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Objective: To investigate the regulatory mechanism of manual acupuncture (MA) on microglial polarization–mediated neuroinflammation after traumatic brain injury (TBI), focusing on the RhoA/Rho-associated coiled coil-forming protein kinase (ROCK2) pathway. Methods: Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were used to generate a TBI model using Feeney’s freefall epidural impact method. MA was performed on half of the TBI model rats, while the others remained untreated. Acupuncture was administered at GV15, GV16, GV20, GV26, and LI4. At the end of the intervention, rat brain tissue samples were collected, and the microglial M1 polarization status was observed by immunofluorescence labeling of CD86, an M1 microglia-specific protein. RhoA/ROCK2 signaling components were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the expression levels of inflammatory factors. Results: Compared with normal rats, the CD86 expression density in the untreated TBI model rats was high and showed an aggregated expression pattern. The genes and proteins of the RhoA/ROCK2 signaling pathway were highly expressed, and inflammatory factors were significantly increased. The CD86 expression density in TBI rats after MA was reduced compared to that in untreated TBI rats and showed a scattered distribution. The expression of RhoA/ROCK2 signaling pathway genes and proteins was also significantly reduced, and inflammatory factors were decreased. Conclusion: These results show that MA may inhibit M1 polarization of microglia by regulating the RhoA/ROCK2 signaling pathway, thereby reducing neuroinflammation in TBI.

Tulathromycin is a semi-synthetic macrolide antimicrobial that has an important role in veterinary medicine for respiratory disease. The objective of the study was to develop a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model to examine the efficacy and determine an optimal dosage of tulathromycin intramuscular (IM) treatment against Haemophilus parasuis infection induced after intraperitoneal inoculation in neutropenic guinea pigs. The PKs of tulathromycin in serum and lung tissue after intramuscular administration at doses of 1, 10, and 20 mg/kg in H. parasuis-infected neutropenic guinea pigs were evaluated by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The tulathromycin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against H. parasuis was ~16 times lower in guinea pig serum (0.03 μg/mL) than in cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth (CAMHB) (0.5 μg/mL). The ratio of the 168-h area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) to MIC (AUC168h/MIC) positively correlated with the in vivo antibacterial effectiveness of tulathromycin (R2 = 0.9878 in serum and R2 = 0.9911 in lung tissue). The computed doses to achieve a reduction of 2-log10 CFU/lung from the ratios of AUC72h/MIC were 5.7 mg/kg for serum and 2.5 mg/kg for lung tissue, which lower than the values of 13.2 mg/kg for serum and 8.9 mg/kg for lung tissue with AUC168h/MIC. In addition, using as objective a 2-log10 reduction and an AUC0−72h as the value of the PK/PD index could be more realistic. The results of this study could provide a solid foundation for the application of PK/PD models in research on macrolide antibiotics used to treat respiratory diseases.

In recent years, the development of adjunctive therapeutic hyperthermia for cancer therapy has received considerable attention. However, the mechanisms underlying hyperthermia resistance are still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the roles of cold-inducible RNA binding protein (Cirbp) in regulating hyperthermia resistance and underlying mechanisms in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Our results firstly revealed that hyperthermia significantly attenuated the stemness property of NPC cells, while combination treatment of hyperthermia and oridonin dramatically increased the killing effect on NPC cells and cancer stem cell (CSC)-like population. Moreover, hyperthermia substantially improved the sensitivity of radiation-resistant NPC cells and CSC-like cells to radiotherapy. Hyperthermia noticeably suppressed Cirbp expression in NPC cells and xenograft tumor tissues. Furthermore, Cirbp inhibition remarkably boosted anti-tumor-killing activity of hyperthermia against NPC cells and CSC-like cells, whereas ectopic expression of Cirbp compromised tumor-killing effect of hyperthermia on these cells, indicating that Cirbp overexpression induces hyperthermia resistance. ThermomiR-377–3p improved the sensitivity of NPC cells and cancer stem-like cells to hyperthermia in vitro by directly suppressing Cirbp expression. More importantly, our results displayed the significantly boosted sensitization of tumor xenografts to hyperthermia by Cirbp silencing in vivo, but ectopic expression of Cirbp nearly completely counteracted hyperthermia-mediated tumor cell-killing effect against tumor xenografts in vivo. Mechanistically, Cirbp silencing-induced inhibition of DNA damage repair by inactivating ATM-Chk2 and ATR-Chk1 pathways, decrease in stemness and increase in cell death contributed to hyperthermic sensitization; conversely, Cirbp overexpression-induced promotion of DNA damage repair, increase in stemness and decrease in cell apoptosis contributed to hyperthermia resistance. Taken together, these findings reveal a previously unrecognized role for Cirbp in positively regulating hyperthermia resistance and suggest that thermomiR-377–3p and its target gene Cirbp represent promising targets for therapeutic hyperthermia.

