Clinical Practice Guidelines for Oropharyngeal Dysphagia / 대한연하장애학회지

Objective@#Dysphagia is a common clinical condition characterized by difficulty in swallowing. It is sub-classified into oropharyngeal dysphagia, which refers to problems in the mouth and pharynx, and esophageal dysphagia, which refers to problems in the esophageal body and esophagogastric junction. Dysphagia can have a significant negative impact one’s physical health and quality of life as its severity increases. Therefore, proper assessment and management of dysphagia are critical for improving swallowing function and preventing complications. Thus a guideline was developed to provide evidence-based recommendations for assessment and management in patients with dysphagia. @*Methods@#Nineteen key questions on dysphagia were developed. These questions dealt with various aspects of problems related to dysphagia, including assessment, management, and complications. A literature search for relevant articles was conducted using Pubmed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and one domestic database of KoreaMed, until April 2021. The level of evidence and recommendation grade were established according to the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology. @*Results@#Early screening and assessment of videofluoroscopic swallowing were recommended for assessing the presence of dysphagia. Therapeutic methods, such as tongue and pharyngeal muscle strengthening exercises and neuromuscular electrical stimulation with swallowing therapy, were effective in improving swallowing function and quality of life in patients with dysphagia. Nutritional intervention and an oral care program were also recommended. @*Conclusion@#This guideline presents recommendations for the assessment and management of patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia, including rehabilitative strategies.

Primary Cavernous Hemangioma of the Thyroid Gland

Hemangiomas are benign vascular tumors that result from the abnormal proliferation of vascular tissue. Thyroid hemangiomas can develop as a result of procedures such as fine needle aspiration or other secondary trauma.Primary thyroid cavernous hemangioma is an extremely rare condition, with only a few reported cases. In this report, we present the case of an 83-year-old woman who complained of progressively worsening symptoms of right neck obstruction. She was undergoing levothyroxine treatment for hypothyroidism, and there was no specific family history of thyroid issues. The patient presented with a goiter and obstructive symptoms, and denied any history of trauma or invasive procedures. Thyroid sonography revealed a 6.21 cm heterogeneous dominant solid nodule in the right lobe. Additionally, a large mixed cystic and 6 cm solid mass was identified in the right lobe on CT scan. Due to the significant size of the mass and the presence of obstructive symptoms, the patient underwent a right thyroid lobectomy without further evaluations. Histologic examination of the specimen revealed a cavernous thyroid hemangioma. This case report presents our experience in diagnosing cavernous thyroid hemangioma.

Effect of surface sealant on surface roughness of dental composite with different surface roughness

Purpose@#This study aimed to evaluate the influence of surface sealants on the surface roughness of composite resins. @*Materials and Methods@#The study used microfilled composite resin (Metafil CX, Sun Medical Co.) and hybrid composite resin (Aelite™ LS posterior, Bisco). Sixty specimens (8 mm in diameter and 4 mm in height) of each composite resin type were prepared and divided into 3 groups. Each specimen was ground with 600, 1000, and 2000-grit sandpaper. The Surface roughness (Ra) values were measured using a surface roughness tester (SJ-301, Mytutoyo) before and after surface sealant application. Surface sealants, BisCover™ LV (Bisco), Optiguard® (Kerr), and Seal-n-Shine™ (Pulpdent), were applied to the specimens, as instructed and observed by scanning electron microscope (JSM-7500, JEOL) and atomic force microscope (MultiMode IV, Veeco Instruments). @*Results@#Specimens ground with 600-grit sandpaper coated with surface sealants exhibited significantly lower Ra values than the untreated group (P < 0.05).Specimens ground with 1000 and 2000-grit sandpaper showed statistically no difference. There was no significant difference in surface roughness among BisCover™ LV, Optiguard®, and Seal-n-Shine™. SEM and AFM revealed remarkably decreased microdefects on the surfaces of composite resins after surface sealant application. @*Conclusion@#Surface sealants can influence surface roughness when applied on the rough surface of composite resins but not on highly polished composite resins.

