Effect of electroacupuncture on urodynamics and Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway in spinal cord tissue of rats with detrusor hyperreflexia after suprasacral spinal cord injury. / ç”µé’ˆå¯¹éª¶ä¸Šè„Šé«“æŸä¼¤åŽé€¼å°¿è‚Œåå°„äº¢è¿›åž‹å¤§é¼ å°¿æµåŠ¨åŠ›å­¦åŠè„Šé«“Raf/MEK/ERK信号通路的影响.

OBJECTIVES: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on urodynamics and Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway in spine cord tissue of rats after suprasacral spinal cord injury (SSCI), so as to explore its possible mechanism in improving bladder function in rats with detrusor hyperreflexia after SSCI. METHODS: Female SD rats were randomly divided into blank, sham operation, model, EA and EA+PD98059 groups, with 12 rats in each group. Thorax (T) 10 spinal cord transection was performed by surgery. Rats in the EA group were given EA (10 Hz/50 Hz, 20 min) at "Ciliao" (BL32), "Zhongji" (CV3), "Sanyinjiao" (SP6) and "Dazhui" (GV14) once daily for 7 d. Rats of the EA+PD98059 group received intraperitoneal injection of PD98059 (5 mg/kg) 2 h before EA intervention. The urodyna-mics was used to measure the base pressure, leak point pressure, maximum pressure, maximum capacity and comp-liance of bladder, and the morphology of bladder detrusor tissue was observed with HE staining. The TUNEL staining was used to detect the cell apoptosis of the spinal cord tissue. The expression levels of exchange protein directly activated by cAMP 2 (Epac2), Rap, phosphorylated rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma (p-Raf), phosphorylated mitogen-activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-MEK), phosphorylated extracellular signal regulated kinase 1 and 2 (p-ERK1/2), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), and Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax) were determined by Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with the sham operation group, the base pressure, leak point pressure and maximum pressure of bladder were significantly increased (P<0.01), the maximum bladder capacity and bladder compliance were decreased (P<0.01), the cell apoptosis rate of spinal cord tissue was increased (P<0.01), and the expression levels of Epac2, Rap, p-Raf, p-MEK, p-ERK1/2, and Bcl-2 protein in spinal cord tissue were decreased (P<0.01), while the expression level of Bax protein was increased (P<0.01) in the model group. After the treatment and compared with the model group, the base pressure, leak point pressure and maximum pressure of bladder, the cell apoptosis rate of spinal cord tissue, the expression level of Bax protein were decreased (P<0.05) in the EA group, while the maximum bladder capacity and bladder compliance, the expression levels of Epac2, Rap, p-Raf, p-MEK, p-ERK1/2, and Bcl-2 protein in spinal cord tissue were all increased (P<0.05, P<0.01). In comparison with the EA group, the base pressure, leak point pressure and maximum pressure of bladder, the cell apoptosis rate, the expression level of Bax protein were significantly increased (P<0.05), whereas the maximum bladder capacity, bladder compliance, and the expression levels of p-MEK, p-ERK1/2, and Bcl-2 protein were decreased (P<0.05) in the EA+PD98059 group. Results of HE staining showed disordered transitional epithelial cells and destroyed lamina propria in bladder detrusor tissue, with the infiltration of monocytes in the model group, which was obviously milder in both EA and EA+PD98059 groups, especially in the EA group. CONCLUSIONS: EA can improve the bladder function in detrusor hyperreflexia rats after SSCI, which may be related to its effect in up-regulating Epac2 and Rap, activating the Raf-MEK-ERK pathway, and reducing the cell apoptosis of spinal cord tissue.

Thermally Insulating SiO2/PSA Composite Aerogels with Heat Resistance and Mechanical Properties via the Thiol-Yne Click Reaction.

Polymer-reinforced silica aerogels are thermally insulating materials employed to enhance mechanical properties; however, they exhibit low heat stability and require a complex production process. The main body of this work concerns the synthesis of silicon-containing polyarylacetylene (PSA) resin, which has exceptional thermal properties and is used to strengthen the gel skeleton and significantly improve the heat resistance of the polymer reinforcement phase. The honeycomb-like porous SiO2/PSA aerogels derived from directional freezing were obtained via click reaction, gel aging, freeze-drying, and curing without the requirement for time-consuming solvent replacement. The prepared SiO2/PSA aerogel is low density (∼0.3 g/cm3) and high porosity (∼80%), which provides the material with low levels of thermal conductivity (∼0.06 W/m·K) and excellent thermal insulation performance. When compared to the majority of polymer aerogels and aerogel-like materials, the prepared SiO2/PSA aerogels have high Td5 (∼460 °C) and Yr800 (∼80%) and compressive strength (compression strength > 1.5 MPa). SiO2/PSA composite aerogel has numerous functions in areas where materials must withstand extremely elevated temperatures, such as the aerospace industry.

