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Radiation-induced apoptosis has been reported in thymic, lymphoid, haematopoietic cells and intestinal epithelium but is infrequently documented in other adult mammalian cell types. In this study, we examined the time course of radiation-induced apoptosis in the adult cervical rat spinal cord following a single dose of 8 or 22 Gy. Apoptosis was assessed by morphological criteria under light and electron microscopy, and immunohistochemically in-situ using Apoptag to detect 3' -OH ends of DNA fragments. Little evidence of apoptosis (0.3 +/- 0.1 apoptotic nuclei per spinal cord section) was observed in control un-irradiated spinal cord. A significant increase in the number of apoptotic cells per spinal cord section was seen at 4 h after 8 (13.6 +/- 1.3) or 22 Gy (22.0 +/- 2.7). The number of apoptotic nuclei reached a peak at 8 h (44.7 +/- 3.7 after 8 Gy, 49.5 +/- 4.3 after 22 Gy), and returned to the baseline level by 24 h (2.4 +/- 0.7 after 8 Gy, 3.3 +/- 0.7 after 22 Gy). A dose of 22 Gy induced significantly more apoptoses than 8 Gy at 4, 6, 10 and 12 h (P < or = 0.033), but not at 8 h. More apoptotic nuclei were observed in white matter (64-92%) than gray matter (8-36%). All the apoptotic cells were observed in glial cells, and there was no evidence of radiation-induced apoptosis in the vascular endothelial cells or neurons. The morphological features of the apoptotic cells under electron microscopy and the absence of GFAP staining suggested that they were oligodendrocytes. We conclude that radiation induces apoptosis in the adult rat spinal cord, and that the development of apoptosis follows a specific time course.

In the present paper, the authors introduce the approved and finished research projects for acupuncture and moxibustion therapies supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) during the 11th 5-year-plan. A total of 194 research projects were subsidized by NSFC from 2006 to 2010. These projects include 6 aspects: meridian-collaterals, acupoint theory, acupuncture analgesia, mechanisms underlying improvement of different clinical problems, clinical trials, and moxibustion therapy. The research on acupoints has been becoming a new hotspot in recent years. Majority of the research projects focus on the mechanism of acu-moxibustion underlying improvement of different clinical problems, while fewer projects on clinical trials. During the 11th 5-year-plan, 119 projects were completed; most of them involved meridian-collateral theory, acupoint theory, mechanism of acu-moxibustion underlying improvement of clinical problems and acupuncture manipulations. Following analysis of the finished research projects, we find that 1) many neurobiological methods and techniques are commonly used in the research on meridian-collateral theory; 2) the research on acupoint theory is changing from observing the local morphological structure to identifying characteristics of the regional activated receptors, particularly under the circumstances of visceral pathological conditions and efficacies of acupoints; 3) researches on the underlying mechanism of acu-moxibusiton for improving clinical disorders mainly focused on its cerebral protective effects against cerebral ischemia, in addition, researches about other diseases on clinical conditions have been also carried out, but the related mechanisms are far from understanding; 4) In many research projects, various new methods and techniques, such as fMRI, position emission tomography, genomics, proteomics, molecular biology, nerve stem cell, etc. were widely used; 5) Randomized controlled multi-center clinical trials are definitely insufficient. Only two clinical projects were finished during the 11th 5-year-plan. Moreover, it should be noted that in the subject of acu-moxibustion, independent innovation researches are fewer; the foundation of competitive ability is relatively weaker; the supporting conditions for finishing the research projects are poorer in some institutes or districts; and the interrelations among the theoretical, experimental and clinical researches are not intimately close, leading to relative lag in the subject development.

The present study aimed to investigate the pharmacokinetic variation of ofloxacin based on gender-related difference in the expression of multidrug resistance-associated protein (Abcc2/Mrp2) in rat kidney. The concentrations of ofloxacin in rat plasma and urine were determined after tail vein administration (30 mg x kg(-1)) by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. Expression of Mrp2 in kidney of male and female rats was qualitatively and quantitatively detected by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry, separately. The results showed that AUC value of ofloxacin was lower in male rats than that in female rats and the total amount of ofloxacin excreted in the urine was higher in male rats than that in female rats. And the expression of Mrp2 in male rat kidney was higher than that in female rats. All results suggested that gender-related differences in pharmacokinetics of ofloxacin may be attributed to the differences in the expression of Mrp2 in kidney of male and female rats.

Shear stress imposed by blood flow is crucial for differentiation of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). Histone deacetylase SIRT1 has been shown to play a pivotal role in many physiological processes. However, association of SIRT1 expression with shear stress-induced EPC differentiation remains to be elucidated. The present study was designed to determine the effect of SIRT1 on EPC differentiation induced by shear stress, and to seek the underlying mechanisms. Human umbilical cord blood-derived EPCs were exposed to laminar shear stress of 15 dyn/cm(2) by parallel plate flow chamber system. Shear stress enhanced EPC differentiation toward endothelial cells (ECs) while inhibited to smooth muscle cells (SMCs). The expressions of phospho-Akt, SIRT1 and histone H3 acetylation (Ac-H3) in EPCs were detected after exposure to shear stress for 2, 6, 12, and 24 h, respectively. Shear stress significantly activated Akt phosphorylation, augmented SIRT1 expression and downregulated Ac-H3. SIRT1 siRNA in EPCs diminished the expression of EC markers, but increased the expression of SMC markers, and resulted in upregulation of Ac-H3. Whereas, resveratrol, an activator of SIRT1, had the opposite effects on both EPC differentiation and histone H3 acetylation. Wortmannin, an inhibitor of PI3-kinase, suppressed endothelial differentiation of EPCs, decreased SIRT1, and upregulated Ac-H3 expression. In addition, SIRT1 promoted tube formation of EPCs in matrix gels. These results provided a mechanobiological basis of shear stress-induced EPC differentiation into ECs and suggest that PI3k/Akt-SIRT1-Ac-H3 pathway is crucial in such a process.

