《伤寒论》心病治疗八法及临床应用

《内经》指出:“心者,五脏六腑之大主也……故主明则下安,主不明,则十二官危”。《伤寒论》对于心病的证治亦非常重视,且法、方严谨,煎法考究,然皆散见于诸篇,今特将其整理、归纳为八法,并结合笔者的临床应用体会,粗试探讨如下。一。

MYOCARDIAL LESIONS AFTER LONG-TERM ADMINISTRATION OF METHAMPHETAMINE IN RATS

Objective To demonstrate the myocardial lesion associated with long-term administration of methamphetamine in rats. Methods The experimental models of intoxication of methamphetamine were established in Sprague-Dawley rats. Methamphetamine hydrochloride （3 mg·kg^-1·d^-1） was subcutaneously injected to rats in methamphetarnine-treated group （n = 16）, and normal saline at the same dose was injected to rats in control group （n = 16）. After 1 week and 8 weeks of injection, 8 rats in each group were sacrificed and their hearts were examined with light microscopy and electron microscopy, respectively. Results After 1 week of methamphetamine exposure, loci of contraction band and cellular degeneration were present in subendocardial myocardium. Cellular degeneration, myocytolysis, and contraction band necrosis became prominent and extensive in methamphetamine-treated rats after 8 weeks. Hypertrophy, intracellular vacuolization, and fibrosis were also observed. The ultrastructural feature showed marked swelling and degeneration of mitochondria, enlargement of sarcoplasmic reticulum, and dissolution of myofilaments. No obvious cardiac myocyte lesions were observed in rats of control group. Conclusion Methamphetamine abuse daily for a long time may result in an increased risk of cardiovascular lesions similar to cardiomyopatby.

Lipid abnormalities in kidney disease and management strategies

Patients with kidney diseases continue to experience significant cardiovascular disease(CVD) morbidity and mortality. Although there are many important risk factors playing a role in the pathogenesis of CVD in chronic kidney disease(CKD) patients, dyslipidemia(elevated triglycerides, elevated oxidized low-densitylipoprotein and low/dysfunctional low high-density) represents one of the modifiable risk factors. Renal failure patients have unique lipid abnormalities which not only have complex role in pathogenesis of CVD but also cause relative resistance to usual interventions. Most of the randomized trials have been in hemodialysis population and data from CKD non-dialysis, peritoneal dialysis and renal transplant populations is extremely limited. Compared to general population, evidence of mortality benefit of lipid lowering medications in CKD population is scarce. Future research should be directed towards establishing long term benefits and side effects of lipid lowering medications, through randomized trials, in CKD population.

Use of percutaneous nephrostomy and ureteral stenting in management of ureteral obstruction

The management options for ureteral obstruction are diverse, including retrograde ureteral stent insertion or antegrade nephrostomy placement, with or without eventual antegrade stent insertion. There is currently no consensus on the ideal treatment or treatment pathway for ureteral obstruction owing, in part, to the varied etiologies of obstruction and diversity of institutional practices. Additionally, different clinicians such as internists, urologists, oncologists and radiologists are often involved in the care of patients with ureteral obstruction and may have differing opinions concerning the best management strategy. The purpose of this manuscript was to review available literature that compares percutaneous nephrostomy placement vs ureteral stenting in the management of ureteral obstruction from both benign and malignant etiologies.

Metabolic syndrome and chronic kidney disease:Current status and future directions

Metabolic syndrome(Met S) is a term used to denote a combination of selected,widely prevalent cardiovascular disease(CVD)-related risk factors.Despite the ambiguous definition of Met S,it has been clearly associated with chronic kidney disease markers including reduced glomerular filtration rate,proteinuria and/or microalbuminuria,and histopathological markers such as tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis.However,the etiological role of Met S in chronic kidney disease(CKD) is less clear.The relationship between MetS and CKD is complex and bidirectional,and so is best understood when CKD is viewed as a common progressive illness along the course of which MetS,another common disease,may intervene and contribute.Possible mechanisms of renal injury include insulin resistance and oxidative stress,increased proinflammatory cytokine production,increased connective tissue growth and profibrotic factor production,increased microvascular injury,and renal ischemia.MetS also portends a higher CVD risk at all stages of CKD from early renal insufficiency to end-stage renal disease.Clinical interventions for MetS in the presence of CKD should include a combination of weight reduction,appropriate dietary modification and increase physical activity,plus targeting of individual CVD-related risk factors such as dysglycemia,hypertension,and dyslipidemia while conforming to relevant national societal guidelines.