Parallel Structure Enhanced Polysilylaryl-enyne/Ca0.9La0.067TiO3 Composites with Ultra-High Dielectric Constant and Thermal Conductivity.

With the rapid development of the microwave communication industry, microwave dielectric materials have been widely studied as the medium of signal transmission. Nowadays, with the increase in communication frequency, devices are miniaturized, and dielectric materials are required to have higher dielectric constants. At the same time, the miniaturization of devices brings about an increase in power density, which puts forward higher requirements for the thermal conductivity of materials. In this work, polysilylaryl-enyne (PSAE) and Ca0.9La0.067TiO3 (CLT) were chosen as the matrix and filler, respectively, to construct a parallel model composite through a freeze casting method and a 0-3 model composite through the direct mixing method, respectively. After comparing the microstructures of the two models, their dielectric properties and thermal conductivity were measured and simulated. The parallel model composites in the stable range possess uniform parallel structures, and the solid content limit for them could be as high as 73.2%, which is much higher than that of the 0-3 model composites. While the 0-3 model composite possesses an optimal dielectric constant of 25.4 (@10 GHz) and a thermal conductivity of 0.965 W·m-1·K-1, the parallel model composite possesses a 2 times higher dielectric constant of 76.2 (@10 GHz) and a 1 times higher thermal conductivity of 2.095 W·m-1·K-1. Since the parallel model composite possesses much higher dielectric constant and thermal conductivity than traditional 0-3 model composites, it can be an excellent candidate for microwave communication.

[Electroacupuncture of "Shangjuxu"(ST37) and "Tianshu"(ST25) reduces colonic injury by suppressing NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling in rats with ulcerative colitis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) of "Shangjuxu"(ST37) and "Tianshu"(ST25) on colonic mucosal injury and activities of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)/Nod-like receptor family，pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome signaling in the colonic tissue in rats with ulcerative colitis (UC), so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of UC. METHODS: Male SD rats were randomly divided into blank, model, medication and EA groups, with 12 rats in each group. The UC model was established by enema of 2-4-6 trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid +50% ethanol (2.5 mL). EA (10 Hz/50 Hz) was applied to bilateral ST37 and ST25 for 20 min, once a day, for a total of 10 days. Rats of the medication group received gavage of mesalazine suspension (2 mL：0.2 g/kg+0.9% saline) once a day, for 10 days. The rats' general conditions were recorded for calculating the disease activity index (DAI) score (0-4 points). The colonic tissue was sampled for giving colonic mucosa damage index (CMDI, 0-5 points) score and for observing histopathological changes after hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and for detecting expression levels of NF-κB and NLRP3 by using immunohistochemistry and Western blot, separately. The contents of serum interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), NLRP3 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Compared with the blank group, the DAI and CMDI scores, contents of serum IL-1ß, NLRP3, and TNF-α, as well as the immunoactivity and expression of NF-κB and NLRP3 proteins were significantly increased in the model group (P<0.05). Relevant to the model group, modeling-induced increases of DAI and CMDI scores, serum IL-1ß, NLRP3 and TNF-α contents, and NF-κB and NLRP3 expression were reversed in both medication and EA groups (P<0.05), the effect of EA was apparently superior to that of mesalazine in down-regulating CMDI score and serum IL-1ß level (P<0.05). No significant diffe-rences were found between the medication and EA groups in down-regulating DAI score, serum TNF-α and NLRP3 contents, and expression of NF-κB and NLRP3 proteins (P>0.05). The rats' general conditions including arch back sloth, anorexia, loss of fur gloss, weight loss, lethargy and loose of stool, and histopathological changes such as necrosis of intestinal mucosa, formation of obvious ulcerative surface, with many neutrophils and pus cells and inflammatory cell infiltration were obvious in the model group, which were relative milder in both medication and EA groups. CONCLUSION: EA can relieve colonic injury in UC rats, which may be related to its functions in down-regulating serum IL-1ß, TNF-α and NLRP3 levels by suppressing colonic NF-κB / NLRP3 inflammasome signaling.

The Higher Expression of CDCA2 Associated with Poor Prognosis in Glioma.

