[Preliminary observation on the clinical application of rehabilitation support for lumbar disc herniation based on 3D printing technology].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the important effect of 3D printing personalized lumbar support on lumbar pain and lumbar function in patients with lumbar disc herniation. METHODS: From October 2018 to May 2021, 60 patients initially diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation were selected and divided into an observation group and a control group, with 30 patients in each group. Among them, there were 18 males and 12 females in the observation group;the age ranged from 24 to 56 years old, with an average of (45.23±6.07) years old. The course of disease ranged from 1 to 24 months, with an average of(6.25±0.82) months, and rehabilitation treatment was carried out by wearing 3D printed personalized lumbar support. There were 19 males and 11 females in the control group;the age ranged from 25 to 57 years old, with an average of (42.78±7.58) years old. The course of disease ranged from 1 to 24 months, with an average of (6.72±1.36) months, and rehabilitation treatment is carried out by wearing traditional lumbar protective equipment. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores, lumbar Oswestry dysfunction index (ODI) and visual analogue scale (VAS) were evaluated and compared between the two groups before and 1 course after treatment (3 weeks). RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in JOA, ODI, and VAS between two groups before treatment (P>0.05). After one course of treatment (3 weeks), JOA scores of both groups was increased compared to before treatment (P<0.05), while ODI and VAS decreased compared to before treatment (P<0.05). After treatment, JOA score of observation group was higher than that of control group (P<0.05), while ODI and VAS scores were lower than those of control group. No adverse events occurred in both groups. CONCLUSION: The application of 3D printing personalized lumbar support can effectively alleviate the pain of patients with lumbar disc herniation and improve their lumbar function of patients.

Use of a Systematic Pharmacological Methodology to Explore the Mechanism of Shengmai Powder in Treating Diabetic Cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular complications, such as diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), are the leading cause of death in diabetic patients. Shengmai Powder (SMP) was found to have cardioprotective effects. MATERIAL AND METHODS Based on the systematic pharmacological methodology, this research determined the genes of DCM and the known targets of SMP, predicted potential compounds and targets of SMP, constructed networks for DCM and SMP, and performed network analysis. RESULTS Five network were constructed: (1) the DCM gene PPI network; (2) the Compound-compound target network of SMP; (3) the SMP-DCM PPI network; (4) the Compound-known target network of SMP; (5) and the SMP known target-DCM PPI network. Several DCM and treatment related targets, clusters, signaling pathways, and biological processes were found. CONCLUSIONS SMP is able to regulate glycometabolism-related, lipid metabolism-related, inflammatory response-related, oxidative stress-related signaling pathways, and biological processes and targets, which suggests that SMP may have a therapeutic effect on DCM.

[Effects of leflunomide in treating patients with rheumatoid arthritis of different Chinese medical syndrome patterns].

OBJECTIVE: To study whether the effects of Leflunomide were different in treating patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) of different Chinese medical syndrome patterns. METHODS: Totally 150 RA patients were recruited and assigned to 5 Chinese medical syndrome types, i.e., the heat-dampness blocking collateral type, cold-dampness blocking collateral type, Shen-qi deficiency cold type, Gan-Shen yin deficiency type, and stagnant blood blocking collateral type according to Chinese medical syndrome typing standards. They were treated with Leflunomide, 3 months as one therapeutic course. The parameters including numbers of joint tenderness and swelling, morning stiffness time, scores estimated by Visual Analog Scale (VAS), as well as laboratory indices involving rheumatoid factor (RF), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), American College of Rheumatology 20% improvement (ACR20), and American College of Rheumatology 50% improvement (ACR50) were observed before and after treatment, and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: After treatment the numbers of joint tenderness, numbers of joint swelling, VAS scores, ESR, CRP, and RF all decreased, showing statistical difference when compared with those before treatment (P < 0.05). The morning stiffness time was shortened in the heat-dampness blocking collateral type, cold-dampness blocking collateral type, and stagnant blood blocking collateral type, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05). Of them, the numbers of joint tenderness, the numbers of joint swelling, the morning stiffness time, RF, VAS scores, and the improvement of the total effective rate were obviously better in the heat-dampness blocking collateral type, cold-dampness blocking collateral type, and stagnant blood blocking collateral type than in the Shen-qi deficiency cold type and Gan-Shen yin deficiency type, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Leflunomide showed significant effects in treating RA. Of them, its effects were obviously better in the heat-dampness blocking collateral type, cold-dampness blocking collateral type, and stagnant blood blocking collateral type than in the Shen-qi deficiency cold type and Gan-Shen yin deficiency type.

Chemical composition and toxicity against Sitophilus zeamais and Tribolium castaneum of the essential oil of Murraya exotica aerial parts.

In our screening program for new agrochemicals from Chinese medicinal herbs, Murraya exotica was found to possess insecticidal activity against the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais and red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. The essential oil of aerial parts of M. exotica was obtained by hydrodistillation and investigated by GC and GC-MS. The main components of M. exotica essential oil were spathulenol (17.7%), alpha-pinene (13.3%), caryophyllene oxide (8.6%), and alpha-caryophyllene (7.3%). Essential oil of M. exotica possessed fumigant toxicity against S. zeamais and T. castaneum adults with LC(50) values of 8.29 and 6.84 mg/L, respectively. The essential oils also show contact toxicity against S. zeamais and T. castaneum adults with LD(50) values of 11.41 and 20.94 microg/adult, respectively.