In order to obtain dynamic changes of uptake and translocation and accumulation amounts of heavy metal lead in contaminated sediments in plants over time, the dynamic process of uptake and accumulation of lead in plants were simulated by system dynamics mechanism model of plant uptake to lead. Verification test was conducted based on simulation model after gain mass of data through planting maize in heavy metal contaminated sediment by greenhouse cultivation. The results indicate that the results of uptake and the accumulation of lead by maize in experiments are consistent with the conclusions of theoretical simulation model. It is proved that the dynamics mechanism model of plant uptake to lead is reasonable and effective.

CAI Jing was appointed the prime minister in the Chongning period of Song Hui-tsung. The Medical School was moved to the Imperial College from Taichang Temple. It used a 3-year education system and divided graduates into three grades. The preferential policies promised top students as 8 or 9-rank official position, which attracted a lot of intellectuals into the field of medicine. CAI Jing was demoted three times respectively in the fifth year of the Chongning period, the third year of the Daguan period and the second year of the Zhenghe period, and was promoted again after each demotion. Influenced by changes of CAI Jing's position and relative policies, the Medical School was also established and abolished three times.

The aim of this study was to compare the skin permeation of ethosomes, binary ethosomes and transfersomes of Terbinafine Hydrochloride (TH) under non-occlusive conditions. These lipid vesicles were prepared and characterized for shape, size, zeta-potential and entrapment efficiency. Franz diffusion cells and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) were used for the percutaneous absorption studies. The quantity of drug in the skin from ethosomes, binary ethosomes (the weight ratio of ethanol to propylene glycol 7:3, ethanol-PG = 7:3, w/w), and transfersomes was 1.26, 1.51 (p

To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of the fixed combination of amlodipine 5 mg/benazepril 10 mg once-daily therapy, compared with benazepril, 10 mg, monotherapy in patients with mild and moderate hypertension, and to evaluate the 24 h antihypertensive efficacy and the duration of action by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.In a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel controlled trial, 356 cases of hypertensive patients after 2 weeks wash-out, and then given 4 weeks of benazepril 10 mg monotherapy, 220 patients with mean seated diastolic blood pressure (SeDBP) remained ≥ 90 mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa) were randomly divided into benazepril 10 mg/amlodipine 5 mg (BZ10/AML5) fixed-dose combination therapy group (once a day, n = 113), and benazepril monotherapy group (daily 20 mg, n = 107). In the two groups the patients with SeDBP ≥ 90 mm Hg were doubled the dosage of the initial regimen at the end of 4-week treatment for additional 4 weeks, and the patients with SeDBP90 mm Hg remained the initial regimen for additional 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was to evaluate the improvement of SeDBP at the end of 8-week treatment. There were 74 patients (the combination therapy group n = 38, monotherapy therapy group n = 36) completed the 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring which was included in the final efficacy analysis.The randomized, double-blind treatment for 8 weeks, the mean value of SeDBP reduction, the reaching target blood pressure rate and total successful response rate to the treatment (a SeDBP90 mm Hg or a decrease of 10 mm Hg or more from baseline) were (11.7 ± 6.8) mm Hg, 65.7% and 88.5% in the combination therapy group, respectively, and were (7.7 ± 6.9) mm Hg, 35.5% and 65.5% in the monotherapy group, respectively. There were statistically significant difference between the combination therapy and the monotherapy groups in all the 3 indexs (P0.001). The fixed combination significantly reduced systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) values throughout the 24 h. The trough to peak ratios of DBP/SBP in the fixed compound of benazepril/amlodipine (10 mg/5 mg) and benazepril (20 mg) alone were 83.1%/76.0% and 85.8%/79.5%, respectively. Adverse events rates were 16.8% in the combination therapy group and 35.5% in the monotherapy group (P0.001).The combination therapy with benazepril/amlodipine was superior to benazepril monotherapy and was well tolerated in patients with essential hypertension and allowing a satisfactory BP control for 24 hours.

Chinese ancient medical scientists have long focused on the internal and external contacts between acupoints on the surface of the body and the viscera. The Miraculous Pivot (it is one of the earliest medical classics in China) stated, "Twelve regular channels belong to the zang-fu organs internally, and connect to the extremities and joints externally." Traditional Chinese medicine considers acupoints as defined areas where the Qi of viscera and meridians are transfused. These include the reaction points of visceral diseases on the body surface as well as the acupuncture trigger points that promote the flow of Qi and blood, and regulate visceral function. Chinese ancient medical scientists classified the specificity of the main acupoints in the body based on the meridian doctrine, which has been instructing clinical application for about 2000 years. Laws on the domino effect of acupoints have mainly focused on conclusions to clinical experiences. Indications of some acupoints exceed the practical paradigm since the excessive extension occurred during theory derivation. The current research direction on acupuncture focuses on three aspects: the effectiveness of acupuncture and moxibustion; the relevances and associations between meridians and viscera; and the physical and chemical properties and relevant physical basis of acupoints. The relevance between meridians and viscera is the central theory in the meridian doctrine, and acupoints are regarded as an important link in the relationship between meridians and viscera. Specific relationships between acupoints and target organs exist. Stimulating different acupoints on the body surface can help deal with different diseases, especially visceral diseases. In addition, acupoints have a dual function of reflecting and treating visceral diseases. There is no systemic research available on acupoint specificity, despite current knowledge and clinical experiences, which results in a weak foundation for acupuncture theory. This study focuses on the relevance and associations between meridians and viscera. A summary of the mechanisms of acupuncture regulating visceral sensation and mobility and the specific relationships between acupoints and their target organs are presented in this review.