A Case of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Misconceived as Functional Dysphonia

Functional dysphonia (FD) refers to a voice disorder without any anatomical or neurologic pathology affecting the larynx. The beginning of a diagnosis of FD is to differentiate the patient’s voice symptoms from other organic voice disorders and other functional voice problems. Pulmonary tuberculosis initially presented by voice change is very rare. This atypical presentation might cause some confusion due to other more common diseases. We report a case of pulmonary tuberculosis as initial presentation of dysphonia in a 16-year-old girl. The patient was referred to our hospital with a gradually worsening dysphonia for 6 months. At first, it was misdiagnosed as FD because there was no specific finding on stroboscopy. One month later, she was finally diagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis due to fever and pleuritic pain. After antituberculous therapy, her symptoms and voice have improved.

Developmental comparison between cerebral organoids in vitro and body's cortices in vivo / 解剖学报

Objective To understand the characteristics and developmental differences between cerebral organoids in vitro and normal cerebral cortices in vivo. Methods 1. Grouping: cerebral cortices in vivo group and cultured cerebral organoids in vitro group. 2. Sample collection: cortical tissues were collected from Kunming mouse embryos at embryonic day 7.5(E7.5), E9.5, E11.5, E14.5, and postnatal day 3 (P3) or P7. Three specimens were taken from each group. Meanwhile, cerebral organoids were cultured with mouse induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and samples at different culture time point were collected, and more than 3 samples were collected at each time point. 3. Detection method: the distribution of different types of cells in each group of specimens was analyzed by immunofluorescent staining. Results While relative similarities between in vivo cerebral cortical development and the cerebral organoids in vitro were observed, including the histogenesis, and the morphological differentiation of nerve cells and glial cells, the lamellar architecture of cerebral cortex in mouse brain was not observed in cerebral organoids. Conclusion The development of cerebral organoids in vitro has some similarity with body's cortical development. Therefore, cerebral organoids can be used to a substitution of cortex and diseases' models, but improvement of the existing technologies is necessary.

Standardization of FEES Evaluation for the Accurate Diagnosis of Dysphagia / 대한연하장애학회지

Objective@#Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) is a standard diagnostic tool for swallowing disorders. However, it has not been used frequently in Korea because of the long test time, low cost, and the absence of a standard evaluation system. The purpose of this study was to suggest a standard fill-out form for the FEES result. @*Methods@#From February 2019 to June 2020, a total of 98 FEES tests were performed by an otolaryngologist (JYJ) at the Wonkwang University Hospital. After the exclusion of 68 cases, 30 cases were analyzed twice by 4 raters with over 5 years of experience as otolaryngologists working in various hospitals. The results were measured for the rater’s test-retest reliability and inter-rater consistency. @*Results@#Cohen’s kappa values for measuring the intra-rater consistency of the four raters were 0.984, 0.887, 0.848, and 0.930, respectively, meaning very good alignment of 0.8 or more, respectively. The Fleiss Kappa value for measuring inter-rater consistency was 0.276, meaning ‘fair’ for values of 0.2 or more. To examine consistency, an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) analysis conducted by assuming the grading score to be a constant continuous variable gave an ICC value of 0.729 (P＜0.001), showing a very reliable tendency. @*Conclusion@#In this study, all the items of the fill-out form were rated using a three-step grading scale, so the degree of agreement was high when performed twice by the same rater, but the degree of agreement among raters was relatively low. Therefore, our fill-out form for FEES will be useful in evaluating the improvement of a patient over the course of clinical treatment.

A proposed mechanism by which Qishen Yiqi dropping pill improves cardiac energy metabolism in rats with heart failure based on metabolomics and network pharmacology / 药学学报

