Aim Kadsuraheteroclita ( Roxb ) Craib ( Schizandraceae) is a medicinal plant termed Xuetong in Chinese Tujia ethnomedicine. Xuetong possesses therapeutic effects of, in the terms of Chinese medical theories, reinforcing vital energy, promoting blood cir-culation, expelling wind-evil, and removing damp-e-vil, and has been long used for the prevention and treatment of rheumatic and arthritic diseases, especial-ly in the southern China. The HPLC analysis has iden-tified that the ethanol extract of Xuetong contains large-ly biologically active lignans and triterpenoids. Our previous studies have shown that KHS exhibits very fa-vorable safety profile and potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities. In the present study, we investiga-ted anti-arthritic effects and the possible mechanisms of Xuetongon adjuvant-induced arthritis ( AIA ) in rats. Methods AIA was established in male Sprague-Daw-ley ( SD ) rats as described previously, and animals were daily treated by gavage with Xuetong ethanol ex-tract ( 1. 0 g · kg-1 ) or vehicle ( 0. 3% CMC-Na ) throughout the 30-day experiment. The incidence and severity of arthritis were evaluated using clinical pa-rameters. On day 30, bone destruction of the arthritic joints was assessed by computed tomography( CT) and histopathological analyses. The serum levels of pro-in-flammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 were measured by ELISA. Results Treatment with 1. 0 g/kg Xuetong significantly inhibited the onset and pro-gression of AIA. The vehicle-treated rats all developed severe arthritis, while the incidence of AIA in the Xue-tong-treated rats was as low as 55%( P=0. 035 ) . The Xuetong -treated rats exhibited 1. 8 to 2. 3 fold reduc-tion of paw swelling, and gained 10 to 20% more body weight than the vehicle-treated AIA rats throughout the experiment. CT and histopathological examinations re-vealed that Xuetong markedly protected AIA rats from cartilage and bone destruction of joints. Moreover, the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 were signifi-cantly decreased in the Xuetong-treated rats than the vehicle-treated AIA rats. Conclusions These data strongly support the clinical use of Xuetong for rheu-matic and arthritic diseases, and suggest that Xuetong is a valuable candidate for further investigation to be a new anti-arthritic drug with favorable safety profile.

OBJECTIVETo explore an effective therapy for treatment of infantile febrile convulsion.

METHODSSeventy infants of febrile convulsion were randomly divided into two groups, a combined acupuncture and drug group (n = 36) were treated with Xingnao Kaiqiao needling method with Shuigou (GV 26) selected as main combined with intramuscular injection of luminal and intravenous perfusion of diazepam; and a drug group (n = 34) treated with simple intramuscular injection of luminal and intravenous perfusion of diazepam. Their therapeutic effects, the time of inducing the stopping convulsion, and the recurrence rate were investigated.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 86.1% in the combined acupuncture and drug group, better than 79.4% in the drug group (P<0.05), and the time of inducing the stopping convulsion in the combined acupuncture and drug group was shorter than that in the drug group (P<0.01), and the recurrence rate in the combined group was lower than that in the drug group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture combined with intramuscular injection of luminal and intravenous perfusion of diazepam is an effective and safe method for febrile convulsion.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Fever ; Humans ; Seizures ; Seizures, Febrile

Objective To explore the efficacy of the soft-tissue fixation in reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament(MPFL) in treating the recurrent dislocation of patella in adolescents.Methods A total of 12 adolescents undergoing MPFL reconstruction for the recurrent dislocation of patella between March 2014 and October 2015 were included.The autologous hamstring tendon was harvested and fixated using the soft-tissue fixation method in the MPFL reconstruction.A rapid rehabilitation program was carried out postoperatively.Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the Lysholm,international knee documentation committee(IKDC),Kujala knee scores preoperatively and during the postoperative follow-up.Moreover,the degree of satisfaction to the surgery and the restoration of sports activities were also surveyed.Results All patients were followed up for 6 to 18 months,with an average of 12 months.There was no recurrence of dislocation.During the final follow-up,all patients restored the full range of activity and normal medial patellar stability.The Lysholm,IKDC and Kujala knee scores were significantly improved postoperatively compared with those preoperatively (P＜0.01).Ten patients were very satisfied with the operation and the other 2 were satisfied with the surgery.Among all the patients (non-professional athletes),75％(9/12) fully regained their sport abilities in 6 months after the surgery.Conclusions Reconstruction of MPFL with the soft-tissue fixation method has achieved remarkable clinical results without severe complications associated with bony procedures.For the adolescent patients with open growth plates,this is a safe,effective and reliable surgical technique.