The influence of sodium and phosphorus on the oxidation state of vanadium and molybdenum species and on the redox process of a V-Mo-O catalyst was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis. Why the sodium doping increased activity and the phosphorus doping improved selectivity in the V-Mo-O catalyst is explained. The sodium ions in the V-Mo-O catalyst seem to decrease the dissociation energy of adsorbed oxygen molecules and therefore make it favorable to the reoxidation of reduced molybdenum and vanadium species; the sodium ions in the V-Mo-O catalyst also weaken the M O bonds, and therefore promote the vanadium species to be reduced. In other words, the sodium doping promotes the redox process of the V-Mo-O catalyst. The phosphorus ions in the V-Mo-O catalyst tend to keep the reduced vanadium species in a V4+ state and prevent the vanadium species from being significantly reduced, which may be an important reason for improving the selectivity of the V-Mo-O catalyst. In addition, both the sodium and the phosphorus doping in the V-Mo-O catalyst seem to be also helpful in diffusing lattice oxygen.

To investigate the effects of shivering on airway rewarming.The hypothermic dog model without shivering was established by immersing an anesthetized dog in cold water and administering atracurium to inhibit the dog shivering. The model dog respired warm fully humidified (40-45 degrees C, RH 99.9%) air and room temperature air(19 +/- 1 degrees C, RH 30% - 75%) to rewarm each for 2 hours, the priority of different temperature air respired was arranged randomly. After rewarming for 4 hours, the relaxed dog breathed warm humidified air by positive pressure ventilation in order to restore its spontaneous respiratory. Then the dog continued to respire warm humidified air spontaneously until the esophageal (Te) and rectal temperature (Tr) of the dog achieved the same degrees as the dog was immersed in the water. The metabolic heat production was detected by indirect calorimetry during the experiment.(1) When the shivering was inhibited, inhaling warm humidified air for 2 hours made the Tr and Te of the dogs increase 0.26-0.39 degrees C and 0.44-1.11 degrees C per hour respectively, inhaling air at room temperature for 2 hours made Tr and Te of the dogs decrease 0.24-0.51 degrees C and 0.58-0.67 degrees C per hour, respectively. And the changes in Tr and Te of the dogs were unrelated to the priority of inhaling air at different temperature. (2) When the dog with shivering respired spontaneously warm humidified air, the rewarming rates of Tr and Te were 2.26-2.33 degrees C/h and 1.96-2.38 degrees C/h respectively, quicker than those of the dogs whose shivering was inhibited. (3) Compared with metabolic heat production of the unshivering dog respiring warm humidified air by positive pressure ventilation, that of the shivering dog respiring warm humidified air spontaneously increased outstandingly, shivering thermogenesis made the rewarming rates increased obviously.Airway rewarming is a method conducive to rewarming of hypothermia. When the body is shivering, the metabolic heat production increases obviously, that makes the rewarming rate increase markedly. So the shivering must be inhibited in order to eliminate the interference of shivering thermogenesis when the effects of airway rewarming are detected.

In order to study airway rewarming method and rewarming devices for hypothermia, hypothermic dog model was established.The anesthetized dog was immersed in cold water at 16.7 degrees C until the esophageal temperature (Te) of the dog decreased to 34.0 degrees C, the core temperature and skin temperature were monitored by using a 12-channel scanning thermometers. Atracurium besylate, a skeletal muscle relaxant, was injected intravenously when the core temperature of the dog was basically steady after the dog was out of the cold water, the hypothermic dog model was established.Rectal and esophageal temperature could stand for the core temperature of the hypothermic dog model, but mixing with each other was prohibited because of leading to mistakes. Administering of atracurium besylate could eliminate the effect of shivering on airway rewarming alone, hypothermic dog model in which shivering was inhibited could be used in determination of airway rewarming technique and rewarming devices for hypothermia.Hypothermic dog model in which shivering was inhibited can abolish the interference of shivering, experimental repeatability is good, experimental method quite simple, and the model appropriate for application and dissemination.

The effects of radiation on neurons are incompletely characterized. We evaluated changes in the expression of neuronal nuclear and other proteins in the mouse hippocampus after 17-Gy whole-brain irradiation. Expression of neuronal nuclei (NeuN), neuron-specific enolas, prospero-related homeobox 1 (Prox1), calbindin D28k, and synaptophysin 1 in the CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus was determined by immunohistochemistry; neuronal numbers were estimated by design-based stereology. At 7 days after irradiation, there was a marked reduction of NeuN neurons in CA3. Stereologic estimates confirmed a significant reduction in NeuN neurons in CA3 at 7 days, in the dentate gyrus at 7 days, 3 weeks and 2 months, and in CA1 at 2 months compared with controls; neuron-specific enolase and prospero-related homeobox 1-positive neurons in the CA3 subregion were also decreased at 7 days. The numbers of granule and pyramidal cells identified by 4'6-diamidino-2-phenylindole nuclear staining, however, remained unchanged, and there were no changes in calbindin D28k or synaptophysin 1 immunoreactivity after irradiation. We conclude that irradiation may result in a temporary loss of neuronal protein expression in mouse hippocampus. These changes do not necessarily indicate loss of neurons and indicate the need for caution regarding the use of phenotypic markers such as NeuN to estimate changes in neuronal numbers after irradiation.

