Relationship between symptoms and weight-bearing radiographic parameters of idiopathic flexible flatfoot in children / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Idiopathic flexible flatfoot in children most frequently improves with age and remains asymptomatic. It is a physiological variation of the normality that does not require treatment unless it becomes symptomatic. The aim of this research was to investigate the reason why some individuals with flexible flatfoot become symptomatic by analysis of the differences in the relative alignment of each segment of the foot between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with idiopathic flexible flatfoot using radiographic measurements.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred patients with idiopathic flexible flatfoot were retrospectively identified and divided into two groups: asymptomatic (n = 50) and symptomatic (n = 50). Standing anteroposterior and lateral radiographs of the foot were analyzed. Five measurements were calculated to describe the alignment of the foot. An independent-samples t-test and Logistic regression test were used for statistical analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Age and sex were similar in the two groups. The independent-samples test revealed significant differences in two parameters: the anteroposterior talonavicular coverage angle and the lateral talo-first metatarsal angle. When the Logistic regression test was performed, only the talonavicular coverage angle showed statistical significance.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The lateral displacement of the navicular bone, measured by the anteroposterior talonavicular coverage angle, seems to be related to the onset of symptoms. In individuals with otherwise normal flexible flatfoot, an increase in this angle might be an important risk factor for developing symptoms.</p>

Effects of electroacupuncture at "Zusanli" (ST 36) on ERK1/2 phosphorylation in the dorsal horn of spinal cord of the rat / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) on phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (pERK1/2) in the dorsal horn of spinal cord induced by plantar inflammation in the rat.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>All the rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: normal control group, simple electroacupuncture group, formalin group, formalin plus ipsilateral electroacupuncture group and formalin plus contralateral electroacupuncture group. The acute inflammation animal model was made by injection of 100 microL of 4% formalin into the right posterior foot pad. Electroacupuncture was given at "Zusanli" (ST 36) for 30 min, with sparse-dense waves, frequency 2-15 Hz, and intensity 2-3 mA. One and a half hours latter, the rats were killed under anesthesia, and pERK1/2 expression in the lumbar dorsal horn were investigated with immunohistochemical method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The positive cells were rarely seen (6.45 +/- 1.05) in the superficial spinal cord in the control group; a few cells (14.07 +/- 3.19) in ipsilateral superficial spinal cord were found in the electroacupuncture group. The number of pERK1/2-positive neurons (26.57 +/- 4.93) in lamina I - II0 of the ipsilateral dorsal horn in the formalin group increased significantly. After electroacupuncture at ipsilateral Zusanli (ST 36), the number of positive cells (20.79 +/- 5.21) had a tendency to decrease, but with no statistically significant difference. However, after electroacupuncture at contralateral Zusanli (ST 36), the number of positive cells (14.75 +/- 3.03) significantly decreased as compared with the non-acupuncture group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The inhibition of ERK1/2 phosphorylation in the spinal cord dorsal horn by electroacupuncture is possibly involved in acupuncture analgesic effect.</p>

Effect of water restrictions on the physiological parameters, psychological behavior and brain c-Fos expression in rats / 神经科学通报·英文版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>In order to characterize the feature of stress response induced by stressor with both physical and psychological natures, the effects of water restriction performed in different experimental modes on the physiological parameters, psychological behavioral manifestations and brain c-Fos expressions were observed and compared.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty-eight male Wistar rats were used and randomly divided into three experimental groups (n = 18 for each) and a control group (n = 4). In control group, the rats were allowed to access drinking water freely at all experimental period. In the experimental groups the water supply to the rats was restricted. In timed water supply (TW) group, the water was supplied twice a day, 10 min for each in fixed hours every day. In empty bottle-served (EB) and water-restricted (WR) groups, the water was served only once a day for 10 min, either in the early morning or evening, and in the other time point scheduled for water supply only an empty bottle without water was provided in the EB group and nothing was given in the WR group. The quantities of drank water and eaten food, weight-gaining, and behavior score were observed every day. The serum level of corticosterone was assayed and the rats were sacrificed with fixative perfusion of 3 d, 7 d or 14 d, respectively, following water restriction (n = 6 for each time point in each group). The brain c-Fos expressions were examined with immunohistochemical method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The slow down of weight-gaining, rise of serum corticosterone level, occurrence of psychological behavioral manifestations of unpeaceful restlessness such as exploring and attacking, enhance of c-Fos expression in the subfornical organ (SFO), median preoptic nucleus (MnPO), area postrema (AP), hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), supraoptic nucleus (SON), medial (MeA) and central (CeA) amygdaloid nucleus and ventrolateral septum (LSV) were noticed in both EB and WR groups, except the nucleus of solitary tract (NTS) in which the Fos expression was decreased. The changes of Fos expression in most of nuclei in EB group began at day 3, at least persisted till day 7, and backed down at day 14, while in WR group, similar changes started at day 7 and reached its peak at day 14. In TW group, only the concentration of corticosterone at day 7 was slightly increased and the rest indexes observed were unchanged.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results indicate that water restriction induces physical as well as psychological stress responses. And the water restrictions experimentally executed in different modes result in different manifestations of behavioral response and brain immediately early gene expression in discrete brain nuclei/regions.</p>