Herbal textual research on Rubi Fructus / 中国中药杂志

Rubi Fructus is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine. The origin of Rubi Fructus is the dried fruit of Rubus chingii, a plant of the family Rosaceae, according to the 2015 edition of Chinese pharmacopoeia. There are some differences in the plant origin of Rubi Fructus in ancient herbal literature, to trace back its sources, we conducted a textual research on its origin, producing areas, quality evaluation, processing and concocting, properties, tastes and efficacy etc. based on the records of ancient herbal literatures and combined with plant morphology and related investigation. RESULTS:: showed that the variety of Rubi Fructus was more complex among ancient herbal literature, including R. coreanus, R. hirsutus, R. corchorifolius, R. foliolosus and other mixed varieties. Most scholars believe that the R. chingii has not been recorded in ancient herbal literature, while R. chingii was recorded as early as the Ming Dynasty in Compendium of materia medica through our textual research. Ancient Chinese herbs recorded that Rubi Fructus was mostly produced in Hubei, Shandong, Shanxi and Jiangsu provinces, while R. chingii mainly produced in Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian and other provinces nowadays. Also, it was recorded that Rubi Fructus harvested in wheat field during May were the best. Besides, R. chingii with big, full, grain integrate, firm, yellow and green color, sour taste and impurity free possess the best quality in the contemporary. The ancient records of processing and concocting, properties, tastes and efficacy were basically the same as modern ones.These results provide the basis for the correct utilization and further development of Rubi Fructus.

Textual Research on Visci Herba / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Visci Herba， a commonly used Chinese medicinal， was often mistaken as Taxilli Herba in ancient Chinese materia medica. The two Chinese medicinals have often been confused even in present clinical practice， and their origins are difficult to be identified. Hence， it is necessary to carry out systematic and in-depth textual research. This paper explored the origin， producing area， quality evaluation， harvesting and processing， property， flavor， and efficacy of Visci Herba based on ancient Chinese materia medica of the past dynasties and modern plant morphology， so as to provide evidence for the development and utilization of Visci Herba. The findings demonstrated that Visci Herba was mostly recorded as Taxilli Herba until the name of Visci Herba appeared in the Tang Dynasty. The records of the two Chinese medicinals could be traced back to the Song Dynasty. Visci Herba and Taxilli Herba were officially listed as two different Chinese medicinals in the 1977 edition Chinese Pharmacopoeia for the first time， where the origin of Visci Herba was determined to be Viscum coloratum（Komar.）Nakai. According to the ancient Chinese materia medica， V. coloratum was mainly distributed in Lingbao， Henan province and Xuzhou， Jiangsu province and now it mostly grows in Northeast China and North China. In ancient times， Visci Herba with deep yellow cross-section and sticky fruit juice on the tree was preferred， which was often harvested on 3， March in spring， dried in the shade， grinded together with the roots， branches， stems， and leaves using the copper file， and preserved away from fire. By contrast， it is now usually harvested from winter to the next spring and then cut into sections for drying after the removal of thick stems， or dried after being steamed. As described in ancient Chinese materia medica， Visci Herba， bitter and sweet in flavor， neutral in property， possessed the effects of dispelling rheumatism， tonifying kidney， strengthening sinews and bones， benefiting blood vessels， and preventing abortion， basically consistent with its modern functions of dispelling rheumatism， tonifying liver and kidney， strengthening sinews and bones， and preventing abortion.

Evaluation of high-concentration sevoflurane for induction and nasotracheal intubation without muscle relaxant for infants with different pulmonary blood flow undergoing surgery for congenital heart diseases / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Inhalational anesthesia with sevoflurane for endotracheal intubation without muscle relaxant is now used widely for pediatric patients. This study assessed the efficacy and safety of induction with high concentration sevoflurane and of nasotracheal intubation without muscle relaxant in infants with increased or decreased pulmonary blood flow (PBF) and undergoing surgery for congenital heart diseases.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty-five infants aged 2 - 12 months, weighing 4.7 - 10.0 kg, and scheduled for congenital cardiac surgery were enrolled. Subjects were divided into those with increased (IPBF group, n = 29) and decreased (DPBF group, n = 26) pulmonary blood flow. All infants received inhalational induction with 8% sevoflurane in 100.0% oxygen at a gas flow rate of 6 L/min. Nasotracheal intubation was performed 4 minutes after induction. Sevoflurane vaporization was decreased to 4.0% for placement of a peripheral intravenous line and invasive hemodynamic monitors. Five minutes later, sedatives and muscle relaxant were administered and the vaporizer was adjusted to 2% for maintenance of anesthesia. Bispectral index (BIS) scores, circulatory parameters, satisfactory and successful intubation ratios, adverse reactions, and complications of intubation were recorded.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Times to loss of lash and pain reflexes were longer for the DPBF group (P < 0.01). Satisfactory intubation ratios were 93.1% and 61.5% for the IPBF and DPBF groups, respectively (P = 0.008). Successful intubation ratios were 96.6% and 76.9% for the IPBF and DPBF groups, respectively (P = 0.044). Following sevoflurane inhalation, blood pressures decreased significantly in the IPBF group but remained stable in the DPBF group. BIS scores declined to similar stable values, and a "nadir BIS" was recorded for both groups. No obvious adverse reactions or complications of intubation were noted perioperatively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Induction with high concentration sevoflurane, although faster for infants with IPBF, is safe for infants with IPBF or DPBF. However, nasotracheal intubation without muscle relaxant after induction with high concentration sevoflurane is less successful and less satisfactory for infants with DPBF and should be used with caution in this patient group.</p>