To explore the application of the virtual campus construction WebGIS technology to build electronic map ideas and development process, defining the data structure, the overall framework of the system, system function, the database design.

Introduction Oestrogen exposure is a central factor in the development of breast cancer. Oestrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) is the main mediator of oestrogen effect in breast epithelia and has also been shown to be activated by epidermal growth factor (EGF). We sought to determine if common genetic variation in the ESR1 and EGF genes affects breast cancer risk, tumour characteristics or breast cancer survival. Methods We genotyped 157 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ESR1 and 54 SNPs in EGF in 92 Swedish controls and selected haplotype tagging SNPs (tagSNPs) that could predict both single SNP and haplotype variation in the genes with an R2 of at least 0.8. The tagSNPs were genotyped in 1,590 breast cancer cases and 1,518 controls, and their association with breast cancer risk, tumour characteristics and survival were assessed using unconditional logistic regression models, Cox proportional hazard models and haplotype analysis. Results The single tagSNP analysis did not reveal association evidence for breast cancer risk, tumour characteristics, or survival. A multi-locus analysis of five adjacent tagSNPs suggested a region in ESR1 (between rs3003925 and rs2144025) for association with breast cancer risk (p = 0.001), but the result did not withstand adjustment for multiple comparisons (p = 0.086). A similar region was also implicated by haplotype analyses, but its significance needs to be verified by follow-up analysis. Conclusion Our results do not support a strong association between common variants in the ESR1 and EGF genes and breast cancer risk, tumour characteristics or survival.

To compare the effects of acupuncture stimulation of different acupoints on discharges of hypothalamic sexual arousal stimulation-related excitatory neurons in the rat so as to selected effective acupoints for regulating genito-endocrine function.Experiments were performed in 32 female Sprague-Dawley rats. Examination of vaginal castoff cell smear (HE staining) was performed to determine the rats' estrous cycle. Those being in proestrus/estrus were 14 animals and those being in diestrus/metaestrus were 18. Extracellular discharges of neurons within the medial preoptic area, the arcuate nucleus and the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (AP: 4.0-9.0 mm, R:1.0 mm, L:2.0 mm) were recorded by using glass micro-pipettes in anesthetized rats (10% urethane). Sexual arousal stimulation was made by using a cotton-ball-stick to touch the clitoris repeatedly (30 s). When a marked change of the neuronal firing rate was found, beta-estradiol (20 ng/mL, 1.5-2.5 mL/kg) was injected intravenously from the external jugular vein for observing its feedback regulatory effect. Acupoints "Neiguan" (PC6), "Shanzhong" (CV17), "Jueyinshu" (BL14), "Zhongwan" (CV12), Shenshu" (BL23), "Guanyuan" (CV4), Z"igong" (EX-CA ) and "Zusanli" (ST 6) were punctured and stimulated manually by twirling the acupuncture needle continuously for 30 s. RRESULTS After manual acupuncture, the sequence of acupoints with a stronger excitatory reaction of the firing rates of the hypothalamic neurons related to sexual arousal stimulation was EX-CA1, CV4, ST36, BL23, CV12, BL14, PC6 and CV17 in proestrus/estrus; and CV4, EX-CA1, ST36, CV12, BL23, BL14, PC6 and CV17 respectively in diestrus/metaestrus. According to the place of the stimulated acupoints potentiating the electrical activity of the hypothalamic sexual arousal stimulation-related neurons, the sequence from stronger to the weaker responses was lower abdomen (below umbilicus), lower limb, lower back (L1-S5), upper abdomen, upper back (above T12), thorax, and upper limbs. After administration of estradiol, the excitatory response of these sexual arousal-related neurons decreased significantly in both estrus and non-estrus (P0.05).Acupuncture can effectively activate the electrical activity of hypothalamic sexual arousal stimulation-related excitatory neurons. The closer the acupoint to the genital organs, the stronger is the excitatory effect, including "Zigong" (EX-CA1), "Guanyuan" (CV4) and "Zusanli" (ST36) among the 8 acupoints observed.

To investigate the acupuncture-modulated gastric motility and its underlying neural mechanism.Intragastric pressure and/or waves of gastric contraction in rats were recorded by intrapyloric balloon and changes of gastric motility induced by acupuncture stimulation were compared with the background activity before any stimulation. Gastro-vagal or splanchnic-sympathetic nerves were recorded or cut respectively for investigating the involvement of autonomic nerve pathways. Spinalization experiment was also performed.Acupuncture-stimulation by exciting A delta and/or C afferent fibers, could only modulate gastric motility. Acupuncture-stimulation on fore- and hind-limbs evoked a moderate gastric motility followed by increased vagus discharges with unchanged sympathetic activity, while the same stimulus to the acupoints in abdomen resulted in reversed effects on gastric motility and autonomic nervous activities. The inhibitory gastric response was completely abolished by splanchnic denervation, but the facilitative gastric response to stimulation of acupoints in limbs was not influenced, which was opposite to the effect when vagotomy was performed. The similar depressive effects were produced by the stimulation at the acupoints homo-segmental to the gastric innervation in the animals with or without spinalization. However, the facilitation induced by the stimulation at the acupoints hetero-segmental to the gastric innervation was not observed in the spinalized animals.Facilitative effects of stimulating hetero-segmental acupoints are involved in the intact preparation of vagal nerves and spinal cord, while the inhibitory response induced by stimulating homo-segmental acupoints is involved in the intact preparation of sympathetic nerves. Only the acupuncture-stimulation with intensity over the threshold of A delta and/or C afferent fibers can markedly modulate gastrointestinal motility.