Objective: To evaluate the immunoregulation of KangAi (KA) injection combined with chemo-treatment (chemo) for Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: We systematically searched the literature of PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP databases for all Randomized controlled trials (published from the earliest possible year to January 2019, no language restrictions) comparing KA injection combined with chemo and chemo alone in patients with NSCLC. Our main endpoints were immune function, clinical efficiency, KPS score and adverse events. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was applied for quality assessment. Results: 11 studies involving 1060 participants were included. The immune function (MD=3.18, 95% CI: 0.98-4.00, P

Following corneal transplantation, there is an initial decline in corneal endothelial cells (CECs) following graft preparation and surgery. Monitoring post-transplantation is only possible months after surgery by specular microscopy, which has a limited field of view. We have developed a labelling approach using 1,1’-dioctadecyl-3,3,3’,3’-tetramethylindotricarbocyanine iodide (DIR) dye solution, that enabled tracking of labelled CECs in vivo for at least one month. Initial in vitro optimization of dye concentration, cellular toxicity and real-time cell migration was assessed using propagated primary CECs. Subsequent in vivo evaluation of cellular labelling was assessed within a rabbit wound healing model. Finally, real-time visualization of human cadaver donor tissue incubated in DIR transplanted into rabbits was achieved using the Heidelberg Spectralis. Results revealed detectable fluorescence increased with concentration to a plateau of 100µg/ml, with no toxicity of CECs at any concentration evaluated. DIR-labelled CECs were detectable in vivo upto 1 month, and transplanted labelled donor graft could be visualized and were trackable in vivo. Acute endothelial rejection in 1 rabbit was evidenced by detectable DIR positive cells within the anterior chamber. DIR imaging allowed for detailed imaging of the transplanted corneal endothelium, and enabled non-invasive observation of the corneal endothelial morphology following transplantation.

Objective: Neuroinflammation caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI) can lead to neurological deficits. Acupuncture can inhibit neuroinflammation and promote nerve repair; however, the specific mechanism is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore whether acupuncture could modulate the M1 and M2 phenotypic polarization of microglia in a rat model of TBI via the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/intracellular toll-interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain-containing adaptor inducing interferon-β (TRIF)/myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) pathway. Methods: A total of 90 adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, SPF grade, were randomly divided into a normal group, model group and acupuncture group. Each group was further divided into three subgroups (first, third, and fifth day groups) according to the treatment time ( n = 10 rats/subgroup). We used the modified neurological severity score (mNSS) method to quantify neurological deficits before and after modeling. We used Nissl staining to observe the pathological changes in brain tissue, flow cytometry to detect the proportion of M1 and M2 polarized microglia in the injured area on the first, third and fifth day, and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) to examine TLR4/TRIF/MyD88 expression in microglia on the first, third and fifth day, as well as expression of the amount of binding of TLR4 with TRIF and MyD88. Results: Compared to the model group, mNSS in the acupuncture group gradually decreased and pathological morphology improved. The proportion of CD11b/CD86 positive cells was decreased, while that of CD11b/CD206 was increased in the acupuncture group. Expression of IP TLR4, IP TRIF and IP MyD88 also decreased in the acupuncture group. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that one of the mechanisms through which acupuncture mitigates neuroinflammation and promotes nerve repair in TBI rats may be inhibition of M1 phenotypic polarization and promotion of M2 phenotypic polarization through inhibition of the TLR4/TRIF/MyD88 signaling pathway.

