Expression of PI3-K,PKB and GSK-3β in the skeletal muscle tissue of gestational diabetes mellitus

Objective:To analyze the expression of phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase(PI3-K),protein kinase B(PKB)and glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta(GSK-3β)in skeletal muscle tissue of gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM).Methods:A total of 90 cases of pregnant women were divided into observation group and control group according to the occurrence of GDM with 45 cases in either,and the expression of PI3-K,PKB,GSK-3βmRNA expression in skeletal muscle tissue was compared between two groups.Results:The total PI3-K p85 protein was significantly higher in the observation group compared with the control group,the activity of PI3-K was lower than that of the latter;The total PKB,GSK-3βprotein in skeletal tissue had no significant difference between two groups,while the serine phosphorylation levels of PKB and GSK-3βwere significantly lower in observation group compared with the control group.Conclusions:The downregulation of PI3-K,PKB and GSK-3βin skeletal tissue of GDM caused by phosphorylation dysfunction of signaling molecules is the reason for insulin resistance and transporter function decline which lead to GDM.     

Preparation,Surface and Pore Structure of High Surface Area Activated Carbon Fibers from Bamboo by Steam Activation

High surface area activated carbon fibers (ACF) have been prepared from bamboo by steam activation after liquefaction and curing. The influences of activation temperature on the microstructure, surface area and porosity were investigated. The results showed that ACF from bamboo at 850 °C have the maximum iodine and methylene blue adsorption values. Aside from the graphitic carbon, phenolic and carbonyl groups were the predominant functions on the surface of activated carbon fiber from bamboo. The prepared ACF from bamboo were found to be mainly type I of isotherm, but the mesoporosity presented an increasing trend after 700 °C. The surface area and micropore volume of samples, which were determined by application of the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and t-plot methods, were as high as 2024 m²/g and 0.569 cm³/g, respectively. It was also found that the higher activation temperature produced the more ordered microcrystalline structure of ACF from bamboo.     

The effect of bitter melon (Mormordica charantia) in patients with diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:

Mormordica charantia (bitter melon) has been investigated for lowering plasma glucose in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Previous data has offered inconclusive and inconsistent results about the benefits of bitter melon in patients with DM. Our current project aims to determine whether bitter melon has a favorable effect in lowering plasma glucose in patients with DM.

Methods:

We searched PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library from inception to July 2013 without any language restrictions for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating bitter melon to no treatment in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Study selection, data extraction and validity of each article were independently assessed by two investigators. Articles were appraised for proper random sequence generation, allocation concealment, blinding, selective reporting and completeness of outcomes reporting to assess the risk for biases. The glycemic results of each RCT were analyzed to yield weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results:

A total of four RCTs, each with 40–66 participants, followed between 4 and 12 weeks were identified in this meta-analysis. Overall risk of bias for each article included was determined to be unclear. In total, 208 participants with type 2 DM (mean age of 56.5 years) were evaluated. Compared with no treatment, bitter melon did not significantly lower A1C (WMD −0.13%, 95% CI −0.41 to 0.16) nor fasting plasma glucose (FPG) 47 (WMD 2.23 mg dl⁻¹, 95% CI −14.91 to 19.37).

Conclusions:

Bitter melon supplementation compared with no treatment did not show significant glycemic improvements on either A1c or FPG.     

