Inspirations to China from the quality control of Germany private hospital—taking Hannover International Neuroscience Institute as an example / 中华医学教育探索杂志

To improve the quality control of private hospital is urgent in China. Through the visiting to International Neuroscience Institute, Hannover, Germany, the author analyzed the advantages of Germany Medical System, and provided several beneficial aspirations for Chinese Medical System Reformation, including sound Medical Insurance System, efficient quality control based on information platform, powerful government and civilian regulator, elastic Salary Administration, and high self-discipline of medical staff.

Combination of 3.0T magnetic resonance imaging T mapping with texture analysis for evaluating the degeneration of lumbar facet joints / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVES@#Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging has been successfully applied to assess the status of cartilage biochemical components. This study aimed to investigate the performance of 3.0T magnetic resonance imaging T mapping combined with texture analysis for evaluating the early degeneration of lumbar facet joints.@*METHODS@#A total of 38 patients (20 in the asymptomatic group and 18 in the symptomatic group) were enrolled. All patients underwent 3.0T magnetic resonance imaging conventional sequences, water excitation three-dimensional spoiled gradient echo sequence (3D-WATSc), and T mapping scans. The bilateral L and L/S lumbar facet joints were morphological graded using the Weishaupt criteria, T values, and texture parameters derived from T mapping of cartilage. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the differences of parameters among different groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to obtain the independent predictive factors for evaluating the early degeneration of lumbar facet joints. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed and the area under curve (AUC) was calculated. Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation of the independent predictors of cartilage T value and texture parameters with the subjects' Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score or Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score.@*RESULTS@#A total of 148 facet joints were selected, including 70 in Weishaupt 0 (normal) group, 58 in Weishaupt 1 group, and 20 in Weishaupt 2-3 group. T value, entropy, and contrast increased significantly as the exacerbation of facet joint degeneration (all <0.05), while the inverse difference moment, energy, and correlation decreased (all <0.05). Entropy among different groups was significantly different (all <0.05), and the differences of T value, contrast, inverse difference moment, and energy between Weishaupt 0 and Weishaupt 1 groups, or Weishaupt 0 and Weishaupt 2-3 groups were statistically significant (all <0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested that T value and inverse difference moment were the independent predictors for evaluating early degeneration of facet joints. The combination of T value with inverse difference moment achieved the best performance in distinguishing Weishaupt 0 from Weishaupt 1 (AUC=0.85), with sensitivity and specificity at 92.7% and 76.5%, respectively. In the symptom group, the cartilage T value combined inverse difference moment was positively correlated with JOA score (=0.475, <0.05) and VAS score (=0.452, <0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#3.0T magnetic resonance imaging T mapping combined with texture analysis is helpful to quantitatively evaluate the early degeneration of lumbar facet joints, in which the T value and inverse difference moment show an indicative significance．.

Application of lumboperitoneal shunt and ventriculoperitoneal shunt in treatment of patients with communicating hydrocephalus :a Meta analysis / 重庆医学

Objective To investigate the effect of lumboperitoneal (L-P) shunt and ventriculoperitoneal(V-P) shunt for trea-ting the patients with communicating hydrocephalus .Methods The databases of PubMed ,Web of Science ,Scopuss ,Karge , EBSCO+MEDLINE ,OVID ,EMBASE ,CNKI ,CBM disc databases ,Wanfang databases ,Weipu databases were retrieved by com-puter .The relevant literatures about L-P shunt and V-P shunt for treating communicating hydrocephalus included in these databases during 1990-2016 were collected and performed the meta analysis by using the STATA 12 .0 software .Results The success rate of L-P shunt in treating communicating hydrocephalus was apparently higher than that of V-P shunt(P<0 .05) .Moreover ,postopera-tive infection rate ,obstruction rate of shunt system and total postoperative complications rate in L-P shunt were apparently lower than those of V-P shunt(P<0 .05) ,However ,there was no statistical difference in shunt poor rate between L-P shunt and V-P shunt(P>0 .05) .Conclusion L-P shunt is worth recommending .But due to lower quality of the evidences ,it is needed more high quality primary studies to remedy the insufficiency of the study .

