Profuse color-evolution based aptasensor for mucin 1 detection utilizing urease-mediated color mixing of the mixed pH indicator.

Mucin 1 is a significant tumor marker, and developing portable and cost-effective methods for its detection is crucial, especially in resource-limited areas. Herein, we developed an innovative approach for mucin 1 detection using a visible multicolor aptasensor. Urease-encapsulated DNA microspheres were used to mediate multicolor change facilitated by the color mixing of the mixed pH indicator, a mixed methyl red and bromocresol green solution. Distinct color changes were exhibited in response to varying mucin 1 concentrations. Notably, the color mixing of the mixed pH indicator was used to display various hues of colors, broadening the range of color variation. And color tonality is much easier to differentiate than color intensity, improving the resolution with naked-eyes. Besides, the variation of color from red to green (a pair of complementary colors) enhanced the color contrast, heightening sensitivity for visual detection. Importantly, the proposed method was successfully applied to detect mucin 1 in real samples, demonstrating a clear differentiation of colors between the samples of healthy individuals and breast cancer patients. The use of a mixed pH indicator as a multichromatic substrate offers the merits of low cost, fast response to pH variation, and plentiful color-evolution. And the incorporation of calcium carbonate microspheres to encapsulate urease ensures stable urease activity and avoids the need for extra urease decoration. The color-mixing dependent strategy opens a new way for multicolor detection of MUC1, characterized by vivid color changes.

Pressure and multicolor dual-mode detection of mucin 1 based on the pH-regulated dual-enzyme mimic activities of manganese dioxide nanosheets.

Mucin 1 is an essential tumor biomarker, and developing cost-effective and portable methods for mucin 1 detection is crucial in resource-limited settings. Herein, the pH-regulated dual-enzyme mimic activities of manganese dioxide nanosheets were demonstrated, which were integrated into an aptasensor for dual-mode detection of mucin 1. Under acidic conditions, manganese dioxide nanosheets with oxidase mimic activities catalyzed the oxidation of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine sulfate, producing visible multicolor signals; while under basic conditions, manganese dioxide nanosheets with catalase mimic activities were used as catalyst for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, generating gas pressure signals. The proposed method allows the naked eye detection of mucin 1 through multicolor signal readout and the quantitative detection of mucin 1 with a handheld pressure meter or a UV-vis spectrophotometer. The study demonstrates that manganese dioxide nanosheets with pH-regulated dual-enzyme mimic activities can facilitate multidimensional transducing signals. The use of manganese dioxide nanosheets for the transduction of different signals avoids extra labels and simplifies the operation procedures. Besides, the signal readout mode can be selected according to the available detection instruments. Therefore, the use of manganese dioxide nanosheets with pH-regulated dual-enzyme mimic activities for dual-signal readout provides a new way for mucin 1 detection.

Evaluation of the learning curve for conformal sphincter preservation operation in the treatment of ultralow rectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the learning curve of conformal sphincter preservation operation (CSPO) in the treatment of ultralow rectal cancer and to further explore the influencing factors of operation time. METHODS: From August 2011 to April 2020, 108 consecutive patients with ultralow rectal cancer underwent CSPO by the same surgeon in the Department of Colorectal Surgery of Changhai Hospital. The moving average and cumulative sum control chart (CUSUM) curve were used to analyze the learning curve. The preoperative clinical baseline data, postoperative pathological data, postoperative complications, and survival data were compared before and after the completion of learning curve. The influencing factors of CSPO operation time were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: According to the results of moving average and CUSUM method, CSPO learning curve was divided into learning period (1-45 cases) and learning completion period (46-108 cases). There was no significant difference in preoperative clinical baseline data, postoperative pathological data, postoperative complications, and survival data between the two stages. Compared with the learning period, the operation time (P < 0.05), blood loss (P < 0.05), postoperative flatus and defecation time (P < 0.05), liquid diet time (P < 0.05), and postoperative hospital stay (P < 0.05) in the learning completion period were significantly reduced, and the difference was statistically significant. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that distance of tumor from anal verge (≥ 4cm vs. < 4cm, P = 0.039) and T stage (T3 vs. T1-2, P = 0.022) was independent risk factors for prolonging the operation time of CSPO. CONCLUSIONS: For surgeons with laparoscopic surgery experience, about 45 cases of CSPO are needed to cross the learning curve. At the initial stage of CSPO, beginners are recommended to select patients with ultralow rectal cancer whose distance of tumor from anal verge is less than 4 cm and tumor stage is less than T3 for practice, which can enable beginners to reduce the operation time, accumulate experience, build self-confidence, and shorten the learning curve on the premise of safety.

