Bloodletting at Jing points has been used to treat coma in traditional Chinese medicine. Mild induced hypothermia has also been shown to have neuroprotective effects. However, the therapeutic effects of bloodletting a...Bloodletting at Jing points has been used to treat coma in traditional Chinese medicine. Mild induced hypothermia has also been shown to have neuroprotective effects. However, the therapeutic effects of bloodletting at Jing points and mild induced hypothermia alone are limited. Therefore, we investigated whether combined treatment might have clinical effectiveness for the treatment of acute severe traumatic brain injury. Using a rat model of traumatic brain injury, combined treatment substantially alleviated cerebral edema and bloodbrain barrier dysfunction. Furthermore, neurological function was ameliorated, and cellular necrosis and the inflammatory response were lessened. These findings suggest that the combined effects of bloodletting at Jing points（20 μL, twice a day, for 2 days） and mild induced hypothermia（6 hours） are better than their individual effects alone. Their combined application may have marked neuroprotective effects in the clinical treatment of acute severe traumatic brain injury.展开更多
Inflammation after stroke is the main cause of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Cascading events after injury can lead to cell death. Heat shock protein 70 and other endogenous injury-signaling molecules are rele...Inflammation after stroke is the main cause of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Cascading events after injury can lead to cell death. Heat shock protein 70 and other endogenous injury-signaling molecules are released by damaged cells, which can lead to systemic stress reactions. Protecting the brain through repair begins with the stress-injury-repair signaling chain. This study aimed to verify whether acupuncture acts through this chain to facilitate effective treatment of ischemic stroke. Rat models of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury were established by Zea Longa＇s method, and injury sites were identified by assessing neurological function, 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining, and hematoxylin-eosin staining. Electroacupuncture at acupoints Baihui（DU20） and Zusanli（ST36） was performed in the model rats with dilatational waves, delivered for 20 minutes a day at 2–100 Hz and an amplitude of 2 m A. We analyzed the blood serum from the rats and found that inflammatory cytokines affected the levels of adrenotrophin and heat shock protein 70, each of which followed a similar bimodal curve. Specifically, electroacupuncture lowered the peak levels of adrenocorticotrophic hormone and heat shock protein 70. Thus, electroacupuncture was able to inhibit excessive stress, reduce inflammation, and promote the repair of neurons, which facilitated healing of ischemic stroke.展开更多
Cytomegalovirus(CMV) infection is common in humans.The virus then enters a "latency phase" and can reactivate to different stimuli such as immunosuppression.The clinical significance of CMV infection in infl...Cytomegalovirus(CMV) infection is common in humans.The virus then enters a "latency phase" and can reactivate to different stimuli such as immunosuppression.The clinical significance of CMV infection in inflammatory bowel disease is different in Crohn's disease(CD) and ulcerative colitis(UC).CMV does not interfere in the clinical course of CD.However,CMV reactivation is frequent in severe or steroid-resistant UC.It is not known whether the virus exacerbates the disease or simply appears as a bystander of a severe disease.Different methods are used to diagnose CMV colitis.Diagnosis is classically based on histopathological identification of viral-infected cells or CMV antigens in biopsied tissues using haematoxylin-eosin or immunohistochemistry,other tests on blood or tissue samples are currently being investigated.Polymerase chain reaction performed in colonic mucosa has a high sensitivity and a positive result could be associated with a worse prognosis disease;further studies are needed to determine the most appropriate strategy with positive CMV-DNA in colonic mucosa.Specific endoscopic features have not been described in active UC and CMV infection.CMV colitis is usually treated with ganciclovir for several weeks,there are different opinions about whether or not to stop immunosuppressive therapy.Other antiviral drugs may be used.Multicenter controlled studies would needed to determine which subgroup of UC patients would benefit from early antiviral treatment.展开更多
The possible role of minocycline in microglial activation and neuronal death after cardiac arrest（CA） and cardiopulmonary resuscitation（CPR） in mice was investigated in this study. The mice were given potassium ch...The possible role of minocycline in microglial activation and neuronal death after cardiac arrest（CA） and cardiopulmonary resuscitation（CPR） in mice was investigated in this study. The mice were given potassium chloride to stop the heart beating for 8 min to achieve CA, and they were subsequently resuscitated with epinephrine and chest compressions. Forty adult C57BL/6 male mice were divided into 4 groups（n=10 each）： sham-operated group, CA/CPR group, CA/CPR＋minocycline group, and CA/CPR＋vehicle group. Animals in the latter two groups were intraperitoneally injected with minocycline（50 mg/kg） or vehicle（normal saline） 30 min