Efficacy and safety investigation of Kuntai capsule for the add-back therapy of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist administration to endometriosis patients: a randomized, double-blind, blank- and tibolone-controlled study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>As a Chinese Traditional Medicine product, Kuntai capsule could improve the peri-menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women. But it is still not clear whether Kuntai capsule has a good effect on alleviating peri-menopausal symptoms induced by gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical effectiveness and safety of Kuntai capsule, on peri-menopausal symptoms in endometriosis (EMS) patients, with postoperative GnRH-a treatment.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety EMS ovarian cyst women with postoperative GnRH-a administration were enrolled in the study, and were randomly divided into Kuntai group, Tibolone group, or blank Control group. The therapeutic strategy in Kuntai group was 4 Kuntai capsules tid,po for 12 weeks after the first GnRH-a injection, while Tibolone 2.5 mg qd, po for 12 weeks in Tibolone group. There was no drug addition in Control group. Climacteric complaints were evaluated by Kupperman menopausal index (KMI) and hot flash/sweating score. Liver and renal functions, lipid profile, serum sex hormone levels and endometrial thickness were measured, and the frequency of adverse events in Kuntai and Tibolone groups was recorded.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) Before GnRH-a therapy, the baseline parameter results were comparable in the three groups (P > 0.05). (2) After GnRH-a therapy, KMI and hot flash/sweating scores in all the three groups increased significantly (P < 0.05). At the 4 th week after GnRH-a therapy, KMI and hot flash/sweating score results were as follows: Control group > Kuntai group > Tibolone group (P < 0.05); at the 8 th and 12 th week after GnRH-a therapy, KMI and hot flash/sweating score in Control group were significantly higher than the other two groups (P < 0.05), and no significant difference was identified between Kuntai and Tibolone group (P > 0.05). (3) No statistical change took place in the liver and renal functions and lipid profile in all the three groups after the treatment (P > 0.05). (4) The posttherapeutic serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol (E2) level and endometrial thickness decreased significantly in all the three groups (P < 0.05). After therapy, serum E2 level in Tibolone group was obviously higher than the other two groups (P < 0.05), while FSH and LH levels were obviously lower (P < 0.05). (5) The incidence of vaginal bleeding, breast distending pain in Tibolne group was obviously higher than Kuntai group (P < 0. 05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Kuntai capsule is effective on the peri-menopausal symptoms induced by postoperative GnRH-a administration to EMS patients, although its clinical effect might be a few weeks later than Tibolone. Kuntai capsule might be a little safer than Tibolone tablet.</p>

Local injection of gentamycin for female urethral syndrome: a clinical study / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the therapeutic effect of local antibiotic injection into the female prostate on female urethral syndrome (FUS), and search for an effective treatment for this disease.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This study included 163 FUS patients treated in the out-patient department between July 2009 and December 2010. According to the visiting order, the patients were randomly assigned to Groups A (n = 58), B (n = 55) and C (n = 50). All underwent routine treatment. Inaddition Group A received local injection of 2 ml of 80 000 U gentamycin + 2 ml of lidocaine, and Group B 2 ml of normal saline + 2 ml of lidocaine, both injected into the distal segment of the urethral back wall where the female prostate is located, twice a week for 3 weeks. The therapeutic effects were evaluated according to the changes of the patients' independent symptom scores at 2 and 4 weeks after the treatment. Disappearance of the symptoms was considered as "curative" , > 1/2 reduction in the symptom score as "obviously effective", 1/2 - > 1/4 reduction in the symptom score as "effective", and < 1/4 reduction or increase in the symptom score as "ineffective".</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At 2 weeks after the treatment, the total effectiveness rate was significantly higher in Group A (77.5%) than in B (67.3%) and C (68.0%) (P < 0.05), but with no statistically significant difference between B and C (P > 0.05). At 4 weeks, the total effectiveness rate of Group A was slightly decreased, but still remarkably higher than that of group B or C (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Local injection of gentamycin into the female prostate is effective for the treatment of female urethral syndrome.</p>

