The history of education and legislation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and acupuncture in Canada is short. The first school of TCM opened its door to the general public in Canada in 1985 and the first legislation of acupuncture was introduced in Alberta, Canada in 1988. Currently, TCM and/or acupuncture have been regulated in five provinces in Canada. The legislation and regulation, as well as education of TCM and acupuncture vary among the five provinces in Canada. Opportunities and challenges facing TCM education exist simultaneously. Strategies are proposed to develop an international standard for TCM education in Canada, and possibly in other English speaking countries as well.
Canada ; Education, Medical ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

Objective To discuss the MRI features of sophorae subprostrate intoxication.Methods Four cases with sophorae subprostrate intoxication underwent conventional MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging(DWI)with a 1.5 T MR system.Results In four cases,all cerebellar dentate nuclei showed symmetric patchy hyper-intensity on T_2 weighted images and iso-intensity on diffusion-weighted images as well as hyper-intensity on ADC maps.The bilateral dorsum of the brain stem and thalamus were involved in one ease.Symmetric long T_1 and T_2 signals and high DWI signals with low ADC values in bilateral basal ganglia area were demonstrated in one case with severe symptoms.After treatment,repeated MR images in two cases showed the abnormal signals of dentate nucleus disappeared,and the lesions of basal ganglia area in one case tended to be cystie with longer T_1 and T_2 signals and low DWI signals.Conclusion It is specific for intoxication of sophorae subprostrate to affect the dentate nuclei and lentiform nuclei.MRI and DWI is helpful for the early diagnosis,differential diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of this disease.

Objective:To compare the differences of short and long-term outcomes between laparoscopic surgery and open surgery treatment of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to collect the clinical data of 118 patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma who underwent surgery in Qilu Hospital of Shandong University from January 2015 to June 2020. They were divided into laparoscopy group and open group according to the operation methods. The perioperative data, such as intraoperative surgical conditions, hospital costs, postoperative complications, postoperative blood biochemical tests, and the follow-up data of the two groups were compared.Results:In the laparoscopic group, there were 40 patients, 18 males and 22 females, aged (61.5±9.1) years. There were 78 patients in the open group, 48 males and 30 females, aged (61.2±8.3) years. The tumor size of the laparoscopic group was (4.4±1.8) cm, which was smaller than that of the open group (6.0±3.3) cm, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). In the laparoscopic group, 4 cases (10%) were converted to open surgery. The intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative blood transfusion proportion, 3 or more liver segments resection proportion and hospital costs of laparoscopic group were lower than those of open group [200.0(100.0, 261.8) ml vs. 300.0(100.0, 400.0) ml, 5.0%(2/40) vs. 26.9%(21/78), 37.5%(15/40) vs. 66.7%(52/78), (6.2±2.0) wan yuan vs. (7.2±2.3) wan yuan], the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups ( P>0.05). On the first post-operative day, ALT serum level and the third post-operative day TBil serum level in the laparoscopic group were lower than those in the open group [188.5(130.5, 274.0) U/L vs. 320.0(144.0, 427.0) U/L, 26.4(18.3, 26.4) μmol/L vs. 31.6(18.8, 37.5) μmol/l], the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). There were no significant differences in 1-year and 2-year overall survival rate and disease-free survival rate between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Compared with open surgery, laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma has better short-term outcomes, and can achieve similar results in medium- or long-term outcomes.

OBJECTIVETo study the role of programmed cell death 5 (PDCD5) protein in the oncogenesis and development of renal clear cell carcinoma and its association with the prognosis of the malignancy.

METHODSPDCD5 expression was assayed immunohistochemically in 46 cases of human renal clear cell carcinoma, and the patients' survival was followed up.

RESULTSPDCD5 staining in the adjacent normal tissue of the tumor was significantly stronger than that in the tumor tissue, and PDCD5 expression was significantly correlated with the tumor grade, stage and prognosis. The tumors of high grade with strong invasive ability had much less PDCD5 expression and lighter staining. The three- or five-year survival rates of patients positive for PDCD5 expression was much higher than that of patients negative for PDCD5 expression.

CONCLUSIONPDCD5 is a potent inhibitor of malignant transformation of renal clear cell carcinoma and may serve as a major predictor for evaluating the malignant potential and prognosis of the tumor.

Adult ; Aged ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; biosynthesis ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Kidney Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Proteins ; biosynthesis ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Analysis

The serotonin 2A receptor(5-HT

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of FLAMIGEL (hydrogel dressing) on the repair of residual burn wound.

METHODSSixty burn patients with residual wounds hospitalized in 6 burn units from November 2011 to May 2012 were enrolled in the multi-center, randomized, and self-control clinical trial. Two residual wounds of each patient were divided into groups T (treated with FLAMIGEL) and C (treated with iodophor gauze) according to the random number table. On post treatment day (PTD) 7 and 14, wound healing rate was calculated, with the number of completely healed wound counted. The degree of pain patient felt during dressing change was evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS). The mean numbers of wounds with score equal to zero, more than zero and less than or equal to 3, more than 3 and less than or equal to 6, more than 6 and less than or equal to 10 were recorded respectively. Wound secretion or exudate samples were collected for bacterial culture, and the side effect was observed. Data were processed with repeated measure analysis of variance, t test, chi-square test, and nonparametric rank sum test.