Major comorbid disease processes associated with increased incidence of acute kidney injury

Acute kidney injury （AKI） is commonly seen amongst critically ill and hospitalized patients. Individuals with certain co-morbid diseases have an increased risk of developing AKI. Thus, recognizing the co-morbidities that predispose patients to AKI is important in AKI prevention and treatment. Some of the most common co-morbid disease processes that increase the risk of AKI are diabetes, cancer, cardiac surgery and human immunodefciency virus （HIV） acquired immune defciency syndrome （AIDS）. This review article identifies the increased risk of acquiring AKI with given co-morbid diseases. Furthermore, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying AKI in relation to co-morbid diseases are discussed to understand how the risk of acquiring AKI is increased. This paper reviews the effects of various co-morbid diseases including： Diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease and HIV AIDS, which all exhibit a significant increased risk of developing AKI. Amongst these co-morbid diseases, inflammation, the use of nephrotoxic agents, and hypoperfusion to the kidneys have been shown to be major pathological processes that predisposes individuals to AKI. The pathogenesis of kidney injury is complex, however, effective treatment of the co-morbid disease processes may reduce its risk. Therefore, improved management of co-morbid diseases may prevent some of the underlying pathology that contributes to the increased risk of developing AKI.

Cardiovascular co-morbidity in chronic kidney disease:Current knowledge and future research needs

Chronic kidney disease(CKD) is recognised as a health concern globally and leads to high rates of morbidity,mortality and healthcare expenditure.CKD is itself an independent risk factor for unfavorable health outcomes that include cardiovascular disease(CVD).Coronary artery disease is the primary type of CVD in CKD patients and a significant cause of death among renal transplant patients.Traditional and non-traditional risk factors for CVD exist in patients with CKD.Traditional factors include smoking,hypertension,dyslipidemia and diabetes which are highly prevalent in CKD patients.Non-traditional risk factors of CKD are mainly uraemiaspecific and increase in prevalence as kidney function declines.Some examples of uraemia-specific risk factors that have been well documented include low levels of haemoglobin,albuminuria,and abnormal bone and mineral metabolism.Therapeutic interventions targeted at more traditional risk factors which contribute to CVD,have not had the desired effect on lowering CVD events and mortality in those suffering with CKD.Future research is warranted to delineate clear evidence to the benefit of modifying non-traditional risk factors.

Central blood pressure and chronic kidney disease

In this review, we focused on the relationship between central blood pressure and chronic kidney diseases(CKD). Wave reflection is a major mechanism that determines central blood pressure in patients with CKD. Recent medical technology advances have enabled non-invasive central blood pressure measurements. Clinical trials have demonstrated that compared with brachial blood pressure, central blood pressure is a stronger risk factor for cardiovascular(CV) and renal diseases. CKD is characterized by a diminished renal autoregulatory ability, an augmented direct transmission of systemic blood pressure to glomeruli, and an increase in proteinuria. Any elevation in central blood pressure accelerates CKD progression. In the kidney, interstitial inflammation induces oxidative stress to handle proteinuria. Oxidative stress facilitates atherogenesis, increases arterial stiffness and central blood pressure, and worsens the CV prognosis in patients with CKD. A vicious cycle exists between CKD and central blood pressure. To stop this cycle, vasodilator antihypertensive drugs and statins can reduce central blood pressure and oxidative stress. Even in early-stage CKD, mineral and bone disorders(MBD) may develop. MBD promotes oxidative stress, arteriosclerosis, and elevated central blood pressure in patients with CKD. Early intervention or prevention seems necessary to maintain vascular health in patients with CKD.

