RESUMO
Background and objective: Ultrasound has been widely used in the diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment of peripheral nerve diseases in the clinic, but there is still a lack of feasibility analysis in rodent models of neurological disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in the cross-sectional area of the sciatic nerve of different genders and body weights and to explore the effectiveness and reliability of an ultrasound-guided block around the sciatic nerve in living rats. Methods: Using ultrasound imaging anatomy of the sciatic nerve of rats, the cross-sectional area of the sciatic nerve in rats of different genders from 6 to 10 weeks old was calculated, and then analyzed its correlation with body weight. Further analyses were conducted through behavioral and cadaveric studies to evaluate the feasibility of ultrasound-guided perineural injection of the sciatic nerve in rats. Results: We first reported that the sciatic nerve cross-sectional area of rats was increased with age (F = 89.169, P < 0.001), males had a higher sciatic nerve cross-sectional area than females (F = 60.770, P < 0.001), and there was a positive correlation with body weight (rMale = 0.8976, P < 0.001; rFemale = 0.7733, P < 0.001). Behavioral observation of rats showed that the lower extremity complete block rate was 80% following the administration of drugs around the sciatic nerve under ultrasound guidance and staining with methylene blue occurred in all sciatic nerves and surrounding muscles and fascia using 20 ultrasound-guided injections. Conclusions: Ultrasound visualization technology can be used as a new auxiliary evaluation and intervention therapy for animal models of peripheral nerve injury, and will provide overwhelming new references for the basic research of neurological diseases.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy and safety of a diuretic agent, frusemide, combined with doxazosin in the treatment of nocturia in patients with benign prostate hyperplasia / lower urinary tract symptoms (BPH/LUTS). METHODS: Sixty-four BPH/LUTS patients with nocturia were equally randomized into two groups, one treated with doxazosin (4 mg/d), and the other with frusemide (40 mg/d) and doxazosin (4 mg/d), given 6 h before sleep, both for 4 weeks. Urine volume, IPSS, QOL, serum electrolytes, plasma osmolality were recorded and compared between the two groups before and after the treatment. RESULTS: Compared with the doxazosin group, the frusemide plus doxazosin group showed significantly reduced nocturia frequency (P < 0.01), increased daytime urine output (P < 0.01), decreased nocturia urine output (P < 0.01), unchanged total urine output (P > 0.05), improved IPSS and QOL (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), but with no remarkable differences in the levels of serum sodium, potassium, chlorine, and osmotic pressure (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Four-week treatment with frusemide plus doxazosin was safe and effective for nocturia in patients with BPH/LUTS.
