Using a consensus acupoints regimen to explore the relationship between acupuncture sensation and lumbar spinal postoperative analgesia: A retrospective analysis of prospective clinical cooperation / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#This study evaluated the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment on postoperative pain in patients with degenerative lumbar spine disease, and explored the relationship between the postoperative analgesic effect of acupuncture and the sensation of acupuncture experienced by the patients.@*METHODS@#This retrospective study analyzed the medical records of 97 patients who had undergone an operation by the same surgeon due to degenerative lumbar disease. These patients were divided into acupuncture group (n = 32), patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) group (n = 27), and oral analgesia group (n = 38) according to the different postoperative analgesic methods. During their hospitalization, patients completed daily evaluations of their pain using a visual analogue scale (VAS), and injection times of supplemental meperidine were recorded. Also, the Chinese version of the Massachusetts General Hospital Acupuncture Sensation Scale (C-MASS) was used in the acupuncture group.@*RESULTS@#Each of the three treatment groups showed significant reductions in postoperative pain, as shown by reduced VAS scores. The acupuncture group, however, had less rebound pain (P < 0.05) than the other two groups. Both the acupuncture and PCA groups experienced acute analgesic effects that were superior to those in the oral analgesia group. In addition, the higher the C-MASS index on the second day after surgery, the lower the VAS score on the fourth day after surgery. There was also a significant difference in the "dull pain" in the acupuncture sensation.@*CONCLUSION@#The results demonstrated that acupuncture was beneficial for postoperative pain and discomfort after simple surgery for degenerative spinal disease. It is worth noting that there was a disproportionate relevance between the patient's acupuncture sensation and the improvement of pain VAS score.

Human protein tyrosine phosphatase β and its inhibitors: Research advances / 国际药学研究杂志

Human protein tyrosine phosphatase β (HPTPβ) is an endothelial cell-specific receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase(PTP). HPTPβ plays an important role in regulating pathophysiological processes such as angiogenesis and cell-to-cell adherens junction, and is taken as a novel target for developing new antiatherosclerosis and antitumor drugs. In this review, the latest research progress in the structure, physiological functions and small molecular inhibitors of HPTPβ is summarized.

Electrophysiological characteristics of cardiomyocyte-like cells from rat bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells by four inductors / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMdMSCs) can differentiate into cardiomyocyte-like cells induced by different inductors individually or collectively. In this study, by inducing BMdMSCs with p53 inhibitor (p-fifty three inhibitor-alpha, PFT-α), 5-azacytidine (5-AZA), angiotensin-II (Ang-II) and bone morphogenic protein-2 (BMP-2) we compared the influences of four inductors on the differentiation of rat BMdMSCs into caridomyocyte like-cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>BMdMSCs were collected from the bone marrow of Sprague Dawley rats and after the fourth generation, the purified cells were divided into five groups: 5-AZA (10 µmol/L), Ang-II (0.1 µmol/L), PFT-α (20 µmol/L), BMP-2 (10 µg/L) and control. The purity of the BMdMSCs and the cardiac differentiation rates were obtained by flow cytometry. The expressions of cTnT in the BMdMSCs after four weeks of induction were detected by immunofluorescence and the expressions of cTnI and Cx43 detected by Western blotting. The green fluorescent levels reflecting intracellular calcium transient function were determined by laser scanning confocal microscopy. The total potassium current levels of cells were measured on patch clamp.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All inductors affected to a different degree the differentiation of BMdMSCs into cardiomyocyte-like cells and the expressions of cTnT, cTnI and Cx43 suggesting that the combination of inductors could be an improved method for cardiac regenerative medicine. In addition, the total potassium current level and calcium transient in PFT-α cardiomyocyte-like cells were higher than other groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The cardiac differentiation of BMdMSCs induced by PFT-α, 5-AZA, Ang-II and BMP-2 has been improved at different levels. PFT-α has an advantage of differentiation rate and electrophysiological function over other inductors.</p>