Following corneal transplantation, there is an initial, rapid decline in corneal endothelial cells (CECs) following surgery. Direct imaging of post-transplantation endothelial cells is only possible weeks after surgery and with a limited field of view. We have developed a labelling approach using 1,1′-dioctadecyl-3,3,3′,3′-tetramethylindotricarbocyanine iodide (DIR) dye solution, that enables tracking of labelled CECs in vivo for at least 1 month. Initial in vitro optimization, with assessments of dye concentration on fluorescence, cellular toxicity and cell migration, performed in propagated primary CECs. Subsequently, in vivo evaluation of cellular labelling was assessed within a rabbit wound healing model. Finally, real-time visualization of human cadaver donor tissue incubated in DIR transplanted into rabbits was achieved using a clinical confocal microscope. Results revealed detectable fluorescence increased with concentration to a plateau of 100 µg/ml, with no toxicity of CECs at any concentration evaluated. DIR-labelled CECs were detectable in vivo up to 1 month, and transplanted labelled donor graft could be visualized and were trackable in vivo. Acute endothelial rejection in 1 rabbit was evidenced by detectable DIR positive cells within the anterior chamber. DIR imaging allowed for detailed imaging of the transplanted human corneal endothelium, and enabled non-invasive observation of the corneal endothelial morphology following transplantation.

Internal ribosomal entry sites (IRESs) are RNA secondary structures that mediate translation independent from the m7G RNA cap. The dicistronic luciferase assay is the most frequently used method to measure IRES-mediated translation. While this assay is quantitative, it requires numerous controls and can be time-consuming. Circular RNAs generated by splinted ligation have been shown to also accurately report on IRES-mediated translation, however suffer from low yield and other challenges. More recently, cellular sequences were shown to facilitate RNA circle formation through backsplicing. Here, we used a previously published backsplicing circular RNA split GFP reporter to create a highly sensitive and quantitative split nanoluciferase (NanoLuc) reporter. We show that NanoLuc expression requires backsplicing and correct orientation of a bona fide IRES. In response to cell stress, IRES-directed NanoLuc expression remained stable or increased while a capped control reporter decreased in translation. In addition, we detected NanoLuc expression from putative cellular IRESs and the Zika virus 5′ untranslated region that is proposed to harbor IRES function. These data together show that our IRES reporter construct can be used to verify, identify and quantify the ability of sequences to mediate IRES-translation within a circular RNA.

Purpose To describe a surgical technique for Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) using a pull-through, endothelium-in insertion device, the DMEK EndoGlide. We evaluated the endothelial cell loss (ECL) associated with the EndoGlide-DMEK (E-DMEK) technique in both ex vivo and prospective clinical studies. Methods The ex vivo study involved calcein acetoxymethyl staining and preparation of DMEK grafts, which were trifolded endothelium-in, loaded into the EndoGlide, pulled through, and unfolded in imaging dishes. Inverted fluorescent microscopy was performed, and ECL was quantified using trainable segmentation software. The prospective clinical series describes the outcomes of consecutive surgeries using the E-DMEK technique. Grafts were pulled through the EndoGlide with forceps and unfolded in the anterior chamber endothelium-down. Our main outcome measure was ECL in both studies. Results In the ex vivo study with 9 human donor corneas, mean ECL was 15.2% ± 5.4% (n = 9). In our clinical series of 69 eyes, leading indications for surgery were pseudophakic/aphakic bullous keratopathy (47.8%), previous failed grafts (23.2%), and Fuchs endothelial dystrophy (18.8%). Rebubbling and primary graft failure rates related to E-DMEK were 11.6% and 1.5%, respectively. Among eyes with at least 6 months of follow-up, mean preoperative endothelial cell density was 2772 (range 2457-3448) cells/mm, and postoperative endothelial cell density was 1830 (range 541-2545) cells/mm. Mean ECL was 33.6% (range 7.5-80.4; n = 32) at the 7.1 (range 6-11) months follow-up. Conclusions The ex vivo and pilot clinical studies suggest that E-DMEK shows acceptable rates of ECL, with safe and promising early clinical outcomes.

