OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of catgut implantation at acupoint on the content of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and to explore its mechanism for treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

METHODSSeventy-four AS patients were randomly assigned to the observation group and the control group by digit random table, 37 in each group. Patients in the control group took Sulfasalazine Enteric-coated Tablet (SECT), 0.5 g each time, three times daily for 3 months. Those in the observation group additionally received catgut implantation at acupoint for 3 months. Changes of visual analogue scale (VAS), Schober test, pillow wall distance, thoracic activity, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C reactive protein (CRP), and TNF-alpha were compared after 3 months of treatment.

RESULTSThere was obvious change in VAS, Schober test, pillow wall distance, thoracic activity, ESR, CRP, and TNF-alpha after treatment in the both groups, showing statistical difference when compared with before treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The aforesaid indices were obviously improved after treatment in the observation group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONCatgut implantation at acupoint, as an assistant therapy, could significantly improve clinical symptoms and signs, decrease the level of TNF-alpha, and its effect was superior to that of oral SECT administration alone.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; blood ; therapy ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the use situation of sunscreen agent in the sunblock cosmetics.Methods Statistic analysis was performed in the kinds,frequencies,dosages of sunsereen agents and the mark dosage coincidence in 414 cosmetics from Sep.2004 to Aug.2007.Results Fourteen kinds of sunscreen agents including phenylbenzimidazole sulphonic acid and its potassium,sodium and triethanolamine salts,benzophenone-4,benzophenone-5,benzophenone-3,isopentyl p-methoxycirmamate, 4-methylbenzylidene camphor,ethylhexyl dimethyl PABA,butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane,octocrylene,ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate,ethylhexyl salicylate,ethylhexyl triazone,methylene bis-benzotriazolyl tetramethylbutylphenol,bis- ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine were detected in 414 cosmetics.The use frequency of ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate was above 90%,butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane was 30%,benzophenone-3 and ethylhexyl salicylate were 15% and 11% respectively,and others were less than 10%.The rate of exceed standard limit of ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate,octocrylene, ethylhexyl salicylate,4-methylbenzylidene camphor ethylhexyl dimethyl PABA were 0.24%,0.97%,1.21%,0.48% and 0.24% respectively.The mark dosage coincidence rate of 14 kinds of sunscreen agents were from 42.9% to 89.5%.Conclusion The many kinds of sunscreen agents were used in the sunblock cosmetics,so the special attention should be paid to the cosmetics safety.

Background Flickering light is different from the normal light environment.Animal experiment proved that flickering light can induce myopia.But its mechanism remains unclear.Objective This study was to investigate the expression of c-fos gene in retina of myopic C57BL/6J mice induced by flickering light and monocular form deprivation.Methods Ninety clean C57BL/6J mice aged 28-day-old with the similar refraction in both eyes were randomly assigned to five groups.Fifteen mice in the control group were exposed to continuous white light environment.The white flickering light with the frequency of 10,5,2 Hz were used to irradiate the mice respectively in high frequency flickering group (15 mice),moderate frequency flickering group (15 mice) and low frequency flickering group (15 mice),respectively.The right eyes of other 30 mice were monocularly occluded with a semitransparent hemispherical thin plastic shell to establish the form deprivation models and then were exposed to white light environment.The diopter and ocular axial length were measured by murine-specific eccentric infrared photorefraction and A-scan ultrasonography before experiment and two weeks after the treatments.At the end of experiment,the mice were sacrificed by neck dislocation.Mice eyes were enucleated and retinal samples were prepared for the detect of c-fos protein and its mRNA by immunohistochemistry,Western blot and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR),respectively.Results Immunohistochemistry showed that the expressing rate ofc-fos protein in retina was (68.000±10.368)％,(51.000±6.519)％,(46.000±6.519)％,(31.000±7.416)％ and (25.000 ± 7.071)％ in the control group,high frequency flickering group,moderate frequency flickering group,low frequency flickering group and form deprivation group respectively 2 weeks after experiment.The expression rates of c-fos protein in retina in different frequencies of flickering light groups and form deprivation group were significantly lower than that in the control group (t =3.104,4.017,6.490,7.661,all P＜0.05),with the lowest rate in the form deprivation group (P＜0.05).The expression of c-fos detected by Western blot assay exhibited that the relative values of c-fos protein in retina (c-fos/GAPDH) was 0.804±0.050,0.687±0.047,0.667±0.036,0.558±0.036 and 0.532 ±0.056,respectively in the control group,high frequency flickering group,moderate frequency flickering group,low frequency flickering group and form deprivation group,illustrating significantly lowing in different frequencies of flickering light groups and form deprivation group compared with control group (t =2.961,3.184,6.971,6.276,all P＜0.05),whereas the c-fos in the low frequency group and form deprivation group,c-fos protein was less expressed in comparison with the higher frequency flicking group (P＜0.05).The expression level of c-fos mRNA (c-fos mRNA/GAPDH mRNA) in retina was 0.820±0.056,0.663±0.061,0.627±0.034,0.521±0.041 and 0.474 ±0.045 in the control group,high frequency flickering group,moderate frequency flickering group,low frequency flickering group and form deprivation group,respectively.These results demonstrated a significant decline in the expression of c-fos mRNA in different frequencies of flickering group and form deprivation group compared with the control group(t=3.262,5.070,7.173,8.305,all P＜0.05),and the inhibition ability of low frequency of flickering group and form deprivation group was much stronger.Conclusions The c-fos gene level in the retina has a negative relationship with the severity of myopia induced by flickering light and form deprivation.