after recovery of spontaneous circulation（ROSC）. Twenty-four h after CA/CPR, the brains were removed for histological evaluation of the hippocampus. Microglial activation was evaluated by detecting the expression of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule-1（Iba1） by immunohistochemistry. Neuronal death was analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin（H＆E） staining and the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha（TNF-α） in the hippocampus were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. The results showed that the neuronal death was aggravated, most microglia were activated and TNF-α levels were enhanced in the hippocampus CA1 region of mice subjected to CA/CPR as compared with those in the sham-operated group（P〈0.05）. Administration with minocycline 30 min after ROSC could significantly decrease the microglial response, TNF-α levels and neuronal death（P〈0.05）. It was concluded that early administration with minocycline has a strong therapeutic potential for CA/CPR-induced brain injury.展开更多
Both brain injury and tacrolimus have been reported to promote the regeneration of injured peripheral nerves. In this study, before transection of rat sciatic nerve, moderate brain contusion was（or was not） induced....Both brain injury and tacrolimus have been reported to promote the regeneration of injured peripheral nerves. In this study, before transection of rat sciatic nerve, moderate brain contusion was（or was not） induced. After sciatic nerve injury, tacrolimus, an immunosuppressant, was（or was not） intraperitoneally administered. At 4, 8 and 12 weeks after surgery, Masson＇s trichrome, hematoxylin-eosin, and toluidine blue staining results revealed that brain injury or tacrolimus alone or their combination alleviated gastrocnemius muscle atrophy and sciatic nerve fiber impairment on the experimental side, simultaneously improved sciatic nerve function, and increased gastrocnemius muscle wet weight on the experimental side. At 8 and 12 weeks after surgery, brain injury induction and/or tacrolimus treatment increased action potential amplitude in the sciatic nerve trunk. Horseradish peroxidase retrograde tracing revealed that the number of horseradish peroxidase-positive neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord was greatly increased. Brain injury in combination with tacrolimus exhibited better effects on repair of injured peripheral nerves than brain injury or tacrolimus alone. This result suggests that brain injury in combination with tacrolimus promotes repair of peripheral nerve injury.展开更多
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide, and novel methods for early/rapid diagnosis of HCC are needed.Terahertz(THz) spectroscopy is considered to have the potent...BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide, and novel methods for early/rapid diagnosis of HCC are needed.Terahertz(THz) spectroscopy is considered to have the potential to distinguish between normal liver tissue and HCC tissue; however, there are few reports on it.We conduct this observational study to explore the feasibility of THz imaging for the diagnosis of HCC.AIM To evaluate the feasibility of THz for discriminating between HCC and normal liver tissues using fresh tissue specimens obtained from HCC patients who had undergone surgery.METHODS Normal liver tissue and HCC tissue were cryosectioned into 50 μm-thick slicesand placed on cover glass. Two adjacent tissue sections were separated subjected to histopathological examination by hematoxylin and eosin staining or THz transmission examination, and THz images were compared with pathologically mapped images. We determined the typical tumor and normal liver tissue regions by pathological examination; the corresponding areas of adjacent sections were examined by THz transmission.RESULTS The transmission rate of HCC tissue was 0.15-0.25, and the transmission rate of typical HCC tissue was about 0.2. THz transmittance in normal liver tissue is slightly higher than 0.4, but there were many influencing factors, including the degree of liver cirrhosis, fat components, ice crystals in frozen sections, and apoptosis.CONCLUSION In conclusion, this study shows that THz imaging can detect HCC tissue. Further research will yield more detailed data of the THz transmission rates of HCC tissue with different degrees of differentiation.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.31200809
文摘Bloodletting at Jing points has been used to treat coma in traditional Chinese medicine. Mild induced hypothermia has also been shown to have neuroprotective effects. However, the therapeutic effects of bloodletting at Jing points and mild induced hypothermia alone are limited. Therefore, we investigated whether combined treatment might have clinical effectiveness for the treatment of acute severe traumatic brain injury. Using a rat model of traumatic brain injury, combined treatment substantially alleviated cerebral edema and bloodbrain barrier dysfunction. Furthermore, neurological function was ameliorated, and cellular necrosis and the inflammatory response were lessened. These findings suggest that the combined effects of bloodletting at Jing points（20 μL, twice a day, for 2 days） and mild induced hypothermia（6 hours） are better than their individual effects alone. Their combined application may have marked neuroprotective effects in the clinical treatment of acute severe traumatic brain injury.