Purpose. Aloe-emodin (AE) is a natural compound derived from aloe vera and palmatum rhubarb and shows anticancer activities in various cancers. Bcl-2 family is the main regulator of cell death or cell survival. This study describes the effects of AE on proliferation of breast tumor (BT) cells. Methods. MCF-10A, MCF-10AT, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231 cell lines were exposed to AE. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were assessed by CCK-8 and flow cytometry. Protein levels were measured by Western blotting. The levels of mRNA and miRNA were examined by RT-PCR. Bioinformatics was applied to screen miRNAs that bind to 3′-UTR of mRNA. Results. The results showed that AE selective activity inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis of MCF-10AT and MCF-7 cells but exhibited no significant inhibition in MCF10A and MDA-MB-231 cells. Mechanistically, AE dose-dependently decreased the protein expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl, while it increased Bax protein expression in MCF-10AT and MCF-7 cells. The levels of Bcl-xl and Bax mRNA were altered by AE treatment, which was consistent with the protein expression results. However, Bcl-2 mRNA levels were not affected in either cell line, suggesting that AE may modulate the protein translation of Bcl-2 through miRNAs. In all candidate miRNAs that bind to 3′-UTR of Bcl-2, miR-15a and miR-16-1 were dose-dependently downregulated by AE. Moreover, inhibition of miR-15a/16-1 could eliminate the inhibition of MCF-10AT and MCF-7 cells growth by AE and could reverse the downregulation of AE-induced Bcl-2 protein level. Conclusion. Our research provides an important basis that AE induces BT cell apoptosis through upregulation of miR-15a/miR-16-1 that suppresses BCL2.

In this paper, we proposed a numerical inverse Laplace transform method which combines the exponential series and the Levin-T convergence acceleration method and its parameters were determined through numerical experiment. The numerical inverse Laplace transform method is generally used to create type curve for analysis of well testing data, the Stehfest-Laplace numerical value inverse transformation method is often used, the proposed method was compared with Stehfest inverse Laplace transform method for typical functions. In this paper, we also proposed a phase space solution method using the asymptotic formula for making a type curve and verified its effect through simulation results.

Acupuncture is widely recognized as an effective therapy for premature ovarian failure (POF) in clinical, but information about its potential mechanisms is rarely explored. To investigate the mechanism, fifty SD female rats were randomly divided into normal group, POF group, POF+estradiol-valerate group (abbreviated as estradiol group), and POF+acupuncture group (abbreviated as acupuncture group). The estrous cycle of the rats was tracked by vaginal smears. Their ovaries morphology was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The apoptotic level of granulosa cells was detected by in situ TUNEL fluorescence staining assay. Serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estrogen (E2) levels were measured by enzyme-linked-immunosorbent-assay (ELISA). Protein and gene expression of PI3K, Akt, bcl-2, and bax were detected by Western blotting and qPCR. In the acupuncture and estradiol groups, compared with the POF group as controls, the apoptosis number of granulosa cells was significantly decreased (p &lt, 0.05). FSH levels were decreased, while E2 levels were increased (p &gt, 0.05). The gene and protein expression levels of PI3K, Akt, and bcl-2 were increased, while the expression levels of bax were decreased (p &lt, 0.05), and the protein expression level of p-Akt increased. There was no significant difference between the acupuncture group and the estradiol group (p &gt, 0.05). Acupuncture was able to regulate hormone levels in POF rats, up-regulate PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, and reduce the apoptosis of granulosa cells. This may be one of the mechanisms of acupuncture treating premature ovarian failure.

Protein aggregation has been one of the leading triggers of various disease conditions, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other amyloidosis. TGFBI-associated corneal dystrophies are protein aggregation disorders in which the mutant TGFBIp aggregates and accumulates in the cornea, leading to a reduction in visual acuity and blindness in severe cases. Currently, the only therapy available is invasive and there is a known recurrence after surgery. In this study, we tested the inhibitory and amyloid dissociation properties of four osmolytes in an in-vitroTGFBI peptide aggregation model. The 23-amino acid long peptide (TGFBIp 611–633 with the mutation c.623 G>R) from the 4th FAS-1 domain of TGFBIp that rapidly forms amyloid fibrils was used in the study. Several biophysical methods like Thioflavin T (ThT) fluorescence, Circular Dichroism (CD), fluorescence microscopy and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to study the inhibitory and amyloid disaggregation properties of the four osmolytes (Betaine, Raffinose, Sarcosine, and Taurine). The osmolytes were effective in both inhibiting and disaggregating the amyloid fibrils derived from TGFBIp 611–633 c.623 G>R peptide. The osmolytes did not have an adverse toxic effect on cultured human corneal fibroblast cells and could potentially be a useful therapeutic strategy for patients with TGFBIp corneal dystrophies.

