OBJECTIVETo compare the difference in the efficacy between acupuncture and oral administration of trazodone and the expressions of neurotransmitters in patients of insomnia differentiated as liver stagnation transforming into fire.

METHODSSeventy patients of insomnia differentiated as liver stagnation transforming into fire were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 35 cases in each one. In the observation group, acupuncture therapy was adopted at Shenmen (HT 7), Baihui (GV 20), Yintang (GV 29), Hegu (LI 4), Taichong (LR 3), etc. The needles were retained for 20 min each time. The treatment was given once a day, the treatment of 2 weeks made one session. In the control group, trazodone, 100 mg, oral administration, once a day, the treatment of 2 weeks made one session. Two sessions were required in the two groups. The scores in Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and Asberg rating scale for side effects (SERS), the levels of neurotransmitters such as 5-hydroxy tryptamine (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) and the expressions of protein kinase C (PKC) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in peripheral blood were observed before and after treatment in the two groups.

RESULTSPSQI score and SERS score after treatment were all decreased compared with those in both groups before treatment (both P<0. 05). After treatment, PSQI score and SERS score in the observation group were lower apparently than those in the control group (both P<0. 05). After treatment NE content and PKC level were decreased; 5-HT content and BDNF mRNA were increased compared with those in both groups before treatment (all P<0. 05). NE content and PKC level in the observation group were lower apparently than those in the control group (both P<0. 05). The serum 5-HT content and BDNF mRNA expression in the observation group were higher than those in the control group separately (both P<0. 05).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture therapy improves the sleeping quality of patients of insomnia differentiated as liver stagnation transforming into fire, and reduces serum NE level and increases 5-HT content and BDNF expression, which achieves the better efficacy as compared with the oral administration of trazodone. It is one of the effective approaches to the treatment of insomnia differentiated as liver stagnation transforming into fire.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Liver ; physiopathology ; Male ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; genetics ; metabolism ; Norepinephrine ; genetics ; metabolism ; Serotonin ; metabolism ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:To investigate the effect of ulinastatin(UTI) on the changes of IL-6,TNF-?,IL-10 and IL-4 expression during perioperative period of surgical correction of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis(AIS).Methods: Twenty patients with AISⅠ-Ⅱ scheduled to receive surgical correction of spinal deformities were equally randomized into 2 groups-UTI group and control group.Patients in UTI group received intravenous infusion of 10 000 U/kg UTI with 250 ml normal saline just before operation and every 4 h thereafter if necessary;patients in control group received same amount of normal saline.ECG,CVP,SpO_(2)and P_(ET)CO_(2) were continously monitored during operation in both group.Mean arteral pressure(MAP) was maintained at(60?5) mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa).Venous blood samples were collected immediately before induction of anaesthesia(T_(1)),10 min after induction(T_(2)),1 h after UTI administration(T_(3)),30 min after extubation(T_(4)) and 24 h postoperatively(T_(5)).The plasma levels of IL-6,TNF-?,IL-10 and IL-4 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),and their mRNA expression was assayed by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.Results: At T_(3),T_(4) and T_(5),plasma levels of IL-6 and TNF-? and their mRNA copies in control group were significantly higher than that at T_1(P

ObjectiveTo explore the value of acupuncture in treating insomnia due to stagnated liverqi transforming into fire and its theoretical foundation, by observing the treatment effect of acupuncture in treating insomnia due to stagnated liverqi transforming into fire and its influence on 5-hydroxy tryptamine (5-HT) content.MethodTotally 187patients with insomnia due to stagnated liver qi transforming into fire were selected and randomized into two groups. The 93 cases in the control group were intervened by orally taking Trazodone, 100 mg for each dose, twice a day, 10 d as a course, totallyfor 2 courses; the 94 cases in the observation group were intervened by acupuncture at Shenmen (HT7), Baihui (GV20), Yintang (GV29), Hegu (LI 4), and Taichong (LR 3), once a day, 10 d as a treatment course, totally for 2 courses. Peripheral blood was collected from the two groups before and after intervention to detect the change of 5-HT content. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD, 24-item version), Asberg Rating Scale for Side Effects (SERS), and clinicalefficacies were assessed.ResultThe difference in 5-HT content between the two groups was statistically insignificant before intervention (P>0.05); 5-HT contents were significantly increased in both groups after intervention (P<0.05), while the content in the observation group was markedly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05); after treatment, the PSQI and HAMD scores were decreasedin both groups (P<0.05), while the PSQI, HAMD, and SERS scores in the observation group were markedly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05);the total effective rate was 92.6% in the observation group, significantly higher than 81,7% in the control group (P<0.05). ConclusionAcupuncture can significantly down-regulate 5-HT content in insomnia patients, and its total effective rate is higher than that of medication.

