The paper introduces Professor FANG Yigong 's experience in treating pelvic congestion syndrome with acupuncture. Professor FANG believes that the stagnation in the thoroughfare and conception vessels, retarded circulation of qi and blood, and the obstruction of blood flow in the uterus are implicated in the pathogenesis of pelvic congestion syndrome. In clinical practice, according to the pathogenesis, focusing on regulating the functions of the thoroughfare and conception vessels, the thinking of treatment is summarized as "resolving the stasis and stopping pain by regulating the thoroughfare and conception vessels", "selecting the points based on their indications" and "tranquilizing the mind and harmonizing the physical and mental states". The main points are Baihui (GV20), Shenting (GV24), Benshen (GB13), Zhongwan (CV12), Tianshu (ST25), Guanyuan (CV4), Dahe (KI12), and Zigong (EX-CA1). The supplementary points are used in terms of the etiology and symptoms. During acupuncture, attention should be paid to the application of Xiaoyao Tiaoshen technique of acupuncture and mutual harmonization of the mind in acupuncture operator and patient. This summary may provide a new approach to the treatment of pelvic congestion syndrome.
Female ; Humans ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; History, 21st Century ; Pelvic Pain/therapy* ; Pelvis/pathology*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate changes of myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD2) in inflammation-induced pain and acupuncture-mediated analgesia. METHODS: Mice were randomly divided into three groups by a random number table method: saline group (n=16), complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) group (n=24) and CFA+electroacupuncture (EA) group (n=26). Inflammation-induced pain was modelled by injecting CFA to the plantar surface of the hind paw of mice and EA was applied to bilateral Zusanli (ST 36) to alleviate pain. Only mice in the CFA+EA group received EA treatment (30 min/d for 2 weeks) 24 h after modelling. Mice in the saline and CFA groups received sham EA. von-Frey test and Hargreaves test were used to assess the pain threshold. Brain and spinal tissues were collected for immunofluorescence staining or Western blotting to quantify changes of MD2 expression. RESULTS: CFA successfully induced plantar pain and EA significantly alleviated pain 3 days after modelling (P<0.01). Compared with the CFA group, the number of MD2⁺/c-fos⁺ neurons was significantly increased in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord 7 and 14 days after EA, especially in laminae I - II_o (P<0.01). The proportion of double positive cells to the number of c-fos positive cells and the mean fluorescence intensity of MD2 neurons were also significantly increased in laminae I - II_o (P<0.01). Western blotting showed that the level of MD2 was significantly decreased by EA only in the hippocampus on day 7 and 14 (both P<0.01) and no significant changes were observed in the cortex, thalamus, cerebellum, or the brainstem (P<0.05). Fluorescence staining showed significant decrease in the level of MD2 in periagueductal gray (PAG) and locus coeruleus (LC) after CFA injection on day 7 (P<0.01 for PAG, P<0.05 for LC) and EA significantly reversed this decrease (P<0.01 for PAG, P<0.05 for LC). CONCLUSION The unique changes of MD2 suggest that EA may exert the analgesic effect through modulating neuronal activities of the superficial laminae of the spinal cord and certain regions of the brain.
