Acupuncture for aqueous deficiency dry eye: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVES@#To compare the clinical efficacy and safety of acupuncture and sodium hyaluronate eye drop in the treatment of aqueous deficiency dry eye.@*METHODS@#A total of 60 patients (120 eyes) with aqueous deficiency dry eye were randomly divided into an observation group (30 cases, 1 case dropped out) and a control group (30 cases, 1 case dropped out). In the control group, sodium hyaluronate eye drop were used, one drop at a time, 4 times a day, for 14 consecutive days. In the observation group, acupuncture was applied at bilateral Shangjingming (Extra), Cuanzhu (BL 2), Sizhukong (TE 23), Taiyang (EX-HN 5), and Tongziliao (GB 1) , once a day, treatment for 6 days with the interval of 1 day was required, for 14 consecutive days. The tear meniscus height (TMH), Schirmer Ⅰ test (SⅠT), ocular surface disease index (OSDI) score, non-invasive tear break-up time (NIBUT), and corneal fluorescein sodium staining (FLS) score were compared between the two groups before and after treatment, and the safety of the treatment of the two groups was observed.@*RESULTS@#Compared with those before treatment, after treatment, TMH, SⅠT and NIBUT were increased (P<0.01, P<0.05), and FLS scores were decreased (P<0.01) in the two groups; the score of OSDI was reduced (P<0.01) in the observation group. After treatment, in the observation group, TMH and SⅠT were higher than those in the control group (P<0.01), and the score of OSDI was lower than that in the control group (P<0.01). No adverse reactions and adverse events were observed in the two groups.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Acupuncture and sodium hyaluronate eye drop can both effectively treat aqueous deficiency dry eye, acupuncture has obvious advantages in improving TMH and basic tear secretion, and reducing the subjective symptoms of patients. Acupuncture for dry eye is safe.

Relationship between Iron Metabolic Parameters and Platelet Counts in Blood Donors / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the correlation of iron metabolic parameters with platelet counts in blood donors.@*METHODS@#A total of 400 blood donors who met requirements of apheresis platelet donation were collected, and their hematological parameters were analyzed. The donors were divided into low ferritin group and normal group, the differences of hematological parameters between the two groups were compared, and the correlation of iron metabolic parameters and routine hematology parameters with platelet counts were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Whether male or female, low ferritin group had higher platelet counts than normal group (P < 0.01). Among the iron metabolic parameters, the platelet counts was negatively correlated with serum ferritin (SF), serum iron (SI), and transferrin saturation (TSAT) (r =-0.162, r =-0.153, r =-0.256), and positively correlated with total iron binding capacity (TIBC) and unsaturated iron binding capacity (UIBC) (r =0.219, r =0.294) in female blood donors. Platelet counts was also negatively correlated with SF, SI and TSAT (r =-0.188, r =-0.148, r =-0.224) and positively correlated with UIBC (r =0.220) in male blood donors. Among the routine hematology parameters, platelet counts was negatively correlated with mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and reticulocyte hemoglobin equivalent (Ret-He) in female blood donors (r =-0.236, r =-0.267, r =-0.213, r =-0.284). Platelet counts was also negatively correlated with MCH, MCHC and Ret-He in male blood donors (r =-0.184, r =-0.221, r =-0.209).@*CONCLUSION@#In blood donors with low C-reactive protein level, the lower the iron store capacity, the lower the iron utilization, and the platelet counts tends to rise.

Preliminary experience of surgical treatment for torus tubarius hypertrophy in children / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: To assess the incidence of symptomatic torus tubarius hypertrophy (TTH) in recurred OSA in children, and to explore the preliminary experience of partial resection of TTH assisted with radiofrequency ablation. Methods: From January 2004 to February 2020, 4 922 children, who diagnosed as OSA and received adenotonsillectomy at the Department of Otolaryngology, The 4th Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital, were retrospectively reviewed. There were 3 266 males and 1 656 females, the age ranged from 1 to 14 years old(median age of 5.0 years). Twenty-two cases were identified with recurrence of OSA syndrome, and the clinical data, including sex, age of primary operation, age of recurrence and presentation, and opertation methods were analyzed. Follow-up was carried out by outpatient visit or telephone. Graphpad prism 5.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: Twenty-two cases were identified as recurred OSA and received revised surgery in 4 922 cases. Among these 22 cases, 11 cases were diagnosed as TTH resulting in an incidence of 2.23‰(11/4 922), 1 case was cicatricial adhesion on tubal torus (0.20‰, 1/4 922), 10 cases were residual adenoid combined with tubal tonsil hypertrophy (2.03‰, 10/4 922). Median age of primary operation was 3.0 years (range:2.4 to 6.0 years) in 11 TTH cases. Recurrent interval varied from 2 months to 5.5 years (2.4±1.9 years) after first operation. Age of revised partial resection of TTH was 7.0±2.7 years (range: 4.0 to 12.0 years). Average time interval between primary operation and revised operation was 3.5±2.1 years (range: 0.5 to 6.0 years). Individualized treatments were carried out based on partial resection of TTH assisted with radiofrequency ablation. All of 11 cases received satisfied therapeutic results without nasopharyngeal stenosis occured. Twenty-two cases were followed up for 1.6 to 13 years (median follow-up time was 6.2 years). Conclusions: TTH contributed to recurred OSA in child. TTH might be misdiagnosed as tubal tonsil hypertrophy. Partial resection of TTH assisted with radiofrequency ablation was a safty and effective treatment.

