Objective:To investigate the relationship between clinical effects of acupuncture for elderly patients with sensorineural deafness and ear distending sensation.Methods:A total of 120 elderly patients with sensorineural deafness were randomly divided into a comprehensive treatment group,an acupuncture group and a Western medicine group,with 40 cases in each group.The acupuncture group received acupuncture treatment,the Western medicine group received oral mecobalamin tablets and the comprehensive treatment group received acupuncture plus acupoint injection and auricular acupoint sticking.The values of pure tone hearing threshold test of the three groups were observed before and after treatment,and the relationship between clinical effects and ear distending sensation was compared.Results:The total effective rate of the comprehensive treatment group was 82.5％ versus 67.0％ in the acupuncture group and 62.5％ in the Western medicine group.The inter-group comparisons showed statistically significant differences in the comprehensive treatment group versus the Western medicine group (P＜0.01) and the acupuncture group (P＜0.05).In the comprehensive treatment group,there were 23 cases (57.5％) with ear distending sensation,the clinical total effective rate was 86.9％;there were 17 cases (42.5％) without the sensation,the clinical total effective rate was 76.5％.In the acupuncture group,there were 24 cases (60.0％) with ear distending sensation,the clinical total effective rate was 71.0％;there were 16 cases (40.0％) without the sensation,the clinical total effective rate was 63.0％.In the Western medicine group,there were 21 cases (52.5％) with ear distending sensation,the clinical total effective rate was 66.7％;there were 19 cases (47.5％) without the sensation,the clinical total effective rate was 57.9％.The total effective rate of patients with ear distending sensation were higher than the rates of those without ear distending sensation in the three groups,but the differences were insignificant (all P＞0.05).Conclusion:The comprehensive therapy is one of the effective methods to treat elderly patients with sensorineural deafness.In the three groups of elderly patients with sensorineural deafness,the relief of ear distending sensation and the hearing loss were basically simultaneous,and the hearing recovery in the patients with ear distending sensation may be slightly better than that in those without ear distending sensation.Nevertheless,further research is needed.

OBJECTIVETo observe the intervention effect of acupuncture on early onset of selec- tive serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in treating depressive disorder, and to study its effect on ser- um 5-HT and unbalanced inflammatory cytokines secreted by TH1/TH2.

METHODSTotally 90 patients with depressive disorder were randomly assigned to the drug control group (as the control group, 45 cases) and the acupuncture combined drug treatment group (as the treatment group, 45 cases). All patients were treated for 4 consecutive weeks. Another 45 healthy subjects were recruited as a healthy control group. The effect of acupuncture on early onset of SSRls in treating acute phase depressive disorder pa- tients was evaluated by HAMD score in the control group and the treatment group before treatment,and at weekends of the 1st, 2nd, and 4th week after treatment. Besides, their serum levels of 5-HT, IL-1β and IL-6 (secreted by TH1), and IL-4 and IL-10 (secreted by TH2) were detected before treatment and after treatment at the weekend of the 4th week.

RESULTSCompared with the healthy control group,serum lev- els of 5-HT, IL-4, and IL-10 decreased in the two drug-treated groups before treatment (P < 0.01); serum levels of IL-1β and IL-6 increased (P <0.01). Compared with before treatment in the same group, HAMD score decreased in the control group at weekends of the 2nd and the 4th week after treatment (P < 0.01); HAMD scores decreased in the treatment group at weekends of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd,and 4th week after treatment (P < 0.01); serum levels of 5-HT, IL-4, and IL-10 increased,serum levels of IL-1β and IL- 6 decreased in the two drug-treated groups after treatment (all P < 0.01). Compared with the control group at the same time point,HAMD scores decreased in the treatment group at weekends of the 1st, 2nd,3rd,and 4th week after treatment (P < 0.01),serum levels of 5-HT, IL-4, and IL-10 increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), serum levels of IL-6 decreased (P < 0. 01).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture could accelerate early onset of SSRIs in treating acute phase depressive disorder, and effectively regulate serum 5-HT levels and inflammatory cytokines secreted by TH1/TH2.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Cytokines ; Depressive Disorder ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Humans ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-1beta ; Interleukin-4 ; Interleukin-6 ; Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors ; therapeutic use