Effects of electroacupuncture on expression of Abeta positive cells of the hippocampus and SOD activity in rats with streptozocin-Alzheimer's disease / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the possible mechanism of the electroacupuncture for improvement of learning and memory in rats of Alzheimer's disease (AD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty Wistar rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a normal saline group, a model group, a western medication group and an electroacupuncture group, 12 rats in each group. The AD rat model was established by injecting Streptozocin (STZ) into lateral cerebral ventricle, except the rats in the normal saline group injecting Normal Saline with the same dose and in normal group with no injection. The western medication group was treated with intragastric administration of Memantine, and in the electroacupuncture group, the electroacupuncture was given at "Baihui" (GV 20), "Dazhui" (CV 14), "Taixi" (KI 3), "Shenshu" (BL 23), "Zusanli" (ST 36), once each day, 7 days for a course, and lasted for 4 courses. The other three groups were fed in routine way and without any treatment. The learning and memory ability was assessed by Morris water maze and the expression of Abeta positive cells of the hippocampus and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were determined by immunohistochemistry and visible spectrophotometer colorimetry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the normal group and the normal saline group, the Abeta protein expression was significantly increased in the model group (both P < 0.01), and the SOD activity was obviously decreased (both P < 0.01). After treatment, as compared with the model group, the Abeta protein expression was significantly decreased (both P < 0.01), and the SOD activity was obviously increased (both P < 0.01) in the electroacupuncture group and western medication group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Electroacupuncture treatment can reduce the Abeta protein expression and increase the SOD activity of the hippocampus so as to improve learning and memory ability in the AD rats.</p>

Supportive plate combined with nano-artificial bone in anatomic reconstruction of Schaterzker II-III tibial plateau fracture / 第二军医大学学报

Objective: To observe the therapeutic effect of supportive plate combined with nano-artificial bone in treatment of Schaterzker II- III tibial plateau fracture. Methods: Thirty-three patients with Schaterzker II- III tibial plateau fracture were treated with supportive plate combined with nano-artificial bone (Shanghai Rebone Biomaterials Co. , Ltd). All the patients received X-ray film, CT scan and 3D reconstruction to accurately detect the degree of fracture collapse and the direction of bone chips before operation. If the fracture collapse of tibial plateau was more than 3 mm and there was no degeneration of the joint, the patients could be treated with supportive plate combined with nano-artificial bone. Results: The postoperation X-ray films showed that all patients achieved complete or nearly anatomic reduction, except that one patient with severe Schaterzker III comminuted fracture had height loss 8 months after operation and the result of plateau repair was not satisfactory. The patients were followed up for 6 months to 2. 5 years (a mean of [1. 5±0. 6] years) and 28 (85. 7%) patients maintained in complete or nearly anatomic reduction. Twenty-nine (87. 9%) patients obtained good to excellent knee fucntion according to the Merchan Knee Functional Score. Conclusion: Supportive plate combined with nano-artificial bone is a safe and effective treatment for Schaterzker II-III tibial plateau fracture, and it can avoid reduction loss and improve the long term outcomes of patients. Nano-artificial bone as a bone graft material has a bright future in clinic.

Effects of Prostate Water Pellets on the number of colonies, NO concentration and NOS activity in the prostate tissue of CBP rats / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of Prostate Water Pellets (PWP) on the number of colonies, NO concentration and NOS activity in the prostate tissues of rats with chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 120 healthy adult male Wistar rats weighing 250-300 g were equally randomized into 6 groups: blank control, model control, positive control, high-dose PWP, medium-dose PWP and low-dose PWP. The CBP rat models were established by injecting colibacilli (10(7)/ml) into the prostate. A month later, the high- , medium- and low-dose PWP groups were treated intragastrically with PWP at 4.4 g/kg, 2.2 g/kg and 1.1 g/kg per day respectively, the positive controls with levofloxacin at 0.018 g/kg per day, and the blank and model controls with normal saline, all for 35 days. Then the numbers of colonies in the prostate tissues were measured, and the changes in NO concentration and NOS activity detected by the nitrite reductase method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the model controls, the number of colonies, NO concentration and NOS activity were significantly reduced in the prostate tissues of the rats of the high- , medium- and low-dose PWP groups (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>PWP was proved to be efficacious for CBP in rats, whose mechanism might be related with its inhibitory effect on bacterial growth and decreasing effect on NO concentration and NOS activity in the prostate tissues.</p>

Study on needling depth of Fengfu (GV 16) with CT / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study on needling safe depth of Fengfu (GV 16) with CT, so as to provide reference for safe needling depth of Fengfu (GV 16) in clinical acupuncture treatment.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-one adult volunteers were divided into 3 groups, a thin person group, a moderate person group and a fat person group according to Luo's indexes, and computer-aided tomography (CT) was used to measure the needling depth of Fengfu (GV 16).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The safe depths of perpendicular needling of Fengfu (GV 16) were different for persons of different somatotypes. The safe needling depth was (27.73 +/- 3.45) mm for the thin person group, (30.78 +/- 2.90) mm for the moderate person group, and (33.39 +/- 4.27) mm for the fat person group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The safe needling depth < or = the dangerous depth x 75% can be used for reference for the safe needling depth of Fengfu (GV 16) for different somatotypes persons.</p>