OBJECTIVE: To explore the safety of classic Acupotomy in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. METHODS: Twenty six adult specimens (15 males and 11 females), aged 60 to 95(82.54±6.94) years old, were selected from 10% formalin antiseptic fixation. There were 52 sides(two of them could not be tested). The study period was from November 2017 to May 2018. The specimens were collected from the body donation center of the school of basic medicine, Peking University. The operation of releasing the transverse carpal ligament on the human body specimen was simulated by the classic acupotomy, and the distance from the four points to the surrounding anatomical structure was measured to calculate the direct injury rate to the nerve and blood vessels, and the shortest distance between the acupotomy and the nerve and blood vessels was defined as ≥2 mm as safety. RESULTS: In the experimental operation, the direct injury rate of nerve and blood vessel was 14% and 12% respectively. There was significant difference in the rate of direct nerve injury between the four injection points (<0.05). There was no significant difference in the rate of direct vascular injury between the four injection points (>0.05). Among the four points, there was a statistically significant difference in the safety of nerves(<0.05), and the safety of point 1 and point 3 of radial injection was higher than that of point 2 and point 4 of ulnar injection(<0.05). There was significant difference in the safety of blood vessels between the four points(<0.05), and the safety of radial point 1 was higher than that of ulnar point 2 and point 4 (<0.05). CONCLUSION The safety of the classic Acupotomy for carpal tunnel syndrome is related to the location of the needle entry point, and the safety of theradial proximal end of the needle is the highest.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome ; Female ; Humans ; Ligaments, Articular ; Male ; Median Nerve ; injuries ; Middle Aged ; Needles ; Wrist Joint

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the therapeutic effects of combined administration of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF), recombinant human thrombopoietin (rhTPO) and recombinant human interleukin-2 (rhIL-2) on radiation-induced severe haemopoietic acute radiation sickness (ARS) in rhesus monkeys, so as to provide experimental evidences for the effective clinical treatment.

METHODSSeventeen rhesus monkeys were exposed to 7.0 Gy (60)Co γ-ray total body irradiation (TBI) to establish severe haemopoietic ARS model, and were randomly divided into supportive care group, rhG-CSF+rhTPO treatment group and rhG-CSF+rhTPO+rhIL-2 treatment group. Survival time, general signs such as bleeding and infections, and peripheral blood cell counts in each group were monitored. Bone marrow cells were cultivated to examine the colony formation ability. The histomorphology changes of bone marrow were observed at 45 d post irradiation.

RESULTSAfter 7.0 Gy (60)Co γ-ray TBI, monkeys of supportive care group underwent tarry stool and emesis, then died in 12~18 d. The overall survival rate in this group was 16.7%. Gastrointestinal reactions of monkeys in two combined-cytokines treatment groups were inapparent. Combined-cytokines treatment induced 100% survival. Complete blood cells declined sharply after irradiation in each group, but two combined-cytokines treatment schemes could elevate the nadir of all blood cells, shorten the duration of pancytopenia and accelerate the recovery of hemogram. Compared with rhG-CSF+ rhTPO treatment, rhG-CSF+ rhTPO+ rhIL-2 treatment could increase the counts of lymphocytes and monocytes. The colony-formation rate of haemopoietic stem/progenitor cells in bone marrow dropped markedly at 2 d after irradiation. Combined-cytokines treatment promoted the ability of colony formation on day 29. Hematopoietic cells mostly disappeared in bone marrow of animals in supportive care group, but hematopoietic functions were recovered after cytokines were administrated.

CONCLUSIONrhG-CSF+ rhTPO and rhG-CSF+ rhTPO+ rhIL-2 treatment can significantly promote hematopoiesis recovery, improve the quantity of life, simplify the supportive therapy, and enhance the survival rate of rhesus monkeys with severe haemopoietic ARS induced by 7.0 Gy (60)Co γ-ray exposure. Especially the application of rhIL-2 can accelerate the recovery of lymphocytes and monocytes and restore the immunological function. Thus, combination of rhG-CSF, rhTPO and rhIL-2 on the basis of supportive care is an efficient strategy to treat severe haemopoietic ARS.

