Humans ; Multiple Myeloma ; Neoplastic Stem Cells

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the short-term and long-term effects on treatment of neck pain caused by cervical spondylosis with the combination of acupuncture and moxibustion with seed-size moxa cone.

METHODSOne hundred and forty-five patients of neck pain were randomly divided into an acupuncture-moxibustion group (49 cases), an acupuncture group (48 cases) and a moxibustion group (48 cases). Acupoints of Bailao (Extra), Dazhui (GV 14), Jianzhongshu (SI15) and Zhongzhu (TE 3) were adopted for all the 3 groups. Acupuncture was applied at all the acupoints with 20 min needling retention for the acupuncture group. Moxibustion with seed-size moxa cone was used with 5 cones on each point for the moxibustion group. And both acupuncture and moxibustion with seed-size moxa cone were adopted for the acupuncture-moxibustion group. The treatment was applied once every 3 days, and 10 treatments should be finished within 4 weeks. Follow-up should be carried out for 3 months. The short-term and long-term effects were evaluated with the scores of Northwick Park Pain Questionnaire (NPQ) and McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) as the indices of therapeutic effect.

RESULTSThe NPQ score and MPQ score of all the 3 groups after the treating course and the 3-month follow-up were both decreased when compared with those before the treatment (all P<0. 05). The scores of NPQ and MPQ the acupuncture-moxibustion group were lower than that of the other two groups. And the difference had obvious significance (P<0. 05). High efficiency of pain relieving for cervical spondylosis could be found in all the 3 groups, which showed that short-term and long-term effects were good for all the 3 groups. And the highest curative effect could be found in acupuncture-moxibustion group.

CONCLUSIONCombination of acupuncture and moxibustion with seed-size moxa cone has reached a superior effect in short-term and long-term for neck pain caused by cervical spondylosis.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Moxibustion ; instrumentation ; Neck Pain ; etiology ; therapy ; Spondylosis ; complications ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the regulation expression of leukemia inhibitory factor(LIF)in hu- man and animal osteoarthritic(OA)tissues and its clinical relevance.Methods 1)Thirty-five Japanese rabbits, aged eight months,were used to make models of experimental osteoarthritis.Operations were performed at the right knee and the sham ones at the left knee in each rabbit.Rabbits were sacrificed on the 3,7,14,28,42,56 and 84 days after operation respectively.Cartilage and synovium of the knee were collected to observe histological changes of osteoarthritis at different times;immunohistochemistry analysis was conducted to observe the LIF expression and distribution in the cartilage and synovium of the animals.2)From April 2003 to October 2003,32 samples of human articular tissues(cartilage,subchondral bone and synovium)were obtained in the operational procedures and a good quantity of RNA was isolated using Magnetic Beads.The patients who underwent articular operations donated the samples.In the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR),the mRNA expression of LIF was mea- sured by semi-quantity analysis and the location of LIF protein was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results A slight expression of LIF was seen in normal cartilage but less in synovium.However,the expression of LIF was remarkable in synovial lining cells,superficial and middle layers of cartilage in animal os- teoarthritis.There was a significant difference in expression between the animal osteoarthritis and the control group (P＜0.05 ).In human tissue study,LIF mRNA was expressed to a very low level in normal articular tissues and there was no significant difference(P＞0.05)between different anatomical locations.In moderate degrading sub- chondral bone,LIF mRNA was expressed to its highest level.LIF was expressed to the highest level in seriously degrading cartilage tissues.The results were similar to ELISA testing results.LIF extents varied in different articular tissue sections.Conclusions LIF is an important mediator that can contribute to tbe pathogenesis of OA.The different temporal and spatial distributions of LIF in normal and OA tissues imply that LIF may play some important roles in pathogenesis of OA.

Objective To discuss the CT characteristics of AIDS's brain common disease,so that to improve the diagnostic level.Methods CT features of brain lesions in 25 patients with AIDS were retrospectively analyzed.Results Acute HIV encephalitis(n=6),CT features included low density at the basis festival area and the ventriculi laterals,no enhancement on contrast-enhanced scan in 1 case.Subacute HIV brain illness(n=5),CT images showed different degree of atrophy.Toxoplasmosis(n=4),CT images showed iso-dense tubercles with edema in the deep part of brain white matter or iso-dense circle at the edema area.Cytomegalovirus encephalitis(n=3),CT images showed symmetrical low density at bilateral cerebral occipital lobe,internal capsule and thalamus.Progressive multifocal leukoencepathy(n=3),CT showed multiple low density at the inferior surface of brain cortex,the gyri close of focus was clearer,and far of tapetum room system.Mixed infectious(n=4),mixed CT characteristics.Conclusion CT is beneficial in the differential diagnosis of brain disease in AIDS.

