Adolescent ; Antibodies, Viral ; Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; SARS Virus ; immunology ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; diagnosis ; virology

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of acupoint sticking plus hot compress by moxa-salt bag in treating constipation after acute cerebral stroke.Method Eighty patients with constipation after cerebral stroke were randomly allocated to a treatment group and a control group by using random number table method according to registration order, 40 cases each. The control group was intervened by acupoint sticking at umbilicus with rawDa Huang (Rheum Officinale), and the treatment group was additionally given hot compress using moxa-salt bag. The treatment was given once a day, for consecutive 3 days in total. The first defecation time, stool shape and defecation sensation were observed in the two groups. The clinical efficacies were compared between the two groups.Result The total effective rate was 90.0％ in the treatment group versus 72.5％ in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). After the treatment, there was statistically significant difference in comparing the first defecation time between the two groups (P<0.05). After the treatment, the incidence rate of soft stool was 85.0％ and that of hard stool was 15.0％ in the treatment group versus 40.0％ and 60.0％ in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The incidence rate of pleasant defecation sensation was 80.0％ and that of difficult defecation was 20.0％ in the treatment group versus 35.0％ and 65.0％ in the control group after the treatment, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05).Conclusion Acupoint sticking plus hot compress by moxa-salt bag is an effective method in treating constipation after acute cerebral stroke.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of the plasma containing Qianlongtong Capsule (QLT)-containing plasma on the expression of the Smad4 gene in prostate stromal cells in vitro and provide some experimental evidence for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) with Chinese medicinal compound.

METHODSFifteen cases of BPH were equally randomized to three groups to be treated with QLT at a high dose (6 capsules once), a medium dose (3 capsules once), and a low dose (1.5 capsules once), tid, for 7 days consecutively. QLT-containing plasma was collected from the patients. Prostate stromal cells were identified by immunofluorescence when they became monolayered and cultured in the QLT-containing plasma for 24 hours, followed by detection of the expression of the Smad4 gene by real-time quantitative PCR and that of the Smad4 protein by Western blot.

RESULTSAfter treatment with the QLT-containing plasma, the expression of the Smad4 gene in the stromal cells was significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner as compared with the blank control and no-QLT groups (P < 0.01). The expression of the Smad4 protein was also markedly elevated after treatment. The differences were statistically significant between the blank control and medium-dose groups (P < 0.01), low-dose and medium-dose groups (P < 0.05), and high-dose and the other groups (P < 0.01), but not between the blank control and low-dose groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONQLT-containing plasma could inhibit the proliferation and improve the apoptotic index of prostate stromal cells in vitro, which was related to the elevation of the mRNA and protein expressions of Smad4.

Apoptosis ; Cells, Cultured ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Male ; Prostate ; drug effects ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Smad4 Protein ; genetics ; metabolism ; Stromal Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) nursing skills are simple and convenient, green and safe in the treatment for acute mastitis which is favored by clinical patient, but lacks related standards leading to limited promotion of TCM nursing skills. Standardization research for TCM nursing skills is conducive to standardizing the TCM nursing skills for acute mastitis so as to promote the development. Based on the previous study, this study put forward the four-step standardization research method, literature review, expert consultation, randomized controlled trial and real-world study, so as to provide a basis for researchers to carry out the standardization research of TCM nursing skills.

Objective:To construct an integrated Chinese and Western medicine health management plan for patients with acute mastitis so as to promote the recovery of patients and reduce the occurrence of adverse reactions.Methods:A research team was set up to search the fifth edition of Chinese Medical Dictionary database, domestic and foreign databases to obtain relevant evidence of health management of acute mastitis. The Evaluation Form of Evidence Quality recorded by ancient books, Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation, A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2, the Risk of Bias Tool in the Cochrane manual, Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) quality level of evidence (2010 edition) and JBI grade of recommendation (2010 edition) were used to evaluate, grade and recommend the evidence. An integrated Chinese and Western medicine health management plan for acute mastitis was initially drafted, and the plan was further improved in conjunction with the expert consultation.Results:Totals of 326 ancient literatures, 44 randomized controlled trials, 1 clinical practice guideline, and 6 systematic reviews were included. In expert consultation, the expert judgment coefficient was 0.95, and the expert familiarity coefficient was 0.88, and the expert authority coefficient was 0.92. The constructed integrated Chinese and Western medicine health management plan for acute mastitis included two parts: background knowledge and specific implementation methods a total of 5 dimensions, and 82 implementation strategies.Conclusions:The integrated Chinese and Western medicine health management plan for acute mastitis is constructed based on evidence-based research methods and expert consultation methods, and its content has certain scientificity and clinical applicability, and can be used for the health management of patients with acute mastitis.