Implementation of personalized medicine concept in the clinical teaching of glioma surgery / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective To explore the value of applying personalized medicine in the clinical teach-ing of glioma surgery. Methods Totally 80 7-year program undergraduates were divided into experimental class and control class randomly, with 40 cases in each group. The experimental class received personalized medical teaching through introducing idea and method of personalized medicine. The control class received conventional teaching. The effect of teaching was evaluated by questionnaire and examination. The data were analyzed through Chi-square and t-test test. Result Questionnaire survey of satisfaction showed that 37 students of experimental class (92.5%) were interested in the new course. Questionnaire survey of teaching effect showed that in experimental class 36 students (90%) felt it could increase learning interest, 37 students (92%) believed it improved glioma diagnosis and treatment, 34 students (85%) felt their medical view ex-panded, 38 students had consolidated clinical thinking, and 32 students (80%) improved negotiation with patients. All issues were significantly better than control class (P<0.05). Meanwhile, statistical difference was found in average score between experiment class and control class [(88.71 ±6.54) vs. (76.49 ±7.32)] (P=0.000). Conclusion The introduction of personalized medicine concept helps medical students to make personalized diagnosis and treatment plan for glioma patients, and is conducive to the cultivation of their clinical thinking ability and evidence based medicine concept, which is worthy of promotion.

The role of interleukin-17A in the inflammatory response after traumatic brain injury in rats / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective To investigate the role and potential mechanism of interleukin-17A (IL-17A) in the inflammatory response to traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rats.Methods The adult male Wistar rats were randomly (random number) divided into seven groups:control group (n =6),sham operation group (n =6),TBI group (n =24),sham operation + normal saline group (n =6),sham operation + Y320 (an immunomodulator acts as an inhibitor of IL-17A) group (n =6),TBI + normal saline group (n =6) and TBI + Y320 group (n =6).The TBI model of rat was established by using free-falling-body impact device.The levels of IL-17A and nuclear transcription factor kappa B p65 (NF-κB p65) in the cerebral cortex were assayed by using Western Blot.The capability of leaming and memory of rats was assessed by Morris water maze.The beam balance test was employed to evaluating the neurological motor performance and the capability of balance.Results Compared with the sham operation group,the levels of IL-17A and NF-κB p65 in the cerebral cortex of TBI,TBI + saline and TBI + Y320 groups increased significantly (P ＜0.05) and peaked at the 3rd day after TBI.Compared with TBI + normal saline group,the level of NF-κB p65 was significantly down regulated by Y-320 (P ＜ 0.05) at the 3rd day after TBI in TBI + Y320 group.The lengths of latency time required for rats to escape to the platform area in TBI + normal saline group were (57.72±3.29) s,(55.63±3.85) s,and (55.02±3.92) sat the3rd,5th and7th days after TBI,respectively;while those in TBI + Y320 group were (35.45 ± 3.04) s,(30.98 ± 2.92) s,and (23.90 ±2.51) s at the 3rd,5th and 7th days after TBI,respectively.Thus,the capability of learning and memory of rats in TBI + Y320 group was improved significantly 3d,5d and 7 days after TBI (all P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions This study shows IL-17A is involved in the process of secondary brain injury after TBI,and associated with inflammation by activating the NF-κB p65 signaling pathway.

Syndecan-1 knockdown inhibits the proliferation and invasion of A172 glioblastoma multiforme cells / 中国神经精神疾病杂志

Objective To investigate the expression of syndecan-1 (SDC1) in glioma cells and the effects of synde?can-1 knockdown on the proliferation and invasion of A172 cells. Methods The expression of syndecan-1 in glioma cells was analyzed using quantitative Real-time PCR and Western blotting. A172 cells were transfected with lentiviral vector carrying SDC1 shRNA to establish a stable SDC1-silencing cell line. The cell proliferation was analyzed by MTT assay. Trypan blue exclusion assay and flow cytometry, and Transwell assays were performed to measure the migration and invasion abilities, respectively. The mRNA and protein and expression levels of SDC1, Proliferation Cell Nuclear An?tigen (PCNA) and Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) were detected by using qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Results The expression levels of SDC1 were significantly different in different glioma cell lines. The stable SDC1-silencing cell line was successfully established, in which the mRNA and protein expression levels of SDC1 were significantly decreased (P<0.05). SDC1 knockdown significantly reduced the cell proliferation, migration(58.40±5.24 vs. 255.8±16.09、226.5± 22.84,F=126.4,P<0.05)and invasion(61.67 ± 16.26 vs. 233.70 ± 17.24、244.30 ± 28.15,F=69.87,P<0.05)compared with either control group or blank group. SDC1 knockdown also significantly decreased the mRNA and protein expression levels of PCNA and MMP-9 (P<0.05). Conclusion:SDC1 knockdown suppresses the capacities of proliferation, invasion and migration of glioma A172 cell, implying that SDC1 may serve as a novel target in the biotherapy of glioma.

