Purpose: To observe the clinical therapeutic effect in the treatment of enuresis by ginger-partitioned moxibustion plus cupping therapy. Methods: Ginger-par -titioned moxibustion was applied on Guanyuan (CV 4)and bilateral Zusanli (ST 36) and cupping therapy was applied on Shenque (CV 8) in the treatment of 82 cases of enuresis, in comparison with 76 cases treated by Chinese herbal medicine. Results: The effective rate was 84.1% in the treatment by ginger-partitioned moxibustion plus cupping therapy and was 64.5% in the treatment by Chinese herbal medicine. Conclusion: Ginger-partitio -ned moxibustion plus cupping therapy was better than Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of enuresis (P ＜0.05).

In the treatment of 80 cases of the patients with deficient and cold pattern in the spleen and stomach by external application of herbal paste on the acupoints, the results showed remarkable effect in 52 cases, improvement in 24 cases, failure in 4 cases and the total effective rate in 95.0%. Remarkable therapeutic effects were achieved in three different diseases of same pattern. External application of herbal paste on the acupoints is definitely effective for stomachache in deficient and cold pattern of the spleen and stomach.

116 cases of facial pigmented spots were treated by the needle-embedding method in Uterus (MA-TF). EarShenmen (MA-TF1), Endocrine (MA-IC3) and Lung (MA-IC1) as the main points and the additional points selected based upon pattern identification. All cases were cured.

Objective: To compare the quality of life before and after artificial mechanical heart valve replacement. Methods: From February to June 1998, 115 patients (56 males, 59 females) underwent mechanical valve replacement. The investigation table was filled in one week before the operation and three months postoperatively. Results: There was a notable improvement in patient's physical strength, activity ability, emotion aspect and society home life after operation (P=0.000). In patients with valve-related complications, 64% complained inconvenience in purchasing anticoagulant medicines in the locality, while in patients without valve-related complications, only 39% have such experience. There was significant difference between two groups (P=0.034). 86% of patients with complications worry about the possibility bleeding, while in those with no complications only 55% (P=0.006). Conclusion: Mechanical prosthetic valve replacement significantly improves patient's physical strength, activity ability, emotion and society-home life.

Adult ; Branchial Region ; Fistula ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Neck ; surgery ; Pharynx ; surgery

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of scalp penetrating technique plus rehabilitation therapy in treating acute cerebral hemorrhage. Methods: The patients were allocated randomly by computer into scalp acupuncture plus rehabilitation group (A),rehabilitation group (B) and Western medication control group (C). Results: The total effective rate and the curative and remarkable effective rate were 92.9% and 75.0%respectively in Group A, and 84.6% and 69.2% respectively in Group B and 75.9% and 37.9% respectively in Group C. There was a very significant difference in comparison of Group A and Group B with Group C (P＜0.01, P＜0.05). There was no significant difference between Group A and Group B (P＞0.05). But the total effective rate was significantly higher in Group A than in Group B. Conclusion: Scalp acupuncture plus rehabilitation therapy can obviously enhance the clinical effect in cerebral hemorrhage, reduce the neural deficit due to acute cerebral hemorrhage and improve the ability in daily life.

'Three-acupoint and Five-needle Method' is a summary of Prof. Shao Jing-ming's clinical experience in the treatment of asthma for years. It is used to alleviate asthma during seizure and to improve the pulmonary functions, strengthen the body constitution and prevent recurrence in the remission stage. This article introduces the theoretic source and basic principle, and concrete operating method, i.e. puncturing bilateral Feishu (BL 13), Dazhui (GV 14) and bilateral Fengmen (BL 12), and adding acupoints based upon pattern identification, in combination of moxibustion and cupping therapy for promoting the clinical application of this method.