Animals ; Acupuncture Analgesia/methods* ; Male ; Central Nervous System/pathology* ; Freund's Adjuvant ; Mice ; Pain ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos/metabolism* ; Spinal Cord/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Electroacupuncture/methods* ; Inflammation/pathology*

OBJECTIVE: To explore clinical features, treatment methods and clinical effects of cervical spondylosis with proximal muscular atrophy. METHODS: Eleven patients with proximal-type cervical spondylotic amyotrophy were retrospectively studied from September 2016 to November 2020, including 7 males and 4 females, aged 38 to 68 years old. Clinical symptoms, MRI and neuroelectrophysiological manifestations were analyzed, and patients were treated with conservative treatment or anterior cervical decompression fusion surgery, respectively. The efficacy was evaluated by manual muscle test (MMT) before and after treatment, and patients' satisfaction was followed up at the same time. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 6 to 19 months. All 11 patients were unilateral, mainly manifested by atrophy of deltoid muscle, supraspinatus muscle and infraspinatus muscle, and may be accompanied by ipsilateral neck and shoulder pain at early stage. MRI showed lesions at C_4,5, C_5,6 segments were more common. Electrophysiological examination showed the affected muscle was denervated, and amplitude of compound muscle action potential (CMAP) of innervated nerve on the affected side was lower than that on the healthy side. All patients were obtained bone fusion. One patient who were underwent anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF) occurred developed contralateral C5 nerve root paralysis after operation, which recovered completely after 10 weeks of symptomatic treatment. At 12 months after operation, the efficacy was evaluated according to MMT, 3 patients were treated conservatively, 2 patients excellent and 1 good;in 8 patients treated by operation, 3 patients were excellent, 4 good, and 1 moderate. CONCLUSION The incidence of cervical spondylosis with proximal muscular atrophy is low, which is manifested as unilateral proximal muscle atrophy and may be accompanied by ipsilateral neck and shoulder pain in the early stage. Combined with MRI and neuroelectrophysiological examination, misdiagnosis could be reduced. In the early stage of disease, especially in the case of nucleus pulposus protrusion leading to nerve compression, conservative treatment could be taken. When the conservative treatment is ineffective or the pain cannot be tolerated, anterior decompression surgery is recommended, and the overall effect is satisfactory.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Shoulder Pain ; Cervical Vertebrae/pathology* ; Muscular Atrophy/surgery* ; Decompression, Surgical/methods* ; Spondylosis/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Spinal Fusion/adverse effects*

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, outcomes and prognostic factors of abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE). Methods: A total of 265 AWE patients who underwent surgical treatment in The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January 2010 to April 2023 were retrospectively selected, and 244 patients had complete follow-up data. According to different depth of lesions, the enrolled patients were divided into three types: type Ⅰ (subcutaneous fat layer, n=30), type Ⅱ (anterior sheath muscle layer, n=174) and type Ⅲ (peritoneum layer, n=40). The general clinical features, perioperative conditions, recurrent outcome and prognostic factors were analyzed in three types. Results: (1) Compared with type Ⅲ patients, the age of onset, parity and incidence of pelvic endometriosis were significantly decreased in type Ⅱ patients [(32.0±4.0) vs (30.0±4.6) years, 1.6±0.6 vs 1.4±0.5, 10.0% (4/40) vs 1.7% (3/174), respectively; all P<0.05], while the proportion of patients with transverse incision was significantly increased [37.5% (15/40) vs 67.3% (115/171); P<0.01]. The first symptoms of type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ were mainly palpable mass in the abdominal wall [73.3% (22/30), 63.2% (110/174), respectively], but the first symptom of type Ⅲ was pain in the abdominal wall [55.0% (22/40); all P<0.05]. (2) No matter the results of preoperative B-ultrasound or intraoperative exploration, the lesion diameters of type Ⅰ, type Ⅱ and type Ⅲ showed significant upward trends (all P<0.05). The proportions of lesion diameter≥3 cm in type Ⅱ and type Ⅲ [67.8% (118/174), 80.0% (32/40)] were significantly higher than that in type Ⅰ (all P<0.05). The median operation time and blood loss of type Ⅰ and Ⅱ were significantly lower than those of type Ⅲ (type Ⅰ vs type Ⅲ: 37.5 vs 50.0 minutes, 10 vs 20 ml, all P<0.05; type Ⅱ vs type Ⅲ: 35.0 vs 50.0 minutes, 10 vs 20 ml, all P<0.05). (3) The median follow-up time was 49 months, the overall symptom remission rate was 98.4% (240/244), and the recurrence rate was 7.0% (17/244). There were no significant differences in recurrence rate and recurrence free time among three types (all P>0.05). Multivariate regression analysis showed that the depth, number, diameter of lesions and postoperative adjuvant medication were not significant factors for postoperative recurrence (all P>0.05). Conclusions: The clinical manifestations of type Ⅲ are the most serious, including obvious abdominal pain symptoms, larger lesion diameter, prolonged operation time, increased intraoperative blood loss and increased incidence of pelvic endometriosis. Complete resection of lesions is an effective treatment for AWE, with high symptom remission rate and low recurrence rate. The depth, number, diameter of lesions and postoperative adjuvant medication are not risk factors for recurrence.
Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans ; Adult ; Endometriosis/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Abdominal Wall/pathology* ; Risk Factors ; Abdominal Pain

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of midazolam on pain in lumbar disc herniation model rats based on p38 MAPK signaling pathway. METHODS: Fifty SPF-grade Sprague-Dawley healthy rats, half male and half female, were selected and randomly divided into normal group, model group, and low-dose, medium-dose, high-dose groups. Model group and low-dose, medium-dose, high-dose groups were initially modeled for lumbar disc herniation. Intraperitoneal injection of saline was performed in rats of normal and model groups; and in the low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose groups, intraperitoneal injection of midazolam was performed with doses of 30, 60, and 90 mg/kg, respectively. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), β-endorphin (β-EP), substance P (SP), neuropeptide Y (NPY) were detected in the serum of rats by enzyme-linked immunoassay. The expression of p38 MAPK and matrix metalloproteinase-3(MMP-3) protein were detected by Western blot in the tissues of rats of each group. RESULTS: The levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and β-EP were higher and the level of 5-HT was lower in the model group than in the normal group(P<0.05);the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and β-EP were lower and the level of 5-HT was higher in the low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose groups than in the model group(P<0.05). The levels of SP and NPY increased in the model group compared with the normal group (P<0.05) and the levels of SP and NPY decreased in the low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose groups compared with the model group (P<0.05). The expression of p38 MAPK and MMP-3 increased in the model group compared with the normal group (P<0.05); the expression of p38 MAPK and MMP-3 decreased in the low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose compared with the model group(P<0.05). CONCLUSION Midazolam may ameliorate the immune inflammatory response in rats with a model of lumbar disc herniation, possibly regulated through the p38MAPK signaling pathway.
Rats ; Male ; Female ; Animals ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/pathology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 3/metabolism* ; Midazolam ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Serotonin/metabolism* ; MAP Kinase Signaling System/physiology* ; Pain ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism*

Post-amputation pain causes great suffering to amputees, but still no effective drugs are available due to its elusive mechanisms. Our previous clinical studies found that surgical removal or radiofrequency treatment of the neuroma at the axotomized nerve stump effectively relieves the phantom pain afflicting patients after amputation. This indicated an essential role of the residual nerve stump in the formation of chronic post-amputation pain (CPAP). However, the molecular mechanism by which the residual nerve stump or neuroma is involved and regulates CPAP is still a mystery. In this study, we found that nociceptors expressed the mechanosensitive ion channel TMEM63A and macrophages infiltrated into the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons worked synergistically to promote CPAP. Histology and qRT-PCR showed that TMEM63A was mainly expressed in mechanical pain-producing non-peptidergic nociceptors in the DRG, and the expression of TMEM63A increased significantly both in the neuroma from amputated patients and the DRG in a mouse model of tibial nerve transfer (TNT). Behavioral tests showed that the mechanical, heat, and cold sensitivity were not affected in the Tmem63a^-/- mice in the naïve state, suggesting the basal pain was not affected. In the inflammatory and post-amputation state, the mechanical allodynia but not the heat hyperalgesia or cold allodynia was significantly decreased in Tmem63a^-/- mice. Further study showed that there was severe neuronal injury and macrophage infiltration in the DRG, tibial nerve, residual stump, and the neuroma-like structure of the TNT mouse model, Consistent with this, expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β all increased dramatically in the DRG. Interestingly, the deletion of Tmem63a significantly reduced the macrophage infiltration in the DRG but not in the tibial nerve stump. Furthermore, the ablation of macrophages significantly reduced both the expression of Tmem63a and the mechanical allodynia in the TNT mouse model, indicating an interaction between nociceptors and macrophages, and that these two factors gang up together to regulate the formation of CPAP. This provides a new insight into the mechanisms underlying CPAP and potential drug targets its treatment.
