WU Xu's experience of sequential therapy for peripheral facial paralysis / 中国针灸

The paper introduces professor WU Xu 's experience of sequential therapy for peripheral facial paralysis. The sequential therapy refers to a staging treatment, but not rigidly adheres to it. With this therapy, the acupuncture- moxibustion regimen is modified flexibly in line with the specific symptoms of illness. At the acute phase of peripheral facial paralysis, warm acupuncture at Wangu (GB 12) is predominated and electroacupuncture is not recommended at the acupoints on the face. At the recovery phase, warm acupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36) is the main therapy and electroacupuncture is applied to the acupoints on the face appropriately. Besides, for the intractable case, the tapping technique with plum-blossom needle or skin needle should be combined and exerted in the local affected region. At the sequelae phase, in order to shorten the duration of illness, depending on the different types of facial paralysis, i.e. stiffness type, spasmodic type and flaccid type, the corresponding needling techniques are provided, i.e. bloodletting and moxibustion, strong stimulation with contralateral acupuncture and the technique for promoting the governor vessel and warming up yang.

Effect of thunder-fire moxibustion combined with vibration training on low back pain of primary osteoporosis / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the therapeutic effect of thunder-fire moxibustion combined with vibration training and simple vibration training on low back pain of primary osteoporosis by 's modulus of ultrasonic wave, and seek an objective evaluating method.@*METHODS@#A total of 60 patients were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases in each one. The patients in the two groups were treated with vibration training using whole body vibration treatment bed. In the observation group, thunder-fire moxibustion was applied at Yaoyangguan (GV 3), Mingmen (GV 4), Ganshu (BL 18), Shenshu (BL 23) and Dachangshu (BL 25). The treatment was given once every other day, 3 times a week for 4 weeks. The visual analogue score (VAS), real-time shear wave elastography (RTSWE) and medical outcomes study 36-item short-form hearth survey (SF-36) were used to evaluate pain intensity, multifidus muscle tone ('s modulus) and quality of life before treatment, after 4-week treatment and 1 month after treatment.@*RESULTS@#Compared before treatment, the VAS scores, 's modulus of multifidus muscle and 5 dimensions of SF-36 (physical condition, body pain, general health, social function and mental health) after 4-week treatment and 1 month after treatment were significantly improved in the two groups (all <0.05), the physiological role in the observation group after 4-week treatment and 1 month after treatment were improved (both <0.05). In the observation group, the VAS scores, 's modulus of multifidus muscle and 3 dimensions of SF-36 (physiological role, body pain and general health) after 4-week treatment and 1 month after treatment were superior to the control group (all <0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The therapeutic effect of thunder-fire moxibustion combined with vibration training is superior to simple vibration training in relieving low back pain intensity and multifidus muscle tone, and improving quality of life for primary osteoporosis. RTSWE technique can be an objective examination method to evaluate pain.

Expression of long non-coding RNA SNHG3 in breast cancer and its clinical significance / 医学研究生学报

ObjectiveThere are a few reports about the expression of SNHG3 in breast cancer and its effects. This study aimed to detect the expression of SNHG3 in breast cancer and paracancerous tissues, along with its relevance to clinicopathological parameters.MethodsSeventy-four patients with breast cancer were confirmed pathologically in our hospital from Jan. 2014 to Dec. 2017. The expression of SNHG3 was examined in breast cancer and paracancerous tissues by qRT-PCR. Correlations between the expression of SNHG3 and clinicopathological parameters were analyzed.Results SNHG3 expression was significantly downregulated in breast cancer tissues compared to paracancerous tissues, and the difference was of statistical significance (P<0.000). Low expression of SNHG3 was in negative correlation to Ki-67 (rs=-0.296, P=0.013).ConclusionThe expression of SNHG3 downregulated in breast cancer tissues, and its expression level is related to Ki-67, which may serve as a potential diagnostic molecular marker.

