Nitric oxide synthase 2 gene polymorphisms are associated with prostatic volume in Korean men with benign prostatic hyperplasia

The precise aetiology of benign prostatic hyperplasia （BPH） remains unclear; however, it is known that immunological inflammatory processes have a role in the pathogenesis of BPH initiation and progression. Nitric oxide synthase 2 （NOS2） inducible expression is closely correlated with prostatic disease, including prostate cancer and BPH. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between NOS2 polymorphisms and BPH. With a cohort of 205 controls and 229 BPH subjects, we genotyped three single nucleotide polymorphisms （SNPs） in the NOS2 gene, including rs2779248 （promoter, -278 T/C）, rs 10459953 （5＇-untranslated region） and rs2297518 （exon 16, missense, Ser608Leu）, using direct sequencing and restriction fragment length polymorphism. The genotypic and allelic frequencies between control and BPH subjects were compared, and the associations among the BPH subjects were analyzed. SNPStats, SNPAnalyzer and HelixTree programmes were used to analyze SNPs. There was no association on SNPs between control and BPH subjects. When BPH subjects were analyzed, there was no association on SNPs between the low and high prostate-specific antigen groups. However, one SNP （rs 10459953, odds ratio [OR] = 0.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.29-0.65, P 〈 0.0001, in codominant model; OR = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.12-0.46, P 〈 0.0001, in dominant model; and OR = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.24-0.86, P = 0.015, in recessive model） was associated with prostatic volume in BPH. We detected a strong association in genotype frequencies of NOS2 SNP （rs10459953） between subjects with small and large prostatic volume in BPH. The result suggests that NOS2 may be associated with prostatic volume in BPH.

Amentoflavone protects hippocampal neurons: anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and antiapoptotic effects

Amentoflavone is a natural biflavone compound with many biological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and neuroprotective effects. We presumed that amentoflavone exerts a neuroprotective effect in epilepsy models. Prior to model establishment, mice were intragastrically administered 25 mg/kg amentoflavone for 3 consecutive days. Amentoflavone effectively prevented pilocarpine-induced epilepsy in a mouse kindling model, suppressed nuclear factor-κB activation and expression, inhibited excessive discharge of hippocampal neurons resulting in a reduction in epileptic seizures, shortened attack time, and diminished loss and apoptosis of hippocampal neurons. Results suggested that amentoflavone protected hippocampal neurons in epilepsy mice via anti-inflammation, antioxidation, and antiapoptosis, and then effectively prevented the occurrence of seizures.

Shallow needling on Neiguan and Gongsun acupoints in rats with brain ischemia Changes in apoptosis regulating genes and vasoactive substances

For the treatment of brain ischemia using acupuncture, the needle is predominantly inserted into muscular layers and deep tissue. However, few studies have investigated the outcomes of shallow needling. The present study established middle cerebral artery occlusion models in rats using the thrombosis method. Shallow needling and conventional needling at the bilateral Neiguan （PC 6） and Gongsun （SP 4） acupoints improved neurological function of middle cerebral artery occlusion rats, increased the expression of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, inhibited the expression of the pro-apoptotic Bax, and reduced the expression of the vasoactive substances nitric oxide synthase and endothelin-1. However, these changes were more pronounced in the shallow needling group, indicating that shallow needling is more effective in inhibiting brain ischemic injury.