RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery is critical for rapid rehabilitation of patients with gastrointestinal tumors. Traditional Chinese medicine offers considerable advantages for gastrointestinal disease treatment. However, no study has reported the clinical efficacy of intradermal needle therapy (INT) at the Yuan-source, Luo-connecting, and He-sea points of the corresponding meridian for gastrointestinal function in patients following surgery for gastrointestinal tumors. AIM: To investigate the effect of INT at combined acupoints on patients' gastrointestinal function following surgery for gastrointestinal tumors. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University on patients with diagnosed gastrointestinal cancer, no distant metastases or organ failure, and hospitalized for elective radical tumor resection, who did not receive preoperative radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Participants were randomly allocated to either the intervention (n = 32) or the control (n = 32) group. Participants in the control group received enhanced recovery care, while those in the intervention group received enhanced recovery care combined with INT at the Yuan-source, Luo-connecting, and He-sea points. After surgery, INT was performed immediately upon the patient's return to the ward, and continued for seven consecutive days. The independent samples t-test, chi-square test, and generalized estimating equations were used for data analysis. RESULTS: The participants' ages ranged from 40 to 80 years (average 63 ± 10.1 years). Most participants underwent surgery for either gastric (43.8%) or colon cancer (39.1%) and had adenocarcinoma (87.5%). Significant differences were noted in time to first postoperative flatus passage (66 ± 27 h vs 103 ± 41 h, P < 0.001), time to first defecation (106 ± 44 h vs 153 ± 50 h, P < 0.001), and time to first oral feeding (73 ± 30 h vs 115 ± 38 h, P < 0.001) between the intervention and control groups. Gastrointestinal symptoms, including abdominal distension, nausea, and fatigue 48 h and 72 h after surgery, were significantly alleviated in the intervention group compared with that observed in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: INT at the Yuan-source, Luo-connecting, and He-sea points can promote recovery of gastrointestinal function and ease gastrointestinal symptoms in patients following surgical resection of gastrointestinal tumors.
RESUMO
The present study was designed to investigate the role of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt) overexpression in a rat model of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and its mechanism of action. A rat model of HT was constructed, and the HT rats were injected with an adenoviral expression vector carrying the Nampt gene. The expression of Nampt and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in thyroid tissues was examined using immunohistochemistry (IHC), RT-qPCR and western blot analyses. Serum anti-thyroglobulin antibodies (TGAb) and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) were measured using chemiluminescence method. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and IHC staining of the rat thyroid tissues showed destroyed thyroid follicles and monocyte infiltration, as well as increased Nampt expression in the thyroid tissues of rats with HT. Furthermore, it was found that Nampt overexpression led to increased severity of inflammatory infiltration in thyroid tissues and increased levels of TPOAb in the serum of HT rats; however, the serum TGAb level was not affected by Nampt overexpression. In addition, Nampt overexpression promoted TLR4 expression in HT rats. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that Nampt was strongly expressed in the capillary region of HT rats thyroid tissues. The Nampt mRNA level was increased but the Nampt protein level was decreased in the thyroid tissues of rats with HT. Nampt overexpression has a promotive effect on HT progression, and this effect was related to TLR4. This study suggests that inhibition of Nampt activity may be valuable in the treatment of HT.
