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Acupuncture, as a traditional treatment, has been extensively used in China for thousands of years. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), acupuncture is recommended for the treatment of 77 diseases. And 16 of these diseases are related to inflammatory pain. As a combination of traditional acupuncture and modern electrotherapy, electroacupuncture (EA) has satisfactory analgesic effects on various acute and chronic pain. Because of its good analgesic effects and no side effects, acupuncture has been widely accepted all over the world. Despite the increase in the number of studies, the mechanisms via which acupuncture exerts its analgesic effects have not been conclusively established. A literature review of related research is of great significance to elaborate on its mechanisms and to inform on further research directions. We elucidated on its mechanisms of action on inflammatory pain from two levels: peripheral and central. It includes the mechanisms of acupuncture in the periphery (immune cells and neurons, purinergic pathway, nociceptive ion channel, cannabinoid receptor and endogenous opioid peptide system) and central nervous system (TPRV1, glutamate and its receptors, glial cells, GABAergic interneurons and signaling molecules). In this review, we collected relevant recent studies to systematically explain the mechanisms of acupuncture in treating inflammatory pain, with a view to providing direction for future applications of acupuncture in inflammatory pain and promoting clinical development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Only 15 patients of autoimmune encephalitis with metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) antibodies have been reported worldwide since 2011, mostly from western countries. Patients with different genetic backgrounds are necessary to further clarify the clinical phenotype and prognosis of this rare disease. Objective: We initially describe a case series from China to confirm the previous findings, expand the clinical phenotype, and identify the prognostic factors of autoimmune encephalitis with mGluR5 antibodies. Methods: Observational data with follow-up were prospectively collected from autoimmune encephalitis patients with mGluR5 antibodies. Clinical information and outcomes on current and previously reported cases were combined and analyzed. Results: We identified five patients (median age 35 years); two were female. The main clinical manifestations were behavioral/personality changes (five of five, 100%) and cognitive disorders (four of five, 80%), accompanied with other neurologic symptoms. Hypoventilation occurred in two (40%) patients, which was life-threatening. One patient had meningoencephalitis, suggesting a new phenotype in anti-mGluR5 encephalitis. All patients received immunotherapy. At the last follow-up (median 18 months), two (40%) patients showed complete recovery, two (40%) patients showed partial recovery, and one (20%) patient died. One (20%) patient had multiple relapses. Together with the 15 previously reported cases, associated tumors occurred in seven of 12 (58%) Western patients vs. one of eight (13%) Chinese patients. Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at the last follow-up (median 31 months) were available in 16 patients. Patients with bad outcomes (mRS > 2, n = 4) were more likely to have hypoventilation at onset and higher mRS scores at peak of the disease. Conclusions: In patients with different genetic background, as Chinese, the clinical phenotype of anti-mGluR5 encephalitis is similar. Fewer paraneoplastic cases were observed in Chinese patients. Most patients showed good responses to immunotherapy and cancer treatment. The clinical outcomes were favorable in most patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acupuncture, as a traditional treatment, has been extensively used in China for thousands of years. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), acupuncture is recommended for the treatment of 77 diseases. And 16 of these diseases are related to inflammatory pain. As a combination of traditional acupuncture and modern electrotherapy, electroacupuncture (EA) has satisfactory analgesic effects on various acute and chronic pain. Because of its good analgesic effects and no side effects, acupuncture has been widely accepted all over the world. Despite the increase in the number of studies, the mechanisms via which acupuncture exerts its analgesic effects have not been conclusively established. A literature review of related research is of great significance to elaborate on its mechanisms and to inform on further research directions. We elucidated on its mechanisms of action on inflammatory pain from two levels: peripheral and central. It includes the mechanisms of acupuncture in the periphery (immune cells and neurons, purinergic pathway, nociceptive ion channel, cannabinoid receptor and endogenous opioid peptide system) and central nervous system(TPRV1, glutamate and its receptors, glial cells, GABAergic interneurons and signaling molecules). In this review, we collected relevant recent studies to systematically explain the mechanisms of acupuncture in treating inflammatory pain, with a view to providing direction for future applications of acupuncture in inflammatory pain and promoting clinical development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Dopaminergic neuronal degeneration seen in Parkinson's disease (PD) might result from a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the glutamate ionotropic receptor NMDA type subunit 2A (GRIN2A) gene. We thus performed a meta‐analysis exploring the relationship between the rs4998386 SNP of the GRIN2A gene and PD susceptibility. Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure for studies published between January 2005 and January 2019. The association between the rs4998386 polymorphism and PD susceptibility was evaluated by calculating the pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Meta‐analysis results did not show a significant association between the rs4998386 polymorphism of the GRIN2A gene and PD susceptibility when assuming an allelic model (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.76‐1.07; P = .22; I2 = 53%), a dominant model (OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.82‐1.12; P = .62; I2 = 64%), or a recessive model (OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.93‐1.38; P = .22; I2 = 0%). Conclusion: Our meta‐analysis found that the rs4998386 polymorphism of the GRIN2A gene is not associated with risk of PD in either Europeans or white Americans. However, large sample studies with different ethnicities should be conducted to establish the role of the rs4998386 polymorphism in PD pathophysiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sixteen glutamate receptor proteins in the genome of Vigna angularis were identified. • Promoters