"Omics" and bioinformatics have brought new ideas to the study of traditional Chinese medicine. This study used metabonomics and network pharmacology to investigate the pharmacodynamic basis and regulation of Qishen Yiqi dropping pill (QDP) improving cardiac energy metabolism in rats with heart failure (HF). 1H NMR metabonomics analysis showed that eight metabolites, including carnitine, glutamine, creatine, proline, homocitrulline, lactic acid, taurine and alanine appeared significant callback after QDP treatment for HF. The results indicate that QDP regulates the metabolism of carbohydrate, lipid, ATP and protein. The animal experiment was conducted in accordance with the regulations of the Ethics Committee for Experimental Animal Management and Animal Welfare of Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. A "drug-component-target-disease" network was established using network pharmacology, and the "component-target" sub-network related to the above energy metabolism processes was extracted by combining metabonomics results. Results revealed 79 chemical compounds and 47 potential targets of QDP involved in the regulation of energy metabolism, and identified key chemical components including ursolic acid, notoginsenoside G, ginsenoside-Rh1, and core targets such as INS, PPARG, and AKT1. The results also demonstrated the complex multi-target and multi-component relationship between QDP and HF from the perspective of energy metabolism. The molecular docking technique verified a strong interaction between some targets and chemical compounds, with affinities less than -5 kcal·mol-1. The results of this study provide useful information for the clinical application, development, and utilization of QDP.

The effect of metformin on lipid disorders as measured by nuclear magnetic metabolomics and metabolic flux analysis / 药学学报

Studies have found that metformin is not only the preferred drug for lowering blood sugar, but also shows lipid-lowering and weight-loss effects. The purpose of this study was to use a hyperlipidemia hamster model to investigate the lipid-lowering effect of metformin and its effect on important metabolic pathways in lipid metabolism disorders. Fifty golden hamsters were divided into a control group, a model group, metformin high- and low-dose groups, and a simvastatin group. A high-fat diet was fed for 1 week to create the model, and then drug was administered for 11 weeks with the high-fat diet. Serum was taken for measurement of blood lipid and blood glucose at 2, 6, and 9 weeks after administration, and at weeks 3, 5, and 9 feces and urine were collected for 1H NMR metabolomics tests. After 11 weeks of intravenous injection of [U-13C6] glucose, serum was collected for a 13C NMR metabolic flux test. The results showed that the administration of metformin can significantly reduce blood lipids and glucose levels and can significantly affect metabolic pathways such as sugar metabolism, lipid metabolism, ketone metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and intestinal flora metabolism. The results of the metabolic flux analysis showed that the high-fat diet reduced the metabolism of tricarboxylic acids by 37.48%. After administration of low and high doses of metformin the metabolism of tricarboxylic acid increased by 98.14% and 143.10%, respectively. After administration of simvastatin tricarboxylic acid metabolism increased by 33.18%. The results indicate that metformin has a significant effect on promoting energy metabolism. This study used a combination of metabolomics and metabolic flow to explore the effect of metformin on lipid metabolism disorders and quantifies changes in the key pathway of energy metabolism-the tricarboxylic acid cycle. This study provides useful information for the study of the efficacy and mechanism of metformin, as well as a practical technical method for the screening of lipid-lowering drugs based on a hamster model.

Tracheostomy in COVID-19 Pandemic Era / 대한이비인후과학회지

The outbreak of new coronavirus (COVID-19) has emerged as the cause of a severe acute respiratory. The COVID-19 pandemic led to an unexpected increase in the number of patients who are critically ill and required mechanical ventilation for active respiratory support. Tracheostomy is a common surgical procedure performed on patient to provide long-term ventilator support or to manage upper airway obstruction. It could be a critical role in the management of COVID-19 patients. Insertion of a tracheal cannula has become a viable alternative to prolonged endotracheal intubation, with the benefits of decreased airway resistance, improved patient comfort, reduced need for sedation, easier sputum removal. While these interventions could be necessary to provide adequate care, they require special precautions to minimize occupational risk. Because the spread of COVID-19 happened by aerosol and fine droplets, medical staffs are in direct danger of occupational exposure while caring for these patients. The purpose of this article is to review the preoperative preparation and tracheostomy guidelines related to COVID-19 pandemic spread.

Study on the efficacy of sentinel lymph node biopsy in the patients with early triple-negative breast cancer / 中国现代医生

Objective To investigate the effect of sentinel lymph node biopsy in the patients with early triple-negative breast cancer and its impact on patients' complications. Methods A total of 120 patients with early triple-negative breast cancer who were admitted to our hospital from October 2015 to October 2017 were selected and randomly divided into two groups. The control group was given total mastectomy+axillary lymph node dissection. The study group was given total mastectomy+sentinel lymph node biopsy. The surgical conditions and complications were compared and analyzed between the two groups. Results The operation time, length of stay and perioperative bleeding volume in the study group were significantly better than those in the control group (P<0.05). The complication rate in the study group was 1.7％, which was significantly lower than that of 11.7％ in the control group (P<0.05). The quality of life scores in the study group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Sentinel lymph node biopsy used in the patients with early triple-negative breast cancer during the treatment of the patients with triple-negative breast cancer has a favorable effect and the complication rate is low. The patient's quality of life is significantly improved compared with the traditional axillary lymph node dissection, which is worthy of promotion in clinical practice.

