / 生物工程学报

Triptolide has wide clinical applications due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and immunosuppressive activities. In this study, we investigated the effect of blocking isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) translocation on the biosynthesis of triptolide by exogenously adding D,L-glyceraldehyde (DLG) to the suspension cells of Ttripterygium wilfordii at different stages (7 d, 14 d). Subsequently, the cell viability, biomass accumulation, triptolide contents, as well as the profiles of the key enzyme genes involved in the upstream pathway of triptolide biosynthesis, were analyzed. The results showed that IPP translocation is involved in the biosynthesis of triptolide. IPP is mainly translocated from the plastid (containing the MEP pathway) to the cytoplasm (containing the MVA pathway) in the early stage of the culture, but reversed in the late stage. Blocking the translocation of IPP affected the expression of key enzyme genes involved in the upstream pathway of triptolide, which in turn affected the accumulation of triptolide. Understanding the characteristics and mechanism of IPP translocation provides a theoretical basis for further promoting triptolide biosynthesis through synthetic biology.

Metabolic engineering of chloroplasts for artemisinic acid biosynthesis and impact on plant growth.

Chloroplasts offer high-level transgene expression and transgene containment due to maternal inheritance, and are ideal hosts for biopharmaceutical biosynthesis via multigene engineering. To exploit these advantages, we have expressed 12 enzymes in chloroplasts for the biosynthesis of artemisinic acid (precursor of artemisinin, antimalarial drug) in an alternative plant system. Integration of transgenes into the tobacco chloroplast genome via homologous recombination was confirmed by molecular analysis, and biosynthesis of artemisinic acid in plant leaf tissues was detected with the help of 13C NMR and ESI-mass spectrometry. The excess metabolic flux of isopentenyl pyrophosphate generated by an engineered mevalonate pathway was diverted for the biosynthesis of artemisinic acid. However, expression of megatransgenes impacted the growth of the transplastomic plantlets. By combining two exogenous pathways, artemisinic acid was produced in transplastomic plants, which can be improved further using better metabolic engineering strategies for commercially viable yield of desirable isoprenoid products.

Transferência de tecnologia: análise e proposição de estratégia para aperfeiçoar a interação IPPs / universidades-empresas com vistas à inovação em saúde / Technology transfer: analysis and proposal strategy to improve the interaction IPPs / ventures with universities for innovation in health

