Medicine
-
The flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) is a forearm flexor muscle. Certain cases require the needle to be inserted accurately and safely into the deep, lateral portion of the FDP, which is innervated by the anterior interosseous nerve. In this study, we compared 2 techniques for approaching the median-innervated FDP (MFDP) medially, each according to the position of the forearm, supinated or pronated. ⋯ The angle α, which is the valid angle of insertion when approaching with the needle towards the deeply located MFDP, slightly increased from 22.89° to 23.41° when the forearm was pronated from the supinated position; however, this increase was not statistically significant. In contrast, the angle β, which is the safe angle of insertion when approaching with the needle towards the MFDP without contacting the ulnar nerve, was significantly increased from 41.40° to 46.80° upon forearm pronation. Because the safe angle of insertion of the needle medially into the MFDP increases with forearm pronation, the forearm-pronated position is recommended, instead of the forearm-supinated position, when inserting a needle into the MFDP in the medial aspect of the forearm.
-
To investigate the efficacy and safety of Jin three needles combined with Tong Qiao Wu Blood-streaming Tang in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS), this retrospective study analyzed the data of patients with AIS between January 2017 and December 2022. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, blood neuron-specific enolase, S100β protein (S100β), fibrinogen (FIB), cerebral infarct volume, D-dimer (D-D), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time, hypersensitive c-reactive protein (hs-CRP), serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and homocysteine (Hcy) were compared between the 2 groups. The treatment effect was significantly better in the observation group than in the comparison group (P < .05). ⋯ TNF-α, hs-CRP, and Hcy were significantly lower in both groups after treatment than before treatment, and TNF-α, hs-CRP and Hcy were significantly lower in the observation group than in the comparison group (P < .05). No statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions occurred between the 2 groups (P > .05). Combining Jin three needles can improve the therapeutic effect in patients with AIS, promote the recovery of neurological function, improve coagulation function, and reduce the inflammatory response with good safety.
-
Compound Xiao-ai-fei honey ointment (CXHO) is an anticancer preparation with a long history in Uyghur folk medicine in China and has been used for the treatment of gastric cancer (GC) in Xinjiang, China. Nevertheless, the mechanism of its anticancer effect remains to be investigated. ⋯ We identified and experimental validated 2 pivotal target genes of CXHO against GC and preliminarily analyzed the potential mechanisms by which CXHO inhibits the development of GC. All these findings support CXHO as a promising drug for the treatment of GC.
-
Silicosis is an incurable chronic disease characterized by lung fibrosis and inflammation. The combination of tetrandrine and Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BYHWD) has a curative effect on silicosis. However, the mechanism of action and the key active constituent in BYHWD are still unclear. ⋯ The in-silico investigation suggested that quercetin might be the active component in BYHWD responsible for therapeutic effectiveness against silicosis. This study identified the active compound and potential molecular mechanism underlying the therapeutic effects of BYHWD in combination with tetrandrine for treating silicosis. Notably, we found that quercetin may serve as the key compound in BYHWD for the treatment of silicosis.
-
Renal fibrosis is considered the pathway from almost all chronic kidney diseases (CKD) to end-stage renal diseases. The unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) model is a well-established experimental animal model to simulate renal fibrosis associated with obstructive nephropathy in an accelerated manner. In this study, in order to understand the development trends of research on UUO-induced renal fibrosis between 2005 and 2022 and predict prospects, we conducted a comprehensive bibliometric and visualized study using Web of Science (WoS). ⋯ Our results suggest that the molecular mechanism of UUO-induced renal fibrosis remains a research hot topic, especially on the inflammatory response and oxidative stress, and international cooperation is expected to expand and deepen in the future.