Objective To observe the clinical efficacy ofTong Yuan(short forTong Du Tiao Shen,Yin Qi Gui Yuan, referring to unblocking the Governor Vessel, regulating mind, and guiding qi back to the origin) needling method plus Letrozol and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in treating refractory sterility caused by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).Method Sixty clomiphene citrate-resistant PCOS-induced sterility patients were recruited and randomized into two groups. The treatment group was intervened byTong Yuanneedling plus Letrozol and HCG, while the control group was intervened only by Letrozol and HCG, both for 3 months. Prior to and after the treatment,the levels of estradiol (E2), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone (T) were detected; the endometrium, ovulation and pregnancy rates were also observed.Result After 3 menstrual cycles, the level of FSH increasedsignificantly (P<0.05), LH decreased significantly (P<0.05), LH/FSH declined significantly (P<0.05), and the level of T also dropped significantly (P<0.05) in both treatment group and control group; the level of E2also dropped significantly after the treatment in both groups (P<0.05), and the decrease in the treatment group was more significantly than that in the control group (P<0.05). The ovulation and pregnancy rates in the treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05).Conclusion Tong Yuanneedling plus Letrozol and HCG can significantly down-regulate the levels of LH, E2and T, up-regulate the level of FSH, effectively improve the internal reproductive environment of refractory PCOS patients, and enhance the ovulation and pregnancy rates.

Objective To study the frequency of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator(CFTR)mutations in patients with congenital bilateral absence of vas deferens(CBAVD).Methods Eighty-five CBAVD patients were collected from May 2007 to May 2009.The diagnosis of CBAVD included azoospermia,normal of 4 sex hormone items,absence of seminal vesicle,normal volume of testicular and epididymis dilated siltation.And 85 normal fertile men served as controls.Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood.The mutations of CFTR exons 10,11 were detected by PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism,and direct sequencing was performed on 85 cases of CBAVD and the control males.Results Of the 85 CBAVD,10 cases(11.8％)exhibited an abnormal CFTR gene mutation,with 4 cases I556V,2 cases M469V,and 1 case of E527N,A F508,L558S,S485C.No mutations were detected in 85 controls.There was a significant difference between the 2 groups(x2 =8.606,P =0.003).Conclusions CBAVD might be caused by the CFTR mutations.The frequencies and the spectrum of CFTR mutations might be different from those Caucasian population in the west country.

Objective To explore the differences in the strength of the nodes in the brain white matter weighted networks between the male patients with paranoid schizophrenia and male healthy controls, and to analysis the integrity of the white matter fiber tracts that connected to the different brain regions and its relationship with the course of disease. Methods Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data were obtained from 25 male patients with paranoid schizophrenia and 26 male healthy controls. The whole brain was parcellated into 90 regions by using the anatomical label map. Tractography was performed in the whole brain of each subject to reconstruct white matter tracts using the FACT algorithm. The brain white matter weighted networks were then constructed using the complex network theory. Results The strength of the nodes in the networks of schizophrenia significantly decreased in the right thalamus (P=0.03, corrected) and the right hes?chl gyrus (P=0.04, corrected). Negative correlation was found between the strength of the right thalamus and the course of disease (r=-0.45, P=0.03). Conclusion The integrity of the white matter fiber tracts connected to the thalamus and tem?poral lobes in the male paranoid schizophrenia is impaired. The lesion of fiber tracts connected to the thalamus is related with the course of disease.

Objective To explore the differences of the connectivity strength,the clustering coefficient and the local efficiency of the nodes in the brain structural networks in the depression and healthy subjects and then analyze the mode of the local connections of the brain regions and their local efficiency of the transmission of information and their relationship with the severity of the disease in the depression.Methods The Diffusion Tensor Imaging data were obtained from 24 depression patients and 25 healthy controls.The whole cerebral cortex was parcellated into 90 regions by the anatomical label map.Tractography was performed in the whole cerebral cortex of each subject to reconstruct white matter tracts of the brain using the fiber assignment by continuous tracking (FACT) algorithm.And then the brain structural networks were constructed using the complex network theory.The local topological properties of the brain structural networks of the depression and healthy were examined by two sample t-test.Results The local efficiency of the nodes of the networks in depression decreased significantly (the left middle frontal gyrus (orbital part):0.64±0.30,the left hippocampus:0.57±0.07,the right parahippocampal gyrus:0.50±0.15) compared with the healthy (0.88±0.10,0.64±0.06,0.66±0.13 respectively,P=0.00098,0.00039,0.00017,survived critical FDR threshold for multiple comparisons) ; and the clustering coefficient of the nodes of the networks in depression (the left middle frontal gyrus (orbital part):0.14±0.07) decreased significantly when compared with the healthy (0.22±0.06,P=0.000030,survived critical FDR threshold for multiple comparisons).Significant negative correlation was found between the local efficiency of the left middle frontal gyrus (orbital part) and the total scores of HAMD-17 in the depression (r=-0.48,P=0.02).Conclusion The degree of the localization and the local efficiency of the information transmission of the frontal lobe are decreased.The local efficiency in the information transmission in the hippocampal is also decreased.And the local efficiency of the frontal lobe is negatively related with the severity of the disease in the depression.

