Effect of Electroacupuncture on Spermatogenesis in Rats with Oligozoospermia of Insufficiency of Shen (Kidney) Essence Syndrome

Objective: To assess the effect of electroacupuncture(EA) on expression of cytoskeletal proteins from Sertoli cells(SCs) and spermatogenesis in rats with oligozoospermia of insufficiency of Shen(Kidney)essence syndrome(OIKES).Methods: Twenty healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to four groups using a random number table: control,tripterygium glycosides(TG) treatment,sham and EA groups(n=5 in each group).A rat model of OIKES was established by oral gavage with TG.The EA group was treated with TG and received EA at Shenshu(BL 23) and Zusanli(ST 36) acupoints for 20 min,once daily for 30 days,while the sham group received EA at identical acupoints with skin penetration without stimulation.After 30 days,the ?nal body weight and coef?cients for the testis and epididymis were calculated and sperm parameters were measured.Immunohistochemical analyses were performed to detect expression of vimentin and α-tubulin in SCs and proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA) immunoreactivity in germ cells.Apoptosis in germ cells was quanti?ed by the transferase biotin-dUTP nick end labeling assay.Results: Compared with the control group,the final body weight and testis/epididymis coefficients of rats in the TG-treated group were not significantly different,but the sperm count and motility were lower(P0.05).Expressions of vimentin and α-tubulin were also signi?cantly weaker(P0.01).The PCNA immunoreactivity of germ cells was decreased(P=0.059),whereas the apoptotic index of germ cells was increased signi?cantly(P0.01).In contrast,EA at BL 23 and ST 36 acupoints signi?cantly improved the ?nal body weight as well as the sperm count,concentration and motility(P0.01 or P0.05).EA increased expression of vimentin and α-tubulin in SCs markedly,and signi?cantly enhanced PCNA immunoreactivity with decreased apoptosis in germ cells(P0.01 or P0.05).Conclusions: EA at BL 23 and ST 36 acupoints has protective effects on spermatogenesis in rats with OIKES.This effect seems to be achieved by attenuating TG-induced disruption of cytoskeletal protein in SCs.     

Large gangliocytic paraganglioma of the duodenum: A rare entity

Gangliocytic paragangliomas are rare tumors that almost exclusively occur within the second portion of the duodenum. Although these tumors generally have a benign clinical course, they have the potential to recur or metastasize to regional lymph nodes. The case report presented here describes a 57-year-old female patient with melena, progressive asthenia, anemia, and a mass in the second-third portion of the duodenum that was treated by local excision. The patient was diagnosed with a friable bleeding tumor. The histologic analysis showed that the tumor was a 4 cm gangliocytic paraganglioma without a malignant cell pattern. In the absence of local invasion or distant metastasis, endoscopic resection represents a feasible, curative therapy. Although endoscopic polypectomy is currently considered the treatment of choice, it is not recommended if the size of the tumor is > 3 cm and/or there is active or recent bleeding. Patients diagnosed with a gangliocytic paraganglioma should be closely followed-up for possible local recurrence.     

Efficacy and Feasibility of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem-Cell Transplantation in the Treatment of Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Background

Refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) includes AML includes failure of disease to respond to standard induction chemotherapy, relapse within 6 months after first CR, and 2 or more relapses. The outcome of these patients is usually very poor; only a small proportion can be rescued by allogenic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of allo-HSCT in patients with refractory AML.

Low-dose all-trans retinoic acid enhances cytotoxicity of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil on CD44+ cancer stem cells

Cis-diamminedichloridoplatinum(II)(CDDP)-based combination chemotherapy is frequently used in gastrointestinal cancer. The synergistic mechanism of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), cisplatin (CDDP) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in combination remains unclear. Despite their potent antitumor properties, resistance to CDDP and 5-FU develops frequently in tumors. To clarify this mechanism, we determined the sensitivity to each drug and their combination in two gastrointestinal cancer stem cells (CSCs) subpopulation.Here, we report the identification and separation of CD44⁺ cells from human gastric carcinoma (AGS) and human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (KYSE-30) cancer cell lines by magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS). We allowed the CD44^± cells to grow 6 days at a subtoxic concentration of ATRA and then treated with different concentration of CDDP and 5-FU for 24 h. The cytotoxicity was examined by cell proliferation MTT assay. Additionally, AO/EB staining was used for detection of apoptotic cells. In order to determine whether the growth inhibition was also associated with changes in cell cycle distribution, cell cycle analysis was performed using flow cytometry.Low concentration of ATRA (1 μM, 6days) followed by 5-FU and CDDP was found to be more effective than either drugs alone, thus resulting in synergistic cytotoxicity in Kyse-30 and AGSCD44^± cells. Furthermore, there was an indication that the combination of ATRA with 5FU and CDDP caused an increase in cell cycle arrest in G2/M and G0/G1.We conclude that low concentration of ATRA enhances the cytotoxicity of CDDP and 5FU by facilitating apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in gastrointestinal CSCs and provide a rational basis for the design of novel, well-tolerated CDDP- and 5FU-based chemotherapy in human gastrointestinal carcinoma.     