Observations on the Efficacy of Acupoint Application plus Acupuncture in Treating Allergic Rhinitis / 上海针灸杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of acupoint application of rhinitis patches plus acupuncture in treating allergic rhinitis. Methods One hundred and twenty-one patients with allergic rhinitis were randomized to a treatment group (61 cases) and a control group (60 cases). The control group received acupuncture in dog days and the treatment group, acupoint application of self-made rhinitis patches in addition. Both groups were treated for two consecutive years. The Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS) score and the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) score were recorded in the two groups before and after treatment. The clinical therapeutic effects were compared between the two groups. Results The total efficacy rate was 93.4％ in the treatment group and 71.7％ in the control group; there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). There were statistically significant pre-/post-treatment differences in the TNSS score and RQLQ score in the two groups (P<0.05). There were statistically significant post-treatment differences in the TNSS score and RQLQ score between the treatment and control groups (P<0.05). Conclusions Acupoint application of rhinitis patches plus acupuncture is an effective way to treat allergic rhinitis. It can relieve the clinical symptoms and improve the quality of life in the patients.

The influence of heel height on gait of young females during stair descent / 医用生物力学

Objective To investigate the effects of heel heights on gait of young women when going downstairs, and analyze the injury risk of women wearing high-heeled shoes during stair descent. Methods The gait from 17 young women wearing shoes with 4 different heel heights during their stair descent was measured by infrared high-speed motion capture system. The subjects’temporal parameters of gait and 3D joint angles of lower extremity were calculated and analyzed. Results Compared with flat shoes, the gait cycle increased when wearing 3 cm, 5 cm, 7 cm high-heeled shoes during stair descent, and the stance phase proportion and double-support stance phase proportion decreased, while the step width also decreased evidently. For 5 cm, 7 cm high-heeled shoes, the ankle range of motion (ROM) in the sagittal plane would reduce significantly, and for all the 3 cm, 5 cm, 7 cm high-heeled shoes, the ankle ROM in transverse plane would increase during stair descent. Wearing 3 cm, 5 cm high-heeled shoes could make the knee ROM in the sagittal plane significantly reduce, while wearing 3 cm, 5 cm, 7 cm high-heeled shoes, the knee ROM in the transverse plane would increase evidently. Wearing 5 cm, 7 cm high-heeled shoes, the maximum hip flexion angle was greater than that of wearing flat shoes, and the minimum hip flexion angle would be also greater when wearing 3 cm, 5 cm, 7 cm high-heeled shoes. Conclusions During stair descent, with the increase of heel heights, the gait cycle and swing phase proportion increase, while the stance phase proportion, double-support stance phase proportion and step width decrease, which will raise the risk of falling. Meanwhile, the knee and ankle ROMs in sagittal plane decrease gradually, while those in transverse plane come to increase. The research findings can help to further understand the influence of heel heights on gait characteristics and patterns during stair descent and provide reference for possible injury risk analysis.

A Disintegrin and Metalloprotease with Thrombospondin Motif 2 May Contribute to Cirrhosis in Humans through the Transforming Growth Factor-beta/SMAD Pathway

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We aimed to investigate the correlation between a disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin motif 2 (ADAMTS-2) and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) in clinical human cirrhotic tissues. METHODS: The liver tissues of 24 patients (16 cases with cirrhotic portal hypertension as the cirrhosis group and eight cases with healthy livers as the normal group) were collected. Immunohistochemistry and Western blots were performed to evaluate the protein expression levels of ADAMTS-2 and TGF-beta1. Western blots for other key mediators of cirrhotic progression, including SMAD2, SMAD3, TGF-beta receptor II (TGFbetaRII), matrix metalloproteinases 2 (MMP2), and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases 2 (TIMP2), were also performed. RESULTS: Cirrhotic tissues showed higher percentages of collagen. The protein expression levels of ADAMTS-2 and TGF-beta1 were significantly higher in the cirrhotic group as compared to the matched normal group (p<0.05), and there was a positive correlation between these two proteins (r=0.862, p<0.01). The protein expressions of MMP2, TIMP2, and TGFbetaRII, as well as the phosphorylated forms of SMAD2 and SMAD3, were significant higher in the cirrhotic group (p<0.01 or p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that ADAMTS-2 and TGF-beta1 may play important roles in the pathogenesis of human cirrhosis; specifically, TGF-beta1 may induce the expression of ADAMTS-2 through the TGFbeta/SMAD pathway.