Effect of acupuncture at acupoints of the Shaoyang Meridian on cerebral glucose metabolism in the patient of chronic migraine / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe response characteristics of human brain to acupuncture of corresponding channel point selection and probe into the central nervous mechanism of acupuncture at the points selected along channel.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Six cases of chronic migraine were treated with acupuncture at Fengchi (GB 20), Waiguan (TE 5), Yang-lingquan (GB 34) on the Shaoyang Channel. Positron emission computerized tomography (PET-CT) was used for scanning and statistic parameter map (SPM 2) software was used to analyze the data and compare with healthy human brain function imaging and investigate the changes of metabolism of glucose in the brain of the patient of migraine before and after acupuncture.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After acupuncture, excitation areas of the pain brain regions such as the brain stem, insula, etc. obviously reduced, and the brain function-reducing area turned from the right temporal lobe as main to bilateral temporal lobes with symmetry.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The pons, insula, anterior frontal gyrus, etc. possibly are the target points of analgesic effect of acupuncture at the Shaoyang Channel on chronic migraine, and the change of metabolism reduction on bilateral temporal lobes induced by acupuncture possibly is one of the mechanisms for acu-puncture at points on the Shaoyang Channel for treatment of migraine. Acupuncture achieves whole and beneficial therapeutic effect possibly through coordination and redistribution of energy metabolism in the brain.</p>

Effects of trimetazidine on myocardial metabolism evaluated by PET-CT in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Trimetazidine (TZM) has been shown to have anti-ischemia properties by optimizing ischemic myocardium metabolism. We evaluated the effect of TZM on myocardial metabolism with Positron Emission Computed Tomography (PET-CT) in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>TZM (60 mg/d, n = 15) or placebo (n = 15) was randomly applied to ischemic cardiomyopathy patients on top of conventional therapy for 12 months. Color Doppler Flow Imaging (CDFI), (18)F-FDP PET-CT imaging and (99m)Tc-MIBI gated single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) imaging were performed at study begin and after 12 months. LVEF with CDFI, summed rest scores (SRS) with SPECT and standard uptake value (SUV) with PET-CT of the segments which were perfusion-metabolism matched and decreased were determined respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After 12 months, LVEF of the therapy group was increased from (37.9 +/- 5.0)% to (42.3 +/- 10.4)% (P < 0.05), while the control group increased from (37.9 +/- 4.6)% to (40.1 +/- 5.5)% (P > 0.05); SRSs of the matched segments of the therapy and the control were reduced from 3.9 +/- 1.0 to 2.4 +/- 2.3 (P < 0.01) and 4.0 +/- 0.7 to 2.8 +/- 1.8 (P < 0.05) respectively, while LVEF and SRSs were similar at study begin and after 12 months between these two groups. SUV of myocardial segments classified as myocardial perfusion-metabolism matched was increased from 5.3 +/- 1.5 to 9.8 +/- 4.7 in the therapy group (P < 0.05) and from 5.4 +/- 1.2 to 6.0 +/- 2.3 (P > 0.05) in the placebo group, SUV was significantly higher in the therapy group than that in placebo group after 12 months (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>SPECT and (18)F-FDG imaging combination could be used to detect the surviving myocardium and chronic trimetazidine treatment could increase the glucose metabolism of ischemic cardiomyocytes in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy.</p>

Manufacture and evaluation of a spine phantom used in the cross-calibration of DXA bone densitometry / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To design and manufacture a reliable spine phantom used in the cross calibration and quality control of dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A hydroxyapatite quality control phantom was designed and made through three steps: solid water, bone phantom material and integration, then evaluated the phantom on four different types of DXA machines made by LUNAR company.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the four DXA densitometers, the Expert fan beam densitometer had the biggest accuracy errors of bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content(BMC) and area values while the other three one narrow fan beam (Prodigy) and two pencil beam densitometers-had small errors. Of the three indexes measured by all the machines, BMD error was the smallest (-15.4%-11.5%), with the Prodigy's BMD was most outstanding. BMD errors at the higher density ends were small, tend to be positive values while the errors at the lower ends were big, tend to be negative. In cross calibration, giving consideration to the differences between the both ends, it is better to use the regression equation to correct. The base line of precision error derived by scanning the phantom once a day for consecutive 25 days was better than that derived by scanning the phantom 25 times consecutively on the same day. As to precision error, the coefficient of variation (CV) of scanning-25 times-a day was the smallest (0.0043) while the CV of 12 adults measurements was the biggest (0.0078).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>This phantom can be used in the quality control and cross-calibration of different types of DXA machines.</p>