Objective To study the effect of Dachengqi decoction on expression of triggering receptor on myeloid cell 1(TREM-1)in septic rats in order to further provide a theoretical basis concerning the mechanism of this decoction for treatment of sepsis. Methods 100 male Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were randomly divided into five groups:normal control,sham operation,sepsis model,low-dose and high-dose Dachengqi decoction groups (each,n=20). The sepsis models were reproduced by cecal ligated perforation(CLP). The low-dose and high-dose Dachengqi decoction groups were lavaged separately by low dose(5 mL/kg)and normal dose(10 mL/kg)Dachengqi decoction at 2 hours before CLP and after CLP twice per day(interval 8 hours),and the other three groups were lavaged with 10 mL/kg normal saline. Five rats in each group were killed randomly at the time points of 6,12,24,48 hours after CLP;the abdominal aorta blood and the liver tissue were collected. The plasma levels of TREM-1,interleukin-6 (IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)were tested by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The expression level of TREM-1 mRNA in the liver was measured by reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results Compared with normal control group and sham operation group, the plasma levels of TREM-1, IL-6, TNF-α and the expression of liver TREM-1 mRNA were increased significantly in model group. Compared with model group,the above indexes in low-dose and high-dose Dachengqi decoction groups were reduced obviously,the changes being more marked in the high-dose group;the levels of TREM-1,IL-6 at 6 hours after operation and the levels of TNF-αand TREM-1 mRNA at 24 hours after operation in high-dose group were lower than those of low-dose group〔6 hours TREM-1(ng/L):179.19±4.43 vs. 213.86±2.84,6 hours IL-6 (ng/L):136.80±7.70 vs. 162.90±3.87;24 hours TNF-α(ng/L):71.61±5.07 vs. 108.53±6.29,24 hours TREM-1 mRNA:24.33±3.16 vs. 27.22±3.34,all P<0.05〕. Conclusion The partial mechanism of the efficacy of Dachengqi decoction for treatment of sepsis was probably related to the inhibition of TREM-1 expression.

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of TR Band hemostat in trans-radial coronary intervention patients.Methods The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the application of TR Band hemostat in trans-radial coronary intervention patients were collected through the databases such as the Cochrane Library,OVID,PubMed,CBM,VIP and Wanfang Data.The quality of studies was critically appraised and data were extracted by two reviewers independently,and Meta-analysis was conducted for the included studies.Results Five RCTs involving 5 028 patients were included.Meta-analysis showed that the application of TR Band hemostat in trans-radial coronary intervention patients could shorten the time of hemostasis by compression,reduce the incidence rate of skin lesions,improve the postoperative patients with comfort,but the efficacy was not significant in puncture site bleeding,hematoma and incidence of radial artery occlusion (RAO).Conclusions The application of TR Band hemostat in trans-radial coronary intervention patients can significantly decrease the incidence of oppression hemostasis time and reduce the incidence rate of skin lesions,improve the postoperative patients with comfort.It is worth being popularized.

Objeetive To explore the differentiation of B lymphocytes and expression of B7-related protein-1 (B7RP-1)on B lymphocytes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE).Methods Three-color immunofluorescent staining and flow cytometric assay were used to analyze the frequency of three types of B lymphocytes,I.e.,plasma cells,memory B lyphocytes and naive B lymphocytes,as well as the expression of B7RP-1 on these cells in peripheral blood from 23 patients with SLE and 16 normal human controls.Clinical data of these patients with SLE were collected.and SLE disease activi index(SLEDAI)was also evaluated.The relationship was assessed between the expression of B7RP-1 and SLEDAI.Results The frequency of plasma cells was highest in patients with active SLE.followed by patients with inactive SLE and normal human controls(P＜0.01).A significant decrease was observed in the frequency of memory B lymphocytes in patients with active SLE compared with normal controls (P＜0.01),but no significant difference was found between patients with inactive SLE and those with active SLE(P＞0.05).Regarding the frequency of naive B lymphocytes,there was no significant difierence among the three groups.Increased frequency of plasma cells was also noted in patients with lupus nephritis(LN)compared with those without LN [(6.15±3.12)%vs(3.31±1.41)%,P＜0.05 ],but no significant difierence was found with regard to the frequency of memory or naive B lymphocytes between these two groups.The expression rate Of B7RP-1 was significantly lower on total lymphocytes from patients with SLE than from normal human controls (46.51%vs 63.75%,P＜0.05),which was the case with B7RP-1 on plasma cells,memory B lyphocytes and naive B lymphocytes (all P＜0.01),whereas no significant difierence was found between patients with inactive SLE and active SLE or between patients with and without LN.In addition.no correlation was found between the expression of B7RP-1 and SLEDAI(r=0.035,P＞0.05).Conclusions In peripheral blood of patients with SLE,the frequency of plasma cells is increased,while the expression of B7RP-1 on lymphocytes is decreased,which may be relevant to the pathogenesis of SLE.

