OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical efficacy and the effect mechanism of hooking therapy and safflower injection in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH).

METHODSSixty patients of LDH were randomized into an observation group and a control group at ratio of 1 to 1, 30 cases in each one. In the control group, safflower injection was applied to three points of lumbar region, once a day. Seven treatments made one session, and totally 2 sessions were required. In the observation group, under local anesthesia, the big hook needle was used to stimulate the three points of lumbar region first, followed by the safflower injection, once every 6 to 7 days. If the efficacy was not satisfactory enough, the second treatment was given. The visual analogue scale (VAS) and the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (M-JOA) scores were observed before and after treatment in the patients of the two groups and the clinical efficacy was evaluated. The levels of peripheral interleukin-6 (IL-6) and nitric oxide (NO) were determined.

RESULTSVAS and M-JOA scores were all improved apparently after treatment as compared with those before treatment in the patients of the two groups (both P < 0.01). The improvements in the observation group were much more obvious than those in the control group (both P < 0.01). In the observation group, the curative and remarkably effective rate was 76.7% (23/30) and the total effective rate was 96.7% (29/ 30), better than 43.3% (13/30) and 70.0% (21/30) in the control group separately (both P < 0.05). After treatment, the levels of IL-6 and NO were all reduced as compared with those before treatment in the two groups; (both P < 0.01). The above indices were changed more obviously in the observation group as compared with those in the control group (both P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe combined therapy of hooking therapy and safflower injection apparently relieves pain and clinical symptoms of LDH. The effect mechanism is relevant with reducing the levels of IL-6 and NO in the peripheral blood.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Carthamus tinctorius ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nitric Oxide ; genetics ; metabolism ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Objective We have examined tumor suppressor gene p53 from N- methyl - N- nitrosourea (MNU ) induced the col - orectal tumors in rats. Methods PCR, SSCP and DNA sequence analysis. Results In colorectal tumors induced by MNU, the mobil- ity shifts of p53 gene mutation were observed, p53 gene mutation was a deletion at third position C of codon 244 in exon7. Conclu- sion The present study suggested that MNU induces rat p53 mutations in the colorectal tumors.

AIM: To obtain GST fusion protein of hSP17 gene and construct the recombinant plasmid for expression in E. coli. METHODS: Total fragment of hSP17 cDNA gene were amplified by RT-PCR, then subcoloned into pGEX-3b to generate recombinant hSP17/pGEX. Right orientation of insert are identified by restricted enzyme digestion. Transform the correct recombinant plasmid into the E. coli DH5a. The expression of fusion proteins hSP17-GST were induced by adding isopropylthiogalactoside (IPTG). RESULTS and CONCLUSION: The recombinant plasmid hSP17/pGEX-3b could express effectively in E.coli and a high level of fusion protein hsp17-GST with the predicted molecular weight was detected.

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the long-term toxicity of repeated intramuscular injection of Escherichia coli O157∶H7 polysaccharide-conjugated vaccine(O157) in rats so as to provide safety evidence for clinical trials.METHODS:A total of 48 SD rats were randomly assigned to receive either 0.5 mL vaccine(containing 25 ?g polysaccharides) (immunization group,n=24) or phosphate buffered solution (PBS,control group,n=24) with the same volume for 3 times at a dose interval of two weeks.Sacrifice of 6 rats in each group were scheduled at 2 weeks after first immunization,and at 1,3,and 5 weeks after the third immunization,respectively for observation and determination of hematological and biochemical parameters,histopathology,specific antibody,myeloid tissue,the tissues in injection sites,etc.RESULTS:Compared with control group,immunization group showed no significant pathological change except the dynamic regular change of some hematological parameters induced by the immunization,and no immunologic system damage was observed.CONCLUSION:Repeated intramuscular injection with O157 vaccine in rats wouldn't cause overt toxicity and local irritation.

