OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of acupuncture at "Tianshu" (ST 25) on electro-activity and mechanical motility at different phases of migrating motor complex (MMC) during jejunal digestion period in rats with detached jejunum, so as to explore the effect and mechanism of acupuncture on regulating intestinal movement.

METHODSSixteen adult SD rats were selected. Electrodes were implanted in the serous membrane of intestinal smooth muscl.e and high-sensitivity sensors of strain gauge were sutured on serosal surface, and then the rat was anesthetized and its jejunum was detached. Electro-acriviry and mechanical motility of jejunal smooth muscle were recorded simultaneously. Acupuncture was applied at "Tianshu" (ST 25) at MMC I , MMCII and MMC III, respectively, to observe its influence on electro-activity and mechanical motility.

RESULTSAt phase of MMC I, there was no obvious change of the fast wave before and after the acupuncture, while the frequency and amplitude of slow wave and mechanical motility were both significantly decreased compared with baseline (P < 0.01). At MMCII-Ill, the frequency and amplitude of fast wave, slow wave and motility were all significantly decreased compared with baseline (P < 0.01). Acupuncture at "Tianshu" (ST 25) had prohibited effects on electro-activity and mechanical motility of jejunal smooth muscle in rats with detached jejunum.

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture at "Tianshu" (ST 25) has obvious prohibited effects on electro-acrivity and mechanical motility at MMC I , MMC II and MMC III time phases in rats with detached jejunum. The possible mechanism is that acupuncture at "Tianshu" (ST 25) could prohibit jejunum movement through reflex path of skin-sympathetic.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Animals ; Digestion ; Electrophysiological Phenomena ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Humans ; Jejunum ; chemistry ; physiology ; Male ; Myoelectric Complex, Migrating ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective: To explore the clinical efficacy of Chinese and western integrative medicine (TCM-WM) in treating repeatedly recurrent chronic pyelonephritis (CPN) and its therapeutic mechanism. Methods: Ninety-one repeatedly recurrent CPN patients were randomly divided into 2 groups, the control group (45 cases) treated with sufficient amount of sensitive antibiotics and other WM, the treated group (46 cases) treated with above-mentioned WM complemented with TCM syndrome differentiation (SD). Results: In the treated group completely cured was 14 cases (30.4%), markedly effective 14 cases (30.4%), the total effective rate was 91.3%; while that of the control group was 4 (8.9%), 5 (11.1%), and 48.9% respectively, (P<0.05) and (P<0.01); the mean days of urinary bacteria and urinary routine negative conversion were in the treated group 19.6±12.6 days and 24.3±11.5 days, obviously shorter than those of the control group (35.6±14.6 days and 53.6±16.4 days), P<0.01; the various symptoms of the treated group improved or disappeared in a short time, while in the control group a few patients improved in a longer period (P<0.01); the various immune parameters improved in the treated group, while in the control group only IgA was elevated to some extent (P<0.05), in comparing these data, the difference was significant (P<0.01). Conclusion: The TCM-WM integrative treatment could obviously raise the clinical efficacy, accelerate the symptom improvement, and enhance the immune function.

OBJECTIVE To study the isolation and resistance tendency of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii to antimicrobial agents from 1998 to 2004 to provide valuable data for infection prevention and therapy. METHODS We reviewed the isolation rates,distribution in clinical specimens and wards,and the resistance rates of(A.calcoaceticus-baumannii)to 14 kinds of antimicrobial agents from 1998 to 2004. RESULTS There was an increasing tendency of isolation rates of A.calcoaceticus-baumannii every year,which was 0.18% in 1998 but 1.48% in 2004.In the seven years,there was the highest isolation rate of 70.58% in specimens from respiratory tract,the next was from the urine(9.42%),and blood(4.63%).Concerning the wards distribution,ICU had the highest rate of 47.28%.In 1998,A.calcoaceticus-baumannii had resistance rates more than 50% only to one kind of antimicrobial agents(aztreonam),but in 2004,it had increased to thirteen kinds(except cefoperazone/sulbactam).About the fourteen kinds of antimicrobial agents we inspected,that were increased in their resistance rate.The highest increasing of resistance rate was ceftazidime from 11.1% in 1998 to 88.9% in 2004,the imipenem was second for 0.0% to 64.8%,and the third was sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim form 0.0% to 64.0%,while there still was an increasing resistance tendency to them. CONCLUSIONS The clinical isolation rate of A.calcoaceticus-baumannii is increasing,and it has higher resistance rates to many antimicrobial agents as well as an increasing resistance tendency to relatively susceptive antimicrobial agents every year.So physicians should prescribe on the basis of antimicrobial agents susceptibility tests in vitro.

