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To investigate electroacupuncture(EA) at the acupoints of Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming (SMFY), Gallbladder Meridian of Foot-Yangming (SMFY) on gastric mucosal intestinal trefoil factor (ITF) gene expression detection in stress-induced rats with gastric mucosal lesion, and to explore the regulatory mechanism and significance of EA-related gastric mucosal protective effect.Forty rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: Blank group, Model group, Model group+EA at acupoints of SMFY group ("SMFY group"), and Model group+EA at acupoints of GMFY group(GMFY group). All rats (except blank group) were made model by water immersion and restraint stress (WRS). Then the gastric mucosa tissue in each rat was taken off after assessment of gastric mucosal lesion index(GUI), and the expression of ITF mRNA of the tissues was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method.Compared with Model group(54.3+/- 1.34), the GUI value in SMFY group (31+/- 2.21) decreased significantly(P0.01), so did that in GMFY group (39.8+/- 1.62, P0.05), meanwhile GUI value in SMFY group was significantly lower than in GMFY group(P0.01). Compared with Model group (0.65+/- 0.01), EA had a tendency to improve the expression of gastric mucosal ITFmRNA gene: such tendency existed in GMFY group (0.66+/- 0.01) but with no significant difference(P0.05), in SMFY group(0.76+/- 0.01) with an extremely obvious difference (P0.01), furthermore the expression in SMFY group was significantly higher than in GMFY group (P0.01).The gastric mucosal protective effect by EA at the acupoints of SMFY and GMFY was related to the expression variance of ITF, indicating certain meridian specificity exists. It could be one proof for the TCM theory "Relative particularity between SMFY and stomach".

To investigate effects of electroacupuncture on gastric mucosal intestinal trefoil factor (ITF) gene expression in the rat of gastric mucosal injury induced by stress.Forty rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: blank group, model group, stomach channel group, gallbladder channel group. The normal group did not receive any processing, and the model group were fixed for 7 sessions and both the stomach channel group and the gallbladder channel group received 7 sessions of electro-acupuncture before modeling. The model was made by water restraint stress (WRS) for 10 hours. Index of gastric mucosal injury was detected and then the gastric mucosa tissue in each rat was taken and the expression of ITFmRNA of the tissue was detected by the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method.There was very significant or significant difference in the gastric mucosal injury as the stomach channel group and the gallbladder channel group compared with the model group (P0.05 or P0.01); electroacupuncture had a tendency of improving the expression of gastric mucosal ITFmRNA gene; the expression of ITFmRNA in the gallbladder channel group and the stomach channel group was significantly higher than that of the model group (P0.05, P0.01).The special regulation of electroacupuncture on gastric mucosal tissue is related with the release of epidermal growth factor and the expression of intestinal trefoil factor gene.

To explore the mechanism of cake-separated moxibustion in treatment of hyperlipemia.Sixty rabbits were randomly divided into 4 groups, a blank group,a model group, a direct moxibustion group and a cake-separated moxibustion group. Hyperlipemia model was developed by high fat diet of cholesterol. Changes of ultrastructures of endothelial cells of the aorta of the rabbit were observed with electron microscope.The endothelial cells in the cake-separated moxibustion group were more intact, most of them were normal in forms, internal elastic membrane was continuous, their thickness was even, the cells of smooth muscles in the medial membrane were relatively normal, which are similar to those in the blank control group. But the structure of endothelial cells of the aorta in the model group disappeared, in cytoplasm the sedimentation of a great number of lipids can be seen, internal elastic membrane was interrupted, the thickness was uneven, with focal dissolution, the cells of smooth muscle in the medial membrane had sedimentation of lipids, with frothy change.Cake-separated moxibustion has a certain protective action on endothelial cells of the aorta in the rabbit of hyperlipemia.

This study explored differences in the perceived importance of nursing caring behaviors between patients with cancer pain and oncology nurses and to explore the relationship between level of pain intensity and the importance of various nursing caring behaviors. The study included 50 matched cancer patient-staff pairs from oncology inpatient units of 3 hospitals in northern Taiwan. The Brief Pain Inventory-Chinese version (BPI-C) and the Caring Assessment Report Evaluation Q-sort (CARE-Q) were used for data collection. Results revealed that cancer pain patients ranked "being accessible," "monitors and follows through," and "anticipates" as being the most important nursing caring behaviors; the nursing staff ranked "being accessible," "explains and facilitates," and "monitors and follows through" as being the most important behaviors. No correlations were found between cancer pain patients and staff rankings of the perceived importance of various caring behaviors. The self-reported level of pain intensity by patients was significantly positively correlated with the patient rating of the "anticipates" behavior. Patient self-reported level of pain interference was significantly positively correlated with the "monitors and follows through" behavior and significantly negatively correlated with the "explains and facilitates" behavior. Staff perception of both a patient's level of pain intensity and pain interference was significantly positively correlated with staff rating of the "being accessible" behavior. Results demonstrated that greater patient-staff communication is needed for staff to more accurately provide caring interventions to make patients with cancer pain feel cared for.