To investigate the urination-reducing effect and mechanism of Zhuangyao Jianshen Wan (ZYJCW). In this study, SI rats were subcutaneously injected with 150 mg · kg(-1) dose of D-galactose to prepare the sub-acute aging model and randomly divided into the model group, the Suoquan Wan group (1.17 g · kg(-1) · d(-1)), and ZYJCW high, medium and low dose groups (2.39, 1.20, 0.60 g · kg(-1) · d(-1)) , with normal rats in the blank group. They were continuously administered with drugs for eight weeks. The metabolic cage method was adopted to measure the 24 h urine volume and 5 h water load urine volume in rats. The automatic biochemistry analyzer was adopted to detect urine concentrations of Na+, Cl-, K+. The ELISA method was used to determine serum aldosterone (ALD) and antidiuretic hormone (ADH). The changes in P2X1 and P2X3 mRNA expressions in bladder tissues of rats were detected by RT-PCR. According to the results, both ZYJCW high and medium dose groups showed significant down-regulations in 24 h urine volume and 5 h water load urine volume in (P <0.05, P <0.01), declines in Na+ and Cl- concentrations in urine (P <0.01), notable rises in plasma ALD and ADH contents (P <0.05, P <0.01) and remarkable down-regulations in the P2X1 and P2X3 mRNA expressions in bladder tissues (P <0.01). The ZYJCW low dose group revealed obvious reductions in Na+ and Cl- concentrations in urine (P <0.01). The results indicated that ZYJCW may show the urination-reducing effect by down-regulating the P2X1 and P2X3 mRNA expressions in bladder tissues of rats with diuresis caused by kidney deficiency.
Aging ; physiology ; Animals ; Diuresis ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Kidney Diseases ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Purinergic P2X1 ; genetics ; Receptors, Purinergic P2X3 ; genetics ; Urinary Bladder ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) gene G9570A polymorphisms and the clinical outcome of stroke patients with essential hypertension (EH) in South China Han population.

METHODThe ACE2 gene polymorphisms were detected in 141 stroke patients with EH and 156 patients with EH using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The genetic marker was tested for its association with the baseline measurements and clinical outcomes of the patients over a median follow-up period of 22 months. As the ACE2 gene is X-linked, analyses were performed for male and female patients separately.

RESULTSThe A allele frequency in the stroke patients was significantly different from that in the EH patients, and the AA allele frequency in the female patients was significantly different between the two groups (P<0.01). Kaplan-Meier model analysis showed that ACE2 gene polymorphism was not associated with the the patients' prognosis (P>0.05). Multivariate Cox's proportional hazard regression model identified age (RR=1.057, 95%CI: 1.020, 1.095), blood glucose (RR=1.575, 95%CI: 1.178, 2.104), hypertriglyceridemia (RR=1.947, 95%CI: 1.503, 2.780), blood creatinine (RR=1.034, 95%CI: 1.001, 1.068), and blood uric acid (RR=1.056, 95%CI: 1.002, 1.097) as the risk factors associated with the mortality.

CONCLUSIONStroke occurs more likely in hypertensive patients carrying the A/AA allele than those carrying other alleles. The ACE2 gene G9570A polymorphisms may be associated with the occurrence of stroke in EH patients in South China, but may not have a strong correlation to the prognosis.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Alleles ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; complications ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Prognosis ; Stroke ; etiology ; genetics

OBJECTIVEThe pathologic slides and clinical data of 119 patients with mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) of salivary glands were reviewed. All patients underwent surgical therapy in Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Stomatology, Fourth Military Medical University. The postoperative overall observed survival rates and specific survival rates were statistically caculated, and the correlative clinicopathologic factors influencing the prognosis were evaluated.

METHODSStatistical analysis was performed using the SPSS 10.0 software. The survival rates were obtained by the Kaplan-Meier method. The clinicopathologic parameters were evaluated using log rank test (univariate analysis) and Cox proportional hazards regression model (multivariate analysis).