Objective To study the radiation dose distribution in the X-ray room,and provide the strategy of radiation protection for the medical staff and the patient’s nursing who had to enter the room while the X-ray was exposing.Methods The thermolumi-nescent dosemeters(TLDs)was placed around the center of the X-ray tube with the same level of the bed.Then,exposure parame-ters,including the X-ray tube voltage value and the field of view,were changed for different groups while exposing.All of the TLDs were taken back to the lab for analysis.Results The differences between the two groups which had the same distance in different di-rections were statistically significant (P <0.01).With the same radiographic condition and direction,the radiation dose on the site of 10 cm from X-ray tube center was the maximum,while the site of 120 cm was the minimum.With the same radiographic condition and distance,the radiation dose on the anode side of the X-ray tube in the room was relative lower,while the site behind the X-ray tube was relative higher.With the same voltage value,distance and direction,the same sites that had the smaller FOV(34 cm×34 cm) received lower radiation dose than those with larger FOV(52.6 cm× 52.6 cm).Meanwhile,the sites with the voltage of 70 kV re-ceived the lower radiation dose than that with the voltage value of 120 kV.Conclusion In the X-ray room,the medical staff and the patient’s nursing can choose the area on the right side(anode side),keep far away from the X-ray tube center,avoid the rear of the X-ray tube and the cathodic direction of the X-ray tube to reduce the radiation dose.

Objective To investigate the effect of a novel lymphotoxin with selectively binding to p55 tumor necrosis factor receptor (p55TNFR) on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats in order to explore the mechanism.Methods A total of 40 SD rats were randomly (random number) assigned into four groups (n =10 in each),namely sham operation group (group A),I/R group (group B),wild type rhLTα treatment group (group C),and p55TNFR selective rhLTα (rhLTα-Q107E) treatment group (group D).After I/R model rats were established,various therapeutic agents or saline were given by continuous intravenous infusion for 24 h via a micropump.After 24 hours of treatment,serum myocardial zymogram,such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST),lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK),as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD),malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities were determined.Myocardial infarction size (MIS) was measured by nitro blue tetrazolium chloride (NBT) staining.Results Compared to sham operation group,MIS,AST,LDH,CK,MDA were increased,while the activities of SOD and GSH-Px were decreased.However,all the effects were significantly reversed by treatment with rhLTα-Q107E (P ＜ 0.05) but not rhLTα (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions The rhLTα-Q107E plays a role in the protection against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats by the mechanism of scavenging oxygen free radicals and increasing the activity of endogenous antioxidant system.

Drug Contamination ; Staining and Labeling ; methods

BACKGROUND:Schwann cells are important celllines in the process of repairing peripheral nerve injury, and human amniotic homogenate supernatant is shown to secrete a variety of cytokines, which could promote the proliferation of Schwann cells.
OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of different concentrations of human amniotic homogenate supernatant on the proliferation of rat Schwann cell96.
METHODS:Schwann cell96 was cultured with high-glucose DMEM containing 20%fetal bovine serum, and the second generation of Schwann cell96 was applied for experiments. The cultured cells were divided into five groups according to different volume fractions of human amniotic homogenate supernatant (0%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%) in the medium.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The total protein concentration of human amniotic homogenate supernatant was 675μg/mL, in which the concentration of epidermal growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor and vascular endothelial growth factor were respectively (470.625±2.546), (4.121±0.026) and (0.172±0.002) ng/L. At 1-7 days, the cellproliferation rate of the 10%and 15%concentration groups was greater than that in 20%and 25%concentration groups (P<0.05);10%and 15%concentrations promoted cellproliferation, while 20%and 25%concentrations inhibited cellproliferation. There were no significant difference in the viability of Schwann cell96 between the control group and the experimental group (P>0.05). Low concentrations (10%, 15%) of human amniotic homogenate supernatant promote the proliferation of Schwann cell96, while high concentrations (20%, 25%) of human amniotic homogenate supernatant inhibit cellproliferation.