Sentinel Lymph Node Centered Selective Neck Dissection Does Not Have Benefits Over Supraomohyoid Neck Dissection in Patients with cT1T2N0 Tongue Cancer / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of sentinel node centered selective neck dissection in patients with early stage tongue cancer (T1T2N0). SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Lymphoscintigraphy was performed for 12 patients, subsequently followed by sentinel node centered selective neck dissection. The location of the sentinel node, pathological confirmation of node metastasis, and follow-up recurrence were analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 19 sentinel lymph nodes were identified. Of these, 18 were located in levels I to III, and one in level IV. After surgery, 3 patients (25%) were diagnosed with neck node metastasis: two experienced sentinel node metastasis and one experienced skipped metastasis. During follow-up, 3 of the 12 patients (25%) experienced recurrence. CONCLUSION: The recurrence of lymph node could be covered with supraomohyoid neck dissection, which indicates that it has superiority over sentinel node centered selective neck dissection in preventing recurrence in T1T2N0 tongue cancer patients.

Multidimensional Rehabilitation in Patients with Aspiration Following Head and Neck Cancer Treatment

Patients who have the head and neck cancer are usually treated by surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or combinations of them. These treatments can induce variable degree of aspiration with dysphagia. The type and severity of aspiration depends on the size and location of the original tumor, the structures involved, and the treatment modality used for treatment. The management of aspiration after the head and neck cancer's treatment begins with an accurate evaluation for the cause and mechanism of aspiration through modified barium swallow (MBS) and fiberoptic endoscopic examination of swallowing (FEES). Then, the clinician can use postures, maneuvers, and exercises to treat the swallow disorder and to help the patient achieve optimal function. To achieve optimal swallowing without aspiration, multidimensional rehabilitation by various medical personnel is definitely necessary.

Dermoscopic “Landscape Painting Patterns” as a Clue for Labial Melanotic Macules: An Analysis of 80 Cases

BACKGROUND: Labial melanotic macules (LMMs) are benign pigmented lesions that usually take the shape of flat asymmetrical macules with tan-brown to black color and variable size. Whereas the dermoscopic features of other pigmented skin lesions have been relatively well described, little is known about LMMs. OBJECTIVE: To describe the dermoscopic features and find typical and schematic dermoscopic patterns in LMMs. METHODS: A retrospective dermoscopic study was conducted on 80 lesions with histopathologically proved LMMs. RESULTS: We described and defined, for the first time to our knowledge, landscape painting patterns found in 65 of 80 melanotic lesions (81.3%), characterized by parallel lines or circle lines, overlapping vessels with background brown pigmentation. The background brown pigmentations were observed in 74 of 80 lesions (92.5%), the parallel lines in 62 (77.5%), the circle lines in 20 (25.0%), and overlapping vessels in 69 (86.3%). The structureless black pigmentations were only presented in 26 of 80 (32.5%). CONCLUSION: Dermoscopy can be useful for the clinical detection of LMMs, and “Landscape painting patterns” may represent a dermoscopic clue for the diagnosis of these lesions.

Effects of ketamine, imipramine, and their combination on depression-like behaviors in Wistar Kyoto rats / 生理学报