Long noncoding RNA ADAMTS9-AS1 represses ferroptosis of endometrial stromal cells by regulating the miR-6516-5p/GPX4 axis in endometriosis.

Endometriosis (EMs) is one of the most frequent diseases of reproductive-age women and is characterized by the growth of endometrial tissues beyond the uterus. The enhanced proliferative and migratory potential of endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) plays an important role in the progression of EMs. Mounting studies have demonstrated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) exert an important role in regulating the development and progression of EMs. Given the aberrant expression of lncRNA ADAMTS9-AS1 in ectopic endometrium (ecEM), we investigated the biological effect of ADAMTS9-AS1 on ESC proliferation and migration and explored the underlying mechanism. The current data showed that ADAMTS9-AS1 expression was significantly upregulated in ecEM compared with eutopic endometrium (euEM) in patients with EMs and in a murine model of EMs. Functionally, ADAMTS9-AS1 knockdown in ectopic ESCs (EESCs) decreased cell viability and migration, whereas ADAMTS9-AS1 overexpression in normal ESCs (NESCs) enhanced cell viability and migration. More importantly, the effect of ADAMTS9-AS1 inhibition on decreasing ESC viability was significantly blocked by ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1, a ferroptosis inhibitor), and ADAMTS9-AS1 overexpression repressed erastin (a ferroptosis activator)-induced cell death. Furthermore, the regulatory role of ADAMTS9-AS1 in ferroptosis was defined and evidenced by increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and malonyl dialdehyde (MDA) content and decreased expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) after ADAMTS9-AS1 inhibition. Mechanistically, ADAMTS9-AS1 functioned as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by sponging miR-6516-5p to derepress the expression of GPX4, the critical repressor of ferroptosis. Taken together, these results demonstrate that upregulated ADAMTS9-AS1 accelerates ESC proliferation and migration by regulating miR-6516-5p/GPX4-dependent ferroptosis and may be a potential target for the treatment of EMs.

Observations of linear aggregation behavior in rotifers (Brachionus calyciflorus).

Linear aggregation is present in some animals, such as the coordinated movement of ants and the migration of caterpillars and spinylobsters, but none has been reported on rotifers. The rotifers were collected and clone cultured in the laboratory at 25 ± 1°C, under natural light (light intensity ~130 lx, L:D = 14:10). The culture medium(pH = 7.3) was formulated as described by Suga et al., and rotifers were fed on the micro algae Scenedesmus obliquus grown in HB-4 medium to the exponential growth stage. When density was high (150 individuals ml-1), the behavior of rotifers was observed using a stereo microscope (Motic ES-18TZLED). In this paper, linear aggregation in Brachionus calyciflorus was found for the first time, and experiments were carried out to verify the correlation between linear aggregation and culture density of B. calyciflorus. With the increase of density, the number of aggregations increase, the number of individuals in the aggregation increased, and the maintenance time of the aggregation was also increased. Therefore, we speculate that the formation of aggregates is related to density and may be a behavioral signal of density increase, which may transmit information between density increase and formation of dormant eggs.

The periumbilical incision for anterior lumbar interbody fusions.

The traditional retroperitoneal approach for the anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) uses a longitudinal paramedian incision. In this study, we use a discrete periumbilical incision. A 270-degree semicircular incision is made around the umbilicus and the subcutaneous tissue is dissected radially at a 45-degree angle, creating a mound around the umbilical stalk. Once the anterior sheath is encountered, the steps of the operation converge with those of the traditional approach. In this study, 30 patients underwent a periumbilical ALIF with an average of 2.1 levels fused. Perioperative outcomes were comparable to those described in the ALIF literature. No patients experienced complications attributable to the periumbilical incision.

[Sunshine environment in different forms of communities in Guiyang, China.] / è´µé˜³å¸‚ä¸åŒå½¢æ€ä½åŒºçš„æ—¥ç §çŽ¯å¢ƒ.

