Anatomy of the Cun Position at Wrist and Its Application in Pulse Diagnosis.

Information on anatomy of the Cun position at wrist is lacking; whether the blood vessel taking pulse in Cun is the radial artery or the superficial palmar branch is also clinically controversial. The objective was to investigate the boundaries and contents, and the vascular distribution and their pulse points in Cun. Thirty-two upper extremities of 16 human cadavers were investigated for dissection and observation. The boundaries, contents, and blood vessel distribution in Cun were observed; the location of pulse points in Cun was identified; the length of the superficial palmar branch in wrist pulse (L1), the pulp width of the index finger (L2), and the angle between the radial artery and the superficial palmar branch were measured. The results showed that the Cun was located in the region formed by the bulge of the prominent bone proximal to the palm, the radial flexor tendon, the tubercle of scaphoid, and the abductor longus muscle tendon. In this area, the radial artery could be pulsed part in the medial side of the abductor longus muscle tendon, while the superficial palmar branch lied near the surface and was easy to pulse in the lateral side of the radial flexor tendon and the medial side of the tubercle of scaphoid. The ratio of L1 to L2 was 1.2±0.8, and the angle was 23.3±9.9°. The results suggested that it could not be generalized that the blood vessel taking pulse in Cun was the radial artery or the superficial palmar branch; it might depend on the vascular distribution in Cun, the region of finger positioning, and the patient's pulse condition.

[Relationship between the distribution of spinal nerve posterior ramus and locations of acupoint in low back].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between the distributions of posterior ramus of spinal nerve (PRSN) and locations of acupoint in low back through anatomical observation. METHODS: The regional anatomy was performed at five corpses to observe the distribution of erector spinae muscle and PRSN in areas of Jiaji points and back-shu points in low back. RESULTS: The T12, L1, L2, L3 and L4 PRSN distributed on both sides of the spine; the medial branches of PRSN travelled between spinalis thoracis muscle and longissimus thoracis muscle, while the lateral branches of PRSN travelled between longissimus thoracis muscle and iliocostalis lumborum muscle. CONCLUSIONS: Jiaji points and back-shu points in low back are closely associated with PRSN, particularly T12, L1, L2, L3 and L4.

Neuregulin-1 regulates the expression of Akt, Bcl-2, and Bad signaling after focal cerebral ischemia in rats.

Neuregulin-1 (NRG-1) is a member of the epidermal growth factor family. Our previous study showed that NRG-1 protected neurons from apoptosis following focal cerebral ischemia by the inhibition of caspase-3 and TNF-alpha expression. However, the molecular signaling mechanisms for this action of NRG-1 following cerebral ischemia are not fully understood. Presently, activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway has been implicated as a major contributor to neuronal survival after an ischemic insult. In the present study, we investigated whether NRG-1 modulates the activation of Akt and its downstream targets Bad and Bcl-2 expression after transient focal cerebral ischemia by intraluminal blockade of the middle cerebral artery. Western blot was employed to analyze the change of phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) expression; reverse transcription and polymerization chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used to measure changes of Bcl-2 mRNA. The level of phosphorylation of Bad (p-Bad) was determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Our results showed that recombinant human NRG-1(3.0 ng.kg-1) significantly increased the expression of p-Akt protein, Bcl-2 mRNA, and the level of p-Bad, respectively, whereas administration of LY294002, a specific inhibitor of PI3K, significantly decreased the expression of p-Akt, p-Bad, and Bcl-2 induced by NRG-1 after a 60 min ischemic insult, followed by 24 h of reperfusion. These results indicate that NRG-1 may be involved in regulating the expression of Bcl-2 and p-Bad through the PI3K/Akt pathway after transient focal cerebral ischemia.

[Applied anatomic study on lamina spiralis below promontory for cochlear implantation].

OBJECTIVE: To provide anatomic data for cochlear implantation, and to find the method of locating lamina spiralis (LS) on the surface of promontory. METHOD: Microanatomical study was carried out on 30 sides of human temporal bones by observing and measuring lamina spiralis below promontory, including its location, course and adjacent structures. RESULT: (1) The basal turn of lamina spiralis below promontory can be divided into three segments: the hook segment (1.52 +/- 0.16) mm, the anteroinferior round window segment (3.83 +/- 0.37) mm and the forwarding segment (2.70 +/- 0.36) mm by two hinge points of which one was located at anterior of the junction of superior margin and anterior border of RW, and the other was located at anteroinferior of the round window; (2) The plane of round window anteroinferior segment of LS lay (51.00 +/- 5.97) degrees anteroinferior to horizontal segment of the facial nerve and comparative permanently meet posterior margin of'stapes head. Made posterior margin of stapes head as a fixation point and draw a line on promontory lay (51.00 +/- 45.97) degrees anteroinferior to horizontal segment of the facial nerve. This line can be thought as the projection of anteroinferior round window segment of LS on promontory; (3) The width of scala tympani at cochleostomy site on promontory: width of scala tympani at midpoint of superior margin of round window was (0.36 +/- 0.06) mm; width of scala tympani at midpoint of anterior border of round window was (0.97 +/- 0.14) mm; width of scala tympani at 3 mm point of anteroinferior round window segment was (1.24 +/- 0.21) mm. CONCLUSION: (1) The basal turn lamina spiralis below promontory can be divided into three segments (the hook segment, the anteroinferior round window segment and the forwarding segment) by two hinge points; (2) The projection of anteroinferior round window segment of LS and the features exhibited in its course provide reference for locating the basal turn scala tympani and offer reliable anatomical basis for minimal invasive intervention during cochlear implantation.