[Formulation regularity of traditional Chinese medicine in treatment of sinusitis based on data mining].

Based on the Drugdataexpy and the prescription modern application database, this study explored the formulation regularity of ancient and modern prescriptions for the treatment of sinusitis. The Chinese medicinal prescriptions for the treatment of sinusitis with various syndromes were retrieved from the above databases and the corresponding formulation regularity was investigated by frequency analysis, association rule analysis, and factor analysis. Eighty-seven Chinese medicinal prescriptions were included, involving five syndrome types of sinusitis and 160 Chinese medicine, which were mainly effective in releasing exterior, clearing heat, and tonifying deficiency, and acted on the lung meridian due to cold and warm nature and pungent and bitter flavor or on the spleen meridian due to warm nature and pungent flavor. Seventeen core Chinese medicine were screened out by topological data analysis, including Angelicae Dahuricae Radix, Magnoliae Flos, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Xanthii Fructus, and Scutellariae Radix. Chinese medicine such as Magnoliae Flos, Angelicae Dahuricae Radix, and Xanthii Fructus were commonly used in the treatment of sinusitis of wind-heat in the lung meridian, while the combination of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Magnoliae Flos, Angelicae Dahuricae Radix, Chuanxiong Rhizoma, etc. was the key compatibility in treating sinusitis of dampness-heat in the spleen and stomach. Six common factors were extracted from the factor analysis of the above two syndrome types. The findings indicate that the exterior-releasing, heat-clearing, and deficiency-tonifying Chinese medicine with cold and warm nature and pungent flavor are preferential options for the clinical treatment of sinusitis. Treatment should be based on syndrome differentiation and key therapeutic principles should be followed.

Brain glucose metabolic changes associated with chronic spontaneous pain due to brachial plexus avulsion: a preliminary positron emission tomography study.

BACKGROUND: Previous brain imaging studies suggested that the brain activity underlying the perception of chronic pain may differ from that underlying acute pain. To investigate the brain regions involved in chronic spontaneous pain due to brachial plexus avulsion (BPA), fluorine-(18)fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) scanning was applied to determine the glucose metabolic changes in patients with pain due to BPA. METHODS: Six right-handed patients with chronic spontaneous pain due to left-BPA and twelve right-handed age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects participated in the (18)F-FDG PET study. The patients were rated by visual analog scale (VAS) during scanning and Hamilton depression scale and Hamilton anxiety scale after scanning. Statistical parametric mapping 2 (SPM2) was applied for data analysis. RESULTS: Compared with healthy subjects, the patients had significant glucose metabolism decreases in the right thalamus and SI (P < 0.001, uncorrected), and significant glucose metabolism increases in the right orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) (BA11), left rostral insula cortex and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) (BA10/46) (P < 0.001, uncorrected). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the brain areas involved in emotion, attention and internal modulation of pain may be related to the chronic spontaneous pain due to BPA.

[The study of biological properties of gliomas].

In order to explore the new methods of biological treatment of human gliomas, this project is to study the biological properties of gliomas from four different aspects, the results show that there is a IL-6 autocrine loop in human gliomas and the growth of gliomas will be inhibited when the autocrine loop is broken. There is a magnificent predominant expression of Th2 cytokines in human gliomas and human glioma cells, the switching of Th2 to Th1 can inhibit the proliferation of glioma cells. The dosage of 100 micrograms/ml of erythromycin is the best of therapeutic effect. Angiostatin can not only inhibit the vascular endothelial growth, but also have the inhibitory role on the growth of glioma cells in vivo. The above studies have provided some new ideas and will be very helpful for the treatment of glioma patients.