Objective: To explore the mechanism of moxibustion for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by observing the metabolite changes in urine using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomic analysis. Methods: Twenty-four rats were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, and a moxibustion group. Rats in the model and moxibustion groups were established as collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) models. The control and model groups did not receive any intervention; rats in the moxibustion group received moxibustion at Shenshu (BL23) and Zusanli (ST36). After three weeks of intervention, ankle joint, serum, and urine samples were collected for pathological examinations and metabolomic tests. Results: After moxibustion treatment, the CIA rats showed increased body mass, reduced swelling of the hind paws and arthritis score, decreased serum cytokine levels, and improved histopathological evaluation of the ankle joint. Twenty-four significantly altered metabolites were found, mainly involved in alanine metabolism, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle, phenylalanine metabolism, tyrosine metabolism, and primary bile acid biosynthesis. These metabolites may serve as potential biomarkers for RA. Conclusion: Moxibustion can effectively resist inflammation in CIA rats. The potential biomarkers and the abnormal metabolic pathways of RA can be identified by LC-MS-based metabolomics. Metabolomics may be an effective way to explain the mechanism of moxibustion in treating RA.

Objective:To investigate the effectiveness of scanning glucose monitoring system in dawn phenomenon of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) based on continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) .Methods:A total of 45 patients with T2DM hospitalized in the Endocrine Department of Xinxiang Central Hospital from June 2019 to June 2020 were selected as the research subjects by convenience sampling method. All selected patients were asked to wear the scanning glucose monitoring system after admission, and then the CGMS for continuous glucose monitoring after 48 hours. The scanning glucose monitoring system and the CGMS were taken off at the same time after 72 hours. The blood glucose analysis report of the same period was checked to determine whether the dawn phenomenon occurred. The consistency to determine dawn phenomenon was analyzed between CGMS and scanning blood glucose monitoring by Kappa test. According to the CGMS judgment results, the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) of the scanning blood glucose monitoring system was drawn to evaluate the optimal tangent value of the night blood glucose for predicting dawn phenomenon and the next day fasting blood glucose for evaluating dawn phenomenon.Results:Among the 45 study subjects, there was no statistical difference in determining the incidence of dawn phenomena between CGMS and scanning glucose monitoring system [55.56% (25/45) vs. 46.67% (21/45) , χ 2=0.711, P>0.05]. Consistency analysis showed that Kappa value was 0.895, and the consistency of CGMS and scanning glucose monitoring system in judging dawn phenomenon was good (Kappa=0.895, 95% CI 1.130-4.883, P<0.01) . The optimal tangent value of night blood glucose for predicting dawn phenomenon was 8.31 mmol/L, and the optimal tangent value of the next day fasting blood glucose for evaluating dawn phenomenon was 7.25 mmol/L. The value of the area under the ROC curve were 0.729 and 0.803 respectively. Conclusions:Scanning blood glucose monitoring can accurately judge the dawn phenomenon. When the night blood glucose value is 8.31 mmol/L, it indicates that the dawn phenomenon may occur. When the next day's fasting blood glucose value is 7.25 mmol/L, it indicates that the dawn phenomenon may already occur.

Objective: To compare the use of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and conventional approach (clinical probing and periapical radiograph) in assessing furcation involvement (FI) of maxillary molars and making treatment decisions. Methods: Thirty-two subjects were selected from the pool of patients at the Department of Periodontology, Tianjin Stomatology Hospital & Hospital of Stomatology, NanKai University from January 2015 to December 2016. All the patients have a diagnosis of generalized chronic periodontitis. Ninety-five maxillary molar with FI from the radiography database were analysed. Two doctors used conventional approach and CBCT images to assess FI and make treatment decision respectively. If the clinical and radiographic findings did not clearly indicate a distinct periodontal therapy, two treatment options were considered. Results: There was statistical difference of the FI diagnosis between traditional group and CBCT group assessment of the 95 molars (P=0.000). Thirty-five maxillary molars (36.8%, 17 patients) got two treatment recommendations by conventional approach but 7 (7.4%, 5 patients) by CBCT-based approach. When with the less invasive treatment recommendation, there was statistical difference between conventional approach and CBCT-based approach (P=0.001). An agreement was observed in 63.2% (60/95) of the teeth, while in another 29.5% (28/95) the CBCT-based treatment decision was more invasive than the conventional approach. When with the more invasive treatment recommendation, there was also statistical difference between two approaches (P=0.045). An agreement was observed in 86.3% (82/95) of the teeth, while in another 3.2% (3/95) the CBCT-based treatment decision was more invasive than the conventional approach. Conclusions CBCT images of maxillary molars may provide detailed information of FI and a reliable basis for treatment decision.

