OBJECTIVETo explore the methods for the therapeutic effect improvement in the treatment of post-stroke urinary retention.

METHODSSixty-three patients of post-stroke urinary retention were randomized into an observation group (32 cases) and a control group (31 cases). The routine clinical medication of neurology and basic rehabilitation were adopted in the two groups. Additionally, in the control group, the intermittent urinary catheterization and bladder function training were applied. The duration and frequency of catheterization were determined by the autonomic urination and residual urine volume every day. In the observation group, on the basis of the treatment as the control group, acupuncture was applied to the twelve-well points in the sequence offlowing among the twelve meridians [Shaoshang (LU 11), Shangyang (LI 1), Lidui (ST 45), Yinbai (SP 1), Shaochong (HT 9), Shaoze (SI 1), Zhiyin (BL 67), Yongquan (KI 1), Zhongchong (PC 9), Guanchong (TE 1), Zuqiaoyin (GB 44) and Dadun (LR 1)]. Acupuncture was given once a day, 20 treatments were required. In 20 treatments, the clinical therapeutic effects and the residual urine volume were observed.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 90.6% (29/32) in the observation group, better than 67.7% (21/31) in the control group (<0.01)). After treatment, the residue urine volume was all reduced apparently in the patients of the two groups (both<0.01). The result of the residue urine volume in the observation group was lower apparently than that in the control group (<0.01).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture at the-well points in the sequence offlowing among meridians combined with bladder function training achieve the apparent therapeutic effects on post-stroke urinary retention. The results are better than those achieved by the routine western medicine with bladder function training involved.

This study was to explore a better three-dimensional (3-D) culture method of chondrocyte. The interpenetrating network (IPN) gel beads were developed through a photo-cross linking reaction with mixed barium ions and calcium ions at the ratio of 5:5 with the methacrylic alginate (MA), which was a chemically conjugated alginate with methacrylic groups. The second generation of primary cartilage cells was encapsulated in the MA gel beads for three weeks. In the designated timing, HE stain, Alamar blue method and Scanning electron microscopic were used to determine the cartilage cells growth, proliferation and the cell distribution in the scaffolds, respectively. The expression of type II collagen was investigated by an immunohistochemistry assay and the glycosaminoglycan content was quantitatively evaluated with the spectrophotometry of 1, 9 dimethylene blue assay. Compared to the alginate control group, the deposition of glycosaminoglycan was significantly upregulated in IPN-MA gel beads with higher cell proliferation. The secretion of extracellular matrix and proliferation of chondrocyte in methacrylic alginate gel beads were higher than that in Alginate beads. Cells were able to attach, to grow well on the scaffolds under scanning electron microscopy. The result of immunohistochemistry staining of collagen type II was positive, confirming the maintenance of chondrocyte phenotype in methacrylic alginate gel beads. This study shows a great potential for three-dimensional culture of cartilage.
Alginates ; chemistry ; Barium ; chemistry ; Calcium ; chemistry ; Cartilage ; cytology ; Cations ; Cell Culture Techniques ; instrumentation ; Cells, Cultured ; Chondrocytes ; cytology ; Collagen Type II ; chemistry ; Glucuronic Acid ; chemistry ; Glycosaminoglycans ; chemistry ; Hexuronic Acids ; chemistry ; Metals ; chemistry ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning

OBJECTIVETo compare the differences in the clinical efficacy on post-stroke speech disorder between scalp electric acupuncture (EA) under anatomic orientation combined with rehabilitation training and simple rehabilitation training.

METHODSSixty patients of post-stroke speech apraxia were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases in each one. In the observation group, under anatomic orientation, the scalp EA was adopted to the dominant hemisphere Broca area on the left cerebrum. Additionally, the speech rehabilitation training was combined. In the control group, the speech rehabilitation training was simply,used. The treatment lasted for 4 weeks totally. The speech movement program module in the psychological language assessment and treatment system of Chinese aphasia was used for the evident of efficacy assessment. The scores of counting, singing scale, repeating phonetic alphabet, repeating monosyllable and repeating disyllable were observed in the patients of the two groups. The assessment was done separately on the day of grouping and 4 weeks after treatment.

RESULTSIn 4 weeks of treatment, the scores of counting, singing scale, repeating phonetic alphabet, repeating monosyllable and repeating disyllable were all improved as compared with those before treatment in the two groups (all P<0. 001). The results in the observation group were better than those in the control group (all P< 0. 05). The total effective rate was 100. 0% (30/30) in the observation group, superior apparently to 53. 3% (16/30) in the control group (P<0. 001).

CONCLUSIONThe scalp EA under anatomic orientation combined with' speech rehabilitation training obviously improves speech apraxia in stroke patients so that the speech disorder cani be relieved. The efficacy is better than that in simple rehabilitation training.

