OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture combined with bamboo-based medicinal moxibustion in the treatment of chronic insomnia complicated with mild depressive state. METHODS: A total of 60 patients with chronic insomnia complicated with mild depressive state were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases in each group. The control group was treated with acupuncture at bilateral Zhaohai (KI6), Shenmen (HT7), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Anmian (Extra) and Sishencong (EX-HN1), Baihui (GV20), etc. The observation group was treated with bamboo-based medicinal moxibustion based on the treatment in the control group, on the abdomen，Shenque (CV8), Guanyuan (CV4), Zhongwan (CV12) and bilateral Tianshu (ST25) were selected , on the back, the acupoints of governer vessel from Dazhui (GV14) to Yaoshu (GV2) were selected. Both groups were treated once every other day, 3 times a week for 4 weeks. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) score, Hamilton depression scale-17 (HAMD-17) score, insomnia severity index (ISI) score, fatigue assessment instrument (FAI) score before and after treatment and after 2 weeks of treatment completion (follow-up) were observed in the two groups, and the serum level of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) before and after treatment was detected in the two groups, and the clinical efficacy and safety were evaluated. RESULTS: After treatment and in the follow-up, the sub-item scores and total scores of PSQI in both groups were reduced compared with those before treatment (P<0.001); except for the score of daytime dysfunction in the follow-up, the scores of sleep quality, sleep duration, daytime dysfunction, and total scores of PSQI in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment and in the follow-up, the HAMD-17, ISI and FAI scores in both groups were reduced compared with those before treatment (P<0.001); the scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment，the serum levels of GABA in both groups were increased compared with those before treatment (P<0.05); the level in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate of treating chronic insomnia in the observation group was 96.7% (29/30), which was higher than 80.0% (24/30) in the control group (P<0.05); and the total effective rate of improving mild depressive state was 93.3% (28/30), which was higher than 66.7% (20/30) in the control group (P<0.001). During the treatment period, no serious adverse reactions occurred in both groups. CONCLUSION Acupuncture combined with bamboo-based medicinal moxibustion has definite efficacy in the treatment of chronic insomnia complicated with mild depressive state, and has synergistic efficacy in improving sleep quality, sleep duration, daytime dysfunction and depressive state, its action mechanism may be related to the increase of serum level of GABA.
Humans ; Moxibustion ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/therapy* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Depression/therapy* ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Aged ; Young Adult ; Acupuncture Points

Objective To investigate the effect of triglyceride-glucose index(TyG)on the short-term prognosis of patients with initial acute ischemic stroke.Methods A total of 391 patients with initial acute ischemic stroke who were hospitalized in Kunshan Second People's Hospital and The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from Jun.2020 to Jun.2023 were retrospectively included.According to the modified Rankin scale(mRS)scores at 90 d follow-up,they were assigned to good prognosis group(286 cases)or poor prognosis group(105 cases).Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve were used to evaluate the effect of TyG on the short-term prognosis of patients with initial acute ischemic stroke.Results Compared with the good prognosis group,the patients of poor prognosis group had older age,higher proportion of atrial fibrillation,higher levels of homocysteine,triglyceride,total cholesterol,low-density lipoprotein,and TyG,and higher National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS)score(all P＜0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age,homocysteine,TyG and NIHSS score were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with initial acute ischemic stroke(all P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that TyG combined with NIHSS score had good predictive value for poor prognosis of patients with initial acute ischemic stroke,and the area under curve value was 0.795.Conclusion The combination of TyG and NIHSS score is an independent influencing factor for poor short-term prognosis in patients with initial acute ischemic stroke.

Objective To investigate the effectiveness and safety of argatroban combined with antiplatelet therapy in patients with acute mild-to-moderate atherosclerotic cerebral infarction within 72 hours after symptom onset. Methods A total of 452 patients with large atherosclerotic cerebral infarction were enrolled and divided into two groups. The combined therapy group (n=286) received argatroban combined with antiplatelet therapy, while the control group (n=166) received antiplatelet therapy alone. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score, early neurological deterioration (END), and occurrence of bleeding events were compared between the two groups using a Logistic regression model. Results Statistically significant differences were observed in age, smoking history, time from stroke onset to admission, low-density lipoprotein, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) levels between the two groups (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in infarction location, responsible artery, and atherosclerotic subtype between the combined therapy and control groups (P>0.05). Among patients with atheroscleroticcerebral infarction, the proportion of patients with an mRS score of 0 to 2 at 90 days after combined therapy of argatrobanwas 85.3%, and was 74.5% in the control group (P < 0.05). In patients with an NIHSS score ≥3, the proportion of patients with an mRS score of 0 to 2 at 90 days in the combined therapy group was 19.3%, which was significantly lower than 60.8% in the control group (P < 0.05). For anterior circulation responsible artery occlusion, the proportion of patients with an mRS score of 0 to 2 at 90 days in the combined therapy group was 82.1%, and 67.2% in the control group (P < 0.05). Among atherosclerotic subtypes, the proportion of patients with penetrating artery occlusion and an mRS score of 0 to 2 at 90 days was significantly higher in the combined therapy group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion Argatroban combined with antiplatelet therapy can improve neurological outcomes in patients with acute mild-to-moderate atherosclerotic ischemic stroke without increasing the risk of bleeding. The combined therapy offers more pronounced benefits in patients with anterior circulation ischemia and penetrating artery occlusion.