AIM:To investigate the protective effect of bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) on sepsis induced by intra-abdominal infection in rats and its mechanism.METHODS:Intra-abdominal infection induced sepsis was reproduced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). BPI or equal volume of physiological saline was intra-abdominally given immediately after CLP and 12 hours after CLP respectively (2.5 mg/kg of BPI each time). Plasma endotoxin levels were determined with limulus amebocyte chromogenic assay.RESULTS:(1)The survival time in BPI group was significantly higher than in physiological saline (PS) group. (2)The values of MAP, LVSP, IP, d p /d t max and -d p /d t max in BPI group, although decreasing ,were markedly higher than those in PS group. (3) Plasma glutamate-pyruvate transaminase and urea nitrogen levels in BPI group, though increasing, were significantly lower than those in PS group.(4) There was no significant change of plasma endotoxin levels in BPI group, while plasma endotoxin levels were markedly increased in PS group. There was significantly different between two groups. CONCLUSIONS:BPI has an obvious protective effect on intra-abdominal infection induced sepsis, which might be related to its antagonism against endotoxin.

OBJECTIVETo study the protective effect and mechanism of salvianolic acid B (Sal B) on glutamate-induced excito-toxicity.

METHODGlutamate-induced PC12 cell injury model was established to detect the cell survival rate by MTT, the leakage rate of lactic dehydrogenases using LDH, and the cell apoptosis by using AO/EB double staining for fluorescence microscope and PI single staining flow cytometry which was also used to detect the content of intracellular reactive oxygen species. The expression of Caspase-3 protein was also detected by the Western blotting method.

RESULTSal B is proved to inhibit glutamate-induced PC12 cells from injury and prevent them from releasing LDH within the range from 50 micromol x L(-1) to 200 micromol x L(-1). Meanwhile, Sal B has an effect on significantly reducing the expression of inhibit glutamate-induced active Caspase-3 protein, inhibiting accumulated glutamate-induced ROS and decreasing PC12 cell apoptosis rate within the range from 50 micromol x L(-1) to 200 micromol x L(-1).

CONCLUSIONThe study proves that Sal B prevented against glutamate-induced cell injury via inhibiting ROS formation and Caspase-3 pathway-dependent apoptosis in PC12 cells.

Action Potentials ; drug effects ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Benzofurans ; pharmacology ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists ; pharmacology ; Glutamic Acid ; adverse effects ; Lactate Dehydrogenases ; metabolism ; PC12 Cells ; Pheochromocytoma ; metabolism ; Rats ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism

It is well known that puerarin possesses protective activity on neurodegenerative diseases. However, the exact path way involved in the protective effect of puerarin on MPP+ -induced cell death is unclear. In this study, we focused on mitochondria im pairment in the apoptotic process of MPP+ -elicited SH-SY5Y cells and detected the protection of puerarin. As evidenced by Trypan blue assay, the cell viability was significantly decreased by 1 mmol x L(-1) MPP+, but reversed by different concentrations puerarin pre treatment. Flow cytometer analysis revealed that MPP+ -induced SH-SY5Y cells apoptosis and arrested the cells in G2/M phase, where as puerarin pretreatment concentration dependently reversed the apoptosis ratio. In addition to the apoptosis ratio, 50.0 micromol x L(-1) puerarin pretreatment even altered the MPP+ -induced G2/M phase arrest. JC-1 assay suggested that MPP+ significantly opened MMP of the SH-SYSY cells; pretreatment with puerarin attenuated the deterioration of the MMP. Both ELISA and Western blotting showed that puerarin prevented the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondrial interior to the cystol elicited by MPP+. DNA ladder showed that typical DNA ladder was present in the MPP+ -induced SH-SY5Y cells. Additionally, MPP+ enhanced caspase-9 and caspase-3 ac tivity, respectively, while not caspase-8. However,the enhancement was concentration dependently blocked by puerarin pretreatment. Taken together, puerarin can modulate mitochondrial membrane potential and inhibit the cytochrome c releasing-caspase cascade to pre vent MPP+ -induced cell injury.
1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Blotting, Western ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Caspase 8 ; metabolism ; Caspase 9 ; metabolism ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Isoflavones ; pharmacology ; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial ; drug effects ; Mitochondria ; drug effects