The Role of OH Cards in Psychological Interventions for Children With Fractures.

Context: Fractures are traumatic events, with psychological effects that can have a negative impact on children hospitalized with fractures. They can seriously affect children's physical rehabilitation and quality of life and even produce psychological disorders The OH card is a metaphorical card that allows access to an individual's inner world and can have a positive effect in psychotherapy. Objective: The study intended to investigate the use of OH Cards during psychological interventions with children with fractures and to provide a methodological reference for the use of OH Cards in therapy. Design: The research team performed a randomized controlled study. Setting: The study took place in the Department of Trauma Surgery at Children's Hospital of Hebei Province in Shijiazhuang, China. Participants: Participants were 74 children with fractures who had been admitted to the hospital between September 2020 and November 2021. Intervention: The research team randomly divided participants into two groups using a random number table: (1) 37 in the intervention group, who received a conventional nursing intervention and also an OH-card intervention, and (2) 37 in the control group, who received conventional nursing interventions only. Outcome Measures: At baseline and postintervention, the research team: (1) measured the participants' posttraumatic growth scores, using the children's version of the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI); (2) assessed their coping styles, using the Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire (MCMQ); (3) determined the existence of any stress disorders, using the Child Stress Disorder Checklist (CSDC); (4) evaluated their mental statuses using the Depression Self-Rating Scale (DSRSC) and the Screen for Child Anxiety-related Emotional Disorders (SCARED); and (5) measured participants' Fracture Knowledge Questionnaire scores. Results: At baseline, no significant differences existed between the groups for any outcome measure at baseline. Postintervention, the intervention group's scores: (1) on the PTGI, were significantly higher for mental change, appreciate life, individual force, new possibilities and personal relation than those of the control group; (2) on the MCMQ, were significantly higher for facing and significantly lower for avoidance and yield than those of the control group; (3) on the CSDC, were significantly lower for trauma incidents and acute response than the control group did; (4) on the DSRSC were significantly lower and on SCARED were significantly higher than those of the control group; and (5) on the Fracture Knowledge Questionnaire were significantly higher than those of the control group. Conclusions: OH Cards can increase the posttraumatic growth scores of children with fractures, improve their coping styles, reduce stress disorders, decrease depression and improve their psychological state, increase their knowledge about fractures, and promote their recovery.

Genome-wide analysis of transcription factors in hippocampal tissue of cerebral palsy rats after acupuncture treatment.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in treating cerebral palsy (CP), reducing muscle tension, and improving motor function. However, macro-screening of key gene sets and gene-causal interaction networks for their therapeutic mechanisms have not been studied. METHODS: Applying high-throughput sequencing technology, this research discussed differentially expressed mRNAs and differential alternative splicing pre-mRNAs at the transcriptome level in rats with CP treated with acupuncture and moxibustion, and analyzed the regulatory mechanisms of these differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in CP. Changes in the levels of transcripts and alternative splicing in the hippocampi of CP rats after acupuncture treatment were analyzed. Global genes that were differentially expressed and alternative splicing events (ASEs) and regulated ASEs (RASEs) in acupuncture treatment of CP rats were analyzed. RESULTS: The RNA-seq data of acupuncture-treated rat hippocampi revealed 198 DEGs, 125 of which were related to CP, and the transcriptional regulation of RNA polymerase II was up-regulated; moreover, there were 1168 significantly different ASEs associated with CP and transcriptional regulation. There were 14 overlapping gene expression changes in transcription factors (TFs) and DEGs. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that 14 TFs were differentially expressed and a large number of TFs underwent differential alternative splicing. It is speculated that these TFs and the translated proteins of the two different transcripts produced by the differential alternative splicing of these TFs may play corresponding functions in acupuncture treatment of young rats with CP by modulating the differential expression of their target mRNAs.

Isorhamnetin, the xanthine oxidase inhibitor from Sophora japonica, ameliorates uric acid levels and renal function in hyperuricemic mice.