Objective To investigate the effect of 1,25-(OH)2D3 and salvia miltiorrhiza on T cell subsets and cytokines in rats after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.Methods Female Wistar rats were used as recipients and male SD rats were used as donors.All Wistar rats were divided into aGVHD group and intervention groups at random,and the intervention groups were further divided into 1,25-(OH)2D3 group,salvia miltiorrhiza group and combination group.The changes of T cell subsets (CD4+ and CD8+) and cytokine (IL-2,IFN-?,IL-4 and IL-10) in every group were detected and measured.Results When the presentation of aGVHD was relatively conspicuous,CD4+ and CD8+ were increased,and the increase of CD4+ was predominant.Compared with the difference prior to transplantation,the difference was statistically significant (P

Objective To observe the influences of 1,25-(OH)2D3 and salvia miltiorrhiza on hematopoiesis reconstruction and T cell subsets after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in rats.Methods Donor rats were divided randomly into four groups,namely,Group A: aGVHD group;Group B: 1,25-(OH)2D3 group;Group C: salvia miltiorrhiza group;and Group D: two-drug combination group.We observed the survival time,peripheral blood cells,clinical manifestations of aGVHD and the changes of rat T cell subsets.Results Compared with those in aGVHD group,in every drug intervention group,the time for illness attack of aGVHD was delayed,aGVHD scoring was reduced and the average survival time was obviously prolonged(P

Background Researches showed that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) modulate the expression of matrix metalloproteinase/tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (MMP/TIMP) in cells,but the association of expression of MMP/TIMP in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and the dose and active time of PDGF is unclear.Objective This study was to observe the effects of PDGF on the expressions of MMP-2,MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in cultured RPE cells in vitro.Methods RPE cell line,ARPE-19,was calculated in vitro,and the cells were divided into 5 groups when they reached 70％-80％ confluence.Different concentrations (0,0.1,1,10,50 mg/L) of PDGF was added into the medium respectively for 36 hours,and the expressing levels of mRNA and protein of MMP-2,MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were detected by reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blot assay.In addition,RPE cells in PDGF group were treated with 10 mg/L PDGF for 24,36,48 hours respectively to detect the expressions of mRNA and protein of MMP-2,MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in the cells and to compare with the control group without PDGF.Results PDGF stimulated proliferation of RPE cells in a dose-and time-dependent manner.As the increase of the PDGF concentrations,the expression values of MMP-2 mRNA and MMP-9 mRNA in RPE cells were gradually elevated,with a statistically significant difference among various groups (MMP-2 mRNA:F=79.304,P=0.000;MMP-9 mRNA:F =8.465,P=0.003),and the expressions of MMP-2 mRNA and MMP-9 mRNA were significantly higher in the 1,10,50 mg/L PDGF groups compared with 0 mg/L PDGF normal control group (all at P＜0.05).Also,the expression values of MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteins in RPE cells were gradually elevated with the increase of PDGF concentrations,showing statistically differences among the groups (MMP-2:F=26.550,P=0.000;MMP-9:F=80.993,P=0.000).Compared with the 0 mg/L PDGF group,MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression levels in the 1,10,50 mg/L PDGF groups were significantly up-regulated (all at P＜ 0.05).However,the expression levels of TIMP-1 mRNA and protein group in the cells were not significantly different among various groups (mRNA:F =0.143,P =0.962 ; protein:F =1.955,P =0.178).The expression levels of M MP-2 mRNA,M MP-9 mRNA in the cells were increased in the PDGF group compared with the control group at different time points (MMP-2 mRNA:Ftime =83.250,P=0.002 ; MMP-9 mRNA:Ftime =6.785,P =0.019).Also,the expression values of MMP-2 and MMP-9proteins in RPE cells were increased in the PDGF group compared with the control group at different time points (MMP-2:Ftime =1 l.185,P =0.041 ; MMP-9:Ftime =968.413,P =0.000).The expression levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 mRNAs and proteins were significant between the two groups at different time points (all at Pgroup =0.000;all at Ptime＜0.05).While the expression changes of TIMP-1 werc not significant between the two groups and among various time points (all at P＞0.05) Conclusions PDGF up-regulates MMP-2 and MMP-9 expressions in RPE cells in a dose-and time-dependent manner.But,PDGF dose not alter the expression of TIMP-1.These results indicate that PDGF disrupt the balance of MMP/TIMP,which may damage the extracellular matrix and therefore facilitate the migration of RPE cells in the pathogenesis of proliferative vitreoretinopathy.

Accidents ; statistics & numerical data ; Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Inpatients ; statistics & numerical data ; Male ; Wounds and Injuries ; epidemiology

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on post stroke depres- sion (PSD) after lacunar infarction (LI).Methods Seventy-five PSD patients with lacular infarction were recruited and randomly divided into a control group and an EA group.All patients were treated with Fluoxetine,in addition to EA treat- ment in the EA group.Then all patients were evaluated using the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD),the Chinese stroke scale (CSS) and the Barthel Index (BI).The evaluations were carried out at 0,14 and 28 days.Results Depression symptoms (DSs) in the EA group were improved by day 14 of the treatment,and their HAMD scores had decreased.DSs in both groups had improved significantly by day 28,and the HAMD scores in the EA group were then significantly lower than those in the control group.Improvements in neurological impairment and in the activities of daily living were observed earlier in the EA group.Conclusion The combination of EA and Fluoxetine is helpful for PSD with complex patho- genesis and clinical symptoms.Therapeutic effects are enhanced and side effects are reduced.

Objective To investigate the effect of rehabilitation training on the sensory dysfunction after stroke.Methods Fifty three stroke patients with sensory dysfunction were randomly divided into 2 groups:a con- trol group and a treatment group.The control group composed of 25 patients was intervened with conventional treat- ment,while the treatment group composed of 28 patients with sensory training in addition to the conventional treat- ment.The effect of rehabilitation training of the two groups was evaluated by Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) before and afer treatment.Results The FMA scores of patients of both groups increased significantly after 2 months of treatment (P