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of ketamine, imipramine, and ketamine plus imipramine on chronic depression-like behaviors of Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats and underlying mechanism. Six-week-old Wistar rats were used as normal control. WKY rats, depression model animal, were injected intraperitoneally with ketamine (1 week, replaced with saline in 2(nd) week), imipramine (2 weeks), or ketamine in combination with imipramine. The depression-like behaviors were assessed by sucrose preference and forced swimming tests. Protein expressions of β form of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type II (βCaMKII) and membrane fraction of glutamate receptor 1 (GluR1) were measured in corresponding brain tissue with Western blot. The results showed that, compared with Wistar rats, WKY rats exhibited decreased sucrose preference and extended immobility time. Ketamine alone did not affect depression-like behaviors of WKY, whereas imipramine or its combination with ketamine could significantly decrease the immobility time. Compared with Wistar rats, WKY rats showed up-regulated levels of βCaMKII and membrane GluR1 protein expressions in habenula, and down-regulated level of membrane GluR1 protein expressions in the prefrontal cortex. Imipramine or its combination with ketamine could reverse these changes of protein expressions in WKY rats. There was no difference in reversing effect between imipramine and its combination with ketamine. Ketamine alone did not affect the βCaMKII and membrane GluR1 protein expressions in the habenula, but increased membrane GluR1 protein expression in the prefrontal cortex of WKY rats. These results suggest 2-week imipramine treatment significantly improves depressive behavior in WKY rats; however, the addition of ketamine in the first week fails to enhance the effect of imipramine. The underlying mechanisms of imipramine's anti-depressive effect may be associated with the down-regulation of βCaMKII and membrane GluR1 in the habenula, as well as the up-regulation of membrane GluR1 in the prefrontal cortex.

Clinical Features and Outcomes of a Rare Nasal Cavity Tumor Glomangiopericytoma / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Glomangiopericytoma falls within the category of borderline low-malignant-potential soft tissue tumors of the nose and paranasal sinuses. It is a rare tumor arising from the pericytes surrounding capillaries, and accounts for less than 0.5% of all sinonasal tumors. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical manifestation and surgical outcomes of the glomangiopericytoma in the nasal cavity. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Medical records of eight patients who were surgically managed for glomangiopericytoma of the nose and paranasal sinuses from 2000 to 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical features, size, Immunohistochemical staining, extent of surgery, adjuvant treatment, and recurrence were evaluated. RESULTS: Eight patients, 3 males and 5 females, were enrolled, with the mean age of 54.7 years old. The most common symptom of glomangiopericytoma was ipsilateral nasal obstruction. All patients got surgical treatment, and one patient received radiation to the surgical site, whose margin of resection was positive. The mean follow-up period was 39.5 months (3-176 months). During the follow-up period, one patient was found to have a positive resection margin. CONCLUSION: The surgical outcome shows that complete initial excision is important to prevent recurrence. Furthermore, adjuvant radiation therapy may also be a reasonable option for some patients with margin involvement.

Exploratory Study on Guide Wire-Guided Tongue Resection under Ultrasonography for Adequate Safe Margins in Tongue Cancer Surgery / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The adequate safety margin in tongue cancer is the most important prognostic factor for local recurrence and survival. This study aimed to evaluate the resection margins using a new technique of tongue resection under the guidance of guide wire under ultrasonography in patients with tongue cancer. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: In this prospective study, 10 patients with presurgical, biopsy-proven, clinical T1 or T2 tongue squamous cell carcinomas underwent resection under the guidance of guide wire inserted using ultrasonography. The data of resection margins of 37 patients who underwent partial glossectomy using the conventional method of palpation were used as control data. RESULTS: The mean safety margins (mm) of the experimental group were 7.59±4.30 (anterior), 8.56±4.69 (posterior), 5.25±3.01 (superior), 5.93±3.66 (inferior), 13.00±13.29 (medial), 5.78±2.64 (deep), and 6.67±3.06 (lateral). There were no differences in the safety margins between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Using guide wire under ultrasonography was not superior to the conventional method for partial glossectomy for having adequate resection margins.

A Case of Rhabdomyosarcoma Presenting a Rapidly Growing Thyroid Mass Showing Cytological Features Mimic Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma / 대한갑상선학회지

This is a case of a 30-year-old man who was referred to our hospital for evaluation of a rapidly growing tumor in the left thyroid gland. It was palpated 2 weeks ago. But it was growing fast. A 4x3 cm mass was palpated in the left thyroid gland. Our impression was anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Computed tomography finding indicated a thyroid malignant tumor and cytology result suggested spindle cell neoplasm. A lower anterior neck mass was resected and final histopathological result turns out to be a rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). Although cervical RMS is very rare in adults, it has to be included for the differential diagnosis for the rapidly growing mass at thyroid gland.