Acupuncture Points ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Apraxias ; etiology ; physiopathology ; rehabilitation ; therapy ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Language ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Speech Disorders ; physiopathology ; rehabilitation ; therapy ; Speech Therapy ; Stroke ; complications ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the characteristics of ultrasonography in haemophilic arthropathy in knee joints.

METHODSThe knee joints (n=135) of 68 patients with haemophilia A (n=59) or haemophilia B (n=9) were consecutively evaluated with ultrasonography and scored according to MELCHIORRE ultrasound score. The correlations between ultrasound score and the number of knee joint bleeding episodes, age, and World Federation Haemophilic orthopedic (WFHO) score were studied.

RESULTS68 male patients with median age 20 (3-48) years old were enrolled in this study. The prevalences of hydrops articuli, fibrotic septa, synovial hypertrophy, synovial hypertrophy with angiogenesis, haemosiderin deposition were 39.2% (53/135), 3.0% (4/135), 77.0% (104/135), 49.6% (67/135), 37.8% (51/135), respectively; and the prevalences of cartilage damage, bone erosion, bone remodeling, osteophytes were 63.7% (86/135), 48.1% (65/135), 3.0% (4/135), 13.3% (18/135) respectively. The average ultrasound score was 5.21[95% CI (4.50-5.93)]. The ultrasound score of knees joints according to age 0-6, 7-18 and > 18 years old groups were 0.63[95% CI (0.15-1.10)], 2.88[95% CI (1.90-3.85)], 7.83[95% CI (7.07-8.60)], respectively; and the difference among groups was statistically significant (P<0.01). The significant difference of ultrasound score was not found among moderate, mild and severe haemophilia (F=0.90, P=0.914). A significant positive correlation between ultrasound and WFHO scores was demonstrated (r=0.745, P<0.01). The ultrasound score increased significantly with the increase of number of knee bleed Episodes (F=49.926, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe main characteristics of ultrasonography of haemophilic arthropathy in knee joints were identified as followings: synovial hypertrophy, cartilage damage, bone erosion, hydrops articuli, and haemosiderin deposition. Ultrasonography was a fast, effective, safe, and available inspection method in assessment of haemophilic arthropathy.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Hemophilia A ; complications ; Hemophilia B ; complications ; Humans ; Joint Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; Knee Joint ; diagnostic imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ultrasonography ; Young Adult

Acute Disease ; Humans ; Oxalates ; poisoning

OBJECTIVETo investigate the profile of promoter methylation and expression of SHP-1 gene in the progression of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

METHODSThe expression level of SHP-1 mRNA and protein in bone marrow or peripheral blood mononuclear cells from CML patients were detected by Western blot and SYBR Green-based qRT-PCR. The methylation status of SHP-1 were assessed by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) assay. K562 cells were infected with the lentiviral plasmids pEX-SHP-1-puro-Lv105 (K562-SHP-1) or pEX-EGFP-puro-Lv105 (K562-EGFP). The levels of proteins and phosphorylated proteins were detected by Western blot. qRT-PCR assay was used to test the level of BCR-ABL mRNA.

RESULTSThe relative levels of SHP-1 mRNA were sharply decreased in advanced stages CML compared to chronic phase (CP)-CML (0.79±0.37 vs 1.18±0.64, P= 0.009). The level of SHP-1 protein was lower in advanced stages CML compared to CP-CML (0.57±0.02 vs 1.02±0.04, P=0.039). The frequency of SHP-1 gene promoter methylation at selected loci in CP-CML was 23.8% (10/42), and the methylated regions were detected in all advanced CML samples (P<0.01). SHP-1 was stably transfected into K562 cells and selected with puromycin. Overexpression of SHP-1 inhibited the proliferation and induced the apoptosis of K562 cells, meanwhile leaded to G0/G1 phase arrest. After transfection, the level of BCR-ABL mRNA was not affected in K562-SHP-1 cells (1.32±0.34) compared to K562-EGFP cells (1.18±0.20, P=0.644), but overexpression of SHP-1 caused a slight decrease in BCR-ABL protein in K562-SHP-1 cells compared to K562 -EGFP cells (0.78±0.15 vs 1.27±0.24, P=0.040). Overexpression of SHP-1 resulted in a remarkable decrease in MYC protein, phosphorylated forms of JAK2, STAT5, Akt and MAPK. However, the un-phosphorylated forms of these molecules were not significantly affected.

CONCLUSIONDecreased expression of SHP-1 caused by aberrant promoter hypermethylation may play a key role in the progression of CML by dysregulation of BCR-ABL, Akt, MAPK, MYC, JAK2 and STAT5 signaling.

Apoptosis ; DNA Methylation ; Disease Progression ; Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl ; Humans ; Janus Kinase 2 ; K562 Cells ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; Phosphorylation ; Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 6 ; RNA, Messenger

BACKGROUNDChemoresistance is common among patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We investigated the effect and mechanism of insulin on enhancing anticancer functions of cisplatin in human esophageal cancer cell line EC9706.

