电针对运动性免疫抑制大鼠HPA轴的影响

目的:观察电针对运动性免疫抑制大鼠下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺(HPA)轴及胸腺指数、γ干扰素(γ-IFN)、白细胞介素2(IL-2)的调节作用.方法:43只SD大鼠,按数字随机分为A、B、C 3组.A组(n=10)为空白对照组:B组(n=17):对大鼠进行大强度游泳训练,为期8周,每周6次,每次150 min的游泳训练;C组...     

针刺对胃肠电活动的影响

在总结近10年针刺调整胃肠电文献的基础上,分析针刺对胃肠电的调整作用、影响针刺调整胃肠电因素、针刺调整胃肠电机制,发现针刺穴位对胃肠电的调整作用受多种因素影响,不同的针刺方法、频率、穴位、运针与否以及受试对象所处的机能状态等都使得针效表现不同,呈现很大的差异性,可表现为增强、抑制或双相调节;针刺对胃肠电调节效应的发挥有...     

齐刺压痛点以通畅元真治疗肩周炎25例

Triple needling was adopted for treatment of frozen shoulder by the authors, and the report is as follows. CLINICAL DATA All the 25 cases were diagnosed as frozen shoulder by Clinic of TCM, Hubei University of CM during March to October of 2010.There were 10 cases of male and 15 female, with the age ranged from 26 to 54.     

Allele-specific regulation of FGFR2 expression is cell type-dependent and may increase breast cancer risk through a paracrine stimulus involving FGF10

Introduction

SNPs rs2981582 and rs2981578, located in a linkage disequilibrium block (LD block) within intron 2 of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 gene (FGFR2), are associated with a mildly increased breast cancer risk. Allele-specific regulation of FGFR2 mRNA expression has been reported previously, but the molecular basis for the association of these variants with breast cancer has remained elusive to date.

Methods

mRNA levels of FGFR2 and three fibroblast growth factor genes (FGFs) were measured in primary fibroblast and epithelial cell cultures from 98 breast cancer patients and correlated to their rs2981578 genotype. The phosphorylation levels of downstream FGFR2 targets, FGF receptor substrate 2α (FRS2α) and extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2), were quantified in skin fibroblasts exposed to FGF2. Immunohistochemical markers for angiogenesis and lymphocytic infiltrate were semiquantitatively assessed in 25 breast tumors.

Results

The risk allele of rs2981578 was associated with increased FGFR2 mRNA levels in skin fibroblasts, but not in skin epithelial cell cultures. FGFR2 mRNA levels in skin fibroblasts and breast fibroblasts correlated strongly in the patients from whom both cultures were available. Tumor-derived fibroblasts expressed, on average, eight times more FGFR2 mRNA than the corresponding fibroblasts from normal breast tissue. Fibroblasts with higher FGFR2 mRNA expression showed more FRS2α and ERK1/2 phosphorylation after exposure to FGF2. In fibroblasts, higher FGFR2 expression correlated with higher FGF10 expression. In 25 breast tumors, no associations between breast tumor characteristics and fibroblast FGFR2 mRNA levels were found.

Conclusions

The influence of rs2981578 genotypes on FGFR2 mRNA expression levels is cell type-dependent. Expression differences correlated well with signaling levels of the FGFR2 pathway. Our results suggest that the increased breast cancer risk associated with SNP rs2981578 is due to increased FGFR2 signaling activity in stromal fibroblasts, possibly also involving paracrine FGF10 signaling.     

Free Bioverit II implants coated with a nanoporous silica layer in a mouse ear model-- a histological study

The objective of this study is to evaluate the suitability of a mouse middle ear model for testing ossicular replacement materials. Twenty-four BALB/c mice are implanted with the bioglass-ceramic Bioverit II which is coated with a silica-nanostructure or with plain Bioverit II as a control. After 2, 6, and 12 weeks, 4 mice per group are sacrificed and both complete petrous bones are analyzed histologically. All implants revealed in situ an incipient growth of thin connective tissue layers over the surface, followed by a spreading of epithelial cells. The osseogenic response which is increasing with time is more intense in the coated Bioverit II specimens. The absence of inflammatory cells suggests an excellent biocompatibility of the silica nano structure. As the results are comparable to a study with the same materials in rabbits, the mouse model described is highly suitable for evaluation of new ossicular replacement materials. Additionally, by gene expression analysis a more detailed insight into cellular interactions of the middle ear is offered.     