Inhibition of advanced glycation endproducts formation by Korean thistle,Cirsium maackii

Objective:To evaluate inhibitory potential of sevenKorean thistles against the advanced glycation endproducts(AGE) formation as well as to identify responsible compounds from the most active species.Methods:We used anin vitroAGE inhibition assay to evaluate the anti-diabetic complication potential of the methanol extracts of the selectedKorean thistles.Results:Among the sevenKorean thistles, the leaves ofCirsium maackii(C. maackii) exhibited the most significant inhibitory activity againstAGE formation.By means of bioassay-directed fractionation, a lignan, chlorogenic acid and14 flavonoids were isolated from the active ethyl acetate soluble fraction of a methanol extract fromC. maackii leaves.Luteolin and its5-O-glucoside have been previously isolated; however, a lignan and13 known compounds were isolated for the first time fromC. maackiileaves in this study.Most of the isolated compounds exhibited inhibitory activities against potentialAGE formation.Among them, cernuoside was shown to be the most potentAGE inhibitor with anIC50 value of21.21 μmol/L.Most importantly, two major flavonoids, luteolin and its5-O-glucoside, also significantly inhibitedAGE formation, withIC50 values of 36.33 and37.47 μmol/L, respectively.Structure activity relationship revealed that the presence of free3' and4' dihydroxyl group in flavonoids skeleton played an important role inAGE inhibition. Conclusions:These results indicate thatC. maackii andC. maackii-derived flavonoids might be explored further to develop therapeutic agents for the prevention of diabetic complications due to their significant inhibitory activity againstAGE formation.

Effect observation on use of fluoride foam in prevention of dental caries increment in primary teeth / 上海预防医学

[Objective] To observe the effect of fluoride foam on dental caries increment in primary teeth, and provide the basis for prevention and control of children's dental caries. [ Methods] Three hundred and thirty-five children were included randomly from junior classes of 4 kindergartens as experi-mental group , and another 268 children from junior classes of another 4 kindergartens as control group .The experimental group used 1.23%fluoride foam twice a year , and the control group did not have any inter-ventions.The two groups of children were followed up for 3 years, and examined for the situation of their caries detection rate and average risk of caries , and for evaluation of the effect of fluoride foam in prevention of children's dental caries . [ Results] Caries detection rate in the two groups increased with age .After 3 years, caries detection rate in control group increased by 34.05%and in experimental group increased by 22. 19%.The use of fluoride foam reduced 10.89%caries disease for experimental group .Caries detection rates were 55.62%in experimental group and 66.51%in control group .The difference in detection rate was sig-nificant between experimental group and control group (P<0.05).Average caries in experimental group was 3.4 ±4.38 after 3 years, and 4.7 ±4.80 in control group.There was a significant difference in average caries between the two groups (P<0.05). [Conclusion] Application of 1.23%fluoride foam was effective in reducing the increment of dental caries in primary teeth , and it is worth promoting in the kindergartens .

Effects of stellate ganglion block on blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats / 浙江大学学报·医学版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of stellate ganglion block (SGB) on blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHRs).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-two 10-week-old male spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHRs) were assigned randomly into four groups: left stellate ganglion block group(Group LS), right stellate ganglion block group(Group RS), captopril group(Group D) and control group(Group C). Arterial systolic blood pressure(SBP) was measured, and endothelin (ET-1) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase(eNOS) in blood vessels were detected by radioimmunoassay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with baseline value, the blood pressure of Group LS gradually increased significantly (P<0.05 or P <0.01); however, the blood pressure of Group RS was stable(P >0.05) and increased only at week 2(P <0.05).The blood pressure of Group D decreased significantly at week 2 and week 4, and it remained stable compared with baseline value (P<0.05). The blood pressure of Group C gradually increased at weeks 2-10, compared with baseline values (P <0.01). Compared with Group LS and Group C, the expression of eNOS in blood vessels of Group RS significantly increased (P <0.05), and ET-1 decreased (P <0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The right stellate ganglion block can significantly lower blood pressure, down-regulate ET-1 and up-regulate eNOS protein expression.</p>