RESULTSThe overall observed survival rates of this group were 92.53%, 87.52% and 85.39% at 5, 10 and 15 years respectively after surgical therapy. Univariate analysis demonstrated that the factors correlated with lower in survival rates were patient's age (> or = 40 years), advanced clinical stage (TNM III, IV stage) and the poorly differentiated tumors (P < 0.05). The survival rates of male patients with MEC in the major salivary glands were significantly lower than those of female patients (P = 0.008). The degree of differentiation, TNM stage and preoperative symptoms were three important prognostic factors that were selected into the Cox proportional hazards regression model.

CONCLUSIONSMost patients with highly differentiated MEC in salivary glands had a favorable outcome after receiving adequate surgical treatment. The degree of differentiation and the TNM stage of MEC in the salivary glands are two useful factors to evaluate the prognosis of these neoplasms.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Salivary Gland Neoplasms ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; Survival Rate ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Proximal femoral nail anti-rotation is widely used to treat various intertrochanteric fractures. Although its operation trauma is small, and the blood loss of perioperative period is still large. Tranexamic acid has been gradually used to reduce the bleeding of intertrochanteric fracture. The effectiveness and safety of reducing blood loss during perioperative period were not reported. OBJECTIVE: To explore the safety and efficacy of tranexamic acid on perioperative blood loss in patients with intertrochanteric fracture undergoing proximal femoral nail anti-rotation. METHODS: One hundred and eight patients with intertrochanteric fracture undergoing proximal femoral nail anti-rotation were selected from First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine between January 2015 and January 2017. Among all the subjects, 52 patients who received the operation before January 2016 served as the control group and 56 patients who received the operation after January 2016 were selected as the treatment group. Half an hour before operation, patients in the treatment group received 1 g tranexamic acid dissolved in 250 mL normal saline by intravenous dropping; patients in the control group just received 250 mL normal saline by intravenous dropping. The bleeding volume, blood transfusion volume, hemoglobin, hematocrit, coagulation index, D-dimer levels and complications were compared between the two groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) During perioperative period, actual blood loss, intraoperative blood loss, dominant blood loss, recessive blood loss, volume of drainage, blood transfusion volume and blood transfusion rate were lower in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.05). (2) There was no statistically significant difference in the hemoglobin and hematocrit between the two groups before operation (P > 0.05). The hemoglobin and hematocrit of the two groups gradually decreased after the operation, and there was a slight improvement in the fifth day after surgery. At postoperative 2 hours, 1, 3 and 5 days, the hemoglobin and hematocrit of the treatment group were higher than in the control group (P < 0.05). At preoperation and each time point postoperation, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and fibrinogen levels were not statistically significant between the two groups (P > 0.05). Postoperative D-dimer levels in the two groups were significantly higher than preoperation, and there was a return on the fifth day. There was no statistically significant difference between groups at preoperation and each time point of postoperation (P > 0.05). (3) The results suggest that the tranexamic acid can effectively reduce the dominant and recessive blood loss in patients with the intertrochanteric fracture, and it is safe and effective.

AIMTo explore the effect of the ginkgo bioba extract on the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in bronchial asthma.

METHODS30 guinea pigs were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 10): (1) Normal control group; (2) Asthmatic group; (3) Therapeutic group. Blood carbon monoxide Hb (COHb) percent value, Airway resistance and eosinophilic inflammation of airway wall were observed, the expression of HO-1 in lung tissue were observed by immunohistochemical staining.

RESULTSThe expression of HO-1 was mainly located in airway epithelium in these 3 groups, the optical densities were 0.170 +/- 0.020, 0.707 +/- 0.058, 0.397 +/- 0.034, respectively. The asthmatic group showed higher optical densities than that of the normal control group (P < 0.01), and the therapeutic group showed lower optical density than asthmatic group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe expression of HO-1 is inhibited significantly by the treatment of the ginkgo bioba extract, which may be one of the mechanism for treating asthma by ginkgo bioba extract.

