Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; Antitubercular Agents ; therapeutic use ; Coal Mining ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Ofloxacin ; therapeutic use ; Pneumoconiosis ; complications ; Silicotuberculosis ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic effect of needle-pricking (NP) for treatment of anejaculation (AE), and its influences on sex hormone levels.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty-two AE patients were randomized into the treated group (62 patients) treated with NP applied mainly on bilateral points of sacral plexus and para-vertebra L1, every 5 days; and the control group (60 patients) treated orally with L-dopa and ephedrine 1 h before sexual intercourse. The therapeutic course for both was 45 days. Changes of clinical conditions and blood sex hormones levels were observed.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 82.3% (51/62) in the treated group, which was significantly higher than that in the control group, 58.3% (35/60, P < 0.05); levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol (E2) were improved significantly in the treated group after treatment (P < 0.01), but in the control group no significant change of FSH was shown, and the improvement of LH and FSH was inferior to that in the treated group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONNP could improve the clinical symptoms and adjust the blood levels of sex hormone in patients with AE, showing an effect better than L-dopa plus ephedrine in increasing LH and FSH levels.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Estradiol ; blood ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Gonadal Steroid Hormones ; blood ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Young Adult

Animals ; Cell Culture Techniques ; methods ; Cell Separation ; methods ; Culture Media ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; Respiratory System ; cytology ; Swine

To select the most effective parameters of electroacupuncture (EA) at Hegu (LI4) and Sanyinjiao (SP6), a traditional acupuncture formula that induces labor, by comparing its effects on uterine contraction in late-stage pregnant rats, so as to improve the effects of acupuncture on induction of labor and its clinical maneuverability and provide the basis for further mechanism research.

With more and more attention and investment on acupuncture scientific researches, considerable outcomes and achievements has been acquired, but the shortcoming of low transformation rate of acupuncture research achievements is gradually exposed. Nowadays there is no related report on this problem, so based on achievement translational research in other areas and practical situation of acupuncture, the existing problems and solutions are analyzed. As a result, the existing problems include (1) the research content is mainly basic research and clinical research but less acupuncture device research, leading to limited transformation efficiency; (2) the evaluation system and transformation pattern are still needed to be perfect. The solutions are (1) to properly evaluate the research achievements of acupuncture, (2) to advocate the concept and method of translational medicine, (3) to reform the policy and system, and (4) to establish valid platforms covering research, outcomes and transformation.
Acupuncture ; economics ; legislation & jurisprudence ; manpower ; Biomedical Research ; Biotechnology ; economics ; legislation & jurisprudence ; manpower ; China ; Humans ; Technology Transfer

AIM:Chronic heart failure (CHF), caused by ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) and nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM), is among the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide .Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6) plays a criti-cal role in regulating Wnt signaling .Dysregulated Wnt signaling contributes to high incidence of arrhythmias .Thus, there might be an association between genetic variations of LRP6 and sudden cardiac death ( SCD) .The objective of the study was to examine the associ-ation between common variants of LRP6 and prognosis of CHF patients .METHODS:From July 2005 to December 2009, patients with CHF referred from 10 hospitals and participants without structural heart disease in China were undergone a prospective study .The sin-gle-nucleotide polymorphism rs 2302684 was selected to evaluate the effect of LRP6 polymorphisms on the survival of the patients .RE-SULTS:A total of 1 887 patients (1 437 with CHF and 450 in the control group)were finally enrolled for the analysis.During a medi-an follow-up of 61 months, a total of 546 (38.00%) patients died, including 201(36.81%) cases with SCD and 345 (63.19%) ca-ses with NSCD.No end point event occurred in the control group .Patients carrying A allele of rs2302684 had increased risks of all-cause death (P<0.01) and SCD (P<0.01).After adjusted for the other risk factors , the associations remained significant in all-cause death (P<0.01) and SCD (P<0.01).In patients with CHF caused by ICM , those carrying A allele of rs2302684 also had in-creased risks of all-cause death (P<0.01) and SCD (P<0.01).After adjusted for the other risk factors , the associations remained significant in all-cause death (P<0.01) and SCD (P<0.01).However, there was no association between A allele of rs 2302684 and prognosis in patients with CHF caused by NICM .CONCLUSION:The SNP rs2302684 T>A in LRP6 is associated with an increased risk of all-cause death and SCD in patients with CHF in Chinese Han population , and the association is more prevalent in patients with CHF caused by ICM.Thus, LRP6 might be added as a novel predictor of SCD and could provide an attractive and direct therapeutic target in SCD prevention .