Cardiac differentiation and electrophysiology characteristics of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To review the progress of cardiac differentiation and electrophysiological characteristics of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.</p><p><b>DATA SOURCES</b>The databases of PubMed, Springer Link, Science Direct and CNKI were retrieved for papers published from January 2000 to January 2012 with the key words of "bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, cardiac or heart, electrophysiology or electrophysiological characteristics".</p><p><b>STUDY SELECTION</b>The articles concerned cardiac differentiation and electrophysiological characteristics of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were collected. After excluding papers that study purposes are not coincident with this review or contents duplicated, 56 papers were internalized at last.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>For the treatment of myocardial infarction and myocardiac disease, the therapeutic effects of transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells which have the ability to develop into functional myocardial cells by lots of methods have been proved by many researches. But the arrhythmogenic effect on ventricles after transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells derived myocardial cells is still controversial in animal models. Certainly, the low differentiation efficiency and heterogeneous development of electrical function could be the most important risk for proarrhythmia.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Many studies of cardiac differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells have paid attention to improve the cardiac differentiation rate, and the electrophysiology characteristics of the differentiated cells should be concerned for the risk for proarrhythmia as well.</p>

Reversible ceftriaxone-associated biliary pseudolithiasis in three children with renal diseases / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the clinical characteristics of ceftriaxone-associated biliary pseudolithiasis in children with renal diseases.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Three children with renal diseases developed biliary pseudolithiasis when they were treated with ceftriaxone. Their clinical and laboratory data were retrospectively analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Case one was an 11-year-old boy. The initial diagnosis was primary nephrotic syndrome. Ceftriaxone was administered intravenously at a dose of 2 g/d [50 mg/(kg * d)] for gastroenteritis. After that the boy complained of nausea and loss of appetite. Abdominal sonogram obtained on day 3 of ceftriaxone therapy revealed gallbladder sludge. After cessation of ceftriaxone treatment, symptoms and ultrasound abnormalities gradually disappeared, with complete sonographic resolution after 16 days. Case two was a 10-year-old boy. The primary diagnosis was post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis with acute renal failure. The child was treated with 1.5 g/d [30 mg/(kg * d)] intravenous ceftriaxone for gastroenteritis. After that, the boy complained of nausea and abdominal pain with positive Murphy's sign. Gallstone was detected by ultrasonographic examination on day 6 of ceftriaxone therapy. After cessation of ceftriaxone treatment, symptoms and sonographic abnormalities gradually disappeared, with complete sonographic resolution after 18 days. Case three was a 12-year-old boy. The primary diagnosis was nephrotic syndrome. He was treated with 2 g/d [40 mg/(kg.d)] ceftriaxone for gastroenteritis. Gallbladder lithiasis was detected 17 days after the initiation of ceftriaxone therapy (3 days after cessation of ceftriaxone treatment). Gallbladder sonogram was found to be normal two months after the discontinuation of the therapy.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Biliary pseudolithiasis occurred in 3 cases with renal diseases receiving low doses of ceftriaxone. The risk of developing ceftriaxone-associated biliary pseudolithiasis might increase in patients with renal diseases who are treated with ceftriaxone.</p>

X-ray and CT Diagnosis of Unilateral Dislocation of the Lower Cervical Vertebra / 实用放射学杂志

Objective To study X-ray and CT methods of diagnosis of unilateral dislocation of the lower cervical vertebra(C_(3～7)).Methods 15 cases of the injury of unilateral dislocation of the lower cervical vertebra were reviewed from August 2002 to June 2008,X-ray and CT findings were observed.Results Lateral projection of X-ray showed:the anterior displacement of dislocated vertebra was less than 25% in 15 cases,the distance of posterior border of lateral mass of below vertebral body to line of neural scute changed rapidly in 13 cases,sign of "bow tie" of processus articularis superior in 12 cases.Antero-posterior projection showed that spinal process was lateral deviation.Oblique projection showed that intervertebral joints were dislocation or interlocking. CT showed:the "hamburger" sign were destroyed in 7 cases,fracture of unilateral articular process in 8 cases,rotation of vertebral body of dislocation and its superior vertebral body in 13 cases, "double ring" sign in 12 cases.Conclusion The signs of X-ray and CT in combination with the mechanism of injury and clinical situation,the unilateral dislocation of the lower cervical vertebra can be diagnosed accurately.

