Effect of different concentrations of moxa smoke exposure on nasal mucosal injury and expression of serum IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α in rats / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of long-term moxa smoke exposure of different concentrations on olfactory function in rats, and provide experimental basis of safety study of moxa smoke produced by moxibustion.@*METHODS@#Forty SD rats were randomly divided into a normal control group, a low-concentration moxa smoke group, a moderate-concentration moxa smoke group and a high-concentration moxa smoke group, 10 rats in each one. The rats in the moxa smoke groups were put into three plexiglass moxibustion boxes with different moxa smoke concentrations, 4 hours per times, twice a day for 90 days. The general state of rats was evaluated before and during the experiment. After the intervention, the olfactory function was evaluated by two-bottle experiment (TBE); the morphology of nasal mucosa was observed by HE staining; the apoptosis of olfactory epithelial cells in nasal mucosa was detected by TUNEL method; the serum levels of interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were detected by ELISA method.@*RESULTS@#In the late stage of moxa smoke exposure (45-90 days into intervention), the behavioral activity of rats in the moderate-concentration moxa smoke group and the high-concentration moxa smoke group was weaker than that in the normal control group, and their response to stimulation was strong, and their mental state was worse. After intervention, the drinking rate of vinegar-water mixture in the moderate-concentration moxa smoke group and the high-concentration moxa smoke group was higher than that in the normal control group and the low-concentration moxa smoke group (@*CONCLUSION@#The long-term exposure to low, moderate and high concentrations of moxa smoke could cause pathological changes in nasal mucosa and increase the serum levels of IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α; the moderate and high concentrations of moxa smoke exposure could cause a series of damage to olfactory function and reduce olfactory sensitivity in rats.

Design and application of a moxibustion device with separated moxibustion smoke and heat / 中国针灸

In the view of the defects of the commonly used moxibustion instruments and moxa heating instruments, such as the moxa ash cannot be removed automatically, the temperature of moxibustion and moxibustion smoke is difficult to be stabilized and adjusted, and the instruments are complex and expensive, a moxibustion device with separated moxibustion smoke and heat is designed. This device can automatically remove the moxa ash and keep it on the isolation net; the temperature of the moxibustion outlet is maintained at 43-48 ℃ (effective moxibustion temperature) for more than 40 minutes, and there is no visible moxa smoke; the temperature of the moxa smoke outlet is controlled between 28-75 ℃, and the effective discharge of moxa smoke can be realized without external power equipment. This device has the advantages of stable and controllable temperature of moxibustion outlet and moxa smoke outlet, automatic removal and collection of moxa ash, separation of moxa smoke without additional power, etc., which can be used in clinical and animal experiments for moxa heating, moxa smoke removal, etc.

Diagnostic value of osseous diversity on CT to sinonasal inverted papilloma / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the CT characteristics of osseous diversity in patients with sinonasal inverted papilloma (SIP) and to correlate these characteristics with the origins of tumors.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sinonasal CT images of 28 patients were reviewed retrospectively to detect areas within which there was focal hyperostosis. The correlation between the sites on the CT scans within which there was osseous diversity and the origin of the tumors in the surgery was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Surgical evaluation of 22 lesions with focal hyperostosis in CT images revealed that 20 of these lesions coincided with the actual origin of tumor. The focal hyperostosis on CT images corresponded to the actual tumor origin in 71.4% of cases. It denotes the origin of SIP could be predicted from the focal hyperostosis site. The origin of the other 2 cases were disaccord with the focal hyperostosis site, one case had the origin of uncinate process but hyperostosis of anterior middle turbinate, another case had the origin of superior turbinate but hyperostosis of uncinate process. Nine lesions of 28 patients had air sign, 21 lesions had bone absorption and destruction and 19 lesions had bone displacement in CT images. The pressure from tumor growth can induce varied bone destruction and displacement, the source of SIP can be estimated by the bone destruction site and displacement direction.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>There has a relatively high concordance between the origin of the SIP and focal hyperostosis on CT, The source of SIP could be discerned indirectly by bone destruction and displacement, these conduce to assess the disease before surgery and make pertinent operation.</p>

The biological characteristics of dermal fibroblasts of the diabetic rats with deep-partial thickness scald / 中华烧伤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the biological characteristics of dermal fibroblasts of the diabetic rats with deep partial thickness scald, and to explore its relationship with delayed wound healing due to diabetes.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 250 g were randomly divided into control (NM, n=40) and STZ-induced diabetic (DM, n=50) groups, and then deep partial thickness scald involving 10% TBSA were reproduced in the two groups. Skin samples were harvested from the wounds on 0, 3, 7, 14 and 21 post scald day (PSD) for the determination of certain histological characteristics.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The thickness of dermis layer in DM group before injury was obviously thinner than that in NM group (P < 0.01). There was an infiltration of a large amount of chronic inflammatory cells and increased content of cutaneous glucose in the dermal tissue in DM group (2.77 mg/g) compared with 0.85 mg/g in NM group, (P < 0.01). An accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) was found in the dermal tissue in DM group. After the scalding, the percentage of fibroblasts in S phase and hydroxyproline synthesis in DM group was evidently lower than those in NM group. But the apoptosis rate of fibroblasts was much higher in DM group than that in NM group (P < 0.05 or 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>It is found that the high contents of glucose and AGEs in diabetic skin exert untoward effects on biological characteristics of dermal fibroblast, probably constituting one of the underlying mechanisms of delay wound healing of scald in diabetic rats.</p>

The influence of L-arginine on the angiogenesis in burn wounds in diabetic rats / 中华烧伤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the possible mechanism of L-arginine supplementation on the angiogenesis of burn wounds in diabetic rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used in the study and were randomly divided into A (scalding control, n = 25), B (scalding of the rats with diabetes, n = 25), C (L-glycine control, n = 25) and D (L-arginine supplementation, n = 25) groups. Diabetes was produced by intra-peritoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) in B, C and D groups. The rats in C and D groups were gavaged with L-glycine and L-arginine in dose of 200 mg.kg(-1).d(-1), respectively. The glucose content of the back skin tissue was determined for five rats in each group eight weeks after STZ administration. Deep partial thickness scalding of 20% TBSA was engendered on the back in the other 80 rats. The wound area, wound healing rate, and microvascular density with CD34 immunohistochemistry staining were determined on 3rd, 7th, 14th, and 21st post scalding days (PSDs), In addition, the amount of nitric oxide (NO) released from the wound tissue and the tissue contents of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) from wound were determined at the above time points.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared to those in group B, the wound healing rate in group D increased significantly since the 7th PSD [(44.10 +/- 3.50)%, P < 0.05], and the wound MVD value was increased significantly at all postburn time points. Furthermore, the levels of VEGF, NO and TGF-beta1 in the wound tissue was also increased significantly, while the glucose content in the cutaneous tissue was decreased to (1.380 +/- 0.120) mg/g.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>L-arginine supplementation could be beneficial to the angiogenesis in the burn wound of the rats with diabetes, as well as to wound healing by increasing the synthesis and the release of VEGF, NO and TGF-beta1 from burn wound and by decreasing the glucose content in the cutaneous tissue of diabetic rats.</p>