Animals ; Bone Marrow ; pathology ; Bone Marrow Cells ; pathology ; Gamma Rays ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor ; pharmacology ; Hematopoiesis ; drug effects ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Interleukin-2 ; pharmacology ; Macaca mulatta ; Radiation Injuries ; drug therapy ; Random Allocation ; Recombinant Proteins ; therapeutic use ; Thrombopoietin ; pharmacology ; Whole-Body Irradiation

Objective To study the source of infection,the scope of epidemic and control measures in an outbreak involving students having symptoms as fever,dizziness,headache,vomiting and nausea.Methods The suspected-case was defined as fever (armpit temperature ≥37 ℃) and with one or more of the following symptoms:dizziness,headache,vomiting and nausea,among students and teachers at school from Mar 1,2012.Confirmed-case was among suspected case accompanied by both throat and rectal swabs enterovirus positive by RT-PCR.All the cases were collected through checking the medical records from 4 hospitals as well as through the absence records of students and teachers,from Mar 1,2012.We conducted a case-control study with ratio of 1 ∶ 2 and data on the exposures to water among students and teachers was collected prior to the illness.27 cases' throat and rectal swabs were collected and analyzed by RT-PCR and PCR sequence methods.2 warm-water samples were collected for testing the counts on total bacteria and E.coli.Results 103 students' cases were identified in school L,with the attack rate as 4.6％ (103/2255).Students from Grade three had the high attack rate as 18.1％ (72/397) and 77.7％ (80/103) of the cases located in the building with ' multiple-functions'.Epidemic curve of the outbreak showed a pattern with continuous common source of infection.It seemed that the exposure to warm-water appeared to be the major risk factor (OR =18.3,95％CI:2.0-169.5) together with the intake of un-boiled water (OR =15.5,95 ％CI:1.7-141.8).Specimens from 27 students (81.5％,22/27) were identified enterovirus positive by RT-PCR,and 7 of the 9 students were confirmed carrying Echo 30.Bacteria and coli were negative from the 2 warm-water samples.Conclusion This viral meningitis-outbreak was caused by Echo 30,with drinking water as the major risk factor.

OBJECTIVE: Using CO II sequences to identify common species of carrion-breeding flies and larvae. METHODS: flies and larvae were collected on the corpses of rats in Zhengzhou district, DNA was extracted, CO II sequences were amplified and sequenced. Clustalx and MEGA 4.0 software were used to analyze the gene sequences and to construct the phylogenetic trees. RESULTS: There was no significant gene difference between adults and larvae. COII gene sequences could be used to identify Boettcherisca peregrina, Aldrichina grahami and Lucilia illustris but they could not distinguish Lucilia cuprina from the Lucilia sericata because of their close evolutionary distance and single nucleotide polymorphisms in aldrichina grahami and Lucilia illustris populations were found. CONCLUSION CO II sequence of mtDNA in Zhengzhou district can be used effectively to identify some common species of carrion-breeding fly. The method is simple and accurate.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; China ; DNA Primers ; DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics* ; Diptera/genetics* ; Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics* ; Entomology ; Forensic Medicine/methods* ; Genes, Insect ; Larva/genetics* ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods* ; Rats ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Species Specificity

OBJECTIVETo analyze the relationship between body fat mass and distribution and cardiovascular function in the adult females of Heilongjiang province.

METHODSBased on the statistic variable random sampling principal, we selected 1903 healthy adult females with ages of 18 - 70 years old in Heilongjiang province to conduct the study. The height, body weight, waist, chest measurement and waist-hip ratio (WHR) were measured. Body components quota including fat weight, lean weight, percentage of body fat (PBF) were taken respectively; systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR), cardiac output (CO), cardiac index (CI), stroke volume (SV), stroke index (SI), left cardiac work (LCW) and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) were determined.

RESULTSThe PBF and WHR increased with aging, and the PBF of those with ages of 18-, 30-, 40-, 50- and 60 - 70 year's old were (16.86 +/- 5.37)%, (18.43 +/- 4.89)%, (20.99 +/- 5.79)%, (23.47 +/- 5.74)% and (25.77 +/- 6.38)%, respectively (F = 154.46, P < 0.01); and the WHR were 0.77 +/- 0.05, 0.80 +/- 0.05, 0.83 +/- 0.05, 0.85 +/- 0.06 and 0.89 +/- 0.07, respectively (F = 229.84, P < 0.01). The HR, CO, CI, SBP, DBP and LCW were (75.45 +/- 0.35) bpm, (4.42 +/- 0.02) L/min, (2.78 +/- 0.01) L * min(-1) * m(-2), (114.94 +/- 0.40) mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa), (64.90 +/- 0.28) mm Hg, (4.57 +/- 0.03) kg * m/m(2) respectively in normal PBF groups; whereas the HR, CO, CI, SBP, DBP and LCW in the PBF obesity groups were (77.42 +/- 0.88) bpm, (4.54 +/- 0.05) L/min, (2.88 +/- 0.03) L * min(-1) * m(-2), (120.55 +/- 1.00) mm Hg, (66.56 +/- 0.71) mm Hg and (4.86 +/- 0.07) kg * m/m(2), respectively, F values were 3.182, 9.173, 8.478, 13.497, 2.637, and 10.631, respectively (all P values < 0.05) after the adjustment of age, height and weight, PBF was positively correlated with HR, CO, CI, SI, SBP, DBP and LCW (r values were 0.06, 0.11, 0.10, 0.11 and 0.12, respectively, all P values < 0.05); WHR was positively correlated with CI, SI, SBP, DBP, LCW and SVR (r values were 0.14, 014, 0.19, 0.18, 0.10 and 0.12, respectively, all P values < 0.01) after the adjustment of age, height and weight.