Ischemic stroke is a severe disorder resulting from acute cerebral thrombosis. Here we demonstrated that post-ischemic treatment with ciclopirox olamine (CPX), a potent antifungal clinical drug, alleviated brain infarction, neurological deficits and brain edema in a classic rat model of ischemic stroke. Single dose post-ischemic administration of CPX provided a long-lasting neuroprotective effect, which can be further enhanced by multiple doses administration of CPX. CPX also effectively reversed ischemia-induced neuronal loss, glial activation as well as blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage. Employing quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis, 130 phosphosites in 122 proteins were identified to be significantly regulated by CPX treatment in oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD)-exposed SH-SY5Y cells, which revealed that phosphokinases and cell cycle-related phosphoproteins were largely influenced. Subsequently, we demonstrated that CPX markedly enhanced the AKT (protein kinase B, PKB/AKT) and GSK3 (glycogen synthase kinase 3) phosphorylation in OGD-exposed SH-SY5Y cells, and regulated the cell cycle progression and nitric oxide (NO) release in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV-2 cells, which may contribute to its ameliorative effects against ischemia-associated neuronal death and microglial inflammation. Our study suggests that CPX could be a promising compound to reduce multiple ischemic injuries; however, further studies will be needed to clarify the molecular mechanisms involved.

OBJECTIVETo review the application of thoracoscopic repair for treatment of congenital diaphragmatic hernia in neonates, so as to improve the cure rate.

METHODSClinical data of 47 neonates with congenital diaphragmatic hernia receiving thoracoscopic repair from June 2012 to June 2017 were reviewed. The admission age, gestational age, birth weight, timing of diagnosis, hernia location, clinical manifestation, surgical timing, surgical method, operation time, postoperative mechanical ventilation time of patients were analyzed.

RESULTSThere were 42 cases of left diaphragmatic hernia and 5 cases of right diaphragmatic hernia. Thirteen cases were diagnosed prenatally. Primary diaphragmatic repair was successfully accomplished under thoracoscope in 45 neonates without perioperative complications, while 2 patients were converted to open surgery. The average operation time was (63±13) min (42-150 min), the average blood loss was (3.0±1.7) mL (1.0-9.0 mL), and the average postoperative mechanical ventilation time was (3.9±1.4) d (2.0-11.0 d). Two patients died and the treatment was withdrawn in 3 patients with an overall cure rate of 89.4% (42/47).

CONCLUSIONSThoracoscopic repair is effective and can be used as first-choice treatment of diaphragmatic hernia in neonates.

Objective To identify mutations in the OSMR gene in a pedigree with familial primary cutaneous amyloidosis (FPCA).Methods Clinical data were collected from a pedigree with FPCA.Peripheral blood samples were obtained from the proband,his 19 relatives,and 50 unrelated healthy human controls.Genomic DNA was extracted from these blood samples,and subjected to PCR for the amplification of 18 encoding exons and their flanking sequences of the OSMR gene followed by DNA sequencing.Results A heterozygous missense mutation c.2081C ＞ T,which leads to the substitution of proline by threonine at position 694,was detected in the OSMR gene of the proband and his affected relatives,but not in unaffected relatives or healthy controls.Conclusion The heterozygous mutation p.P694L in the OSMR gene may cause the clinical phenotype of FPCA in this family.

Objective To explore the mechanism underlying the poor prognosis in cerebral infarction (CI) patients with low T3 syndrome by comparing the NIHSS scores in these patients with or without low T3 syndrome.Methods One hundred and sixty-two patients with CI,admitted to our hospital from January 2010 to December 2012,were chosen in our study; the levels of thyroid hormones,including triiodothyronine (T3),four iodine thyronine (T4),thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH),free Triiodothyronine (iT3) and free four iodine thyronine (fT4),were measured by radioimmunoassay.CI lesions and TOAST distribution were determined by cranial MRI,magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) or CT angiography (CTA),and carotid ultrasonography.NIHSS scores at the worst in cerebral infarction inpatients were detected.Results In the 162 patients with CI,29 patients (17.90％) were combined with low T3 symptom and 20 had fT3 level lower than the lowest normal level (2.63 pmol/L); and T4,fT4 and TSH levels were within normal limits.T3,fr3 and TSH levels in patients with low T3 symptom were significantly lower than those of patients without low T3 symptom (P＜0.05).The distribution of TOAST showed no significant difference between patients with low T3 symptom and patients without low T3 symptom (P＞0.05).In patients with large artery atherosclerosis-internal carotid artery,the NIHSS scores at the worst in patients with low T3 level were significantly higher as compared with those in patients with normal T3 levels (P＜0.05).Conclusion The neurologic impairment is more severe in large artery atherosclerosis-intemal carotid artery patients with low T3 level than those without low T3 level,which might be responsible for the poor prognosis of the illness with low T3 syndrome.