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.

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

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.

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.

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.

This study was aimed to detect the expression of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells (Treg), sFas and sFasL in patients with autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura (AITP), and to explore their roles in the pathogenesis of AITP and clinical significance, so as to provide a theoretical basis for effective treatment for AITP. The expressions of CD4(+)T, Treg, CD4(+)CD25(-)T, Treg/CD4(+)T in peripheral blood of 30 the patients with AITP and 18 controls were detected by flow cytometry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the levels of sFas and sFasL in peripheral blood of controls and the patients with AITP before and after treatment. The results indicated that the expression rate of CD4(+)T in AITP patients was lower than that in the control (p < 0.05), and the expression rates of Treg and Treg/CD4(+)T were significantly lower than those of control (p < 0.01), but the expression rate of Treg between the two group had no difference (p > 0.05). The levels of sFas and sFasL in the peripheral blood of the patients before treatment were significantly higher than that after treatment and control group (p < 0.01), and no difference between the patients after treatment and the control group (p > 0.05) was found. The expression rates of Treg, Treg/CD4(+)T were positively related with the platelet count and the level of sFas was positively related with the level of sFasL in the peripheral blood of AITP before treatment. There were no significant correlation between the levels of CD4(+)T, Treg, sFas, sFasL and the platelet count. No correlation was seen between the expression of Treg and sFas, sFasL. It is concluded that CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg play a role in the pathogenesis of AITP; the expression rate of Treg is associated with the severity of AITP; the abnormal levels of sFas and sFasL participate in the immune pathogenesis of AITP.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Case-Control Studies ; Fas Ligand Protein ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic ; blood ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; metabolism ; Young Adult ; fas Receptor ; blood

Background:It is commonly recommended that patients should refrain from driving for 24 hours after sedation for endoscopy,however,this recommendation has been queried recently. Aims:To investigate the effect of sedation on early postoperative cognitive function in patients undergoing endoscopy. Methods:One hundred adult patients undergoing sedative esophagogastroduodenoscopy ( EGD ) were randomly recruited, and another 100 adult patients undergoing conventional EGD were served as controls. All patients had an education level more than 9 years. Cognitive function was assessed by number connection test-A( NCT-A),number cancellation test and digit symbol test( DST)before propofol sedation or the beginning of endoscopic procedure and was reassessed when the discharge criteria were met. If the results obtained were inferior to those before EGD,a third assessment was taken 30 minutes later until the results recovered or being superior to the baseline levels. Results:All patients completed the first and second assessment,and 124 patients had taken the third assessment. When the discharge criteria were met,result of number cancellation test was inferior to that before EGD in sedation group( P =0. 000 ). Furthermore,the results were analyzed by grouping with age,number cancellation test in young patients and NCT-A in elderly patients were inferior to that before EGD,respectively(P=0. 000 and P =0. 025 ). In control group,none of the results were inferior to those before EGD. The results of the third assessment recovered or being superior to the baseline levels. Conclusions:Early postoperative cognitive dysfunction at discharge is common in patients undergoing endoscopy using propofol sedation,but the impairment will recover by a prolonged staying calm before discharge. The optimal time for discharge and resuming driving remains to be further studied.

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 assess the correlation between coronary heart disease and common carotid artery and femoral artery atherosclerosis with two-dimensional color Doppler ultrasound (2D-CDUS). Methods Ninety patients with coronary heart disease were divided into three subgroups according to the extent of coronary artery stenosis observed with coronary angiography, and 50 normal subjects were taken as normal group. Ultrasound examination with high-frequency linear array probe was performed to measure IMT of common carotid and femoral artery in order to observe the plaque and extent of stenosis, the formation of blood dynamics, physical characteristics and hemodynamic environmental parameters. Results Among the coronary disease groups, common carotid artery and the femoral artery IMT, atherosclerotic plaque in the number, rate and all points increased along with the degree of coronary artery stenosis increasing. Physical characteristics and its hemodynamic environmental parameters had some changes with the increase of atherosclerosis. Conclusion The atherosclerosis of common carotid artery and the femoral artery are closely related with coronary atherosclerosis.