OBJECTIVETo compare the efficacy between acupuncture at stellate ganglion combined with intravenous administration of alprostadil and simple intravenous administration of alprostadil on lower limb atherosclerosis of early diabetes mellitus.

METHODSSixty patients of lower limb atherosclerosis of early diabetes mellitus were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases in each one. Patients in the two groups were treated with basic treatment to control blood glucose and lipid. In addition, patients in the control group were treated with intravenous administration of alprostadil (10 µg) and sodium chloride solution (100 mL); based on this, patients in the observation group were treated with acupuncture at stellate ganglion. The treatment was given once a day; the consecutive treatment of two weeks constituted one session, and totally 4 sessions were given. The total syndrome score, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), blood flow of posterior tibial artery and dorsal artery of foot were observed before and after treatment; the clinical efficacy was compared between the two groups.

RESULTSCompared before treatment, the total syndrome score, HbA1c, blood flow of posterior tibial artery and dorsal artery of foot were significantly improved after treatment (all P < 0.05), which were more obvious in the observation group (all P < 0.05). After treatment, the total effective rate was 93.3% (28/30) in the observation group, which was significantly superior to 86.7% (26/30) in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Acupuncture at stellate ganglion combined with intravenous administration of alprostadil achieve better effect than simple intravenous administration of alprostadil for lower limb atherosclerosis of early diabetes mellitus, which improve the clinical symptoms, regulate blood sugar and increase the blood flow of lower limb.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Aged ; Atherosclerosis ; etiology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; complications ; Female ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; blood supply ; innervation ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stellate Ganglion ; physiopathology ; Treatment Outcome

Betulinic acid (BA), a pentacyclic lupane-type triterpene, has a wide range of bioactivities. The main objective of this work was to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of BA and the potential mechanism underlying the ability of this compound to prevent liver damage induced by alcohol in vivo. Mice were given oral doses of BA (0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/kg) daily for 14 days, and induced liver injury by feeding 50% alcohol orally at the dosage of 10 ml/kg after 1 h last administration of BA. BA pretreatment significantly reduced the serum levels of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, total cholesterol, and triacylglycerides in a dose-dependent manner in the mice administered alcohol. Hepatic levels of glutathione, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase were remarkably increased, while malondialdehyde contents and microvesicular steatosis in the liver were decreased by BA in a dose-dependent manner after alcohol-induced liver injury. These findings suggest that the mechanism underlying the hepatoprotective effects of BA might be due to increased antioxidant capacity, mainly through improvement of the tissue redox system, maintenance of the antioxidant system, and decreased lipid peroxidation in the liver.
Animals ; Antioxidants/pharmacology ; Blood Chemical Analysis ; Enzymes/blood ; Ethanol/*toxicity ; Lipid Peroxidation/drug effects ; Liver/*drug effects/enzymology/metabolism/pathology ; Male ; Mice ; Random Allocation ; Triterpenes/*pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of different crown cutting mode on operation time and post-operation trauma in extracting the mandible third molar by dental drilling system.

METHODSAccording to different impaction types, the patients were divided into vertical impaction, horizontal impaction, and mesioangular impaction groups. The operation time, mouth opening, swelling, and pain degrees were recorded during traditional extraction, crown "T"-shaped cutting, crown three section cutting, and crown-root cutting in the extraction of mandibular wisdom teeth.

RESULTSIn the vertical impaction group, the operation time, the degree of swelling, limitation of mouth opening and the pain degree were (8.2 ± 2.5) min, (14.7 ± 2.0) mm, (3.9 ± 2.4) mm and 3.4 ± 1.8, respectively using crown cutting, and (14.0 ± 2.7) min, (18.2 ± 1.9) mm, (9. 7 ± 3.6) mm and 6.9 ± 2.3 using traditional extraction method (P < 0.05). In the horizontal impaction group, the operation time, degree of swelling, limitation of mouth opening and pain degree (14.0 ± 2.0) min, (19.2 ± 3.9) mm, (9.5 ± 2.5) mm, 5.6 ± 1.7 respectively using crown "T"-shaped cutting, and (18.0 ± 3.1) min, (23.6 ± 3.5) mm, (9.8 ± 2.7) mm and 8.5 ± 2.3 using crown three section cutting. There was significant difference in operation time, degree of swelling and pain (P < 0.05), but no significant difference in the limitation of mouth opening (P > 0.05). In mesioangular impaction group, operation time, degree of swelling, limitation of mouth opening and pain degree were (10.2 ± 2.6) min, (18.4 ± 2.9) mm, (6.4 ± 2.5) mm and 4.8 ± 1.8, respectively using "T"-shaped cutting, and (15.0 ± 3.5) min, (18.9 ± 3.0) mm, (7.0 ± 3.7) mm and 7.6 ± 2.3 using crown- root cutting. The operation time and pain degree were significantly different (P < 0.05), but not different in limitation of mouth opening and swelling degree (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSDifferent impaction types of wisdom teeth should choose different cutting mode. Vertical impacted tooth uses distal crown cutting. "T"-shaped cutting is preferred with horizontal impaction. According to the angle and depth of the mesioangular impaction, "T"-shaped cutting or the crown-root cutting can be selectively used.

Humans ; Mandible ; Molar ; Molar, Third ; Tooth Crown ; Tooth Extraction ; methods ; Tooth Root ; Tooth, Impacted

OBJECTIVETo compare the efficacy differences between moxibustion at Geshu (BL 17) and oral administration of cilostazol on diabetic limb arterial obliteration (DLAO) at early stage as well as the impacts on hemorheology and arterial inner dimension of lower extremity.

METHODSSeventy patients of DLAO at early stage were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 35 cases in each one. The two groups were treated with regular treatment of blood glucose and blood lipid. The patients in the control group was treated with oral administration of cilostazol, 50 mg, twice a day; the patients in the observation group were treated with moxibustion at Geshu (BL 17), once a day. The consecution treatment of two weeks constituted one session, and totally 4 sessions were given. The total syndrome score, hemorheology index (including low and high shear viscosity of blood, plasma viscosity, hematocrit and erythrocyte aggregation index) and arterial inner dimension of lower extremity (including popliteal artery, posterior tibial artery and dorsalis pedis artery) were compared before and after treatment.

RESULTSCompared with those before treatment, the total syndrome score, hemorheology index and arterial inner dimension of lower extremity were significantly improved after treatment in the two groups (all<0.05). The total syndrome score, hemorheology index in the observation group were superior to those in the control group (all<0.05), but the improvement of arterial inner dimension of lower extremity was not significantly different between the two groups (>0.05). After treatment, the total effective rate was 91.4% (32/35) in the observation group, which was significantly superior to 85.7% (30/35) in the control group (<0.05).

CONCLUSIONMoxibustion at Geshu (BL 17) is superior to oral administration of cilostazol for DLAO at early stage, which could effectively improve the clinical symptoms, blood flow and blood vessel and increase the blood flow of lower limb.