Effect of Acupuncture on Histology of Thymus and Expressions of ANP and NPR-A in Anxiety Rats / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore possible mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) for regulating immune function in anxiety disorder (AD) rats by observing the effect of acupuncture on the histology of thymus and expressions of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and natriuretic peptide receptor type A (NPR- A) in thymus.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 34 SD healthy rats were randomly divided into the blank control group (n = 10), the model group (n = 12), the EA group (n = 12). Anxiety model was established in rats of the model group and the EA group by using chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) stimulation. EA (15/25 Hz) at Neiguan (PC6) and Shenmen (HT7) was performed in the EA group, with 15-min needle retaining, once every other day, 15 days in total. Needle was fixed at same acupoints for 15 min without electric stimulus in the other two groups. Anxiety-like behavior was measured by elevated plus-maze (EPM) test. Pathological changes of thymus tissue were observed by optical microscope. Expressions of ANP and NPR-A in thymus were measured by immunohistochemical assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The thymus tissue in the model group was severely atrophied, with unclear structure of thymic lobules, unclear margin of thymic medulla, loosely arranged lymphocytes ,and obviously enlarged volume of thymic corpuscle. The thymus tissue in the EA group was mildly atrophied, with existent structure of thymic lobules, clear margin of thymic medulla, densely arranged lymphocytes in cortical region, and widened medullary area. Com- pared with the blank control group, the percentage of open-arms entries (OE%) in the total QE times ob- viously decreased in the model group (P < 0.05), ANP expression obviously increased (P < 0.05), and NPR-A expression obviously decreased (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, OE% was obviously elevated (P < 0.05), ANP expression obviously decreased (P < 0.05), and NPR-A expression obviously increased (P < 0.01) in the EA group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EA not only could reduce anxiety of rats, but also could improve chronic stress induced thymus injury through intervening synthesis and secretion of ANP, as well as the expression of NPR-A (a specific receptor of ANP).</p>

Effect of Modified Danggui Yinzi on Delayed Allergy in Model Mice with Qi-Blood Deficiency Syndrome / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effect of Danggui Yinzi (DY) on delayed allergy in model mice with qi-blood deficiency syndrome (QBDS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>QBDS model was established in 48 Kuming mice of SPF grade by using reserpine and acetophenone hydrazine. Forty of them were then randomly divided into the model group, the loratadine group, the high dose DY group, the middle dose DY group, and the low dose DY group, 8 in each group. Another 8 in line with the same standard were recruited as a blank group. Mice in high, middle, and low dose DY groups were administered with DY concentrated solution at 60, 30, 15 g/kg by gastrogavage. Mice in the loratadine group were administered with loratadine solution at 1.66 mg/kg by gastrogavage. Equal volume of normal saline was administered to mice in the model group and the blank group by gastrogavage. All medication was given once per day for 1 successive week. Except those in the blank group, the rest mice were evenly smeared with 1% DNCB solution on the abdomen. Five days after skin allergy, 1% DNCB solution was smeared to right ear of all mice to stimulate allergic reaction. Mice in the blank group were smeared in the same way without allergenic reaction. The auricle swelling and the inhibition ratio were determined at 24 h after attack. Blood was collected from orbit and serum IgE level detected using double-antibody sandwich ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the blank group, auricle swelling obviously increased and serum IgE level was obviously elevated in the model group (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, auricle swelling obviously decreased and serum IgE level was obviously reduced in the 3 dose DY groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Meanwhile, the auricle swelling degree was superior in high and middle dose DY groups to that in the loratadine group (P < 0.05). The inhibition ratio of auricle swelling was sequenced from high to low as 67.3% in the high dose DY group, 56.0% in the middle dose DY group, 48.1% in the low dose DY group, 47.3% in the loratadine group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>DY could inhibit auricle swelling and lower serum IgE level. It also could inhibit delayed allergic reaction in model mice with QBDS to some extent.</p>

The study on molecular mechanism underlying the pro-invasion and pro-migration of Syntenin in glioma cells / 中国神经精神疾病杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of different gene expression levels of Syntenin on invasion and mi?gration of glioma cells and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods Lentiviral RNA interference was used to knockdown the expression of syntenin in U-87 cells. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect mRNA expression levels of syntenin . Transwell assay and adhesion assay were used to examine the invasion, migration and adhesion, re?spectively. Western-blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of Syntenin, AKT, p-AKT, and MMP-9. Re?sults The mRNA expression level of Syntenin was greatly reduced in interference group compared with empty vector group (P0.05). Conclusion Syntenin may enhance the invasion and migration ability of glioma though up-regulation of p-AKT, which in turn pro?motes MMP-9 expression in a corresponding signal transduction pathway.