In this study, six different types of residential areas in Guiyang were selected as the research objects, including high-rise high-density, high-rise low-density, middle-rise high-density, middle-rise low-density, low-rise high-density and low-rise low-density. The indices of sunshine compliance rate and the building's sunshine hour ratio were constructed to compare and analyze sunshine environment across those six different residential areas. The factors influencing sunshine environment in different residential areas were studied. The results showed that the average sunshine compliance rates of the six types of residential areas were 36.9%, 61.9%, 20.6%, 69.6%, 26.5% and 45.0%, respectively. The average sunshine compliance rate of low-density residential areas was 2.25 times higher than that of high-density residential areas within the same type, among which the sunshine environment of low-density residential areas was better. The sunshine environment of different types of low-density residential areas was different. The sunshine hours for high-rise low-density and middle-rise low-density forms were concentrated in 5-6 hours, while the building's sunshine hour ratio was 0.24 and 0.32, respectively. The sunshine hours for low-rise low-density forms were mainly 6-7 hours, with a building's sunshine hour ratio of 0.28. Compared with other types of residential areas, the low-rise low-density type of sunlight environment was the best. The plot ratio was significantly positively correlated with the building's sunlight ratio of 0-1 h sunlight hours in the residential area.

Recent Advances in Hemostasis at the Nanoscale.

Rapid and effective hemostatic materials have received wide attention not only in the battlefield but also in hospitals and clinics. Traditional hemostasis relies on materials with little designability which has many limitations. Nanohemostasis has been proposed since the use of peptides in hemostasis. Nanomaterials exhibit excellent adhesion, versatility, and designability compared to traditional materials, laying a good foundation for future hemostatic materials. This review first summarizes current hemostatic methods and materials, and then introduces several cutting-edge designs and applications of nanohemostatic materials such as polypeptide assembly, electrospinning of cyanoacrylate, and nanochitosan. Particularly, their advantages and working mechanisms are introduced. Finally, the challenges and prospects of nanohemostasis are discussed.

Lung transplant patients with coronary artery disease rarely die of cardiac causes.

BACKGROUND: A relative contraindication for lung transplant (LT) is coronary disease burden sufficient to cause risk of myocardial infarction after LT. We analyzed cause of death and outcomes of our LT patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: Inpatient records from March 1, 2004, to January 31, 2015, were retrospectively examined and data of 306 LTs extracted. Twenty-five patients without coronary angiography (CA) and 7 with redo LTs were excluded. The other 274 patients were divided into 2 groups: CAD (n = 116) and no CAD (n = 158). Patients with prior revascularization or coronary stenosis >10% were placed into the CAD group. RESULTS: The CAD group was older and had more male patients, greater history of smoking and hypertension, and greater proportion of patients with interstitial lung disease than the no-CAD group. CAD patients were more likely to receive a single-lung transplant. Death of cardiac causes occurred for 2 patients (1.7%) in the CAD group and for 1 patient (0.6%) in the no-CAD group (P = 0.39). CONCLUSIONS: This analysis shows that compared with patients who have no CAD, patients with CAD have different demographic characteristics and receive more single-lung transplants. Incidence of death of cardiac causes is rare.

The SWEET gene family in Hevea brasiliensis - its evolution and expression compared with four other plant species.

SWEET proteins play an indispensable role as a sugar efflux transporter in plant development and stress responses. The SWEET genes have previously been characterized in several plants. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of this gene family in the rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis. There are 36 members of the SWEET gene family in this species, making it one of the largest families in plant genomes sequenced so far. Structure and phylogeny analyses of these genes in Hevea and in other species demonstrated broad evolutionary conservation. RNA-seq analyses revealed that SWEET2, 16, and 17 might represent the main evolutionary direction of SWEET genes in plants. Our results in Hevea suggested the involvement of HbSWEET1a, 2e, 2f, and 3b in phloem loading, HbSWEET10a and 16b in laticifer sugar transport, and HbSWEET9a in nectary-specific sugar transport. Parallel studies of RNA-seq analyses extended to three other plant species (Manihot esculenta, Populus trichocarpa, and Arabidopsis thaliana) produced findings which implicated MeSWEET10a, 3a, and 15b in M. esculenta storage root development, and the involvement of PtSWEET16b and PtSWEET16d in P. trichocarpa xylem development. RT-qPCR results further revealed that HbSWEET10a, 16b, and 1a play important roles in phloem sugar transport. The results from this study provide a foundation not only for further investigation into the functionality of the SWEET gene family in Hevea, especially in its sugar transport for latex production, but also for related studies of this gene family in the plant kingdom.