Objective To investigate the state of drinking water defluorination project in Dagang district and study urinary fluoride levels and detect dental fluorosis of children aged 8 to 12, and to provide scientific basis for prevention and control of fluorosis. Methods Five defluorination projects in rural streets (towns) with highfluoride water and 2 urban water supply projects were choosen to investigate the running status in Dagang district Tianjin in 2009. Five rural and 2 urban schools were choosen to select 100 children aged 8 to 12 (for gender, age matched) in each primary school to study urinary fluoride levels and detection of dental fluorosis. Results A total of 66 defluorination projects in 73 villages were surveyed, among which 61 projects actually worked normally with using rate 92.4%(61/66). Water qualification of all projects could not be ensured due to direct project managers'lack of necessary expertise. In 2009, water qualification rate were 39.3%(24/61 )among the project normally used,with highlighted problem of biological pollution. A total of 490 children aged 8 - 12 in 5 rural towns were surveyed,dental fluorosis rate were 90%(441/490), and dental fluorosis index were 1.82. A total of 207 children aged 8 - 12in 2 urban areas were surveyed, the detection rate of dental fluorosis was 49.8%(103/207), and dental fluorosis index were 0.86. The urinary fluoride level of 230 children aged 8 - 12 in the 5 villages were surveyed. The Range of geometric mean of urinary fluoride were 1.82 - 2.70 mg/L. The urinary fluoride of 102 children aged 8 - 12 in the 2 urban area were surveyed. The Range of geometric mean of urinary fluoride were 1.53 - 1.72 mg/L. Conclusions There was phenomenon of high coverage, low utilization rate and less water consumption in the villages of Dagang district, Tianjin drinking water defluoridation projects, thus the health effects of the projects was minimum.Significant health effects is found in the defluorination projects in the urban areas with high coverage and high utilization rate. Studying new water improvment methods and new forms of water supply system is urgent for solving the problems met in the ineffective water defluorination project.

Objective To investigate the expression of Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) on dendritic cells(DCs) derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs) of chronic hepatitis B(CHB) patients and to explore the mechanism of sustained infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Methods Twenty CHB patients were randomly screened in the study,and ten healthy persons were recruited as controls.The monocytes isolated from peripheral blood of candidates were incubated with recombinant human granuloeyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rhGM-CSF) and rhIL-4 to induce the DCs generation and proliferation.Then the phenotype of DCs was identified by micro- scope.The expressions of the phenotypes[histocompatibility leukocyte antigen(HLA)-DR,CD80, CD86,CD83]of immature and mature DCs were measured by flow cytometer.Furthermore,the ex- pression of TLR3 on mature DCs(mDC) and immature DCs(imDC) was determined by flow cytometry and Western blot analysis respectively.Results As for healthy volunteers,the expressions of CD80, CD86,HLA-DR and CD83 on DCs at the 7th day,which were(82.35?8.67)%,(79.61?10.08)%, (92.79?8.48)% and (83.76?5.47)% respectively,were significantly higher than those at the 5th day which were(28.31?8.79) %,(31.17?11.23)%,(27.61?10.28)% and (23.46?11.53)% respec- tively(P0.05).The expression of TLR3 on imDC was significantly higher than that on mDC at control group (P0.05).And the expression of TLR3 on imDC in CHB patients group was significantly lower than that of control group(P

