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Objective: Asthma, a well-known disease with high morbidity, is characterized by chronic airway inflammation. However, the allergic inflammation mechanisms of follistatin-like protein 1 (FSTL1) have not been elucidated. This study aims to investigate the effects of FSTL1 in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced mice and macrophages on nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat protein 3 (NLRP3)/interleukin-1β (IL-1β) signaling pathway. Methods: Mice were randomly divided into control-WT, OVA-WT, control-Fstl1±, OVA-Fstl1±. Histological changes were assessed by HE and PAS staining. The protein levels of Muc-5AC, FSTL1, NLRP3, and IL-1β in lung tissue were detected by immunohistochemistry and ELISA. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in mice and human serum samples were detected by ELISA. Then, mice were grouped into control, FSTL1, MCC950 + FSTL1 to further investigate the relationship between FSTL1 and NLRP3/IL-1β. Alveolar macrophage cells (MH-S cells) were separated into control, OVA, FSTL1, OVA + FSTL1, OVA + siNC, OVA + siFSTL1, MCC950, and FSTL1 + MCC950 groups to explore the effect of FSTL1 on the NLRP3/IL-1β signaling. The protein expression of NLRP3 and IL-1β in MH-S cells was detected by Western blot analysis. Results: The present results uncovered that Fstl1± significantly ameliorated OVA-induced Muc-5AC production and mucus hypersecretion. Fstl1± was also found to decrease the production of inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory cell infiltration in OVA-induced asthmatic mice. Meanwhile, the serum concentrations of FSTL1 and IL-1β were higher in asthma subjects than the health subjects, and Fstl1± ameliorated the production of NLRP3 and IL-1β in OVA-induced asthmatic mice. Furthermore, mice by injected FSTL1 substantially stimulated the expression of NLRP3 and IL-1β, while pretreatment with MCC950 in mice significantly weakened the production of NLRP3 and IL-1β induced by injection FSTL1. Pretreatment with siFSTL1 or MCC950 significantly reduced the production of NLRP3 and IL-1β induced by OVA or FSTL1 in MH-S cells. Conclusions: The study results showed that FSTL1 played an important role in allergic airway inflammation by activating NLRP3/IL-1β. Hence, inhibition FSTL1 could be applied as a therapeutic agent against asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With reference to international guidelines for the development of tools—Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system approach and reasoning, this practice guideline has been drafted reflecting the characteristics of acupuncture to improve effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatment for allergic rhinitis. This guideline includes outlining the acupuncture diagnosis and treatment principles for allergic rhinitis, suggesting recommendations and related evidence for the acupuncture treatment of allergic rhinitis, and defining operating methods and precautions for the acupuncture treatment of allergic rhinitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

l-DOPA (3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-l-alanine) is a preferred drug for Parkinson's disease, and is currently in great demand every year worldwide. Biocatalytic conversion of l-tyrosine by tyrosinases is the most promising method for the low-cost production of l-DOPA in both research and industry. Yet, it has been hampered by low productivity, low conversion rate, and low stability of the biocatalyst, tyrosinase. An alternative tyrosinase TyrVs from Verrucomicrobium spinosum with more efficient expression in heterologous host and better stability than the commercially available Agaricus bisporus tyrosinase was identified in this study. Additionally, it was prepared as a novel nano-biocatalyst based on the distinct one-step in situ immobilization on the surface of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) nano-granules. The resulting PHA-TyrVs nano-granules demonstrated improved l-DOPA-forming monophenolase activity of 9155.88 U/g (Tyr protein), which was 3.19-fold higher than that of free TyrVs. The nano-granules also exhibited remarkable thermo-stability, with an optimal temperature of 50 °C, and maintained more than 70% of the initial activity after incubation at 55 °C for 24 h. And an enhanced affinity of copper ion was observed in the PHA-TyrVs nano-granules, making them even better biocatalysts for l-DOPA production. Therefore, a considerable productivity of l-DOPA, amounting to 148.70 mg/L h, with a conversion rate of l-tyrosine of 90.62% can be achieved by the PHA-TyrVs nano-granules after 3 h of biocatalysis under optimized conditions, without significant loss of enzyme activity or l-DOPA yield after 8 cycles of repeated use. Our study provides an excellent and robust nano-biocatalyst for the cost-effective production of l-DOPA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: By observing body surface temperature variation of the intermediate structures of the Lung (Fei) and Large Intestine (Dachang) exterior-interior relationship in asthmatic patients, to investigate the pathological response on the pathway of channels and to substantiate the objective existence of the intermediary structures. Methods: The study included 60 subjects meeting the bronchial asthma inclusion criteria (experimental group) and 60 healthy subjects (normal control group). ATIR-M301 infrared thermal imaging device was used for detecting body surface temperature of the subjects and collecting the infrared thermal images. The temperature values