Glioma is the most common primary intracranial tumor and is related to poor clinical outcomes. The developments of sensitive markers can be applied to reveal the mechanisms involved in the progression of glioma. This study examined CDCA2 expression in glioma samples and its significance in predicting glioma patient outcome. GEPIA and GEO datasets were used to explore the expression of CDCA2 in glioma. Kaplan-Meier and multivariate assays were applied to delve into the prognostic values of CDCA2 expression in glioma patients using CGGA datasets. Our group also determined the associations between CDCA2 and clinical characteristics. Coexpression analysis was performed. In this research, we observed that CDCA2 expression was distinctly upregulated in glioma specimens compared with nontumor specimens. The prognosis of glioma with high CDCA2 expression was distinctly worse compared with that of glioma with low CDCA2 expression. Additionally, multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that high CDCA2 expression was an independent poor prognostic indicator for glioma patients. High expression of CDCA2 was positively associated with advanced clinical progression. Coexpression analysis revealed that CDCA2 could be positively related to ASPM, SKA1, DLGAP5, NCAPG, and CDCA8 and was negatively associated with ETNPPL, LDHD, MRVI1, CBX7, and CENPJ. Overall, our findings revealed that CDCA2 might serve as an independent prognosis indicator for glioma.

Efficacy and safety of dissimilar acupuncture intervention time-points in treating stroke: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Impairment of motor function and activities of daily living is very common in post-stroke patients. Acupuncture has been used in stroke for a long time. Although growing evidence supports the beneficial effects of acupuncture, there is still no clear conclusion on the optimal intervention time-point for acupuncture in stroke. Thus, we tried to assess the efficacy and safety of dissimilar acupuncture intervention time-points by network meta-analysis (NMA). METHODS: A retrieval was performed in several databases from beginning to October 2020. We only enrolled randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing acupuncture for stroke, and the outcome indicators measured were Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) score, Barthel Index (BI), and adverse events. RESULTS: Thirty-eight trials involving 3,836 participants were included in this NMA, the vast majority of which had a low or unclear risk of selection bias, detection bias, reporting bias, attrition bias, but had a high risk of performance bias. The results showed as following: (I) acupuncture treatment (Acu) is significantly more effective than non-acupuncture treatment (Non-Acu) with a good safety. (II) In terms of FMA, acupuncture within 48 h post-stroke (Acu I) was superior to acupuncture within 2-15 d post-stroke (Acu II) [standard mean difference (SMD): 7.17; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.11 to 13.22], acupuncture within 16-30 d post-stroke (Acu III) (SMD: 20.73; 95% CI, 13.68 to 27.78), acupuncture within 1 month to half a year post-stroke (Acu IV) (SMD: 26.95; 95% CI, 14.88 to 39.02). As for BI, Acu I was the optimal time-point, comparing with Acu III (SMD: 15.18; 95% CI, 8.97 to 21.39) and Acu IV (SMD: 22.88; 95% CI, 11.07 to 34.69). (III) Results of ranking indicated that Acu was better than Non-Acu at a similar stage in improving FMA and BI, while Acu I was the optimal intervention time-point, followed by Acu II. CONCLUSIONS: Although the credibility of our conclusions is low, our NMA indicates that acupuncture can be beneficial for stroke survivors with good safety. In terms of improvement in FMA score and BI, the soon use of acupuncture the better the efficacy. The optimal acupuncture intervention time-point for stroke is within 48 h post-stroke, and the significant validity period lasts until 15 days after onset.

Different acupuncture intervention time-points for improving capacity in motor function and activities of daily living after stroke: A protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of stroke has been found in an increasing trend worldwide, resulting in significant negative effects and severe impairments to survivors in terms of motor function and activities of daily living. Acupuncture therapy has been widely used in the clinical treatment of stroke for a long time, meanwhile, the efficacy has been confirmed by many studies. However, the optimal intervention time-point of acupuncture in stroke is controversial. Therefore, the purpose of our study is to provide scientific evidence and reasonable suggestions for this issue. METHODS: A computer-based retrieval will be employed in 7 electronic databases: EMBASE Database, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wan Fang databases, Chinese Scientific Journals Database (VIP) and China Biological Medicine Database (CBM), from the establishment date of each database throughout October 2020. Only randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for stroke will be recruited and language is limited to English or Chinese. The outcomes we focus on include the Fugl-Meyer Assessment score and the Barthel Index. Additionally, safety assessments such as adverse events and drop-out cases may also be taken into consideration. The network meta-analysis will be performed based on the Bayesian framework and literature selection will be conducted by 2 trained reviewers. All data analysis will be calculated by Revman5.3, WinBUGS 1.4.3, Stata13.0, and R software 3.6.1. The Assessment of heterogeneity, inconsistency, subgroup, sensitivity, and publication bias will also be done under the guidelines of Cochrane Collaboration's tool. RESULTS: The results of this study will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. CONCLUSION: This network meta-analysis will provide evidence-based references to evaluate the efficacy of different acupuncture intervention time-points during the treatment of stroke. Furthermore, it will help the clinicians to formulate appropriate medical plans and improve clinical efficacy. TRIALS REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY2020120060.

