Musculoskeletal ultrasonography combined with electromyography in the diagnosis of massage-inducted lateral plantar nerve injury: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: It is well known that foot massage is a very prevalent stress relief method in China. Literatures have reported various massage-inducted peripheral nerve injuries. However, massage-inducted lateral plantar nerve (LPN) injury is very rare. Here, we represent an unusual case of massage-inducted LPN damage, and we also report the diagnostic method of this patient using musculoskeletal ultrasonography combined with electromyography (EMG). PATIENT CONCERNS: A 21-year-old woman presented symptoms of redness, swelling, pain and numbness in the medial right ankle joint for 2 days. DIAGNOSIS: The results of musculoskeletal ultrasonography and EMG provide great help for doctors to make accurate diagnosis. The patient was eventually diagnosed with LPN injury. INTERVENTIONS: No further foot massage was allowed. Vitamin B12 was taken orally for 2 months. Conservative therapy, including electrical stimulation therapy and infrared therapy, was conducted. Besides, active rehabilitation training was also performed. OUTCOMES: The discomfort symptoms were relieved significantly after 2 months conservative treatment. Clinical symptoms and EMG examination illustrated satisfactory result during follow up time. CONCLUSION: The report showed that the masseur should be very careful when doing foot massage to prevent nerve damage. Besides, musculoskeletal ultrasonography combined with EMG can provide important evidence for accurate and effective diagnosis of LPN injury.

Lipopolysaccharides-mediated injury to chondrogenic ATDC5 cells can be relieved by Sinomenine via downregulating microRNA-192.

Sinomenine (SIN) is an isoquinoline derived from Caulis Sinomenii that has been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis for several decades in China. This study aims to reveal the effects of SIN on mouse chondrogenic ATDC5 cells growth and inflammation. SIN was used to treat ATDC5 cells injured by lipopolysaccharides (LPS). The following parameters were determined for evaluating the treatment effects of SIN: cell viability, apoptosis, reactive oxygen species generation, and pro-inflammatory cytokines release. Besides, the expression of LPS-sensitive miRNA (miR-192) and the activation of NF-κB and MAPK signaling were studied to explain SIN's function. SIN with concentration of 30 µM significantly attenuated LPS-induced cell damage via increasing cell viability, inhibiting apoptosis and reactive oxygen species generation, and declining IL-6 and TNF-α release. miR-192 was downregulated by SIN treatment. Restoration of miR-192 expression by miRNA transfection could significantly impede SIN's protective action. Besides, the inhibitory effects of SIN on the activation of NF-κB and MAPK signaling were attenuated by miR-192 overexpression. Furthermore, GDF11 was found to be a target gene of miR-192. LPS-mediated injury to chondrogenic ATDC5 cells can be relieved by SIN via downregulating miR-192 and subsequently repressing the activation of NF-κB and MAPK signaling.

[Studies on the alkaloids from stem of Artabotrys hainanensis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the alkaloids from the stem of Artabotrys hainanensis. METHOD: Compounds in plant extracts were separated by silica gel and sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. Chemical structures were elucidated by chemical and spectral analyses including UV, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, ESIMS and ESI-MS-MS. RESULT: Eight alkaloids were isolated and identified as spinosine (1), 3-hydroxynornuciferine (2), juzirine (3), artabotrine (4), liridine (5), assimilobine (6), isococlaurine (7), N-demethylarmepavine (8). CONCLUSION: All alkaloids were isolated from this plant for the first time and compounds 1, 3, 7 and 8 were isolated from genus Artabotrys for the first time.