A 48-year-old male was suffered from slowly progressive dysuria over twenty years. Although multiple urethral dilatation was treated, the effect was unsatisfactory. He was diagnosed with penile lichen sclerosus related to urethral stricture due to the lichenification of glans penis, the stenosis of urethral meatus, and the long anterior urethral stricture shown by urethrography. Finally, the patient underwent an enlarged urethroplasty with lingual mucosal graft (17 cm in length), and obtained a good outcome. During the two-year postoperative follow-up, the patient maintained a satisfactory urination without any complication.

Objective To investigate the expression of SP 100 protein in ATRA-treated NB4 cells and its effect on pro-liferation in NB4 cells.Methods Q-PCR was employed to measure the expression of SP 100 mRNA;Western blot was used to detect the expression of SP 100 protein; Immunofluorescence was adopted to determine the location of SP100;Cell viability was analyzed by CCK 8;Flow cytometry was used for cell cycle analysis .Results ATRA may induce the expression of mRNA and protein of SP 100.ATRA changes the location of SP100 from a micro-punctate pattern into a punctate nuclear pattern in NB 4 cells.SP100-shRNA promotes the proliferation of NB 4 cells and in-creased the cells in G2/M phase.Conclusions The expression of SP100 was significantly increased in ATRA-treated NB4 cells, and SP100 may be involved in the regulation of proliferation activity of NB 4 cells.

Objective: To observe the effect of different moxibustion durations on rats with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to evaluate the relationship between moxibustion amount and moxibustion efficacy.Methods: Eight rats were randomly selected as a normal group from the 40 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, and the other 32 rats were used to establish typeⅡ collagen-induced RA models. After successful modeling, the 32 rats were randomly divided into a model group, a moxibustion for 20 min group, a moxibustion for 40 min group and a moxibustion for 60 min group, with 8 rats in each group. Rats in the normal group did not receive modeling and moxibustion intervention; rats in the model group did not receive moxibustion after modeling; rats in the moxibustion for 20 min group, the moxibustion for 40 min group and the moxibustion for 60 min group were treated with moxibustion at Shenshu (BL 23) and Zusanli (ST 36) for 20 min, 40 min and 60 min, respectively. Six days were a course of treatment, with a total of 3-course treatments and a 1-day rest between the courses of treatment. After treatment, the serum levels of interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, arthritis index (AI) scores, toe volumes and pathological score of synovitis were evaluated in the rats.Results: Compared with the normal group, the serum IL-1β and TNF-α levels, and the toe volumes in the model group were increased, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01), before the treatment. Compared with the model group, the serum IL-1β and TNF-α levels, toe volumes and arthritis index (AI) scores were significantly decreased in the moxibustion for 20 min group, the moxibustion for 40 min group and the moxibustion for 60 min group (P<0.05 orP<0.01 ). Compared with the moxibustion for 20 min group and the moxibustion for 60 min group, serum IL-1β and TNF-α levels, toe volumes and AI scores were decreased more significantly in moxibustion for 40 min group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05 orP<0.01). There were no significant differences in serum IL-1β and TNF-α levels, AI scores and toe volumes between the moxibustion for 20 min group and the moxibustion for 60 min group (allP>0.05). The synovial histopathological improvement was the most obvious in the moxibustion for 40 min group, when the synovial histopathological changes were compared among the moxibustion for 20 min group, moxibustion for 40 min group and moxibustion for 60 min group.Conclusion: The therapeutic efficacy of moxibustion for 40 min in RA rats was more significant than that of moxibustion for 20 min and moxibustion for 60 min, indicating that the duration of moxibustion is the main factor affecting its therapeutic efficacy.

