A preliminary study on the relationship between environmental endocrine disruptors and precocious puberty in girls.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the associations of environmental endocrine disruptors on precocious puberty in girls. METHODS: This was a case-control study in which 30 girls with precocious puberty and 46 age- and race-matched prepubertal females were enrolled. The concentrations of 10 environment endocrine disruptors (bisphenol A, bisphenol B, butylparaben, propylparaben, ethvlparaben, methylparaben, mono-butyl phthalate, mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, monoethyl phthalate, and monomethyl phthalate) in urine and 10 steroid hormones (dihydrotestosterone, corticosterone, hydrocortisone, 11-deoxycortisol, 17α-hydroxy progesterone, 4-androstene-3,17-dione, estrone, deoxycorticosterone, pregnenolone, and dehydroepiandrosterone) in serum were detected with the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). RESULTS: According to the Mann-Whitney U test, urinary levels of bisphenol A, monobutyl phthalate, and monomethyl phthalate were significantly higher in the precocious group than in the prepubertal group, and blood levels of hydrocortisone, 11-deoxycortisol, corticosterone, deoxycorticosterone, and pregnenolone were significantly lower in the precocious group than in the prepubertal group (p<0.05, VIP>1). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirm the association between phthalate exposure and the incidence of precocious puberty in girls. Control and reduction of children exposure to phthalate esters should be considered as a health priority.

[Clinical research on mild and moderate carpal tunnel syndrome treated with contralateral needling technique at distal acupoints and acupuncture at local acupoints].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the differences in the clinical therapeutic effects on mild and moderate carpal tunnel syndrome between the combined therapy of regular acupuncture and contralateral needling technique at distal acupoints and the regular acupuncture. METHODS: Sixty patients of mild and moderate carpal tunnel syndrome were divided into an observation group and a control group according to random number table, 30 cases in each one. Laogong (PC 8), Daling (PC 7), Neiguan (PC 6), Yuji (LU 10) and Hegu (LI 4) were selected on the affected side in the two groups. In the observation group, the reducing needling technique with lifting and thrusting was applied at first to Taichong (LR 3) and Zhongfeng (LR 4) on the opposite side and afterwards those on the affected side were stimulated. In the control group, acupuncture was given at the acupoints on the affected side. The even-needling technique was used at the acupoints on the affected side in the patients of the two groups. Acupuncture was given once every day, 30 min each time. The treatment for 10 days was as one session. The therapeutic effects were evaluated after 3 sessions. The changes in median nerve electrophysiology, Levine's carpal tunnel syndrome questionnaire, the patient-rated wrist evaluation (PRWE) and the evaluation of therapeutic effects were observed before and after treatment in the two groups. RESULTS: The total effective rate was 90.0% (27/30) in the observation group, better than 70.0% (21/30) in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the nerve sensory conduction velocity and the amplitude of median nerve were all increased in the two groups, indicating the significant differences (all P<0.05). The increase in the observation group was more apparent than that in the control group (all P<0.05). The symptom severity score (SSS) and function status score (FSS) were all reduced apparently after treatment in the two groups (both P<0.05). SSS and FSS in the observation group were lower apparently than those in the control group after treatment (both P<0.05). PRWE score after treatment was reducedapparently as compared with that before treatment in the two groups (both P<0.05). The result in the observation group was lower than that in the control group after treatment (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The combined treatment of regular acupuncture technique and the contralateral needling technique at distal acupoints achieves the definite therapeutic effects on mild and moderate carpal tunnel syndrome, apparently superior to the regular needling technique.

[Professor Wu Lian-zhong's experience on four needling methods at Fengchi (GB 20)].

The paper introduces the manipulation and different clinical application examines of the 4 needling methods, oblique needling, horizontal needling, deep needling and transversal needling summarized by Prof. Wu Lian-zhong on the basis of many years's clinical work.