Hyperuricemia is a metabolic condition closely linked to xanthine oxidase (XOD) function, which is involved in the production of uric acid (UA). In this study, XOD was used as a target to construct an in vitro and in vivo activity screening and verification system. The XOD inhibition ability of the main components from the water extract of Sophorae Flos (WSF), an unopened dry flower bud of Sophora japonica, was screened by HPLC. Isorhamnetin (IRh) was identified as a major flavonoid XOD inhibitor from WSF, and we characterized its effects and potential mechanism in ameliorating UA levels and renal function in hyperuricemia model mice. Hyperuricemia was induced by oral administration of potassium oxonate (PO) and hypoxanthine to mice for 7 days. The biochemical index results showed that treatments with low, medium, and high doses of IRh (50, 100, and 150 mg kg-1) significantly reduced serum UA levels and inhibited XOD activity in serum and in the liver. Additionally, IRh effectively decreased the levels of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, suggesting that it possessed nephroprotective effects in hyperuricemic mice. Furthermore, histopathological results showed that nuclear lesions and renal tubule dilatation in the kidneys of IRh-treated hyperuricemic mice were reduced, suggesting that IRh may alleviate renal injury. Molecular docking results showed that IRh combined well with XOD and is an effective XOD inhibitor. In conclusion, IRh from Sophora japonica may reduce the UA levels and alleviate renal injury by inhibiting XOD activity. It potentially functions as a therapeutic drug and dietary supplement to treat hyperuricemia.

Timosaponin B-II ameliorates scopolamine-induced cognition deficits by attenuating acetylcholinesterase activity and brain oxidative damage in mice.

Timosaponin B-II (TB-II) is a main active saponin isolated from the rhizome of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bge., which is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, the effect of TB-II on learning and memory was investigated in a scopolamine-induced mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. The results of behavioral tests indicated that TB-II significantly increased the spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze test, and reversed the shortening of step-through latency induced by scopolamine in the passive avoidance test, showing protective effects on short-term and working memory. In the Morris water maze test, TB-II reduced the escape latency time in the training trial, and increased the swimming time in the target quadrant in the probe trial. Biochemical data demonstrated that TB-II significantly inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of mice. Moreover, TB-II markably attenuated the reduction in glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, which are key biomarkers of brain oxidative stress. These results indicated that TB-II offers protection against scopolamine-induced deficits in learning and memory, possibly by inhibiting AChE and preventing oxidative stress damage. The findings suggested that TB-II has a potential therapeutic effect on cognitive and behavioral impairment.

[The influence for success rate of warm acupuncture for tube baby of infertility patients with kidney yang deficiency:a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the success rate of warm acupuncture for tube baby of infertility patients with kidney yang deficiency. METHODS: Sixty patients were randomized assigned into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases in each one. Long-term super ovulation was applied in the two groups. While acupuncture was used at Zhongwan (CV 12), Tianshu (ST 25), Daimai (GB 26), Guanyuan (CV 4), Qihai (CV 6), Zhongji (CV 3), Zigong (EX-CA 1), Xuehai (SP 10), Zusanli (ST 36), Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Taichong (LR 3) in the observation group, with warm acupuncture at Zigong (EX-CA 1) and Zusanli (ST 36), once a day, and treatment was implemented monthly from 10 days to 1 day before menstruation and continuously for 3 months. After the accomplishment of treatment or waiting, embryo transplantation was operated in the two groups. The success rates of embryo transplantation, the changes before and after treatment of the symptom and sign scores of kidney yang deficiency, menstrual symptom scores and endometrial types were observed. RESULTS: The pregnancy rate of the observation group was 46.7% (14/30), which was better than 23.3%(7/30) of the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the symptom and sign scores of kidney yang deficiency and the menstrual symptom scores were improved compared with those before treatment in the two groups (all P<0.05), with the lower ones in the observation group (kidney yang deficiency score:5.6±1.8 vs 9.6±2.9, menstrual symptom score:4.1±0.5 vs 5.6±0.9, both P<0.05). After treatment, the endometrial types were superior to those before treatment in the two groups (both P<0.01), with better improvement in the observation group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Warm acupuncture can improve the success rate of tube baby of infertility patients with kidney yang deficiency, with advantages in symptom and sign of kidney yang deficiency, menstrual and endometrial situations. Its mechanism may be related to the improvement of menstruation and endometrium.

Development of a high performance liquid chromatography method for quantification of PAC-1 in rat plasma.

A sensitive and specific high performance liquid chromatography method with UV detection was developed and validated for the determination of PAC-1 in rat plasma. After extraction with ethyl acetate, the chromatographic separation was carried out on a Diamonsil C(18) column (150mmx4.6mm i.d., 5microm particle size, Zhonghuida) protected by a ODS guard column (10mmx4.6mm i.d., 5microm particle size), using acetonitrile-methanol-phosphate buffer (pH 3.0, 30mM) (31:3:66, v/v/v) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.0mL/min, and wavelength of the UV detector was set at 281nm. No interference from any endogenous substances was observed during the elution of PAC-1 and internal standard (IS, indapamide). The calibration curve was linear over the range of 0.05-20microg/mL (r>0.99). The lower limit of quantification was evaluated to be 50ng/mL. The method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of PAC-1 after intravenous and oral administration in rats, respectively.