[Expression and significance analysis of GDF3 in testicular cancer based on TCGA and GTEx databases].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression and significance of GDF3 in testicular cancer through bioinformatics analysis. METHODS: Using the TCGA and GTEx databases, differential expression analysis and pan-cancer analysis were performed to identify the target gene GDF3, and the clinical relevance of GDF3 in testicular cancer was analyzed using the UALCAN database. Based on the R packages "org.Hs.eg.db" and "clusterProfiler," gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were conducted to explore the potential functions of GDF3 in testicular cancer. The correlation of GDF3 with immune chemokines and immune inhibitors in testicular cancer was investigated using the TISIDB database. RESULTS: The GDF3 was significantly upregulated in testicular cancer (P<0.001) and closely associated with clinical staging (P<0.05) and tumor subtypes (P<0.001). The immune-related analysis revealed that GDF3 was strongly correlated with immune chemokines CCL26 (rho=0.599, P<0.001), CCL7 (rho=0.525, P<0.001), immune inhibitor ADORA2A (rho=0.723, P<0.001), and PVRL2 (rho=0.585, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The GDF3 is closely related to the occurrence, development, and immune microenvironment of testicular cancer.

Case Report: Acute Renal and Splenic Infarctions Secondary to Atrial Fibrillation.

Acute renal and splenic infarctions are an uncommon condition that can result from obstruction or decrease of renal and splenic arterial flow. We described a 73-year-old woman who presented with right flank pain and nocturnal dyspnea. The computed tomography (CT) scan with intravenous contrast showed multiple infarcts in both bilateral kidneys and spleen. Serum creatinine clearance was impaired. Further investigation by electrocardiogram (ECG) and 24-h Holter revealed that the patient had paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF). Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiographic findings were unremarkable except for severe spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) in the left atrial appendage. The development of thromboembolic renal and splenic infarction was attributed to embolism caused by atrial fibrillation. Anticoagulant therapy was initiated with low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and followed by an oral anticoagulant. To manage PAF and prevent further embolism, the "One-stop" procedure, including atrial fibrillation catheter ablation and left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO), was applied to this patient. Follow-up at 1 month showed normal sinus rhythm, improved renal function, and relieved renal and splenic infarction.

Hypertriglyceridemia: A Neglected Risk Factor for Ischemic Stroke? / 대한뇌졸중학회지

Hypertriglyceridemia is caused by defects in triglyceride metabolism and generally manifests as abnormally high plasma triglyceride levels. Although the role of hypertriglyceridemia may not draw as much attention as that of plasma cholesterol in stroke, plasma triglycerides, especially nonfasting triglycerides, are thought to be correlated with the risk of ischemic stroke. Hypertriglyceridemia may increase the risk of ischemic stroke by promoting atherosclerosis and thrombosis and increasing blood viscosity. Moreover, hypertriglyceridemia may have some protective effects in patients who have already suffered a stroke via unclear mechanisms. Therefore, further studies are needed to elucidate the role of hypertriglyceridemia in the development and prognosis of ischemic stroke.

GAO Hong's clinical experience in treatment of tic disorder with acupuncture technique of cultivating the primary and regulating the mind / 中国针灸

The paper introduces the clinical experience of GAO Hong in treatment of tic disorder. GAO Hong believes that tic disorder results from the primary qi deficiency and mind disturbance. Acupuncture for cultivating the primary and regulating the mind is proposed specially for tic disorder. This acupuncture technique focuses on harmonizing and regulating governor vessel and conception vessel. In clinical practice, the conception vessel acupoints on the abdomen and the governor vessel acupoints on the head are selected particularly, e.g. Zhongwan (CV 12), Xiawan (CV 10), Qihai (CV 6) and Guanyuan (CV 4) on the abdomen; Baihui (GV 20), Shenting (GV 24), Benshen (GB 13) and Yintang (GV 24+) on the head. The needling sequence and the insertion depth are emphasized, which affect the curative effect and GV 20 is generally punctured first. Besides, considering to the type of disorder and the affected site, tic disorder is treated in view of both syndrome/pattern differentiation and symptom differentiation.