Clinical Observation on Physiological and Psychological Effects of Eight-Section Brocade on Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Objective： To observe the physiological and psychological changing of type 2 diabetic patients after practicing Eight-Section Brocade, to evaluate the clinical curative effect, and to provide a safe and effective self-regulating method for type 2 diabetic patients. Methods： This study is a random controlled trial, the 54 type 2 diabetic patients were randomly assigned into the intervention and the control group. The intervention group was given a 2-month period of Eight-Section Brocade practice, then a comparison between groups was made. The intervention group continued to do Eight-Section Brocade practice for 2 months, so it was 4 months＇ intervention all together for this group, and then a comparison within the intervention group was made. Results： There was significant difference 4 months later on HbAlc in the intervention group （P〈0.05）. There was significant difference between the intervention and control groups on obsessive-compulsive, depression, anxiety and hostility scores after 2 months＇ practice （P〈0.05）. There was significant difference between 2 and 4 months＇ practice on hostilities scores within the intervention group （P〈0.05）. Conclusions： As an important part of the traditional Chinese medicine, Eight-section Brocade has physiological and psycholozical effects on type 2 Diabetic Patients.

Is overhydration in peritoneal dialysis patients associated with cardiac mortality that might be reversible?

AIMTo study the relationship between overhydration （OH） in peritoneal dialysis （PD） patients and cardiac mortality.METHODSOH, as measured by body composition monitor （BCM）, is associated with increased mortality in dialysis pa-tients. BCM has been used to guide treatment on the assumption that correcting OH will improve cardiac morbidity and mortality although data demonstrating causality that is reversible is limited. We wished to determine if OH in PD patients predicted cardiac mor-tality, and if there was a correlation between OH and cardiac troponin-T （cTnT） levels. Finally, we wished to determine if improving OH values would lead to a decrement in cTnT. All prevalent PD patients over the study period of 57 mo who had contemporaneous BCM and cTnT measurements were followed irrespective of transplantation or PD technique failure. We also studied a cohort of patients with who had severe OH （〉 ＋2L）.The Fresenius Body Composition Monitor was used to obtain hydration parameters. cTnT levels were done as part of routine clinical care. Data was analysed using SPSS version 20.0.RESULTSThere were 48 deaths in the 336 patients. The patients that died from cardiac or non-cardiac causes were similar with respect to their age, incidence of diabetes mellitus, gender, ethnicity and cause of renal failure. However, the patients with cardiac causes of death had significantly shorter dialysis vintage （10.3 mo vs 37.0 mo, P 〈 0.0001） and were significantly more overhydrated by BCM measurement （2.95 L vs 1.35 L, P 〈 0.05）. The mean （standard error of the means） hydration status of the 336 patients was ＋1.15 （0.12） L and the median [interquartile range （IQR）] cTnT level was 43.5 （20-90） ng/L. The cTnT results were not normally distributed and were therefore transformed logarithmically. There was a statistically significant correlation between Log （cTnT） with the OH value （Spearman r value 0.425, P 〈 0.0001）. We identifed a sub-group of patients that were severely overhydrated; median （IQR） hydration at baseline was ＋2.7 （2.3 to 3.7） L. They were followed up for a minimum of 6 mo. Reduction in OH values in these patients over 6 mo correlated with lowering of cTnT levels （Spearman r value 0.29, P 〈 0.02）. CONCLUSIONPatients that were overhydrated had higher cTnT, and had deaths that were more likely to be cardiac related. Reduction in OH correlated with lowering of cTnT.

Brain natriuretic peptide and optimal management of heart failure

Aside from the important role of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in diagnosis, and differential diagnosis of heart failure, this biological peptide has proved to be an independent surrogate marker of rehospitalization and death of the fatal disease. Several randomized clinical trials demonstrated that drugs such as beta blocker, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, spiro- nolactone and amiodarone have beneficial effects in decreasing circulating BNP level during the management of chronic heart failure. The optimization of clinical decision-making appeals for a representative surrogate marker for heart failure prognosis. The serial point-of-care assessments of BNP concentration provide a therapeutic goal of clinical multi-therapy and an objective guid- ance for optimal treatment of heart failure. Nevertheless new questions and problems in this area remain to be clarified. On the basis of current research advances, this article gives an overview of BNP peptide and its property and role in the management of heart failure.