of the intermediate structures of Lung and Large Intestine exterior-interior relationship [throat, Quepen, elbow, nose, Lieque (LU 7), Pianli (LI 6)], control areas (0.2 cm lateral to the above structures) and Yintang (EX-HN 3) were measured on the infrared thermal image by infrared imaging system. Then, the above temperature values were compared and analyzed within and between two groups. Results: There were insignificant differences between the temperature on the left and right sides of the intermediate structures (Quepen, elbow, LU 7, LI 6) in normal control group ( P>0.05). Except for that of Quepen, there were insignifificant differences between the temperature of the intermediate structures and their corresponding control areas in normal control group ( P>0.05). In the experimental group, the temperature on the left and right sides of the intermediate structures (Quepen, elbow, LU 7, LI 6) showed statistically signifificant differences ( P<0.05 or P<0.01); the temperature difference between intermediate structure (throat, Quepen, elbow, nose, LI 6) and their respective control areas were also significant ( P<0.05 or P<0.01). The temperature of the intermediate structures (throat, Quepen, elbow, LU7, LI 6) between the experimental group and normal control group showed signifificant differences ( P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusions: This study is an initial step to validate the objective existence of Lung and Large Intestine exterior-interior relationship intermediate structures, as described in the Chinese classical medical literatures, through the functional imaging angle. The intermediate structures are the pathological reaction areas of the bronchial asthmatic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selecting acupoints according to channel pathway is the major point selection principle in acupuncture treatment for which there is a consensus. However, defining the disease location remains the premise of acupoint selection based on channel pathway. What is the substance of disease location identification in clinical acupuncture? Besides indicating acupoint selection according to channel pathway, what guidance can it provide for acupuncture treatment? This is the main topic discussed in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior to this report, heat treatment (32.5°C, 24 h) was the method used to induce embryogenesis from Brassica napus microspores. Continuous culture at 25°C results in pollen development. This study shows that colchicine alone, at the non-inductive temperature of 25°C, can induce embryogenesis, thus demonstrating that heat shock is not required for embryogenic induction in B. napus cv. Topas. Embryogenic frequencies of over 15% were obtained by culturing isolated microspores with 25 μM colchicine for 42 h at 25°C. The microspore developmental stages responsive to colchicine were unicellular vacuolate and late unicellular, somewhat earlier stages than the population responsive to heat induction. Other groups have reported that heat-shock proteins are essential to the induction of embryogenesis. The present study offers a method of embryogenic induction without the use of heat which will allow discrimination between the factors associated with response to heat shock and those involved with changing cell development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Insufficient clinical trial data were available to prove the efficacy of acupuncture for migraine prophylaxis. A multicenter, double-dummy, single-blinded, randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted at the outpatient departments of acupuncture at 5 hospitals in China to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture. A total of 140 patients with migraine without aura were recruited and assigned randomly to 2 different groups: the acupuncture group treated with verum acupuncture plus placebo and the control group treated with sham acupuncture plus flunarizine. Treated by acupuncture 3 times per week and drugs every night, patients from both groups were evaluated at week 0 (baseline), week 4, and week 16. The primary outcome was measured by the proportion of responders (defined as the proportion of patients with a reduction of migraine days by at least 50%). The secondary outcome measures included the number of migraine days, visual analogue scale (VAS, 0 to 10 cm) for pain, as well as the physical and mental component summary scores of the 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36). The patients in the acupuncture group had better responder rates and fewer migraine days compared with the control group (P<.05), whereas there were no significant differences between the 2 groups in VAS scores and SF-36 physical and mental component summary scores (P>.05). The results suggested that acupuncture was more effective than flunarizine in decreasing days of migraine attacks, whereas no significantly differences were found between acupuncture and flunarizine in reduction of pain intensity and improvement of the quality of life. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The paper introduces the heated moxibustion and bloodletting in Tibetan medical literature of Dunhuang Heritage. It proves that the external therapies in Tibetan medicine such as heated moxibustion and bloodletting are of very high level since the 8th century, which inspires current clinical practice. It also shows that the extensive exchange between Tibetan medicine and various kinds of medicine such as Chinese medicine promoted the development of Tibetan medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]