Clinical efficacy and safety of moxibustion as adjuvant therapy for COPD in stable phase: a Meta-analysis / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of conventional therapy combined with moxibustion in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in stable phase based on Meta-analysis medicine.@*METHODS@#The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of moxibustion as adjuvant therapy for COPD were retrieved from the databases of CNKI, Wanfang, SinoMed, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Ebsco. RevMan5.3 software was used for Meta analysis, and the quality of evidence was evaluated according to GRADE standards.@*RESULTS@#A total of 16 RCTs were included, involving 1425 patients. The results of Meta-analysis showed that: compared with the conventional treatment, ①the adjuvant therapy with moxibustion had advantages in reducing the number of acute exacerbations [@*CONCLUSION@#The efficacy of moxibustion as adjuvant therapy for COPD in stable phase is better than that of simple conventional therapy. Due to insufficient clinical evidence and the limitations of this study, clinical safety is unclear and further evidence is needed to support the results.

Clinical application and mechanism exploration on dysosmia treated with acupuncture and moxibustion / 中国针灸

Dysosmia affects not only odour identification, but also memory, appetite, immunity and affection. Moreover, it suggests the occurrence of some diseases. The etiology of dysosmia is various and the treatment with western medicine is limited. In this paper, by analyzing the relevant research articles on olfactory disorders treatment with acupuncture and moxibustion, the clinical application of acupuncture and moxibustion, the thought of its diagnosis and treatment as well as relevant effect mechanism were explored. It is anticipated to provide the clinical physicians with the references to the treatment of dysosmia.

Therapeutic effect of adjuvant treatment of acupuncture in a period of day from 7:00 am to 9:00 am on non-dipper essential hypertension / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the infuences on circadian rhythm of blood pressure in the patients with non-dipper essential hypertension between the combined treatment of time acupuncture and western medication and the simple western medication.@*METHODS@#A total of 70 patients with non-dipper essential hypertension were randomized into an acupuncture plus western medication group (35 cases, 2 cases dropped out) and a western medication group (35 cases). In the western medication group, levamlodipine maleate tablets were taken orally, 2.5 mg each time, once daily. In the acupuncture plus western medication group, on the base of the treatment as the western medication group, acupuncture was applied specially in the period of the day from 7:00 am to 9:00 am. The acupoints included Fengchi (GB 20), Zhongwan (CV 12), Tianshu (ST 25), Hegu (LI 4), Quchi (LI 11), Zusanli (ST 36), etc. Acupuncture was given once daily, 5 treatments a week. The duration of treatment in the two groups was 4 weeks. The clinic blood pressure before and after treatment, 24 h ambulatory blood pressure and the levels of serum melatonin (MT) and 5-serotonin (5-HT) were observed in the two groups.@*RESULTS@#The total effective rate of anti-hypertension was 75.8% (25/33) in the acupuncture plus western medication group, better than 54.3% (19/35) in the western medication group (<0.05). The 24 h average systolic blood pressure, the daytime average systolic blood pressure, the daytime average diastolic pressure, and the nighttime average systolic blood pressure were all reduced after treatment in the two groups (<0.05). The reduction effect of the aforementioned 4 indexes in the acupuncture plus western medication group was much more obvious as compared with the western medication group (<0.05). After treatment, the serum level of MT was increased and 5-HT decreased in the patients of two groups (<0.05). The serum level of MT in the acupuncture plus western medication group was higher than that in the western medication group and the level of 5-HT was lower than the western medication group (<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Time acupuncture therapy in the period of the day from 7:00 am to 9:00 am, combined with western medication effectively reduce blood pressure and regulate the levels of serum MT and 5-HT so as to maintain the circadian rhythm of blood pressure in patients with non-dipper essential hypertension. The therapeutic effect of this combined treatment is superior to simple western medication.

Herb-separated moxibustion on dysmenorrhea in ovarian endometriosis: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical therapeutic effect of herb-separated moxibustion on dysmenorrhea in ovarian endometriosis.@*METHODS@#A total of 54 patients with ovarian endometriosis dysmenorrhea were randomized into a herb-separated moxibustion group and a waiting-list group, 27 cases in each one (3 cases dropped off in the herb-separated moxibustion group, 4 cases dropped off in the waiting-list group). Herb-separated moxibustion was applied at hypogastrium and lumbosacral area for 30 min in the herb-separated moxibustion group, once a week for 3 months, and oral ibuprofen sustained-release capsule was given to relieve pain when necessary. Excepting giving ibuprofen sustained-release capsule when necessary, no more intervention was adopted in the waiting-list group. Before and after treatment and in 3 months follow-up, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, days of dysmenorrhea, total dose of oral painkiller were observed.@*RESULTS@#Compared before treatment, the VAS scores after tratment and in follow-up were decreased in the herb-separated moxibustion group (<0.05), and were less than those in the waiting-list group (<0.05); the days of dysmenorrhea and the total doses of oral painkiller after tratment and in follow-up were decreased in the herb-separated moxibustion group (<0.05), and were less than those in the waiting-list group (<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Herb-separated moxibustion can effectively improve dysmenorrhea symptom and shorten dysmenorrhea days in patients with ovarian endometriosis.