To investigate whether manual acupuncture at representative acupoints in different parts of the body can modulate responses of gastric motility in rats and regular effects in different acupoint stimulation.The gastric motor activity of rats was recorded by the intrapyloric balloon. The changes of gastric motility induced by the stimulation were compared with the background activity in intragastric pressure and/or waves of gastric contraction recorded before any stimulation. Morphological study was also conducted by observing the Evans dye extravasation in the skin after mustard oil injection into the intragastric mucous membrane to certify cutaneous innervations of blue dots related to gastric segmental innervations.In all six rats that received mustard oil injections into intragastric mucosa, small blue dots appeared in the skin over the whole abdomen, but mainly in peri-midline upper- and middle- abdomen and middle-back, a few in thigh and groin. It may speculate that cutaneous innervations of blue dots have the same distribution as gastric segmental innervations. Acu-stimulation in acupoints of head-neck, four limbs, upper chest-dorsum and lower-dorsum induced markedly augmentation of gastric motility (acupoints on head-neck such as St-2: n = 16, 105.19 +/- 1.36 vs 112.25 +/- 2.02 and St-3: n = 14, 101.5 +/- 1.75 vs 109.36 +/- 1.8; acupoints on limbs such as Sp-6: n = 19, 100.74 +/- 1.54 vs 110.26 +/- 3.88; St-32: n = 17, 103.59 +/- 1.64 vs 108.24 +/- 2.41; St-36: n = 16, 104.81 +/- 1.72 vs 110.81 +/- 2.74 and Li-11: n = 17, 106.47 +/- 2.61 vs 114.77 +/- 3.77, P0.05-0.001). Vigorous inhibitory regulations of gastric motility induced by acu-stimulation applied in acupoints on whole abdomen and middle-dorsum were significantly different as compared with the controls before acu-stimulation (abdomen acupoints such as Cv-12: n = 11, 109.36 +/- 2.09 vs 101 +/- 2.21; Cv-6: n = 18, 104.39 +/- 1.42 vs 91.83 +/- 3.22 and St-21: n = 12, 107 +/- 2.97 vs 98.58 +/- 2.81; acupoints on middle-dorsum such as Bl-17: n = 19, 100.63 +/- 1.4 vs 92.21 +/- 2.07 and Bl-21: n = 19, 103.84 +/- 1.48 vs 97.58 +/- 2.16, P0.05-0.001).Regular regulatory effects of facilitation and inhibition on gastric motility appear to be somatotopically organized in the acupoints of whole body, and the effective regularity of site-special acupoints on gastric motility is involved in segmental innervations between stomach and acupoints.

To investigate the effects of different doses of hydrocortisone (HC) on the disorder of coagulation in rats at early stage of septic shock.The model of early septic shock accompanied by the disorder of coagulation in rats was set up by bolus injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at 25 mg/kg through right femoral vein. Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into the following 5 groups: normal control (LPS and HC were substituted by same volume of normal saline solution), shock group (HC was substituted by same volume of normal saline), high-dose HC (HD group, HC 100 mg/kg), medium-dose HC (MD group, HC 50 mg/kg) and low-dose HC (LD group, HC 5 mg/kg). Four hours after the HC treatment, the blood specimens were collected for the count of blood platelet (PLT), the activity of antithrombin III (ATIII), the content of D-dimer and von Willebrand factor (vWF).The count of PLT (x 10(9)/L) and the activities of ATIII (%) in shock group (586.00 +/- 71.179 and 50.600 +/- 19.248) were significantly lower than that in normal control group (1012.600 +/- 20.852 and 89.200 +/- 12.109), and the level of D-dimer (microg/dl) and vWF (%) in LPS group (1.680 +/- 0.999 and 7.288 +/- 0.652) as significantly higher than that in normal control group (0.66 +/- 0.772 and 3.656 +/- 1.407), P0.05. After HC treatment, the disorder of coagulation was attenuated to different degree. However, significant difference was found between HD, MD groups and shock group only in the count of PLT (P = 0.000), and there were no significant differences between HD, MD groups and shock group in the other three indices. Significant improvements were found in LD group (P0.05) in all the four indices and there were no significant differences between LD group and normal group in D-dimer and vWF. The effects of medium-dose HC was between LD and HD groups, and there were no significant differences between HD and MD group, P0.05.The results indicated that different doses of HC had different effects on coagulation in early stage of septic shock in rats. Low-dose HC may ameliorate the disorder of coagulation in early septic shock in rats. High-dose and medium-dose of HC had no significant improving effects on the disorder of coagulation.

Based on the static composting process of the municipal sewage sludge (MSS), the paper demonstrates the dynamic composting process of the MSS from Shanghai Quyang Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant. The dynamics of different operational and evaluating indices during the treatment process are discussed, such as water content, temperature, pH, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and germination index (GI) and so on. It is concluded that the water content of materials, temperature,DOC and GI can be interpreted as the evaluating indices of the maturation of MSS. Under optimized condition, when the water content of initial materials was adjusted to 60 % +/- 2 % with appropriate sawdust and recycled materials, the results indicated that the temperature of composting materials could reach55 degrees C rapidly and last 4 days, thus 100% of the pathogens would be killed out. In the end of composting process, the water content of outputs was reduced exactly to about 35%, DOC could be decomposed by about 50%. T heincompact, odorless, and almost mature output could meet the land application control standard of MSS and the class A standard of US EPA.

