[Treatment of declining in ovarian reserve by shen-reinforcing and menstrual cycle-regulating therapy combined with western medicine: a clinical observation].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of Shen-reinforcing and menstrual cycle-regulating therapy (SRMCRT) combined with Western medicine (WM) in treating decline in ovarian reserve (DOR). METHODS: Totally 78 patients with DOR were assigned to the traditional Chinese medicine combined WM group (abbreviated as IM group, 40 cases), and the WM group (38 cases) according to random digit table method. Patients in the WM group were treated with hormone replacement therapy, while those in the IM group additionally received SRMCRT. The therapeutic course for all was 3 consecutive months. The therapeutic efficacy was compared between the two groups. The serum levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), FSH/luteinizing hormone (LH), and estradiol (E2), as well as the development of sinus follicles were compared between before and after treatment in the two groups. RESULTS: The therapeutic effective rate was 92.5% in the IM group, higher than that of the WM group (73.68%, P < 0.05). The serum levels of FSH, FSH/LH, and E2 decreased (P < 0.05) and the number of the sinus follicle increased (P < 0.05) in the two groups after treatment. Besides, IM was superior in decreasing serum levels of FSH and FSH/LH, and increasing the number of the sinus follicle (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: SRMCRT was an effective method for treating ROD. IM was superior in decreasing serum levels of FSH and FSH/LH, and increasing the number of the sinus follicle.

Efficacy and safety of ondansetron in preventing postanesthesia shivering: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Shivering is a very common complication in the postanesthesia period. Increasing studies have reported ondansetron may be effective in prevention of postanesthesia shivering (PAS). However, the results remained controversial; hence we conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ondansetron on the prevention of postanesthesia shivering. METHODS: PubMed and Embase databases were searched to identify the eligible randomized controlled trials assessing the effect of ondansetron on the prevention of PAS. Results were expressed as risk ratios (RRs) with accompanying 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The meta-analysis was performed with fixed-effect model or random-effect model according to the heterogeneity. RESULTS: Six trials including 533 subjects were included. Compared with placebo, ondansetron was associated with a significant reduction of PAS (RR 0.43, 95% CI, 0.27-0.70), without an increased risk of bradycardia (RR 0.37, 95% CI, 0.12-1.15). Compared with meperidine, no difference was observed in the incidence of PAS (RR 0.68, 95% CI, 0.39-1.19) and bradycardia (RR 2.0, 95% CI, 0.38-10.64). CONCLUSIONS: Ondansetron has a preventive effect on PAS without a paralleled side effect of bradycardia.

Electroacupuncture-regulated neurotrophic factor mRNA expression in the substantia nigra of Parkinson's disease rats.

Acupuncture for the treatment of Parkinson's disease has a precise clinical outcome. This study investigated the effect of electroacupuncture at Fengfu (GV16) and Taichong (LR3) acupoints in rat models of Parkinson's disease induced by subcutaneous injection of rotenone into rat neck and back. Reverse transcription-PCR demonstrated that brain-derived neurotrophic factor and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA expression was significantly increased in the substantia nigra of rat models of Parkinson's disease, and that abnormal behavior of rats was significantly improved following electroacupuncture treatment. These results indicated that electroacupuncture treatment upregulated brain-derived neurotrophic factor and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA expression in the substantia nigra of rat models of Parkinson's disease. Thus, electroacupuncture may be useful in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Application of T-DNA insertional mutagenesis for improving cellulase production in the filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei.

A T-DNA-tagged mutant library created by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation (AMT) was assayed for improvement of cellulase production. After 96-well plate screening for rapid growth on cellulose substrates followed by plate-clearing zone assay, three putative mutants, TA-32, TB-87 and TE-6, with enhanced cellulolytic ability were isolated, exhibiting 38%, 51% and 31% increase in total cellulase activity than the parental strain QM9414, respectively. Endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase and ß-glucosidase activities as well as the hydrolysis efficiencies of the mutants were also improved. Moreover, T-DNA was shown to be integrated at a single site in the genomes of TA-32 and TE-6 while inserted at two copies into the genome of TB-87. Further, the sequences flanking the T-DNA insertion sites were successfully rescued, demonstrating the increased utility of T-DNA insertional mutagenesis for improvement of cellulase production as well as subsequent identification of the tagged genes relevant to cellulolytic ability.