Objective: To discuss the application principle in tuina manipulation for lumbar intervertebral disc herniation (LIDH) in Chinese literatures published in recent 30 years. Methods: The three major Chinese databases, Wanfang Academic Journal Full-text Database (Wanfang), Chongqing VIP Database (CQVIP) and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), were searched to collect the studies of tuina manipulations in treatment of LIDH published in recent 30 years. Clustering analysis was applied to analyze the top 20 tuina manipulations for LIDH. Results: The top 20 most frequently used manipulations for LIDH were Gun-rolling, Rou-kneading, Dian-digital pressing, oblique Ban-pulling, An-pressing, Tanbo-plucking, Bashen-pulling and extending, horizontal Tui-pushing, Na-grasping, Anrou-pressing and kneading, Dou-shaking, Yao-rocking, Ca-scrubbing, Pai-patting, post-extension Ban-pulling, Mo-rubbing, Zhen-vibrating, Nie-pinching, fist-back Ji-tapping, and dorsal Shen-extending methods. The involved manipulations can be divided into two categories by the treated body areas. One category is applied to the soft tissues, including Gun-rolling, Rou-kneading, Dian-digital pressing, An-pressing, Tanbo-plucking, horizontal Tui-pushing, Na-grasping, Anrou-pressing and kneading, Ca-scrubbing, Pai-patting, Mo-rubbing, Zhen-vibrating, Nie-pinching, and fist-back Ji-tapping methods. The other category is applied to bones and joints, including oblique Ban-pulling, Bashen-pulling and extending, Dou-shaking, Yao-rocking, post-extension Ban-pulling, and dorsal Shen-extending methods. Conclusion: Based on the treated body area, the tuina manipulations applied to treat LIDH are predominated by the ones performed on soft tissues, assisted by those on bones and joints. From the way of force exertion, the involved manipulations are majorly the swinging methods, followed by squeezing and pressing ones. The manipulations applied to bones and joints are predominated by the Ban-pulling ones, followed by the Bashen-pulling and extending ones.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the cell viabilities of vascular smooth muscle cells and vascular endothelial cells stimulated by cigarette smoke extract(CSE) .

METHODSThe CSE was prepared by smoke-bubbled phosphate buffered saline(PBS) generation.After culturing cells with different concentrations of CSE, we used the cell counting kit-8 to determine the cell viability.The expression levels of c-jun and cyclinD1 were analyzed through Western blot.The c-jun plasmid was transfected to detect the change of cyclinD1 expression.

RESULTSThe smooth muscle cell viability increased when the CSE concentration ranged 0.625%-10%, whereas the endothelial cells viability decreased when exposed to the CSE concentration. After exposure to CSE for 48 hours, there was no difference in c-jun expression between toxin group and PBS group;however, the expression of p-c-jun in the smooth muscle cells significantly increased in the toxin groups than in the PBS group(P<0.05) and the expression of p-c-jun in the vascular endothelial cells significantly decreased(P<0.05) . The level of cyclinD1 significantly increased after exposed to CSE, and its expression level also increased in respond to the c-jun overexpression.

CONCLUSIONCSE can enhance the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and decrease in the activity of endothelial cells proliferation, which may be explained by the phosphorylation of c-jun and the expression of cyclinD1.

Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cell Survival ; Cells, Cultured ; Cyclin D1 ; metabolism ; Endothelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun ; metabolism ; Tobacco ; adverse effects

Carotid endarterectomy(CEA)has been proved to be an effective surgery to treat the cerebral ischemia caused by carotid atherosclerotic stenosis. However,there is still no effective mean for the early diagnosis of the CEA-related severe complications such as stroke and death. Many studies have explored the potential biomarkers for stroke alert,although there is still a long way to go for their actual application in clinical settings. The carotid atherosclerotic stenosis,the perioperative complications of CEA,and the stroke share similar pathogenic mechanisms,and some biomarkers such as S100B,matrix metalloproteinase 9,asymmetric dimethylarginine,and neuron-specific enolase have been studied in the clinical trails of CEA. This article summarizes recent advances in this field.
Biomarkers ; metabolism ; Endarterectomy, Carotid ; Humans ; Intraoperative Period ; Postoperative Complications ; prevention & control ; Risk Assessment ; S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the discrimination of serum procalcitonin (PCT) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) between patients with sepsis and non-infectious inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and the prediction power of clinical outcome.

METHODSA perspective study was performed in 27 patients with sepsis and 30 patients with non-infectious SIRS. The serum concentrations of PCT, IL-6, C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell count, percentage of neutrophil, absolute neutrophil count, and maximal body temperature were obtained less than 24 hours after clinical onset of sepsis or SIRS.