Using a rat spinal cord model, this study was designed to characterize radiation-induced vascular endothelial cell loss and its relationship to early blood-brain barrier disruption in the central nervous system. Adult rats were given a single dose of 0, 2, 8, 19.5, 22, 30 or 50 Gy to the cervical spinal cord. At various times up to 2 weeks after irradiation, the spinal cord was processed for histological and immunohistochemical analysis. Radiation-induced apoptosis was assessed by morphology and TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling combined with immunohistochemical markers for endothelial and glial cells. Image analysis was performed to determine endothelial cell and microvessel density using immunohistochemistry with endothelial markers, namely endothelial barrier antigen, glucose transporter isoform 1, laminin and zonula occludens 1. Blood-spinal cord barrier permeability was assessed using immunohistochemistry for albumin and (99m)Tc-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid as a vascular tracer. Endothelial cell proliferation was assessed using in vivo BrdU labeling. During the first 24 h after irradiation, apoptotic endothelial cells were observed in the rat spinal cord. The decrease in endothelial cell density at 24 h after irradiation was associated with an increase in albumin immunostaining around microvessels. The decrease in the number of endothelial cells persisted for 7 days and recovery of endothelial density was apparent by day 14. A similar pattern of blood-spinal cord barrier disruption and recovery of permeability was observed over the 2 weeks, and an increase in BrdU-labeled endothelial cells was seen at day 3. These results are consistent with an association between endothelial cell death and acute blood-spinal cord barrier disruption in the rat spinal cord after irradiation.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the distribution of the analgesic area when different intensities of stimulation were applied to homotopic and heterotopic acupoints. The experiments were performed on volunteers; the left sural nerve was stimulated by a volley of eight rectangular pulses delivered at a frequency of 400 Hz. Electromyographic reflex responses (EMGs) were recorded from the ipsi-lateral biceps femoris muscle. Electroacupuncture stimuli were given on the skin overlying the Zusanli point (St 36), and the strengths chosen were times of the threshold eliciting a nociceptive reflex (TRIII) response (0.6, 0.8, 1.0, TRIII and Tsupra-RIII , respectively). The effects of homotopic and heterotopic stimuli applied to St 36 on the pain sensation and the RIII reflex elicited by stimulation of the left sural nerve were observed to explore the pain-relief and RIII reflex-inhibition produced by stimulation of the St 36 point with different intensities. Both the nociceptive reflex and painful sensation evoked by stimulating the sural nerve were similarly inhibited by electroacupuncture at less than TRIII applied to the ipsi-lateral acupoint. In other words, acupuncture with an innocuous intensity can produce homotopic pain-alleviating effects and reflex suppression. With contra-lateral electroacupuncture at the St 36 acupoint, innocuous intensities cannot produce heterotopic pain-relieving effects; these inhibitions were only observed at electroacupuncture intensities similar to the TRIII threshold. These results suggest that local acupuncture-induced analgesia is effective with activation of large afferent fibers, whereas heterotopic acupuncture-induced analgesia is only effective with intensities strong enough to excite small afferent fibers. Local analgesic effects of acupoint stimulation involve segmental inhibition, whereas systemic analgesic effects of acupoint stimulation are involved in contra-lateral effects. The latter may recruit the diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC) system. The specific function of an acupoint is determined by the anatomical relationship between the disease focus and the segmental location of the acupoint.

Acute disruption of blood-brain barrier (BBB) is well recognized after radiation therapy to the central nervous system (CNS). We assessed the genetic regulation of acute BBB disruption and its relationship to vascular endothelial cell death in the CNS after irradiation. Adult rats were given graded single doses of X-ray to the cervical spinal cord. At different time intervals after irradiation, the irradiated spinal cord was processed for histological and immunohistochemical analysis. Disruption of blood-spinal cord barrier was assessed using albumin immunohistochemistry, i.v. injection of Evans blue dye, and (99m)Tc-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid. In the rat spinal cord, there was a dose-dependent apoptotic response during the first 24 h after irradiation, and apoptotic cells consisted of both endothelial and glial cells, as described previously (1, 2). A dose-dependent reduction in endothelial cell density was observed at 24 h after irradiation. This was associated with a similar dose-dependent disruption in blood-spinal cord barrier as demonstrated by albumin immunohistochemistry. Radiation-induced apoptosis in endothelial cells has been shown to be dependent on the acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase) pathway. After a single 50-Gy dose to the cervical spinal cord of ASMase +/+ mice, there was a 47.7% reduction in endothelial cell density at 24 h compared with nonirradiated controls. No decrease in endothelial cell density was observed in irradiated ASMase -/- mice. In the irradiated spinal cord of ASMase +/+ mice, there was evidence of albumin immunoreactivity and Evans blue dye staining around microvessels, and (99m)Tc-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid uptake increased at 24 h. Nonirradiated controls and the irradiated spinal cord of ASMase -/- mice demonstrated no evidence of leakage. We conclude that apoptosis of endothelial cells initiates acute BBB disruption in the CNS after irradiation and that acute BBB disruption after irradiation is mediated by the ASMase pathway.