Objective To explore the differences of the degree and distribution of hub regions of the brain structural networks between the schizophrenia and healthy and then analysis the importance of brain regions in the information transmission in across the whole brain.Methods The diffusion tensor imaging data were obtained from 22 schizophrenia patients and 24 healthy controls.The whole cerebral cortex was parcellated into 90 regions by the anatonical label map.Tractography was performed in the whole cerebral cortex of each subject to reconstruct white matter tracts of the brain using the fiber assignment by continuous tracking (FACT) algorithm.And then the brain structural binary networks were constructed using the complex network theory.The average degree of the network and the degree of the nodes in the network between the brain structural networks of both groups were examined by two sample t-tests.Results The average degree of the brain structural network in the patient group (7.82±0.56) decreased significantly when compared with the control group (8.17 ±0.56; P=0.04).The degree of the nodes in the brain structural network of the patient group (the left hippocampus:11.41 ± 1.84; the left parahippocampal gyrus:6.41± 1.33 ; the left calcarine fissure:11.50±2.97 ; the left fusiform gyrus:8.27± 1.83) decreased significantly when compared with the control group (14.43±2.26; 8.54±2.15; 14.79±2.80; 10.25± 1.36; all P＜0.01,survived critical FDR threshold for multiple comparisons).And the distribution of the hub regions in the temporal and occipital lobes of the patient group was difference from that of the control group.Conclusion The importance of the hippocampus and the brain regions in the occipital lobe is decrease for the information transmission across the whole brain.The damage of the topological properties of these brain regions maybe related to the disorder of the transmission and integration of information in the brain of the schizophrenia.

Objective To explore the differences of the global efficiency of the brain structural networks between the male paranoid schizophrenia and male healthy and its relationship with the psychotic symptoms of the schizophrenia.Methods The diffusion tensor imaging data were obtained from 27 male paranoid schizophrenia patients and 28 male healthy controls.The whole cerebral cortex was parcellated into 90 regions by the anatomical label map.Tractography was performed in the whole cerebral cortex of each subject to reconstruct white matter tracts of the brain using fiber assignment by continuous tracking(FACT) algorithm.And then the brain structural binary networks were constructed using the complex network theory.The average global efficiency of the brain network and the global efficiency of the nodes of both groups were examined by two sample t-test and its relationship with the psychotic symptoms in the male paranoid schizophrenia was explored by the correlation analysis.Results Compared with control group,the average global efficiency of the brain network of the patients decreased significantly (7.87±0.56,8.17±0.56,P=0.005),and the global efficiency of the nodes in the brain network of the patient decreased significantly in the left superior frontal gyrus (orbital part) (P=0.00025),the left superior parietal gyrus (P=0.00011),the left cuneus (P=0.00012) and the left putamen (P=0.00032),all survived FDR correction.Significant negative correlation was found between the global efficiency of the left putamen and the total scores (r=-0.43,P=0.03),the positive scores (r=-0.41,P=0.03) and the cognitive scores (r=-0.40,P=0.04) of PANSS.Conclusion The decreased global efficiency of the left frontal,parietal and occipital lobes and the subcortical structures lead to the occurrence of schizophrenia.And the reduced efficiency of the subcortical structures is associated with the positive symptoms and the abnormal cognitive function of the patients.

OBJECTIVETo explore the molecular mechanism of moxibustion at stomach meridian acupoints for precancerous lesions of chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG).

METHODSFifty male SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, a stomach meridian group, a control point group and a vitacoenzyme group, 10 rats in each group. The CAG precancerous lesion model was made in all the groups except the normal group. The rats in the normal group and model group were bundled for 30 min per day; the rats in the stomach meridian group and control point group were bundled and treated with moxibustion at stomach meridian acupoints or control points for 30 min per day; the rats in the vitacoenzyme group were treated with intragastric administration of vitacoenzyme, once per day. All the treatment was given for 20 weeks. The pathological morphological change of gastric mucosa was observed under optical microscope; the expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), gastric mucosal proliferatig cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), argyrophilic protein of nucleolar organizer regions (Ag-NORs) in gastric mucosal cells were detected by enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSCompared with the normal group, in the model group the gastric mucosal cells showed dysplasia and the expression of EGF, TGF-alpha, PCNA, VEGF, Ag-NORs in gastric mucosa cells in the model group was increased significantly (all P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the gastric mucosa lesion gradually recovered and the expression of EGF, TGF-alpha, PCNA, VEGF, Ag-NORs in gastric mucosal cells was gradually decreased in the stomach meridian group, control point group and vitacoenzyme group, in which the stomach meridian group had the most significant effects (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONMoxibustion at stomach meridian acupoints can obviously decrease the expression of cell proliferative factors in gastric mucosa in rats with CAG precancerous lesions, inhibit the gastric mucosal cell dysplasia, and promote the recovery of gastric mucosa.