A New furan flavonol glycoside from epimedium koreanum / 中草药·英文版

Objective: To study the chemical constituents of Epimedium koreanum. Methods: Separation was carried out through silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography and HPLC method. The chemical structures were elucidated by spectroscopic method including 1D-NMR and 2D-NMR. Results: A new furanflavonol glycoside (1) was isolated and identified. Conclusion: Compound 1 is a new furanflavonol glycoside, and its structure is corroborated as 5,4'-dihydroxyfurano [2″,3":7,8] flavonol 3- O-α- L-rhamnoside. © 2014 Tianjin Press of Chinese Herbal Medicines.

Primary Schwann cell growth on electrospun polymethyl methacrylate nanofiber scaffolds / 中华创伤杂志

Objective To evaluate the value of electrospun polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) nanofibers with different topological structures as scaffolds for growth of Schwann cells (SCs).Methods Electrospun PMMA nanofibers with random or aligned topological structures were fabricated and measured with biocompatibility.Lentivirus-transfected green fluorescent protein was used as the reporting gene to monitor form and growth manner of SCs on different substrates and dependency of cell body and process with fiber structure,with PMMA thin films served as the control.Results Electrospun PMMA nanofibers revealed good biocompatibility and could exert contact guidance to the growth of SCs.Topological structures of the electrospun nanofibers influenced cell morphology.SCs were aligned with the orientation of substrate fibers and form longer cell process when growing on aligned nanofibers (P ＜0.01).Primary SCs preferred to follow the cue of aligned nanofibers compared to random fibers.Conclusion Aligned electrospun PMMA nanofibers have the potentiality as transplantable scaffolds for loading SCs after neural injury.

Umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells ameliorate graft-versus-host disease following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation through multiple immunoregulations / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

Although mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are increasingly used to treat graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), their immune regulatory mechanism in the process is elusive. The present study aimed to investigate the curative effect of third-party umbilical cord blood-derived human MSCs (UCB-hMSCs) on GVHD patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and their immune regulatory mechanism. Twenty-four refractory GVHD patients after allo-HSCT were treated with UCB-hMSCs. Immune cells including T lymphocyte subsets, NK cells, Treg cells and dendritic cells (DCs) and cytokines including interleukin-17 (IL-17) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were monitored before and after MSCs transfusion. The results showed that the symptoms of GVHD were alleviated significantly without increased relapse of primary disease and transplant-related complications after MSCs transfusion. The number of CD3(+), CD3(+)CD4(+) and CD3(+)CD8(+) cells decreased significantly, and that of NK cells remained unchanged, whereas the number of CD4(+) and CD8(+) Tregs increased and reached a peak at 4 weeks; the number of mature DCs, and the levels of TNF-α and IL-17 decreased and reached a trough at 2 weeks. It was concluded that MSCs ameliorate GVHD and spare GVL effect via immunoregulations.

Angiogenic factors are associated with development of acute graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is a serious complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). However, the mechanisms of aGVHD are not well understood. We aim to investigate the roles of the three angiogenic factors: angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), Ang-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the development of aGVHD. Twenty-one patients who underwent allo-HSCT were included in our study. The dynamic changes of Ang-1, Ang-2 and VEGF were monitored in patients before and after allo-HSCT. In vitro, endothelial cells (ECs) were treated with TNF-β in the presence or absence of Ang-1, and then the Ang-2 level in the cell culture medium and the tubule formation by ECs were evaluated. After allo-HSCT, Ang-1, Ang-2 and VEGF all exhibited significant variation, suggesting these factors might be involved in the endothelial damage in transplantation. Patients with aGVHD had lower Ang-1 level at day 7 but higher Ang-2 level at day 21 than those without aGVHD, implying that Ang-1 may play a protective role in early phase yet Ang-2 is a promotion factor to aGVHD. In vitro, TNF-β promoted the release of Ang-2 by ECs and impaired tubule formation of ECs, which were both weakened by Ang-1, suggesting that Ang-1 may play a protective role in aGVHD by influencing the secretion of Ang-2, consistent with our in vivo tests. It is concluded that monitoring changes of these factors following allo-HSCT might help to identify patients at a high risk for aGVHD.

