Training in a wearable exoskeleton improves the lower limb motor recovery of stroke survivors / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective:To explore any differential effect of training wearing a unilateral exoskeleton on the lower-limb motor function of stroke survivors.Methods:Forty stroke survivors were randomly divided into an exoskeleton group ( n=20) and a control group ( n=20). The control group performed conventional lower extremity exercise training while the exoskeleton group received exoskeleton-assisted lower-limb physical therapy. Each participant received eighteen 40-minute training sessions over three weeks. Before and after the intervention, the walking ability, lower-limb function, balance and ability in the activities of daily living of both groups were evaluated. Integrated electromyography (iEMG) of the rectus femoris and tibialis anterior of both legs was also recorded during sit-to-stand transitions to assess the activation of the affected muscles and the symmetry of bilateral muscle activation. Results:After the three weeks, significant improvement was observed in all of the measurements in both groups, but with the exoskeleton group scoring significantly better on average in functional ambulation category grading (1.63±0.72). Both groups′ iEMGs had also improved significantly compared with before treatment, but the exoskeleton group′s average result was by that time significantly better than the control group′s average.Conclusions:A wearable exoskeleton can effectively improve the rehabilitation of walking, lower limb movement, balance and skill in the activities of daily living of persons with subacute stroke. It better activates the affected lower limb muscles and improves the symmetry of bilateral lower limb muscle activation.

Ultrasound and contrast agents enhance VEGF siRNA-mediated anti-cancer effect on human nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective To study the enhancing effect of ultrasound plus microbubble on small interference RNA(siRNA)transfection in vitro and in vivo.Methods Human vascular epithelial growth factor(VEGF)siRNA with 2'deoxy modification(VEGF 2'-eoxy siRNA,VdsR)was used.The human CNE cells(fromnasopharyngeal carcinoma)line was used for in vitro cell-based experiments and in vivo mouse xenograft model.Two different microbubble agents.BR14 and Levovist.were used together with the RNA transfection reagent RNA-mate.ELISA and RT-PCR assays were used to assess VEGF gene expression.Immunohistochemical staining (IHC)was performed to assess CD31 expression in xenograft tumors.Results VdsR transfection in CNE cells abolished VEGF expression as determined by ELISA experiments.In the first mouse xenograft experiment,ultrasound exposure dramatically enhanced VdsR-mediated tumor inhibition.In the second mouse xenograft experiment,when VdsR was mixed with the microbubble reagents and then injected into xenografts,ultrasoundexposure significantly reduced tumor growth in BR14-mixed VdsR group but not in the Levovist-mixed VdsR group compared to the control.RT-PCR experiments demonstrated that VEGF expression in ultrasound-exposed tumors was significantly lower than that in the control.Meanwhile,VEGF expression in the tumor tissue treated by BRl4-mixed VdsR declined as compared with the controls.Tumor vascular density as measured by CD31 immunostaining was significantly decreased in ultrasound-exposed tumors compared to the control.Conclusions Ultrasound exposure and/or microbubble can significantly enhance delivery and the efficiency of VdsR-mediated anti-tumor effects,and should be a location-specific enhancement approach for siRNA-based anti-cancer therapy.

Identification of novel metastasis associated genes MAG-1 and MAG-2 / 中国肺癌杂志

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>To isolate and identify the genes related to cancer metastasis by comparison of two cell strains with different metastasis potentials subcloned from human lung giant cell carcinoma cell line.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) was used to compare the levels of gene expression between the two cell strains and SSH library was constructed. After screening the library by gene chip, the expressed sequence tags (ESTs) with different expressing level were sequenced and blasted with GenBank.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Seventy-nine genes were obtained that were expressed much higher in PLA-801D than in PLA-801C, including two full-length cDNA. GenBank Accession numbers of the two cDNA, named MAG-1 and MAG-2, were BC006236 and BC002420, the 8.5 kb MAG-1 gene was composed of four exons and located on the chromosome of 4q21. The MAG-2 gene, which was made up by 9 exons, had a length of 5.2 kb and its location was 2q35. Both sequences had open reading frames (ORF) and promoters before the theoretical transcription start points. Using special software, the secondary structure of theoretical products of the two cDNAs was prognosticated, α-helix was the main proportion, but β-pleated sheet and random coil were also included.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The expression of MAG-1 and MAG-2 has significant differences in these two cell strains, so they might impact tumor metastasis in some ways that are still uncharted.</p>