Expert consensus on Tongsaimai Tablets/Capsules in treatment of peripheral vascular diseases in clinical practice / 中国中药杂志

Tongsaimai Tablets/Capsules are composed of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix, Codonopsis Radix, Dendrobii Caulis, Astragali Radix, Scrophulariae Radix, and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, and are effective in promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, supplementing Qi, and nourishing Yin. It is widely used in the treatment of peripheral vascular diseases. With 40 years of clinical application, it has accumulated substantial research data and application experience. Its good clinical efficacy and pharmacoeconomic benefits in improving the clinical symptoms of peripheral vascular diseases have been confirmed by relevant research. Meanwhile, this drug has also been recommended by many expert consensus, guidelines, and teaching materials, serving as one of the most commonly used Chinese patent medicines in clinical practice. To further improve the understanding of the drug among clinicians and properly guide its clinical medication, the China Association of Chinese Medicine took the lead and organized experts to jointly formulate this expert consensus. Based on the questionnaire survey of clinicians and the systematic review of research literature on Tongsaimai Tablets/Capsules with clinical problems in the PICO framework, the consensus, combined with expert experience, concludes recommendations or consensus suggestions by GRADE system with the optimal evidence available through the nominal group technique. This consensus defines the indications, usage, dosage, course of treatment, medication time, combined medication, and precautions of Tongsaimai Tablets/Capsules in the treatment of peripheral vascular diseases, and explains the safety of its clinical application. It is recommended for clinicians and pharmacists in the peripheral vascular department(vascular surgery), traditional Chinese medicine surgery(general surgery), and endocrinology department of hospitals at all levels in China.

Clinical therapeutic effect on bronchial asthma by the observation of skin reaction after acupoint application based on chronic disease management platform of asthma / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the therapeutic effect on bronchial asthma between presence of skin reaction and the absence of skin reaction after acupoint application.@*METHODS@#Sixty-one patients with bronchial asthma were treated with acupoint application during the hottest periods of summer ("dog days"). The acupoints included Dingchuan (EX-B 1), Feishu (BL 13), Xinshu (BL 15), Pishu (BL 20) and Shenshu (BL 23). The treatment was given once every 7 days, with the herbal plaster remained for 6 h each time, and 4 treatments were required totally. According to the local skin reaction after acupoint application, a skin reaction group (30 cases, 2 cases dropped off) and a non-skin reaction group (31 cases) were divided. Separately, before treatment and 1 year after treatment, using chronic disease management platform of asthma, the number of asthma attacks, the score of asthma control test (ACT) and the score of asthma quality of life questionnaire (AQLQ) were recorded online. Besides, the therapeutic effect was observed in the two groups 1 year after treatment.@*RESULTS@#One year after treatment, the number of asthma attacks was reduced as compared with that before treatment in the patients of either group (@*CONCLUSION@#In treatment of acupoint application for bronchial asthma, the clinical therapeutic effect is better in the patients with local skin reaction after acupoint application. The chronic disease management platform of asthma is convenient for online evaluation.