Intervention effect of Tibetan patent medicine Ruyi Zhenbao pills in acute ischemic stroke in rats / 中国中药杂志

Ischemic stroke is a primary cause of death and long-term disability all over the world. This disease is resulted from ischemia and hypoxia in brain tissues because of insufficient blood supply and causes a series of physiochemical metabolism disorders and physiological dysfunction. Its high disability ratio has bright huge burdens to society, governments and families. However, there is not efficacious medicine to treat it. In this study, a right middle cerebral artery occlusion was established in rats to observe the multi-path and multi-aspect intervention effects of Tibetan patent medicine Ruyi Zhenbao pills in reducing injuries to Nissl bodies, cerebral edema and inflammatory reactions and preventing cellular apoptosis, in order to lay a foundation for defining its therapeutic mechanism in acute ischemic stroke.

Additional teaching of neurosurgical regional anatomy for seven-year program medical students during the internship / 中华医学教育探索杂志

The knowledge absence of neurosurgical regional anatomy is the major shortcoming which makes seven-year program medical students feel difficult in studying neurosurgical special course.The reasons for this phenomenon include the limited teaching time for basic medical course and the continuous progress in the field of neurological anatomy.The teacher should make good use of clinical resources to carry on the additional teaching of neurosurgical regional anatony.The detailed plans include small-class teaching and individual case analysis using the data of neuroimaging and angiography of the brain and spinal cord.All these measures are intend to let the students grasp of the basic knowledge clinical neurosurgery during the internship and make the smooth transition from interns to doctors,providing references for other department.

Effect of Tongluo Xingnao effervescent tablets on learning and memory dysfunction in rats with chronic cerebral ischemia / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of Tongluo Xingnao effervescent tablets on learning and memory capacity and expression of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase in hippocampus of rats with chronic cerebral ischemia-induced learning and memory dysfunction model.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The 2-VO method was used to establish sd rat model learning and memory dysfunction induced by chronic cerebral ischemia. The 50 rats in the successfully established model were randomly divided into the model control group, the Dihydroergotoxine Mesylate tablets group (0.7 mg x kg(-1), Tongluo Xingnao effervescent tablets high dose (7.56 g x kg(-1)), middle dose (3.78 g x kg(-1)) and low dose (1.59 g x kg(-1)) groups and the sham operation group (n = 10) as the control group. The groups were orally given 10 ml x kg(-1) x d(-1) drugs for consecutively 90 days. On the 86th day, Morris water maze was adopted for them. On the 90th day, a leaning and memory capacity test was held. The brain tissues were fixed with 10% formaldehyde and observed for pathomorphism after routine slide preparation and staining. The expression of hippocampal Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase was detected with immunohistochemistry and image quantitative analysis.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Compared with the model group, all of Tongluo Xingnao effervescent tablets groups showed significant decrease in the escape latency at the 5th day in the Morris water maze, and notable increase in the frequency of the first quadrant dwell, the frequency passing the escape platform and the frequency entering effective area (p < 0.05). According to the pathomorphological detection, the control group showed a significantly higher pathological score than the sham operation group (p < 0.01), the middle dose group showed a significantly lower pathological score than the model group (p < 0.05). According to the immunohistochemistical detection, the model control group showed a remarkably lower mean OD value of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase than the sham operation group (p < 0.05), high and middle dose groups showed a significantly higher mean od value than the model control group (p < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Tongluo Xingnao effervescent tablets can improve the learning and memory capacity, reduce pathological changes of hippocampal tissues of rats with chronic cerebral ischemia-induced learning and memory dysfunction model, and promote the expression of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase in hippocampus.</p>