The pathogenesis of radiation-induced injury to the central nervous system (CNS) remains unclear. Dysfunction of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is associated with radiation-induced white matter lesions. The aim of this study was to determine if vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is implicated in radiation-induced BBB disruption. Adult rats were irradiated with a single dose of 8 or 22 Gy to the spinal cord from C2 to T2. At various times up to 20 weeks following irradiation, blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) permeability was assessed using immunohistochemistry with anti-albumin antibody. Cell proliferation was assessed using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), and endothelial cell identity was assessed morphologically and using immunostaining for factor VIII-related antigen. Expression of VEGF protein and message was assessed using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization respectively. In the unirradiated rat spinal cord, there was no evidence of albumin immunoreactivity and little evidence of VEGF expression. After a dose of 22 Gy, focal albumin staining in white matter was observed at 16 weeks. Diffuse staining was seen at 20 weeks and was associated with necrosis and demyelination in white matter. This was associated with a significant increase in white matter glial cells that showed immunoreactivity and in situ hybridization signal for VEGE VEGF expressing cells showed dual immunoreactivity for glial fibrillary acidic protein. No increase in VEGF positive cells was observed in gray matter after 22 Gy. After a dose of 8 Gy, there was no increase in VEGF expression or albumin immunostaining in either white or gray matter. Microvessel endothelial cell density showed a trend towards a decrease with time after 22 Gy as compared with 8 Gy or unirradiated controls. BrdU immunostaining provided no evidence for endothelial cell proliferation in control or in the irradiated spinal cord. It is concluded that radiation-induced BSCB dysfunction is associated with upregulation of VEGF in astrocytes without associated endothelial proliferation. The temporal and spatial association of VEGF upregulation with the white matter lesions suggests a role of VEGF in radiation-induced late CNS injury.

Purpose : Parameters for tumor proliferation and apoptosis were studied prospectively in 84 previously untreated patients with a diagnosis of carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Materials and methods : Tumor proliferation was assessed by in vivo labeling with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), followed by a biopsy of the tumor 4–10 h thereafter during an examination under anesthesia. The potential doubling time ( T pot ) was obtained by deriving the BrdU labeling index (LI) and S-phase duration ( T S ) using flow cytometry. The LI for BrdU and its staining pattern were also determined immunohistochemically. Apoptosis was assessed histologically using morphological criteria. Results : Seven patients were excluded and the FIGO stages of the remaining 77 patients were as follows: IB and IIA, 20 patients; IIB, 29 patients; IIIB and IV, 28 patients. The median tumor diameter was 6 cm. There were 61 squamous cell, 11 adeno- and five adenosquamous carcinomas. Of the 63 patients in whom the tumor grade could be determined, 37 were well or moderately well differentiated and the remaining 26 were poorly differentiated. The median mitotic index (MI) was 0.7%. There were 43 diploid and 34 aneuploid tumors. Median values for T S and S-phase fraction (SPF) were 9.9 h and 16%, respectively. The median BrdU LI by flow cytometry (LI-fc) was 6.7%. There was a significant correlation between LI-fc and LI by histology, although values for the latter (median 11.1%) were consistently higher than those determined by flow cytometry by a factor of 1.5. The median T pot value was 5.0 days. The median apoptotic index (AI) was 1.0% and AI correlated positively with LI-fc. Median values for LI-fc increased with increasing tumor size and were 5.1%, 6.4%, 7.5% and 11.0% for tumors measuring ≤4 cm, 4–6 cm, 6–8 cm and >8 cm, respectively. The remaining proliferation parameters, however, showed no correlation with tumor size, stage, grade or histologic type. Conclusions : In carcinomas of the cervix, tumor proliferation is positively associated with apoptosis and tumor size. These findings suggest that parameters for tumor proliferation and apoptosis are associated with tumor progression and may thus be predictive of clinical outcome.

The solvent-free hybrid nanomaterial consisting of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and silica nanoparticles are prepared by a facile route. The content of MWNTs/silica nanoparticles is up to 20 wt.%. The hybrid nanomaterial exhibits liquid-like behavior in the absence of solvent at room temperature.

Differentiation of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) plays important roles in endothelial repair after vessel injury. Endothelial cells (ECs), vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), and mechanical forces, including cyclic strain and shear stress, synergistically form the microenvironment of EPCs. However, the synergistic effect of cyclic strain, ECs, and VSMCs on the differentiation of EPCs remains unclear. In the present study, EPCs were indirectly co-cultured with stretched ECs or VSMCs that were subjected to 5%, 1.25-Hz cyclic strain by using FX-4000T Strain Unit. Then, Western blot and real-time PCR were used to examine expressions of EC marker, i.e., vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM), CD31, von Willebrand factor (vWF); VSMC markers, i.e., α-actin, Calponin, and SM22α; and signaling molecules, i.e., p-Akt and p-ERK. In static, co-cultured ECs increased expression of VCAM and phosphorylation of Akt and ERK in EPCs compared to that in EPCs cultured alone. In EPCs, co-cultured VSMCs decreased expressions of CD31 and vWF, but increased expressions of Calponin and SM22α. Stretched ECs reduced expressions of CD31 and vWF, enhanced Calponin and SM22α, and repressed phosphorylations of Akt and ERK in EPCs. Stretched VSMCs decreased CD31, increased Calponin and SM22α expressions, and repressed phosphorylation of Akt and ERK in EPCs. Our results suggest that ECs promoted EPC differentiation into ECs in static. VSMCs in static, as well as stretched ECs and stretched VSMCs, promoted EPC differentiation into VSMCs. Phosphorylation of Akt and ERK might be involved in EPC differentiation, mediated by the stretched ECs and VSMCs.

