Effects of Ultrashort Wave on Inflammatory of Acute Lung Injury and Related Signaling Pathway in Rats / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To observe the effects of ultrashort wave (USW) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced acute lung injury (ALI) and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) signaling pathway in rats. Methods:Twenty-four three-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group (n = 8), ALI group (n = 8) and USW group (n = 8). The ALI and USW groups were instilled with LPS to induce ALI, and the USW group was treated with ultrashort wave 0, four and eight hours after instillation, 15 minutes a time. Twenty-four hours after instillation, the lung tissue of the rats was measured the wet/dry mass ratio (W/D), and observed under HE staining. Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 were detected with ELISA. The mRNA and protein expression of NLRP3, caspase-1 and IL-1β in the lung tissue were detected with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, respectively. Results:W/D increased in ALI group compared with that of the control group (P < 0.05), and it decreased in USW group without significance compared with that of ALI group (P > 0.05). Lung injury score increased in ALI group compared with that of the control group (P < 0.05), and it decreased in USW group compared with that of ALI group (P < 0.05); as well as the serum IL-1β and IL-18, and mRNA and protein expression of NLRP3, caspase-1 and IL-1β. Conclusion:USW can alleviate the inflammatory of acute lung injury, which may associate with inhibiting of NLRP3 signaling pathway.

Motor function and activities of daily living capacity of patients with fractures sustained during the Wenchuan earthquake / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>On the afternoon of May 12, 2008, a 8.0-magnitude earthquake hit Sichuan Province, a mountainous region in Western China, killing about 70 000 people and leaving over 18 000 missing. What about the survivors motor functions and activities of daily living (ADL) capacity, especially for fractures? We need the data to guide the rehabilitation for the seismic wounded and it's important to collect the data for the future. We study the survivors to understand the motor functions and ADL capacity of patients with fractures sustained in the Wenchuan earthquake, to provide a basis for rehabilitation and treatment.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We used the Manual Muscle Testing method to evaluate muscle strength, the joint angle scale to measure joint range of motion (ROM), and the Barthel index to evaluate the activities of daily living status. SPSS 13.0 software was used to analyze the data and the results were tested using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The number of seismic wounded amounted to 487; 81.1% of patients had fractures. Most of the injured had fractures in multiple regions (53.9% of all fracture patients), followed by fractures of the upper limb (34.0% of patients); cranial fractures were rare (2.3%). Totally 82.0% had restricted range of motion, 23.5% had decreased muscle force, and 72.2% of the patients had restricted activities of daily living capacities. With time the activities of daily living capacity of female increased (P < 0.05), compared with the male fracture patients who did not show any relative improvement (P > 0.05). The difference between the patients' ages and ADL capacities did not reach statistical significance (P > 0.05), nor was there a significant difference between their ages and the numbers of days in hospital (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Fractures were the main issue in the seismic wounded, many of them had reductions in the ROM, muscle force and ADL capacities. The physicians involved in rehabilitation should pay greater attention to muscle force exercises, joint mobilization, and occupational therapy during the early phases post disaster.</p>

Systematic assessment of acupoint stimulating therapy for deglutition disorders after apoplexy / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the therapeutic effect of acupoint stimulating therapy on deglutition disorders after apoplexy, so as to provide basis for clinical treatment and further study.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>According to Cochrane systematic assessment method of evidence-based medicine, Meta analysis on randomized controlled trials or half randomized controlled trials of acupoint stimulating therapy for deglutition disorders after apoplexy were made.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In 37 Chinese literatures, 3 697 patients in total were enrolled, and the results indicated that the effective rate of acupoint stimulating therapy on deglutition disorders after apoplexy was better than that in the control group [RR was 1.38, 95% CI (1.28, 1.49), Z = 8.38, P < 0.01]; and the cured rate also was better than that of the control group [RR was 2.56, 95% CI (2.15, 3.04), Z = 10.70, P < 0.01].</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The therapeutic effect of acupoint stimulating therapy on deglutition disorders after apoplexy is better than that of the control group, but more randomized, double blind, controlled trials with good designs are needed to confirm this result.</p>

Clinical update of pulsed electromagnetic fields on osteoporosis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To understand the effects of low-frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) on chronic bony pain, bone mineral density (BMD), bone strength and biochemical markers of bone metabolism in the patients of osteoporosis.</p><p><b>DATA SOURCES</b>Using the key words "pulsed electromagnetic fields" and "osteoporosis", we searched the PubMed for related studies published in English from January 1996 to December 2007. We also searched the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) for studies published in Chinese from January 1996 to December 2007.</p><p><b></b>STUDY SELECTION</p><p><b>INCLUSION CRITERIA</b>(1) all articles which referred to the effects of low-frequency pulsed magnetic fields on osteoporosis either in primary osteoporosis or secondary osteoporosis; (2) either observational studies or randomized controlled studies.</p><p><b>EXCLUSION CRITERIA</b>(1) articles on experimental studies about osteoporosis; (2) repetitive studies; (3) case reports; (4) meta analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Totally 111 related articles were collected, 101 of them were published in Chinese, 10 were in English. Thirty-four were included and the remaining 84 were excluded.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Low-frequency PEMFs relieves the pain of primary osteoporosis quickly and efficiently, enhances bone formation and increases BMD of secondary osteoporosis. But the effects of PEMFs on bone mineral density of primary osteoporosis and bone resorption were controversial.</p>