To investigate the association of polymorphisms in the beta(2) and beta(3) adrenergic receptor (beta(2)-ADR and beta(3)-ADR) genes with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).The genotypes and alleles of beta(2)-ADR and beta(3)-ADR genes were identified by polymerase chain reaction-restricted fragment length polymorphism assay in 318 unrelated subjects of North region Han population of China (including 165 male OSAHS subjects and 153 male non-OSAHS subjects). The genotypes and allele frequencies of the polymorphisms were compared between OSAHS group and non-OSAHS group. The effects of the polymorphisms in OSAHS group on body mass index (BMI), neck circumference (NC), waist/hip rate (WHR), apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were analyzed.There were significant differences in genotypes distribution in beta(3)-ADR polymorphism between the two groups (chi(2) = 10.434, P = 0.006). Compared with the control group, OSAHS group had significantly higher Arg allele frequency in beta(3)-ADR polymorphism (chi(2) = 12.742, P = 0.004). There were independent effects of beta(3)-ADR polymorphism on BMI, NC, WHR in OSAHS group; carriers of the Arg allele of beta(3)-ADR polymorphism had greater BMI, NC, and WHR (P = 0.019, 0.025, 0.012), while the carriers of the Arg allele had greater AHI and SBP (P = 0.032, 0.035), but after adjusted for BMI, AHI and age, there were no differences in SBP between the carriers and non-carriers of Arg allele (P = 0.097). There were no significant differences in the genotypes and allele frequencies in beta(2)-ADR polymorphism between the two groups (chi(2) = 1.406 and 0.809, P = 0.465 and 0.382).beta(3)-ADR polymorphism may be involved in the development of central obesity and may be related to OSAHS by the central obesity in male OSAHS subjects of North region Han population of China, and may be induce hypertension in OSAHS patients of the population indirectly through obesity and sleep apnea. On the contrary, beta(2)-ADR polymorphism may not be correlated with central obesity and OSAHS in the population.

To investigate the association of polymorphisms in the angiotensin system gene with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).The genotypes and alleles of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and angiotensinogen (AGT) genes were identified by polymerase chain reaction-restricted fragment length polymorphism assay in 221 unrelated subjects of the north region "Han" population of China (including 121 OSAHS subjects and 100 non-OSAHS subjects). The genotypes and allele frequencies of the polymorphisms were compared between OSAHS group and non-OSAHS group. The effects of the polymorphisms in OSAHS group on body mass index (BMI), neck circumference (NC), waist/hip rate (WHR), apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were analysed.There were significant differences in genotypes distribution in AGT polymorphism between the two groups (P = 0.009). Compared with the control group, OSAHS group had significantly higher T allele frequency in AGT polymorphism (P = 0.020). There were independent effects of AGT polymorphism on BMI, NC, WHR in OSAHS group, and carriers of the T allele of AGT polymorphism had greater BMI, NC, and WHR, while the carriers of the T allele had greater AHI, SBP, and DBP.ACE polymorphism may not be correlated with central obesity and OSAHS in the population. AGT polymorphism may be involved in the development of central obesity and may be related to OSAHS and hypertension in OSAHS patients by the central obesity in male OSAHS subjects of North region "Han" population of China.

