Objective To compare the diagnostic performance of multi-contrast atherosclerosis characterization (MATCH) and magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient-echo (MPRAGE) for the detection of IPH with histologic analysis as the reference standard.Methods Thirty individuals were collected in this study.They were diagnosed to have carotid stenosis＞50％ by ultrasound and scheduled for carotid endarterectomy from 2014 to 2015.3 T carotid MR examinations using MPRAGE,MATCH and 3D TOF were performed in these patients.Axial images covered all plaques and centered at the bifurcation of the carotid artery.All image data sets were processed on a semi-automatic software (MRI-Plaque View,VPDiagnostics,US) to analyze the component of IPH for vulnerable plaques.The consistency between MATCH and MPRAGE was analyzed by using Cohen Kappa analysis.Comparison of the two sequences to the pathological results was performed in a similar manner.The sensitivity and specificity of the two sequences were obtained.The SNR,CNR and contrast ratio(CR) of the two regions of interest were calculated and Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare the difference between the two methods.Results Among 30 patients,a total of 602 available sections and 95 correponding histology specimens were included in the analysis.When all 602 available sections were included in the analysis,MATCH yielded good agreement with MPRAGE(Kappa=0.773) on the detection of IPH.With pathological specimens as the gold standard,moderate to good agreement was shown for both MATCH and MPRAGE (Kappa=0.778,0.685).The sensitivity and specificity for the detection of IPH was 93.2％ (68/73) and 90.9％ (20/22) for MATCH.For MPRAGE,the sensitivity and specificity was 87.7％(64/73) and 90.9％(20/22) respectively.The difference between MATCH and MPRAGE was statistically significant for SNR,CNR and CR.That is to say,SNR and CNR of MPRAGE were higher than those of MATCH(P＜0.05),while CR of MATCH was higher than that of MPRAGE(P＜0.05).Conclusion Compared to the MPRAGE sequence,MATCH technique demonstrates similar diagnostic performance for the detection of IPH.

The incidence of male infertility increased year by year, which seriously affects family welfare and social development. This article reviews and sorts out recent years’ studies on acupuncture treatment for male infertility. The results show that acupuncture treatment has produced a good clinical effect on this disease. Some progresses have been made in clinical acupuncture point selection, operating methods, complex treatment and therapeutic mechanism. The clinical effect and the mechanism of action of acupuncture treatment for this disease have been deeply explored from symptom differentiation and classification, acupoint selection and prescription, acupoint stimulation mode, and combined acupuncture and moxibustion therapy so as to provide new ideas for clinical acupuncture treatment and basic study.

Objective To investigate the effect of needle-warmed moxibustion on chondrocyte apoptosis and the lubricin protein content of osteoarthritic knees.Methods Forty New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into a sham operation group,a model group,a Western medicine group and a needle-warmed moxibustion group,each of 10.Knee osteoarthritis was induced in all except the sham operation group by injecting an aqueous solution of papain into the outer edge of one patellar tendon at the inferior pole of the patella.In the sham operation group the injection needle was only inserted and withdrawn.The needle-warmed moxibustion group had needle-warmed moxibustion applied to the internal and external DUBI acupoints 14 days after the modelling in 2 courses of treatment.The Western medicine group was given diclofenac sodium (15 mg/kg body weight) by gavage on the same schedule.The sham operation group and the model group were fed normally without special treatment.At the end of the treatment,knee cartilage tissue was resected from each group and the number of chondrocytes and the expression of lubricin in the articular cartilage cells were compared.Results Compared with the model group and the Western medicine group,the number of chondrocytes in the moxibustion group was significantly greater and the cells were arranged more neatly.TUNEL staining showed that the apoptosis rate of chondrocytes in the moxibustion group was significantly lower.A reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction showed that the expression of lubricin mRNA in the moxibustion group had increased significantly.Western blotting showed that the expression of lubricin protein was also significantly enhanced in the moxibustion group.Conclusions Needle-warmed moxibustion has a positive therapeutic effect on knee osteoarthritis,at least in rabbits.It can inhibit the apoptosis of knee chondrocytes and promote the secretion of lubricin.

Objective:To observe any effect of tendon manipulation on the joint pain, joint motion and gait of persons with knee osteoarthritis (KOA).Methods:Sixty-one KOA patients were randomly divided into an observation group ( n=31) and a control group ( n=30). Both groups received ultrasonic physiotherapy and exercise trai-ning (including quadriceps femoris training and heel raising training), while the observation group was additionally provided with daily tendon manipulation, five times a week for 3 weeks. Before and after the treatment, knee pain (using a visual analog scale (VAS)), motor function (using the Western Ontario and McMaster University (WOMAC) osteoarthritis index scale), step length, gait speed and the double support phase ratio were evaluated in both groups using three-dimensional gait analysis equipment. Results:After the treatment the average VAS scores, as well as the joint pain, stiffness and dysfunction and the total WOMAC scores of both groups had decreased significantly. There was significant improvement in the average stride length, walking speed and the proportion of double support phase among the observation group, and the latter two measurements had also improved significantly in the control group. After the intervention, the average pain, WOMAC scores and gait descriptors of the observation group were significantly superior to the control group′s results.Conclusion:Tendon manipulation can usefully supplement routine rehabilitation in the treatment of KOA, improving walking efficiency and thus life quality.

Objective:To observe any effect of warm acupuncture on chondrocyte apoptosis and the miR-27a-mediated PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway using a rat model of early knee osteoarthritis (KOA).Methods:Fifty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, a warm acupuncture group, an inhibitor group, and an inhibitor + warm acupuncture group (the combined group), each of 10. Three days before the modeling, both the inhibitor and combined groups were injected with miR-27a inhibitor. Papain was then injected in all groups except the control group to establish the early KOA model. After successful modeling, the combined and warm acupuncture groups were given 30 minutes of warm acupuncture at the medial and lateral Xiyan points daily for 14 days. The model and inhibitor groups were fixed for 30 minutes during those sessions. After the 2 weeks, hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe any pathological changes in the cartilage tissue. Terminal deoxynucleoitidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling was used to detect chondrocyte apoptosis, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were employed to observe the levels of interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and IL-6. Western blotting was used to evaluate the expression of p-PI3K, p-AKT, p-mTOR, PI3K, AKT, mTOR, LC3-II, and Beclin1 proteins in the cartilage tissue, while quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions detected the content of miR-27a.Results:After the intervention, the morphology of the chondrocytes in the warm acupuncture group had improved significantly compared to the model group, while that of the inhibitor and combined groups was better than among the warm acupuncture group. The rate of chondrocyte apoptosis in the warm acupuncture group was significantly lower than in the model group, while the rates of the inhibitor and combined groups were lower still. There was no significant difference between the inhibitor and the combination group on average. The average expression of IL-6, IL-1β, LC3-II and Beclin1 protein and of miR-27a were significantly lower in the warm acupuncture, inhibitor and combined groups than among the model group, with those of the inhibitor and combined groups significantly lower than among the warm acupuncture group, on average. The average p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT and p-mTOR/mTOR levels of the warm acupuncture, inhibitor and combined groups were significantly higher than those of the model group, with those of the inhibitor and combined groups significantly higher, on average, than among the warm acupuncture group. However, there was no significant difference between the inhibitor group and the combined group in their protein expression and mRNA levels.Conclusions:Warm acupuncture may down-regulate the expression of miR-27a to promote the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, inhibiting excessive autophagy and apoptosis. That would relieve inflammation and damage, and delay degeneration in early KOA, at least in rats.