OBJECTIVETo explore the mechanism of natural moxibustion on regulating immune imbalance in asthma rats.

METHODSSeventy SD male rats were divided into a normal group, a placebo group, a dexamethasone group, a big-cake for long-course moxibustion group, a big-cake for short-course moxibustion group, a small-cake for long-course moxibustion group and a small-cake for short-course moxibustion group, ten rats in each one. The rat model of asthma was established by egg albumen sensitization and stimulation in all the groups except the normal group. The natural moxibustion was used in all moxibustion groups, in which big cake of 1 cmX 1 cm size was used in the big-cake groups and small cake of 0.5 cmX 0. 5 cm size was used in the small cake groups. According to relevant acupoints, the natural moxibustion was performed, 5 h per time, once a day. Four times of treatment was considered one course, and three courses were required in the long-course groups and one course was required in the short-course groups. Intraperitoneal injection of dexamethasone was applied in the dexamethasone group, which had the same course as long-course moxibustion group. After the treatment, changes of EOS in peripheral blood of asthma rats were observed; enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was applied to test the contents of IgE, IL-4 and IFN-gamma in the lung tissue; real-time Q-PCR method was adopted to measure the expression level of transcription factor T-bet and GATA binding protein 3 (GATA-3) in the lung tissue.

RESULTSCompared with the normal group, the EOS in whole blood as well as IL-4 and IgE in plasma were all increased in the placebo group (all P< 0. 01), IFN-gamma in plasma was obviously decreased (P<0. 01); while the levels of EOS, IgE and IL-4 were significantly reduced (all P<0. 01), the content of IFN-gamma was increased (P<0. 01) in all moxibustion groups and dexametnasone group. Compared with the normal group, the expression of T-bet mRNA in the placebo group was significantly reduced (P<0. 01). Each treatment group could significantly increase the expression of T-bet mRNA and reduce that of GATA-3 mRNA (P<0. 01). Compared with the short-course moxibustion groups, the expression of T-bet mRNA was obviously increased in the long-course moxibustion group and dexamethasone group (both P<0.01), and that of GATA-3 mRNA was reduced (P<0.01). There was no significant difference between long-course moxibustion group and dexamethasone group (P> 0. 05), and also no significant difference could be seen between big-cake moxibustion group and small-cake moxibustion group (P>0. 05).

CONCLUSIONThe natural moxibustion could obviously reduce airway inflammation in asthma rats. With time passing, the efficacy is enhanced, indicating evident timeliness, which has no apparent relationship with the size of moxibustion cake.

Animals ; Asthma ; genetics ; metabolism ; therapy ; Cytokines ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Moxibustion ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Transcription Factors ; genetics ; metabolism

Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Mastocytosis, Systemic ; diagnosis ; pathology ; therapy

Objective:To explore the language deficits in a single case of posterior aphasic to test the dual-system model of language processing and provide neurolinguistic basis for clinical language therapy.Method:A circumscribed posterior aphasic was selected,whose language data were collected through spontaneous talk,WAB test,and other language production tasks including picture-naming and sentence repetition.The language data were analyzed with the emphasis on syntax-lexicon dissociation and noun-verb dissociation.Result:For the posterior aphasic,lexicon was severely impaired while syntax was preserved relatively well;in comparison to lexical production,lexical comprehension was preserved better;noun-verb dissociation,especially NSD,was discovered.Conclusion:The syntax-lexicon dissociation and the relevant noun-verb dissociation can serve as powerful evidence for the dual-system model of language processing,and throw light on language therapy for posterior aphasics.

Objective To explore the effects of obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) on the cognitive function of pilots. Methods The cognitive function of 13 pilots diagnosed as severe OSAHS and 10 healthy pilots as control was evaluated using Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Flicker Fusion Frequency Indicator, Many Reaction Time Tester, Space Place Memory Span Tester, Attention Instrument and Guard Tester. The correlation analyses were also performed between the ESS, AHI, MinSaO2% with the results of each cognitive test in the OSAHS group. Results Compared with the healthy control subjects, the scores of ESS in OSAHS group were significantly higher (P

Objective To investigate the incidence and structure of mental disability in children with movement disorders. Methods 157 children with movement disorders (103 with cerebral palsy and 54 with mental retardation) were assessed with Gesell developmental schedules,and mental disability was identified as development quotient (DQ)<75. Results The incidence of intelligence disability was 92.2% in children with cerebral palsy, including 91.2% in spastic type, and 100% in dyskinetic, mixed or dystonic type. The development of gross motor was retarded in children with spastic cerebral palsy, and gross and fine motor in children with dyskinetic cerebral palsy, compared with those with mental retardation. Conclusion It is important to focus the mental development in children with movement disorders, especially the dyskinetic cerebral palsy. Gesell developmental schedules should be used carefully to assess the mental development in children with movement disorder.