The calcium-dependent protein kinase (CDPK) and CDPK-related kinase gene families in Hevea brasiliensis-comparison with five other plant species in structure, evolution, and expression.

Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs or CPKs) play important roles in various physiological processes of plants, including growth and development, stress responses and hormone signaling. Although the CDPK gene family has been characterized in several model plants, little is known about this gene family in Hevea brasiliensis (the Para rubber tree). Here, we characterize the entire H. brasiliensis CDPK and CDPK-related kinase (CRK) gene families comprising 30 CDPK genes (HbCPK1 to 30) and nine CRK genes (HbCRK1 to 9). Structure and phylogeny analyses of these CDPK and CRK genes demonstrate evolutionary conservation in these gene families across H. brasiliensis and other plant species. The expression of HbCPK and HbCRK genes was investigated via Solexa sequencing in a range of experimental conditions (different tissues, phases of leaf development, ethylene treatment, and various abiotic stresses). The results suggest that HbCPK and HbCRK genes are important components in growth, development, and stress responses of H. brasiliensis. Parallel studies on the CDPK and CRK gene families were also extended to five other plant species (Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa, Populus trichocarpa, Manihot esculenta, and Ricinus communis). The CDPK and CRK genes from different plant species that exhibit similar expression patterns tend to cluster together, suggesting a coevolution of gene structure and expression behavior in higher plants. The results serve as a foundation to further functional studies of these gene families in H. brasiliensis as well as in the whole plant kingdom.

[Design of sponge city and its inspiration to landscape ecology: A case of Liaodong Bay area of Panjin City, Northeast China]. / 海绵城市规划及景观生态学启示­­ä»¥ç›˜é”¦å¸‚辽东湾新区为例.

With the expansion of urban area, many cities are facing urban water environment issues, i.e., water resources shortage, lack of groundwater reserves, water pollution, urban waterlogging. For resolving these urban issues, 'sponge city' was proposed in 2015 in China. Liaodong Bay area of Panjin City in Liaoning Province of China was chosen as case study. Based on 'Sponge City Construction Technology Guide: Low Impact Development Rainwater System Building (Trial)', the underlying surface and types of land use in the typical area were analyzed. Sponge city plan of the study area was designed through combining topography, hydrology, rainfall intensity and other factors, and selecting LID measures. The results showed that when the study area reached the ove-rall target control rate (the control rate of the total annual runoff was ＞75%), the subsidence greenbelt rate was 1%-31%, with a total area of 13.73 km2; the pervious pavement rate was 1%-13%, with a total area of 2.29 km2. This study could provide a case study for planning and designing of 'sponge city', proposing new ideas and methods for the research on landscape pattern and process.

[Non-point source pollution simulation under land use change scenarios in Hun-Taizi River watershed.] / åœŸåœ°åˆ©ç”¨å˜åŒ–æƒ æ™¯ä¸‹æµ‘æ²³-太子河流域的非点源污染模拟.

Non-point source (NPS) pollution has become a major source of water pollution in recent years. The research of NPS pollution mechanism and control has an important scientific and practical meaning. To study the effect of land use change on NPS pollution load, near future land use of Hun-Taizi River watershed was simulated under three scenarios based on CLUE-S model, including urban planning, historical trend and ecological protection scenarios. NPS pollution was simulated based on SWAT model. The simulated results of SWAT were compared with measured data. The response of NPS pollution to land use change and landscape pattern was studied with the combination of the two models in three land use scenarios. The results showed that the NPS pollution simu-lation with SWAT had high accuracy, which showed the suitability of SWAT model in the study area. The NPS pollution load increased under urban planning and historical trend scenarios but decreased under ecological protection scenario. The difference in three scenarios indicated that land use and landscape pattern impacted NPS to a certain extent, which showed that scientific ecological construction could effectively reduce NPS pollution load. This study provided a new study case for NPS pollution research at watershed scale, a scientific basis for implementation of non-point source pollution control and best management practices, and a reference for related policy making.

Hemodynamic assessment and computation on vertebral artery stenosis.

Cerebral vascular diseases are associated with cerebral hemodynamic parameter, which is difficult to observe and examine. This paper has proposed a new modeling method based on network and hemodynamics. The harmonic solution to the 18 branches of the circle of Willis is acquired through the plane network. We use this method to explain the development processes of vertebral artery diseases, and the hemodynamic assessment of vertebral artery stenosis have been done to prove this method.

