OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical effects of needle-pricking therapy, a newly medical and minimally invasive technique, for functional retrograde ejaculation and to explore its mechanism. Methods Thirty-six patients with functional retrograde ejaculation were randomly divided into an observation group(19 cases) and a control group(17 cases) In the observation group,needle-pricking therapy was used at Guanyuan(CV 4) and bilateral sacral plexus nerve,lumbar 1 nerve and greater occipital nerve stimulating points,once a week. In the control group, midodrine tablets were prescribed orally,three times a day. All the treatment was given for 9 weeks. The clinical effects of the two groups were observed, and the levels of luteinizing hormone(LH), testosterone(Tes) and estra4 diol(E2) were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThe total effective rate of the observation group was, 89. 47%(17/19), which was better than 47.06% (8/17) of the control group(P<0. 05). The LH and Tes were obviously increased and E2 was decreased compared with those before treatment in the observation group(all P< 0. 01). Tes was raised(P<0. 05) and E2 was apparently declined in the control group(P<0. 01). After treatment, the differences of serum LH and Tes were statistically significant between the two groups(both P<0. 01).

CONCLUSIONNeedle-pricking therapy has advantages for functional retrograde ejaculation probably in that stimulating lumbosacral nerves can strengthen the function of pelvic floor muscles and urethral expansion muscle and regulate sexual gland axis.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Ejaculation ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Needles ; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To explore the relationship between occupational physical activity and peripheral arterial disease (PAD)assessed by ankle-brachial index (ABI). Methods Data including ABI,occupational physical activity intensity, health history, medication use, blood biochemistry and physical examinations derived from 16 446 subjects from 9 areas throughout China were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate adjusted logistic regression analysis were used for the data analyses. Results Occupational physical activity intensity was classified into 5 levels as jobless, very light, light, moderate and heavy intensity. With the increasing of physical activity intensity, the risk of PAD gradually decreased ( Ptrend <0. 05). In comparison with jobless group, the ORs of PAD for other groups were 0. 65 (95% CI:0. 52,0.82), 0.70 (95% CI:0.56, 0.87), 0.57 (95% CI:0.44, 0.73), 0.65 (95% CI: 0.53, 0.80)respectively. After adjusting for gender, age, smoke, obesity/overweight, the history of hypertension,hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke, the ORs were 1.02 (95% CI: 0. 80,1.31), 0.91 (95% CI:0.72, 1.15), 0. 92(95% CI:0. 70, 1.19), 0.90(95%CI:0.72, 1.12) (Ptrend <0. 05). Conclusion PAD risk reduced in proportion with increasing occupational physical activity.

The government of the Song Dynasty paid high attention to develop the science of acupuncture and moxibustion, improved the position of acupuncture and moxibustion, specially made collation and systematization on ancient books of acupuncture and moxibustion, compiled monograph of acupuncture and moxibustion, set up acupuncture and moxibustion program and founded acupuncture bronze statue, launched experiment teaching and so on, which made acupuncture and moxibustion spread and be populated, accelerating the development and advancement of acupuncture and moxibustion sciences.
Acupuncture ; history ; China ; History, Medieval ; Moxibustion ; history

OBJECTIVETo investigate the prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men with high-normal blood pressure (HNBP).

METHODSThis study included 120 men with HNBP and another 120 with normal blood pressure (NBP) as controls. We analyzed the scores of the two groups on the International Index of Erectile Dysfunction 5 (IIEF-5).

RESULTSThe ED prevalence in the men with HNBP was 25.8%. After controlling for age, nationality, occupation, education, income, smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise, obesity, fatty liver, blood lipids, blood glucose, and blood uric acid, the incidence of ED was 25.8% in the HNBP group, significantly higher than 14.2% in the NBP group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe prevalence of ED is higher in men with HNBP than in those with NBP.

Adult ; Blood Pressure ; Erectile Dysfunction ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo investigate and clarify the indications of breast reconstruction after mastectomy with various methods.

METHODSA clinical analysis was made, based on 44 patients with the 45 breasts who had received breast reconstruction after mastectomy in our hospital from 2003 to 2005. The methods of breast reconstruction included in tissue expander/implant (5 cases), implants covered by latissimus dorsi flap (13 cases), latissimus dorsi flap along (3 cases), DIEP flap (6 cases), TRAN flap (10 cases) and solid double-pedicle TRAM flap (8 cases).

RESULTSAll of the flaps survived well in total 40 patients (40 breasts) who were used a flap for breast reconstruction. Superficial skin necrosis occurred in 1 case with the method of tissue expander/implant; rupture of breast prosthesis and infection occurred in 1 case with the technique of implant with a latissimus dorsi flap; subcutaneous seroma occurred in 1 case with the method of DIEP flap; partial flap necrosis occurred in 2 cases with the method of TRAM flap. By the follow-ups of 3 - 12 months, the reconstructed breasts were well-shaped and there were no complications such as abdominal hernia.

CONCLUSIONSThese 6 methods for breast reconstruction achieved the satisfactory results for the requirement of breast reconstruction in Chinese women. With the development of plastic surgery technique, the indications of breast reconstruction were enlarged.

