Effect of acupuncture at Renying (ST 9) on blood pressure in patients with ischemic stroke complicated with essential hypertension / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of acupuncture at Renying (ST 9) on morning blood pressure, daytime peak blood pressure and 24-hour blood pressure load in patients with ischemic stroke complicated with essential hypertension.@*METHODS@#A total of 80 patients (3 cases dropped off) were randomized into an observation group (39 cases) and a control group (38 cases). acupuncture and nifedipine were given in the control group. On the basis of treatment in the control group, acupuncture at Renying (ST 9) was applied in the observation group, once a day, 6 times a week for 4 weeks. The changes of morning blood pressure, daytime peak blood pressure and blood pressure load were observed before and after treatment in the two groups.@*RESULTS@#Compared before treatment, morning blood pressure, daytime peak blood pressure and blood pressure load after treatment were reduced in the two groups (all 0.05); the changes of morning diastolic pressure, daytime peak blood pressure and blood pressure load in the observation group were larger than those in the control group (all <0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#On the basis of acupuncture and nifedipine, acupuncture at Renying (ST 9) can effectively reduce morning blood pressure, daytime peak blood pressure and blood pressure load in patients with ischemic stroke complicated with essential hypertension.

Effects of Simulated Heat Wave and Ozone on High Fat Diet ApoE Deficient Mice / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To discuss the cardiac toxicities of a heat waves and ozone exposure on cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and explore a possible mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The incidence of ozone exposure combined with heat wave was simulated in the Shanghai Meteorological and Environmental Animal Exposure System (Shanghai-METAS). A total of 64 ApoE-/- mice, matched by weight, were randomly divided into 8 groups and exposed to heat wave conditions or ozone. The levels of creatine kinase (CK), D-lactate dehydrogenase (D-LDH), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), nitric oxide (NO), endothelin-1 (ET-1), D-dimer (D2D), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and blood lipid in plasma and heat shock protein-60 (HSP60), hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in hearts were measured after exposure.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The levels of all indicators, except for SOD, increased with the ozone-only exposure. However, cardiac damage was most significant when the heat wave conditions were combined with severe ozone exposure. Moreover, the levels of CK, D-LDH, NO, PAI-1, sICAM-1, and TNF-α in plasma increased significantly (P < 0.05), and the contents of HSP60, HIF-1α, CRP, and MDA in hearts increased considerably (P < 0.05), but the activity of SOD decreased significantly. In addition, the levels of four blood lipid items remarkably increased (except the level of HDL-C which decreased significantly) with ozone exposure.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>A short-term exposure to a heat wave and ozone causes severe toxic effects on the heart. Cardiac damage was most significant under combined heat wave and severe ozone exposure simulations.</p>

Identification of radix et rhizoma clematidis and its adulterants using DNA barcoding / 药学学报

This study provides the candidate sequences in the identification of Radix et Rhizoma Clematidis and its adulterants using DNA barcoding. We amplified and sequenced the region psbA-trnH, with the data of 284 sequences from GenBank, the differential intra- and inter-specific divergences, genetic distance, barcoding gap were used to evaluate five barcodes, and the identification efficiency was assessed using BLAST1 and Nearest Distance methods. The results showed that psbA-trnH barcodes performed high identification efficiency and inter-specific divergences among the five different DNA barcodes. Analysis of the barcoding gap and NJ tree showed psbA-trnH was superior to other barcodes. Based on the identification and PCR amplification efficiency, psbA-trnH can be the ideal barcode to identify Radix et Rhizoma Clematidis and its adulterants accurately.

Risk factors for suicide attempt among college students at Central South University / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To understand the prevalence and risk factors for suicidal ideation among college students and to provide a scientific basis for promoting psychological health and suicide prevention.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>623 college students at Central South University were selected using stratified cluster sampling and administered a suicide ideation questionnaire, a Symptom Check List (SCL-90), an Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Check List (ASLEC), a Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) and a questionnaire about background information. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to identify risk factors for suicide ideation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>One year prior to our investigation, 14.6% of respondents had suicide ideation, 2.5% had made a specific suicide plan, and 1.8% had made a suicide attempt. The main risk factors for suicide ideation were dissatisfaction with the selected major of study, limited social support, recent negative life events and depressive tendency.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The prevalence of suicide ideation among these college students was high. Appropriate measures focusing on the risk factors identified in this study should be urgently developed to prevent suicides in college students.</p>