Investigation of Potential Pharmacodynamic Substances and Mechanism of Gardeniae Fructus in Treatment of Ischemic Stroke Based on HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and Network Pharmacology / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:Combined with high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry （HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS） and network pharmacology， to predict the target and potential mechanism of Gardeniae Fructus in the treatment of cerebral ischemia. Method:HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS was used to identify the chemical constituents of Gardeniae Fructus according to the retention time， relative molecular weight， secondary mass spectrometry fragmentation and other information of chromatographic peaks， and combined with literature data. The targets of main active ingredients in Gardeniae Fructus were predicted by Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform （TCMSP） and SwissTargetPrediction database. The potential targets of Gardeniae Fructus against cerebral ischemia were obtained through Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man （OMIM）， GeneCards and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG）. Gene ontology （GO） function enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis of potential targets were analyzed with the DAVID 6.8. Cytoscape 3.6.0 software was used to construct the network of active components-targets-pathways. At last， Discovery Studio 2016 software was applied in the molecular docking verification between the key active ingredients and potential protein targets. Result:A total of 40 chemical constituents in Gardeniae Fructus were identified， including iridoids， diterpenoid pigments， organic acids， monoterpenoids and other components. According to the main active ingredients， 208 potential targets were predicted， 560 disease targets related to cerebral ischemia were retrieved， 59 key targets were selected by mapping component targets with disease targets. These targets could act on key target proteins such as tumor necrosis factor （TNF）， Caspase-3 （CASP3） and CASP8， and participate in the regulation of TNF， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt）， hypoxia inducible factor 1 （HIF-1） and other signal pathways. Molecular docking results showed that geniposide could interact with targets of prostaglandin G/H synthase 2 （PTGS2）， TNF<italic> </italic>and nuclear transcription factor-<italic>κ</italic>B p65 （RELA）， crocin Ⅰ could interact with interleukin-2 （IL-2）. Conclusion:Geniposide， crocin Ⅰ and other ingredients in Gardeniae Fructus can play a role of anti-inflammatory and inhibiting apoptosis to prevent or treat cerebral ischemic diseases by up-regulating protein expression level of RELA and IL-2， down-regulating protein expression level of TNF， CASP8， CASP3 and matrix metalloproteinase 2 （MMP2）， and regulating TNF， PI3K/Akt and HIF-1 signaling pathways.

Effect of electroacupuncture on serum melatonin and dopamine in aged insomnia / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on aged insomnia, and explore its possible mechanism.@*METHODS@#A total of 60 patients with aged insomnia were randomly divided into an EA group (30 cases) and a sham EA group (30 cases, 1 case dropped off). The patients in the EA group were treated with acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20), Yintang (GV 29), Shenmen (HT 7), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Xinshu (BL 15) and Shenshu (BL 23), and EA was used at Baihui (GV 20) and Yintang (GV 29), with intermittent wave, 2 Hz in frequency. In the sham EA group, the acupoints and the EA connection acupoints were the same as those in the EA group, 2-3 mm in depth, but no current was connected. The intervention was given 30 min each time, once every other day, 3 times a week for 4 weeks in the both groups. Before and after treatment, the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) scale were used to assess sleep quality and cognitive function, and serum melatonin (MT) and dopamine (DA) levels were detected.@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the total score and sub-item scores of PSQI in the EA group were lower than those before treatment (@*CONCLUSION@#Electroacupuncture can improve sleep quality and cognitive function in aged insomnia patients, and its mechanism may be related to regulating serum MT and DA levels.

Correlation analysis of color change and Maillard reaction during processing of Gardeniae Fructus Praeparatus / 中国中药杂志

The chromaticity space parameters of the samples during the processing of Gardeniae Fructus Praeparatus(Jiaozhizi in Chinese herbal name, JZZ) were measured by the visual analyzer to analyze the color variation rule during the processing of JZZ, and the content changes of total reducing sugar, total amino acid and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural(5-HMF) related to Maillard reaction were measured. Pearson correlation analysis and linear regression analysis of the data were carried out by SPSS 24.0 software. The experimental results showed that the objective coloration of the samples in the processing of JZZ was basically consistent with the traditional subjective color judgment; the contents of total reducing sugar and total amino acids showed a decreasing trend during the processing of JZZ, and the content of 5-HMF showed an increasing trend, which was in line with Maillard reaction law. Pearson correlation analysis results showed that there was a significant correlation between the chromaticity space parameters L~*(lightness value), a~*(red green value), b~*(yellow blue value), E~*ab(total color value) and the contents of total reducing sugar, total amino acid and 5-HMF(P<0.01), among which the values of L~*, a~*, b~*, E~*ab were positively correlated with the contents of total reducing sugar and total amino acid, and negatively correlated with the contents of 5-HMF. The results of linear regression analysis also showed that these two were highly correlated. In this study, by establishing the correspondence relationship between the color change of JZZ processing and Maillard reactants, wecan not only provide a basis for the objective digital expression of subjective color of JZZ, but also provide a reference for explaining the processing mechanism of JZZ from a new perspective.