[Molecular classification of colorectal carcinoma based on integration of gene expression profile and copy number variation].

OBJECTIVE: To classify colorectal carcinoma (CRC) by TNM staging integrated with the gene expression profile and copy number variation (CNV). METHODS: Profile data of gene expression and CNV of CRC were downloaded from public database and processed with batch bias adjustment, quartile normalization, missing value estimation and feature filtration. The processed profiles of mRNA and CNV were introduced into the codes of Bayesian consensus clustering (BCC) method and were used to calculate the subclasses of CRC. With the follow-up information of disease free survival of CRC patients, the prognostic values of the subclasses was investigated and the software of function enrichment analysis was employed to discover the major pathway signaling to each interesting subclass. All statistic analyses were performed under R-3.0.1 environment or by using SPSS 16.0 software. RESULTS: Profile data of gene expression and corresponding CNV from 335 CRC patients with TNM stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ and followed-up information were obtained. After feature filtering, the profiles contained 1578 probes of mRNA and 345 location of CNV. Four CRC subclasses were identified by the integrative analysis with BCC, and the concordances of BCC subclasses and each of gene-based subclasses (Cramer's V=0.49), CNV-based subclasses (Cramer's V=0.51) and Marisa's subclasses (Cramer's V=0.32) were statistically significant (Ps<0.001). Among BCC subclasses, BCC-I had a favorable prognosis, while BCC-Ⅳ had more unfavorable prognosis. The differences of prognosis were significant among BCC-I, BCC-(Ⅱ+Ⅲ) and BCC-Ⅳ with an overall log-rank P<0.001. The top enriched function was DNA damage and repair signaling when BCC-I compared to BCC-Ⅳ, and the new subgroups classified by the genes associated with enriched signaling had the better prognostic value than BCC subclasses but both of them were significantly correlated (Cramer's V=0.39, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: BCC method is effective to integrate multi-type genomic data for molecular classification of colorectal carcinoma, and the BCC-Ⅳ subclass has poor prognosis, which may be associated with the decreased repairing function of DNA damage.

Streptomyces sanyensis sp. nov., isolated from mangrove sediment.

A novel strain, 219820(T), whose metabolites were found to be active against tumour cells, was isolated and characterized. The isolate belonged to the genus Streptomyces and had white to grey aerial mycelium and long chains of smooth spores in the aerial mycelium. A phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain 219820(T) had highest similarity to members of the genus Streptomyces and was most closely, albeit loosely, associated with Streptomyces crystallinus NBRC 15401(T) (98.624 % similarity), Streptomyces melanogenes NBRC 12890(T) (98.565 %) and Streptomyces noboritoensis NBRC 13065(T) (98.564 %). However, DNA-DNA relatedness and phenotypic data readily distinguished strain 219820(T) from these phylogenetically related type strains. It is evident from the combination of genotypic and phenotypic data that strain 219820(T) represents a novel species of the genus Streptomyces, for which the name Streptomyces sanyensis sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain is 219820(T) ( = CGMCC 4.5626(T)  = DSM 42014(T)).

Survey of factors associated with nurses' perception of patient safety.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the nurses' perception of hospital organization related to cultural issues on the safety of the patient and reporting medical errors. In addition, to identify factors associated with the safety of the patient and the nurse. METHODS: A survey conducted during December 2008-Jannuary 2009, with 126 nurses using the Korean version of the AHRQ patient safety survey, a self-report 5-point Likert scale. Stata 10.0 was used for descriptive analysis, ANOVA (Analysis of variance) and logistic regression. SETTING: National Cancer Center in Korea. RESULTS: The means for a working environment related to patient safety was 3.4 (±0.62). The associated factors of duration were at a present hospital, a special area, and direct contact with patients. Among organizational culture factors related to patient safety, the means were 3.81(±0.54) for the boss/manager's perception of patient safety and 3.37(±0.49) for the cooperation/collaboration between units. The frequent number of errors reported by nurses were 1~2(22.2%) times over the past 12 months. For incidence reporting, the items that the 'nurses perceived for communication among clinicians as fair' had a means of 3.23(±0.40) and the 'overall evaluation of patient safety was a good' 3.34(±0.73). CONCLUSIONS: The nurses' perception of cooperation and collaboration between units were associated with the direct contact between the patient and the nurse. The frequency of incidence reporting was associated with the duration of working hours at the present hospital and also their work experience. The nurses' perception of hospital environment, organizational culture, and incidence reporting was above average and mostly associated with organizational culture.