RESULTSThe serum levels of PCT and IL-6 and percentage of neutrophil were significantly higher in patients with sepsis than in those with non-infectious SIRS (PCT: 5.54 [1.20, 32.74] microg/L vs 0.77 [0.22, 3.90] microg/L, P=0.001; IL-6: 163.66 [33.60, 505.26] ng/L vs 37.72 [22.52, 110.78] ng/L, P=0.004; CRP [15.28 +/- 8.41] g/L vs [9.51 +/- 7.65] g/L, P=0.010; and percentage of neutrophil: 0.91 +/- 0.04 vs 0.88 +/- 0.04, P=0.010). Receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the power of PCT and IL-6 were the best of all above. There was significant correlation between serum PCT or IL-6 and the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE II) or sepsis-related organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores, so was between serum PCT and the intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay.

CONCLUSIONSPCT and IL-6 are more reliable indicators to differentiate sepsis and non-infectious SIRS than the conventional inflammatory markers, and correlate with the disease severity. PCT levels are significantly correlated with ICU length of stay.

APACHE ; Adult ; Aged ; C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; Calcitonin ; blood ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Protein Precursors ; blood ; Sepsis ; blood ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome ; blood ; diagnosis ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation between plasma fibrinogen level and cerebral infarction (CI) as well as the difference of fibrinogen among subtypes of CI.

METHODSA case-controlled study was conducted with 131 cases of CI and 148 controls. Plasma fibrinogen levels were detected by the Clauss method.

RESULTSHigh fibrinogen level (3.09 +/- 0.94 g/L) was correlated with CI (OR = 2.47, 95% CI: 1.51-4.04, P < 0.005) at the onset stage of the disease. Persistent high fibrinogen level (3.14 +/- 0.81 g/L) at 6-month after stroke onset was detected and correlated with CI (OR = 4.34, 95% CI: 1.80-10.51, P = 0.001). Higher fibrinogen level was correlated with total anterior circulation infarction (TACI), partial anterior circulation infarction (PACI), and posterior circulation infarction (POCI) (OR = 4.008, P < 0.001). Higher fibrinogen level was correlated with extracranial atherosclerosis (OR = 3.220, P < 0.05, but not with intracranial atherosclerosis.

CONCLUSIONFibrinogen level may be a risk factor of CI and probably correlates with subtypes of CI and distributions of atherosclerosis.

Aged ; Atherosclerosis ; blood ; Brain Infarction ; blood ; classification ; Case-Control Studies ; Cerebral Infarction ; blood ; classification ; Female ; Fibrinogen ; metabolism ; Humans ; Infarction, Anterior Cerebral Artery ; blood ; Infarction, Posterior Cerebral Artery ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effects of autologous tumor vaccines in preventing recurrences of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODSFrom March 1999 to June 2003, 80 patients with HCC undergoing resections were randomly assigned into a tumor vaccine group (n=40) and a control group (n=40). Tumor vaccines, consisting of formalin-fixed HCC tissue fragments, biodegradable sustained-releasers of granulocyte-macrophage-colony stimulating factor, interleukin-2, and an adjuvant, were developed. Every vaccine group patient received 3 vaccinations at a 2-week interval and the control group just received the adjuvant. Delayed-type-hypersensitivity (DTH) test and recurrent rates were analyzed.

RESULTSEight patients of the vaccine group and five patients of the control group were lost in the follow-up. Thirty-two patients completed the tumor vaccine procedure and no essential adverse effects occurred. 23/32 patients developed DTH responses against the fragments of HCC. The follow-up averaged 34.3 months (from 15 to 55 months). 1-, 2-, 3-year recurrence rates of the vaccine group were 12.6%, 35.9% and 54.0%, respectively; 1-, 2-, 3-year recurrence rates of the control group were 31.6%, 61.3% and 72.1%, respectively. The recurrent rate was significantly better in the tumor vaccine group than in the control group (P = 0.037).

CONCLUSIONSAutologous tumor vaccine is a promising adjunctive modality to prevent recurrence of human HCC.

Adult ; Aged ; Cancer Vaccines ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; surgery ; therapy ; Female ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Interleukin-2 ; therapeutic use ; Liver Neoplasms ; surgery ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; prevention & control ; Postoperative Period ; Vaccination

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes in transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta1)/Smads signaling pathway in rats with chemical hepatocarcinogenesis.

METHODSFresh diethylnitrosamine (DENA) solution was administered in SD rats to induce hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The protein expressions of TGF-beta1, phosphorylated Smad2, Smad4 and Smad7 were detected in these rats with immunohistochemistry, and the mRNA expression of Smad4 was evaluated with RT-PCR.

RESULTSCirrhotic nodules occurred in the rats 8 weeks after DENA treatment, and HCC nodules were found 16 weeks after the treatment. In the normal liver tissue, very low levels of TGF-beta1 and Smad4 expressions, low Smad7 expression and high phosphorylated Smad2 expression were detected. The development of liver cirrhosis was accompanied by increased expressions of TGF-beta1, Smad4 and Smad7 but at 8 weeks after DENA treatment, the expression of phosphorylated Smad2 was significantly decreased, followed then by gradual increment till nearly the normal level. Twenty-two weeks after DENA treatment, Smad4 expression in liver tissue decreased markedly as compared with the levels at 8 and 16 weeks. The expressions of Smad4 and phosphorylated Smad2 in the HCC tissue was significantly lower than those in normal liver tissue.