Objective:To evaluate curative impact of booster immunization with paternal lymphocytes on recurrent spontaneous abortors(RSA)with less reaction of primary patermal lymphocyte immunization.Methods:RSA patients with insufficient materno-fetal immuno-recognition were selected by flow cytometry of blocking antibody analysis and immunized with either induced paternal lymphocytes pretreated by IFN-? in vitro to those of anti-CD3-BE and anti-CD4-BE Ab lower than 0% or direct intradermal vaccination with their paternal lymphocytes without IFN-? pretreatment to those of anti-CD3-BE Ab beyond 0%.Reassessment of blocking antibodies was performed at the end of the second immnunization course.Results:Levels of blocking antibodies were significantly raised after the secondary booster immunization in RSA with insufficient materno-fetal immnuno-recognition whose blocking antibodies continuously decreased after being treated by the primary paternal lymphocyte immunization.No improvement of parameters was observed except the blocking effect in patients receiving secondary direct intradermal vaccination treatment.Conclusion:It is necessary for the RSA with insufficient materno-fetal immuno-recognition to experience secondary booster immunization preferably with paternal lymphocytes pretreated by IFN-? in vitro.

Objective:To investigate the influence of p33~ING1b and wt-p53 on the biological activities of pancreatic cancer cells. Methods: Sense and anti-sense cDNAs of p33~ING1b were cloned into pcDNA3 eukaryotic expression vector separately, and the recombinant plasmids were solely or co-transfected with wt-p53 into pancreatic cell line SW1990. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the changes of cell cycle, Western blotting was used to evaluate the expression of p33~ING1b and p53 protein, and MG-P-MY staining was applied to observe cell apoptosis. Results: SW1990 cells solely transfected with sense p33~ING1b plasmid or co-transfected with wt-p53 and sense p33~ING1b plasmid expressed more p33~ING1b and had more apoptosis than the antisense p33~ING1b plasmid and mock transfected cells did (P

Objective To evaluate the etiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestation, imaging features, treatments and factors related to prognosis of acute spinal spontaneous hematoma.Methods The clinical data of 38 patients with acute spinal hematoma treated in our hospital from 2011 till now were analyzed retrospectively.Duration of follow-up was 6 months.The factors influencing the prognosis were analyzed.Results Acute epidural hematomas (n=29) were much more common than subdural (n=5), subarachnoid (n=1) and intramedullary (n=3).Most hematomas were located in the cervical and thoracic vertebra regions.The etiology of acute spinal spontaneous hematoma was unknown in most patients.Twenty-nine patients were dealt with surgical intervention and 9 patients were treated conservatively.After 6-month follow up, recovery rate measured by JOA score in patients of spinal injury ASIA level A and B was (51.26 ±38.97), and level C, D and E was (80.33 ±25.83), P<0.05.Recovery rate in patients with hematoma discovered in less then 24 hours treated with surgical decompression was (64.79 ±36.10), and that in those with hematoma present over 24 hours was (34.54 ±30.17), P<0.05.Conclusions Acute spinal hematoma always caused by unknown etiology, and usually manifests itself in a sudden onset of pain and neurological deficits.The early diagnosis mainly depends on MRI.Patients presenting with severe neurologic dysfunction or showing signs of progressive deficit should have immediate surgical intervention. The status of neurological deficits before surgery and the length of interval between onset and surgical intervention are associated with recovery.