There are some human diseases associated with mitochondrial DNA genome defect. Now many studies think that: oxygen radical resulting from oxidative phosphorylation(OXPHOS) disorder caused by myocardium ischemia and the increased OXPHOS induction damage mitochondrial DNA. Chronic damage accumulations lead to mitochondrial DNA deletion or point mutation in the end which show mitochondrial DNA 5.0 kb or 7.4 kb deletion and point mutation at position C15452A in the cytochrome b gene; the conservative sequence mutation of tRNA gene such as A4300G, C4320T point mutation in the tRNA Ilegene, A3243G point mutation in the tRNA leu gene etc result in defective contractile proteins whose persistent and inefficient contraction may increase the myocardium's metabolic demands for ATP and leads to cardiac hypertrophy. In this article, we review the study on the association of mitochondrial DNA mutation with ischemic cardiomyopathy and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic/genetics* ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics* ; Humans ; Myocardial Ischemia/genetics* ; Point Mutation

INTRODUCTIONThe aim of this study was to assess the sensitivity of McDonald's magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) criteria for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a group of Asian patients diagnosed with clinically definite MS, based on lesion characterisation on MRI scans.

MATERIALS AND METHODSForty-nine patients from 3 major neurological institutions were classified as having Asian- or Western-type MS based on clinical assessment. Each MRI scan was reviewed by 2 neuroradiologists for the presence and characteristics of brain and spinal lesions. The McDonald's MRI criteria were then applied and its sensitivity evaluated.

RESULTSNine patients were excluded, leaving 34 females and 6 males who were dominantly Chinese (90%), with a mean age of 36.2 years. The MRI brain and spinal findings were detailed and tabulated. Statistically significant differences (P <0.01) in MRI brain findings and sensitivity of McDonald's MRI criteria were found between our Asian- and Western-type MS patients. The diagnostic yield of McDonald's MRI criteria increased by 20% when we substituted a cord for a brain lesion, and applied the substitution for enhancing cord lesions as well.

CONCLUSIONThe diagnosis is more likely to be made when using McDonald MRI criteria based on brain findings, in a patient who presents clinically with Western-type MS. The provision for substitution of "one brain for a spinal lesion" is helpful in Asian-type MS, where there is preponderance of spinal lesion load. Our findings suggest that minor modifications in the interpretation of McDonald's MRI criteria have significant impact on the diagnosis in patients clinically presenting as Asian-type MS, with potential bearing on their subsequent management.

Adult ; Brain Injuries ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Medical Audit ; Multiple Sclerosis ; classification ; diagnosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Singapore ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; diagnosis ; pathology