Mechanistic investigation of zinc-promoted silylation of phenylacetylene and chlorosilane: a combined experimental and computational study.

The zinc-promoted silylation method is of great importance to synthesize high-performance silicon-containing arylacetylene (PSA) resins in the industry. However, it is difficult to eliminate the accompanied by-product of terminal alkenes due to the lack of mechanistic understanding of the silylation. The initiation of zinc-promoted silylation is facilitated by the interaction between zinc and phenylacetylene. Our DFT calculations indicated that the intermolecular hydrogen transfer of phenylacetylene follows an ionic pathway, which generates a phenylacetylene anion and the corresponding alkene moieties on the zinc surface. The styrene by-product is observed in this stage, with its alkene moieties desorbing as radicals into the solvent under the high reaction temperature. Three possible intermediates of surface phenylacetylene anions were proposed including PhC[triple bond, length as m-dash]C-Zn, PhC[triple bond, length as m-dash]CZnCl, and (PhC[triple bond, length as m-dash]C)2Zn. These carbanion-zinc intermediates undergo an SN2 reaction with Me3SiCl to afford the alkynylsilane on the zinc surface, which is calculated to be the rate-determining step for the zinc-promoted silylation reaction.

[Acupuncture for aphasia: a retrospective analysis of clinical literature].

With the Meta-analysis method, the clinical efficacy of acupuncture and other regular methods for aphasia was evaluated, and the acupoints selection for aphasia was explored. The acupuncture literature of clinical randomized control trials for aphasia published in CNKI, WANFANG, VIP and CBM database was searched; the statistical analysis of clinical efficacy of acupuncture and other regular methods for aphasia was performed by using software Revman 5. 2 provided by Cochrane library. A file of Microsoft Excel was established to perform the analysis of acupoints selection based on frequency analysis method, so as to summarize the characteristics and rules. Totally 385 articles were searched, and 37 articles those met the inclusive criteria was included, involving 1,260 patients in the acupuncture group and 1 238 patients in the control group. The Meta-analysis results showed OR = 3.82, 95% Cl [3.01, 4.85]; rhombus was located on the right side and the funnel plot was nearly symmetry, indicating the treatment effect of the acupuncture group for aphasia was superior to the control group (Z = 11.04, P < 0.000 01). The frequency-analysis results showed that the frequency of acupoints from top to bottom was Lian-quan (CV 23), Tongli (HT 5), Yamen (GV 15), Jinjin (EX-HN 12), Yuye (EX-HN 13), Baihui (GV 20), Yuyan II, Yuyan I and Yuyan III. The frequency of meridians from top to bottom was the governor vessel, extra channels, conception vessel, heart meridian and large intestine meridian. It is concluded that the clinical efficacy of acupuncture combined with speech rehabilitation training and medication treatment for aphasia is superior to that of speech rehabilitation training and medication treatment alone. The clinical treatment for aphasia focuses on its local effect; the main acupoints are in the head and face, and the meridians are governor vessel, extra channels and conception vessel.

[Comparison of electroacupuncture at lower he-sea points on HMGB 1 and nAchR α7 in rats with acute gastric mucosal lesion].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the influence of electroacupuncture (EA) at lower he-sea points of stomach, large intestine, small intestine and gallbladder on interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), high mobility group protein 1 (HMGB 1) and alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAchR α7) in rats with acute gastric mucosal lesion (AGML), so as to explore whether there is relative specificity in treating gastric viscera disease by stimulating Zusanli (ST 36). METHODS: Sixty healthy SD rats were randomly assigned into a blank group, a model group, a Zusanli group, a Shangjuxu group, a Xiajuxu group and a Yanglingquan group, ten rats in each one (half male and half female). The WRS method was applied to induce the AGML model except the rats in the blank group. The rats in the blank group were treated with routine diet; the rats in the model group were treated with immobilization at rat platform, 30 min per time; the rats in the Zusanli group, Shangjuxu group, Xiajuxu group and Yanglingquan group were treated with acupuncture and connected with EA device (dilatational wave 10 Hz/50 Hz, positive electrode on the left side and negative electrode on the right side, intensity was appropriate when rat hind leg slightly shook), 30 min per time. The treatment was given once a day. After consecutive 10-day treatment, the gastric tissue was collected and the damage of gastric mucosa was evaluated; ELISA method was applied to measure the content of serum IL-1ß and tissue HMGB 1; the Western blot method was applied to measure the expression of nAchR α7 receptor. RESULTS: (1) Compared with the model group, the ulcer index (UI) of gastric mucosa, serum IL-1ß and tissue HMGB 1 were lower, and the expression of nAchR α7 was increased in the remaining groups (P<0.05, P<0.01). (2) Compared with the Zusanli group, the UI of gastric tissue, serum IL-1ß and tissue HMGB 1 were higher in the Shangjuxu group, Xiajuxu group and Yanglingquan group (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the expression of nAchRα7 was reduced in the Yanglingquan group (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: (1) EA at digestive system-related lower he-sea points, through IL-1ß, HMGB 1 and nAchR α7, could regulate immune response, lighten inflammatory reaction and reduce mucosal injury, which could realize the intervention effect on AGML rats. (2) From the comparison, it is concluded the intervention effect of Zusanli group is superior to the other groups, partly indicating the relative specificity between Zusanli and stomach.