Esta pesquisa pretende contribuir com a gestão da transferência de tecnologia entre instituições públicas de pesquisa/universidades e empresas, em especial as voltadas para a área da saúde. Para isto, apresenta diagnóstico sobre os obstáculos existentes e propõe estratégia para otimizar a interação público-privado. O objeto de análise utilizado foi uma pesquisa inovadora originária da Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz). Foram diagnosticados seis aspectos fundamentais para a compreensão dos gargalos e oportunidades desta interação: i) gestão da transferência de tecnologia; ii) inovação aberta; iii) gestão da propriedade intelectual; iv) modelo de negócio; v) financiamento; vi) interação IPP-empresa. O projeto estudado foi o desenvolvimento da vacina de Sm14 contra a esquistossomose e fasciolose e é apresentado segundo ordem descritiva e cronológica crescente, com elementos do método de estudos de caso apresentado por YIN (2005).A pesquisa de campo contemplou entrevistas semi-estruturadas com três gestores de IPP/universidade e sete gestores de empresas inovadoras brasileiras do setor saúde. As soluções apresentadas vão desde a profissionalização dos Núcleos de Inovação Tecnológica (NITs), promoção de ações para aproximação dos pesquisadores de IPP/universidades do universo do desenvolvimento e produção em saúde; até a inauguração de um novo marco legal e regulatório para que os projetos de inovação em saúde possam fluir sem as atuais barreiras que dificultam as parcerias público-privado. O diagnóstico apontou que a histórica dificuldade brasileira na interação IPP/universidade-empresa pode ser superada com profissionalismo e pró-atividade. Ficaram para segundo plano as argumentações baseadas na resistência cultural e na incompatibilidade de linguagem entre a academia e a empresa. Segundo a pesquisa realizada, estes ainda são obstáculos visíveis, mas não são considerados, por ambas as partes, intransponíveis. Apreende-se que a questão não é tecnológica, as barreiras não são geográficas e não faltam recursos para a inovação. Falta mais esforço empreendedor de ambas as partes e o entendimento de que a vulnerabilidade do setor saúde no Brasil em grande parte se deve às resistências em realizar a gestão para a inovação tanto nas IPPs/universidades quanto nas empresas do setor saúde brasileiro. Segundo os entrevistados, é urgente a ampla revisão e direcionamento dos objetos de estudo dos pesquisadores de Instituições públicas e universidades brasileiras. Outro ponto crítico é a gestão da qualidade e da biossegurança da pesquisa. Tanto os gestores de IPPs / universidades quanto os gestores de empresas brasileiras classificaram como ‘alto’ o interesse na interação mútua para atingir seus objetivos na cadeia de inovação em saúde. Ambos concordaram também que o retorno em termos de novos produtos ou serviços disponíveis para o mercado desenvolvido com a parceria oriunda desta interação ainda é ‘baixo’ sendo necessário mais esforço e iniciativa de ambas as partes para superar os gargalos da interação. As recomendações e a proposta de intervenção apresentadas nesta pesquisa envolvem sugestões pontuais de ação e elementos que visam contribuir para a estratégia da IPP Fiocruz com relação à interação com empresas, o que poderá também subsidiar outras instituições que trabalham com a transferência de conhecimento e tecnologia com vistas à inovação em produtos e serviços.

Preliminary study on the induction and differentiation of γδ T cells-Ⅰ / 中国免疫学杂志

Objective: To investigate the variation of γδ T cells from healthy human peripheral blood(PB)and neonatus cord blood (CB)in proliferation and subtypes with isopentenyl pyrophosphate(IPP), and to acquire enough γδ T cells possessing distinct characteristics for experimental study.Methods: Mononuclear-cells from peripheral blood and cord blood induced by IPP were stained separately with monoclonal antibodies,which were fluorescein-labeled,and then used for assaying the expressing condition of surfaco molecules,as well as to evaluate the variation of γδ T cells on the percentage, subtypes and pbenotypes by FCM.Results:γδ T cells only account for a small proportion in both PB and CB.However,there was a significant difference in the heterogeneity between peripheral blood and cord blood γδ T cells.Vγ9Vδ2 T cells were dominant in peripheral blood γδ T cells.Most of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells in fresh isolated PBMC were central memory-type(CD27~+ CD45RA~-)and effector memory-type(CD27~-CD45RA~-)with IPP, PB γδ T cells proliferated strongly;The effector memory-typo(CD27~-CD45RA~-)turned into the main subtype in all Vγ9Vδ2 T cells,and HLA-DR and B7 molecules were highly expressed on the populations.But the cord blood γδ T cells showed rather complex subgroup heterogeneity,and Vγ9Vδ2 T cells were almost na(i)ve-type(CD27~+ CD45RA~+); Though γδ T cells were expanded(the percent of γδ T cells was increased),and Vγ9Vδ2 T cells were differentiated towards central memory-type and effector memory-type on day 14 with IPP,most of γδ T celLs still remained in the phase of na(i)ve-type(CD27~+ CD45RA~+).Conclusion:Tbere lies great differences of γδ T cells in quantity and subtypes between healthy person peripheral blood and neonatus cord blood.Peripheral blood γδ T cells can be activated and proliferated with IPP, while cord blood γδ T cells have the potential to deferentiate into director memory-type which can be used for experimental and clinical study with the synergy of corresponding cytokines.The immuno-regulation and effector function will be reported in other papers.