Neuroimaging in the Understanding of Acupuncture Analgesia: A Review of Acupuncture Neuroimaging Study Based on Experimental Pain Models.

With the development of real-time and visualized neuroimaging techniques, the studies on the central mechanism of acupuncture analgesia gain increasing attention. The experimental pain models have been widely used in acupuncture-analgesia neuroimaging studies with quantitative and controlled advantages. This review aimed to analyze the study design and main findings of acupuncture neuroimaging studies to provide reference for future study. The original studies were collected and screened in English databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library) and Chinese databases (Chinese Nation Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, the Chongqing VIP Database, and Wanfang Database). As a result, a total of 27 articles were included. Heat stimulation and electroacupuncture were the mostly used pain modeling method and acupuncture modality, respectively. The neuroimaging scanning process can be divided into two models and five subtypes. The anterior cingulate cortex and insula were the most commonly reported brain regions involved in acupuncture analgesia with experimental pain models.

Alterations of White Matter Network Properties in Patients With Functional Constipation.

Background: The abnormalities in brain function and structure of patients with functional constipation (FC) have been identified using multiple neuroimaging studies and have confirmed the abnormal processing of visceral sensation at the level of the central nervous system (CNS) as an important reason for FC. As an important basis for central information transfer, the role of the white matter (WM) networks in the pathophysiology of FC has not been investigated. This study aimed to explore the topological organization of WM networks in patients with FC and its correlation with clinical variables. Methods and Analysis: In this study, 70 patients with FC and 45 age- and gender-matched healthy subjects (HS) were recruited. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data and clinical variables were acquired from each participant. WM networks were constructed using the deterministic fiber tracking approach, and the global and nodal properties of the WM networks were compared using graph theory analysis between patients with FC and HS. The relationship between the representative nodal characteristics-nodal betweenness and clinical parameters was assessed using partial correlation analysis. Results: Patients with FC showed increased nodal characteristics in the left superior frontal gyrus (orbital part), right middle frontal gyrus (orbital part), and right anterior cingulate and paracingulate (P < 0.05, corrected for false discovery rate) and decreased nodal characteristics in the left caudate and left thalamus (P < 0.05, corrected for false discovery rate) compared with HS. The duration of FC was negatively correlated with the nodal betweenness of the left thalamus (r = -0.354, P = 0.04, corrected for false discovery rate). Conclusion: The results indicated the alternations in WM networks of patients with FC and suggested the abnormal visceral sensation processing in the CNS from the perspective of large-scale brain WM network.

Clinical efficacy of hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy plus target therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma / 中华消化外科杂志

Primary liver cancer is one of the common malignant tumors and its mortality ranks third in the world. Because there are no obvious symptoms in the early stage of liver cancer, most patients are diagnosed as advanced stage, without the opportunity of surgical resection. The authors report a case of hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombus, which reduced significantly after hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy combined with bevacizumab and atezolizumab, showing the safety and efficacy.

Therapeutic Observation of Acupuncture for Oxycodone Hydrochloride-induced Constipation / 上海针灸杂志

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture in treating Oxycodone hydrochloride-induced constipation in cancer pain patients.Method Sixty cancer pain patients with Oxycodone hydrochloride-induced constipation were randomized into a treatment group and a control group, 30 cases in each group. The treatment group was intervened by acupuncture, while the control group was by oral administration of lactulose oral solution. The therapeutic efficacies were compared after 2-week treatment, and the quality of life was evaluated before and after treatment.Result The total effective rate was 90.0% in the treatment group versus 73.3% in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) score was significantly changed in the treatment group after intervention (P<0.05). There was a significant difference in comparing the KPS score between the two groups after treatment (P<0.05).Conclusion Acupuncture can produce a significant efficacy in treating Oxycodone hydrochloride-induced constipation, and also improve the patients’ quality of life.

Prognostic factors of relapse and metastasis after radical resection of lung adenocarcinoma / 国际肿瘤学杂志

Objective To explore the risk factors of local relapse and distant metastasis after radical resection of lung adenocarcinoma.Methods A total of 102 patients with lung adenocarcinoma operated in First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from January 2005 to January 2010 were collected.The correlation between clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis was evaluated by single-factor and multi-factor analyses.The survival curves were plotted using Kaplan-Meier.Single-factor analysis of statistical difference was tested using Log-rank test.Multi-factor analysis of prognostic factors were produced by COX regression proportional hazards model.Results In the whole group,1,2,3 and 5 year disease-free survival rates were 74.30％,58.00％,51.50％ and 44.90％ respectively,and the median disease-free survival was 30 months.Single-factor analysis showed that tumor size (x2 =9.951,P =0.002),clinical type (x2 =8.460,P =0.004),differentiated degree (x2 =4.807,P =0.028),lymph node metastasis (x2 =40.516,P =0.000),pathological stage (x2 =38.769,P =0.000) were prognostic factors for local relapse and distant metastasis in postoperative patients with lung adenocarcinoma.Muti-factor analysis showed that tumor size (OR =1.943,95 ％ CI:1.091-3.463,x2 =5.082,P =0.024),differentiated degree (OR =2.570,95 ％ CI:1.451-4.552,x2 =10.467,P =0.001),lymph node metastasis (OR =3.196,95％ CI:1.037-9.849,x2 =4.096,P =0.043) were independent prognostic factors for local relapse and distant metastasis in postoperative patients with lung adenocarcinoma.Conclusion Tumor size,differentiated degree and lymph node metastasis are independent prognostic factors for local relapse and distant metastasis in postoperative patients with lung adenocarcinoma.