Objective To explore protective effect of topiramate (TPM) and folic acid (FA) on mitochondrial damage in hippocampal CA3 neurons during pentylenetetrazol- induced kindling in immature rats.Methods Pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) - induced kindling in rats was used to establish rat models of epilepsy.Forty-eight 3-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: two therapy groups with TPM 40 mg/(kg?d) or TPM 40 mg/(kg?d) and FA 5 mg/(kg?d) administration, 2 control groups (positive control group and negative control group) with the equal amount of distilled water administration. The seizure behaviors of rats were evaluated. Two months later, the rats were killed and the brain sections were made. The mitochondrial ultrastructures of neurons in hippocampal CA3 region were observed with transmission electron microscope.Results In the positive control group, the frequency of seizure was (48.4 ? 3.7)times, while in TPM group (44.3 ? 3.1)times and in TPM and FA group(40.8 ? 3 .7)times.The differences were significant among three groups (Pa

Objective To investigate the clinical,neuroimaging and myopathological features of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes(MELAS).Methods The clinical manifestations,neuroimaging and myopathological features of 31 patients with MELAS diagnosed in our Neuromuscular Center in the recent 7 years were retrospectively analyzed.A3243G point mutations were analyzed by RFLP method in 10 patients.Results ①Clinical features:There were 18 male patients and 13 female patients.The age of onset ranged from 3 to 43 years,averaging 21.9 years.The averaged duration was 4.9 years.Thirteen patients in this group had family history of maternal inheritance pattern.The main clinical manifestations included short stature(26 patients),recurrent headache and vomiting(24 patients), muscle weakness(22 patients),epileptic seizure(21 patients),cognitive decline(19 patients),visual disturbance(17 patients),sensorineural deafness(16 patients),ataxia(6 patients),psychiatric symptom (8 patients),external ophathalmoplegia(2 patients)and diabetes mellitus(9 patients).The serum CK level was slightly elevated in 6 patients,and the fasting blood lactic acid was increased in 15 of the 18 detected patients.②Neuroimaging features:The stroke-like lesions were mostly confined to cerebral cortex, including temporal lobe(24 patients),occipital lobe(21 patients),parietal lobe(12 patients)and frontal lobe(4 patients).Three patients had deep white matter involvement.Migrating stroke-like lesions were confirmed in 4 patients by repeated cranial CT/MRI examination.In addition,cerebral atrophy(17 patients)and bilateral basilar ganglion calcification(11 patients)were found.③Myopathological features: Scattered ragged red fibers(RRF)in various number were found in all the patients by MGT staining.Other founding included strongly SDH-reactive blood vessel(27 patients),COX enzyme deficiency(19 patients), and mild to moderate lipid storage in RRF(20 patients).④MtDNA analysis showed 9 patients with A3243G point mutation in all the detected 13 patients.Conclusion The clinical and neuroimaging features may offer important clue to the diagnosis of MELAS,but a definite diagnosis of MELAS relies on the myopathology and mtDNA mutation analysis.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate clinical effect and safety of floating needle therapy and duloxetine in treating patients with persistent somatoform pain disorder (PSPD).

METHODSTotally 108 PSPD patients were randomly assigned to the floating needle treatment group, the duloxetine treatment group, and the placebo treatment group, 36 in each group. Patients in the floating needle treatment group received floating needle therapy and placebo. Those in the duloxetine treatment group received duloxetine and simulated floating needle therapy. Those in the placebo treatment group received the placebo and simulated floating needle therapy. All treatment lasted for six weeks. Efficacy and adverse reactions were evaluated using Simple McGill pain scale (SF-MPQ) and Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale (TESS) before treatment and immediately after treatment, as well as at the end of 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 6th week of treatment, respectively. Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD, 17 items), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) were assessed before treatment and at the end of 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 6th week of treatment, respectively. Patients in the floating needle treatment group and the duloxetine treatment group with the total reducing score rate of SF-MPQ in Pain Rating index (PRI) ≥ 50% after 6 weeks' treatment were involved in the follow-up study.

