Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; Catgut ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility, Female ; blood ; therapy ; Moxibustion ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effectiveness of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) of damp-phlegm constitution treated with embedding therapy on back-shu points and front-mu points and needle-pricking therapy on Sifeng (EX-UE 10).

METHODSEighty-five patients were randomly divided into 2 groups of observation group (42 cases) and control group (43 cases). Embedding therapy on back-shu points and front-mu points and needle-pricking therapy on Sifeng (EX-UE 10) were applied to the observation group. Points such as Zhongwan (CV 12), Guanyuan (CV 4), Tianshu (ST 25), Zhangmen (LR 13), Jingmen (GB 25), Qimen (LR 14), Ganshu (BL 18), Weishu (BL 21), Pishu (BL 20), Shenshu (BL 23), Dachangshu (BL 25) and Xiaochangshu (BL 27), etc. were adopted for embedding therapy. At the same time, needle-pricking therapy on Sifeng (EX-UE 10) was also applied once a week. 0. 5 g metformin hydrochloride tablet was given to the control group, once a day for the first week, and twice a day from the second week. Estimation on therapeutic effect was made for both groups after 3 months treatment. Change of symptoms and signs scores, fasting insulin (FINS), 2 hour insulin after meal (2hINS) and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) of both groups before and after treatment were observed, and therapeutic effect estimated.

RESULTSThe total effective rate of the observation group is 97. 6% (41/42), and that of the control group was 95. 4% (41/43). There was no significant difference between the two groups (P>0. 05). Scores of symptoms and signs after treatment were significantly improved in both groups (all P<0. 01), and the observation group was better than the control group (7.01+/-4.23 vs 8. 47+/-2. 82,P<0. 05). Compare with those before the treatment, FINS, 2hINS and HOMA-IR after the treatment were all decreased in both groups (all P<0. 05). The comparison between the two groups showed that differences of FIN had no statistic significance (P>0. 05) after the treatment, while both differences of 2hINS and HOMA-IR had statistic significance [ 2hlNS: (443. 531+/- 93. 90) pmol/L vs (621.29+/-93. 87) pmol/L ; HOMA-IR: 4. 88+/-0. 30 vs 5.06+/-0. 32, both P<0. 05]. The improvement of 2hINS and HOMA-IR in the observation group was better than that of the control group.

CONCLUSIONTreatment of PCOS of damp-phlegm constitution with embedding therapy on back-shu points and front-mu points and needle-pricking therapy on Sifeng (EX-UE 10) have positive effect, which can effectively reduce the insulin resistance, meanwhile, reduce the side-effects of western medication.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; pathology ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Liver ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Thrombomodulin ; blood ; Young Adult

Objective To explore the role of interleukin-15(Il-15)in pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease(KD)and its potential cli-nical value.Methods Thirty patients with KD were selected in Xinhua hospital from Oct.2004 to Jan.2006.The serum concentration of IL-15 was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)in acute stage and convalescent stage of KD,and 30 children with low respiratory inflection and 20 healthy children were studied as controls.Results Serum IL-15 level in acute KD was significantly higher than that in normal control,and the two sides were remarkably different in statistics(q=25.64 P

DNA Fingerprinting ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; Homicide ; Humans ; Mitochondria

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of American Ginseng Capsule (AGC) on the liver oxidative injury and the Nrf2 protein expression in the liver tissue of rats exposed by 900 MHz cell phone electromagnetic radiation.

METHODSTotally 40 male SD rats were randomly divided into the normal control group, the model group, the Shuifei Jibin Capsule (SJC) group, and the AGC group,10 in each group. Rats in the normal control group were not irradiated. Rats in the rest three groups were exposed by imitated 900 MHz cellular phone for 4 h in 12 consecutive days. Meanwhile, rats in the SJC group and the AGC group were intragastrically administrated with suspension of SJC and AGC (1 mL/200 g body weight) respectively. Normal saline was administered to rats in the normal control group and the model group. The histolomorphological changes of the liver tissue were observed by HE staining. Contents of malonic dialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX)were detected by colorimetry. The Nrf2 protein expression of hepatocytes was detected by immunohistochemical assay and Western blot.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, hepatocyte nucleus was atrophied or partially disappeared, the contents of liver MDA and Nrf2 protein obviously increased (P <0. 05, P <0. 01); contents of liver SOD and GSH decreased (P <0. 05) in the model group. Compared with the model group, karyopyknosis was obviously attenuated and approached to the normal level in the SJC group and the AGC group. The contents of liver MDA and Nrf2 protein expression decreased (P <0. 05), and the contents of liver SOD, GSH, and GSH-PX obviously increased (P < 0.05) in the SJC group. The contents of liver MDA and the Nrf2 protein expression decreased (P < 0.05), and contents of SOD and GSH obviously increased in the AGC group (P <0.01, P <0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe electromagnetic radiation induced by 900 MHz cell phone could affect the expression of Nrf2 protein, induce oxidative injury, and induce abnormal morphology of liver cells. SJC and AGC could promote the morphological recovery of the liver cells. Its mechanism might be related to affecting the expression of Nrf2 protein and attenuating oxidative damage of liver cells.