头针联合空气压力波治疗脑卒中后肩手综合征的疗效观察

目的将传统针刺疗法中的头皮针结合空气压力波治疗仪联合现代康复运动疗法与单纯采用现代康复运动疗法治疗脑卒中后肩手综合征的疗效进行对比研究。方法入选90例脑卒中并发肩手综合征患者,用随机数字法分为对照组与治疗组,每组45例;对照组:常规用药+康复训练;治疗组:在对照组的治疗基础上加用头皮针和空气压力波治疗仪的联合治疗,30 d为1个疗程,1个疗程后将两组的观察结果进行统计和对照分析;观察指标:(1)手功能试验(Carroll评分法);(2)疼痛分级指数(pain rating index,PRI评分);(3)手掌围度(使用软尺测量)。结果对照组45例脑卒中并发肩手综合征患者中,疗程结束后总有效28例,无效17例;治疗组45例脑卒中并发肩手综合征患者中,疗程结束后总有效39例,无效6例。两组疗效比较,治疗组中有效患者明显高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。治疗组脑卒中并发肩手综合征患者手功能试验Carroll评分(57.71±34.34比较46.56±24.08)与疼痛分级指数PRI评分(8.09±3.56vs.17.31±6.08)显著高于对照组脑卒中并发肩手综合征患者,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。治疗组脑卒中并发肩手综合征患者手掌围度有效改善率91.1%明显高于对照组脑卒中并发肩手综合征患者57.8%,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。结论头针联合空气压力波结合康复训练是一种治疗脑卒中后肩手综合征行之有效的方法,尤其是在缓解肢体肿胀程度上较常规康复疗法显著。     

依托大学附属医院培养医学影像技术专业的问题与思考

我国医学影像技术专业开设时间短,办学依托模式在各高校间存在较大差异,其中基于大学附属医院培养医学影像技术专业的模式存在课程体系逻辑不合理、教研机构设置不健全、学生创新研究引导不足等弊端,同时本文提出缓解上述不利教育因素的方案,旨在进一步完善高校附属医院主导医学影像技术专业建设的模式,输出更优质的人才。     

Identification and characterization of alphavirus M1 as a selective oncolytic virus targeting ZAP-defective human cancers

Oncolytic virotherapy is a growing treatment modality that uses replicating viruses as selective antineoplastic agents. Safety and efficacy considerations dictate that an ideal oncolytic agent would discriminate between normal and cancer cells on the basis of common genetic abnormalities in human cancers. Here, we identify a naturally occurring alphavirus (M1) as a novel selective killer targeting zinc-finger antiviral protein (ZAP)-deficient cancer cells. In vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo studies showed potent oncolytic efficacy and high tumor tropism of M1. We showed that the selectivity depends on ZAP deficiency by systematic identification. A large-scale multicenter pathology study using tissue microarrays reveals that ZAP is commonly deficient in human cancers, suggesting extensive application prospects for M1. Additionally, M1 killed cancer cells by inducing endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis. Our report provides novel insights into potentially personalized cancer therapy using oncolytic viruses.Despite advances in cancer therapy over the past few decades, cancer is still a major health problem all over the world (1). One innovative class of targeted anticancer strategies is the use of replicating oncolytic viruses with selective tropism for cancerous cells and tissues (2, 3). The tumor selectivity of oncolytic virus is primarily based on the genetic abnormalities of malignant cells, including innate immune defects, aberrant oncogenic signaling, and tumor-specific receptors (4–6). The thriving viruses in tumor cells may lead to direct cell lysis, anticancer immune response, or modulation of tumor vasculature (3, 7). Moreover, some of the cancer-targeted multimechanistic oncolytic viruses have been proven to be well-tolerated in clinical trials, with patients exhibiting only mild flu-like symptoms, offering great potential for increasing efficacy while eliminating the side effects (8). To date, several oncolytic viruses have been tested in preclinical and clinical trials, of which the milestone is a pivotal phase III trial using talimogene laherparepvec for unresected melanoma (2, 3, 9). Although a few therapeutic viruses are performing well in clinical trials, not all patients showed good response. Novel oncolytic viruses that grow better in some cancer cells in a predictable manner remain to be discovered for potentially personalized cancer therapy.M1 is a strain of Getah-like alphavirus that was isolated from culicine mosquitoes collected on Hainan Island of China (10, 11). Getah virus is transmitted mainly among horses and pigs, and it has not been linked to human illness (12–14). Also, M1 does not cause apparent disease symptoms in mice or rats, even on administration of doses up to 3 × 10⁷ pfu per mouse or 3 × 10⁸ pfu per rat. Earlier, we reported that M1 induces apoptosis in glioma cells (10). Thus, we hypothesized that an apathogenic cancer cell-killing virus could be a candidate for systemic oncolytic therapy.In this study, we sought to investigate the anticancer effectiveness and tumor tropism of M1 and uncover the mechanisms, aiming to identify a candidate for personalized oncolytic virotherapy.