OBJECTIVE: To explore the variations of early-phase insulin secretion in Type 2 diabetic patients in different stages. METHODS: L-arginine stimulative test, fast blood glucose and body mass index (BMI) were evaluated in 40 nomal controls (NC) and 101 Type 2 diabetic patients. The diabetic patients were divided into three groups: newly diagnosed group (n = 35), effectively treated by sulfonylureas group (n = 32) , and secondary failure of sulfonylureas group (n = 34). The indexs of insulin resistance of homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR), beta-cell insulin secretion of homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IS), and the acute insulin response (AIRARG) index were calculated. Some statistical comparisons were done among the 4 groups. RESULTS: The indexs of HOMA-IR in each group of Type 2 diabetic patients were all higher than those in NC group (P < 0.01). The AIRARG indexs were obviously lower in Type 2 diabetic patients in different stages than those in NC group (P < 0.01), and the subsequence from the highest to the lowest among the groups of diabetic patients was: the newly diagnosed group, the effectively treated by sulfonylureas group, and the secondary failure of sulfonylureas group (P < 0.01). But there was no significant difference in indexs of HOMA-IS between the newly diagnosed group and the effectively treated by sulfonylureas group. CONCLUSION There is severe insulin resistance in Type 2 diabetic patients in each stage. The variations of early-phase insulin secretion manifest a vary procedure of obvious deterioration by degrees from the newly diagnosed group to the secondary failure of sulfonylureas group in Type 2 diabetic patients.
Adult ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Insulin ; metabolism ; Insulin Resistance ; Insulin Secretion ; Insulin-Secreting Cells ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sulfonylurea Compounds ; therapeutic use ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of rhynchophylline on methamphetamine-dependent zebrafish and explore the possible mechanism.

METHODSZebrafish were divided into control group, amphetamine group, low- (50 mg/kg) and high (100 mg/kg)-dose rhynchophylline groups, and ketamine (150 mg/kg) group. Conditioned place preference (CPP) was induced in zebrafish with methamphetamine, and the staying time in the drug box and the tracking map of the zebrafish were observed with Noldus Ethovision XT system. The protein expressions of TH, NR2B and GLUR2 in the brain of zebrafish with CPP were detected with Western blotting.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, zebrafish in methamphetamine group showed significant variations in the staying time and swimming distance in the drug box after conditioning (P<0.05) with obvious alterations of NR2B, TH and GLUR2 expressions in the brain (P<0.05). Treatment of methamphetamine-dependent zebrafish with high-dose rhynchophylline significantly reduced the variations in the staying time and swimming distance in the drug box (P<0.05) and in the expressions of NR2B, TH and GLUR2 in the brain (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONRhynchophylline can inhibit methamphetamine dependence in zebrafish, the mechanism of which may involve the expressions of TH, NR2B and GLUR2 proteins in the brain.

OBJECTIVETo compare the efficacy difference in the treatment of insomnia between scraping technique of stuck needle and conventional acupuncture at Anmian (Extra).

METHODSOne hundred and thirty one cases were randomized into an Anmian group (68 cases) and a conventional acupuncture group (63 cases). In the Anmian group, Anmian (Extra) was selected. After arrival of qi, the stuck needling was adopted by rotating the needle gently in single direction, 2-3 rounds till the needle body was stuck tightly. Afterwards, the needle tail was touched gently with the index finger to fix the needle body and the needle handle was scraped gently with the thumbnail from bottom to up. The needle was retained for 30 min. In the conventional acupuncture group, Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Shenmen (HT 7) and Baihui (GV 20) were selected and stimulated with reducing technique by rotating the needles. The needles were retained for 30 min. The treatment was given once every day, continuously for 2 weeks in both groups. The score of each factor and the total score in Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) were assessed before and after treatment in the two groups. Additionally, the efficacies of two groups were evaluated.

RESULTSFor the patients in the conventional acupuncture group, the sleep quality and time of falling into spleen after treatment were improved as compared with those before treatment (all P < 0.01). The improvement of sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, hypnotic drug and daytime dysfunction, and PSQI total score did not present statistically significant difference as compared with those before treatment (all P > 0.05). After treatment, for the patients in the Anmian group, the factor score and total score in PSQI were apparently improved as compared with those before treatment (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). And the improvements of the above items were superior to the conventional acupuncture group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The total effective rate was 91.2% (62/68) in the Anmian group and was 74.6% (47/63) in the conventional acupuncture group. The clinical efficacy in the Anmian group was apparently superior to the conventional acupuncture group.

CONCLUSIONThe scraping technique of stuck needle at Anmian (Extra) achieves the superior effect on insomnia as compared with the conventional acupuncture.

Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; methods ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Needles ; Sleep ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult