Objective: To evaluate the prevention and treatment effects of acupuncture-moxibustion for Alzheimer disease (AD) based on various AD mouse models.Methods: Several representative types of mouse models were selected according to the pathophysiological causes of AD, including senescence accelerated mouse/prone (SAMP) mice, soluble amyloid-β protein (Aβ) injection mice/rats, amyloid precursor protein (APP) transgenic mice, and APP/PS1 double transgenic mice. Through the observation of behavioral changes and analysis of core items, the possible mechanisms of acupuncture-moxibustion in preventing and treating AD were explored. Results: Acupuncture-moxibusiton therapy can improve AD mice's cognitive dysfunction; the major action mechanisms including increasing cerebral blood flow, improving the expressions of vital proteins in the hippocampus, preventing neuron cell apoptosis, promoting the clearance of Aβ deposition, activating autophagy pathway to reduce memory deficits and regulating the metabolisms of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, tyrosine kinase receptor B, N- acetylaspartate and glutamic acid. Conclusion: Although the optimal mouse model is not determined, it is sure that acupuncture-moxibustion therapy can improve cognitive function. A more suitable AD animal model should be duplicated in order to better explore the inherent action mechanism of acupuncture-moxibustion in preventing and treating AD.

Objective To study radiation protection of low dose CT scanning in orbit. Methods 126 cases of orbital disease were scanned by original standard parameter (130 kV,100 mA) and two different low dose parameters (130 kV,50 mA and 30 mA) respectively. All the images were reconstructed by different Kernels. The image quality and difference of the CTDIw (weighted CT dose index) of each group were compared. Results CTDIw was 30% of that of the conventional scanning and least when 130 kV 30 mA,but the difference of the image quality compared with that by conventional scanning was highly statistical significance (P0.05). Conclusion Low dose CT scanning (50mA) in orbit not only can assure the image quality but also can decrease the radiation dose.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; genetics ; pathology ; Neurons ; cytology ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Transcription Factors ; genetics

Objective To study the clinical, histopathologic and ultrastructural characteristics of achromic naevus (AN). Methods Clinical data, including sex, age, age of onset, pattern of lesions, involved sites, shape and number of lesions and associated systemic diseases, were collected from 85 patients with AN. Skin melanin index was detected in 34 lesions of 19 patients with AN, 30 lesions of 12 patients with vitiligo and 64 contralateral normal skin islands of the 31 patients. Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) was performed to analyze the lesion, normal skin and junctional area between lesional and normal skin of 62 patients with AN. Tissue samples were obtained from lesions and perilesional normal skin of 17 patients with AN and subjected to pathological examination as well as ultrastructural study with transmission electron microscopy; also, skin biopsy specimens were immunostained for tyrosinase, HMB45, tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1), TRP-2 and CD117. Results Of the 85 patients with AN, 23 (27.1%) developed lesions at birth, and 21 (24.7%) after 3 years of age; 72 (84.7%) had irregularly shaped lesions, 54 (63.5%) had only a single lesion. The mean melanin index and relative melanin index of AN lesions were 186.56 ± 52.86 and 80 ± 11, respectively, significantly lower than those in normal skin islands (223.88 ± 63.19 and 100, both P < 0.01), but higher than those in depigmented lesions from 12 patients with vitiligo (128.57 ± 64.31 and 60 ± 20, both P < 0.01). RCM revealed a decline in the number of melanocytes and brightness of melanin caps, even distribution of melanin in lesions, as well as obscure demarcation between lesions and normal skin from patients with AN. Fontana-Masson stain showed that the melanin content was lower in lesions than in perilesional skin (1810.12 ± 327.96 vs 2064.24 ± 260.41) from patients with AN. Microscopic examination demonstrated a decrease in melanocyte and melanosome number, presence of immature melanocytes at stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ in cytoplasm and dendrites of melanocytes and keratinocytes, aggregated melanosomes in affected keratinocytes in lesions of AN. In 17 patients with AN, the relative expression levels of tyrosinase and TRP-1 were 1827.35 ± 307.09 and 6102.54 ± 1642.64, respectively, in normal skin specimens, significantly higher than those in lesional skin (1477.35 ± 224.05, 5322.33 ± 1565.26, both P< 0.01); no statistical difference was observed in the expression levels of HMB45, TRP-2 or CD117 between lesional and normal skin. Conclusions AN is an early-onset, nonfamilial aggregated, stable leukoderma with irregular margins, and in lesions of AN, the number of both melanocytes and melanosomes is decreased with the presence of immature melanosomes. The measurement of relative melanin index and reflectance confocal microscopy may offer a non-invasive approach to the diagnosis of AN.