Objectives To investigate the characteristics of neural invasion of pancreatic cancer as well as its relationship with other clinicopathological factors. Methods The neural invasion situation of 491 cases of ductal adenocarcinoma and other 22 pancreatic malignancies, 41 cases of benign tumor of pancreas and 21 cases of chronic pancreatitis was observed under light microscope, and its relationship with other clinicopathological factors was analyzed. Results The rate of neural invasion in ductal adenocarcinoma (74%) was much higher than in other types of pancreatic neoplasm (23% ,P ＜ 0.01). Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cell often invaded through peripheral nerve membrane into inner nerve fiber bundle, sometimes even invaded the whole cross-sectional nerve fiber. But neural invasion was not associated with differentiation of the tumor. The occurrence of chronic inflammation in the para-tumoral pancreas (52%) was also higher than that in other types of malignant (14%) or benign lesions (15% ,P ＜0.01). Lymphocytes neural invasion rate in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma was 65%, which were significantly higher than those in other types of malignant (36%) or benign lesions (22%, P ＜ 0.01). Neural invasion rate in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma was associated with paratumoral chronic pancreatic inflammation and lymphocytes neural invasion, but not with lymph node metastasis. Conclusions Neural invasion was characteristic biological behavior in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the Smad4-independent pathway of TGF-?1 and drug-resistance of pancreatic cancer. Methods: The sensitivities of Smad4 homozygous-deleted pancreatic cancer cell line BxPC3 to different kinds of anti-cancer drugs (5-Fu, Gemzar, Oxaliplatin, Cisplatin, CPT-11 and Epirubicin) were observed by MTT assay before and after they were transfected with full-length cDNA of TGF-?1 or treated with TGF-?1 (5 and 10 ng/ml) solution. Western blot was used to detect p170 protein expression after stimulation with different concentrations of TGF-?1. Results: Cisplatin had the most powerful killing effect on BxPC3 cells, followed by Oxaliplatin, 5-Fu and CPT-11 with moderate effect and Gemzar and Epirubicin with the least effect. Cells transfected with full-length cDNA of TGF-?1 or treated with TGF-?1 solution became less sensitive to Cisplatin. Western blot revealed upregulation of p170 expression by TGF-?1. Conclusion: The Smad4-independent pathway of TGF-?1 can increase the drug resistance of pancreatic cancer cells through upregulating expression of p170.

Objective To explore the effects of mirror therapy combined with Tongdu Xingshen acupuncture on the upper extremity function of stroke survivors.Methods Sixty stroke survivors were randomly divided into a mirror group (n =20),an acupuncture group (n =20) and a combined group (n =20).In addition to routine rehabilitation treatment,those in each group received mirror therapy,acupuncture or both for 4 weeks.Before the treatment and after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment,all of the patients were assessed using the Fugl-Meyer motor function assessment (FMA),Brunnstrom upper limb and hand staging (BSULH),the Barthel Index (BI) and in terms of the active range of motion in the wrist contralateral to their hemiplegia (AROM).The combined group was also evaluated using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) before treatment and after the 4 weeks.Results After 2 and 4 weeks of the treatment,the average BI,AROM,FMA and BSULH results had improved significantly compared with before the treatment.The improvements in the combined group were significantly greater than in the other groups after 2 and 4 weeks.The fMRI demonstrated that there were high-intensity signals in the primary motor area,the premotor area and the supplementary motor area on the affected side after 4 weeks of treatment.Conclusions Mirror therapy combined with Tungdu Xingshen acupuncture can improve the functional performance of the upper extremities of stroke survivors.

Objective·To analyze clinical and pathological characteristics of gastric malignancies from a single center of Ruijin Hospital,and provide references for making healthy policy on gastric tumors.Methods·The data sources were from hospital in-patients database including demographic information,family history,clinicopathological information,and census registering information during 2005 to 2014.The demographic data and clinicopathological data were analyzed.Results·The total number was 3 315 cases with gastric malignancies (2 184 male patients and 1 131 female patients).It was about 2 times as high in males as in females.The patient age was between 18 to 98 years old (mean 59.71 years old).Based on pathologic diagnosis,3 122 cases (94.2％) were gastric adenocarcinoma,others were gastrointestinal stromal tumors (5.5％),neuroendocrine tumor (0.2％) and malignant lymphoma (0.1％).Out of patients with gastric carcinoma,about 4.46％ of cases ran in families.Conclusion·Over 94％ cases of gastric malignancies are gastric carcinomas.Specific risk profiles of gastric carcinomas include age,gender and family factors.