OBJECTIVETo compare the differences in the efficacy on lower limb motor function in children with spastic cerebral palsy between the combined therapeutic program of Jin three-needle therapy and MOTOmed intelligent motor training and the simple MOTOmed.

METHODSEighty children with spastic cerebral palsy were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 40 cases in each group. In the observation group, Jin three-needle therapy was used at four mind points, three brain points, three intelligent points, three temporal points, three knee points and three foot points, as well as Chengjin (BL 56), Chengshen (BL 57) and the other. Additionally, MOTOmed was given in assistance with conventional rehabilitation training. In the control group, MOTOmed and the conventional rehabilitation training were adopted. In the two groups, the treatment was given once a day, 20 treatments made one session and there were 3 to 5 days at interval between the two sessions. The efficacy evaluation was performed after continuous 3 sessions of treatment. The gross motor function measure (GMFM) and modified Ashworth scale (MAS) were applied for the evaluation before and after treatment in the two groups.

RESULTSAfter 3 sessions of treatment, GMFM score was increased apparently as compared with that before treatment in the two groups (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). After treatment, GMFM score in the observation group was increased more remarkably than that in the control group (55.32 +/- 17.10 vs 47.48 +/- 17.18, P < 0.05). After treatment, the total effective rate of gastrocnemius Ashworth spasm grade [90.0% (36/40)] in the observation group was better apparently than [72.5% (29/40)] in the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe combined therapeutic program of Jin three-needle therapy and MOTOmet intelligent motor training improves the lower limb motor function of the children with spastic cerebral palsy and its efficacy is better than simple MOTOmed.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Cerebral Palsy ; physiopathology ; psychology ; therapy ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Lower Extremity ; physiopathology ; Male ; Motor Activity

Objective To explore the effect of different method in preventing broncho-pulmonary dysplasia(BPD) in very low birth weight infants(VLBWI) during mechanical ventilation.Methods The gestational age of 71 infants with VLBWI was (30?2) weeks and the average weight was (1235.2?160.6)g.The infants were randomly divided into three groups,they received different therapeutic regimens during mechanical ventilation:32 cases were treated with permissive hypercapnia(PHC) ventilation in group Ⅰ;20 cases were treated by intratracheal instillation of pulmonary surfactant(PS) in group Ⅱ;19 cases were treated by inhalation of becotide(beclomethasone dipropionate,BDP) in group Ⅲ.The ventilator settings,blood gas analysis,clinical symptoms and therapeutic effect were statistically analyzed and compared.Results The peak inspiratory pressure(PIP) and ventilation rate(VR) of ventilator parameter were (18.3?1.6)cmH_2O and (35?5)bpm in group Ⅰ,there was significantly lower than that in group Ⅱ and group Ⅲ(P0.05).The incidence of BPD was 16%(5/32) in group Ⅰ,5%(1/20) in group Ⅱ and 5%(1/19) in group Ⅲ;The mortality rate of PHC group(group Ⅰ) was 6%(2/32) and 5%(1/20) in group Ⅱ.Conclusion The application of permissive hypercapnia,intracheal instillation of pumlonary surfactant and inhalation of becotide all can prevent effectively the occurrence of severe broncho-pulmonary dysplasia in VLBWI during mechanical ventilation.

This study investigated the effect of epigenetic modification of maspin on extravillous trophoblastic function. The mRNA expression of maspin in placentae from normotensive and preeclamptic pregnant women was detected by RT-PCR. TEV-1 cells, a human first-trimester extravillous trophoblast cell line, were cultured and treated with CoCl(2) (300 μmol/L) to induce chemical hypoxia and with 5-aza (500 nmol/L) to induce demethylation. The mRNA expression of maspin in TEV-1 cells subjected to different treatments was determined by RT-PCR, and the proliferative and migratory abilities of TEV-1 cells were assessed by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and Transwell assays. Our results showed that the maspin mRNA expression level in placentae from preeclamptic women was much higher than that from normotensive women. CoCl(2) or 5-aza could up-regulate the mRNA expression of maspin and significantly suppress the proliferation and migration of TEV-1 cells. It was concluded that the epigenetic modification in promoter region of maspin contributes to incomplete trophoblast invasion, which offers a novel approach for predicting and treating placental dysfunction.

