Therapeutic effect of Guijiajiao (Colla Carapacis et Plastri) on bone regeneration in rats and zebrafish

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of Guijiajiao(Colla Carapacis et Plastri, CCP), the glue of tortoise shell, on bone regeneration in zebrafish and male Wistar rats.METHODS: In this study, we applied in vitro and in vivo models, tissue section analysis, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction to assess the effects of CCP on bone repair. MG-63 cells were used in alkaline phosphatase(ALP) activity and mineralization assays. Zebrafish and male Wistar rats were used to evaluate the effects of CCP on bone repair in vivo.RESULTS: A simple preparation of CCP promoted osteogenesis in vivo and in vitro, and promoted MG-63 cell proliferation as well as ALP activity and mineralization. In addition, CCP activated Akt and extracellular signaling-regulated kinase pathways and significantly increased the expression of ossification-related genes and proteins such as runt-related transcription factor-2, osteocalcin, and osteopontin. The in vivo results revealed promotion of osteogenesis by immersing zebrafish in CCP for 72 h.An oral dose of 1.25 g/kg CCP significantly improved skull defects in rats, which was accompanied by an increase in serum ALP levels.CONCLUSION: One of the ingredients of Guilu Erxianjiao(tortoise shell and deer horn formula) pro-vides a practical alternative therapy for bone regeneration.

Acupuncture therapy on apoplectic aphasia rehabilitation

OBJECTIVE:Acupuncture has often been used for aphasia rehabilitation in China.The purpose of this paper was to:1) provide a historic overview of acupuncture for aphasia due to stroke;2) summarize the commonly used acupuncture approaches;and 3) objectively comment on the effectiveness of acupuncture for the rehabilitation of this type of disorder.METHODS:The Elsevier database and a Chinese database(CNKI) were searched through December,2010 with the key words "aphasia,acupuncture" in English and Chinese,respectively.Case reports,uncontrolled clinical observations and controlled clinical trials were all included if acupuncture was the sole treatment or the main component of complex intervention for the rehabilitation of aphasia caused by cerebrovascular disease.RESULTS:More than 100 relevant articles were found.After analyzing these articles,we found that acupuncture for apoplectic aphasia most often included tongue,scalp,body and combination acupuncture.Tongue bleeding,deep insertion and strong stimulation were adopted by many practitioners.The ten most frequently used acupoints(or areas) were Lianquan(RN 23),Jinjin(EX-HN 12),Yuye(EX-HN 13),Tongli(HT 5),Fengchi(GB 20),Neiguan(PC 6),Baihui(DU 20),No.1,2 and 3 language sections,Sanyinjiao(SP 6) and Yamen(DU 15).CONCLUSIONS:Controlled clinical studies and a systematic literature review demonstrate that acupuncture has therapeutic effects on aphasia after stroke.

Detailed resume of RNA m^(6)A demethylases

N6-Methyladenosine(m^(6)A) is the most abundant internal modification in eukaryotic mRNA,playing critical role in various bioprocesses. Like other epigenetic modifications, m^(6)A modification can be catalyzed by the methyltransferase complex and erased dynamically to maintain cells homeostasis. Up to now, only two m^(6)A demethylases have been reported, fat mass and obesity-associated protein(FTO)and alkylation protein AlkB homolog 5(ALKBH5), involving in a wide range of mRNA biological progress, including mRNA shearing, export, metabolism and stability. Furthermore, they participate in many significantly biological signaling pathway, and contribute to the progress and development of cancer along with other diseases. In this review, we focus on the studies about structure, inhibitors development and biological function of FTO and ALKBH5.