[Effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid treatment on plasma substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide levels in children with asthma].

OBJECTIVE: To study the changes in plasma substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) levels in children with acute asthma before and after gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) treatment. METHODS: Seventy-five children with asthma were randomly assigned to GABA treatment (n=36) and control groups (n=39). Both groups were given conventional treatment for asthma. Besides the conventional treatment, the treatment group was administered with oral GABA (25-30 mg/kg•d). Plasma content of SP and CGRP was measured using ELISA before treatment and after remission. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in plasma content of SP and CGRP between the GABA treatment and control groups (P＞0.05) before treatment. Plasma content of SP and CGRP in the GABA treatment group was significantly lower than the control group (SP: 57±15 pg/mL vs 127±12 pg/mL; CGRP: 23±10 pg/mL vs 42±8 pg/mL) after remission (P<0.01). Plasma content of SP and CGRP after remission was significantly lower than before treatment (P<0.01) in both groups. There was a significantly positive correlation between plasma SP and CGRP content in asthmatic children (r=0.792, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: GABA can significantly decrease plasma levels of SP and CGRP in children suffering from acute asthma.

[Changes in plasma levels of thrombomodulin and D-dimer in children with different types of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the changes in plasma levels of thrombomodulin (TM) and D-dimer (DD) in children with different types of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP), and their role in the pathogenesis of MPP in children. METHODS: Fifty-two children with MMP were divided into lobar pneumonia (n=30) and interstitial pneumonia groups (n=22) and another 30 healthy children were selected as the control group. Plasma levels of TM and D-D were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and latex-enhanced immunoturbidimetric assay, respectively. RESULTS: The lobar pneumonia, interstitial pneumonia and control groups had median plasma TM levels of 23.83, 15.56 and 8.78 µg/L respectively, with significant differences between the three groups (P<0.01). The lobar pneumonia and interstitial pneumonia groups had significantly higher plasma TM levels than the control group (P<0.01), and the lobar pneumonia group had a significantly higher plasma TM level than the interstitial pneumonia group (P<0.05). Median plasma D-D levels in the lobar pneumonia and interstitial pneumonia groups were significantly higher than the reference value (P<0.01). The lobar pneumonia group had a significantly higher plasma D-D level than the interstitial pneumonia group (0.35 µg/mL vs 0.13 µg/mL; P<0.01), and the percentage of patients with elevated plasma D-D levels was significantly higher in the lobar pneumonia group than in the interstitial pneumonia group (87% vs 59%; P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Children with MPP, especially those with lobar pneumonia, have increased plasma levels of TM and D-D. This suggests that damage to vascular endothelial cells and blood hypercoagulability may be involved in the pathogenesis of MPP.

Observation on the short-term efficacy of inverse moxibustion at the Baihui point and Dazhui point in preventing post-stroke depression.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, inverse moxibustion was performed at the Baihui and Dazhui points in patients with ischemic stroke, and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 17 (HAMD) score, National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, modified Barthel index (MBI) score, and incidence of post-stroke depression (PSD) were observed. METHODS: Eighty patients with acute ischemic stroke were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups. All enrolled patients were given routine treatment for ischemic stroke, and those in the treatment group were also given moxibustion at the Baihui and Dazhui points. The course of treatment was four weeks. The HAMD, NIHSS, and MBI scores of the two groups were evaluated before and four weeks after the treatment. The differences between the groups and the incidence of PSD were evaluated to determine the effect of inverse moxibustion at the Baihui and Dazhui points on the HAMD, NIHSS, and MBI scores and prevention of PSD in patients with ischemic stroke. RESULTS: After the four weeks of treatment, the HAMD and NIHSS scores of the treatment group were lower than those of the control group, their MBI was higher than that of the control group, and their incidence of PSD was statistically significantly lower than that of the control group. CONCLUSION: Inverse moxibustion at the Baihui acupoint in patients with ischemic stroke can effectively promote the recovery of neurological function, improve depression, and reduce the incidence of PSD and should be considered for application in clinical practice.