The quality markers (Q-markers) of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have become a topic of interest in TCM research in recent years. Nonetheless, there is still no consensus on how to scientifically characterize TCM Q-markers. Our study establishes an identification method for TCM Q-markers based on the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and the entropy weight comprehensive method. By constructing an evaluation system encompassing the target layer, the factor layer and the control layer, AHP can be used to analyze the weight of three core TCM quality attributes, including effectiveness, testability and specificity. Following that, the entropy weight method is employed to analyze the specific indicators for each attribute based on the literature and experimental data. Finally, the comprehensive weight of each index is obtained by combining the two weights, and the comprehensive weight and the specific value of each component is multiplied and summed to obtain the integrated score ranking, and thereby identify the TCM Q-markers. Taking Shaoyao Gancao decoction as an example, the analysis revealed that the top 8 components are as follows: paeoniflorin > quercetin > albiflorin > glycyrrhizic acid > naringenin > liquiritin > oxypaeoniflorin > benzoylpaeoniflorin, and can be identified as Q-markers of Shaoyao Gancao decoction. This study not only provides support for the establishment of quality standards and process quality control of TCM formulae, but also provides innovative ideas and methods for quantitative evaluation and accurate identification of TCM Q-markers.

OBJECTIVETo observe different effects of moxibustion on extracellular potassium ion in acupoint under physiological and pathological status and provide experimental evidence for exploring action mechanism of moxibustion on acupoint local.

METHODSForty female SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group, a blank-moxibustion group, a model group and a model-moxibustion group, 10 cases in each one. The complete Freund's adjuvant(CFA) was adopted to establish model of adjuvant arthritis (AA) in the model group and model-moxibustion group. No treatment was given in the blank group and model group while moxibustion was applied at "Zusan-li" (ST 36) for 30 min in the blank-moxibustion group and model-moxibustion group. The tissue fluid in "Zusanli" (ST 36) was collected with microdialysis and real-time analyzed by electrolytic analyzer. The change of concentration of potassium ion in "Zusanli" (ST 36) was observed.

RESULTS(1) Under physiological status, the concentration of extracellular potassium ion in the blank group was not changed within 150 min (P > 0.05); before the moxibustion, the concentration of extracellular potassium ion in the blank-moxibustion group was (1.21 +/- 0.31) mmol/L, and after treatment it was gradually increased and reached its peak at (2.38 +/- 0.42) mmol/L after 60 min (P < 0.05), then it was reduced. 150 min after the treatment, concentration of potassium ion was slightly higher than that before moxibustion as well as that in the blank group. The concentration in the blank-moxibustion group at 60 min was statistically significant compared with that in the blank group (P < 0.05). (2) Under pathological status, the concentration of extracellular potassium ion in the model group was not changed within 150 min, differences of which at each time point was not statistically significant (all P > 0.05). Before the moxibustion, the concentration of extracellular potassium ion was (1.09 +/- 0.12) mmol/L in the model-moxibustion group, and it was immediately increased to (1.96 +/- 0.18) mmol/L after moxibustion. 60 min and 90 min after the moxibustion, it still maintained a higher level, which was (1.87 +/- 0.29) mmol/L and (1.59 +/- 0.16) mmol/L respectively (both P < 0.05). The differences of each time point after moxibustion in the model-moxibustion group were statistically significant compared with those in the model group (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe moxibustion could increase the concentration of potassium ion in rat's acupoint local under physiological status but time of effect is short; with moxibustion at "Zusanli" (ST 36) under pathological status, the concentration of local potassium ion is obviously increased and maintains for a long time.

Acupuncture Points ; Animals ; Arthritis, Experimental ; metabolism ; therapy ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; Potassium ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Abdomen ; Hernia ; Humans ; Prostheses and Implants ; Prosthesis Implantation ; Treatment Outcome

This paper summarized the characteristics, rehabilitation needs, and situation and problems of stroke dysfunction in China. Approaches and methods of family rehabilitation were also discussed.

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical effects of Linda Mixture (LM) on cholestatic liver diseases caused by cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection.