CONCLUSIONHepatocarcinogenesis involves very complex mechanisms, can can be related partially to the decreased Smad4 and phosphorylated Smad2 expression and TGFbeta1 and Smad7 overexpression in advanced stage of liver cirrhosis.

Animals ; Diethylnitrosamine ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction ; Smad2 Protein ; metabolism ; Smad4 Protein ; metabolism ; Smad7 Protein ; metabolism ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate a therapeutic method for male infertility caused by radiotherapy after surgical treatment of spermatocytoma.

METHODSA case of azoospermia caused by radiotherapy after surgical treatment of spermatocytoma was reported and the Chinese medicine Jiaweishuiluerxiandan was used as a major therapy for 3 years.

RESULTSThe patient's health condition was improved dramatically two years after being treated by the Chinese medicine but no sperm was found in his semen. However, three years after the treatment, his spermatozoon density was recovered from zero to 2.0 x 10(6)/ml with normal morphology. His sperm was subsequently used for intracytoplasmic sperm injection, which made his spouse pregnant successfully, and an healthy male infant was born by caesarean birth.

CONCLUSIONChinese medicine is a successful try at treating male infertility caused by radiotherapy after surgical treatment of spermatocytoma. For those who have failed to get their sperm frozen before surgery, Chinese medicine is a choice for remediation.

Adult ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Oligospermia ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Phytotherapy ; Pregnancy ; Radiotherapy ; adverse effects ; Seminoma ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Sperm Count ; Testicular Neoplasms ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the value of vascular resection and reconstruction in resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

METHODSThe clinical data of 17 patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma received resection in combination with vascular resection and reconstruction from January 2000 to September 2009 was retrospectively analyzed. Among the 17 patients, 6 underwent portal vein segmental resection and end-to-end anastomosis, 3 underwent portal vein wedge resection, 1 underwent hepatic artery ligature, 2 underwent hepatic artery segmental resection and end-to-end anastomosis, 1 underwent portal vein arterialization, 1 underwent portal vein wedge resection and hepatic artery ligature simultaneously, 2 underwent portal vein segmental resection and hepatic artery segmental resection and end-to-end anastomosis simultaneously, 1 underwent portal vein segmental resection and right hepatic artery and gastroduodenal artery end-to-end anastomosis simultaneously.

RESULTSFour patients died and the mortality was 4/17. Three patients died of renal dysfunction followed with multiple organ dysfunction and 1 patient died of sepsis shock. Among the 13 survive patients, 6 had a smooth postoperative recover and 7 developed complications: 3 had bile leakage, 1 had respiratory failure, 1 had cholangitis due to obstruction of U tube, 1 had abdominal infection and thrombosis in portal vein system and 1 had portal vein stenosis and liver abscess. Follow-up investigation showed that the median survival time was 18 months and four patients still alive.

CONCLUSIONSCombination of vascular resection and reconstruction in the resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma may help to improve the resection rate but still have a high postoperative risk. The complications of renal dysfunction should be alert during the postoperative observation. The procedure of hepatic arterial reconstruction may help to reduce postoperative morbidity.

Adult ; Aged ; Bile Duct Neoplasms ; surgery ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; surgery ; Female ; Hepatic Artery ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Portal Vein ; surgery ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Vascular Surgical Procedures

OBJECTIVETo summarize the experience of surgical resection of 103 hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

METHODSOne hundred and three consecutive cases of hilar cholangiocarcinoma who underwent surgical resection at our hospital over the past ten years were reviewed retrospectively. The clinical data and long-term outcome were analyzed.

RESULTSOut of 103 cases, 43 patients underwent radical resection (41.7%), and 60 patients underwent palliative resection. There were 34 patients developed postoperative complications and 8 patients died in hospital. For the radical resection group, the median survival time was 29.9 months and 1-year, 3-year, 5-year survival rate was 69.6%, 42.0%, 20.9%, respectively, which was significant greater than 34.1%, 10.2%, 0 of the palliative resection group (P < 0.05). Over the past five years, 42 cases underwent pre-operative drainage of bile and the rate of combined liver resection reached 53.8%. The tumor radical resection rate has increased to 45.7%, the median survival time have reached 24.7 months (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSImprovement of pre-operative management, intraoperative pathology for resection margin, and combined liver resection may help in increasing the radical resection rate. Radical resection can improve postoperative survival, and produce a satisfactory outcome for patient with hepatic hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

Adult ; Aged ; Bile Duct Neoplasms ; mortality ; surgery ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; mortality ; surgery ; Digestive System Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate