[Clinical effects of matrix acupuncture on cervical spondylotic radiculopathy with nuchal ligament calcification].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of matrix acupuncture on the neck disability index (NDI) score, clinical efficacy, and the calcification size of the nuchal ligament in patients of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy with nuchal ligament calcification. METHODS: A total of 120 cases were randomly divided into a matrix acupuncture group and a routine acupuncture group, with 60 cases in each group. In the matrix acupuncture group, Ashi-point, bilateral Tianzhu (BL10), bilateral Fengchi (GB20), bilateral Dazhu (BL11), bilateral Jianzhongshu (SI15), and Jianjing (GB21), Tianzong (SI11), Quchi (LI11), Shousanli (LI10), Waiguan (TE5), and Hegu (LI4) at the affected side were selected. In the routine acupuncture group, C3-C7 Jiaji points at the neck and Jianjing (GB21), Tianzong (SI11), Quchi (LI11), Shousanli (LI10), Waiguan (TE5), Hegu (LI4), and Ashi-point at the affected side were selected. The patients in the two groups were treated 30 min once, six days a week, for a total of four weeks. The NDI scores, clinical efficacies, and calcification sizes of nuchal ligament were compared between the two groups every wee-kend. RESULTS: After four weeks of treatment, the NDI scores and calcification volumes of nuchal ligament decreased in both groups (P<0.05). Compared with the routine acupuncture group, the matrix acupuncture group showed decreased NDI scores and reduced calcification volumes of nuchal ligament at the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th weeks of treatment (P<0.05). The cure and marked effective rate in the matrix acupuncture group at the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th weeks of treatment were superior to those of the routine acupuncture group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The matrix acupuncture group and the routine acupuncture group are effective in reducing the NDI score and calcification size of nuchal ligament in patients of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy with nuchal ligament calcification. However, matrix acupuncture has obvious advantages over routine acupuncture.

[Efficacy and safety of sorafenib in the prevention and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrences after liver transplantation].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of sorafenib in the prevention and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) relapse after liver transplantation. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed to assess the efficacy and safety of sorafenib for HCC. Forty-four patients who underwent liver transplant for HCC beyond Milan criteria form July 2007 to May 2010 were included study group (sorafenib, n = 22) and control group (without sorafenib, n = 22). The primary endpoints of the study were disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS). Secondary outcomes included the rates of acute rejection and graft survival. RESULTS: The clinical data of 44 patients were completely collected. There were significantly differences between sorafenib group and control group in 1-year DFS (81.8% (n = 18) vs 63.6% (n = 14), P < 0.05) and OS (90.9% (n = 20) vs 72.7% (n = 16), P < 0.05) respectively. The acute rejection rates in Sorafenib were 13.6% (3/22), compared with 18.2% (4/22) in control group (P = 0.524) and 1-year graft survival in Sorafenib group were 86.4% (19/22), compared with 72.7% (16/22) in control group (P = 0.086). The overall incidence of treatment-related adverse events was 68.1% (n = 15) in sorafenib group and 31.8% (n = 7) in the control group (P < 0.01). Adverse events that were reported for patients receiving sorafenib were predominantly grade 1 or 2 in severity including diarrhea (45.5%, n = 10), liver dysfunction (40.9%, n = 9), hand-foot skin reaction (31.8%, n = 7) and pains of head and four limbs (22.7%, n = 5). Two patients with grade 3 adverse events in study group were stopped continuing to use the sorafenib. Three patients with the dose of 400 mg twice daily and 17 patients with the dose reduction of sorafenib continued to the study endpoint. CONCLUSION: Patients with HCC undergoing liver transplantation could get the benefits of Sorafenib in reducing the incidence of tumor recurrence and extending disease-free and overall survival time.

Thermotherapy enhances oxaliplatin-induced cytotoxicity in human colon carcinoma cells.

AIM: To observe the synergistic effects of hyperthermia in oxaliplatin-induced cytotoxicity in human colon adenocarcinoma Lovo cells. METHODS: The human colon adenocarcinoma cell line Lovo was obtained from Sun Yat-Sen University. Cells were sealed with parafilm and placed in a circulating water bath, and was maintained within 0.01 °C of the desired temperature (37 °C, 39 °C, 41 °C, 43 °C and 45 °C). Thermal therapy was given alone to the negative control group while oxaliplatin was administered to the treatment group at doses of 12.5 µg/mL and 50 µg/mL. Identification of morphological changes, 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, flow cytometry and Western blotting were used to investigate the effect of thermochemotherapy on human colon adenocarcinoma Lovo cells, including changes in the signal pathway related to apoptosis. RESULTS: A temperature-dependent inhibition of cell growth was observed after oxaliplatin exposure, while a synergistic interaction was detected preferentially with sequential combination. Thermochemotherapy changed the morphology of Lovo cells, increased the inhibition rate of the Lovo cells (P < 0.05) and enhanced cellular population in the G0/G1 phase (16.7% ± 4.8 % in phase S plus 3.7% ± 2.4 % in phase G2/M, P < 0.05). Thermochemotherapy increased apoptosis through upregulating p53, Bax and downregulating Bcl-2. Protein levels were elevated in p53, Bax/Bcl-2 in thermochemotherapy group as compared with the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Thermochemotherapy may play an important role in apoptosis via the activation of p53, Bax and the repression of Bcl-2 in Lovo cells.

Study on the protective effect of shengmai san (see text) on the myocardium in the type 2 diabetic cardiomyopathy model rat.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Shengmai San ((see text) Pulse-activating Powder) in protecting myocardium in the rat of the type 2 diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) model. METHODS: The DCM rat model was established by combination of insulin resistance induced by a high-fat diet with intraperitoneal injection of high dose streptozotocin (50 mg/kg). And these rat models were randomly divided into three groups: a normal group (n = 12,one of them died), a model group (n = 15) and a Shengmai San group (treatment group, n = 15).The damage of the myocardium was assessed by electrocardiogram at the twelfth week after modeling, and the blood glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels were determined; the content of the left cardiac ventricle myocardial collagen was quantified by Masson staining test; the level of myocardial cell apoptosis was detected with TUNEL apoptosis detection kit; the damage extent of the myocardial sub-cellular structures was observed by electron microscopy; the expression levels of cardiac TSP-1 (Thrombospondin-1), TGF-beta1 (Transforming Growth F factor-beta) and TRB-3 (Tribbles homolog 3) proteins were detected by immunohistochemical method; the expression levels of cardiac TSP-1, A-TGF-beta1 and L-TGF-beta1 proteins were detected by Western blotting; and the expression levels of TSP-1 and TRB-3 mRNAs were detected by real-time quantitative PCR. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides levels in both the model groups and the Shengmai San group were significantly decreased; the myocardial tissue was less damaged and the collagen content was reduced in the Shengmai San group; the myocardial sub-cellular structure was injured to a lesser extent; the expression levels of myocardial TSP-1, TGF-beta1, TRB-3, and TSP-1, A-TGF-beta1, L-TGF-beta1 and chymase were decreased, and the expression levels of TSP-1 mRNA and TRB-3 mRNA were decreased in both the model groups and the Shengmai San group (the latter was better),. CONCLUSION: Shengmai San can inhibit myocardial fibrosis in the rat of diabetic cardiomyopathy, and significantly delay the formation of diabetic cardiomyopathy in hyperglycemia rats through multiple pathways.

[Study on the effects of hematopoiesis of anemic mice after marrow-suppressed treated by tonifying kidney, invigorating spleen, and removing blood stasis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of tonifying kidney,tonifying spleen,invigorating the circulation of blood on the expression of hematopooietic cytokines of bone marrow suppression induced by chemotherapy. METHODS: Automated blood analyzer was used to detect the level of RBC and HGB, 14th and 28 days, while real time quantitative RT-PCR was used to detect EPO, EPOR mRNA expression. RESULTS: Liuwei Dihuang Tang, Buzhong Yiqi Tang and Compound Danshen Decoction group could increase the level of RBC and HGB significantly. Liuwei Dihuang Tang and Buzhong Yiqi Tang groups could increase the mRNA expression level of EPO and EPOR significantly. However, there was no significantly difference when Compound Danshen Decoction group compared with control group on EPO, EPOR mRNA expression level. CONCLUSION: The tonifying kidney, tonifying spleen, invigorate the circulation of blood are stable and reliable as to enhance the role of peripheral blood; tonifying kidney, tonifying spleen can improve EPO, EPOR mRNA expression levels, and promote the proliferation of bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells, and promote the differentiation of erythroid blood cells to increase red blood cell line; And invigorate the circulation of blood promote hematopoietic mechanisms have to be further studied.

Protective effects on myelosuppression mice treated by three different classic Chinese medicine formulae.

BACKGROUND: In order to observe the protective therapeutic action and mechanism of Liuwei Dihuang Decoction, Buzhong Yiqi Decoction, and Compound Danshen Decoction on Myelosuppression induced by cyclophosphamide. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The mice model was established by intraperitoneal injected with 100 mg/kg cyclophosphamide by human and mice dose conversion on the 9(th), 11(th), 13(th) days during the experiment. Flow cytometry (FCM) was used for detecting the number of cells and investigating bone marrow cell cycles. Spleen was taken out and the mRNA expression level of thrombopoietin (TPO) and c-Mpl were detected by Q-PCR, and c-Mpl in spleen in order to discuss the mechanism of myelosuppression and the protective effects of traditional Chinese medicine. RESULTS: Both Liuwei Dihuang Decoction Group and Buzhong Yiqi Decoction Group can accelerate bone marrow hematopoietic stem progenitor cells (HSPCs) in marrow-suppressed mice and enhance cell proliferation by promoting cell cycles from G0/G1 phase to access into S, G2/M phase. And at the same time these Chinese decoctions can increase the mRNA expression level of TPO and c-Mpl in spleen. CONCLUSION: Researched showed that Chinese formula take effect by affecting these genes on myelosuppressed mice.