Chinese medicine master -' creative viewpoint on acupuncture-moxibustion and acupoints of Zhejiang school / 中国针灸

The creative viewpoint of -, the master of Zhejiang school of Chinese medicine is introduced regarding the theories of acupuncture-moxibustion and acupoints. It is stated by master that the five-tissue needling methods are applicable not only for physical disorders, but also for disorders. Of these methods, the nearby bone needling method presents an instructive significance in treatment of pain disorder. The "reinforcing in the upper and reducing in the lower" needling method supplements the reinforcing and reducing theory of acupuncture. Master has put forward the theory of flexible selection of acupoint, the phenomenon of acupoint groups and the application of transverse acupoint composition, as well as the measures for intensifying needling induction, promoting regulation of acupuncture and improving clinical effect. Besides, the seven Chinese characters are used to summarize acupoint composition, meaning "main point, supplementary point, nearby point, corresponding point, back- point, front- point and extra point" separately. This creative viewpoint provides a clearer and more feasible mode in treatment with acupuncture-moxibustion and is instructive proactively in clinical practice.

Pharmacokinetics of paeonol and its metabolites after oral administration of Moutan Cortex in rats / 中草药

Objective: To investigate the pharmacokinetics of paeonol and its metabolites M1-M4 in rats after intragastric administration of Moutan Cortex. Methods: SD rats were orally administered different doses (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 g/kg) of Moutan Cortex, and blood was taken from the fundus venous plexus at various time points to collect plasma samples. After given 1.0 g/kg Moutan Cortex extract, urine, bile and feces samples were collected for the corresponding time period. The biological samples were treated with acetonitrile (containing 0.1% formic acid) to precipitate protein, and the established UPLC-MS/MS analysis method was used to detect the content of paeonol and its four metabolites in biological samples. Results: The established biological sample analysis method satisfied the analytical requirements. After administered to rats with doses (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 g/kg) of Moutan Cortex extract, the tmax of paeonol was (0.15 ± 0.08) h, (0.33 ± 0.19) h, (0.31 ± 0.13) h; and t1/2 was (1.16 ± 0.37) h, (1.19 ± 0.45) h, (1.24 ± 0.35) h. Cmax and AUC0-t were increased with the increase of dosage of Moutan Cortex extract, which showed dose-dependent manner. M1-M4 also reached Cmax after 1 h of administration. The main way of excretion of metabolites was confirmed by urine > bile > feces. Conclusion: After ig administration of Moutan Cortex, paeonol has the characteristics of rapid absorption, metabolism and elimination and mainly excreted in the form of metabolites through urine.

Clinical Efficacy Evaluation of Abdominal Acupuncture plus Cervical Curvature Traction for Cervical Spondylosis of Vertebral Artery Type / 上海针灸杂志

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of abdominal acupuncture plus cervical curvature traction in treating cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type. Method Eighty patients with cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type were divided by the random number table into two groups, with 40 cases in each group. The treatment group was intervened by abdominal acupuncture plus cervical curvature traction, and the control group was given oral administration of flunarizine. The two groups were compared before and after treatment in terms of clinical symptom score, cervical vertigo symptom and function assessment scale, and hemodynamics, etc. Result Both groups attained significant efficacy, and the total effective rate was 92.5％ in the treatment group, markedly higher than 77.5％ in the control group (P<0.05); the score of cervical spondylosis symptom scale in the treatment group was higher than that in the control group after treatment, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05); after treatment, the evaluations of vertigo, neck-shoulder pain, headache, daily living and work, mental and social adaptation were significantly improved in both groups (P<0.01). Conclusion Abdominal acupuncture plus cervical curvature traction can obviously improve symptoms such as vertigo, neck-shoulder pain, headache, daily living and work, and mental and social adaptation, and boost the blood flow velocity of vertebrobasilar artery in patients with cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type. The achievement of therapeutic efficacy is associated with the improvement of vertebrobasilar blood supply.

