Clinical Study of Six-hole Moxibustion Box Therapy for Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases / 上海针灸杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of six-hole moxibustion box therapy for stable chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases(COPD).Methods Sixty patients with thoracic facet joint disorder were randomly allocated to treatment and control groups, 30 cases each. The control group inhaled tiotropium bromide inhalation powder spray and the treatment group received six-hole moxibustion box therapy in addition. The COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score and the dyspnea score were recorded and peripheral blood oxygen saturation was measured in the two groups before and after treatment. The adverse reactions were monitored in the two groups. Results There were statistically significant pre-/post-treatment differences in the CAT score and the dyspnea score in the two groups (P<0.05). There were statistically significant post-treatment differences in the CAT score and the dyspnea score between the treatment and control groups (P<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in pre-/post- treatment CAT score difference value and dyspnea score difference value between the two groups (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant pre-/post-treatment difference in peripheral blood oxygen saturation in the treatment group (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant post-treatment difference in peripheral blood oxygen saturation between the two groups (P<0.05).Conclusion Six-hole moxibustion box therapy plus tiotropium bromide inhalation powder spray is safe and effective in treating stable COPD.

The protective effects of hyperbaric oxygen in traumatic brain injury / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective To explore any protective effect of hyperbaric oxygen in traumatic brain injury and its effect on the expression of silent information regulator 1 ( SIRT1) . Methods Sixty mice were randomly divided into a control group (n=20), a brain injury group (TBI, n=20) and a hyperbaric oxygen therapy group (TBI+HBO, n=20) . The mice in the TBI and TBI + HBO groups were given massive blows to establish closed brain injuries, while in the control group the scalp was incised and a bone window was removed without brain damage. The mice in the TBI + HBO group were given hyperbaric oxygen treatment twice per day for five days, while those in the TBI and control groups were put in the hyperbaric chamber but not given HBO treatment. At one hour after the trauma and on 5 days afterward, the neurological functioning of the mice was measured to generate neurological severity scores. Brain tissue was resected for triphenyl tetrazolium staining to measure the infarct area. Cortical neurons were isolated to eval-uate the SIRT1 expression using immunofluorescence and Western blotting. Results No significant difference in the average NSS score was observed between the TBI and TBI+HBO groups one hour after modeling. The average NSS score in the TBI group subsequently increased and then decreased gradually until the fifth day. The average NSS score of the TBI+HBO group was significantly lower than that of the TBI group after the onset of the treatment at the differ-ent time points, decreasing to (2.11±0.43) on the 5thday compared with (4.06±0.54) in the TBI+HBO group. On the 2nd day after the trauma, the cerebral infarction areas of the TBI and TBI+HBO groups were significantly larger than in the control group. During the treatment, the infarction area of the TBI+HBO group decreased gradually until on the 5th day it was significantly smaller than that of the TBI group. Traumatic brain injury significantly down-regula-ted SIRT1 protein compared with the control group, but the hyperbaric oxygen therapy significantly increased the ex-pression of SIRT1 compared with the TBI group. Conclusion Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can significantly relieve traumatic brain injury, reducing NSS scores and the infarcted area and enhancing SIRT1 expression, at least in mice.

Levels of phthalate internal exposure levels in pregnant women and influencing factors / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the levels and influencing factors of phthalate internal exposure in pregnant women (gestation age ≤ 16 weeks).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>During April to June in 2013, 1 020 pregnant women (gestation age ≤ 16 weeks) who had established the maternal care manual were recruited in maternal and child health hospital of Siming District, Xiamen city. Participators were asked to complete a questionnaire to obtain information on socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviors, and antenatal examination and to provide a urine sample. Finally, 998 pregnant women who provided a urine sample and completed the questionnaire were enrolled. Adopting systematic sampling method, 100 ones were selected randomly among 998 pregnant women. High performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandern mass was used to determine the concentration of five phthalate monoesters in each urine, including mono-n-methyl phthalate (MMP), mono-ethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-butyl phthalate (MBP), mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP), mono-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP). Based on the measurements and questionnaire data, multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the association between the phthalate monoester levels and potential influential factors.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The detection rates of MMP, MEP, MBP, MBzP and MEHP in 100 pregnant urine samples were 94%, 93%, 87%, 83%, 99%, respectively. And the urinary median uncorrected concentrations of MMP, MEP, MBP, MBzP and MEHP in 100 urine samples were 20.56, 17.62, 10.15, 2.03, and 5.12 ng/ml, respectively. Specific gravity-corrected concentration were 20.81, 20.36, 12.88, 2.58, 5.00 ng/ml, respectively. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that: education degree was negatively associated with urinary concentration of MMP, MEP, MBP, MBzP and MEHP, OR (95% CI) were 0.495 (0.253-0.966), 0.380 (0.191-0.755), 0.379 (0.186-0.774), 0.401 (0.196-0.819), 0.373(0.183-0.762), respectively. Participants who had hair permed and dyed during pregnancy had higher urinary level of MBP and MBzP, OR (95% CI) were 12.867 (1.240-133.525), 15.982 (1.367-186.911), respectively; Participants who use cosmetics during pregnancy had higher urinary level of MEP and MBP, OR (95% CI) were 2.977 (1.012-8.757), 4.440 (1.485-13.272), respectively; plastic bottled water consumption was positively associated with urinary concentrations of MEP and MEHP, OR (95% CI) were 3.780 (1.417-10.083), 2.699 (1.039-7.010), respectively; annual household income was negatively associated with urinary concentration of MMP, OR (95% CI) was 0.597 (0.372-0.959); individuals who took medications during pregnancy had higher urinary level of MEHP than non-takers, OR (95% CI) was 4.853 (1.084-21.732).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Pregnant women whose gestation age was less than 16 weeks are generally exposed to phthalate. Phthalate internal exposure levels are significantly associated with most measured factors and the influencing factors with different phthalates internal exposure levels are different.</p>

Expression of GDF-15 in chronic mountain sickness rat model and discussion of the relationship with GDF-15 and hepcidin / 实用医学杂志

Objective To determine the growth differential factor 15 (GDF-15) in CMS rat model, investigate the significance of GDF-15 in CMS and the relationship between GDF-15 and hepcidin. Methods 32 rats of CMS model were taken as experimental group (EXP), the other 16 rats fed in Xining (CON) were taken as control group. The mRNA and protein expression levels of GDF-15 were detected respectively. Results Compared with that in CON group, the level of mRNA and protein of GDF-15 were significantly higher in EXP group (P<0.01). GDF-15 and EPO had correlation in EXP (r=0.397, P=0.031), but had no correlation with serum hepcidin in EXP (r = -0.224, P = 0.218). Conclusion GDF-15 can promote CMS and represent erythrocytosis, while GDF-15 has no inhibition to the expression of hepcidin.