Purpose To describe a novel lamellar dissection technique for Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) graft preparation, and to evaluate the rate of endothelial cell loss (ECL) and graft preparation failure associated with this technique. Methods We conducted an ex vivo laboratory-based study comparing ECL between the lamellar dissection and peeling techniques. Eight pairs of human donor corneas underwent calcein acetoxymethyl staining-all right eyes underwent the peeling technique and all left eyes underwent the lamellar dissection technique. ECL was quantified by image analysis with trainable segmentation software and compared between groups. We also conducted a retrospective analysis of 161 consecutive DMEK graft preparations by a single surgeon using the lamellar dissection technique from 2010 to 2018. Data on donor characteristics and graft preparation failures were obtained. Results Baseline donor characteristics were comparable in both arms of the laboratory-based study. Mean (SD) ECL with the lamellar dissection and peeling techniques was 13.8% (4.2%) and 11.2% (6.1%), respectively. There was no significant difference between the two (P = 0.327). In the clinical series, there were 2 graft preparation failures in 161 cases (1.2%). Among cases performed on diabetic donor tissue, the rate of graft preparation failure was 4.7%. Conclusions The lamellar dissection technique has a similar rate of ECL compared with the peeling technique for DMEK graft preparation. This technique also has a low rate of graft preparation failure and may be a useful technique for diabetic donor tissue.

To observe the effect of acupuncture on activities of microglia in traumatic brain injury (TBI) rats.Fifty-four male SD rats were randomly and equally divided into normal control, model and acupuncture groups according to the random number table (The mNSS scores were significantly increased on day 1, 3, 7 and 14 in the model group in comparison with the normal group (Acupuncture intervention may accelerate neurological function recovery in TBI rats, which is closely related to its effects in inhibiting the activation of microglia and secondary nerve damage.

Restoration of vision due to corneal blindness from corneal endothelial dysfunction can be achieved via a corneal transplantation. However, global shortage of donor tissues has driven the development cell-based therapeutics. With the capacity to propagate regulatory compliant human corneal endothelial cells (CEnCs), this study evaluated the functionality of propagated CEnCs delivered via tissue-engineered endothelial keratoplasty (TE-EK) or corneal endothelial cell injection (CE-CI) within a rabbit model of bullous keratopathy. For animals with TE-EK grafts, central corneal thickness (CCT) increased to >1000 μm post-operatively. Gradual thinning with improvements in corneal clarity was observed from week 1. CCT at week 3 was 484.3 ± 73.7 μm. In rabbits with CE-CI, corneal clarity was maintained throughout, and CCT at week 3 was 582.5 ± 171.5 μm. Control corneas remained significantly edematous throughout the study period compared to their respective experimental groups (p

Objective To study the effect of acupuncture on the TLR2/4-NF-κB signalling pathway in the cortex of Sprague-Dawley rats following traumatic brain injury (TBI), and investigate the possible mechanism underlying the effects of acupuncture on scar repair. Methods TBI was established using Feeney's free-falling epidural percussion model. In total, 108 rats were randomly divided into a normal group (n=18), untreated TBI model group (TBI group, n=36) and manual acupuncture-treated TBI group (TBI+MA, n=36). Each group of rats was subdivided into three time groups: 3-day (3d), 7-day (7d) and 14-day (14d). No treatment was given to rats in the normal and TBI groups. The TBI+MA group received manual acupuncture at GV20, GV26, GV16 through GV15, and bilateral LI4. mRNA expression of TLR2, TLR4, NF-κB and protein in the rat cortices was quantified using real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western blot analyses. Results The modified neurological severity score (mNSS) scores of the TBI+MA group were improved compared with baseline scores 12 hours after modelling, and improved at 7d and 14d compared with the TBI group (PConclusions Acupuncture has a bidirectional regulatory effect on the TLR2/4-NF-κB signalling pathway-related genes TLR2, TLR4 and NF-κB in the TBI rat cortex, promoting their expression in the early stage and inhibiting it in the later stage.

To determine the rules of acupoints and meridians selection for dysmenorrhea based on data mining.The literature on acupuncture treatment of dysmenorrhea was reviewed and a database of dysmenorrhea prescriptions regarding the main points of acupuncture was established with Excel 2003 software, using the relevance rule and cluster analysis methods in data mining technology to analyze the characteristics and laws in acupuncture prescription.One hundred and fourteen acupuncture prescriptions were included. The highest frequency of acupoint, meridian and location was San-yinjiao(SP 6), Spleen Meridian, lower limb knee and below knee, respectively. The results of relevance rule indicated that the highest confidence for acupoint combination was SP 6-Taichong(LR 3), the highest support for acupoint combination was SP 6-Guanyuan(CV 4), and the results of cluster analysis showed that there were three effective cluster groups.The combination of SP 6-LR 3-CV 4 can be applied in the clinic to cure dysmenorrhea, and Zusanli(ST 36), Ciliao(BL 32), Zhongji(CV 3) can be matched based on syndrome differentiation.

Corneal transplantation is the only treatment available to restore vision for individuals with blindness due to corneal endothelial dysfunction. However, severe shortage of available donor corneas remains a global challenge. Functional regulatory compliant tissue-engineered corneal endothelial graft substitute can alleviate this reliance on cadaveric corneal graft material. Here, isolated primary human corneal endothelial cells (CEnCs) propagated using a dual media approach refined towards regulatory compliance showed expression of markers indicative of the human corneal endothelium, and can be tissue-engineered onto thin corneal stromal carriers. Both cellular function and clinical adaptability was demonstrated in a pre-clinical rabbit model of bullous keratopathy using a tissue-engineered endothelial keratoplasty (TE-EK) approach, adapted from routine endothelial keratoplasty procedure for corneal transplantation in human patients. Cornea thickness of rabbits receiving TE-EK graft gradually reduced over the first two weeks, and completely recovered to a thickness of approximately 400 µm by the third week of transplantation, whereas corneas of control rabbits remained significantly thicker over 1,000 µm (p

Purpose To establish a method for assessing graft viability, in-vivo, following corneal transplantation. Methods Optimization of calcein AM fluorescence and toxicity assessment was performed in cultured human corneal endothelial cells and ex-vivo corneal tissue. Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty grafts were incubated with calcein AM and imaged pre and post preparation, and in-situ after insertion and unfolding in a pig eye model. Global, macroscopic images of the entire graft and individual cell resolution could be attained by altering the magnification of a clinical confocal scanning laser microscope. Patterns of cell loss observed in situ were compared to those seen using standard ex-vivo techniques. Results Calcein AM showed a positive dose-fluorescence relationship. A dose of 2.67μmol was sufficient to allow clear discrimination between viable and non-viable areas (sensitivity of 96.6% with a specificity of 96.1%) and was not toxic to cultured endothelial cells or ex-vivo corneal tissue. Patterns of cell loss seen in-situ closely matched those seen on ex-vivo assessment with fluorescence viability imaging, trypan blue/alizarin red staining or scanning electron microscopy. Iatrogenic graft damage from preparation and insertion varied between 7–35% and incarceration of the graft tissue within surgical wounds was identified as a significant cause of endothelial damage. Conclusions In-situ graft viability assessment using clinical imaging devices provides comparable information to ex-vivo methods. This method shows high sensitivity and specificity, is non-toxic and can be used to evaluate immediate cell viability in new grafting techniques in-vivo.

Purpose. To investigate whether acupuncture induced the proliferation and differentiation of endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) in a rat model of traumatic brain injury (TBI).Methods. 104 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal, model, and acupuncture groups. Each group was subdivided into three-day (3 d), seven-day (7 d), and fourteen-day (14 d) groups. The rat TBI model was established using Feeney’s freefall epidural impact method. The rats in the acupuncture group were treated at acupoints (Baihui, Shuigou, Fengfu, Yamen, and bilateral Hegu). The normal and model groups did not receive acupuncture. The establishment of the rat TBI model and the therapeutic effect of acupuncture were assessed using neurobehavioral scoring and hematoxylin-eosin staining. The proliferation and differentiation of NSCs in TBI rats were analyzed using immunofluorescence microscopy.Results. The levels of nestin-expressing cells and bromodeoxyuridine/glial fibrillary acidic protein- (BrdU/GFAP-) and BrdU/S100 calcium-binding protein B-positive and BrdU/microtubule-associated protein 2- and BrdU/galactocerebrosidase-positive cells were more significantly increased at various time points in the acupuncture group than in the model group (P<0.01), except for a decreased level of BrdU/GFAP-positive cells at 7 d and 14 d.Conclusion. Acupuncture induced the proliferation and differentiation of NSCs, thereby promoting neural repair in the TBI rats.