CONCLUSIONPBF augmentation and abdominal obesity in females can result in cardiac dysfunction such as cardiac overload, CO increasing and blood pressure rising.

Adiposity ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiac Output ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Vascular Resistance ; Waist-Hip Ratio ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the use of dendritic cells derived from mice bone marrow to evaluate the cutaneous allergic reaction induced by chemical sensitizers.

METHODSDendritic cells derived from mice bone marrow were cultured and administrated with 2, 4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB), nickel sulfate (NiSO4), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and hexyl cinnamic aldehyde (HCA), respectively. Cell membrane molecule CD86 and extracellular IL-1 beta, IL-6 and IL-12 were detected after 0, 1, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 hour's administration, respectively.

RESULTSCD86 expression reached the highest level after exposure to DNCB for 48 h, and increased by about 279% compared with the control (P < 0.05), while it was lower than that of control after administrated with NiSO4 and HCA for 1 h and 6 h, and SDS for 36 h, respectively (P < 0.05). Extracellular IL-1 beta increased greatly after exposure to NiSO4 just for 1 h, with the maximum at 48 h (298 pg/ml, P < 0.05), and after exposure to HCA for 6 h, with maximum at 48 h (84 pg/ml, P < 0.05). However, it didn't fluctuate significantly after administrated with DNCB and SDS respectively, compared with the control. Extracellular IL-6 increased significantly after exposure to NiSO4 for 1 h, with the maximum at 24 h (2152 pg/ml, P < 0.05). After exposure to HCA, extracellular IL-6 reached the maximum at 1 h (1403 pg/ml), and then it was decreased quickly, but still higher than the control (P < 0.05), while it didn't change significantly after treatment with DNCB and SDS, compared with the control (P > 0.05). Extracellular IL-12 was not detected out among all the groups.

CONCLUSIONChemical sensitizer DNCB could induce the high expression of CD86 on DC membrane, and NiSO4 and HCA could induce DC to release IL-1 beta and IL-6. However, the irritant SDS had no such effect.

Animals ; B7-2 Antigen ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Dendritic Cells ; drug effects ; immunology ; metabolism ; Dinitrochlorobenzene ; pharmacology ; Interleukin-12 ; metabolism ; Interleukin-1beta ; metabolism ; Interleukin-6 ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Nickel ; pharmacology ; Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of occupational lead exposure on the bone mineral density and the bone metabolism in exposed workers.

METHODSTwo hundred and ninety-eight lead-exposed workers in a storage battery plant in Shanghai were selected as the exposed subjects while eighty-one healthy officers in the plant who were not occupationally exposed to lead were treated as the control. The blood lead (BPb) and the urinary lead (UPb) were used as the exposure biomarkers while the Z score, the urinary hydroxyproline (HYP) the serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) the serum alkaline phosphatase bone isoenzyme BALP and the serum osteocalcin BGP were used as the effect biomarkers for the bone effect caused by the lead. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by the single-photon absorptiometry (SPA-4).

RESULTSThe BPb, UPb, HYP, ALP, BALP in the occupational lead exposure group were higher than those in the control group with significantly statistical difference in male (P < 0.01). The levels of BGP in the exposure group was higher than that in the control group without significantly statistical difference (P > 0.05). The BMD in the exposure group was lower than that in the control group without significantly statistical difference (P > 0.05). The BMD was significantly decreased in the groups of the UPb 10 approximately microg/g Cr level compared with the 0 approximately microg/g Cr group with the significant difference (P < 0.01). In males, the BMD was significantly decreased in the group of the BPb 300 approximately microg/L level compared with the 0 approximately microg/L group with the significant difference (P < 0.01). The levels of HYP, ALP, BALP, BGP in the UPb 20 approximately microg/g Cr group were significantly higher than those in the UPb 0 approximately microg/g Cr group (P < 0.05). The levels of HYP, ALP, BALP, BGP in the BPb 300 approximately microg/L group were significantly higher than those in the BPb 0 approximately microg/L group (P < 0.05). The prevalence of both osteoporosis and the abnormal bone metabolisms indexes would increase significantly with the increase of the lead exposure (P < 0.01) with the linear correlation (P < 0.01). But the prevalence of higher BGP had no significant correlation with UPb (P > 0.05). BMDs were calculated using BMDS Version 1.3.2 software and BMDLs were also determined. The BMDLs of BPb and UPb for lead-induced osteoporosis were higher than those representing the change of bone metabolism induced by lead.

