Wet Cupping Therapy Improves Local Blood Perfusion and Analgesic Effects in Patients with Nerve-Root Type Cervical Spondylosis / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe wet cupping therapy (WCT) on local blood perfusion and analgesic effects in patients with nerve-root type cervical spondylosis (NT-CS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty-seven NT-CS patients were randomly divided into WCT group and Jiaji acupoint-acupuncture (JA) group according a random number table. WCT group (30 cases) was treated with WCT for 10 min, and JA group (27 cases) was treated with acupuncture for 10 min. The treatment efficacies were evaluated with a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Blood perfusion at Dazhui (GV 14) and Jianjing (GB 21) acupoints (affected side) was observed with a laser speckle flowmetry, and its variations before and after treatment in both groups were compared as well.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In both groups, the VAS scores significantly decreased after the intervention (P<0.01), while the blood perfusion at the two acupoints significantly increased after intervention (P<0.05); however, the increasement magnitude caused by WCT was obvious compared with JA (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>WCT could improve analgesic effects in patients with NT-CS, which might be related to increasing local blood perfusion of acupunct points.</p>

Discussion on necessity of standardization for nomenclature and location of extraordinary acupoints / 中国针灸

With retrieval of articles on extraordinary acupoint that were published in domesticin recent five years, one hundred and eight articles of clinical application are screened out and one hundred and twenty-three extraordinary acupoints that are extensively recognized are collected. Of those acupoints, 23 acupoints are included in the latest national standard. Of the rest 100 extraordinary acupoints, 48 acupoints are located on the running courses of fourteen meridians, 4 acupoints are shared with the meridian points and the other 52 acupoints have not been clarified to be located on the running courses of meridians based on the literature data. It is found in the collection of these acupoints that there are many extraordinary acupoints that are extensively used in clinical practice. But the nomenclatures and locations of acupoints have not been unified. Hence, a further standardization on these aspects is anticipated.

Digital visualization construction and research on Jiuwei (CV 15) / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish the digitized visible human with Jiuwei (CV 15) involved.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>With the virtual Chinese human (VCH) datasets and three-dimensional modeling software adopted, the knowledge on acupuncture and moxibustion as well as acupoint anatomy combined and the computer image processing software applied, the visualized browser software of Jiuwei (CV 15) was established.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>By establishing the interactive three-dimensional visualization browser software of acupoints, the location of Jiuwei (CV 15) was enabled to be expressed directly from all the levels, as well as the main adjacent tissue structure. It was suggested that Jiuwei (CV 15) should be punctured obliquely downward to avoid injuring the vital organs such as the heart and liver, and the safe depth of insertion should be 1.0-1.5 cm.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The technology of digital visible human enables the three-dimensional expression of acupoint, which can be the platform of the digital teaching pattern. The research on the angle and depth of needling insertion at acupoint can be conducted in combination with teaching materials.</p>

Clinical value of preoperative serum VEGF, CRP and IL-6 levels in colorectal carcinoma / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine the preoperative serum VEGF, IL-6, and CRP levels in colorectal carcinoma, and to explore their correlation with disease status and prognosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Serum VEGF and IL-6 levels were assessed using ELISA, and CRP was measured by immunoturbidimetry. They were compared between the colorectal carcinoma group and the control group. The five-year survival rate and poor prognostic factors were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier and Log-rank method, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The serum VEGF, IL-6, and CRP levels in colorectal carcinoma were (591 ± 312) pg/ml, (13.2 ± 3.7) pg/ml, and (1.14 ± 0.87) mg/dl, respectively, higher than that in the control group. The two groups showed significant difference in VEGF and CRP (P < 0.001, P = 0.002). VEGF expression was higher in male than that in female [(638 ± 387) pg/ml vs. (552 ± 271) pg/ml, P = 0.042]. The cases with tumor size smaller than 5 cm had lower VEGF expression compared with that in cases with tumor size ≥ 5 cm [(538 ± 275) pg/ml vs. (647 ± 331) pg/ml, P = 0.009]. IL-6 expression showed significant difference in males (11.7 ± 3.2) and females (15.2 ± 4.0) pg/ml, (P = 0.011). The five-year survival rate in the group with VEGF < 591 pg/ml was 86.8% (33/38), higher than that in the ≥ 591 pg/m group. High VEGF level tended to reduce survival (χ(2) = 0.933, P = 0.344). VEGF ≥ 591 pg/ml was a factor of poor prognosis in colorectal carcinoma, assessed by Log-rank methods (P < 0.05). Tumor size and VEGF concentration were risk factors of prognosis (P = 0.032, OR = 0.985; P = 0.011, OR = 0.976).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Serum VEGF and IL-6 expressions have gender differences. Serum VEGF can be used as a biomaker of clinical diagnosis of colorectal cancer, and has an important significance on the prognosis of patients.</p>