Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of ginger-partitioned moxibustion in improving blood flow velocity in lower limbs of post-stroke patients.Methods Ninety post-stroke patients were randomized into a treatment group and a control group, 45 in each group. The treatment group was intervened by ginger-partitioned moxibustion, while the control group was by conventional acupuncture. Before and after intervention, the blood flow velocity in lower limbs, National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and modified Barthel Index (MBI) were evaluated.Results After 4-week treatment, the maximum blood flow velocity (Vmax) was significantly changed in the treatment group (P<0.05), and there was a significant difference in comparing the Vmax between the two groups after intervention (P<0.05); the NIHSS and MBI scores were significantly changed after intervention in the treatment group (P<0.05), and there was a significant difference in comparing MBI score between the two groups after intervention (P<0.05).Conclusions Ginger-partitioned moxibustion can accelerate the blood flow velocity in lower limbs of the post-stroke patients, improve blood circulation and the activities of life.

Objective To compare the roles of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/NF-κB signal pathway in acute lung injury (ALl) induced by blunt chest trauma and by blunt chest trauma-hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation (double hits) in rats.Methods Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats,aged 8 weeks,weighing 240-280 g,were randomly assigned into 3 equal groups (n =10 each) using a random number table:sham operation group (S group),blunt chest trauma group (T group),and blunt chest trauma and hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation group (group THSR).Lung contusion was induced in anesthetized rats by dropping a 300 g weight onto a precordial protective shield to direct the impact force away from the heart and toward the lungs.Blood was withdrawn via the femoral artery 5 min later until MAP was decreased to 35-45 mmHg within 15 min and maintained at this level for 60 min,followed by resuscitation.At 6 h after the model was established,the arterial blood samples were collected for blood gas analysis and detection of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) concentrations in serum.Oxygenation index (PaO2/FiO2) was calculated.The rats were then sacrificed and pulmonary specimens were obtained for determination of TLR4 expression and NF-κB ac tivity (by immunohistochemistry and Western blot) in lung tissues and for microscopic examination.Results Compared with group S,PaO2 and PaO2/FiO2 were significantly decreased,PaCO2 and TNF-α concentrations in serum were increased,TLR4 expression was up-regulated,and NF-κB activity was enhanced in T and THSR groups (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with group T,PaO2 and PaO2/FiO2 were significantly decreased,PaCO2 and TNF-α concentrations in serum were increased,TLR4 expression was up-regulated,and NF-κcB activity was enhanced in THSR group (P ＜ 0.05).The histopathological damage to lung tissues was aggravated in THSR group as compared with T group.Conclusion The role of TLR-4/NF-κB signal pathway in ALI induced by blunt chest traumahemorrhagic shock and resuscitation (double hits) is significantly stronger than that in ALI induced by blunt chest trauma alone in rats.

Studying the essence of syndromes (Zheng) in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a fundamental challenge in basic theoretical research of TCM. The relationship between any given syndrome and biochemical indicators is one of the important aspects of the study. As the indexes selected in each study are specific to a particular Western medical disease diagnosis, and the disease factor is inevitably introduced into the study, the effect of disease factor on the index changes cannot be assessed effectively by traditional data processing methods. This is known as "the same syndrome with different reasons", which has resulted in confusion in TCM research. This study aimed at providing a mathematical tool to address this issue. Based on information theory and the residual-split method, the syndrome information, which was covered in the index variation, was quantitatively calculated in this paper as an independent part of the disease factor. A mathematical model capable of objectively assessing and statistically testing the effect of the syndrome factor on the index changes was established. Applying this model to literature data of studies on the relationship between cyclic nucleotides and yang-deficiency syndrome showed following results. First, the values of yang-deficiency syndrome information were negative for cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) while positive for cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) in all included literature. This indicated that the group of yang-deficiency syndrome was correlated with an obvious trend of reduced cAMP levels and increased cGMP levels. Second, the statistical test results of yang-deficiency syndrome information of the two indexes were different among the literature included. The quality of original data was considered as a possible reason. Third, the significant differences between the yang-deficiency group of a specific disease and the normal group may, in some cases, be caused by a disease factor rather than a syndrome factor. The mathematical model provided a reasonable mathematical tool for the analysis of disease factor and syndrome factor in clinical research of TCM, suggesting that the mathematical model may give rise to innovative ideas and methods in the study of syndromes.

