OBJECTIVETo compare the difference in the clinical efficacy on perennial allergic rhinitis between three nasal points acupuncture therapy and the oral administration of loratadine so as to provide the better acupuncture program in clinical treatment.

METHODSSixty cases were randomized into an acupuncture group (30 cases) and a medication group (30 cases). In the acupuncture group, acupuncture was applied to three nasal points [Yingxiang (LI 20), Yintang (EX-HN 3), Bitong (Extra)] and acupoints selected by syndrome differentiation. Acupuncture was given once every two days, three times a week, for 4 weeks totally. In the medication group, loratadine was prescribed for oral administration, 10 mg every day, for 4 weeks. The symptom and physical sign scores before and after treatment, as well the short-term and long-term efficacy were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 96.7% (29/30) in the acupuncture group and was 93.3% (28/30) in the medication group after treatment. The efficacy was similar between the two groups (P>0.05). In follow-up, the total effective rate was 86.7% (26/30) in the acupuncture group, which was better than 56.7% (17/30, P<0.05) in the medication group. The scores of symptoms and physical signs after treatment and in follow-up were all reduced apparently as compared with those before treatment in the patients of the two groups (all P<0.05). The scores of symptoms and physical signs were reduced more apparently in the acupuncture group as compared with those in the medication group in follow-up (all P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe acupuncture at three nasal points and the acupoints selected by syndrome differentiation achieves the similar short-term efficacy on perennial allergic rhinitis as compared with the oral administration of loratadine. The acupuncture therapy presents the obvious advantages on long-term efficacy.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nose ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; therapy ; Young Adult

The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has greatly changed the pattern and natural history of ocular diseases of HIV-infected patients, resulting from the immune recovery and reduction of opportunistic infections. However, ophthalmic complica-tion continues to be concern in AIDS even in the HAART era, especially in developing areas, where absolute majority of HIV-positive patients live. Lack of test facilities and experience, poor conditions of hygiene, different microbiological environment, absence of effective treatment etc., characterize the ophthalmic manifestation of HIV-infected patients in developing countries from that in developed regions and thus pose a great challenge to the ophthalmic treatment in developing area. Not only varied from region to region, ocular complications are distinctive between adults and children. At the same time, the side effects due to the application of HAART pose their own risks of ocular complication and should, therefore, be given more research attention.

Objective To summarize the picture features of high resolution micro-endoscopy (HRME) for normal gastrointestinal mucosa. Methods We select 10 cases' normal esophageal mucosa, gastric and duodenal mucosa, in-testinal mucosa and colonic mucosal biopsies for this study, use HRME to observe the specimens and describe the features of different parts of the digestive tract normal mucosa according to the collected HRME pictures. Results After HRME imaging, all specimens were sent to pathological examination. We obtained 1 284 HRME pictures for 50 cases of biopsy specimens, 400 pictures were selected for results analysis after screening. HRME image charac-teristics of different parts of the digestive tract normal mucosa are as follows. Esophageal mucosa: cell arrangement rules, round and bright nucleus, the same size, nuclear spacing normal, the number of cells per field in basically are the same. Fundic mucosa: numerous closely arranged glands as well as oval or elongated branched openings of the gastric pits and linear peripheral cracks were visible; the nuclei were arranged regularly. Antral mucosa: irregular or tubular openings of the gastric pits and cracked glandular cavities were visible, with the cells surrounding the gastric pits regularly arranged and the nuclei small and densely distributed. Duodenal mucosa:visible villi was large fingers,on both sides of lint jagged depression, stereoscopic obviously, a cluster-like arrangement and the gap was crack-like. Intestinal mucosa:villous structures wider gap is wider, less than the number of the duodenum. Colonic mucosa:the nucleus of the same size, shape rules, round or oval and daisy-like glandular structures. All specimens were confirmed normal mucosa by pathology. Conclusion HRME can accurately identify the different parts of the diges-tive tract normal mucosa and it has a high consistency compared with pathological results.