The shape and structure of granules are controlled by the granulation process, which is one of the main factors to determine the nature of the solid dosage forms. In this article, three kinds of granules of a traditional Chinese medicine for improving appetite and promoting digestion, namely, Jianwei Granules, were prepared using granulation technologies as pendular granulation, high speed stirring granulation, and fluidized bed granulation and the powder properties of them were investigated. Meanwhile, synchrotron radiation X-ray computed micro tomography (SR-µCT) was applied to quantitatively determine the irregular internal structures of the granules. The three-dimensional (3D) structure models were obtained by 3D reconstruction, which were more accurately to characterize the three-dimensional structures of the particles through the quantitative data. The models were also used to quantitatively compare the structural differences of granules prepared by different granulation processes with the same formula, so as to characterize how the production process plays a role in the pharmaceutical behaviors of the granules. To focus on the irregularity of the particle structure, the box counting method was used to calculate the fractal dimensions of the granules. The results showed that the fractal dimension is more sensitive to reflect the minor differences in the structure features than the conventional parameters, and capable to specifically distinct granules in structure. It is proved that the fractal dimension could quantitatively characterize the structural information of irregular granules. It is the first time suggested by our research that the fractal dimension difference (Df,c) between two fractal dimension parameters, namely, the volume matrix fractal dimension and the surface matrix fractal dimension, is a new index to characterize granules with irregular structures and evaluate the effects of production processes on the structures of granules as a new indicator for the granulating process control and optimization.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Fractals ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Powders ; Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship ; Synchrotrons ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETachycardia induced cardiomyopathy (TIC), secondary to various tachyarrhythmias, is a reversible condition which can lead to cardiac enlargement and heart failure. The impairment of both structure and function of heart can be reverted completely or partially if tachyarrhythmias are ceased without delay. This study aimed to explore the clinical characteristics, therapeutic regimen and outcome of TIC in children.

METHODSClinical data of 12 children with TIC, who came from Peking University First Hospital from Feb. 2003 to Jun. 2009, were retrospectively analyzed and followed up. The echocardiogram data on admission were compared with those from 12 homochronous cases with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy matched with 12 TIC cases in age and gender.

RESULTSAtrial tachycardia is the commonest arrhythmia in 12 TIC cases (75%). Four cases underwent catheterization for radiofrequency ablation and all succeeded. The cardiac rhythm of 6 out of 8 cases treated with drugs became sinus rhythm after 3 days to 2 weeks antiarrhythmic drugs treatment. The remaining 2 cases still retained atrial rhythm, but the ventricular heart rates declined to normal. The left ventricular end-diastolic dimensions of the 12 cases were decreased compared with those of pretherapy [(37.5 ± 5.3) mm vs. (43.0 ± 5.7) mm, P < 0.01], and the left ventricular ejection fractions were increased [(60.5% ± 5.6%) vs. (33.7% ± 10.3%), P < 0.01], after (3.4 ± 2.3) months. In our (4.3 ± 2.4) year-follow-up, all cases were fine, except in one case the tachyarrhythmia relapsed because of discontinuation of the drug treatment by her parents. The left ventricular end-diastolic dimensions in 12 TIC cases were smaller than those of the 12 age- and gender-matched idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy [(43.0 ± 5.7) mm vs. (54.8 ± 7.5) mm, t = 7.9, P < 0.01], and the ejection fractions were higher [(33.7% ± 10.3%) vs. (21.8% ± 7.5%), t = 3.7, P < 0.01].

CONCLUSIONThe diagnosis of TIC should be considered for the children with tachycardia, cardiac enlargement and cardiac insufficiency. The degree of cardiac enlargement and cardiac insufficiency might be of value for the differential diagnosis between TIC and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. The rhythm control and ventricular rates control could all result in a favorite therapeutic efficacy.

Cardiomyopathies ; diagnosis ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated ; diagnosis ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Tachycardia ; diagnosis