Research progress on pathogenesis of temporary osteoporosis in hip / 中国骨伤

Transient osteoporosis of the hip(TOH) is classified as a type of bone marrow edema syndrome. TOH is lack of previous study and there is still controversy about his pathogenesis. In recent years, with the development of multi-discipline, such as imaging, pathology, molecular biology, the study has found that the pathological mechanism is complex, while its mechanism is still not clear, which need further research. This paper summarizes the research progress on the pathogenesis of TOH from neurogenic, osteonecrosis, abnormal vascular function, subchondral fracture, heredity and regional acceleration and son on.

Clinical observation of proximal femoral anti-rotation nail for the treatment of femoral intertrochanteric fracture / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the curative effect and the recessive loss of blooding of PFNA for the treatment of intertrochanteric fractures of femur.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From January 2012 to January 2015, a total of 49 patients with intertrochanteric fractures of femur were treated with proximal femoral anti-rotation nail including 41 males and 8 females with an average age of 79 years old ranging from 65 to 91 years old. According to the modified Evans type, 1 case was type I, 12 cases were type II, 36 cases were type III. All cases were fresh fractures. Patients had hip pain, movement limited, joint swelling, bruising, extorsion deformity, X-ray and CT examination showed completely fractures. All patients were treated by closed reduction and PFNA internal fixation. Three comminuted fractures using closed reduction were not satisfied, then were treated by limited PFNA fixation after open reduction.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The patients' incision got the grade A healing, no complications such as infection and internal fixation failure happened. All patients were followed up from 6 to 36 months (means 22 months). The pain VAS score decreased from preoperative 7.70±1.97 to 1.00±0.26 at 6 months after operation(<0.01). Harris hip score improved from preoperative 8.70±4.19 to 91.70±5.31 at 6 months after operation(<0.01). The outcome at 6 months after operation was excellent in 34 cases, good in 7, poor in 1. The fracture healing time was from 8 to 16 weeks with an average of 12 weeks after operation. One patient with osteoporosis, crushing broken, poor compliance, associated with schizophrenia at the same time, appeared with the displacement of the femoral greater trochanter, with conservative treatment for healing.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Intertrochanteric fractures of femur are common in the elderly trauma, in pain relief, recovery of hip function, to provide quality of life for the patients, PFNA achieved satisfactory effect, but its existence is worth to pay close attention to the recessive loss of blood.</p>

Recent progress in the study of methylated tumor suppressor genes in gastric cancer / 癌症

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignancies and a leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. The pathogenesis mechanisms of gastric cancer are still not fully clear. Inactivation of tumor suppressor genes and activation of oncogenes caused by genetic and epigenetic alterations are known to play significant roles in carcinogenesis. Accumulating evidence has shown that epigenetic silencing of the tumor suppressor genes, particularly caused by hypermethylation of CpG islands in promoters, is critical to carcinogenesis and metastasis. Here, we review the recent progress in the study of methylations of tumor suppressor genes involved in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer. We also briefly describe the mechanisms that induce tumor suppressor gene methylation and the status of translating these molecular mechanisms into clinical applications.

Prognostic power of abnormal cytogenetics for multiple myeloma: a multicenter study in China / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Chromosomal abnormalities have been shown to play an important prognostic role in multiple myeloma (MM). Interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (i-FISH) has been much more effective to identify cytogenetic aberrations in MM than conventional cytogenetic technique (CC). To clearly determine the cytogenetic features of Chinese MM patients and identify their prognostic implications, we designed a multicenter study based on i-FISH including 672 patients from 52 hospitals in China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>All 672 patients were systematically screened for the following genomic aberrations: del(13q), IgH rearrangement, del(p53) and 1q21 amplifications.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The analysis showed that the chromosomal changes were detected in 22.1% patients by CC and in 82.3% patients by i-FISH. The most common abnormalities by CC were chromosome 1 aberrations (48.4%), -13/13q- (37.6%), hyperdiploidy (36.6%), hypodiploidy (30.1%) and IgH rearrangements (23.7%). The most frequent abnormalities by FISH was del(13q), which was found in 60.4% patients, whereas IgH rearrangement, 1q21 amplification and p53 deletions were detected in 57.6%, 49.0% and 34.7% cases, respectively. By statistical analysis, -13/13q- by CC was associated with low level of platelet (P = 0.015), hyperdiploidy was associated with low level of serum albumin (P = 0.028), and IgH rearrangement by FISH was associated with high level of β2 microglobulin (P = 0.019). Moreover, 1q21 amplification and del(p53) by FISH conferred a high incidence of progressive disease (PD) after initial therapy. Metaphase detection of IgH rearrangements and chromosome 1 aberrations concurrently was associated with a short progression free survival (PFS) (P = 0.036). No significant prognostic implications of other cytogenetic abnormalities were found associated with overall survival and PFS.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Chinese MM patients had similar cytogenetic abnormalities compared with the previous reported studies. However, the prognostic significance of FISH aberrations were not clearly determined and further study is required.</p>