Acupuncture has been widely applied to treat gastrointestinal diseases in the clinic. However, its precise mechanism remains unknown. In the present study, effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at Zusanli acupoints (ST36) on gastric myoelectric activity and substance P (SP) in the dorsal vagal complex (DVC) were observed. EA at ST36 significantly increased the frequency of slow waves and the frequency of the spike potentials superimposed on the slow waves, which persisted for 90 min after cessation of EA and was completely abolished after bilateral vagotomy. Meanwhile, the mean optical density of SP immunoreactive fibers in the DVC increased following EA. The results suggested that EA at ST36 promoted the gastric myoelectric activity, which was regulated by the vagus, and SP in the DVC may be involved in the excitatory effects. Furthermore, EA had a relative long-term post-effect. We presumed that DVC may be a supraspinal center in the effect of EA on gastric function.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer in the world. Inflammation of various etiologies has been documented to highly associate with the development of HCC. However, the role of inflammation in virus-induced hepatocarcinogenesis still remains largely unknown. Here we demonstrate that the potential synergistic effect of HBV and proinflammatory cytokines might associate with the poor prognosis of HBV-related HCC (HBV-HCC) via IGF-1R signaling activation. In this study, human HCC frozen tissues and tissue blocks were collected for clinical analysis under IRB approval. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis of HCC frozen tissues revealed a reciprocal correlation between the transcriptional levels of IGF-1R and disease-free interval (DFI) in HBV-HCC tissues (N=117). Immunohistochemical staining of HCC tissue blocks also showed a strong correlation between IGF-1R signaling activation (IGF-1R/phospho-IGF-1R) and short DFI. To test the collaborative effect of HBV and inflammation, human HCC cell lines including HBV-related cells (HepG2.2.15, PLC5, Hep3B, and HA22T) and non-HBV-related cells (HepG2 and Huh 7) were cultivated with inflammation condition medium (inflam-CM). We found that inflam-CM treatment significantly increased the levels of pluripotent regulator IGF-1/IGF-1R and IGF-1R signaling (phospho-IGF-1R and phospho-Akt) in HBV- HCC cells (HepG2.2.15 and Hep3B). Additionally, inflam-CM also markedly increased the drug resistance capacity of HepG2.2.15 and Hep3B cells. Blockage of IGF-1R phosphorylation by picropodophyllin (PPP) or down-regulation of IGF-1R by siRNA dramatically increased the drug sensitivity of HBV-HCC cells. Further analysis using neutralizing antibodies against potential proinflamatory cytokines is ongoing to identify the cross-talk between inflammation and IGF-1R signaling in HBV- HCCs. In summary, our works demonstrate that niche inflammation may activate the IGF-1R-Akt signaling and result in poor prognosis of HBV-HCC. This finding may provide a potential therapeutic target for HBV-HCC. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1691. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1691

The nanostructured iron oxides were synthesized by a simple coprecipitation technique at room temperature and tested as the anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. The iron salt precursor has a significant effect on the morphology evolution of the iron oxide. The nanosheet and nanoparticle samples were obtained by using ferrous ammonium sulfate and ferric chloride precursors, respectively. Both samples could be identified as α-Fe 2 O 3 after annealing at 400°C. The electrical conductivity of the nanosheet sample was higher than that of the nanoparticle sample due to its sheet morphology and small grain size. The galvanostatic charge/discharge results indicated that the α-Fe 2 O 3 nanosheet anode (1327 mAh g ―1 ) has a higher reversible capacity than the α-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticle anode ( 1006 mAh g ―1 ) at 1 C current rate. More importantly, the nanosheet anode exhibited a high capacity of 1215 mAh g ―1 at 3 C current rate; this value is much higher than the nanoparticle anode (812 mAh g ―1 ). The improved performance of the iron oxide nanosheet toward lithium could be attributed to the high electrical conductivity and small grain size for facilitating the transport of the electrons and lithium ions through the nanosheet.

Purpose The transcription factor Sox2 plays important roles in both human and mouse retinal development. Although loss-of-function mutations in Sox2 have been studied in mice, gain-of-function experiments in the neural retina have been lacking. Methods The detailed expression pattern of Sox2 in the developing mouse retina was examined by immunohistochemistry. Then, Sox2 was expressed in a retinal explant culture prepared from E17 mouse embryos by retrovirus-mediated gene transfer to examine its role in retinal development. In addition, shRNA was used to suppress Sox2 in a retinal explant using a retrovirus-mediated system. Results Sox2 was expressed throughout the neuroblastic layer in the embryonic retina, but only in the inner nuclear layer in the mature retina. Double immunostaining revealed that Sox2 was expressed in Muller glial cells and in a subset of amacrine cells. Forced expression of Sox2 in a mouse retinal explant culture resulted in the dramatic accumulation of amacrine cells in the inner nuclear layer; in addition, cells expressing amacrine cell markers were also found on the innermost side of the outer nuclear layer. The expression of Pax6, which plays an important role in amacrine cell differentiation, was observed in the Sox2-expressing cells, and Sox2 activated the Pax6 promoter to drive luciferase expression in Y79 cells. A decrease in retinal progenitor cell proliferation accompanied these effects. The suppression of Sox2 expression by shRNA resulted in a decreased number of cells in the inner nuclear layer. Conclusions Therefore, ectopic Sox2 expression can induce amacrine cells in the mouse retina from stage E17 onward, possibly by facilitating cell cycle exit.