Effect of acupuncture on expression of transfer growth factor-β1 in lacrimal gland of rabbits with dry eye / 针刺研究

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture on expression of transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1) in lacrimal gland of rabbits with dry eye, so as to explore its underlying mechanism in improving dry eye. METHODS: Healthy male New Zealand rabbits were randomly assigned to 5 groups (n=6 in each group), namely, blank group, model group, western medicine group, acupuncture group and sham acupuncture group. The dye eye rabbit model was estabilished by subcutaneous injection of Scopolamine Hydrobromide solution for 21 days. After modeling, rabbits in the western medicine group were treated with Flumirone eye drops in their eyes 3 times a day, one drop each time. Rabbits of the acupuncture group reveived electroacupuncture(4 Hz/20 Hz, 1 mA) at "Cuanzhu"(BL2) and "Tongziliao"(GB1) for 15 min, and received acupuncture at "Jingming"(BL1), "Taiyang" (EX-HN5) and "Sizhukong"(TE23) for 15 min, once a day. Rabbits of the sham acupuncture group received blunt acupuncture at the surface of the same acupoints once a day. All the treatments were conducted for 14 days. The changes of tear flow, tear film break-up time (BUT) and lacrimal gland morphology in each group were observed. The expression of TGF-β1 protein and mRNA in lacrimal gland were detected by Western blot and quantitative real-time fluorescence PCR respectively. RESULTS: Following modeling, except for the blank group, the tear flow and BUT in other 4 groups decreased significantly (P<0.01). Compared with their own pretreatment, the tear flow and BUT in western medicine group and acupuncture group increased after the treatment (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the tear flow and BUT increased in the western medicine group and the acupuncture group(P<0.05). Atrophic lacrimal epithelial cells and the stroma of mucous membrane infiltrated by lymphocytes and plasma cells were found in rabbits of the model group and the sham acupuncture group. By contrast, in the western medicine group and the acupuncture group, the structure of lacrimal epithelial cells was basically normal, and the infiltration of lymphocytes and plasma cells were scattered in the stroma of mucous membrane. In comparison with the blank group, the expression of TGF-β1 protein and mRNA in lacrimal gland were significantly up-regulated in the model and sham acupuncture groups (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the expression of TGF-β1 protein and mRNA were significantly down-regulated in the western medicine and acupuncture groups (P<0.01, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture intervention can increase tear flow and BUT in rabbits with dry eye, which may be related to the regulation of TGF-β1 expression in lacrimal gland.

Insomnia treated with three acupuncture combinations guided by theory of / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the clinical therapeutic effect and safety on insomnia among three acupuncture combinations, named @*METHODS@#A total of 90 patients with insomnia were randomized into a Tongdu Tiaowei group (30 cases, 1 case dropped off ), a Tongdu Yangxin group (30 cases, 2 cases dropped off ) and a Tongdu Tiaozang group (30 cases, 1 case dropped off ). Besides electroacupuncture (EA) applied to Baihui (GV 20) and Yintang (GV 29) in all of the three groups, acupuncture was added at Shenmai (BL 62) and Zhaohai (KI 6), Shenmen (HT 7) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) as well as back-@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the score of each of 6 factors, named sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance and daytime dysfunction, as well as the total score of PSQI scale were all reduced as compared with the scores before treatment in the patients of each group (@*CONCLUSION@#All of the three acupuncture combinations, named

Research Progress of Processing in Production Place and Processing Methods of Bupleuri Radix / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Bupleuri Radix is a traditional Chinese medicine commonly used in clinical practice, which has the effects of relieving fever, relieving liver and depression, and promoting Yangqi. At present, the varieties of Bupleuri Radix are relatively chaotic, and the processing in the production areas is relatively extensive. In the processing of Bupleuri Radix, the processed products contained in the 2015 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia are raw products and vinegar-processed products. In addition, the specifications on Chinese medicine processing in various provinces and cities contain many processing methods, such as stir-frying with wine, stir-frying with honey, processed with turtle blood, etc. However, there are great differences in processing specifications among provinces and cities, and the processing methods lack clear process parameters, so the quality of Bupleuri Radix decoction pieces produced on these basis is uneven, which affects the clinical application of the decoction pieces. By consulting ancient books and relevant literature, the authors conduct textual research on the varieties of Bupleuri Radix, and systematically summarized the processing methods and processing methods in the producing area, so as to provide reference for the establishment of processing technology specifications and quality standards of Bupleuri Radix decoction pieces.

