Objective To study the effect of health education on compliance of patients undergoing anticoagulant therapy after cardiac valve replacement? Methods One hundred and six patients undergoing anticoagulant therapy after cardiac valve replacement received enhanced health education after cardiac valve replacement? A self-designed questionnaire was used to investigate their treatment compliance and mastery of related knowledge pre-and postoperatively? Result The mastery of the knowledge related to anticoagulant therapy and the compliance were significantly improved compared to pre-health education(bothP < 0?05)? Conclusion The health education may improve the recognition of anti-coagulant therapy as well as compliance of patients?

Objective To investigate the effects of the routine needle-withdrawing method and improved needle-withdrawing method? Methods One hundred patients undergoing intravenous transfusion were randomized into the control group and the improvement group (255 times of transfusion ), with 50 cases in each group: the former was treated with routine needle-withdrawing method and the latter with the improved method? Complications after needle-withdruing were compared between the two groups? Result The rates of pains, subcutaneous bleeding or bleeding at the puncture points in the improvement group were all significantly lower than those of the control group (P<0?001)? Conclusion The improved needle-withdrawing method is effective in reducing the rate of post-withdrawal complications and improve the safety of intravenous transfusion?

Objective To investigate the effect of health education on enhanced curative effect of motor imagination therapy of patients with hyperbaric oxygen(HBO). Methods Thirty patients undergoing HBO combined with motor imagination therapy were given health education including contents of motor imagination,time for motor imagination,intervention of bad emotions and time for motor imagination after leaving the treatment cabin.The understanding of motor imagination-associated knowledge after education was compared to that before education. Results The understanding of motor imagination-associated knowledge after education was significantly better than before education(χ2=9.017,P=0.003). Conclusion Health education may help improve the curative effect of hypterbaric oxygen treatment(HBO)by way of improving the understanding of motor imagination-related knowledge.

Objective To evaluate the effect of dexmedetomidine on Toll-like receptor 4 ( TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor 88 ( MyD88)/nuclear factor Kappa B ( NF-κB) signaling pathway in the pe-ripheral blood mononuclear cells of elderly patients with diabetes mellitus undergoing lower extremity surger-y. Methods Forty elderly patients of both sexes with type 2 diabetes mellitus, aged 65-80 yr, with body mass index of 18. 5-27. 9 kg/m2 , of American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status Ⅱ or Ⅲ, with New York Heart Association Ⅰ or Ⅱ, undergoing lower extremity surgery with tourniquets under general anesthesia, were divided into 2 groups ( n=20 each) by using a random number table method: control group ( group C) and dexmedetomidine group ( group D) . Combined intravenous-inhalational anesthesia was applied. Dexmedetomidine was infused over 15 min in a dose of 1μg/kg after induction of anesthesia, fol-lowed by a continuous infusion of 0. 5 μg·kg-1 ·h-1 until the end of surgery in group D, while the equal volume of normal saline was given instead of dexmedetomidine in group C. Before using the the tourniquet and at 15 min, 1 h and 24 h after loosing the tourniquet, arterial blood samples were collected for determi-nation of the expression of TLR4, NF-κB and MyD88 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and concentra-tions of tumor necrosis factor-alpha ( TNF-α) , interleukin-1β ( IL-1β) , cardiac troponin I ( cTnI ) and creatine kinase-MB ( CK-MB) in plasma. Results Compared with group C, the expression of TLR4, NF-κB and MyD88 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was significantly down-regulated, and the concentra-tions of TNF-α, IL-1β, cTnI and CK-MB in plasma were decreased at each time point after loosing the tourniquet in group D ( P＜0. 05) . Conclusion The mechanism by which dexmedetomidine reduces myo-cardial damage may be related to inhibiting TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway and reducing systemic inflammatory responses in elderly patients with diabetes mellitus undergoing lower extremity surgery.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Previous research has shown maternal betaine supplementation alleviates fetal-derived hepatic steatosis. Therefore, this study examined the anti-inflammatory effect of maternal betaine intake in offspring mice and its mechanism.MATERIALS/METHODS: Female C57BL/6J mice and their offspring were randomly divided into 3 groups according to the treatment received during gestation and lactation: control diet (CD), fatty liver disease (FLD), and fatty liver disease + 1% betaine (FLD-BET). The FLD group was given a high-fat diet and streptozotocin (HFD + STZ), and the FLD-BET group was treated with HFD + STZ + 1% betaine. After weaning, the offspring mice were given a normal diet for 5 weeks and then dissected to measure the relevant indexes. RESULTS: Compared to the CD group, the offspring mice in the FLD group revealed obvious hepatic steatosis and increased serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, interleukin (IL)-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α; maternal betaine supplementation reversed these changes. The hepatic mRNA expression levels of IL-6, IL-18, and Caspase-1 were significantly higher in the FLD group than in the CD group. Maternal betaine supplementation reduced the expression of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing C-terminal caspase recruitment domain (ASC). Maternal betaine supplementation also reversed the increasing protein expressions of nitric oxide dioxygenase-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), ASC, Caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18 in offspring mice exposed to HFD + STZ. Maternal betaine supplementation decreased the homocysteine (Hcy) and s-adenosine homocysteine (SAH) levels significantly in the livers. Furthermore, the hepatic Hcy concentrations showed significant inverse relationships with the mRNA expression of TNF-α, NLRP3, ASC, and IL-18. The hepatic SAH concentration was inversely associated with the IL-1β mRNA expression. CONCLUSIONS The lipotropic and anti-inflammatory effect of maternal betaine supplementation may be associated with the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome in the livers of the offspring mice.