[Effect of electroacupuncture of "Xiaohai" (SI 8) and "Xiajuxu" (ST 39) on serum TNF-α and duodenal high mobility group protein B 1 levels in duodenal ulcer rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of "Xiaohai" (SI 8) and "Xiajuxu" (ST 39) on serum TNF-α and duodenal high mobility group protein B 1 (HMGB 1) levels in rats with duodenal ulcer (DU), so as to analyze its underlying mechanism in improving DU. METHODS: Forty SD rats were randomly divided into normal control, model, Xiaohai (SI 8) and Xiajuxu (ST 39) groups (n=10 in each group). The DU model was established by intramuscular injection of 10% Cysteamine hydrochloride (300 mg/kg), followed by taking water containing 1% Cysteamine hydrochloride for 48 h. EA (10 Hz/50 Hz, 1-3 mA) was applied to bilateral SI 8 and ST 39 for 30 min, once a day for 10 days. The DU score (0-5 score) was evaluated according to Moraes' method. Serum TNF-α content was determined by ELISA and duodenal HMGB 1 expression was measured by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Compared to the normal control group, the DU score, serum TNF-α content, and duodenal HMGB 1 expression level of the model group were significantly higher (P<0.01). Following EA intervention, the increased DU score, serum TNF-α content, and duodenal HMGB 1 expression level were considerably down-regulated in the two EA groups in comparison with the model group (P<0.01, P<0.05) except HMGB 1 in the SI 8 group (P>0.05), and the effect of EA of "Xiajuxu" (ST 39), the lower-He point, was remarkably superior to that of "Xiaohai" (SI 8) in reducing DU score and TNF-α content (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: EA stimulation of SI 8 and ST 39 can improve duodenal ulceration in DU rats, which may be related to its effect in down-regulating serum TNF-α and duodenal HMGB 1 expression. The therapeutic effect of ST 39 is markedly better than SI 8 in relieving duodenal ulceration.

Stroke prevention knowledge and prestroke health behaviors among hypertensive stroke patients in mainland China.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Individuals with hypertension are at risk of stroke, and patients with stroke histories are at risk of experiencing another stroke. At this time, however, only a few studies have reported on stroke prevention knowledge and health behaviors among hypertensive patients who have had an initial stroke. The purpose of this study was to determine stroke prevention knowledge and health behaviors and to analyze the association between these 2 variables among hypertensive stroke patients who have had an initial stroke. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: With the use of a descriptive correlational design, a sample of 112 hypertensive stroke patients was recruited from the departments of neurology of 3 hospitals in Guangzhou, China. Each patient completed 2 reliable, validated questionnaires, the Stroke Prevention Knowledge Questionnaire and the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II. Data were collected during patients' hospital admission for stroke, within 2 days of stroke onset, and before they received stroke education. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to examine the correlations between the study variables. Multiple stepwise regression analysis was used to predict both the level of knowledge relating to stroke prevention and health behaviors. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The participants showed a relatively low level of stroke prevention knowledge and a moderate level of engagement in healthy behaviors. Pearson correlation coefficient between these 2 variables was 0.423 (P < .001). The results of multiple regression analysis showed that stroke prevention knowledge was positively influenced by education level; health behaviors were positively influenced by both gender and stroke prevention knowledge. Findings suggest that male hypertensive patients and those with a lower education level need targeted stroke education. Because knowledge was unrelated to behavior with respect to smoking, alcohol use, and low-salt diet, behavioral interventions should be explored to address these important risk factors among patients at risk for stroke.