of VaGLRs are rich in cis -acting elements about stress and light stimulus. • One VaGLR gene is positively related to both biotic and light stimuli. Plant glutamate receptor proteins (GLRs) are involved in plant development, biotic stress, and light-signal transduction. Vigna angularis is a traditional crop with important economic value in China, and the identification of functional genes can facilitate the breeding of stress resistant varieties. Here, we identified the members of the GLR gene family in the adzuki bean genome and investigated gene expression under light and rust fungal (Uromyces vignae) stimuli. Sixteen GLR genes were identified in V. angularis (VaGLRs), and these genes clustered in a single clade (clade III) with two groups. Evolutionary analysis showed that three VaGLRs result from tandem duplications and four result from whole genome/segmental duplications. To understand the regulation of expression of VaGLRs, cis -acting elements were analyzed in the promoter regions of the VaGLRs including cis -acting elements associated with light and stress responsiveness. Expression analysis by qRT-PCR revealed transcripts of eight and 10 VaGLRs in response to light stimuli and rust infection, respectively. For light responsiveness, the expression levels of XP_017430569.1 and XP_017425299.1 were higher under light condition than in darkness, while the expression levels of XP_017406996.1, XP_017425763.1, and XP_017423557.1 gradually recovered during dark treatment. Additionally, the relative expression levels of XP_017413816.1, XP_017436268.1, and XP_017425299.1 were significantly elevated during U. vignae infection in a resistant cultivar compared to the expression levels in a susceptible cultivar. XP_017425299.1 expression was induced both by light and rust infection, suggesting this gene may link light and disease resistance signaling pathways. Our results provide insight into how the VaGLRs contribute to adzuki bean response to light stimulus and pathogen attack. These identified VaGLRs also provide important reference to improve adzuki bean germplasm resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have indicated that dopamine interacts with glutamatergic projection neurons and that N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors might be involved in the pathogenesis of Tourette syndrome (TS). In this study, we examined whether two functional polymorphisms (rs1805476 and rs1805502) in the 3'UTR of the NMDA receptor 2B subunit gene (GRIN2B) were associated with TS in Chinese Han trios.Methods: DNA samples collected from 261 TS nuclear families were genotyped by PCR and direct sequencing technology. Haplotype relative risk (HRR), transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) and Haplotype-based haplotype relative risk (HHRR) analyses were performed on the genotype data.Results: We found an over-transmission of the A allele in rs1805476 and the T allele in rs1805502 from parents to their affected children, using the HRR (rs1805476: HRR=0.696, χ(2)=4.161, P=0.041, 95% CI: 0.491-0.986; rs1805502: HRR=0.697, χ(2)=3.954, P=0.047, 95% CI: 0.488-0.995). There was also strong evidence for a linkage between polymorphisms and TS using the TDT (rs1805476: TDT=5.447, df=1, P=0.024; rs1805502: TDT=5.233, df=1, P=0.027).Limitations: The sample is small and the current population is just limited to the Chinese Han population.Conclusions: These data support the hypothesis that GRIN2B might play a major role in the pathogenesis of TS in Chinese Han trios. However, these results need to be replicated using larger datasets collected from different populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GRM8 is a schizophrenia candidate gene that is also thought to be involved in the glutamate pathway, which is very important in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. In this study, we aim to investigate the association between GRM8 and schizophrenia in the Uygur Chinese population. Rs2237748 and rs2299472, located in the GRM8 gene, were selected for genotyping in a set of Uygur Chinese case-control samples, which included 723 cases and 561 controls, using TaqMan assays and capillary sequencing. The statistical analysis was carried out using the online software program SHEsis, and a meta-analysis was carried out to identify other relevant studies using Review Manager 5. We found that the rs2299472 genotype was significantly associated with schizophrenia (P = 0.015, P = 0.030, after Bonferroni correction). The frequency of the CC genotype was higher in the schizophrenic patients (P = 0.008), and the frequency of the AC genotype was lower (P = 0.008). Furthermore, the meta-analysis incorporating the previous and current studies also showed that rs2299472 is associated with schizophrenia. This study indicates that the GRM8 gene may play an important role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bombyx Batryticatus (BB) is a known traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) utilized to treat convulsions, epilepsy, cough, asthma, headaches, etc. in China for thousands of years. This study is aimed at investigating optimum extraction of protein-rich extracts from BB (BBPs) using response surface methodology (RSM) and exploring the protective effects of BBPs against nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced PC12 cells injured by glutamate (Glu) and their underlying mechanisms. The results indicated optimum process of extraction was as follows: extraction time 1.00 h, ratio of liquid to the raw material 3.80 mL/g and ultrasonic power 230.0 W. The cell viability of PC12 cells stimulated by Glu was determined by CCK-8 assay. The levels of γ-aminobutyric (GABA), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-4 (IL-4), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and glucocorticoid receptor alpha (GR) in PC12 cells were assayed by ELISA. Furthermore, the Ca2+ levels in PC12 cells were determined by flow cytometry analysis. Protein and mRNA expressions of GABAA-Rα1, NMDAR1, GAD 65, GAD 67, GAT 1 and GAT 3 in PC12 cells were evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting assays. Results revealed that BBPs decreased toxic effects due to Glu treatment and decreased Ca2+ levels in PC12 cells. After BBPs treatments, levels of GABA and 5-HT were increased and contents of TNF-α, IL-4 and IL-1β were decreased in NGF-induced PC12 cells injured by Glu. Moreover, BBPs up-regulated the expressions of GABAA-Rα1, GAD 65 and GAD 67, whereas down-regulated that of NMDAR1 GAT 1 and GAT 3. These findings suggested that BBPs possessed protective effects on NGF-induced PC12 cells injured by Glu via γ-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) signaling pathways, which demonstrated that BBPs has potential anti-epileptic effect in vitro. These findings may be useful in the development of novel medicine for the treatment of epilepsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]