Visfatin was recently reported as an adipokine and was found to exert insulin-mimicking effects.The results showed that the expression of visfatin parallelled with obesity and insulin resistance in long term high fat chow-fed rats.The expression of visfatin mRNA was decreased and the insulin resistance improved after rennin-angiotensin system was blocked.Visfatin may play an important role in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance.

Objective: To investigate the influence of Icarrin(ICA) on transforming growth factor ?2(TGF?2) expression by PG cells and the mechanisms of reversion of TGF?2 mediated immunosuppression by ICA.Methods: Cell proliferation and cytotoxici- ty were assayed by MTT assay. mRNA level of TGF?2 and perforin was detected by RT-PCR assay. assay.Expression of TGF?2 and IL- 2R? was analysed by folw cytometry assay. Results: ICA could inhibit the protein and mRNA expression of TGF?2 in PG cells. It could also reverse the supressed cytotoxicity of LAK, CD3AK cells by TGF?2. The IL-2R? expression on LAK and perforin gene transcription and proliferation of CD3AK inhibited by TGF?2 were also partly recovered. Conclusion: The anti-anti-tumor activity of ICA is at least partly due to its capability of inhibiting TGF?2 expression in tumor cells and restoring the cytotoxicity of immunocompetent cells inhibited by TGF?2.

Objective:To supply good information integration,knowledge representation,text mining,intellectual education and data sharing services by setting up neuroinformatics ontology.Methods:By analyzing the structures and contents of current ontologies in the biomedical field,such as UMLS,Gene Ontology,Cancer Ontology,Anatomy Ontology,Disease Ontology and Drug Ontology,the concepts and their relationships of neuroinformatics were discussed and the design principles,standards and norms,building methods and basic procedures of multi-level concept semantic networks-based neuroinformatics ontology constructed by Prot?g?-OWL tool were presented in this article.Results:A multi-level concept semantic network-based OWL(web ontology language) neuroinformatics ontology was built.Conclusion:The neuroinformatics ontology can bring about explicit definitions of concepts and their relationships in the field of neuroinformatics from different formal models,build clear theoretical framework for neuroinforma-tics,achieve a common understanding of related field knowledge and supply good services of information integration,knowledge representation,text mining,intelligent education and data sharing.

The characterization and management of oral and maxillofacial spaces infections in diabetic patients were studied in order to determine the pattern of this clinical condition and formulate a management plan.There were 31 cases with average age of 61 years(s=9);the mean hospitalization time was 14 days(s=6);the average fasting blood glucose level on admission was 10.4 mmol/L.Of the 31 patients 20 were multiple-space infections and 11 were single-space infections.13 patients had major complications during admission.Odontogenic infection was the most common cause of the space infections.Streptococcus viridians and staphylococcus aureus were common organisms(5/19,4/19)identified through pus and/or blood cultures.Early surgical incision and drainage,perfect blood glucose control,intravenous antimicrobial therapy,preventing asphyxia and managing major complications are necessary and effective approaches for the management plan.

[Objective] Compare the outcomes of vacuum extractors and forceps in assisted vaginal delivery.[Methods] One hundred and sixty-four pregnant women with operative vaginal delivery who received prenatal examination and delivered in our hospital were enrolled.Eighty-two women with vacuum extractors were assigned into vacuum extractors group,another eighty-two women with low or outlet forceps were assigned into forceps group.Occiput transverse or posterior position women before operative vaginal delivery were assigned into abnormal fetal position group.Compare the maternal and neonatal outcomes of vacuum extractors and forceps in assisted vaginal delivery.[Results] The vaginal laceration rate of forceps group was significant higher than vacuum extractors group (56.1％ vs 24.2％,P ＜ 0.01),but neonatal subscalp hematoma and hyperbilirubinemia rate were lower than vacuum extractors group (P ＜ 0.05).The vaginal laceration rate of abnormal fetal position forceps group was also higher than abnormal fetal position vacuum extractors group (76.5％ vs 22.2％,P ＜ 0.05),but neonatal hyperbilirubinemia rate was lower than abnormal fetal position vacuum extractors group (P ＜ 0.05).The Interval time from decision to delivery,postpartum hemorrhage volume with 24 hours,leukocyte and neutrophil count after 24 hours,asphyxia of newborn rate,intracranial hemorrahge,subgaleal hemorrahge,referral rate and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy did not significantly differ between vacuum extractors group and forceps group (all P ＞ 0.05).[Conclusions] Vacuum extractors can reduce the incidence of vaginal laceration rate,especial for abnormal fetal position,but increase the incidence of neonatal subscalp hematoma and hyperbilirubinemia rate.