METHODSThe viability of EC9706 cells exposed to cisplatin was assessed using MTT assay. The times T1, when the number of living cells reached a plateau and T2, when the number of living cells reached a new plateau after the addition of insulin were found. T1 and T2 plateau cells were stained by Annexin V-FITC/PI and monodansylcadaverin (MDC). Fluorescent microscopy was used to observe the expression of apoptosis and autophagy intuitively. Apoptotic ratio and fluorescent intensity were analysed by flow cytometry (FCM) quantitatively. Western blotting analysis was used to estimate the protein expression levels of AKT, mTOR, PI3K, PTEN, autophage related indicator LC3-II and autophage related protein Beclin1 changes that occurred in the course of treatment.

RESULTSA larger number of typical autophagosomes were detected in EC9706 cells exposed to cisplatin. Insulin can increase the apoptosis induced by cisplatin. Apoptotic ratio of T1 plateau cells ((32.6 ± 4.3)%) is significantly less than T2 plateau ((47.5 ± 5.6)%). MDC fluorescent intensity at T1 plateau (104.9 ± 13.2) was significantly higher than intensity at T2 plateau (82.6 ± 10.3). After cotreatment with insulin, the expression level of LC3-II, Beclin1 and PTEN in T2 plateau cells were significantly downregulated, but AKT, mTOR and PI3K expressions significantly upregulated compared with T1 plateau.

CONCLUSIONSInsulin could enhance cisplatin-induced apoptosis in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma EC9706 cells related to inhibition of autophagy. The activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway induced by insulin resulted in the suppression of autophagy in EC9706 cells, which may be attributed to the anticancer effects of cisplatin.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Autophagy ; drug effects ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Cisplatin ; pharmacology ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Humans ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects

The anaerobic granular sludge from an Internal Circulation (IC) reactor of a paper mill wastewater treatment plant were seeded in an Anammox upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor. After 185 days operation, the reactor was finally started up by increasing the influent ammonium and nitrite concentrations to 224 mg/L and 255 mg/L, respectively, with volumetric nitrogen removal rate increasing to 3.76 kg/(m3·d). The physicochemical characteristics of the cultivated Anammox granules were observed by scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope and Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Results suggested that during the start-up course, the granular sludge initially disintegrated and then re-aggregated. FTIR spectra results revealed that the Anammox granular sludge contained abundant functional groups, indicating that it may also possess good adsorption properties. The ecological structure of the granular sludge, analyzed by the metagenomic sequencing methods, suggested that the relative abundance of the dominant bacterial community in the seeding sludge, i.e., Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, significantly reduced, while Planctomycetes which contains anaerobic ammonium oxidation bacteria remarkably increased from 1.59% to 23.24% in the Anammox granules.
Ammonia ; chemistry ; Bacteria ; Bioreactors ; Nitrogen ; chemistry ; Sewage ; microbiology ; Waste Disposal, Fluid ; methods ; Waste Water ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of oral dydrogesterone for luteal phase support after frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles on the clinical outcomes.

METHODSA total of 1643 FET cycles in our center between January, 2010 and September, 2011 were analyzed. The patients were divided into group A with natural-cycle FET and group B with hormone replacement cycle (HRT-FET). The two groups were further divided into two subgroups to receive oral dydrogesterone (groups AI and BI, n=358 and 185, respectively) or intramuscular progesterone with progynova (groups AII and BII, n=634 and 466, respectively) as luteal phase support. The clinical pregnancy rates, implantation rates, early miscarriage rates, ectopic pregnancy rates, ongoing pregnancy rates and delivery rates were compared between the subgroups.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences in the clinical outcomes between the patients receiving dydrogesterone and intramuscular progesterone as luteal phase support in either natural-cycle FET or HRT FET (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONIn the FET cycles, oral dydrogesterone tablets for luteal support can achieve good clinical outcomes comparable with those by intramuscular progesterone and serves as a good alternative for luteal phase support.

Administration, Oral ; Adult ; Dydrogesterone ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Embryo Transfer ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Pregnancy Rate ; Progesterone ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo study the characteristics of soil microbial variation during Salvia miltiorrhiza crop rotation.

METHODthe conventional cultivating microbial method was used to study the microbial number and communities structure and soil microbial biomass phosphorus (SMBP) was determined by chloroform vapor extraction method. The data was then analyzed by SPSS software.

RESULTWith the increase of the crop rotation years, the numbers of bacteria and actinomycetes in soil also, but the fungi and SMBP decreased.

CONCLUSIONMicrobial mechanism of crop rotation of the planting S. miltiorrhiza is the regulation of microbial number and bacteria physiological communities, the process rebuilds the soil ecological system balance. Microbial communities in soil need at lest 2 years to get to restore, after planting S. miltiorrhiza, which consisting with traditional planting experience.

Actinobacteria ; isolation & purification ; Bacteria ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; growth & development ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; growth & development ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Soil Microbiology