Correlation between obesity and female hyperostosis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Hyperostosis is a common pathological change among people more than 50 years old; it is connected with many risk factors, which are all indefinite. The aim of this study was to prospectively investigate the correlation between obesity and female hyperostosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 4326 females were included in this study and their basic information including their age, stature, body weight, course of disease, symptoms, medical complications, frequency of exercise and smoking, and X-ray and bone mineral density (BMD) examination results, was carefully collected for a statistical analysis. The t test or chi(2) test was used to evaluate the differences between two groups; an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to evaluate the differences among several groups; the relationship between hyperostosis and body mass index (BMI), age, medical complications, exercise, average BMD was analyzed using Logistic regression.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The incidence rate of hyperostosis in obese patients was higher than that in patients with normal weight (P = 0.000). Obesity was relevant to hyperostotic sites (P = 0.000), and the incidence of hyperostosis in one or several sites of the lumbar vertebrae, knee joints, and other sites was higher in obese patients than in patients with normal weight. There was also a difference in the extent of hyperostosis between these two groups. BMI had positive effects on the incidence and degree of hyperostosis, which were also relative to the sites of hyperostosis, and the BMI of patients without hyperostosis were much lower than those of the patients with hyperostosis in their lumbar vertebrae, knee joints, or multiple sites. Obesity, age, and exercise had positive effects on the incidence of hyperostosis (P = 0.002, 0.000, 0.018).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Obesity is a significant potential stimulant of hyperostosis, especially hyperostosis in knee joints and multiple sites; keeping fit might be an important way to prevent it.</p>

Clinically multi-central randomized controlled study on scalp electroacupuncture for treatment of vascular dementia / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To provide reliable evidence for acupuncture treatment of vascular dementia (VD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Multi-central randomized controlled trial method was adopted and 270 cases enrolled were randomly assigned to an acupuncture-medicine group, an electroacupuncture group and a medication group. The acupuncture-medicine group were treated by scalp electroacupuncture on Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Baihui (GV 20), Shenting (GV 24), Fengchi (GB 20) and oral administration of Nimodipine; the electroacupuncture group were treated with scalp electroacupuncture; the medication group were treated with simple oral administration of Nimodipine. They were treated for 6 weeks. Mini-mental state scale (MMSE), ability of daily life-rating scale (ADL-R) and P300 were detected before and after treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total effective rate for cognition improvement was 86.59% in the acupuncture-medicine group, 82.05% in the electroacupuncture group and 43.21% in the medication group, the electroacupuncture group and the acupuncture-medicine group being better than the medication group; and their total effective rates for improvement of ability of daily life were 59.76%, 65.38% and 32.10%, respectively, the electroacupuncture group and the acupuncture-medicine group being better than the medication group. Scores for MMSE and ADL-R and P300 examination indicated that there were significant differences as the acupuncture-medicine group and the electroacupuncture group compared with the medication group (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Scalp electroacupuncture or scalp electroacupuncture combined with oral administration of Nimodipine has a better therapeutic effect in improvement of recognition function and the ability of life activity than simple oral administration of Nimodipine with a higher safety.</p>

Effect of pulsed electromagnetic fields of different daily treatment durations on biomechanical properties of femur in ovariectomized rats / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective To observe the effect of pulsed electromagnetic fields(PEMFs)of different daily treatment durations on biomechanical properties of femur in ovariectomized rats,so as to find out the optimal daily treatment time.Methods Fifty female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups:(1)SHAM control(no PEMFs treatment),(2)OVX control(no PEMFs treatment),(3)OVX I(PEMFs treatment at 8Hz fre- quency with 3.8 mT intensity,20 min daily for 30 days),(4)OVX 11(PEMFs treatment at 8 Hz frequency with 3.8 mT intensity,40 min daily for 30 days),and(5)OVXⅢ(PEMFs treatment at 8Hz frequency with 3.8 mT in- tensity,60 rain daily for 30 days).All the rats were subject to bilateral overiectomy except those in the SHAM control group.The biomechanical properties of the femur were assessed after 30 days of PEMFs treatment.Results The values of the parameters of the biomechanical properties obtained with the OVX control group were significantly lower than those of the other 4 groups(P0.05).Conclusion PEMFs of the three different daily treatment durations can maintain the biomechanical properties of the femur in ovariectomized rats.Under certain in- tensity(3.8 mT)and frequency(8 Hz),PEMFs of the three different treatment durations can significantly maintain biomechanical properties of femur in ovariectomized rats approximately to the nomal level,but among the three groups,the difference is not significant.It was shown that exposure to PEMFs for 20 to 60 minutes daily had similar effect of maintaining biomechanical properties of the femur in ovariectomized rats.