Objective To investigate the feasibility of high?resolution microendoscopy( HRME) im?aging for animal gastrointestinal mucosa. Methods Mucosal tissues were harvested from the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine of Japanese big?ear white rabbits. The effects of HRME imaging of different lo?cations such as the gastric antrum and fundus, small intestine and large intestine were observed, and those of different exposure time were compared.Accuracy of HRME imaging was compared with pathology. Results The specific tissues of the gastrointestinal mucosa could be clearly distinguished from the HRME images. In the superficial layer of the fundic mucosa, numerous closely arranged glands as well as oval or elongated branched openings of the gastric pits and linear peripheral cracks were visible;the nuclei were arranged reg?ularly. In the superficial layer of the antral mucosa, irregular or tubular openings of the gastric pits and cracked glandular cavities were visible, with the cells surrounding the gastric pits regularly arranged and the nuclei small and densely distributed. In the superficial layer of the small intestine mucosa, stereoscopic thick?finger?shaped villi cluster was visible. The intervillous spaces were crack?like, and the surface was cov?ered by regularly arranged reflective, absorptive cells. In the superficial layer of the large intestine mucosa, many regularly arranged daisy?like round crypts of uniform size, as well as reflective, goblet cells surrounding the crypt and the interval space between crypts were visible. When the exposure time increased, the nuclei became brighter. An excellent correlation was noted between the results of histologic examination and those obtained by using HRME. Conclusion HRME can produce accurate images of the animal gastro?intestinal mucosae and may be a novel technique for further studies of human gastrointestinal pathology.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the inhibiting effects of the root of Mallotus apelta (Lour.) Muell.-Arg. on duck hepatitis B virus (D-HBV) in vivo. METHODS: Forty nestling ducks with congenitally infection of D-HBV detected by PCR were randomly divided into five groups: untreated group, lamivudine-treated group, and high-, medium- and low-dose root of Mallotus apelta-treated groups. The ducks in the lamivudine-treated group were fed lamivudine with a dose of 50 mg/kg once. Ducks in the three-dose Mallotus apelta-treated groups were treated with different doses of decoction of this herbal medicine for 21 days respectively. The serum content of D-HBV DNA was determined by quantitative real-time PCR technique before and 7 days after the treatment, and on the 7th, 14th and 21st day of the treatment. Liver biopsy was also executed before and after the treatment to observe the histopathological changes. RESULTS: Lamivudine showed a rapid inhibiting effect on D-HBV DNA, but this effect didn't last long, and the serum level of D-HBV DNA increased again after treatment. The serum level of D-HBV DNA dropped markedly in the high- and medium-dose Mallotus apelta-treated groups on the 14th and 21st day. Low-dose Mallotus apelta revealed no obvious inhibiting effect on D-HBV. After treatment, the inhibiting effect in the root of Mallotus apelta-treated group continued as compared with that in the untreated group. The histopathological changes of liver tissues showed that the inflammation in the high-dose root of Mallotus apelta-treated group was weakened as compared with that in the lamivudine-treated group. CONCLUSION: The root of Mallotus apelta has therapeutic effect on D-HBV. It can restrain the duplication of D-HBV in vivo. Although this effect is weaker than that of lamivudine, it continues longer. Thus this herbal medicine is an effective, safe and economical drug for hepatitis B.

Objective To retrospectively analyze the efficacy of radiotherapy on nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma, and to explore the prognostic factors. Methods Between January 2000 and December 2008, 62 patients with nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma were treated with radiotherapy in our hospital. Their clinic data and efficiency were reviewed retrospectively. Kaplan-Meier methods were applied in unifactorial analysis and the COX regression model was applied in multivariate analysis. Results The median overall survival time was 69.7 months (95 % CI, 63.0-78.0 months), and 3, 5-year survival rate was 66.1% and 46.8 %. Metastasis was 61.8 % for the first reason which resulted in failure. The median survival time was 72.6 months in the increased group of numbers of T lymphocyte CD3 and 39.6 months in the decreased group, the difference was significant(x2 =4.9309, P =0.0264). Multivariate analysis confirmed that modified IPI 0-1 (x2 = 7.5266, P =0.0061), the numbers increased for CD3 (x2 =9.0912, P =0.0266), and complete remission(x2 = 9.0912, P =0.0106) were significant favorable prognostic factors for survival. Conclusion The radiotherapy was effective for patients with nasal NK/T-cell lymphoma, but was failure on account of distant metastasis, so systematic therapy still has an important role. modified IP1 0-1, the number increased for CD3 and complete remission were significant favorable prognostic factors for survival.