基金supported by a grant from the Major Science and Technology Project "Major New Drug Created" Funding,No.2009ZX09103-707
文摘Inflammation after stroke is the main cause of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Cascading events after injury can lead to cell death. Heat shock protein 70 and other endogenous injury-signaling molecules are released by damaged cells, which can lead to systemic stress reactions. Protecting the brain through repair begins with the stress-injury-repair signaling chain. This study aimed to verify whether acupuncture acts through this chain to facilitate effective treatment of ischemic stroke. Rat models of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury were established by Zea Longa＇s method, and injury sites were identified by assessing neurological function, 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining, and hematoxylin-eosin staining. Electroacupuncture at acupoints Baihui（DU20） and Zusanli（ST36） was performed in the model rats with dilatational waves, delivered for 20 minutes a day at 2–100 Hz and an amplitude of 2 m A. We analyzed the blood serum from the rats and found that inflammatory cytokines affected the levels of adrenotrophin and heat shock protein 70, each of which followed a similar bimodal curve. Specifically, electroacupuncture lowered the peak levels of adrenocorticotrophic hormone and heat shock protein 70. Thus, electroacupuncture was able to inhibit excessive stress, reduce inflammation, and promote the repair of neurons, which facilitated healing of ischemic stroke.
文摘Cytomegalovirus(CMV) infection is common in humans.The virus then enters a "latency phase" and can reactivate to different stimuli such as immunosuppression.The clinical significance of CMV infection in inflammatory bowel disease is different in Crohn's disease(CD) and ulcerative colitis(UC).CMV does not interfere in the clinical course of CD.However,CMV reactivation is frequent in severe or steroid-resistant UC.It is not known whether the virus exacerbates the disease or simply appears as a bystander of a severe disease.Different methods are used to diagnose CMV colitis.Diagnosis is classically based on histopathological identification of viral-infected cells or CMV antigens in biopsied tissues using haematoxylin-eosin or immunohistochemistry,other tests on blood or tissue samples are currently being investigated.Polymerase chain reaction performed in colonic mucosa has a high sensitivity and a positive result could be associated with a worse prognosis disease;further studies are needed to determine the most appropriate strategy with positive CMV-DNA in colonic mucosa.Specific endoscopic features have not been described in active UC and CMV infection.CMV colitis is usually treated with ganciclovir for several weeks,there are different opinions about whether or not to stop immunosuppressive therapy.Other antiviral drugs may be used.Multicenter controlled studies would needed to determine which subgroup of UC patients would benefit from early antiviral treatment.
