Effect of warm acupuncture at Yifeng (TE 17) on facial paralysis with periauricular pain during pregnancy / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the curative effect between the warm acupuncture at Yifeng (TE 17) combined with conventional acupuncture and TDP plus conventional acupuncture on facial paralysis with periauricular pain during pregnancy.@*METHODS@#A total of 68 patients were randomized into an observation group (36 cases, 3 cases dropped off) and a control group (32 cases, 1 case dropped off). First week, TDP light was used on the affected side in the control group, and warm acupuncture at Yinfeng (TE 17) on the affected side was used in the observation group, both once a day. From the second week, both groups were given acupuncture at Chengjiang (CV 24) and the affected side of Cuanzhu (BL 2), Yangbai (GB 14), Taiyang (EX-HN 5), Yingxiang (LI 20), Dicang (ST 4), etc. and electroacupuncture (continuous wave, 2 Hz in frequency) was connected at Cuanzhu (BL 2) and Taiyang (EX-HN 5), Jiache (ST 6) and Dicang (ST 4). Both treatments were given every other day for 4 weeks totally. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score of the periauricular pain degree before treatment and after 1 week of treatment, the House-Brackmann (H-B) facial nerve function grading scale and facial disability index (FDI) score before treatment and after 2, 4 weeks of treatment were compared between the two groups.@*RESULTS@#After 1 week of treatment, the VAS scores of both groups decreased (@*CONCLUSION@#Warm acupuncture at Yinfeng (TE 17) combined with conventional acupuncture can effectively improve the periauricular pain and facial nerve function in patients of facial paralysis with periauricular pain during pregnancy, and the curative effect is better than TDP plus conventional acupuncture.

Clinical observation on time-effect of electroacupuncture for idiopathic facial paralysis / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of different acupuncture frequency and duration of needle retention on idiopathic facial paralysis, and optimize the acupuncture treatment plan.@*METHODS@#A total of 140 patients were randomized into a group A (37 cases, 3 cases dropped off), a group B (35 cases, 3 cases dropped off), a group C (34 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a group D (34 cases, 1 case dropped off). Under the same basic treatment, acupuncture intervention time (day 8 of morbidity), acupoint selection [Cuanzhu (BL 2), Yangbai (GB 14), Taiyang (EX-HN 5), Yingxiang (LI 20), Jiache (ST 6), Dicang (ST 4) on the affected side, Chengjiang (CV 24) and Hegu (LI 4) on the unaffected side] and electroacupuncture intervention, different acupuncture interval time and duration of needle retention were applied. In the group A, the treatment was given 20 min once a day, while the group B 30 min once a day, the group C 20 min once every 2 days, the group D 30 min once every 2 days. Totally 20-day treatment were required. The House-Brackmann (H-B) facial nerve function grading system was used to evaluate the improvement of clinical symptom, the situation and latency periods of the R1 wave in blink reflex and facial nerve motor conduction before and after treatment were observed in the 4 groups.@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the cured rates in the 4 groups were 44.1% (15/34), 46.9% (15/32), 57.6% (19/33) and 51.5% (17/33), there was no significant difference among 4 groups (>0.05). The situation and latency periods of the R1 wave in blink reflex and latency periods and amplitude of facial nerve motor conduction after treatment were improved in the 4 groups (0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture 20 min once a day, 30 min once a day, 20 min once every 2 days and 30 min once every 2 days have significant effect on the recovery of idiopathic facial paralysis, and the effect is comparable.

Role of glutamine in the mediation of E-cadherin, p120-catenin and inflammation in ventilator-induced lung injury / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>Background</b>Ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) is commonly associated with barrier dysfunction and inflammation reaction. Glutamine could ameliorate VILI, but its role has not been fully elucidated. This study examined the relationship between inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-6, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α, and IL-10) and adherens junctions (E-cadherin, p120-catenin), which were ameliorated by glutamine in VILI, both in vitro and in vivo.</p><p><b>Methods</b>For the in vivo study, 30 healthy C57BL/6 mice weighing 25-30 g were randomly divided into five groups with random number table (n = 6 in each group): control (Group C); low tidal volume (Group L); low tidal volume + glutamine (Group L + G); high tidal volume (Group H); and high tidal volume + glutamine (Group H + G). Mice in all groups, except Group C, underwent mechanical ventilation for 4 h. For the in vitro study, mouse lung epithelial 12 (MLE-12) cells pretreated with glutamine underwent cyclic stretching at 20% for 4 h. Cell lysate and lung tissue were obtained to detect the junction proteins, inflammatory cytokines, and lung pathological changes by the Western blotting, cytokine assay, hematoxylin and eosin staining, and immunofluorescence.</p><p><b>Results</b>In vivo, compared with Group C, total cell counts (t = -28.182, P < 0.01), the percentage of neutrophils (t = -28.095, P < 0.01), IL-6 (t = -28.296, P < 0.01), and TNF-α (t = -19.812, P < 0.01) in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, lung injury scores (t = -6.708, P < 0.01), and the wet-to-dry ratio (t = -15.595, P < 0.01) were increased in Group H; IL-10 in BAL fluid (t = 9.093, P < 0.01) and the expression of E-cadherin (t = 10.044, P < 0.01) and p120-catenin (t = 13.218, P < 0.01) were decreased in Group H. Compared with Group H, total cell counts (t = 14.844, P < 0.01), the percentage of neutrophils (t = 18.077, P < 0.01), IL-6 (t = 18.007, P < 0.01), and TNF-α (t = 10.171, P < 0.01) in BAL fluid were decreased in Group H + G; IL-10 in BAL fluid (t = -7.531, P < 0.01) and the expression of E-cadherin (t = -14.814, P < 0.01) and p120-catenin (t = -9.114, P < 0.01) were increased in Group H + G. In vitro, compared with the nonstretching group, the levels of IL-6 (t = -21.111, P < 0.01) and TNF-α (t = -15.270, P < 0.01) were increased in the 20% cyclic stretching group; the levels of IL-10 (t = 5.450, P < 0.01) and the expression of E-cadherin (t = 17.736, P < 0.01) and p120-catenin (t = 16.136, P < 0.01) were decreased in the 20% cyclic stretching group. Compared with the stretching group, the levels of IL-6 (t = 11.818, P < 0.01) and TNF-α (t = 8.631, P < 0.01) decreased in the glutamine group; the levels of IL-10 (t = -3.203, P < 0.05) and the expression of E-cadherin (t = -13.567, P < 0.01) and p120-catenin (t = -10.013, P < 0.01) were increased in the glutamine group.</p><p><b>Conclusions</b>High tidal volume mechanical ventilation and 20% cyclic stretching could cause VILI. Glutamine regulates VILI by improving cytokines and increasing the adherens junctions, protein E-cadherin and p120-catenin, to enhance the epithelial barrier function.</p>