Study on the protective effect of the Mixture of Shengmai Powder and Danshen Decoction on the myocardium of diabetic cardiomyopathy in the rat model.

OBJECTIVE: To study the protective effect of the Mixture of Shengmai Powder and Danshen Decoction (, abbreviated as the Mixture) in the rat model with type 2 diabetic cardiomyopathy in the rat model with type 2 diabetic cardiomyopathy, abbreviated as the Mixture) in the rat model with type 2 diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). METHODS: Forty-two SD rats with DCM model, established by the combination of insulin resistance by a high-fat diet with the damage of pancreatic islet ß cells by intraperitoneal injection of high dose streptozotocin (50 mg/kg) once, were evaluated in the damage of the myocardium by electrocardiogram at the end of 12 weeks of grouping and intervention administration; the extent of damage in the myocardial subcellular structure was observed by electron microscopy; the content of myocardial collagen in the left cardiac ventricle was quantified by Masson staining test; the myocardial cell apoptosis was determined by TUNEL; the changes in the mRNA expression levels of thrombospodin-1 (TSP-1) and tribbles homolog 3 (TRB-3) by real-time quantitative PCR, the expression levels of myocardial TSP-1, tumor growth factorß1 (TGF-ß1), TRB-3, and chymase were detected by immunohistochemistry, and the changes in the expression levels of myocardial TSP-1, active-TGF-ß1 (A-TGF-ß1) and latent-TGF-ß1 (L-TGF-ß1) protein were tested by Western blotting. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the myocardial tissue was less damaged, and the extent of damage in the myocardial subcellular structure was less; the collagen fiber content and the cell apoptosis were reduced; the expression levels of TSP-1mRNA and TRB-3 mRNA, the expression levels of myocardial TSP-1, TGF-ß1, TRB-3, and chymase, as well as the average expression levels of the myocardial TSP-1, A-TGFß1, and L-TGF-ß1 protein were decreased in the Mixture group. CONCLUSION: The Mixture of Shengmai Powder and Danshen Decoction could inhibit the process of myocardial fibrosis in the rat myocardium of DCM through multiple pathways and significantly delay the genesis and progress of DCM in hyperglycemic rats.

Study on the protective effect of the Mixture of Shengmai Powder and Danshen Decoction on the myocardium of diabetic cardiomyopathy in the rat model / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the protective effect of the Mixture of Shengmai Powder and Danshen Decoction (, abbreviated as the Mixture) in the rat model with type 2 diabetic cardiomyopathy in the rat model with type 2 diabetic cardiomyopathy, abbreviated as the Mixture) in the rat model with type 2 diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-two SD rats with DCM model, established by the combination of insulin resistance by a high-fat diet with the damage of pancreatic islet β cells by intraperitoneal injection of high dose streptozotocin (50 mg/kg) once, were evaluated in the damage of the myocardium by electrocardiogram at the end of 12 weeks of grouping and intervention administration; the extent of damage in the myocardial subcellular structure was observed by electron microscopy; the content of myocardial collagen in the left cardiac ventricle was quantified by Masson staining test; the myocardial cell apoptosis was determined by TUNEL; the changes in the mRNA expression levels of thrombospodin-1 (TSP-1) and tribbles homolog 3 (TRB-3) by real-time quantitative PCR, the expression levels of myocardial TSP-1, tumor growth factorβ1 (TGF-β1), TRB-3, and chymase were detected by immunohistochemistry, and the changes in the expression levels of myocardial TSP-1, active-TGF-β1 (A-TGF-β1) and latent-TGF-β1 (L-TGF-β1) protein were tested by Western blotting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control group, the myocardial tissue was less damaged, and the extent of damage in the myocardial subcellular structure was less; the collagen fiber content and the cell apoptosis were reduced; the expression levels of TSP-1mRNA and TRB-3 mRNA, the expression levels of myocardial TSP-1, TGF-β1, TRB-3, and chymase, as well as the average expression levels of the myocardial TSP-1, A-TGFβ1, and L-TGF-β1 protein were decreased in the Mixture group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The Mixture of Shengmai Powder and Danshen Decoction could inhibit the process of myocardial fibrosis in the rat myocardium of DCM through multiple pathways and significantly delay the genesis and progress of DCM in hyperglycemic rats.</p>