Hemoglobinuria, Paroxysmal ; therapy ; Humans

Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization ; methods ; Humans ; Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation ; methods

Adolescent ; Bronchoscopy ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Foreign Bodies ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Respiratory System ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE To investigate the value of acute phase protein in the diagnosis and therapy for nosocomial infection monitoring. METHODS The levels of serum C-reactive protein(CRP),serum amyloid A(SAA),?_1-acid glycoprotein(AAG),and ?_1-antitrypsin(AAT) were measured in 71 gynecological patients with nosocomial infection during chemotherapy,Thirty normal controls and 33 chemotherapy patient controls were detected by nephelometry and compared with white blood cell counts. RESULTS The nosocomial infection rate of chemotherapy patients was 16.7%.Main pathogens were Gram-negative bacteria(60.6%).Fungi infection rate was 19.7%.The most frequent hospital infection sites were respiratory tract,gastrointestinal tract and wound.Compared with controls,the levels of serum CRP,SAA,AAG and AAT were significantly higher in chemotherapy patients with bacteria infection(P

Objective To investigate the relationship between arsenic in drinking water and skin lesions in endemic arsenism area in Shanyin County of Shanxi Province,in order to provide epidemiologic data for further arsenism research.Methods One hundred and eighty-nine endemic arsenism patients and 59 controls were randomly selected in 17 endemic amenism countries in Shanyin County of Shanxi Province.The content of arsenic in drinking water which wa8 collected indoom was half-quantitatively screened by a kit made by Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention,then quantitatively determined by HPLC-ICP-MS.Patients of endemic arsenism were diagnosed by "The Standard of Diagnosis for Endemic Amenism"(WS/T 211-2001).Results There were 64.9% (87/134)samples above the arsenic level(50μg/L)of drinking water and the median value of arsenic in drinking water was 91.43 μg/L in 134 water samples.The OR(95%CI)value between arsenic in drinking water and hyperkeratosis,hyperpigmentation,depigmentation was 2.46(1.22-4.94),3.34(1.50～7.44)and 2.86(1.50-5.46),respectively.The prevalence of hyperkeratosis,hyperpigmentation and depigmentation increased,as the arsenic in drinking water increased(≤10,≤50,≤200,＞200μg/L),especially in＞200μg/L group(OR=6.15,13.96,11.41,P＜0.05).The arsenic level in drinking water of Ⅲ degree of depigmentation patients(318.300μg/L)was higher(P＜0.05)than that of 0,Ⅰ and Ⅱ degree groups(86.670,131.800,1 10.590μg/L,P＜0.05).Conclusions Shanyin County is a medial arsenic pollution area. Arsenic in drinking water is considered as a risk factor of skin lesion. The degree of skin lesions increased,as the arsenic in drinking water increased.

Background Auditing of surgical outcome is controversial due to lack of standard auditing system. POSSUM (Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Morbidity and mortality)system provides a risk adjusted auditing in surgical practice, which is a reliable scoring system. However it has not been generalized in China, especially in gastric surgery. Present study evaluates the application of POSSUM system to compare surgical outcome of malignant gastric disease between specialized unit and general unit. Methods Retrospective study was performed on 394 patients who underwent surgical intervention for gastric cancer and malignant gastric lymphoma. POSSUM data were collected according to standard criteria described by its original authors. Exponential analysis method was used for data analysis. Observed to Expected morbidity (O:E) ratio was calculated for each unit to give risk adjusted comparison. All the complications were categorized into minor to severe to give an objective view of complications. Results There was significant difference in surgical outcome between specialized unit and general unit. POSSUM predicted morbidity well and O: E ratio of specialized unit was better than general unit. Further more postop stay wassignificantly shorter(P ＜0.001 ) in specialized unit and number of moderate and severe morbidity was significantly lower (P＜0.001) than general unit. Conclusions Surgical outcome of specialized unit was better than general unit. POSSUM can be used for risk adjusted auditing of postop complications in malignant gastric disease, which provides a reliable audit. However morbidity definition in POSSUM should be amended and modification in POSSUM formula may be necessary to fit major surgical interventions like gastric cancer surgery.