ANGPTL4 gene silencing by short-hairpin RNA inhibits the migration of human colorectal cancer cell line HT29 / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of ANGPTL4 gene silencing on the migration of human colon cancer cells in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of ANGPTL4 in human colorectal cancer cell lines was detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Following stable transfection with a short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting ANGPTL4 gene in HT29 cells, ANGPTL4 mRNA and protein expressions were detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and direct ELISA, respectively, and the changes in cell migration ability and cell morphology were observed with transwell and immunofluorescence assays.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>ANGPTL4 was expressed in most of the colorectal cancer cell lines. Compared with the control groups, HT29 cells with shRNA-mediated ANGPTL4 gene silencing showed significantly decreased expression of ANGPTL4 mRNA and protein (P<0.05) and lowered cell migration ability possibly due to decreased pseudopodia formation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ANGPTL4 was expressed in most colorectal cancer cell lines. Decreased ANGPTL4 gene expression can inhibit the cell migration and pseudopodia formation in HT29 cells.</p>

Silencing of Adrm1 by RNA interference suppresses proliferation of colorectal cancer cells / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of the novel proteasome subunit Adrm1 knockdown by RNA interference on proliferation of colorectal cancer cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The shRNA eukaryotic expression vector against Adrm1 was constructed and transfected into colon cancer RKO cells. The Adrm1-shRNA stable transfected clones were selected. Experimental cells were divided into 3 groups: the experimental group containing stable Adrm1-shRNA transfected cells, the control group containing only RKO colon cancer cells and stable empty vector transfected control group. The Adrm1 protein expression level was analyzed by Western blot. The colony-forming ability of the three groups was assessed by soft agar assay. The cell proliferation and apoptosis were analyzed by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) method and in situ end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Cell cycle changes were assayed by flow cytometry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Adrm1-shRNA effectively suppressed Adrm1 expression in the experimental group. Silencing of Adrm1 in RKO cells significantly inhibited their anchorage-independent growth, only occasional individual colonies were formed. The apoptosis rate of experimental group was (12.4 +/- 1.1)%, significantly higher than that of the stable empty vector transfected control group. The proportion of G(0)/G(1) and S/G(2) phase cells in the experimental group was (41.2 +/- 1.1)% and (58.8 +/- 1.1)%, respectively. The cells were arrested at G(1) phase. In addition, Adrm1 RNA interference combined with 5-Fu treatment significantly suppressed colorectal cancer cell growth in vitro.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Silencing of Adrm1 by RNA interference can significantly suppress proliferation of RKO cells through inducing apoptosis and arresting the cell cycle. The combined application of Adrm1 RNA interference and chemotherapy may become as a novel therapeutic strategy for Adrm1 overexpressed colorectal cancer.</p>

High expression of proteasome subunit PSMA7 in colorectal cancer is significantly correlated with liver metastasis / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the correlation between the proteasome subunit PSMA7 expression in colorectal cancer and its role in liver metastasis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>To identify the PSMA7 protein expression in 62 primary site colorectal cancers, 34 lymph node metastatic sites and 13 liver metastatic sites by immunohistochemistry and clarify the correlation of its expression with the clinicopathological parameters.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>High expression of PSMA7 was detected in 38.7% (24/62) of primary site colorectal cancer, 52.9% (18/34) of lymph node metastatic sites and 100% (13/13) liver metastatic sites but not in the normal colorectal tissue. High expression of PSMA7 was significantly correlated with liver metastasis (P = 0.028). The survival rate was significantly lower in patients with high expression of PSMA7 than in those with low expression of PSMA7 (P = 0.0008). As well, in multivariate analysis, PSMA7 expression demonstrated to be an independent prognostic factor (P = 0.004, relative risk 5.057; 95% confidence interval, 1.682-15.201).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>PSMA7 may play an important role in the colorectal cancer progression. Evaluation of PSMA7 expression in primary colorectal cancer at the time of surgery might be a valuable test in defining patients with a high risk of developing liver metastasis.</p>