Objective: To summarize the clinical application patterns in acupuncture-moxibustion treatment of AD by reviewing the clinical literatures on acupuncture-moxibustion for Alzheimer disease (AD) published between January 2009 and December 2019. Methods: China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Academic Journal Full-text Database (Wanfang), Chongqing VIP Database (CQVIP), Chinese Medicine Acupuncture-moxibustion Information Database, PubMed Medical Data Retrieval Service System, Springer Database and Ovid Technologies (OVID) were retrieved to screen clinical studies of acupuncture-moxibustion treatment of AD according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria to conduct quantitative, clustering and association analyses. Results: In acupuncture-moxibustion treatment of AD, the frequently used points were Baihui (GV 20), Zusanli (ST 36), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Taixi (KI 3), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), and Neiguan (PC 6) in the descending order. Regarding meridians, the most frequently used one was the Governor Vessel, followed by the Stomach Meridian of Foot Yangming and Gallbladder Meridian of Foot Shaoyang. From the perspective of body regions, the points in the head-face region and the lower-limb region had the highest frequencies, followed by the upper-limb, back and chest-abdomen regions. The point group, Baihui (GV 20) and Sishencong (EX-HN 1)-Neiguan (PC 6)-Sanyinjiao (SP 6), showed the most significant association, and the group winning the second place was Baihui (GV 20) and Sishencong (EX-HN 1)-Neiguan (PC 6)- Zusanli (ST 36). The clustering analysis showed that the commonly used point pairs included Zusanli (ST 36)-Sishencong (EX-HN 1) and Taixi (KI 3)-Sanyinjiao (SP 6), which were closely associated with Baihui (GV 20). By analyzing the three commonly used acupuncture-moxibustion methods, acupuncture plus medication was found achieving the best result in the total effective rate and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score, followed by monotherapy of electroacupuncture therapy, and these two methods were superior to acupuncture alone (P<0.05); the scores of MMSE, Alzheimer disease assessment scale-cognitive section (ADAS-cog) and activity of daily living scale (ADL) showed significant improvements after treatment (all P<0.01). Conclusion: In the acupuncture-moxibustion prescriptions for AD, the main points are Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Neiguan (PC 6), Zusanli (ST 36), Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Taixi (KI 3). Monotherapy of acupuncture has the highest frequency amongst the treatment methods, but its effective rate is lower than that of acupuncture plus medication and monotherapy of electroacupuncture.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the molecular mechanism of Glanzmann thrombasthenia (GT). METHODS: All 45 exons of alphaIIb and beta3 subunit genes as well as their splicing sites were amplified by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) with 40 primer pairs, and then the PCR products were used to screen the gene mutation by single strand conformation polymorphism-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SSCP-PAGE). The mutation was further confirmed by direct DNA sequencing. RESULTS: A DNA band alterated migration was detected after SSCP-PAGE. DNA sequencing showed that a base deletion within the band at the site of 540 in GPIIb gene(540A) was found. CONCLUSION The frame-shift mutation caused by the deletion of 540A in GPIIb gene is a novel mutation which is a genetic defect in patients with GT.
Base Sequence ; Child, Preschool ; Exons ; genetics ; Frameshift Mutation ; genetics ; Gene Deletion ; Humans ; Integrin beta3 ; genetics ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Platelet Membrane Glycoprotein IIb ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Thrombasthenia ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the phenotypes and functions of peripheral blood monocyte derived dendritic cells (DC) of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with different HBV DNA loads.

METHODSTwenty-eight CHB patients were included in this study. All patients were treated with nucleoside analogues (lamivudine or LdT or adefovir) for 24 weeks. Peripheral blood HBV DNA loads and liver biopsies were assessed before and after the treatment. The patients were divided into two groups according to their peripheral blood HBV DNA loads: a high-load group with HBV DNA loads higher than 10(5) copies/ml, and a low-load group with HBV DNA loads lower than 10(3) copies/ml. Ten healthy people were included as controls. Peripheral blood DC of each subject was enriched. The phenotypes of DC were subjected to flow cytometric analysis. The lymphocyte allo-stimulatory capacity of DC was evaluated through MTT assay. IL-10 and IL-12 production were quantified by ELISA.

RESULTSDC proliferated successfully when stimulated by cytokines in vitro; however, DC of the CHB patients proliferated much slower than those of the healthy controls. The expression of DC surface molecules such as HLA-DR, CD86, CD80 and CD83 had a positive rate of over 80% in the normal population. However in our CHB patients they showed lower than normal expressions, especially the HLA-DR, CD86, CD80 and CD83, but the differences were not significant between the two groups with different virus loads. The stimulatory capacity of the DC in mixed lymphocyte reaction showed no difference between the two groups of patients, but both were lower than that of the healthy controls. The production of IL-12 and IL-10 also decreased significantly in the patients.

CONCLUSIONSPeripheral DC of CHB patients have some defects in their phenotypes and their stimulatory capacity. The changes in phenotypes and down-regulation of the functions are not relevant to peripheral HBV DNA loads of the patients.

Adult ; Dendritic Cells ; immunology ; metabolism ; Female ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; immunology ; virology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phenotype ; Viral Load ; Young Adult