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81201444 and No.81101401)
文摘The possible role of minocycline in microglial activation and neuronal death after cardiac arrest（CA） and cardiopulmonary resuscitation（CPR） in mice was investigated in this study. The mice were given potassium chloride to stop the heart beating for 8 min to achieve CA, and they were subsequently resuscitated with epinephrine and chest compressions. Forty adult C57BL/6 male mice were divided into 4 groups（n=10 each）： sham-operated group, CA/CPR group, CA/CPR＋minocycline group, and CA/CPR＋vehicle group. Animals in the latter two groups were intraperitoneally injected with minocycline（50 mg/kg） or vehicle（normal saline） 30 min after recovery of spontaneous circulation（ROSC）. Twenty-four h after CA/CPR, the brains were removed for histological evaluation of the hippocampus. Microglial activation was evaluated by detecting the expression of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule-1（Iba1） by immunohistochemistry. Neuronal death was analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin（H＆E） staining and the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha（TNF-α） in the hippocampus were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. The results showed that the neuronal death was aggravated, most microglia were activated and TNF-α levels were enhanced in the hippocampus CA1 region of mice subjected to CA/CPR as compared with those in the sham-operated group（P〈0.05）. Administration with minocycline 30 min after ROSC could significantly decrease the microglial response, TNF-α levels and neuronal death（P〈0.05）. It was concluded that early administration with minocycline has a strong therapeutic potential for CA/CPR-induced brain injury.
基金supported by a grant from the Mandatory Project of Health Department of Hebei Province of China,No.20130027a grant from the Mandatory Project of Science and Technology Department of Hebei Province of China,No.142777105Da grant from Science and Technology Bureau of Chengde City of Hebei Province of China,No.20123128
文摘Both brain injury and tacrolimus have been reported to promote the regeneration of injured peripheral nerves. In this study, before transection of rat sciatic nerve, moderate brain contusion was（or was not） induced. After sciatic nerve injury, tacrolimus, an immunosuppressant, was（or was not） intraperitoneally administered. At 4, 8 and 12 weeks after surgery, Masson＇s trichrome, hematoxylin-eosin, and toluidine blue staining results revealed that brain injury or tacrolimus alone or their combination alleviated gastrocnemius muscle atrophy and sciatic nerve fiber impairment on the experimental side, simultaneously improved sciatic nerve function, and increased gastrocnemius muscle wet weight on the experimental side. At 8 and 12 weeks after surgery, brain injury induction and/or tacrolimus treatment increased action potential amplitude in the sciatic nerve trunk. Horseradish peroxidase retrograde tracing revealed that the number of horseradish peroxidase-positive neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord was greatly increased. Brain injury in combination with tacrolimus exhibited better effects on repair of injured peripheral nerves than brain injury or tacrolimus alone. This result suggests that brain injury in combination with tacrolimus promotes repair of peripheral nerve injury.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.11622542 and No.51677145
文摘BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide, and novel methods for early/rapid diagnosis of HCC are needed.Terahertz(THz) spectroscopy is considered to have the potential to distinguish between normal liver tissue and HCC tissue; however, there are few reports on it.We conduct this observational study to explore the feasibility of THz imaging for the diagnosis of HCC.AIM To evaluate the feasibility of THz for discriminating between HCC and normal liver tissues using fresh tissue specimens obtained from HCC patients who had undergone surgery.METHODS Normal liver tissue and HCC tissue were cryosectioned into 50 μm-thick slicesand placed on cover glass. Two adjacent tissue sections were separated subjected to histopathological examination by hematoxylin and eosin staining or THz transmission examination, and THz images were compared with pathologically mapped images. We determined the typical tumor and normal liver tissue regions by pathological examination; the corresponding areas of adjacent sections were examined by THz transmission.RESULTS The transmission rate of HCC tissue was 0.15-0.25, and the transmission rate of typical HCC tissue was about 0.2. THz transmittance in normal liver tissue is slightly higher than 0.4, but there were many influencing factors, including the degree of liver cirrhosis, fat components, ice crystals in frozen sections, and apoptosis.CONCLUSION In conclusion, this study shows that THz imaging can detect HCC tissue. Further research will yield more detailed data of the THz transmission rates of HCC tissue with different degrees of differentiation.