[Left versus right ventricular Tei index for evaluating third-trimester fetal cardiac function in pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of Tei index and the sensitivity of left versus right ventricular Tei index in evaluating the fetal cardiac function in pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome in the third trimester. METHODS: Fetal echocardiograms were performed in 30 women with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) syndrome and 55 with normal pregnancy of the third trimester. Tei index was obtained by calculating the ratio of the isovolumic time (isovolumic contraction and relaxation time) to the ejection time of the left and right ventricle. Comparisons of the Tei index were made between the PIH group and control group, and also between the left and right ventricles in each group. RESULTS: Significant difference was found in the left and right ventricular Tei index between PIH group and control group. No difference was noted between the left and right ventricular Tei index in the PIH group. CONCLUSIONS: Tei index is a useful indicator in evaluating fetal global cardiac function, for which purpose the left ventricular Tei index can be as sensitive as the right ventricular Tei index.

Left versus right ventricular Tei index for evaluating third-trimester fetal cardiac function in pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the value of Tei index and the sensitivity of left versus right ventricular Tei index in evaluating the fetal cardiac function in pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome in the third trimester.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fetal echocardiograms were performed in 30 women with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) syndrome and 55 with normal pregnancy of the third trimester. Tei index was obtained by calculating the ratio of the isovolumic time (isovolumic contraction and relaxation time) to the ejection time of the left and right ventricle. Comparisons of the Tei index were made between the PIH group and control group, and also between the left and right ventricles in each group.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Significant difference was found in the left and right ventricular Tei index between PIH group and control group. No difference was noted between the left and right ventricular Tei index in the PIH group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Tei index is a useful indicator in evaluating fetal global cardiac function, for which purpose the left ventricular Tei index can be as sensitive as the right ventricular Tei index.</p>

[Effect of electroacupuncture on NMDAR-2 B mRNA expression in hippocampal tissue in vascular dementia rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the underlying mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) in improving learning-memory ability in vascular dementia (VD) rats. METHODS: SD rats were randomized into control, sham operation (sham), VD model, non-acupoint and acupoint groups, with 10 cases in each. VD model was established by occlusion of the bilateral common carotid arteries. Morris water maze test was performed to detect the rats' learning-memory ability. The expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-2 B mRNA in hippocampal CA 1 region and dentate gyrus was measured by hybridization in situ. EA (2 Hz, 1-2 mA)was applied to "Baihui" (GV 20), "Dazhui" (GV 14) and bilateral "Shenshu"(BL 23) and non-acupoint (the chest-abdominal juncture between the first and the second lumbar vertebrae) for 20 min, once daily for 30 days. RESULTS: Self-comparison showed that 6 weeks after modeling, the escape latencies of control and sham groups, and the lingering duration in the 3rd quadrant of water pool of model, non-acupoint and acupoint groups decreased significantly (P < 0.05), while the escape latencies of model, non-acupoint and acupoint groups, and the lingering duration of control and sham groups increased considerably (P < 0.5). No significant differences were found between control and sham groups, and among model, non-acupoint and acupoint groups in the escape latency and the lingering duration in the 3rd quadrant (P > 0.05). On the 11th week after modeling, compared to their individual escape latencies and lingering duration on the 6th week, the escape latencies of controll sham and acupoint groups shortened obviously (P < 0.05), while the lingering duration in the 3"rd quadrant of the same 3 groups postponed significantly (P < 0.05). Compared with model group, the escape latency of acupoint group shortened obviously and the lingering duration increased significantly (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found between control and sham groups, and between model and non-acupoint groups in these two indexes (P > 0.05). Compared to control/sham group, the grey values of NMDAR-2 BmRNA expression in hippocampal CA 1 region and dentate gyrus in model and non-acupoint groups decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Compared to model group, the grey values of NMDAR-2 B mRNA expression in these two brain regions increased markedly (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found between control and sham groups, and between model and non-acupoint groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupoint-EA is able to improve VD rats' learning-memory ability which may be related to its effect in upregulating the expression of NMDAR-2 B mRNA in hippocampal and dentate gyrus.