AIM: To observe the effect of acupuncture at Foot-Yangming Meridian on gastric mucosal blood flow (GMBF), gastric motility and brain-gut peptide. METHODS: Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: normal control group, model group (group with gastric mucosal damage, GMD), Sibai group (with acupuncture at Sibai point + GMD), Tianshu group (with acupuncture at Tianshu point + GMD), Zusanli group (with acupuncture at Zusanli point + GMD) and non-acupoint group (with acupuncture at non-acupoint + GMD). The GMD model group was induced by infusing pure alcohol into gastric cavity. H2 Gas Clearance Test (HGCT) was used to measure GMBF, the frequency and amplitude of gastric motility were measured by the method of aerocyst, the content of brain-gut peptide in sinus ventriculi and bulbus medullae were detected by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: Inhibitory effect of the frequency and amplitude of gastric motility were shown in model group, and the rates of frequency and amplitude changes were remarkably different from the normal control group (-19.41 ± 17.21 vs -4.71 ± 10.32, P < 0.05; -51.61 ± 29.02 vs 1.81 ± 14.12, P < 0.01). In comparison with control group, the GMBF was 0.52 ± 0.161 mL vs 1.03 ± 0.255 mL per 100g tissue/min, P < 0.01, the content of motilin in sinus ventriculi and bulbus medullae was 63.04 ± 7.77 pg/mL vs 72.91 ± 8.42 pg/mL, P < 0.05 and 50.96 ± 8.77 pg/mL vs 60.76 ± 8.05 pg/mL, P < 0.05, but the content of somatostatin in sinus ventriculi and bulbus medullae was 179.85 ± 43.13 ng/g vs 90.54 ± 40.42 ng/g, P < 0.01 and 532.86 ± 122.58 ng/g vs 370.91 ± 76.29 ng/g, P < 0.05,respectively. In comparison with model group, the amplitude of gastric motility was 1.52 ± 20.13, -6.52 ± 23.31, 6.92 ± 25.21 vs -51.61 ± 29.02, P < 0.01 and GMBF was 0.694 ± 0.160 mL vs 0.893 ± 0.210 mL, 1.038 ± 0.301 mL vs 0.52 ± 0.161 mL per 100g tissue/min, P < 0.01, respectively in Tianshu, Sibai and Zusanli groups, the content of motilin in sinus ventriculi and bulbus medullae was 71.64 ± 9.35 pg/mL vs 63.04 ± 7.77 pg/mL, P < 0.05; 58.96 ± 6.69 pg/mL vs 50.96 ± 8.77 pg/mL, P < 0.05 in Zusanli group and 72.84 ± 8.62 pg/mL vs 63.04 ± 7.77 pg/mL, P < 0.05 in Sibai group, while the content of somatostatin in bulbus medullae in Tianshu, Sibai and Zusanli groups was 480.62 ± 151.69 ng/g, 388.53 ± 155.04 ng/g, 365.76 ± 143.93 ng/g vs 532.86 ± 122.58 ng/g, P < 0.05, respectively. CONCLUSION: Electro-acupuncture at acupoints of Foot-Yangming Meridian could enhance the gastric motility, improve GMBF, and regulate the content of motilin and somatostatin in sinus ventriculi and bulbus. The effects of acupuncture on GMBF and gastric motility may be related to the content of brain-gut peptide.

AIM: To explore the regularity of multi-meridians controlling a same viscus (MMCSV). METHODS: The rabbit gastric ulcer model was established by ethanol intragastric instillation. Fifty-six rabbits were randomly divided into normal group, model group (MG), model plus acupuncture at Foot Yangming Meridian group (YMG), model plus acupuncture at Foot Taiyin Meridian group (TYG), model plus acupuncture at Foot Shaoyang Meridian group (SYG), model plus acupuncture at Foot Jueyin Meridian group (JYG), model plus acupuncture at Foot Taiyang Meridian group (TYMG), with eight rabbits in each group. Gastric mucosal nitric oxide (NO) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) were assayed by the nitric acid reductase method, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) were measured by radioimmunoassay. The comprehensive effects were analyzed by weighing method. RESULTS: Compared to MG, SYG, JYG and TYMG, the rabbits gastric mucosal injury index (GMII) reduced very significantly in YMG (P

Effect of needling points of lower extremities of foot Yangming meridian on area of gastric antrum with ultrasonography B observation