Animals ; Mice ; Amputation, Surgical ; Chronic Pain/pathology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Ganglia, Spinal/pathology* ; Hyperalgesia/etiology* ; Ion Channels/metabolism* ; Macrophages ; Neuroma/pathology*

Chronic pain is challenging to treat due to the limited therapeutic options and adverse side-effects of therapies. Astrocytes are the most abundant glial cells in the central nervous system and play important roles in different pathological conditions, including chronic pain. Astrocytes regulate nociceptive synaptic transmission and network function via neuron-glia and glia-glia interactions to exaggerate pain signals under chronic pain conditions. It is also becoming clear that astrocytes play active roles in brain regions important for the emotional and memory-related aspects of chronic pain. Therefore, this review presents our current understanding of the roles of astrocytes in chronic pain, how they regulate nociceptive responses, and their cellular and molecular mechanisms of action.
Humans ; Astrocytes/pathology* ; Chronic Pain/pathology* ; Neuroglia/physiology* ; Neurons/physiology* ; Synaptic Transmission ; Chronic Disease

BACKGROUND: The results of studies comparing Billroth-I (B-I) with Roux-en-Y (R-Y) reconstruction on the quality of life (QoL) are still inconsistent. The aim of this trial was to compare the long-term QoL of B-I with R-Y anastomosis after curative distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer. METHODS: A total of 140 patients undergoing curative distal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy in West China Hospital, Sichuan University from May 2011 to May 2014 were randomly assigned to the B-I group ( N  = 70) and R-Y group ( N  = 70). The follow-up time points were 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months after the operation. The final follow-up time was May 2019. The clinicopathological features, operative safety, postoperative recovery, long-term survival as well as QoL were compared, among which QoL score was the primary outcome. An intention-to-treat analysis was applied. RESULTS: The baseline characteristics were comparable between the two groups. There were no statistically significant differences in terms of postoperative morbidity and mortality rates, and postoperative recovery between the two groups. Less estimated blood loss and shorter surgical duration were found in the B-I group. There were no statistically significant differences in 5-year overall survival (79% [55/70] of the B-I group vs. 80% [56/70] of the R-Y group, P  = 0.966) and recurrence-free survival rates (79% [55/70] of the B-I group vs. 78% [55/70] of the R-Y group, P  = 0.979) between the two groups. The scores of the global health status of the R-Y group were higher than those of the B-I group with statistically significant differences (postoperative 1 year: 85.4 ± 13.1 vs . 88.8 ± 16.1, P  = 0.033; postoperative 3 year: 87.3 ± 15.2 vs . 92.8 ± 11.3, P  = 0.028; postoperative 5 year: 90.9 ± 13.7 vs . 96.4 ± 5.6, P  = 0.010), and the reflux (postoperative 3 year: 8.8 ± 12.9 vs . 2.8 ± 5.3, P  = 0.001; postoperative 5 year: 5.1 ± 9.8 vs . 1.8 ± 4.7, P  = 0.033) and epigastric pain (postoperative 1 year: 11.8 ± 12.7 vs. 6.1 ± 8.8, P  = 0.008; postoperative 3 year: 9.4 ± 10.6 vs. 4.6 ± 7.9, P  = 0.006; postoperative 5 year: 6.0 ± 8.9 vs . 2.7 ± 4.6, P  = 0.022) were milder in the R-Y group than those of the B-I group at the postoperative 1, 3, and 5-year time points. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with B-I group, R-Y reconstruction was associated with better long-term QoL by reducing reflux and epigastric pain, without changing survival outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ChiCTR.org.cn, ChiCTR-TRC-10001434.
