Efficacy of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation on radiotherapy-related neuropathic pain in patients with head and neck cancers (RELAX): protocol for a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, sham-controlled trial.

Introduction: Radiotherapy-related neuropathic pain (RRNP) is one of the most distressing complications after radiotherapy for head and neck cancers. Drug therapy is not sufficiently effective and has limitations in terms of dose titration period and side effects. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS), which stimulates the auricular branches of the vagus nerve through electrical impulses, has been proven to have analgesic effects in certain diseases.

Combined therapy of intensive statin plus intravenous rt-PA in acute ischemic stroke: the INSPIRE randomized clinical trial.

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of intensive statin in the acute phase of ischemic stroke after intravenous thrombolysis therapy.

Methods: A total of 310 stroke patients treated with rt-PA were randomly scheduled into the intensive statin group (rosuvastatin 20 mg daily × 14 days) and the control group (rosuvastatin 5 mg daily × 14 days). The primary clinical endpoint was excellent functional outcome (mRS ≤ 1) at 3 months, and the primary safety endpoint was symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) in 90 days.

PPARG gene C161T CT/TT associated with lower blood lipid levels and ischemic stroke from large-artery atherosclerosis in a Han population in Guangdong.

Objective: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG) is a transcription factor involved in atherosclerosis and related diseases. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether PPARG C161T was associated with lipid levels and large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA) ischemic stroke in a Han Chinese population in Guangdong province.

Methods: The genotype PPARG C161T in 149 LAA ischemic stroke patients and 125 healthy controls was examined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay.

Long-term toxicity study of rAd5-hTERTC27 in SD rats and Cynomolgus monkeys by intravenous injection.

rAd5-hTERTC27, a replication-defective adenovirus vector carrying hTERTC27, has been proposed for possible use against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we investigated the long-term toxicity of rAd5-hTERTC27 in SD rats and Cynomolgus monkeys. rAd5-hTERTC27 was administered intravenously once a week for 13 weeks followed by a one-month recovery period.

Preclinical safety evaluation of rAd5-hTERTC27 by intravenous injection.

The safety of rAd5-hTERTC27, a replication defective adenovirus vector carrying hTERTC27 for possible use against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was assessed. In single-dose evaluations, intravenous dose levels of up to 2×10(11)VP/kg in rats and 9×10(10)VP/kg in monkeys were well tolerated with no abnormal changes in general signs, body weight and food consumption, and no significant differences in biochemical parameters, urinalysis, ECG, and systemic necropsy observations between the rAd5 groups and solvent control group except that slight hematological change was observed. No hemolytic effect using rabbit blood, local perivasculitis following intravenous injection in rabbits or systemic anaphylaxis in guinea pigs following intravenous dosing was seen.

VEGF induces angiogenesis in a zebrafish embryo glioma model established by transplantation of human glioma cells.

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is becoming an increasingly popular vertebrate cancer model. In this study, we established a xenotransplanted zebrafish embryo glioma model to further investigate the molecular mechanisms of tumor angiogenesis. We find that the glioma cell line U87 can survive, proliferate and induce additional SIV branches in zebrafish embryos.

Recombinant adenovirus-mediated vascular endothelial growth factor gene transfer attenuates hypoxia-induced apoptosis of neural stem cells in vitro.

Objective: To study the effects of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene transfer on hypoxia-induced apoptosis of neural stem cells in vitro.

Methods: C17.2 neural stem cells cultured in vitro were infected by recombinant adenovirus containing VEGF gene and cultured under hypoxic condition.