China ; Ecology ; history ; History, 20th Century ; Humans ; Portraits as Topic

BACKGROUND: Glaucoma is a kind of eye disease that can cause irreversible blindness which is characterized by visual field loss. Clinical research shows that the optic nerve head has changed before the visual field loss. The morphological changes of the optic nerve head have become the key to determine the early diagnosis of glaucoma and disease development. So it has important significance for us to study the morphological changes of the tissues of optic nerve head under the high intraocular pressure.
OBJECTIVE: To establish three-dimensional finite element model of optic nerve head which includes choroid, retina and lamina cribrosa, and analyze the thickness of the optic nerve head under the acute high intraocular pressure.
METHODS: (1) We chose healthy cats without refractive media and other eye diseases. The tomographic sequence images of the optic nerve head of a cat were obtained with the intraocular pressure of the normal value by using enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. (2) The three-dimensional model of the retina, choroid and lamina cribrosa was obtained. Three-dimensional model of optic nerve head was established by assembling the model of the retina, the choroid and the lamina cribrosa. The thickness of the retina, choroid and lamina cribrosa was analyzed under different intraocular pressures by using the method of finite element analysis. (3) Animal model of acute ocular hypertension was established by methods of anterior chamber perfusion. The tomographic sequence images of the optic nerve head of a cat were obtained with different intraocular pressures by using enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Then, we measured the thickness changes of the choroid, retina and lamina cribrosa under different intraocular pressures, and compared with the results of finite element analysis.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The thickness of the choroid, retina and lamina cribrosa trended to be thin, and the cup dish ratio of optic nerve head increased gradual y with the increased intraocular pressures. Regarding to the thickness changes of the choroid, retina and lamina cribrosa, the trend of experimental measurement results was consistent with finite element calculation results. Hence, it is feasible to analyze morphological changes of every fundus tissue under high intraocular pressure using the tomographic sequence images obtained by optical coherence tomography. We can predict the morphological changes of the optic nerve head tissue by finite element analysis, which has certain guiding significance in determining the progression of glaucoma.

Objective To analyze the clinical efficacy of the laparoscopic breast-conserving surgery combined with radiofrequency ablation to treat the early-stage breast cancer.Methods We collected 55 patients diagnosed early-stage breast cancer in retrospect,which started from January 2014 to December 2016.Twenty-seven of them were performed the laparoscopic breast-conserving surgery combined with radiofrequency ablation while others went through laparoscopic breast-conserving surgery without radiofrequency ablation.Meanwhile,we adopted the student t-test and the chi-square test to compare results of two groups.More specific,the main indexes of this study are including the post-operative local recurrence,the incidence of fat liquefaction or the incision-infection,operation time,post-operative hospital stay and the hospitalization expense.Results The laparoscopic breast-conserving surgery combined with radiofrequency ablation group had low local-recurrence than the laparoscopic breastconserving surgery group (0 and 7.69％).Additionally,there were no statistical differences between two groups in the incidence of fat liquefaction.However,The laparoscopic breast-conserving surgery combined with radiofrequency ablation group had more hospitalization expense than the laparoscopic breast-conserving surgery group [(4.1 ± 0.7) ten thousand yuan and (2.3 ± 0.6) ten thousand yuan,P ＜ 0.05].Conclusions Although the laparoscopic breast-conserving surgery combined with radiofrequency ablation group remarkably increased the hospitalization expense because of the utility of the radiofrequency ablation related apparatus,it may provide the probability of shaving more residual tumor cell and may low down the recurrence,especially not rising up the incidence of the post-operative fat liquefaction.Therefore,this surgery method might be one of the potential developments in the minimal-invasive of early stage breast cancer.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of mutation in the locus 306 of embB gene in multi-drug resistant (MDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) and evaluate the prospects for using it as a molecular marker to detect MDR-TB.Methods The 291 strains enrolled in this study were from the reference laboratory of Shanghai municipal centers for disease control and prevention, all of which had been tested for drug susceptibility.Mutation in embB 306 was screened both by amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) and DNA sequencing.The mutation frequencies of embB 306 in the sample groups varied in drug resistance were statistically analyzed.Results 38(51.4% ) of the 74 MDR-TB were embB 306-mutant (X2 =93.8,P＜0.01).Of the 24 TB resistant to at least two drugs but not MDR, 9(37.5% ) were embB 306 mutant (X2 =60.1 ,P＜0.01 ).But only two(4.9% ) embB 306-mutant strains were found in 41 strains resistant to only one drug (X2 =6.8,P=0.0093).None embB 306-mutant strains were found in 152 pansensitive strains.The specificity of using embB 306 as a molecular marker for detecting multi-drug resistant TB was 94.9% (206/217).Conclusions As a molecular marker for screening drug resistant TB,especially MDR-TB, the gene locus embB 306 shows a relatively high sensitivity and specificity, promising a sound future for its application in clinics to realize fast screening of patients infected with MDR-TB and to provide evidence for appropriate medication.