In this article we analyzed the current development of moxibustion treating rheumatoid arthritis from the usefulness, advancement, synergistic effect as well as the variance between different kind of moxibustion. We concluded that moxibustion was an effective intervention for treating RA, and the methods used in moxibustion were searched in clinic. But the clinical tralls has a long way to go, we should pay more attention to the critical issues while in the use of moxibustion.

Objective To investigate the effect of drug dependence severity on the relationship between impulsivity and craving.Methods 36 abstiuent drug-dependent individuals were recruited in the study.The participants were divided into the heavy depeudence group (HDG) or the low dependence group (LDG) according to the scores of Addiction Severity Index (ASI).The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and classical Stroop task were used to measure the trait impulsivity and state impulsivity.Block designed cue-induced craving paradigm was presented to measure cue-elicited craving.Results For the HDG,a significant positive correlation was found between trait impulsivity (the mean value of BIS-11-CI scale was (39.03± 16.50)) or state impulsivity (the difference of reaction time between congruent and incongruent situation was (87.77±36.95)ms)and cue-elicited craving (0.83± 1.91)(r=0.487,0.500,P＜0.05).However,for the LDG subjects,the impulsivity was not found significantly correlated with the cue-elicited craving(r=-0.261,0.081,P＞0.05).Conclusion The addiction severity influences the relationship between impulsivity and craving,and impulsivity can only be used as a predictor of relapse in HDG.The findings suggest that the drug may influence the shared brain mechanism between impulsivity and craving.

OBJECTIVETo study the influence of processing on metabolism of the main component of bitter almond-amygdalin in rat.

METHODThe blood was collected at different times after amygdalin given by injection and oral, bitter almond and its processed production given by oral respectively, and then detected by both HPLC and HPLC-MS(n) methods after extraction pretreatment.

RESULTAfter injection, amygdalin was absorbed in prototype to blood rapidly, while the other three kinds of medicine given by oral were all not detected the prototype of amygdalin, but two metabolites were detected which were isomers of prunasin confirmed by mass spectrometry. The metabolic pathway of prunasin in processed bitter almond group was markedly different from the bitter almond group.

CONCLUSIONProcessing has a significant effect on bitter almond metabolic processes in rats.

Amygdalin ; analysis ; metabolism ; Animals ; Female ; Male ; Prunus ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo find out the optimal condition for the germination and cultivation condition on Magnolia officinalis, and offer the basis for standardized culture of M. officinalis.

METHODThe study was carried out with in-door experiment, using light, temperature, soil water content and seed soaking in different water temperature treatments, the effects of different treatments on seed germination percentage of M. officinalis were investigated.

RESULT AND CONCLUSIONThe germination percentage between light and dark treatments was significantly difference, it is indicated that the seed is light-sensitive. M. officinalis can germinate in a wide range of temperature, from 20 degrees C to 35 degrees C, and the suitable temperature was 25-30 degrees C, at which germination percentages were 59.2% and 54.6%. Germination percentage at 20/30 degrees C was 65%. The optimum soil water content was 25% for seed germination, at which germination percentages were 66.7%. The suitable soil water content was 20%-25%. In order to find out optimal temperature for soaking, seeds were soaked in water at the temperatures of 40, 60, 80, 90 degrees C for 10 minutes. The optimum water temperature was 60 degrees C for seed germination, and hard coated seed percentage was reduced. Seed germination rate can be inhibited under too high water temperature. Seed germination percentage was significantly difference in different germinating bed.

Conservation of Natural Resources ; Ecosystem ; Germination ; radiation effects ; Light ; Magnolia ; growth & development ; physiology ; radiation effects ; Seeds ; growth & development ; physiology ; radiation effects ; Soil ; analysis ; Temperature