4-Hydroxycoumarins ; blood ; Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anthracosis ; complications ; microbiology ; Cerebral Infarction ; etiology ; Cross Infection ; complications ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumonia ; complications

Objective To study on the changes of the DNT cells and T lymphocyte subtype in children with infectious mononucleosis (IM) and its clinical significance.Methods The flow cytometry (FCM) was used to detected the DNT cells and other T lymphocyte subtype in 48 cases of IM.Results The study showed that DNT cells( 9.39 ± 4.89 )% were greatly increased in comparison with normal controls (NC) (4.26 ± 1.68)% ( P ＜0.01 ).CD4 cells(21.45 ±9.87)% were decreased ( P ＜0.01 ) and CD8 cells increased in comparison with NC (32.43 ± 5.07) % ( P ＜ 0.01 ).Conclusion DNT cells and T lymphocyte subtype can be used to evaluate the immune function of children with infectious mononucleosis (IM) and provide guidance for adoptive immunotherapy.

The concepts of cold and hot herbal properties in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), reflecting the efficacy trends of medicinal herbs, have the Fuzzy characteristics. It is suited for the application of Fuzzy mathematics in research of herbal properties. For a comprehensive evaluation of herbal properties, this work constructed and made a practice of the Fuzzy discrimination model regarding the biological performance of Chinese materia medica.

Objective To investigate the effects of penehyclidine hydrochloride on activities of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) and activator protein-1 (AP-1) during actue lung injury induced by blunt chest trauma-hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation (HSR) in rats.Methods Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats,aged 8 weeks,weighing 250-300 g,were randomly assigned into 3 equal groups (n =10 each) using a random number table:sham operation group (group S),blunt chest trauma-HSR group (group THSR) and penehyclidine hydrochloride group (group PHCD).The model of actue lung injury induced by blunt chest trauma-HSR was induced by dropping a 300 g weight onto a precordium in anesthetized rats.Blood was withdrawn via the femoral artery 5 min later until MAP was decreased to 35-45 mmHg within 15 min and maintained at this level for 60 min,followed by resuscitation.In PHCD group,PHCD 2 mg/kg was injected intravenously at 60 min after hemorrhagic shock.At 6 h after the model was established,blood samples were obtained for measurement of concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in serum.The lungs were then removed for determination of lung water content,myeloperoxidase (MPO) activaty (by colorimetric assay),NF-κB and AP-1 activaties (using electrophoretic mobility shift assay) in lung tissues,and for microscopic examination of pathologic changes (under light microscope).The left lung was lavaged,and lung permeability index (LPI) was calculated.Results Compared with S group,lung water content,LPI,serum TNF-α level and activites of MPO,NF-κB and AP-1 were significantly increased in THSR and PHCD groups.Compared with THSR group,lung water content,LPI,serum TNF-α concentrations and activites of MPO,NF-κB and AP-1 were significantly decreased in PHCD group.The pathological damage to lung tissues was significantly reduced in PHCD group as compared with THSR group.Conclusion PHCD can inhibit activities of NF-κB and AP-1 in lung tissues,thus mitigating acute lung injury induced by blunt chest trauma-HSR in rats.