低密度脂蛋白在2型糖尿病骨质疏松中的作用研究进展

2型糖尿病及骨质疏松已成为我国最主要的慢性代谢性疾病。2型糖尿病常伴有血脂紊乱，常表现为低密度脂蛋白升高，而越来越多的研究表明血脂通过不同的方式影响骨代谢，其机制可能是通过抑制骨髓间充质干细胞成骨分化，通过RANK/RNAKL/OPG信号通路及炎症反应调节破骨细胞等方式调节骨代谢。     

Putting age-related task activation into large-scale brain networks: A meta-analysis of 114 fMRI studies on healthy aging

Normal aging is associated with cognitive decline and underlying brain dysfunction. Previous studies concentrated less on brain network changes at a systems level. Our goal was to examine these age-related changes of fMRI-derived activation with a common network parcellation of the human brain function, offering a systems-neuroscience perspective of healthy aging. We conducted a series of meta-analyses on a total of 114 studies that included 2035 older adults and 1845 young adults. Voxels showing significant age-related changes in activation were then overlaid onto seven commonly referenced neuronal networks. Older adults present moderate cognitive decline in behavioral performance during fMRI scanning, and hypo-activate the visual network and hyper-activate both the frontoparietal control and default mode networks. The degree of increased activation in frontoparietal network was associated with behavioral performance in older adults. Age-related changes in activation present different network patterns across cognitive domains. The systems neuroscience approach used here may be useful for elucidating the underlying network mechanisms of various brain plasticity processes during healthy aging.     

Engraftable neural crest stem cells derived from cynomolgus monkey embryonic stem cells

Neural crest stem cells (NCSCs), a population of multipotent cells that migrate extensively and give rise to diverse derivatives, including peripheral and enteric neurons and glia, craniofacial cartilage and bone, melanocytes and smooth muscle, have great potential for regenerative medicine. Non-human primates provide optimal models for the development of stem cell therapies. Here, we describe the first derivation of NCSCs from cynomolgus monkey embryonic stem cells (CmESCs) at the neural rosette stage. CmESC-derived neurospheres replated on polyornithine/laminin-coated dishes migrated onto the substrate and showed characteristic expression of NCSC markers, including Sox10, AP2α, Slug, Nestin, p75, and HNK1. CmNCSCs were capable of propagating in an undifferentiated state in vitro as adherent or suspension cultures, and could be subsequently induced to differentiate towards peripheral nervous system lineages (peripheral sympathetic neurons, sensory neurons, and Schwann cells) and mesenchymal lineages (osteoblasts, adipocytes, chondrocytes, and smooth muscle cells). CmNCSCs transplanted into developing chick embryos or fetal brains of cynomolgus macaques survived, migrated, and differentiated into progeny consistent with a neural crest identity. Our studies demonstrate that CmNCSCs offer a new tool for investigating neural crest development and neural crest-associated human disease and suggest that this non-human primate model may facilitate tissue engineering and regenerative medicine efforts.     

Macroporous thin membranes for cell transplant in regenerative medicine

The aim of this paper is to present a method to produce macroporous thin membranes made of poly (ethyl acrylate-co-hydroxyethyl acrylate) copolymer network with varying cross-linking density for cell transplantation and prosthesis fabrication. The manufacture process is based on template techniques and anisotropic pore collapse. Pore collapse was produced by swelling the membrane in acetone and subsequently drying and changing the solvent by water to produce 100 microns thick porous membranes. These very thin membranes are porous enough to hold cells to be transplanted to the organism or to be colonized by ingrowth from neighboring tissues in the organism, and they present sufficient tearing stress to be sutured with surgical thread. The obtained pore morphology was observed by Scanning Electron Microscope, and confocal laser microscopy. Mechanical properties were characterized by stress–strain experiments in tension and tearing strength measurements. Morphology and mechanical properties were related to the different initial thickness of the scaffold and the cross-linking density of the polymer network. Seeding efficiency and proliferation of mesenchymal stem cells inside the pore structure were determined at 2 h, 1, 7, 14 and 21 days from seeding.