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ObjectiveTo observe the efficacy of acupuncture plus acupoint injection in improving the depression state and quality of life (QOL) in patients with depression after ischemic stroke (syndrome differentiated as blood stagnation obstructing collaterals).MethodAccording to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the eligible subjects were enrolled and randomized into a treatment group and a control group. The treatment group was intervened by acupuncture plus acupoint injection, while the control group was by oral administration of Fluoxetine. They were evaluated by using the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Barthel Index (BI) before treatment and after 2-month treatment.ResultAfter 2-month treatment, there was no significant difference in comparing the anti-depressionefficacy between the two groups (P>0.05). The BI score of the treatment group was significantly better than that of the control group after 2-month treatment (P<0.05).ConclusionAcupuncture plus acupoint injection is effective in improving the depression state in the patients with depression after ischemic stroke (syndrome differentiated as blood stagnation obstructing collaterals); after 2-month treatment, it can produce an equivalent therapeutic efficacy compared with oral administration of Fluoxetine.Acupuncture plus acupoint injection is superior to the control in improving the QOL of the patients.
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Objective To observe the clinical efficacies of acupoint injection versus acupoint application in treating patients with chronic bronchitis due to lung-qi deficiency in remission stage.Method Totally 163 patients with chronic bronchitis were randomized into group A of 78 cases and group B of 85 cases. Group A was intervened by acupoint application, while the control group was by acupoint injection. The syndrome score of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) was evaluated before and after treatment, the attack frequency of cold, quality of life, and pulmonary function were observed in the 6-month follow-up.Result The TCM syndrome scores were significantly changed after treatment in both groups (P0.05). The scores of quality of life (FS1, FS2, FS3, FS4 and TMS) in group A were significantly changed after treatment (P<0.05). The FS1 score in group B was remarkably changed after treatment (P<0.05). The parameters of pulmonary function (FEV1.0%, V50, V25, FVC, FEV1.0) were significantly changed after treatment in both groups (P<0.05).Conclusion Acupoint application and acupoint injection both can significantly improve the symptoms, quality of life, and pulmonary function in chronic bronchitis.
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Objective To assess the therapeutic effect of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells on radiation-induced vascular injury in the small intestine of rat. Methods A total of 34 male Sprague-Dawley rats were enrolled in this study. To establish a model of radiation-induced intestinal injury, each rat was irradiated with 15 Gy in whole abdomen. 17 rats were randomly selected and infused intraperitoneally with passage 6 ( P6 ) Ad-MSCs, and the other 17 rats that received PBS were set as control. 10 days post-irradiation, the number of CD31+ endothelial cells in the small intestine villus was measured by flow-cytometry, the expressions of CD31, CD105 and isolectin-B4 in the na?ve endothelial cells with detected by IHC-staining, and the vascular integrity was evaluated by measuring VE-Cadherin. The origination of na?ve endothelial cells within injured intestine was also analyzed. In addition, total mRNA were extracted from irradiated small intestine to assay the expressions of VEGF, bFGF, Flk-1 and SDF-1 using quantitative Real-time PCR. Results Compared to the control, the amount of CD31-postive endothelial cells within irradiated intestine was significantly increased after Ad-MSCs infusion ( t=12?15, P<0?05). The microvascular density in the injured sites was also significantly increased by the infusion of Ad-MSCs (20 d:t=10?33, P<0. 05;30 d:t=32?85, P<0?05). Moreover, the expressions of VEGF, bFGF, Flk-1 and SDF-1 were significantly up-regulated after delivery of Ad-MSCs ( VEGF:t =10?34, bFGF:t=11?25,Flk-1:t=6?73, SDF-1:t=6?73, all P<0?05), which was beneficial in maintaining the integrity of intra-villus blood-vessels as well as promoting neovascularization in the injured sites. Conclusion Ad-MSCs had potentials in healing radiation-induced vascular injury in rat small intestine.
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Objective:To evaluate the performance of RapidArc technique on cervical cancer patients with various filling status of the bladder. Methods: Conventional fixed field intensity modulation radiated therapy (IMRT) is used as the benchmark. In 10 fe-males suffering from cervical cancer, two CT scans were performed for treatment planning:one with an empty bladder and the other with filled bladder. The prescribed dose was 50 Gy. The images of that with an evacuated bladder and that with filled bladder were planned in the dual-arc RapidArc and the 7-field IMRT, respectively. The implementor of the plan was the Varian TrueBeam linear ac-celerator. Dose-volume histogram was used to evaluate the data from each plan. Results:When the bladder was filled, IMRT and Rapi-dArc homogeneity were 1.05 and 1.04 (P>0.05), respectively. When the bladder was emptied, the homogeneity was 1.04 for both plans (P>0.05). With or without bladder filling, the conformity index was 0.71 and 0.73 for IMRT and RapidArc (P>0.05), respectively. The effect of V30 and V40 (volume for receiving doses of 30 and 40 Gy) on the intestine and the bladder was more favorable in a full than in an empty bladder. No significant difference between the two plans was observed. IMRT exhibited improved V30 on the rectum and on the bladder. RapidArc was much better in terms of monitor unit (MU) and deliver time. Conclusion:No significant differences in the homogeneity and conformity index between dual-arc RapidArc and 7-field IMRT were observed. Filled bladder is better than empty bladder in intestine and bladder protection in both RapidArc and IMRT. IMRT is better on V30 of the rectum and the bladder, whereas RapidArc improved MU and deliver time.