METHODSTotally 240 CMV infected cholestatic liver diseases infants, who were hospitalized at the Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Wuhan Children's Hospital from January 2008 to June 2011, were randomly assigned to the treatment group (120 cases) and the control group (120 cases). Patients in the treatment group were treated by LM combined ganciclovir, while those in the control group were treated by ganciclovir alone. The therapeutic course was 2 months. The patients were assigned to 3 sub-groups according to the quantification standards of symptoms and signs, i. e., the No. 1 treatment group (mild, 30 cases), the No. 1 control group (mild, 30 cases), the No. 2 treatment group (moderate, 30 cases), the No. 2 control group (moderate, 30 cases), the No. 3 treatment group (severe, 30 cases), the No. 1 control group (severe, 30 cases). The clinically cured rate and the total effective rate, the jaundice subside time, the retraction time for Gan and Pi, the body weight growth, the indices of the liver function, and lab indices of CMV infection were observed before and after treatment.

RESULTSAfter treatment the cured rate was 77.50% and the total effective rate was 88.33% in the treatment group, while they were 60.83% and 76.67% in the control group. There was statistical difference between the two group (P<0.05, P<0.01). There was some improvement in the jaundice subside time, the retraction time for Gan and Pi, the body weight growth, the indices of the liver function in the two groups. Better results were obtained in the treatment group than in the control group, showing statistical difference (P<0.05, P<0.01). The lab indices of CMV infection showed negative to some degrees. The negative rates of serum IgM (83.54% in the treatment group and 63. 64% in the control group) and the serum CMVDNA (84.52% in the treatment group and 67.47% in the control group) were better in the treatment group than in the control group, showing statistical difference (P<0.01). There was no obvious difference in the negative rate of CMV antigen in urine between the two groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSLM combined ganciclovir therapy showed definite effects in treating cholestatic liver diseases caused by CMV infection. Early treatment for severe infants might change their prognosis. LM also could alleviate adverse reactions during the therapeutic course.

Cholestasis ; complications ; drug therapy ; virology ; Cytomegalovirus Infections ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Ganciclovir ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Infant ; Liver Diseases ; drug therapy ; etiology ; virology ; Male ; Phytotherapy

Objective To evaluate the clinical application of Vater ampulla-duodenal conjunction resection in the treatment of periampullary carcinoma. Methods From January 2005 to July 2006, 15 patients underwent this modus operandi, including carcinoma of duodenal papilla (6 cases), Vater ampulla (5 cases) and lower part of common bile duct (4 cases). The descending part of duodenum, Vater ampulla, head of pancreas and common bile duct were excised en bloc followed by reconstruction of GI conduit. Result One patient died of stress ulcer 2 months postoperatively, the 14 patients recovered uneventfully without any major complications, and 3-16 months follow-up found no tumor recurrence. Conclusion Vater ampulla-duodenal conjunction resection as a new surgical procedure provides enough tumor margin clearance while causing less trauma than standard pancreatoduodenectomy in selected cases of periampullary carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have showed that apoptosis of endothelial cells plays a curial role in the progress of sepsis. But the role of simvastatin in apoptosis of endothelial cells induced by sepsis is not clear. The present study aimed to investigate the role of simvastatin in apoptosis of endothelial cells induced by sepsis and its mechanism. METHODS: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were randomly divided into three groups: control group, sepsis serum intervention group (sepsis group) and simvastatin+sepsis serum intervention group (simvastatin group). After 24-hour incubation with corresponding culture medium, the relative growth rate of HUVECS in different groups was detected by MTT assay; the apoptosis of HUVECs was detected by Hoechst33258 assay and flow cytometry; and the expression of the Bcl-2 and Bax genes of HUVECs was detected by PCR. RESULTS: Compared with the sepsis group, HUVECs in the simvastatin group had a higher relative growth rate. Apoptotic HUVECs decreased significantly in the simvastatin group in comparison with the sepsis group. Expression of the Bcl-2 gene in HUVECs decreased obviously, but the expression of the Bax gene increased obviously after 24-hour incubation with sepsis serum;however, the expression of the Bcl-2 and Bax genes was just the opposite in the simvastatin group. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that simvastatin can inhibit apoptosis of endothelial cells induced by sepsis through upregulating the expression of Bcl-2 and downregulating Bax. It may be one of the mechanisms for simvastatin to treat sepsis.