OBJECTIVETo explore the analgesic mechanism of small knife needle for treating transverse process syndrome of the third vertebra (TPSTV) by observing peripheral and central changesof β-endorphin (β-EP) and enkephalin (ENK) contents.

METHODSTotally 30 Japanese white big-ear rabbits of clean grade were divided into 5 groups according to random digit table, i.e., the normal control group, the model group, the small knife needle group, the electroacupunture (EA) group, and the small knife needle plus EA group, 6 in each group. The TPSTV model was established by inserting a piece of gelatin sponge into the left transverse process of 3rd lumbar vertebrae. Rabbits in the small knife needlegroup were intervened by small knife needle. Those in the EA group were intervened by EA at bilateralWeizhong (BL40). Those in the small knife needle plus EA group were intervened by small knife needleand EA at bilateral Weizhong (BL40). Contents of β-EP and ENK in plasma, muscle, spinal cord, and hypothalamus were determined after sample collection at day 28 after modeling.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, contents of β-EP and ENK in plasma and muscle increased significantly, and contents of β-EP and ENK in spinal cord and hypothalamus decreased significantly in the model group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Contents of β-EP and ENK approximated normal levels in the three treatment groups after respective treatment. Compared with the model group, the content of β-EP in muscle decreased, and contents of β-EP and ENK in hypothalamus increased in the three treatment groups after respective treatment (P < 0.05). There were no significant difference among the three treatment groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSSmall knife needle treatment and EA had benign regulation on peripheral and central β-EP and ENK in TPSTV rabbits. Small knife needle treatment showed better effect than that of EA.

Acupuncture Points ; Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Enkephalins ; metabolism ; Hypothalamus ; metabolism ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; pathology ; Muscle, Skeletal ; metabolism ; Needles ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Spinal Cord ; metabolism ; Spinal Diseases ; therapy ; beta-Endorphin ; metabolism

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Brain ; blood supply ; diagnostic imaging ; Carbon Monoxide Poisoning ; diagnostic imaging ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

Objective As the first robotic da Vinci S surgical system(Intuitive Surgical,Inc,CA) in China,atrial septal de- fect repair(ASD) were performed in 15 patients using the robotic da Vinci S surgical system.Prespectively,we evaluated safety and efficacy in performing both simple and complex ASD repairs.Methods Eligible patients had ASD with mild to moderate pulmonary hypertension.Operative techniques included peripheral cardiopulmanary perfusion,a 2 cm working port only in the forth intercostal space,transthoracic aortic occlusion,and antegrade blood cardioplegia.Transesophageal echocardiograms(TEE) were done intraoper- atively with three-dimensienal reconstructions.Successful repairs were defined.Results Enhanced three-dimensional visualization of ASD allowed safe,dexterous intracardiac tissue manipulation.All patients had successful repairs including direct suturing in 10 cases, as well as pericardial patching in 5 cases.There were no operative deaths,strokes,or device-related complications.One patient was reexplored for bleeding.There were no incisional conversions.The mean cardiopulmonary bypass times and aortic crossclamp times were (109.5?12.6) minutes and (41.2?11.7) minutes.Both robotic repair and total operating times decreased significantly re- spectively.Total ICU length of stay for patients was 1 to 2 days.Conclusion This study shows that the da Vinci S surgical system (intuitive Surgical,lnc) has no limitations in performing ASD repairs.Articulated wrist-like instruments and three-dimensional visual- ization enabled precise tissue telemanipulation.

ObjectiveTo explore the efficacy of constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) on motor function of upper extremity of chronic stroke patients.MethodsFifteen chronic stroke patients with hemiparesis (course of diseases more than 13.5 months) were treated by CIMT, involving restriction of movement of the intact upper extremity by placing it in a sling for 90% of waking hours for 12 days and training (by shaping) of the more affected extremity for 6 hours on the 10 workdays during that period. The therapeutic effect was evaluated with upper extremity function test (UEFT) and simple test for evaluating hand function (STEF).ResultsPatients showed a significant and very large degree of improvement after treatment on UEFT and STEF (ES, 0.8 and 0.5, respectively).ConclusionCIMT may be an efficacious method for improvement of the affected arm function of chronic stroke patients.

OBJECTIVEThymidylate synthase (TS) catalyses the conversion of deoxy-uridylate to deoxy-thymidylate and is a key enzyme for DNA synthesis. TS is the target enzyme of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and involved in folate metabolism. TS gene polymorphisms play an important role in the efficiency of fluorouracil activity in vivo. This study investigated the allelic frequencies and distribution characters of single-nucleotide polymorphisms within the coding region (cSNPs) of TS gene in Chinese children with acute leukemia (AL) and normal control children in order to explore the possible relationship between the cSNP in human TS gene and chemotherapeutic effects of 5-fluorouracils.

METHODSBone marrow samples from 53 children with AL and peripheral blood samples from 115 normal children were obtained to prepare complementary DNAs (cDNAs). The cDNAs were analyzed for the polymorphisms in TS gene by reverse transcriptase (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and direct sequencing. The distributive difference of each genotype between AL children and control children was evaluated.