Exogenous VEGF promotes hematopoietic stem cell mobilization / 中国实验血液学杂志

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of exogenous VEGF on hematopoietic stem cell mobilization and immune system. The C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into the normal control group, VEGF short-term group (5 d) and VEGF long-term group (27 d). Mice in the experimental group were injected ip with VEGF (100 ng/d); mice in control group were injected ip with PBS. The white blood cell (WBC) count and the ratio of lymphocyte in the peripheral blood at different time point were assayed by hemacytometer. The percentage of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC), lymphocyte subgroup, regulatory T cell (Treg), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) in the peripheral blood and spleen of different groups were detected by flow cytometry. The morphological changes of spleen and spleen index of mice in the control and long-term group were observed by microscopy. The results showed that the absolute number of WBC in the peripheral blood of mice significantly increased after injection of VEGF, and the peak value was at day 3. The percentage of Lin(-)Sca-1(+)CD117(+) cells in the peripheral blood and spleen of the long-term group were significantly higher than that in the normal control group (P < 0.05). The spleen of the mice in VEGF long-term group was larger than that of the control group, the spleen index also increased (P < 0.05), and remarkable extramedullary hematopoietic signs were found in the HE stained sections. There was no significant change in the total ratio of lymphocytes in the peripheral blood after injection, but the percentage of CD3(+) cells and the CD3(+)/B220(+) ratio in the long-term group deceased; the percentages of Treg and Gr-1(+)CD11b(+) MDSC in the experimental groups increased (P < 0.05), which more significantly increased in the long-term group than that in the short-term group (P < 0.05). It is concluded that the exogenous VEGF promotes hematopoietic stem cell mobilization, and at same time up-regulates the many kinds of suppressive immune cell levels which leads to changes of immuno-function.

Catgut implantation at acupoints for allergic rhinitis: a systematic review / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the effectiveness and the possible adverse effects of catgut implantation at acupoints for allergic rhinitis (AR).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This systematic review was carried out in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook version 5.1.0 and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Extensive literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Excerpta Medical Databases, the Cochrane Library, the China National Infrastructure, Wanfang Chinese Digital Periodical and Conference Database, and the Weipu Chinese Science and Technique Journals Database. The Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Center was also searched for ongoing trials up to September 2012. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-RCTs were included. Risk of bias assessment was performed using the Cochrane tool for assessing risk of bias.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Five RCTs with 285 participants were found from 49 relevant studies, but there was just one RCT which met the inclusion criteria for this review. The study showed that treatment of catgut implantation at acupoints could lead to a better alleviation of the signs and symptoms of AR than the crude herb moxibustion. No adverse events were reported in this study.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Because of the methodological shortcoming and the risk of bias of the included trial, catgut implantation was proved with only limited evidence for the treatment of AR. Robust RCTs with high quality and larger sample size in this field are hoped to be carried out in the future.</p>

Research on building method of spleen kidney Yang deficiency diarrhea rats model / 中国中药杂志

Spleen kidney Yang deficiency (SKYD) diarrhea is a common syndrome in tranditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Until now, there is not an ideal SKYD diarrhea rat model for the research. In this study, we compared single factor way (method I, injecting hydrocortisone and gavaging Sennae Folium) with compound factors way(method II, gavaging adenine, improper diet, exhaustion, and gavaging Sennae Folium) on establishing SKYD diarrhea rat model. After modelling, diarrhea index, D-xylose excretory rate, NOS/cGMP signal transduction system, organ index and histopathology examination were used to evaluate the two ways. The results showed that, compared with health group, all the assessment criterias of method I and method II had significant differences (P < 0.01, 0.05). In addition, the index such as diarrhea index, NOS/cGMP signal transduction system, organ index (kidney, testis and thymus) and histopathology examination had significant differences (P < 0.01, 0.05) between method I and method II. In conclusion, the compound factors modelling method better conforms to the symptom of diarrhoea model caused by SKYD. This new modelling method provides a basis for studying on TCM astringents warming and tonifying the spleen and kidney, relieving diarrhea.

Impact of topographic features of electrospun polymethylmethacrylate nanofibers on growth pattern of rat primary astrocytes / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the impact of the topographic features of electrospun polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) nanofibers on growth pattern of primary rat astrocytes.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rat astrocytes were cultured on fabricated random and aligned electrospun nanofibers. Using PMMA film as the control, the cells were transfected with a lentivirus harboring GFP gene to reveal the cell growth pattern on different substrates.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>oth random and aligned electrospun PMMA nanofibers could support the growth of rat astrocytes, but the topographic features of the fibers significantly affected their growth pattern. On aligned nanofibers, astrocytes extended long cell processes along the direction of the substrate fibers, and on random fibers the astrocytes formed shorter processes. On merged images of GFP expressions and substrate fibers, the cell processes of the astrocytes were shown to adhere to and elongate along the fibers both on random and aligned nanofibers.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The topographic features of PMMA nanofibers can significantly influence the growth pattern of primary rat astrocytes. Aligned electrospun nanofibers has the potential to serve as scaffold material for reducing glia scar formation after spinal cord injury.</p>