Animals ; Cell Phone ; Electromagnetic Radiation ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; metabolism ; Hepatocytes ; metabolism ; Liver ; Male ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2 ; metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Panax ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

Objective To study the effects of nuclear factor-?B(NF-?B)decoy oligodeoxynucleotide(ODN)on the preeclamptic umbilical serum induced expression of precollagen Ⅰ,Ⅲ mRNA and tumor necrosis factor-?(TNF-?)in cultured human umbilical artery smooth muscle cells (HUASMC).Methods Primary cultured HUASMC of normal pregnancy were divided into four groups: group A(HUASMC were incubated with umbilical serum of normal pregnancy);group B(HUASMC were incubated with umbilical serum of preeclampsia);group C(HUASMC were transfected with NF-?B cis decoy ODN 48 h before incubation with umbilical serum of preeclampsia);group D(HUASMC were transfected with NF-?B scramble ODN 24 h before incubation with umbilical serum of preeclampsia).NF-?B cis decoy ODN and NF-?B scramble ODN were transfected with cationic lipofectamine to the latter two groups,respectively.The proliferation of human umbilical artery smooth muscle cells was evaluated by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium and the apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry.The expression levels of precollagen Ⅰ,Ⅲ mRNA were detected by RT-PCR,the expression levels of TNF-? were detected by western blot.Results(1)The proliferation of group B(0.19?0.02)and group D(0.18?0.03)was significantly increased as compared with those of group A(0.11?0.02)and group C(0.14?20.02)(P0.05).(5)The expression of TNF-? of group B(0.74?0.11),group C(0.36?0.09)and group D(0.79?0.12)were significantly higher than that of group A(0.15?0.03)(P0.05).Conclusions NF-?B cis decoy ODN could down-regulate the proliferation,as well as the expression levels of precollagen and TNF-? of HUASMC induced by umbilical serum of preeclampsia.NF-?B may play an important role in the pathogenesis of placental artery abnormalities in preeclampsia.

Objective To observe the expression of STEAP4 gene(a novel obesity-related gene) during the period of human preadipocyte differentiation and to explore the relationship between the STEAP4 gene expression and adipocytes differentiation,adipogenesis.Methods Human preadipocytes were cultured and differentiated into the matured adipocytes in vitro.Adipocytes morphology and lipid accumulation were observed during this process.Total RNA was extracted from adipocytes at various time points (preadipocyte,Day 0,Day 4,Day 6,Day 8,Day 11,Day 14,and Day 17) and the level of STEAP4 mRNA expression was measured by fluorescent real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polyme-rase chain reaction(RT-PCR).Results The level of STEAP4 mRNA expression remained high in preadipocytes.In the presence of differentiation medium (Day 4),there was a transient upregulation in the expression of STEAP4 gene.After that,with the human preadipocytes being differentiated into matured adipocytes,the expression of STEAP4 mRNA was downregulated and reached the lowest level in fully differentiated adipocytes.There was a significant difference between any 2 detected phases in the level of STEAP4 mRNA expression (Pa

Cold Temperature ; Dinoprost ; analogs & derivatives ; urine ; Dust ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; urine ; Thromboxane B2 ; analogs & derivatives ; urine ; Weather

OBJECTIVETo investigate the species, the distribution and the utilization of the medicinal plants from Selaginellaceae in Hubei Province.

METHODThrough field investigations and comparing the collected specimens and literatures, the classification and identification of the species in Hubei Province were studied.

RESULTThe results indicated that 15 species of plants from Selaginellaceae in Hubei, including 14 medicinal and 1 newly recorded species existed. The distribution and use in folk medicine were investigated. And the morphological description of several species was appended.

CONCLUSIONThe results provided a basis for the exploitation and utilization of the medicinal plant resources of Selagingellaceae.

China ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Phytotherapy ; Plants, Medicinal ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; classification ; Selaginellaceae ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; classification