The meridian phenomena are closely associated with the neuro-muscular function. Our experiments show that meridian phenomenon, acupoint stimulation-induced generating-sensations along meridians (GSM), does exist in some volunteers, and the subjects can describe the characteristics of the feelings and the route of GSM. Simultaneously, GSM is often accompanied with progressive myoelectric activity along the meridian which is able to be recorded objectively. Brachial plexus anesthesia and regional neuro-muscular block may arrest these responses while the neuro-muscular blocking agent may stop neuromuscular transmission at the motor end-plate rather than check GSM. The facts reveal that GSM probably depends on muscular activity and is involved in the secondary neuro-muscular excitation propagating along the longitudinal axis of muscles. These findings suggest that the myoelectric activities constitute the foundation of secondarily generating-sensation propagating along the longitudinal orientation of limbs (muscles), or along the meridian.

The vanadium—molybdenum oxide (VMoO) catalyst has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and thermal gravimetric analysis. (TGA). The results show that the surface composition of VMoO catalyst strongly depends on temperature. At room temperature, the catalyst surface is usually enriched with molybdenum. When the sample is heated to above 350–400°C, the vanadium species diffuse from bulk to surface; with a rise in temperature, the ratio of vanadium-to-molybdenum gradually increases and the surface even becomes enriched with vanadium. Besides, when the VMoO catalyst is heated to a certain temperature, the sample can absorb or evolve oxygen according to the ambient oxygen partial pressure. During the redox process, the vanadium species in VMoO catalyst are liable to change their chemical state, the V 4+ and V 5+ sites seem to act as the inlet and outlet sites, respectively of oxygen. The function of molybdenum species in VMoO catalyst seems to be to promote the evolution of lattice oxygen and tend to retain the ratio of V 4+ -to-V 5+ at a certain value, which may be important for high selectivity and activity of the VMoO catalyst.

The interaction between V 2 O 5 and MoO 3 and the evolution processes of lattice oxygen in V 2 O 5 MoO 3 mixtures and catalysts were studied by thermal gravimetric analysis. The evolution of lattice oxygen is promoted by the interaction of V 2 O 5 with MoO 3 . When the VMoO catalyst is heated to a certain temperature, the sample can absorb or evolve oxygen according to the ambient oxygen partial pressure, and the processes of oxygen absorption and evolution are reversible. Two processes may be involved in the evolution of lattice oxygen for the V 2 O 5 MoO 3 mixture and catalyst.

The entire chloroplast genome of the monocot rice (Oryza sativa) has been sequenced and comprises 134525 bp. Predicted genes have been identified along with open reading frames (ORFs) conserved between rice and the previously sequenced chloroplast genomes, a dicot, tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), and a liverwort (Marchantia polymorpha). The same complement of 30 tRNA and 4 rRNA genes has been conserved between rice and tobacco. Most ORFs extensively conserved between N. tabacum and M. polymorpha are also conserved intact in rice. However, several such ORFs are entirely absent in rice, or present only in severely truncated form. Structural changes are also apparent in the genome relative to tobacco. The inverted repeats, characteristic of chloroplast genome structure, have expanded outward to include several genes present only once per genome in tobacco and liverwort and the large single copy region has undergone a series of inversions which predate the divergence of the cereals. A chimeric tRNA pseudogene overlaps an apparent endpoint of the largest inversion, and a model invoking illegitimate recombination between tRNA genes is proposed which accounts simultaneously for the origin of this pseudogene, the large inversion and the creation of repeated sequences near the inversion endpoints.

Background Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a problematic pathogen posing a serious therapeutic challenge in the clinic. It is often multidrug-resistant (MDR) to conventional classes of antibacterial agents and there is an urgent need to develop new agents or strategies for treatment. Magnolol (ML) and honokiol (HL) are two naturally occurring diallylbiphenols which have been reported to show inhibition of MRSA. In this study their synergistic effects with antibacterial agents were further evaluated via checkerboard and time-kill assays. Methods The susceptibility spectrum of clinical MRSA strains was tested by the disk diffusion method. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of ML and HL were assayed by broth microdilution. The synergy was evaluated through checkerboard microdilution and time-killing experiments. Results ML and HL showed similar activity against both MSSA and MRSA with MIC/MBC at 16 ~ 64 mg/L, with potency similar to amikacin (AMK) and gentamicin (GEN). When they were used in combination with conventional antibacterial agents, they showed bacteriostatic synergy with FICIs between 0.25 ~ 0.5, leading to the combined MICs decreasing to as low as 1 ~ 2 and 1 ~ 16 mg/L for ML (HL) and the agents, respectively. MIC50 of the combinations decreased from 16 mg/L to 1 ~ 4 mg/L for ML (HL) and 8 ~ 128 mg/L to 2 ~ 64 mg/L for the antibacterial agents, which exhibited a broad spectrum of synergistic action with aminoglycosides (AMK, etilmicin (ETM) and GEN), floroquinolones (levofloxacin (LEV), ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin), fosfomycin (FOS) and piperacillin. The times of dilution (TOD, the extent of decreasing in MIC value) were determined up to 16 for the combined MIC. A more significant synergy after combining was determined as ML (HL) with AMK, ETM, GEN and FOS. ML (HL) combined with antibacterial agents did not show antagonistic effects on any of the ten MRSA strains. Reversal effects of MRSA resistance to AMK and GEN by ML and HL were also observed, respectively. All the combinations also showed better dynamic bactericidal activity against MRSA than any of single ML (HL) or the agents at 24 h incubation. The more significant synergy of combinations were determined as HL (ML) + ETM, HL + LEV and HL + AMK (GEN or FOS), with △LC24 of 2.02 ~ 2.25. Conclusion ML and HL showed synergistic potentiation of antibacterial agents against clinical isolates of MRSA and warrant further pharmacological investigation.