RESULTS(1) Compared with the same group before treatment, SF-MPQ score, HAMD score and HAMA total scores all decreased in all the three groups at the end of 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 6th week of treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Besides , each item of SF-MPQ significantly decreased immediately after treatment in the floating needle treatment group (P < 0.01). Compared with the placebo treatment group, SF-MPQ, HAMD, and HAMA total score in the floating needle treatment group significantly decreased after 1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks of treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). SF-MPQ score, HAMD score and HAMA total score in the duloxetine treatment group also significantly decreased after 2, 4, and 6 weeks of treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). (2) There were 3 patients (8.3%) who had adverse reactions in the floating needle treatment group, 17 (50.0%) in the duloxetine treatment group, and 7 (21.2%) in the placebo treatment group. Compared with the placebo treatment group, the incidence of adverse reaction increased in the duloxetine treatment group (χ² = 6.04, P < 0.05). Besides, it was higher in the duloxetine treatment group than in the floating needle treatment group (χ² = 14.9, P < 0.05). (3) There were 19 patients in the floating needle treatment group and 17 patients in the duloxetine treatment group involved in the follow-up study. Compared with 6 weeks after treatment, no significant difference was observed at 3 and 6 months after treatment in the score of SF-MPQ, HAMD, and HAMA in the floating needle treatment group and the duloxetine treatment group. No significant difference was observed between the two groups (P > 0.05). There were 5 patients (29.4%) who had adverse reactions in the duloxetine treatment group, and no adverse reactions were observed in the floating needle treatment group. The adverse reaction rate was significantly different between the two groups (χ² = 4.26, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSFloating needle therapy and duloxetine were effective in treatment of patients with PSPD. However, floating needle therapy could relieve pain more rapidly than duloxetine, with obviously less adverse reactions.

Acupuncture Therapy ; methods ; Analgesics ; therapeutic use ; Anxiety Disorders ; Duloxetine Hydrochloride ; therapeutic use ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Needles ; Pain ; Pain Management ; methods ; Pain Measurement ; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales ; Somatoform Disorders ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND: Carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) and stiffness are taken as useful surrogate markers of atherosclerosis. In China, the number of elderly patients undergoing hemodialysis has increased year by year, with the increase of dialysis-related cardiovascular events. This study was undertaken to examine carotid stiffness in elderly hemodialysis patients by the ultrasound techniques in order to find out the possible risk factors. METHODS: From January 2006 to February 2010, a total of 87 patients (41 males and 46 females) treated with routine hemodialysis at the 97th Hospital of People's Liberation Army were enrolled in this study. The distensibility coefficient (DC) of the carotid artery was detected by Doppler ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus (Philips HBI5000, frequency 12 MHz) for evaluation of arterial stiffness. Serum albumin, total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), triglyceride (TG), glucose, creatinine, calcium, phosphorus, and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) were examined with standard methods. The liner correlation and multiple stepwise regression analysis were used to find correlations between them. RESULTS: In this study, the systolic blood pressure was 153.33±25.98 mmHg, DBP 84.22± 10.39 mmHg, TC 4.39±1.05 mmol/L, TG 1.36±0.72 mmol/L, LDL 2.47±0.77 mmol/L, Cr 889.82± 207.38 mol/L, Glu 5.36±1.87 mmol/L, Ca I 2.00±2.19±0.21 mmol/L, and DC 13.39±5.32×10-3/kPa. DC was associated with age (r =-0.459, P<0.001), SBP (r =-0.527, P<0.001), and serum calcium (r =-0.273, P=0.011). The multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that SBP, age, increased serum calcium level, and diabetes were independent risk factors for decreasing DC. CONCLUSION: Systolic blood pressure, age, increased serum calcium level and diabetes in elderly hemodialysis patients are independent risk factors for increased carotid arterial stiffness.