Objective To evaluate the relationship between DJ?1 and diabetes mellitus ( DM )?caused influence on cardioprotection induced by ischemic postconditioning in rats. Methods Adult male Sprague?Dawley rats, aged 3 months, weighing 220-250 g, were used in the study. DM was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 1% streptozotocin 60 mg∕kg and confirmed by blood glucose≥16.7 mmol∕L. Forty?eight rats with DM were randomly divided into 3 groups ( n=16 each) using a random number table:sham operation group ( group DM?S ) , myocardial ischemia?reperfusion ( I∕R ) group ( DM?IR ) and ischemic postconditioning group (DM?IPO group). Another 48 normal rats received the equal volume of citrate buffer solution instead and served as control. Those rats were randomly divided into 3 groups ( n=16 each) using a random number table: sham operation group ( S group) , myocardial I∕R group ( IR group) and ischemic postconditioning group (IPO group). At 12 weeks after streptozotocin injection, myocardial I∕R was produced by 30 min occlusion of the left anterior descending branch of the coronary artery followed by 120 min reperfusion. Ischemic postconditioning was induced by 3 cycles of 10 s reperfusion followed by 10 s limb ischemia at the end of 30 min limb ischemia. At 120 min of reperfusion, the animals were sacrificed, and hearts were removed for determination of myocardial infarction size ( using TTC ) , and expression of DJ?1, phosphatase and tensin homologue ( PTEN) protein, and phosphorylated Akt ( p?Akt) in myocardial tissues ( by Western blot) . Results The infarction size was significantly increased in diabetic and nondiabetic rats during myocardial I∕R. The expression of DJ?1, PTEN protein and p?Akt was significantly higher during myocardial I∕R in nondiabetic rats, and the expression of PTEN protein and p?Akt was up?regulated, and no significant change was found in DJ?1 expression during myocardial I∕R in diabetic rats. Ischemic postconditioning reduced infarction size during myocardial I∕R and up?regulated the expression of DJ?1 and p?Akt, and down?regulated the expression of PTEN protein in nondiabetic rats, but not in diabetic rats. Compared with nondiabetic rats, the expression of DJ?1 and p?Akt was down?regulated, and the expression of PTEN protein was up?regulated after ischemic postconditioning in diabetic rats. Conclusion The mechanism by which DM abolishes cardioprotection induced by ischemic postconditioning is associated with down?regulation of DJ?1 expression in rats.

Objective To evaluate the mechanism of reduction of protection induced by hypoxic postconditioning (HPO) in diabetic myocardiocytes subjected to hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R),and the relationship with DJ-1 expression.Methods H9c2 cells cultured in normal culture atmosphere were randomly divided into 6 groups (n=36 each) using a random number table:control group (group C),group H/R,group HPO,plasmid carrying DJ-1 gene transfection group (group D),plasmid carrying DJ-1 gene transfection + H/R group (group DH),and plasmid carrying DJ-1 gene transfection + H/R + HPO group (group DHH).H/R was induced by 4 h of hypoxia followed by 2 h of reoxygenation.H9c2 cells were cultured in high glucose culture medium (30 mmol/L) for 48 h in C,H/R and HPO groups.H/R model was established in H/R and HPO groups.HPO was induced by 3 cycles of 5 min reoxygenation and 5 min hypoxia before the onset of reoxygenation in group HPO.In D,DH and DHH groups,the plasmid carrying DJ-1 gene (pEX-2-EGFP-DJ-1) was transfected into the cells,and then the cells were cultured in high glucose culture medium and subjected to H/R and HPO,respectively.At 2 h of reoxygenation,the cell survival rate was measured using the cell counting kit-8 assay,and the level of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the supernatant was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,the autophagosomes were examined with a transmission electron microscope,and the expression of DJ-1 and p62 and ratio of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 Ⅱ / Ⅰ (LC3 Ⅱ / Ⅰ) in cells were detected by Western blot.Results Compared with group C,the cell survival rate and DJ-1 expression were significantly decreased,and the LDH activity was significantly increased in H/R and HPO groups (P＜0.01).There was no significant difference in the parameters mentioned above between H/R and HPO groups (P＞0.05).Compared with group D,the cell survival rate was significantly decreased,and the LDH activity was significantly increased in group DH (P＜0.01).Compared with group DH,the cell survival rate,the number of autophagosomes and LC3 Ⅱ / Ⅰ ratio were significantly increased,and the LDH activity and p62 expression were significantly decreased in group DHH (P＜0.01).There was no significant difference in the parameters mentioned above between H/R and DH groups (P＞0.05).Conclusion The mechanism of reduction of protection induced by HPO in diabetic myocardiocytes subjected to H/R is related to high glucose-induced inhibition of DJ-1 expression and decrease in autophagy.