OBJECTIVETo compare the therapeutic effects of transcutaneous electrical point stimulation and medication on functional dyspepsia.

METHODSTwo hundred and fifty cases were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 125 cases in each group. The observation group was treated with transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation and oral administration of placebo, transcutaneous electrical stimulated at Zusanli (ST 36), Liangmen (ST 21), Taichong (LR 3) etc. The control group was treated with oral administration of Mosapride citrate dispersible tablets, Domperidone and Omeprazole and the placebo treatment of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation, the stimulated position was 3-4 cm to the selected points of the observation group, the amount of the stimulation did not reach the treatment amount. The symptom score, the plasma motilin (MTL) concentration and the somatostatin (SS) concentration were observed before and after treatment of 3 courses.

RESULTSAll symptom scores after treatment were lower than that before treatment in the two groups, the scores of the upper abdominal pain, acid regurgitation, belching and abdominal distention in the observation group were significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); the treatments of both two groups can increase the plasma MTL concentration and decrease the SS concentration (both P < 0.001), and the plasma MTL concentration in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.01), and the SS concentration was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONTranscutaneous electrical point stimulation can more reduce the symptoms of upper abdominal pain, acid regurgitation, belching and abdominal distention, etc. in the functional dyspepsia patients than medication treatment, and can increase the concentration of the plasma MTL and decrease the SS concentration, thus to improve the gastrointestinal motility.

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Aged ; Benzamides ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Domperidone ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Dyspepsia ; blood ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Morpholines ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Motilin ; blood ; Omeprazole ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Somatostatin ; blood ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation ; methods ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of the combination of octreotide and aspirin on the growth of gastric cancer.

METHODSProliferation of gastric cancer cell lines treated with octreotide or aspirin was determined by (3)H-thymidine incorporation. After xenografts of human gastric cancer were implanted orthotopically in the stomach of nude mice, they were administered octreotide plus aspirin for 8 weeks. The mRNA of somatostatin receptor in the tissues of gastric carcinoma was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Cyclooxygenase-2 in gastric cancer tissues was measured by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSBoth octreotide and aspirin significantly reduced the (3)H-thymidine incorporation of gastric cancer cells. Xenografts in situ were found in all stomachs of nude mice except for two in the combination group. Either size or weight of tumors treated by octreotide, aspirin or in combination was significantly reduced as compared with that of controls. The inhibition rate for tumor was 60.6% (octreotide), 39.3% (aspirin), and 85.6% (in combination) respectively. No severe side effects were observed in any treated groups. Somatostatin receptor-2 and -3 were expressed in the transplanted gastric adenocarcinomas. Aspirin could down-regulate the strong expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in the tissue of gastric adenocarcinomas of nude mice.

CONCLUSIONA combination of octreotide and aspirin significantly inhibited proliferation of gastric cancer through mediation of somatostatin receptors and suppression of cyclooxygenase-2.

Animals ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Aspirin ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Octreotide ; administration & dosage ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Receptors, Somatostatin ; genetics ; Stomach Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Transplantation, Heterologous

Chylothorax is a rare but serious postoperative condition with a high rate of morbidity that may lead to death of children with congenital heart disease. Here we reviewed nine consecutive cases with chylothorax in infants and children following cardiac surgery from March 2002 to February 2003. Somatostatin was added to conservative treatment proctocol to increase effectiveness of therapy in all cases. The duration of somatostatin therapy varied from 7 to 32 days. All cases of chylothorax were successfully treated with intravenous infusion of somatostatin as an adjunctive treatment. Even though two cases showed rebound phenomena, we avoided any surgical procedure in the nine patients who treated with conservative management combined with somatostatin. No significant side effects of somatostatin were observed. It seems that somatostatin is effective, noninvasive and safe therapeutic modality. It can be used as an adjunctive treatment to conservative management to control postoperative chylothorax in children with congenital heart disease.
Child, Preschool ; Chylothorax/*drug therapy/*etiology ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital/complications/*surgery ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Male ; Postoperative Complications/*drug therapy/*etiology ; Somatostatin/administration and dosage/*therapeutic use

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Terlipressin and somatostatin decrease portal venous pressure and they are used for the treatment of variceal bleeding. However, only a few studies have compared the efficacy of these drugs in combination with other procedures for hemostasis. Therefore, we performed a prospective study to compare the efficacy of terlipressin and somatostatin for controlling acute variceal bleeding when used in combination with other procedures for hemostasis. METHODS: A total of 98 patients, who presented with variceal bleeding from September 2003 to May 2005, were randomly divided into the somatostatin group or terlipressin group. We compared the 5-day failure rate (defined as failure to control bleeding, rebleeding or death within 5 days of admission) and the 6-week mortality. The prognostic factors for 5-day failure and 6-week mortality were also evaluated. RESULTS: There were no differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups. The overall 5-day failure rate and the cumulative 6-week mortality were 16.3% and 15.8%, respectively. The five-day failure rate and the cumulative 6-week mortality were not significantly different between the somatostatin and terlipressin groups. Hepatocellular carcinoma, the baseline serum creatinine level and endoscopic treatment for hemostasis were the significant predictors of 5-day failure; the baseline serum creatinine level was the predictor of 6-week mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Both somatostatin and terlipressin were effective and showed comparable efficacy for the control of the acute variceal bleeding in the setting of a combined therapeutic approach. The baseline serum creatinine level may be a significant predictor for patient failure at 5 days and the 6-week mortality.
Acute Disease ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/complications ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices/complications/*drug therapy ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/complications/*drug therapy ; Hemorrhage/complications/drug therapy ; Hemostasis, Endoscopic ; Humans ; Liver/*blood supply ; Liver Cirrhosis/*complications ; Liver Diseases/drug therapy ; Liver Neoplasms/complications ; Lysine Vasopressin/administration & dosage/*analogs & derivatives/therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Somatostatin/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use ; Varicose Veins/complications/drug therapy ; Vasoconstrictor Agents/administration & dosage/*therapeutic use