MicroRNA­634 alters nerve apoptosis via the PI3K/Akt pathway in cerebral infarction.

In the present study, the role and mechanism of microRNA­634 (miRNA­634) in the adjustment of nerve inflammation and apoptosis in cerebral infarction were investigated. In a cerebral infarction rat model, the expression of miRNA­634 was increased, compared with that in the normal control group. The upregulated expression of miRNA­634 in an in vitro model of cerebral infarction increased cell apoptosis and the protein expression of capsase­3/B­cell lymphoma 2­associated X protein (Bax) via inactivation of the phosphoinositide 3­kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway. The downregulation of miRNA­634 enhanced cell growth and inhibited cell apoptosis in the in vitro model of cerebral infarction through induction of the PI3K/Akt pathway. Subsequently, a PI3K inhibitor was used to inhibit the expression of PI3K in the in vitro model of cerebral infarction via the downregulation of miRNA­634, which showed that cell apoptosis and the protein expression of capsase­3/Bax were also increased. A PI3K agonist reduced the effects of the upregulation of miRNA­634 in the in vitro model of cerebral infarction. In conclusion, the data obtained demonstrated the possible future use of miRNA­634 as a therapeutic target in cerebral infarction through the PI3K/Akt pathway.

[Impact of huolong moxibustion on TNF-α and pain degree in the patients of discogenic low back pain].

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the impact of huolong moxibustion on pain degree in the patients of discogenic low back pain and the effect mechanism. METHODS: Sixty-five patients were randomized into an observation group (33 cases) and a control group (32 cases). In the observation group, huolong moxibustion was applied along the distribution of the Governor Vessel, once a day. In the control group, the routine traction combined with massage therapy was adopted, once a day. In the two groups, the treatment was given 6 times a week, at interval of 1 day. In 3 weeks of treatment, pain score and serum tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) level were compared with those before treatment in the two groups. RESULTS: Compared with those before treatment, pain score and TNF-α level were reduced significantly after treatment in the two groups (both P < 0.05). The results in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (pain score: 1.95 ± 0.61 vs 2.11 ± 0.61; TNF-α: (1.33 ± 0.30) nmol/L vs (1.55 ± 0.48) nmol/L, (both P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Huolong moxibustion significantly alleviates pain in the patients of discogenic low back pain and its effect mechanism is possibly relevant with TNF-α reducing.

Quantification of two polyacetylenes in Radix Ginseng and roots of related Panax species using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometric method.

A sensitive method for quantitating the pharmacologically active polyacetylenes panaxynol and panaxydol in Radix Ginseng was developed using a capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) method. The detection mode of selected ion monitoring (SIM) allowed sensitive and selective quantitation of the two compounds in ginseng. Method validation showed that the GC-MS method has much lower detection and quantitation limits than the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-UV method. This indicates that GC-MS is particularly useful for the analysis of polyacetylene compounds, which have relatively low abundances compared with ginsenosides in ginseng. Based on the quantitative results of different types of ginseng herbs, it was found that the panaxydol and panaxynol contents were higher in forest ginseng than in cultivated ginseng. This method was further applied to the quantitative analyses of panaxynol and panaxydol in Radix Notoginseng and American ginseng. The ratio of panaxydol to panaxynol can be utilized as a marker for differentiating ginseng, notoginseng, and American ginseng. This study introduces the first GC-MS method for the quantitative analysis of polyacetylenes in herbs of the Panax genus.