Estimated birth weight and adult cardiovascular risk factors in a developing southern Chinese population: a cross sectional study

Background  

Birth weight is negatively associated with cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, but the associations are less well-established in developing populations where birth weight is often unavailable. We studied the association of birth weight and cardiovascular risk, using birth rank as an instrumental variable, in Southern China.     

Quantitation of the thickness of the non-enhanced myocardial rim predicts recovery of territorial myocardial function in chronic ischemic heart disease: a cardiac magnetic resonance imaging study

Objectives

We sought to determine whether the thickness of the non-contrast-enhanced myocardial rim (RIM) predicts recovery of territorial myocardial function after revascularization in chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM).

Background

Non-contrast-enhanced dysfunctional myocardium at late gadolinium-enhanced CMR depicts the presence of viable myocardium.

Methods

In 29 patients (65 ± 8 years) with ICM (EF 33 ± 10), ceCMR and cine images were acquired 5 ± 10 days before revascularization. Cine images were repeated after 6 months. Regional wall thickness, wall thickening and RIM were determined in each of 12 segments per short-axis slice (4–8/patient), which were assigned to the respective supplying coronary artery (LAD, LCX and RCA). A threshold for normal wall-thickening was derived from a control group (n = 14; 52 ± 17 years). Functional improvement at follow-up was defined as wall thickening >2 mm.

Results

Of the 1,896 analyzed segments, 655 segments showed severe dysfunction. At follow-up, 307 segments demonstrated functional improvement. The RIM differed between segments with and without improvement (6.6 ± 2.4 mm vs. 2.8 ± 2.0 mm; p < 0.0001). The area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) for predicting overall functional recovery was 0.91 (95%, CI 0.88–0.93, p < 0.001). A RIM of 4.0 mm predicted functional recovery after revascularization of the supplying coronary artery with a sensitivity and a specificity of 88 and 82% for the LAD, 96 and 86% for the RCA and 88 and 83% for the LCX, respectively.

Conclusion

RIM may be a useful marker for predicting territorial functional recovery after revascularization in patients with chronic ICM.     

Coated platelets function in platelet-dependent fibrin formation via integrin αIIbβ3 and transglutaminase factor XIII

Coated platelets, formed by collagen and thrombin activation, have been characterized in different ways: i) by the formation of a protein coat of α-granular proteins; ii) by exposure of procoagulant phosphatidylserine; or iii) by high fibrinogen binding. Yet, their functional role has remained unclear. Here we used a novel transglutaminase probe, Rhod-A14, to identify a subpopulation of platelets with a cross-linked protein coat, and compared this with other platelet subpopulations using a panel of functional assays. Platelet stimulation with convulxin/thrombin resulted in initial integrin α_IIbβ₃ activation, the appearance of a platelet population with high fibrinogen binding, (independently of active integrins, but dependent on the presence of thrombin) followed by phosphatidylserine exposure and binding of coagulation factors Va and Xa. A subpopulation of phosphatidylserine-exposing platelets bound Rhod-A14 both in suspension and in thrombi generated on a collagen surface. In suspension, high fibrinogen and Rhod-A14 binding were antagonized by combined inhibition of transglutaminase activity and integrin α_IIbβ₃. Markedly, in thrombi from mice deficient in transglutaminase factor XIII, platelet-driven fibrin formation and Rhod-A14 binding were abolished by blockage of integrin α_IIbβ₃. Vice versa, star-like fibrin formation from platelets of a patient with deficiency in α_IIbβ₃ (Glanzmann thrombasthenia) was abolished upon blockage of transglutaminase activity. We conclude that coated platelets, with initial α_IIbβ₃ activation and high fibrinogen binding, form a subpopulation of phosphatidylserine-exposing platelets, and function in platelet-dependent star-like fibrin fiber formation via transglutaminase factor XIII and integrin α_IIbβ₃.