Adult ; Breast Neoplasms ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Mammaplasty ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Period

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of 3-(4-~(18)F-fluorobenzyl)-8,9-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrochromeno [3,4-c]pyridin-5-one ( is F-FDTP) as a potential dopamine D4 receptor PET imaging agent.Methods ~(18)F-FDTP solution in ethanol-physiological saline was incubated with calf serum to test its in vitro stability through the determination of radiochemical purity.Normal rats were injected intravenously with ~(18)F-FDTP and then sacrificed at 2,5,10,15,30,60 and 120 min after anesthesia.Blood,organs and brain tissue samples were collected.All samples were weighed and measured for radioactivity.The uptake of samples was expressed as percentage activity of injection dose per gram of tissue ( % ID/g).Results The stability of ~(18)F-FDTP was satisfactory and its radiochemical purity was above 95% after incubation 120 min at 37℃ in calf serum.The biodistribution showed that ~(18)F-FDTP could penetrate through the blood-brain barrier and selectively accumulate in striatum,hypothalamus,frontal certex,hippocampus,cerebellum,where the D_4 receptor was reportedly located.The radioactivities in hippocampus,hypothalamus,striatum,frontal cortex,cerebellum,pons were (0.42±0.03),(0.46±0.05),(0.54±0.04),(0.39±0.04),(0.45±0.06),(0.35±0.04) %ID/g,respectively,2 min post injection.And there was difference between the normal biodistribution results and the blocking experimental results:(0.36 ±0.05),( 0.33±0.05 ),(0.55±0.05 ),(0.30±0.07 ),(0.34±0.07 ) and (0.32±0.04) % ID/g in hippocampus,hypothalamus,striatum,frontal cortex,cerebellum and pons,respectively.Conclusions ~(18)F-FDTP can penetrate through the blood-brain barrier and selectively accumulate in striatum,hypothalamus,frontal cortex,hippocampus,cerebellum,where the D_4 receptor was known to concentrate.These preliminary results suggest that ~(18)F-FDTP is a potential dopamine D_4 receptor imaging agent and further studies are needed.

Humanin(HN,its analogue [Gly14]-Humanin,HNG)was originally identified as an endogenous peptide that protects neuronal cells from apoptosis induced by various types of Alzheimer's disease-related insults.But the relative low content of this peptide in its natural sources limits its further characterization.An expression vector pET32a/HNG was corstructed and transformed it into E.coli BL21 trxB(DE3).HNG was expressed as a fusion protein in the soluble fraction and was purified by nickel affinity chromatography.Subsequently,the purified fusion protein was cleaved by enterokinase and was further purified by reverse-phase HPLC.A 23 mg recombinant HNG(rHNG)from 1 L bacterial culture was purified.The molecular weight of rHNG determined by ESI-MS was 2876.5 Da which was the expected size for correctly processed peptide.The N-terminal amino acid sequence of rHNG determined by Edman degradation method is identical to the theoretical sequence.Neuroprotective bioassay studies of rHNG exhibited its potential neuroprotective effect comparable to that of the natural HNG peptide.

Adolescent ; Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; Drug Users ; Female ; Genotype ; Hepatitis E ; epidemiology ; virology ; Hepatitis E virus ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the indications of the therapies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with neural network model analysis. METHODS: Three hundred and ninety-seven patients were included in the clinical trial from 9 clinical centers. They were randomly divided into Western medicine (WM) treated group, 194 cases; and traditional Chinese herbal medicine (CM) treated group, 203 cases. A complete physical examination and 18 common clinical manifestations were prepared before the randomization and after the treatment. The WM therapy included voltaren extended action tablet, methotrexate and sulfasalazine. The CM therapy included Glucosidorum Tripterygii Totorum Tablet and syndrome differentiation treatment. The American College of Rheumatology 20 (ACR20) was taken as efficacy evaluation. All data were analyzed on SAS 8.2 statistical package. The relationships between each variable and efficacy were analyzed, and the variables with P<0.2 were included for the data mining analysis with neural network model. All data were classified into training set (75%) and verification set (25%) for further verification on the data-mining model. RESULTS: Eighteen variables in CM and 24 variables in WM were included in the data-mining model. In CM, morning stiffness, swollen joint number, peripheral immunoglobulin M (IgM) level, tenderness joint number, tenderness, rheumatoid factor (RF), C-reactive protein (CRP) and joint pain were positively related to the efficacy, and disease duration and more urination at night negatively related to the efficacy. In WM, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), weak waist, white fur in tongue, joint pain, joint stiffness and swollen joint were positively related to the efficacy, and yellow fur in tongue, red tongue, white blood negatively related to the efficacy. In the analysis with the neural network model in the patients of verification set, the predictive response rates of 20% patients would be 100% and 90% in the treatment with CM and WM, respectively. CONCLUSION: Neural network model analysis, based on the full clinical trial data with collection of both traditional Chinese medicine and modern medicine diagnostic information, shows a good predictive role for the information in the efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis.

A 34-year-old man admitted to our department with complex blunt pancreaticoduodenal injury after a car accident. The wall of the first, second, and third portions of the duodenum was extensively lacerated, and the pancreas was longitudinally transected along the superior mesenteric vein-portal vein trunk. The pancreatic head and the uncinate process were devitalized and the distal common bile duct and the proximal main pancreatic duct were completely detached from the Vater ampulla. The length of the stump of distal common bile located at the cut surface of remnant pancreas was approximately 0.6 cm. A simplified Kausch-Whipple's procedure was performed after debridement of the devitalized pancreatic head and resection of the damaged duodenum in which the stump of distal common bile duct and the pancreatic remnant were embedded into the jejunal loop. Postoperative wound abscess appeared that eventually recovered by conservative treatment. During 16 months follow-up the patient has been stable and healthy. A simplified pancreaticoduodenectomy is a safe alternative for the Whipple procedure in managing complex pancreaticoduodenal injury in a hemodynamically stable patient.
Accidents, Traffic ; Adult ; Duodenum ; injuries ; Humans ; Male ; Pancreas ; injuries ; Pancreaticoduodenectomy ; methods ; Wounds, Nonpenetrating ; surgery