RESULTSA polymorphism 381 A>G (E127E) in the coding region of TS gene was firstly identified in the Chinese population. The 381 A>G allelic frequency in AL children and control children was 12.3% and 13.5% respectively (P>0.05), which were similar to that in the International SNP Bank (12.3%). The allelic frequency of cSNPs was not associated with the susceptibility to AL.

CONCLUSIONSA polymorphism 381 A>G (E127E) in TS gene was successfully identified in children using RT-PCR-DGGE combined with DNA sequencing. There was no significant difference in the allelic frequency of cSNPs in AL children and normal children.

Acute Disease ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Leukemia ; genetics ; Male ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Thymidylate Synthase ; genetics

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1) is an autosomal dominant disorder. Pseudoaneurysms formation and rupture is an unusual complication of neurofibromatosis. To date, pseudoaneurysm of the internal pudendal artery associated with NF-1 has not been reported. In this article, we present a 62-yr-old man with NF-1 suffering from spontaneous hematoma of the perinea and scrotum. A digital substraction angiography disclosed a ruptured pseudoaneurysm of the right internal pudendal artery, which was successfully managed with transcatheter embolization.
Aneurysm, False/pathology/*therapy ; Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Arteries/*pathology ; Embolization, Therapeutic/*methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neurofibromatosis 1/*complications/pathology ; Perineum/blood supply/pathology ; Scrotum/blood supply/pathology ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the allelic frequencies and distribution of single-nucleotide polymorphisms within the coding region (cSNPs) of thiopurine S-methyltransferase gene (TPMT) in Chinese children with acute leukemia (AL) and healthy controls, in order to provide genetic references for individual chemotherapy for AL patients by studying the relationship between the cSNP in human TPMT and chemotherapeutic effect of thiopurine drugs.

METHODSThe bone marrow samples from 53 children with AL and peripheral blood samples from 115 healthy children were obtained to prepare complementary DNAs (cDNAs). The cDNAs were analyzed for the polymorphisms in the TPMT gene by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and DNA sequencing. The distribution of each genotype was evaluated.

RESULTSTwo novel heterozygote mutations, 210C>T (C70C, silent) and 622T>C (F208L), were identified in the coding region of the TPMT in a single sample, respectively. The mother of the child with mutation 622T>C was confirmed as the same genotype by DGGE and sequencing (NCBI_ss accession numbers 107796292 and 107795933). Two known polymorphisms, 474T>C (silent) and 719A>G (T240C), were identified. The allelic frequencies were 14.2%, 2.83% and 17.0%, 3.04% in the AL children and control children respectively, with the total allelic frequencies of 16.2% (first reported in the Chinese Han population) and 2.99% respectively. No association with susceptibility to disease was observed.

CONCLUSIONTwo novel mutations and two known polymorphisms were identified in Chinese children by RT-PCR-DGGE combined with DNA sequencing, which provides the first step to identify genetic markers for predicting variability in response to and toxicity of thiopurine drugs.

Acute Disease ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Case-Control Studies ; Child, Preschool ; Gene Frequency ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Leukemia ; genetics ; pathology ; Male ; Methyltransferases ; genetics ; Mutation ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

Adolescent ; Adult ; Cardiac Catheterization ; economics ; methods ; Cardiac Surgical Procedures ; economics ; methods ; Cardiac Valve Annuloplasty ; Child ; China ; epidemiology ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; statistics & numerical data ; Male ; Operative Time ; Postoperative Complications ; epidemiology ; Septal Occluder Device ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the safety and efficacy of robotic mitral valve surgery using da Vinci S system.

METHODSWe conducted a retrospective review of 60 robotic mitral surgeries from March 2007 to December 2010. Of the 60 patients, 44 underwent mitral valve repair and 16 received mitral valve replacement. The surgical approach was through 4 right chest ports with femoral and internal jugular vein cannulations. Transesophageal echocardiography was used intraoperatively to estimate the surgical results.

RESULTSNone of the cases required a conversion to a median sternotomy. The mean cardiopulmonary bypass and cardiac arrest time was 132.2∓29.6 min and 88.1∓22.3 min for robotic mitral valve repair, and was 137.1∓21.9 min and 99.3∓17.4 min for robotic mitral valve replacement. Echocardiographic follow-up of all the patients revealed 3 cases of slight regurgitation in mitral valve repair group.

CONCLUSIONIn selected patients with mitral valve disease, robotic mitral surgery can be performed safely.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Mitral Valve ; surgery ; Mitral Valve Annuloplasty ; methods ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Robotics ; methods ; Surgery, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Young Adult

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; administration & dosage ; Bacteria ; drug effects ; Child ; Chronic Disease ; drug therapy ; Corydalis ; chemistry ; Drug Administration Routes ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteomyelitis ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Perfusion ; Treatment Outcome