A study on atrioventricular annular movement in healthy children by tissue Doppler imaging / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Detecting the atrioventricular annular velocity along the long axis of ventricle by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) is a useful modality to quantitatively assess global myocardial function. The present study was designed to quantitatively assess ventricular function in healthy children by TDI and to evaluate the clinical effect of growth and echocardiographic parameters on TDI velocities during childhood.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The study enrolled 242 healthy children aged 3 days to 17 years and they were divided into 8 groups: < 1 month of age group (37 cases), 1 month-of age group (28 cases), 7 months-of age group (21 cases), 1 year-of age group (36 cases), 4 years-of age group (40 cases), 7 years-of age group (26 cases), 10 years-of age group (28 cases) and > or = 13 years of age group (26 cases). Pulsed wave TDI velocities were obtained at the lateral mitral annulus (MA-L), basal septum (MA-S) and lateral tricuspid annulus (TA) during ventricular systole (Sa), early diastole (Ea) and late diastole (Aa), and Ea/Aa and E/Ea were obtained. Conventional echocardiography performed done and the parameters of left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), the transmitral and transtricuspid flow E wave and A wave velocities and E/A ratio were obtained. TDI parameters were compared with demographic and echocardiographic variables.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Sa, Ea and Ea/Aa were the lowest in children < 1 month of age [MA-L: Sa (4.8 +/- 0.7) cm/s, Ea (6.6 +/- 1.1) cm/s; MA-S: Sa (4.1 +/- 0.6) cm/s, Ea (5.0 +/- 0.8) cm/s; TA: Sa (6.2 +/- 1.2) cm/s, Ea (6.4 +/- 1.0) cm/s], and increased with age. The increase was significant from 1 month- to 1 year-of age group 1 year-of age group: MA-L: Sa (8.5 +/- 2.0) cm/s, Ea (16.3 +/- 2.6) cm/s; MA-S: Sa (7.2 +/- 0.8) cm/s, Ea (12.2 +/- 1.6) cm/s; TA: Sa (12.6 +/- 2.3) cm/s, Ea (14.7 +/- 2.6) cm/s. Ea and Sa of TA reached the older children's value earlier than those of the mitral annulus did. Aa increased in the 1 month-of age group compared to < 1 month of age group and remained stable beyond 1 year-of age group. Mitral annulus E/Ea ratio was high among neonates to 7-months-old children (MA-L: 9.2 +/- 2.1, MA-S: 12.1 +/- 2.9), and decreased with age, and there was a significant decrease in 1 year-of age group (MA-L: 5.9 +/- 1.2, MA-S: 7.8 +/- 1.3). In these healthy children, all the above TDI parameters except Aa were influenced by age, body surface area (BSA), LVEDD and heart rate. The influence of age and BSA showed a logarithm model. LVEDD was the main factor that influenced Sa and Ea of MA-L and MA-S, and it was the only single factor that influenced E/Ea ratio at mitral annulus.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>This study demonstrated that the left and right ventricular function developed with age in childhood, and it developed most rapidly during infancy and toddler period. The right ventricular function matured earlier than that of the left ventricle. Cardiac growth, age, and heart rate had important clinical effects on TDI velocities during childhood, and LVEDD had the most important influence on left ventricular systolic and diastolic function.</p>

Research on carotid artery wall elasticity using echo-tracking in children / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective To assess the wall elasticity of the common carotid artery using echo-tracking in healthy children and children with hyperlipidemia.Methods The study included 68 normal healthy children and 25 children with hyperlipidemia.All the subjects were 3-18 years old.They were divided into three groups according to ages 3-6 years old group,7-13 years old group and 14-18 years old group.Echo-tracking was used to measure the pressure-strain elastic modulus (E?),stiffness parameter(?)and arterial compliance (AC) of the common carotid artery.Results The average values of E? were different among the three age groups in normal healthy children (all P

Effect of Hyperlipidemia on Carotid Artery Wall Elasticity in Children / 实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To investigate the factors influencing the wall elasticity of carotid artery and the effect of hyperlipidemia on carotid artery elasticity in children.Methods Fifty-seven healthy children and 23 children with hyperlipidemia matched for age and sex were involved in the study.The pressure-strain elastic modulus(E?),stiffness parameter(?) and arterial compliance(AC) of carotid artery were measured by Aloka echo-tracking system.Correlations between age,blood pressure and E?,?,AC were analyzed in healthy children,respectively.Results In healthy children,age,systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure were positively correlated with E? and ?,and negatively correlated with AC.E? and ? significantly increased in children with hyperlipidemia compared to those in healthy children,and AC obviously decreased.Conclusions Hyperlipidemia might decrease the wall elasticity of carotid artery in children.Age and blood pressure are also factors affecting carotid artery elasticity in children.J Appl Clin Pediatr,2006,21(3):142-143