Acupuncture Points ; Animals ; Cell Proliferation ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gastric Mucosa ; cytology ; Gastritis, Atrophic ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Male ; Moxibustion ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; genetics ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the small-worldness and the betweenness centrality of the nodes in the brain structural networks and its relationship with the course and the central role of the brain regions in the transmission of information across the whole brain in depression.Methods The diffusion tensor imaging data were obtained from 27 depression patients and 33 healthy controls.The brain structural networks were constructed using the complex network theory.Results The brain structural networks had small-world properties in both groups.When compared with the healthy,the betweenness centrality of the nodes of the networks in depression significantly decreased in right superior frontal gyms (orbital part) (P=0.00035,region survived critical FDR threshold for multiple comparisons),and left putamen (P=0.00054,region survived critical FDR threshold for multiple comparisons).Significant negative correlation was found between the betweenness centrality of left hippocampus and the course in the depression(r=0.50,P=0.016).Conclusion Both of the brain structural networks in depression patients and normal people have the property of small-worldness.But the central role of orbit frontal cortex and putamen in the transmission of information across the whole brain is declined,and the betweenness centrality of hippocampus is negatively related with the course in the depression.

OBJECTIVETo analyze the existence and the dynamic cell frequencies of human cells in goats transplanted in utero with human hematopoietic stem cell (hHSC) by using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique.

METHODSInterphase FISH (IFISH) with human-specific 17-chromosome satellite DNA and/or human-specific Y-chromosome satellite DNA as probes was performed to analyze the presence and proportions of human cells in 13 transplanted goats. Samples were peripheral blood cells, bone marrow smears and liver touch imprint preparations.

RESULTSOf the 13 transplanted goats, eleven were identified to present human cells. Among them, two goats transplanted with human male HSC were found to have human male cells. The results demonstrated that these transplanted goats were human/goat HSC xenogeneic chimeras. Human cell frequencies decreased with the goat age (months), but the longest survival reached 21 months. During the detected life periods of goats, human cell frequencies in peripheral blood, bone marrow and liver tissues were less than 1@1000, but local human cell frequencies of 207.92@1000 and 392.41@1000 were detected in the liver tissues of 2 transplanted goats.

CONCLUSIONSThe existence and long-term survival of human cells in transplanted goats detected by FISH indicated that goats were appropriate recipients for hHSC in utero transplantation. The lower human cell frequencies in blood and bone marrow, and the higher local human cell frequencies in liver tissues suggested that the microenvironment of goat liver tissues might favor the survival, proliferation and differentiation of human cells.

Animals ; Female ; Goats ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Male ; Transplantation, Heterologous ; Uterus ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy and action mechanism of acupuncture for ovulatory disorder infertility of ovarian induction period with clomiphene citrate (CC).

METHODSThrough retrospective analysis, 36 patients with ovulatory disorder infertility were divided into CC group (16 cases) and acupuoture group (20 cases) by method. The patients in the CC group were treated with oral administration of CC (50 mg) for 5 days from the 5th day of menstruation; based on the treatment of CC, patients in the acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture; the group A of acupoint was mainly consisted of acupoints of the conception vessel and the three meridians and front- acupoints in abdomen; the group B of acupoint was mainly consisted of acupoints of the governor vessel and back- acupoints. The two groups of the acupoints were selected alternately, combined with the -guan points (Taichong (LR 3)、Hegu (LI 4)) and five- points. The needles were inserted with flying needling method, and the needles were retained for 30 min per treatment; acupuncture was given once every other day. All the patients were treated for 2 months, and treatment stopped if pregnancy occurred. The pregnancy rate, cycle ovulation rate, maximum diameter of follicle, endometrial thickness and adverse effects were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThe pregnancy rate of the acupuncture group was 75.0% (15/20), which was superior to 37.5% (6/16) in the CC group (<0.05). The cycle ovulation rates of two groups were 70.4% (19/27, >0.05). The maximum diameter of follicle and the endometrium thickness in the acupuncture group were superior to those in the CC group (both <0.05). The incidence of adverse effects in the acupuncture group was 0% (0/20), which was lower than 18.8% (3/16) in the CC group (<0.05).

CONCLUSION acupuncture combined with CC could improve the quality of follicle and the receptivity of endometrium in patients with ovulatory disorder infertility, so as to improve the pregnancy rate, which could be used as a safe and effective means to cooperate with modern assisted reproductive technology.