RESULTSWound healing rate of groups T, C on PTD 7 was respectively (67 ± 24)%, (45 ± 25)%, and it was respectively (92 ± 16)%, (72 ± 23)% on PTD 14. There was statistically significant difference in wound healing rate on PTD 7, 14 between group T and group C (F = 32.388, P < 0.01). Ten wounds in group T and four wounds in group C were healed completely on PTD 7, with no significant difference between them (χ(2) = 0, P > 0.05). Forty-two wounds in group T and seven wounds in group C healed completely on PTD 14, with statistically significant difference between them (χ(2) = 42.254, P < 0.01). Patients in group T felt mild pain during dressing change for 37 wounds, with VAS score higher than zero and lower than or equal to 3. Evident pain was observed in patients of group C during dressing change for 43 wounds, and it scored higher than 3 and less than or equal to 6 by VAS evaluation. There was statistically significant difference in mean number of wounds with different grade of VAS score between group T and group C (Z = -4.638, P < 0.01). Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, E. coli, Baumanii, and Staphylococcus epidermidis were all detected in both groups, but there was no statistical difference between group T and group C (χ(2) = 0.051, P > 0.05). No side effect was observed in either of the two groups during the whole trial.

CONCLUSIONSFLAMIGEL can accelerate the healing of residual burn wounds and obviously relieve painful sensation during dressing change.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Bandages ; Burns ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrogels ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

Post-amputation pain causes great suffering to amputees, but still no effective drugs are available due to its elusive mechanisms. Our previous clinical studies found that surgical removal or radiofrequency treatment of the neuroma at the axotomized nerve stump effectively relieves the phantom pain afflicting patients after amputation. This indicated an essential role of the residual nerve stump in the formation of chronic post-amputation pain (CPAP). However, the molecular mechanism by which the residual nerve stump or neuroma is involved and regulates CPAP is still a mystery. In this study, we found that nociceptors expressed the mechanosensitive ion channel TMEM63A and macrophages infiltrated into the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons worked synergistically to promote CPAP. Histology and qRT-PCR showed that TMEM63A was mainly expressed in mechanical pain-producing non-peptidergic nociceptors in the DRG, and the expression of TMEM63A increased significantly both in the neuroma from amputated patients and the DRG in a mouse model of tibial nerve transfer (TNT). Behavioral tests showed that the mechanical, heat, and cold sensitivity were not affected in the Tmem63a^-/- mice in the naïve state, suggesting the basal pain was not affected. In the inflammatory and post-amputation state, the mechanical allodynia but not the heat hyperalgesia or cold allodynia was significantly decreased in Tmem63a^-/- mice. Further study showed that there was severe neuronal injury and macrophage infiltration in the DRG, tibial nerve, residual stump, and the neuroma-like structure of the TNT mouse model, Consistent with this, expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β all increased dramatically in the DRG. Interestingly, the deletion of Tmem63a significantly reduced the macrophage infiltration in the DRG but not in the tibial nerve stump. Furthermore, the ablation of macrophages significantly reduced both the expression of Tmem63a and the mechanical allodynia in the TNT mouse model, indicating an interaction between nociceptors and macrophages, and that these two factors gang up together to regulate the formation of CPAP. This provides a new insight into the mechanisms underlying CPAP and potential drug targets its treatment.
Animals ; Mice ; Amputation, Surgical ; Chronic Pain/pathology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Ganglia, Spinal/pathology* ; Hyperalgesia/etiology* ; Ion Channels/metabolism* ; Macrophages ; Neuroma/pathology*

There is still a serious challenge of the measurement of critical quality attributes (CQAs) related to clinical efficacy for Chinese materia medica manufacturing. To overcome this challenge, an integrated strategy of biosensor and ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was proposed using Tongren niuhuang qingxin pills as a trial. Firstly, an original biosensor was created using a semiconductor chip material high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) as the transducer and the macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) as the identification element. By this MIF-HEMT biosensor, the efficacy on stoke of different components from Tongren niuhuang qingxin pills was measured. It was clear that all three components of Tongren niuhuang qingxin pills had strong therapeutic effects on stroke, especially the section A, the K_D of which reached to 8.722×10^-10 g·mL^-1. Furthermore, MIF-HEMT biosensor integrated UPLC-MS/MS was introduced to identify the efficacy CQAs of different components of Tongren niuhuang qingxin pills. As a result, 19 potential CQAs, such as albiforin, paeoniflorin, and prim-O-glucosylcimifugin, were measured as the efficacy CQAs of Tongren niuhuang qingxin pills on stroke treatment by MIF. These results provided vital measurement techniques and methodological guidance for the CQAs study of Tongren niuhuang qingxin pills intervention in MIF-induced stroke treatment. This also provided an essential guideline for the efficient utilization and quality control measurement of high-quality classical recipes.