Objective To observe the short- and long-term efficacies of acupuncture in treating metabolic syndrome (MS). Method A hundred MS patients were randomized into an acupuncture group and a Western medication group. In addition to basic treatment, acupuncture was used in the acupuncture group, while Western medication was adopted in the Western medication group. The fasting plasma glucose (FPG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), insulin (INS), triglyceride (TG), blood pressure (BP), weight circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), and MS score were evaluated before and after treatment, and a month and 3 months after the treatment. Result There was no significant difference in comparing the short-term therapeutic efficacy between the two groups after treatment, while the long-term therapeutic efficacy of the acupuncture group was superior to that of the Western medication group (P<0.01); the FPG, INS, TG, HDL, BP, and MS score were significantly improved after treatment and a month after the treatment in both groups (P<0.01); the acupuncture group had significant improvements in WC and BMI after treatment and a month after the treatment (P<0.01), significantly superior to the Western medication group (P<0.01); the acupuncture group showed marked improvement in INS, HDL, WC, and BMI 3 months after the treatment (P<0.01), significantly superior to the Western medication group (P<0.01,P<0.05). Conclusion Acupuncture can produce a similar short-term but a better long-term therapeutic efficacy compared to Western medication. Hence, acupuncture can be taken as an assistant intervention for MS.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical efficacy of YANG's pricking-cupping therapy for knee osteoar thritis (KOA). Methods This was a multi-center randomized parallel controlled trial. One hundred and seventy one patients with KOA were randomly allocated to a pricking-cupping group (89 cases) and a conventional acu puncture group (82 cases). Neixiyan (EX-LE 4), Dubi (ST 35) and ashi points were selected in the two groups. Patients in the pricking-cupping group were treated with YANG's pricking-cupping therapy; the seven-star needles were used to perform pricking at acupoints, then cupping was used until slight bleeding was observed. Patients in the conventional acupuncture group were treated with semi-standardized filiform needle therapy. The treatment was given for 4 weeks (from a minimum of 5 times to a maximum of 10 times). The follow-up visit was 4 weeks. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and the visual analogue scale (VAS) were adopted for the efficacy assessments.

RESULTSThe pain score, stiffness score, physical function score and total score of WOMAC were all reduced after 4-week treatment and during follow-up visit in the two groups (all P<0. 0001). Except that the difference of stiffness score between the two groups was not significant after 4-week treatment (P>0. 05), each score and total score of WOMAC in the pricking-cupping group were lower than those in the conventional acupuncture group after 4-week treatment and during follow-up visit (P<0. 0001, P<0. 01). After 2-week treatment, 4-week treatment and during follow-up visit, the VAS was all reduced compared with that before treatment (all P<0. 0001) ; with the increase of the treatment, the reducing trend of VAS was more significant (P<0. 0001). The scores of VAS in the pricking-cupping group were lower than those in the conventional acupuncture group after 4-week treatment and during follow-up visit (P < 0. 01, P <0. 0001). CONCLUSION The YANG's pricking-cupping and conventional acupuncture therapy can both significantly improve knee joint pain and function in patients with KOA, which are relatively safe. The pricking cupping therapy is superior to conventional acupuncture with the identical selection of acupoints.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Arthralgia ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; physiopathology ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:To explore the impact of different six-character qigong training modes on respiratory muscle function early after a stroke.Methods:Sixty-six stroke survivors in the early stage of recovery were randomly divided into a control group, a modified training group, and an ancient training group, each of 22. In addition to routine rehabilitation training, the control group received conventional respiratory training. The modified training and ancient training groups were trained in modified six-character qigong or ancient six-character qigong, respectively, for two weeks. Before the treatment, after the two weeks and one month later, maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximum expiratory pressure (MEP), forced expiratory volume in one second, forced vital capacity, peak expiratory flow, maximum mid-expiratory flow, and peak inspiratory flow were measured. Diaphragm mobility during quiet inspiration and maximum inspiration were also quantified.Results:After 2 weeks of treatment and at 1 and 3 months after the end of the treatment, all three groups showed significant improvement in MIP, MEP and the pulmonary ventilation indicators, but the average improvement in the modified training group was significantly greater than in the other two groups. Their average diaphragm mobility was also significantly greater.Conclusion:Modified six-character qigong respiratory training is more effective than its ancient counterpart in improving respiratory muscle function, pulmonary ventilation, and diaphragm mobility early after a stroke, with effects which persist for at least one month.

Objective:To assess the correlation between circulating chemerin and two indicators of renal function, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin creatinine ratio (UACR), in individuals with type 2 diabetes and to determine whether chemerin is an independent marker of early renal insufficiency.Methods:A total of 742 patients with type 2 diabetes were recruited into the cross-sectional community study. Basic information, anthropometric parameters, and biochemical parameters of these individuals were determined and collected, and serum chemerin level was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results:Chemerin levels were significantly higher in the eGFR-impaired group compared with eGFR-normal group, and macroalbuminuria group compared to the normal or microalbuminuria groups. Spearman′ rank correlation analysis showed serum chemerin level was correlated with eGFR ( r=-0.25, P<0.001), UACR ( r=0.23, P<0.001) and some other biochemical indicators such as triglyceride. And univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed circulating chemerin was an independent risk factor for eGFR impairment or proteinuria after adjusting corresponding covariates. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the area under curve (AUC) of circulating chemerin for predicting early impaired eGFR in type 2 diabetes was 0.747, while the AUC of circulating chemerin for predicting macroalbuminuria in type 2 diabetes was 0.748. Conclusion:Circulating chemerin is associated with eGFR or UACR and may be a potential diagnostic marker for early renal insufficiency in type 2 diabetes.

Objective To analyze the correlation between acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and stress differentiation factors (GDF-15), catecholamines, and heat shock proteins (HSP-70). Methods A total of 40 patients with ACS were selected from the Emergency Department of the PLA General Hospital from September 10, 2016 to October 10, 2016. 40 healthy volunteers were selected as the control group. The information of age, gender, history of smoking, drinking, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and diabetes. Inspection indicators of blood biochemistry (Creation kinase Isoenzyme, Total cholesterol, Triglyceride, High-density lipoprotein, Blood glucose, Total bilirubin, Direct bilirubin), serum level of GDF-15, catecholamine (Adrenaline,norepinephrine,dopamine)and HSP-70 were collected. Evaluation of Coronary Stenosis used with Coronary Artery Lesions and Gensini Score. Statistical analysis using SPSS 17.0 statistical software, measurement data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation (x±s),count data to the number of cases and percentage, measurement using t test, count data using chisquare test. Results Serum levels of GDF-15[(21.94±14.23) vs. (7.06±5.53), P=0.007],catecholami ne[(46592.15±30931.27) vs. (5507.14±2083.28), P<0.01], HSP-70 [(369.56±300.44) vs. (07.76±54.23),P<0.001],all higher than the control group. GDF-15 serum levels of Gensini scores> 40 compare with <20group was significantly higher [(324.27 ± 198.81) vs. (77.43 ± 699.22), P=0.035], serum catecholaminelevels of > 40 group compare with <20 group significantly increased [(18.71 ± 7.32) vs. (18.6±46.1),P=0.017], GDF-15 levels were significantly higher in the multi-vessel stenosis group than in the doublevessel stenosis group[ (618.40±434.42) vs. (292.07±219.65), P=0.033]. Conclusions GDF-15,catecholamine and HSP-70 are correlated with ACS, as well as the severity of coronary artery lesions.