Objective To explore the characteristics and survival of connective tissue disease (CTD) patients with both of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) arnd interstitial lung disease (ILD),and to compare with CTD patients with isolated PAH.Methods All adult CTD patients who visited one of the three referral centers in China with a diagnosis of PAH confirmed by right heart catheterization from July 2006 to May 2011 were enrolled.They were then divided into two groups (ILD with and without-ILD group) based on chest CT and then the comparison of baseline characteristics and survival at the endpoint of follow up were made between the two groups.T test,Mann-Whitney U test,x2 test,Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis were used for statistical analyses.Results One hundred and twenty-six patients were recruited into the study.Patients with ILD (n=27) were older than those without ILD (n=99).Lung function results including FVC [(75±18)％ vs (83±13)％,t=2.212,P=0.037] and DLCO [(54±22)％ vs (68±20)％,t=2.392,P=0.019] in ILD group were significantly wose than those without-ILD group.Although some important hemodynamic parameters such as mean pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance were better in the ILD group than the without-ILD group,Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the short term survival of ILD group was significantly worse than that of the without-ILD group (72.7％ versus 94.7％ at 1 year and 63.6％ versus 81.1％ at 3 year,P=0.047).In ILD group,Cox regression analysis showed that SvO2 was the only independent factor for the short term survival [HR=0.19,95％CI (0.04,0.83),P=0.027],and Kaplan-Meier analysis showed patients with SvO2＜60％ had significantly lower short term survival than patients with SvO2 ≥60％ (1 and 2 year survival were 60.0％ and 40.0％ versus 92.9％ and 77.4％ respectively,P=0.002).Conclusion Patients with both PAH and ILD is a special subtype in CTD.Although with the superiority of hemodynamics,these patients have significantly worse survival than CTD patients with isolated PAH.Low SvO2 is the independent risk factor for the short term mortality in patients of CTD complicated by both PAH and ILD.More attention should be paid to these patients and the management strategy should be investigated further.

Objective:To investigate the effects of posterior internal fixation combined with transpedicular bone grafting in elderly patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures.Methods:Clinical data of 92 elderly patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures were retrospectively analyzed.According to the operation method, patients were divided into the control group(n=38)and the observation group(n=54). The control group received the conventional posterior approach and short-segment transpedicular fixation, and the observation group underwent transpedicular fusion in addition to the treatment the control group received.Surgery quality metrics, clinical effects and postoperative recovery were compared between the two groups.Results:The operation time and bleeding volume were higher in the observation group than in the control group( P<0.05). The bone fusion rate was higher and the failure rate of internal fixation was lower in the observation group than in the control group(96.3% vs.78.9%, 3.7% vs.15.8%, χ2=6.929 and 4.103, all P<0.05). The Japanese Orthopaedic Association score(JOA score)increased in both groups after operation( Ftime=47.628, P<0.05). The increase of the JOA score( Finteraction=4.477, P<0.05)and the overall JOA score( Fgroup=5.638, P<0.05)were greater in the observation group than in the control group.The Oswestry Disability Index(ODI)index in both groups decreased with time( Ftime=72.581, P<0.05). The decrease of the ODI index( Finteraction=7.421, P<0.05)and the overall ODI( Fgroup=9.276, P<0.05)were higher in the observation group than in the control group.The visual analogue scale(VAS)score in both groups decreased with time( Ftime=93.157, P<0.05). The decreases of the VAS score( Finteraction=9.473, P<0.05)and the overall VAS( Fgroup=13.272, P<0.05)score were greater in the observation group than in the control group.The Frankel nerve function grade was better in the observation group than in the control group 12 months after operation( z=2.123, P<0.05). Conclusions:Posterior internal fixation combined with transpedicular bone grafting can help improve nerve function, reduce postoperative pain, and has a high bone fusion rate and a low failure rate of internal fixation.