Research on the electromyographic signals of orbicularis oculi muscle of rabbit / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the features of electromyographic signals of orbicularis oculi muscle (OOM) of normal rabbits in various movement states, and to clarify relationships between functional actions of OOM and their electromyographic signals, hoping to obtain information concerning the electromyographic signals controlling OOM as reference for restoring the eye-closing function by artificial facial nerve prosthesis in patients with unilateral peripheral facial palsy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The electromyographic signals were extracted from OOM of normal rabbits by implanted microelectrodes through upper and lower eyelids. Then the features of these electromyographic signals were analyzed in the time domain and the frequency domain.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The peak values of the absolute electromyographic amplitude for natural continuous eye-opening event, natural continuous eye-closing state, natural eye-blinking movement and evoked eye-closing state were (28.8 ± 4.8) µV, (36.0 ± 4.7) µV, (398.8 ± 195.7) µV, and (715.4 ± 249.7) µV, respectively. The peak frequency values of the power spectrum density (PSD) of electromyographic signals for the four modes were (98 ± 17) Hz, (142 ± 22) Hz, (203 ± 58) Hz, and (349 ± 81) Hz, respectively. The electrical activities during the natural continuous eye-opening event and the natural continuous eye-closing state were stable and displayed low amplitudes. During the spontaneous blink state and the evoked eye-closing state, the electromyographic amplitudes markedly increased, and the increased level in the latter state was stronger than that in the former state. When rabbits continuously closed eyes or opened eyes, all of the peak values of the absolute voltage amplitudes were less than 50 µV. The absolute amplitude values of the starting site were between 50 µV and 60 µV during the spontaneous blink and the evoked eye-closing movements. The whole frequency band of the energy of PSD about OOM was between 0 Hz and 500 Hz, and the focus frequency range was between 20 Hz and 350 Hz.In the time domain, the difference was not significant for the electromyographic signals of OOM between the continuous eye-opening state and the continuous eye-closing movement (P > 0.05), but there were statistically significant differences in the other states for their pairwise comparisons (P < 0.05). In the frequency domain, there was no statistically significant difference for the peak frequency of PSD about the electromyographic signals when comparing the continuous eye-opening state with the continuous eye-closing event (P > 0.05). When comparing this item in the other movements with each other, however, the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>OOM relaxes when eyelid keeps continuously opening. The action of eyelid-closing is due to contraction of this muscle. Each state has its own features of the electromyographic signals for OOM, these features can be used as criteria for computers to judge and identify various movement states of OOM. However, it is difficult to distinguish the natural continuous eye-opening event from the natural continuous eye-closing state, based on the features of electromyographic signals in the time and frequency domain.</p>

Microvasculature change in the diagnosis of early esophageal carcinoma using magnifying endoscopy / 中华消化内镜杂志

Objective To study the detection rate of early esophageal carcinoma using magnifying endoscopy,and to evaluate the relationship between the imaging patterns of microvasculature change and his- tological diagnosis.Methods Two hundred and fourteen patients with esophageal mucosa roughness,ero- sion,plaque,abnormal color and indentation in conventional endoscopy and 16 healthy volunteers were en- rolled.The magnifying endoscopy images were graded as four patterns by intraepithelial papillary capillary loop(IPCL)changes after iodine dyeing.The biopsies underwent pathologic evaluation.The comparison be- tween the imaging patterns of endoscopy and histological diagnosiswas was evaluated.Results 80.4%(90/ 112)esophagitis was type 2,and 85.7%(12/14)early esophageal carcinoma was type 3 and type 4.The difference was significant between early esophageal carcinoma and normal mueosa(?~2=27.32,P