Frontalis muscle fascial flap passing through the pulley of orbital septum for correction of severe blepharoptosis / 中华整形外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical result of the frontalis muscle fascial flap passing through the pulley of orbital septum for correction of severe blepharoptosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>57 eyes in 52 cases with congenital severe blepharoptosis were treated in recent two years. After the frontalis muscle fascial flap was prepared beneath the orbicularis oculi muscle, the pulley was created by two parallel horizontal incision on the orbital septum at the upper orbital rim and 1 cm under the upper rim. The frontalis muscle fascial flap was then pulled down behind the pulley and out to be attached to the upper margin of tarsal plate.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The following-up period was 3-6 months. Satisfactory cosmetic result was achieved in 52 eyes. Three eyes had ptosis relapse and 2 eyes had unnatural contour of the palpebral margin which required another corrective operation. No other complication was observed.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The pulley created by the orbital septum makes the traction lines of the frontalis muscle fascial flap in a similar direction as the natural movement of levator muscle. So both the postoperative static and dynamic appearance of the upper lid is more natural. The technique is very practicable in correction of blepharoptosis.</p>

Reconstruction of orbital deformity after radiotherapy with transcranial orbitotomy advancement combining free flap / 中华整形外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study clinic therapeutic effect about reconstruction of severe orbital and cul-de-sac deformity after the radiotherapy with transcranial orbitotomy advancement combining cascade free flap both dorsum pedis flap and anterior tibial fascial flap.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Five cases was subjected to orbital and cut-de-sac severe deformities after both operation and radiotherapy because of retinoblastoma. The technique included transcranial orbital advancement by anterior orbital osteotomy and rigid fixed with titanic plate by coronal incision, and meanwhile incising the cul-de-sac which would be extended circumference around the central incision separation, and then designing extent of cascade flap consisted of dorsum pedis flap and anterior tibial fascial flap according to the size of cul-de-sac defect and extent of temporal depression. Then, the aforementioned two parts of cascade flap were transplanted into cul-de-sac and temple respectively. There is either the superficial temporal artery and vein or facial artery and jugular vein to chose vascular anastomosis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All flaps survived. After 3 to 6 months following up, the results showed satisfactory orbital contour and temporal depression improved significantly in all cases. After the conjunctival sac were fixiformed with prefabricated eye prosthesis mode about 3 months. 3 cases have good appearance with wearing eye prosthesis and the other 2 cases' appearance is poor. One of the poor appearance cases, with depressed eye socket, have orbital implant underlying conjunctival sac in secondary operation. The other one, with swallowed inferior fornix, is transplanted autogenous hard palatal mucosa into inferior fornix in secondary operation. In addition, delayed healing in donor site of dorsum pedis occurred in one of the 4 cases.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>It is a reliable procedure about reconstruction of severe orbital and cul-de-sac deformity after both the operation and radiotherapy with transcranial orbitotomy advancement combining cascade free flap both dorsum pedis flap and anterior tibial fascial flap. All deformity was corrected by one staged procedure which lessen patient's suffering and shorten patient's hospital stay and spare patient's costs.</p>

Modified transcranial orbitotomy for treating exophthalmic intraorbital tumor / 中华整形外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the feasibility of the modified osteotomy of transcranial orbitotomy in the treatment of intraorbital tumor.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We treated 8 patients with intraorbital tumor during six years. By the bicoronary incision, all cases underwent double bone flap osteotomy on the frontal bone: the superior orbital rim bone flap and roof flap instead of single fronto-orbital bone flap in the conventional transcranial orbitotomy. After removal of bone flaps, intracranial and intraorbital operation was performed. Then, two bone flaps were reduced respectively and fixated with titanic micro-plates and nails. At last, the scalp flap was sutured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The operative field was very well exposed. It was found that the retrobulbar tumor was located at the superolateral, median and superonasal area respectively, which was coincided with the preoperative CT and MRI. The tumor included adenocarcinoma of the lacrimal gland, neurinoma, meningioma, and cavernous hemangioma. Four patients had blood transfusion during the operation. No other postoperative complications happened except 3 cases of diplopia and one case of blindness. After 3 to 6 months follow up, diplopia of the 3 cases gradually disappeared. Of the 8 cases, 6 reached the same visual acuity as the preoperative state. One decreased visual acuity and one lost light perception. There was well-balanced fronto-orbital appearance and eyeball position compared with the healthy side in all cases.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>This surgical method for the treatment of intraorbital tumor is safe with well-exposed operative field. It has advantages not only in simpleness and less trauma, but also in keeping orbital roof and anterior fossa intact and decreasing complications.</p>