CONCLUSIONSThe occupational exposure to lead could cause the decrease of the bone mineral density, lead to the osteoporosis, and may affect the bone metabolism.

Adult ; Aged ; Biomarkers ; blood ; urine ; Bone Density ; drug effects ; Bone and Bones ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Lead ; adverse effects ; blood ; urine ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Osteoporosis ; chemically induced ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the low back pain(LBP) and its cause on female workers in flat-grained veneer wood industry.

METHODSBending posture was analyzed by observation and the prevalence of low back pain was investigated by physical examination and questionnaire among 299 female workers.

RESULTSThe prevalence of fatigue compliant in selecting, remending and sticking workers was 68.8%, 66.7% and 59.0%, respectively, which mainly involved in the part of low back. The prevalence of low back pain in selection (53.8%) and remending (58.7%) workers was higher than that in sticking workers (30.1%), which was in accordance with the tenderness between L4/L5 or L5/L6 and on the psoas major. Posture analysis indicated that the biggest bending range of selecting and remending workers (80 degrees ) was larger than that of sticking workers (60 degrees ), as well as the daily bending times[(4396+/-817), (1696+/-286), (1094+/-476)] and the time they kept bending[(6.5+/-0.6), (6.2+/-1.3), 4.5+/-0.9) h].

CONCLUSIONBending posture is common among female workers especially those who work in selecting and remending and might be the major causes for the high prevalence of LBP in flat-grained veneer wood industry.

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Occupational Diseases ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Posture ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Wood

OBJECTIVETo investigate the interference effect of nicotinamide on UVA-induced melanin genesis and melanin transport in human skin melanocyte.

METHODSThe optimum UVA dose expected to cause cell proliferation: 0.2 J/cm(2), nicotinamide was added immediately after the 0.2 J/cm(2) UVA exposure and the melanin content, cell cycles, cell apoptosis and mRNA express level were measured respectively.

RESULTSMelanin content in melanocytes was increased significantly after exposed to 0.2 J/cm(2) UVA. Melanin content in melanocytes was decreased after treatment with 10.0 mmol/ml nicotinamide following UVA exposure, but the cell cycles and the cell apoptosis rate were not significantly altered. mRNA express levels of TYR, TRP-1 were modulated by nicotinamide.

CONCLUSIONNicotinamide has more effect on decreasing melanin genesis after UVA exposure, nicotinamide also plays a role in modulating the mRNA express of TYR, TRP-1 gene. It is possible to consider nicotinamide as an efficient and safe sun screen to provide a certain level of protection for UVA exposed skin.

Cells, Cultured ; Humans ; Melanins ; biosynthesis ; Melanocytes ; drug effects ; metabolism ; radiation effects ; Niacinamide ; pharmacology ; Ultraviolet Rays ; adverse effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate the interference effect of nicotinamide on UVA-induced cell proliferation in human skin melanocyte.

METHODSTo apply the optimum UVA dose expected to cause cell proliferation: 0.2 cm2, nicotinamide was added after the 0.2 cm2 UVA exposure immediately or 48 h later, then the rate of cell proliferation, calcium concentration and the activities of Na+-K+, Ca2+-ATP enzymes of melanocytes were measured respectively.

RESULTSAfter treatment with 1.000 mg/ml nicotinamide following UVA exposure, the rate of cell proliferation was decreased significantly 24 hours later. Treatment with 0.125 mg/ml nicotinamide 48 hours after UVA exposure also significantly inhibited the cell proliferation; 1.25 mg/ml nicotinamide increased calcium concentration in cells; 0.250 mg/ml nicotinamide increased the activities of Na+-K+, Ca2+-ATP enzymes in melanocytes (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONNicotinamide has more obvious effect on inhibiting melanocyte's proliferation if added immediately following UVA exposure. Our discovery indicated that nicotinamide may affect the melanocyte through modulating the calcium concentration. It is possible to consider nicotinamide as an efficient and safe sun screen to provide a certain level of protection for UVA exposed skin.

Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Humans ; Melanocytes ; cytology ; Niacinamide ; pharmacology ; Skin ; cytology ; Ultraviolet Rays