Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Angiomyoma ; pathology ; Ear Auricle ; pathology ; Ear Neoplasms ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

AIM: to assess the effectiveness of a combined procedure ( pars plana vitrectomy with temporary keratoprosthesis, vitreoretinal surgery, and penetrating keratoplasty). in the complicated cases and the risk factors for the surgical failure.METHODS: Restrospectively reviewed charts of patients who underwent penetrating keratoplasty in combination with vitreoretinal surgery between 1990 and 2005, with a follow-up of 3mo to 9a. Analysis was focused on ocular history, indications for surgery, visual acuity (VA), anatomic results, and complications.RESULTS: 18 eyes had light perception or VA of hand motions only. The best-corrected VA improved during the first 3mo, increased in 72.2% of all eyes, remained unchanged in 27.78%, and no decreased. In 3 of 18 eyes (16.67%), VA was better than finger counting and hand motions, and nine eyes(50%) showed useful vision (0.05) postoperatively. 10 eyes showed a clear corneal graft (55.56%). 2 eyes needs the second keratoplasty, Bullous corneal edema was evident in 3 eyes, band keratopathy was evident in a 3 eyes. 10 patients were observed for more than 2a;6 had a clear graft (60%). Two eyes (11.11%) had silicone oil-corneal endothelium contact and all of these grafts failed.CONCLUSION: Although the functional outcome of a combined procedure is limited by primary and secondary tissue destruction, preserving ambulatory vision is possible and thus improves the quality of life, at least in patients with single remaining eyes.

Objective: To study the effect of Bazhen decoction on red blood cell immunity in rats with Qi deficiency.Methods:After the rats were forced to swim for two weeks continuously, the rat model of Qi deficiency was established. Bazhen group and normal group were fed with Bazhen decoction (20g?kg -1 ,daily), and distilled water for fourteen days, respectively. The changes in red blood cell c 3b receptor rosette rate (RBC.c 3bRR) and red blood cell immune complexes rosette rate (RBC.ICRR) were studied while the influences of Bazhen decoction on above mentioned parameters were observed. Results: In Qi deficiency syndrome the levels of RBC.c 3bRR were markedly depressed, while RBC.ICRR markedly elevated. After feeding Bazhen decoction orally to rats model with Qi deficiency syndrome, the levels of RBC. c 3bRR were elevated, while RBC.ICRR depressed (compared with Qi deficiency model group, P

AIM: To evaluate the physiologic change of retinal thickness during pregnancy.
METHODS:Forty cases ( 80 eyes ) were included two groups:40 eyes ( 20 cases ) in healthy pregnant women group (including in the second and last trimester), and 40 eyes (20 cases) in healthy nonpregnant women group ( control group ) . The macular volume, average thickness, central subfield thickness and retinal thickness of other parafoveal areas were measured by optical coherence tomography scan.
RESULTS: The macular volume was 10. 06±0. 41mm3 and 9. 87±0. 30mm3 in healthy pregnant women group and control group respectively. The average thickness was 279. 43±10. 86μm and 274. 25±8. 07μm in healthy pregnant women group and control group respectively. The central subfield thickness was 235. 15±15. 05μm and 233. 00±15. 81μm in healthy pregnant women group and control group espectively. Statistically significant difference was found in macular volume and average thickness (P<0. 05). The retinal thickness of 8 parafoveal areas in healthy pregnant women group increased comparing with control group, but statistical significance was only found in superior-outer area and inferior-outer area(P<0. 05). OCT images of all cases were normal.
CONCLUSION:The macular retinal thickness increases during pregnancy in the second and last trimester. The physiologic change of retinal thickness should be considered when evaluating pathologic retinal disease of pregnant women.

ObjectiveTo observe the retinal function and nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). MethodsLASIK was performed in 15 cases (30 eyes) with myopia after strict preoperative examination. All examinations such as vision, correction vision, diopter, intraocular pressure, corneal thickness, ocular axis, topography scan and fundus of eye examination were performed before and 1 day, 1 week, 1 month,3 months and 6 months after operation, as well as electroretinography (ERG), visual evoked potential (VEP), optical coherece tomography at same time. ResultsThere was not significant difference in the intraocular pressure, ERG and VEP 1 day after LASIK. The thickness of RNFL decreased 1 week after LASIK (P<0.05) and recovered 1～6 months later. ConclusionLASIK does not disturb the retinal function and RNFL thickness irreversiblely.

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical efficacy and action mechanism of acupuncture for premature ovarian failure (POF).

METHODSAccording to prospective cohort study design, 30 cases were included. Based on theory of regulating Chong and Conception Vessels as well as soothing the liver and calming the nerves, acupuncture at Guanyuan (CV 4), Dahe (KI 12), Taixi (KI 3), Taichong (LR 3), Baihui (GV 20) was applied, three times per week and 3 months were considered as one session. Totally two sessions were performed. The menstruation condition, estradiol (E2), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and scores of the clinical perimenopausal symptoms were taken as treatment outcomes.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 86.7% (26/30) and the cured rate was 16.7% (5/30). The recovery rate of menstruation was 16.7% (5/30) and the regain rate of menstruation was 56.7% (17/30). After the treatment, the level of E2 was significantly increased from (45.41 +/- 18. 09) pmol/L to (59.07 +/- 24.21) pmol/L (P < 0.05), and the score of perimenopausal symptoms was obviously reduced from 14.28 +/- 8. 30 to 4.04 +/- 3.28 (P < 0.01). However, no statistical differences could be seen in FSH before and after treatment (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture has certain effect on improving menstruation and perimenopausal symptoms in POF patients, which is likely to he related with increasing the level of E2.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adolescent ; Estradiol ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; metabolism ; Primary Ovarian Insufficiency ; metabolism ; therapy ; Prospective Studies ; Young Adult