Medications regulate autophagy for treatment of Alzheimer's disease / 药学学报

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized clinically as irreversible cognitive dysfunction. Although a significant progress has been made in the study of AD pathogenesis, the effective measures to block AD progress have not been satisfactory. Abnormal autophagy is thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of AD, and regulation of autophagy may become a new strategy for AD treatment. Some medicines, which regulate autophagy by mTOR-dependent and independent (Bcl-2/Beclin-1, GSK-3β, and p-AKT) pathways, have shown excellent effects in alleviating AD symptoms. In addition, certain compounds extracted from plants have also been reported to regulate autophagy and prevent AD progression through multiple pathways and multiple targets. This article reviews the recent advances in the regulation of autophagy and AD treatment. It provides a new theoretical basis for clinical treatment of AD.

Advance in Minocycline for Spinal Cord Injury (review) / 中国康复理论与实践

The treatment of spinal cord injury has been the research priorities in basic and clinical medicine. This article described the mechanism of minocycline in treating spinal cord injury, including antioxidant activity, reduction of apoptosis, anti-inflammatory activity and selective regulation of microglia activation, and recent advances in clinical trials of minocycline. Minocycline targets multiple secondary injury mechanisms to promote the recovery of spinal cord injury, and further basic and clinical research will maximize the efficacy of minocycline.

Efficacy of inactivated autologous porous bone flap and BAM bone-induced artificial bone for repairing skull defect in rats / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of BAM bone grafting combined with inactivated autologous porous bone flap in repairing skull defect in rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventy-two Wistar rats with skull defect were randomly divided into control group, inactivated autologous bone flap group (AB group), BAM bone-induced artificial bone material group (BAM group), and inactivated autologous bone flap with BAM bone-induced artificial bone group (BAM+AB group). The bone healing was evaluated with micro-CT and the new bone formation was assessed with histological staining at 1, 2, and 3 months after modeling.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Inactivated porous bone flap combined with BAM bone-induced artificial bone effectively induced vascular and fibrous tissue regeneration and osteogenesis in the cranial defects. With the inactivated porous bone flap as the scaffold, BAM bone-induced artificial bone obviously promoted the restoration of the skull appearance in the rats with cranial defects.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Inactivated autologous bone flap group and BAM bone-induced artificial bone material can promote skull healing and restoration of the original skull appearance, and can be used for reconstruction of the local anatomy of the skull surface.</p>

The effect of FBXW7 gene point mutation to colorectal cancer HCT-116 cells’proliferation, migration, invasion, and its apoptosis resistance / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#[Abstract] Objective: To investigate the impact of FBXW7 gene mutation on cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion processes of colorectal cancer HCT-116 cell line. Methods: Recombinant plasmids carrying wild-type and mutant-type FBXW7 SNP were constructed and transfected into HCT-116 cell line; the FBXW7 protein expression level in HCT-116 strains after transfection was detected by Western blotting. Subsequently, cell proliferation capacity was tested by CCK-8 assay; tumor cell colony formation ability was tested by HTCA; cell apoptosis function was tested by FCM; cell migration and invasion were tested by scratch assay and Transwell assay, respectively. Results: Higher HBXW7 protein expression level was detected in HCT-116 strain transfected with wild-type HBXW7 in comparison to the control group (strains transfected with mutant-type HBXW7), negative-control (strains transfected with empty plasmids), and blank-control (strains untransfected) (all P<0.05). Compared with the other groups, strains transfected with wildtype HBXW7 exhibited significantly reduced proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion ability (all P<0.05), but obviously increased apoptosis rate (P<0.05). Conclusion： ：FBXW7 gene mutation can down-regulate its protein expression, and further promote the proliferation, migration and invasion as well as inhibit the apoptosis of HCT-116 cells.

Research progress on musk and artificial propagation technique of forest musk deer / 中国中药杂志

Forest musk deer(Moschus berezovskii) is mainly distribute in Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces of China. The musk is a dry exudates in the mature male sachet with complex chemical composition, abundant modern identification methods, various pharmacological action, extensive clinical application. The population quantity and quality of wild and captive forest musk deer failed to improve because of lacking scientific management, excessive hunting and habitat destruction, etc. Carrying out the captive forest musk deer is an effective way to protect them, fast breeding of forest musk deer is the key to increase the yield of musk. Therefore, we should develop new technologies such as natural estrus and artificial insemination in order to speed up the breeding of musk deer and increase the yield of musk. This article reviews the research progress of new artificial propagation technique and musk, which teases some feasible research basis for optimization of forest musk deer species and the research of musk.