Objective To observe dopamine transporter (DAT) binding capacity using 99Tcm-TRODAT-1 in drug-naive patients with Tourette's syndrome (TS) on SPECT imaging, and explore possible correlations between 99Tcm-TRODAT-1 uptake ratio and TS patient's age, disease duration, and tic severity.Methods Eighteen drug-naive TS patients, male 14, female 4, as well as 8 age- and gender-matched healthy subjects were recruited. Brain SPECT imaging was performed 2. 5 h after intravenous injection of 11.1 - 14.8 MBq/kg 99Tcm-TRODAT-1. ROI was drawn on the striatum including its sub-regions of caudate and putamen, with cerebellum as the background. Striatum/cerebellum ratio was calculated. Comparisons of the ratios between TS patients and controls were carried out by independent-sample t-test. Pearson correlation analysis was performed between DAT uptake ratios of striatum and patients' age, disease duration, tic severity. Results Compared with the control, higher symmetrically striatum uptake of 99Tcm-TRODAT-1 in TS patients was observed (2.17±0.23 vs 1.87±0.24, t =2.957, P＜0.05). Age (r= -0.320, P＞0.05)and tic severity(r = 0. 345, P ＞ 0.05) scores were not significantly correlated with specific uptake ratios measured in the striatum. But there was significant negative correlation between disease duration and the specific uptake ratios (r = - 0. 483, P ＜ 0. 05). Conclusions 99 Tcm-TRODAT-1 SPECT imaging may play an adjuvant role for initial evaluation of untreated TS.

Objective To detect levels of serum platelet activating factor(PAF),thrombomodulin(TM) and white blood cell(WBC),platelet count(PLT) in neonates with meconium aspiration syndrome(MAS),and observe changes of mediators of inflammation and function of endotheliocute.Methods All cases were taken vein blood in 24 h and 72-96 h after birth.Surm PAF and TM were detected by EILSA technique,at the same time,blood cell counts were determined.Results PAF and WBC in neonates with MAS increased,which were relevant to the patients′ condition.TM of neonates with MAS increased significantly,especially in 72-96 h after birth and(aggrava)-ted with the patients′ condition.Conclusion Neonates with MAS have inflammatory reaction and injured endotheliocyte,which are(inte)-raction.

To analyze and compare the protective effects of active components in different ethyl acetate extracts (EAEEPs) from Eclipta prostrate, in order to study the comparison of materials bases protecting normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells. The MTT assay was taken to compare the protective effect of different EAEEPs on cigarette smoke extracts (CSE) -induced NHBE cells. The ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) was applied to analyze the content of phenolic acid, coumaric grass ether and flavonoid in EAEEPs. According to the results, all of the eight EAEEPs (0-200 mg x L(-1)) showed certain protective effect on NHBE cells, with statistical difference. Specifically, the total mass of EAEEP VII (89.15 mg x L(-1)) and EAEEP VIII (57.44 mg x L(-1)), which showed the strongest activity, was not the highest, while EAEEP III (132.25 mg x L(-1)) displayed the highest total mass. In the combination with the "component structure" theory, the analysis showed a significant difference in the mass structure among phenolic acid, coumaric grass ether and flavonoid in EAEEP VIII and EAEEP VIII, which were 1.0: 1. 0: 0.5 and 1.0: 1.9: 0.8, respectively. The results suggested a specific optimal "component structure" relationship may exist in EAEEP, which could provide reference for the material base study and quality control.
Bronchi ; cytology ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Eclipta ; chemistry ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Humans ; Protective Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Tobacco Smoke Pollution ; adverse effects

OBJECTIVETo observe the curative effect of porous tantalum rod and Gugutou Huaisiyu Capsule (GHC) for steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head (SONFH).

METHODSA total 60 hips of 50 SONFH patients were randomly assigned to the treatment group and the control group according to grouping time, 25 in each group (30 hips). Patients in the control group were implanted with porous tantalum rod, while those in the treatment group additionally took GHC (5 pills each time, three time per day for 2 successive months; and then twice per day for 4 successive months). Then all patients were followed-up to observe Harris hip score. The curative effect and the femoral head survival time were assessed.

RESULTSA total of 49 patients (59 hips) were followed-up. The Harris hip score of the two groups at the final follow-up was significantly improved after treatment, with statistical difference when compared with before treatment (P < 0.01). Besides, it was higher in the treatment group than in the control group. The curative effect and the survival time were superior in the treatment group, with statistical difference when compared with the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPorous tantalum rod combined GHC got better effect in treating SONFH. It could significantly improve the function of affected hips and prolong the survival time of femoral head.

Capsules ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Femur Head Necrosis ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Prostheses and Implants ; Steroids ; adverse effects ; Tantalum