Animals ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Ginkgo biloba ; Guinea Pigs ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; metabolism ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology

Objective To evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI)complicating cardiogenic shock underwent various treatments.Methods From January,2002 to May,2007,47 AMI patients with cardiogenic shock were treated in our department by optimal medication (dopamine,epinephrine,norepinephrine,etc.),intrar-aortic balloon pump(IABP),mechanical ventilation when indicated,percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).Outcome and factors related to mortality for these patients were analyzed in this retrospective study.Results Besides optimal medication and IABP in all patients,31 patients underwent PCI(66.0%),6 patients received emergency CABG(12.8%).The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 36.2%(17/47),6 patients(14.9%)died before coronary revascularization and 11 patients(21.3%)died after revascularization.Nine patients died of pump failure and 8 patients died of renal and(or)respiratory failure.Regression analysis showed that acute renal failure(r=0.734,P=0.000),acute respiratory failure (r=0.606,P=0.000)and diabetes(r=0.372,P=0.012)were positively related to in-hospital mortality.Conclusion Despite improvements in treatment options for AMI patients complicating cardiogenic shock,in-hospital mortality remained high,especially for patients complicating further with acute renal failure and acute respiratory failure.

To study the molecular epidemiological characteristics of norovirus gastroenteritis outbreaks in Guangdong, we collected fecal and anal swabs specimens from 24 outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis from 2005 to 2008 to detect norovirus. Specimens were detected by RT-PCR and then sequenced. The descriptive data were also collected. According to our research, 19 of 24 outbreaks of gastroenteritis were positive for norovirus. The occurrence time was from October to next February mainly. The strains in 2005 belonged to G II-3 genotype and all outbreaks occurred in kindergarten and school. But from autumn of 2006, the outbreaks were all caused by G II-4/2006b variant and occurred in universities and community. The number of outbreaks in 2007 increased greatly and covered all over province. The nucleotide sequences of Guangdong strains in some sites showed high regional identity. Our results showed that with the shift of genotype from G II-3 to G II-4, occurrence of norovirus outbreaks increased greatly. The outbreaks of norovirus caused by G II-4/2006b variant spreaded widely and the involved population covered children and adult, indicating the strong invasiveness of this variant.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Base Sequence ; Child ; China ; epidemiology ; DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases ; genetics ; Disease Outbreaks ; Gastroenteritis ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Norovirus ; classification ; enzymology ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the pathogens of acute respiratory infection (ARI) in Guangzhou from 2006 to 2009.

METHODSA total of 1554 cases of ARI patients in Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College from September 2006 to September 2009, were recruited in the survey. The sample of throat and pharyngeal swab were collected from each patient.11 types of virus including influenza A (FluA), influenza B (FluB), adenovirus (ADV), human rhinovirus (HRV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), parainfluenza virus type 1, type 2, type 3 (HPIV1, HPIV2, HPIV3), human metapneumovirus (MPV) and human coronavirus (HCoV) type 229E, type OC43 were detected by Fluorescence Quota PCR method. The epidemic feature and clinical characteristic of each virus were then analyzed.

RESULTSVirus were found in 1024 samples in total, accounting for 65.9% (1024/1554). RSV was the most common virus, which was found in 261 samples (16.8%); and followed by HRV as 13.9% (216/1554), FluA as 11.6% (181/1554), MPV as 6.5% (101/1554), FluB as 6.4% (99/1554), HPIV as 4.9% (76/1554), ADV as 3.5% (55/1554) and HCoV as 2.3% (35/1554). HPIV and HCoV shared a similar infection ratio among different age groups. The infection ratio of FluA and FluB was highest among 15-24 years old group, accounting for 16.5% (29/176) and 7.4% (13/176) respectively. MPV, RSV and HRV were the main pathogens caused infection among children under 4 years old, accounting for 9.7% (49/503), 21.7% (109/503) and 18.9% (95/503). The infection ratio of ADV was 6.0% (19/318), which was the most common pathogen among 5-14 years old patients. The incidence rate of HPIV and HRV showed no obvious seasonal features; while the prevalence of FluA, FluB, RSV, ADV, MPV and HCoV changed significantly in different seasons.22.2% (227/1024) ARI patients co-infected other respiratory virus.90.1% (163/181) FluA patients, 88.9% (88/99) FluB patients and 92.7% (51/55) ADV patients had high fever symptoms.

CONCLUSIONRSV was the main pathogen of ARI, and the new-found virus MPV was also another crucial pathogen. Some pathogens' incidence rate were related to the season and patient's age. Co-infections of other respiratory virus were also detected in parts of ARI patients.

Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Metapneumovirus ; isolation & purification ; Middle Aged ; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses ; isolation & purification ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; epidemiology ; virology ; Young Adult