Objective:To evaluate the effects of ketogenic diet(KD) on pancreatic β-cell dedifferentiation in db/db mice.Methods:In animal study, 8-week-old db/db male mice with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) were randomly divided into 3 groups: T2DM model group(ND), KD group, 75% caloric restriction(CR) group, and male C57BL/6 mice of the same age as normal control group(C) fed with standard diet. Both C and ND groups were on ad lititum feeding of chow, the KD group was free to eat the ketogenic diet, and the CR group was the positive control group, consuming 75% of the calories of the ND group every day. Four weeks after different diet intervention, body weight, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, glucose tolerance and blood β-hydroxybutyric acid(BHB) were measured. Morphology and structure of pancreatic islet was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining(HE). Immunofluorescence co-staining was used to observe the expression of mouse pancreatic β-cell specific transcription factors.Results:After 4 weeks diet intervention, the fasting blood glucose, insulin and the area under the curve of blood glucose in KD group was significantly decreased( P<0.05); When compared with ND group, the morphology and structure of the islets in the KD group were more regular, and the number of islet cells increased as revealed with HE staining. Pancreatic immunofluorescence co-assay showed that KD not only restored the number and arrangement of β-cells and the ratio of β/α-cell in the pancreatic islets, but also reversed the expression of specific β-cell transcription factors such as pancreatic duodenal homeobox factor-1(PDX1). Conclusion:KD can reduce fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin and improve glucose tolerance in db/db mice, which may be related to its ability to restore the expression of specific β-cell transcription factors and reverse the dedifferentiation of pancreatic β-cells.

Objective: To find the differential expression profiles of circRNA in whole blood and predict its target genes in blood of patients with tuberculosis in Xinjiang, and explore the relationship between circRNA and the development of tuberculosis. Methods: The circRNAs expression in peripheral blood from 3 pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 3 healthy individuals were tested by using circRNA microarray assay. The whole blood from 43 patients with tuberculosis, 40 healthy individuals and 43 patients with pneumonia were collected to verify the results by real-time quantitative PCR system. The possibility of differentially expressed circRNA target genes were predicted by circRNA target gene prediction database. Results: In the results of microarray assay 835 circRNAs were found to be expressed differentially in whole blood between the tuberculosis patients and healthy controls of Xinjiang area, of which 249 circRNAs were up-regulated and 586 circRNAs were down-regulated in the patients. The expressions of four significantly different circRNA were verified by real time quantitative PCR and the results showed that hsa_circ_0008276, hsa_circ_0003452, hsa_circ_0001846 and hsa_circ_0090508 were down-regulated (P＜0.05), and hsa_circ_0090508 was the more specific than the other three circRNAs. The results of circRNA target genes prediction suggested that has-miR-1294, has-miR-604, has-miR-616, has-miR-663b and has-miR-486-3p may be the potential target genes of hsa_circ_0090508. Conclusion The differentially expressed circRNA hsa_circ_0090508 was significantly downregulated in the patients with tuberculosis and may affect the regulation mechanism of tuberculosis through target genes.

ObjectiveTo assess the repeatability （intra-operator variability） and reproducibility （inter-operator variability） of a new partial coherence interferometry （PCI）-based ocular biometer， Myopia Master， and its agreement with IOL Master 500 for measuring axial length （AL） and corneal curvature （K） in children aged 8-12 years. MethodsThe same operator measured school children with the Myopia Master and the IOL Master 500 in random order to assess agreement. Additionally， some of these children received measurements from another operator using the Myopia Master to assess repeatability and reproducibility. AL， flat keratometry （Kf）， steep keratometry （Ks）， mean keratometry （Km）， J₀ and J₄₅ were analyzed. The repeatability and reproducibility were assessed by the within-subject standard deviation （Sw）， test-retest repeatability （TRT）， coefficient of variation （CoV） and intra-class correlation coefficient （ICC）. The agreement between the Myopia Master and the IOL Master 500 was assessed by Bland-Altman plots and 95% limits of agreement （LoA）. ResultsBoth repeatability and reproducibility of the Myopia Master were high for AL measurements （Sw=0.02 mm， ICC=0.999； Sw=0.04 mm， ICC=0.998）， but moderate for K measurements （Sw range， 0.04 to 0.12 D， ICC range， 0.861 to 0.991； Sw range， 0.06 to 0.20 D， ICC range， 0.835 to 0.992）. There were significant mean differences between the Myopia Master and the IOL Master 500 in measurements of AL （-0.01±0.04） mm， Kf （-0.09 ± 0.15） D， Ks （-0.47±0.40） D， and Km （-0.28±0.23） D， J₀ （0.18±0.20） D and J₄₅ （-0.01±0.12） D. ConclusionsThe Myopia Master provided high repeatability and reproducibility for AL measurements in schoolchildren with myopia， but the Myopia Master and the IOL Master 500 cannot be used interchangeably in measuring AL and K.