Humans ; Stomach Neoplasms/pathology* ; Anastomosis, Roux-en-Y/methods* ; Quality of Life ; Treatment Outcome ; Gastrectomy/methods* ; Postoperative Complications ; Gastroenterostomy/methods* ; Pain

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between bone marrow edema and pathological changes, symptoms and signs of severe knee osteoarthritis. METHODS: From January 2020 to March 2021, 160 patients with severe knee osteoarthritis who underwrent MRI of the knee at the Department of Bone and Joint, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences were included. Eighty patients with bone marrow edema were selected as the case group, including 12 males and 68 females, aged from 51 to 80 years old with an average of (66.58±8.10) years old, the duration of disease 5 to 40 months with an average of (15.61±9.25) months. Eighty patients without bone marrow edema were selected as the control group, including 15 males and 65 females, aged from 50 to 80 years old with an average of (67.82±8.05) years old, the duration of disease 6 to 37 months with an average of (15.75±8.18) months, BMI was (28.26±3.13) kg·m^-2 ranged from 21.39 to 34.46 kg·m^-2. The degree of bone marrow edema was evaluated by knee whole oragan magnetic resonance imaging score (WORMS). The degree of knee osteoarthritis was evaluated by Kellgren- Lawrence(K-L) grade and Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). The degree of joint pain was evaluated by visual analogue scale(VAS) and WOMAC pain score, the joint signs were evaluated by tenderness, percussion pain, joint swelling and joint range of motion. To explore the relationship between bone marrow edema and knee osteoarthritis, the prevalence of bone marrow edema and K-L grade were compared between the two groups. Furthermore the WORMS score and WOMAC index, pain-related score, and sign-related score correlation coefficient were analyzed to further explore the relationship between bone marrow edema and knee osteoarthritis index, joint pain symptoms and signs. RESULTS: There was 68.75% (55/80) of the patients in the case group were in K-L grade Ⅳ, and 52.5% (42/80) in the control group, indicating a higher proportion of patients with grade Ⅳ in the case group than the control group (χ²=4.425, P<0.05). In the case group, there was a strong correlation between bone marrow edema WORMS score and knee osteoarthritis WOMAC index. (r=0.873>0.8, P<0.001), a moderate correlation between WORMS score and VAS score and WOMAC pain score(r=0.752, 0.650>0.5, P<0.001), a moderate correlation between WORMS score and percussion pain score (r=0.784>0.5, P<0.001), and a weak correlation between WORMS score and VAS and tenderness score, joint swelling score and joint range of motion score (r=0.194, 0.259, 0.296<0.3, P<0.001). CONCLUSION Our study suggests that severe knee osteoarthritis is associated with an increased risk of bone marrow edema. Bone marrow edema can also lead to knee osteoarthritis joint pain, with percussion pain being a positive sign, but tenderness, joint swelling and limitation of activity are not significantly related to bone marrow edema.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/pathology* ; Bone Marrow/pathology* ; Knee Joint/diagnostic imaging* ; Bone Marrow Diseases/etiology* ; Pain/pathology* ; Arthralgia ; Edema/pathology*

Objective:This study aimed to explore the safety and feasibility of gasless transoral vestibular robotic resection of thyroglossal duct cysts. Methods:The clinical data of patients who underwent gasless transoral vestibular robotic resection of thyroglossal duct cysts at the Department of otolaryngology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun yat-sen university from September 2020 to May 2022 were analyzed. The operative time, blood loss, postoperative complications, postoperative pain score, postoperative aesthetic score, and recurrence were prospectively evaluated. Results:All patients completed the operation successfully and no case conversed to an open operation. The operation time was 104.00（95.00, 131.25） minutes, and the surgical blood loss was 15.00（10.00, 16.25） mL. The drainage volume was（59.71±9.20） mL. Postoperative pathology was consistent with thyroglossal duct cysts. There was no local reswelling, subcutaneous hematoma, emphysema, skin flap necrosis, infection and other complications. The postoperative hospital stay was 3.00（2.00, 3.00） days. Six patients had mild sensory abnormalities of the lower lip 3 months after surgery, and all patients were satisfied with the cosmetic outcomes. No recurrence was found during the 5-26 months follow-up. Conclusion:gasless transoral vestibular robotic resection of thyroglossal duct cysts is safe and feasible, with hidden postoperative scars and good cosmetic outcomes. It can provide a new choice for patients with thyroglossal duct cysts.
Humans ; Robotic Surgical Procedures ; Thyroglossal Cyst/pathology* ; Postoperative Complications ; Cicatrix/pathology* ; Pain, Postoperative