Adult ; Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; secondary ; Carcinoid Tumor ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Lobular ; metabolism ; pathology ; secondary ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Chromogranin A ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Keratins ; metabolism ; Neoplasms, Multiple Primary ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Sex Cord-Gonadal Stromal Tumors ; metabolism ; pathology ; Synaptophysin ; metabolism ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery

Objective To investigate the relations between serum adiponectin and coronary artery calcification score (CACS) and to find the risk factors for coronary artery calcification in maintenance hemodialysis(MHD) patients.Methods Twenty-seven MHD patients(MHD group) and 13 healthy persons (control group) were enrolled in this study.The serum adiponectin was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method.CACS was calculated by multi-row spiral CT.The circulating parameters such as hemoglobin (Hb),calcium,phosphate,calcium-phosphate product,intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH),total cholesterol (TC),low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C),albumin (Alb),high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP),and so on were detected.Results The level of serum adiponectin in MHD group [(15.00 ± 7.47) mg/L] was significantly higher than that in control group [(2.07 ± 0.83) mg/L],and there was significant difference (P＜ 0.01).Coronary artery calcification(CACS ＞ 0 score) was observed in 88.9％ (24/27) in MHD group and 10/13 in control group.The mean CACS in MHD group was significantly higher than that in control group [655 (0-3 570) scores vs.126 (0-731)scores],and there was significant difference (P ＜ 0.05).Eleven MHD patients and 1 healthy person had severe coronary artery calcifications,(CACS ≥ 400 scores).There was significan t difference in dialysis duration,diastolic pressure,phosphate calcium-phosphate product and adiponectin (P ＜ 0.05 or ＜ 0.01).Spearman analysis showed that CACS of MHD patients was positively correlated with dialysis duration,phosphate,calcium-phosphate product,serum creatinine and adiponectin (P ＜ 0.01 or ＜ 0.05).Only calcium-phosphate product remained as independent predictor of CACS in multivariate analysis (P ＜0.01).Conclusion Coronary artery calcification is common in MHD patients and which is correlated with dialysis duration,serum phosphate,calcium-phosphate product,serum creatinine and adiponectin.

Objective: To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on cognitive function in D-galactose (D-gal)-induced aging rats, and the correlation between the effect and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3)-ASC-Caspase-1 signaling pathway. Methods: Forty-six male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into a control group (n=10), a model group (n=12), an EA-7 d group (n=12) and an EA-21 d group (n=12). Except the control group, the other three groups received 42 consecutive days of intraperitoneal injection of D-gal to establish aging rat models with cognitive dysfunction. The control group received the same amount of normal saline via intraperitoneal injection. Two EA groups were given EA therapy for 21 consecutive days (began from the 22nd day of modeling) or 7 consecutive days (began from the 36th day of modeling) accordingly at Dazhui (GV 14), Baihui (GV 20), Shenshu (BL 23) and Zusanli (ST 36). After modeling/ intervention, all four groups received behavioral evaluations by Morris water maze (MWM) test, novel object recognition (NOR) test and step-down passive avoidance (SDPA) test followed by the Western blot (WB) detection of the expression levels of hippocampal NLRP3 inflammasome-associated proteins NLRP3, ASC and Caspase-1. Results: MWM (place navigation test, PNT) results showed that the escape latency in the model group was significantly longer than that in the other three groups (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference among the other three groups on the 1st day of the test (P>0.05). From the 2nd day to the 4th day of the test, there was no significant difference between the EA-21 d group and the control group (P>0.05) in the escape latency; the escape latency was significantly shorter in the EA-21 d group than in the model group and the EA-7 d group (P<0.05). MWM (spatial probe test, SPT) results showed that the time spent in the target quadrant was significantly shorter and platform crossover number was significantly lower in the model group than in the other three groups (P<0.05). The time spent in the target quadrant was longer in the EA-7 d group than in the model group (P<0.05), but was shorter than that in the control group and the EA-21 d group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the swimming speed among the four groups (P>0.05). NOR results showed that there was no significant difference in the recognition ratio between the EA-7 d group and the EA-21 d group (P>0.05), and the recognition ratio was significantly higher in the two EA groups than in the model group (P<0.05), but was lower than in the control group (P<0.05). SDPA results showed that the electric shock number was higher in the model group than in the other three groups (P<0.05), and the differences among the other three groups were statistically insignificant (P>0.05). The model group had the shortest step-down latency, followed by the EA-7 d group, the EA-21 d group and the control group in order (P<0.05). The WB results indicated that the expression level of NLRP3 was significantly lower in the control group and the EA-21 d group than in the model group and the EA-7 d group (P<0.05). The expression levels of ASC and Caspase-1 were significantly higher in the model group than in the other three groups (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference among these three groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: NLRP3 inflammasome may be involved in the development of cognitive decline in aging rats; 7 consecutive days of EA intervention can partially improve the cognitive impairment in aging rats though the effect is rather limited; 21 consecutive days of EA intervention may improve the learning and memory abilities in aging rats via downregulating the expression levels of NLRP3 inflammasome-associated proteins in hippocampus.