Effect of low dose ionizing radiation on liver function of staff exposed to radiation / 基础医学与临床

Objective To assessment the effect of low dose ionizing radiation on liver function .Methods According to predefined inclusion , exclusion criteria , the relevant literatures were reviewed and qualified literatures were evalu -ated.Based on total number of liver function examination , number of abnormal liver function in radiation group and control group , the OR as the effect size , then choose an appropriate model by the heterogeneity test for the analysis . Results The combined OR is 1.59, 95%CI 1.25-2.02.Conclusions Long term exposure to low dose-ionizing radi-ation has significant outcome shown by higher rate of liver function abnormality .

Three-dimensional versus two-dimensional imaging systems in laparoscopic radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer: a retrospective cohort study / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the perioperative, functional and oncologic outcomes of patients with prostate cancer receiving laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) using three-dimensional (3D) versus two-dimensional (2D) imaging systems.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From February, 2014 to January 2016, 72 consecutive patients with clinically localized prostate cancer underwent LRP with 2D or 3D imaging systems performed by a single experienced surgeon. The baseline characteristics, perioperative data, and functional and oncologic outcomes of the patients were collected and analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Thirty-six patients underwent 3D LRP and the other 36 patients underwent 2D LRP. Compared with 2D LRP group, 3D LRP group had a significantly shorter operative time (167 vs 218 min, P<0.001), a smaller volume of intraoperative blood loss (86.11 vs 177.78 mL, P<0.001) and a better early urinary continence outcome (88.89% vs 63.89%, P=0.026). No significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of complications, potency outcome or biochemical recurrence-free rate.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compared with 2D LRP, 3D LRP shortens the operative time, reduces intraoperative blood loss and is associated with a better early urinary continence outcome in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer.</p>

Endoplasmic reticulum stress promotes the apoptosis of testicular germ cells in hyperlipidemic rats / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the role of endoplasmic reticulum stress in the apoptosis of testicular germ cells in hyperlipidemic rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We randomly assigned 42 four-week-old male Wistar rats into a normal control group (n = 12) and a high-fat group (n = 30) to be fed on a normal diet and a high-fat diet, respectively, for 10 weeks. Then we measured the concentrations of triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) in the serum using an automatic biochemistry analyzer, detected the apoptosis of testicular germ cells by TUNEL staining, and determined the protein and mRNA expressions of GRP78 and. caspase-12 in the testis tissue by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The concentrations of TG and TC were significantly increased in the animals of the high-fat group ([3.00 ± 0.92] and [3.04 ± 0.39] mmol/L) as compared with the control rats ([1.43 ± 0.41] and [1.55 ± 0.23] mmol/L) (P < 0.01), and so was the apoptosis index of the testicular germ cells ([37.17 ± 2.74]% vs [5.16 ± 0.81]%, P < 0.01). The high-fat group, in comparison with the control, also showed remarkably upregulated protein and mRNA expressions of GRP78 (0.32 ± 0.03 and 0.86 ± 0.05 vs 0.19 ± 0.01 and 0.37 ± 0.03, P < 0.01) and caspase-12 (0.34 ± 0.02 and 0.87 ± 0.01 vs 0.12 ± 0.01 and 0.34 ± 0.03, P < 0.01) in the testis tissue.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The apoptosis of testicular germ cells is increased in hyperlipidemic rats, which may be attributed to endoplasmic reticulum stress.</p>

Professor Xu Fu-song's traditional Chinese medicine protocols for male diseases: A descriptive analysis / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the efficacy and medication principles of Professor Xu Fu-songs traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) protocols for male diseases.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We reviewed and descriptively analyzed the unpublished complete medical records of 100 male cases treated by Professor Xu Fu-song with his TCM protocols from 1978 to 1992.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The 100 cases involved 32 male diseases, most of which were difficult and complicated cases. The drug compliance was 95%. Each prescription was made up of 14 traditional Chinese drugs on average. The cure rate was 32% , and the effective rate was 85%. Professor Xu Fu-song advanced and proved some new theories and therapeutic methods.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Professor Xu Fu-song's TCM protocols can be applied to a wide range of male diseases, mostly complicated, and are characterized by accurate differentiation of symptoms and signs, high drug compliance, and excellent therapeutic efficacy.</p>