[Observation of acupoint application of gel plaster on insomnia].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupoint application of gel plaster on quality of sleep and life in patients with insomnia. METHODS: A total of 63 patients with insomnia were randomized into a gel plaster group (32 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a placebo plaster group (31 cases). Acupoint application of gel plaster was applied at Yintang (GV 29) and Yongquan (KI 1) in the gel plaster group, placebo plaster was applied at the same acupoints in the placebo plaster group. The treatment was given from bedtime to early moming of the next day, 5 days were as one course, with 2-day interval, totally 4 courses were required in the both groups. Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) and Flinders fatigue scale were used to evaluate the sleep quality and fatigue level of the patients in the both groups before and after treatment and at 2 weeks of follow-up. The variations of insomnia TCM syndrome score and the 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36) score before and after treatment were observed. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the scores of PSQI, ESS and FFS after treatment and at follow-up were decreased in the both groups (P<0.01), and the variations of PSQI total scores and ESS scores in the gel plaster group were larger than those in the placebo plaster group (P<0.05). Compared before treatment, the insomnia TCM syndrome scores were decreased (P<0.01), the scores of physiological function, physiological role, general health, role emotion, mental health of SF-36 were improved after treatment in the both groups (P<0.05), and the social function score after treatment in the gel plaster group was superior to that in the placebo plaster group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupoint application of gel plaster can effectively improve the quality of sleep and life in patients with insomnia.

[Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia caused by mutation in intron 4 of ALK1 gene: analysis of a HTT family].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the molecular pathogenesis of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). METHODS: Peripheral blood samples were collected from a HTT family, including the proband, female, aged 48, and her mother, elder brother, elder sister, younger brother, and son. HHT gene mutations were identified by PCR-SSCP and DNA sequencing and confirmed by reverse sequencing. Ectopic transcripts of RT-PCR were used to confirm the characteristics of the mutation in non-canonical splicing site (IV S4 + 3 a > t). RESULTS: A mutational segment of PCR product of exon 4, exon-intron boundaries and the 3', 5' untranslated sequence of ALK1 gene was identified by PCR-SSCP. The mutational segment was analyzed by DNA sequencing. An IV S4 + 3 a > t mutation was found, causing splicing abnormality of intron 4 and exon 3 skipping. CONCLUSION: A splicing pattern of the IV S4 + 3 a > t mutation has been reported among Chinese HHT2 patients for the first time.