Baroreflex dysfunction in chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease （CKD） patients have high cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. The presence of traditional and CKD related risk factors results in exaggerated vascular calcification in these patients. Vascular calcification is associated with reduced large arterial compliance and thus impaired barorefex sensi-tivity （BRS） resulting in augmented blood pressure （BP） variability and hampered BP regulation. Barorefex plays a vital role in short term regulation of BP. This review discusses the normal barorefex physiology, methods to assess baroreflex function, its determinants along with the prognostic significance of assessing BRS in CKD patients, available literature on BRS in CKD patients and the probable patho-physiology of barorefex dysfunction in CKD.

Podocyturia: Potential applications and current limitations

Chronic kidney disease is a prevalent condition that affects millions of people worldwide and is a major risk factor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The main diseases that lead to chronic kidney disease are frequent entities as diabetes mellitus, hypertension and glomerulopathies. One of the clinical markers of kidney disease progression is proteinuria. Moreover, the histological hallmark of kidney disease is sclerosis, located both in the glomerular and in the interstitial compartments. Glomerulosclerosis underscores an irreversible lesion that is clinically accompanied by proteinuria. In this regard, proteinuria and glomerular sclerosis are linked by the cell that has been conserved phylogenetically not only to prevent the loss of proteins in the urine, but also to maintain the health of the glomerular fltration barrier： The podocyte. It can then be concluded that the link between proteinuria, kidney disease progression and chronic kidney disease is mainly related to the podocyte. What is this situation due to？ The podocyte is unable to proliferate under normal conditions, and a complex molecular machinery exists to avoid its detachment and eventual loss. When the loss of podocytes in the urine, or podocyturia, is taking place and its glomerular absolute number decreased, glomerulosclerosis is the predominant histological feature in a kidney biopsy. Therefore, tissular podocyte shortage is the cause of proteinuria and chronic kidney disease. In this regard, podocyturia has been demonstrated to precede proteinuria, showing that the clinical mana-gement of proteinuria cannot be considered an early intervention. The identifcation of urinary podocytes could be an additional tool to be considered by nephrologists to assess the activity of glomerulopathies, for follow-up purposes and also to unravel the pathophysiology of podocyte detachment in order to tailor the therapy of glomerular diseases more appropriately.

Why do young people with chronic kidney disease die early?

Cardiovascular disease poses the greatest risk of premature death seen among patients with chronic kidney disease(CKD).Up to 50% of mortality risk in the dialysis population is attributable to cardiovascular disease and the largest relative excess mortality is observed in younger patients.In early CKD,occlusive thrombotic coronary disease is common,but those who survive to reach end-stage renal failure requiring dialysis are more prone to sudden death attributable mostly to sudden arrhythmic events and heart failure related to left ventricular hypertrophy,coronary vascular calcification and electrolyte disturbances.In this review,we discuss the basis of the interaction of traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease with various pathological processes such as endothelial dysfunction,oxidative stress,low grade chronic inflammation,neurohormonal changes and vascular calcification and stiffness which account for the structural and functional cardiac changes that predispose to excess morbidity and mortality in young people with CKD.

Role of imaging in the evaluation of renal dysfunction in heart failure patients

Heart failure and kidney disease share common pathophysiological pathways which can lead to mutual dysfunction,known as cardiorenal syndrome.In heart failure patients,renal impairment is related to hemodynamic and nonhemodynamic factors.Both decreased renal blood flow and renal venous congestion due to heart failure could lead to impaired renal function.Kidney disease and worsening renal function are independently associated with poor prognosis in heart failure patients,both in acute and chronic clinical settings.The aim of this review is to assess the role of renal imaging modalities in the evaluation and management of heart failure patients.Renal imaging techniques could complete laboratory data,as estimated glomerular filtration rate,exploring different pathophysiological factors involved in kidney disease and adding valuable information about renal structure and function.In particular,Doppler examination of arterial and venous hemodynamics is a feasible and non invasive technique,which has proven to be a reliable method for prognostic stratification in patients with cardiorenal syndrome.The renal resistance index,a measure related to renal hemodynamics,can be calculated from the Doppler evaluation of arterial flow.Moreover,the analysis of Doppler venous flow patterns can integrate information from the arterial study and evaluate renal congestion.Other imaging modalities are promising,but still confined to research purposes.

Arterial stiffness, vascular calcification and bone metabolism in chronic kidney disease

Patients with chronic kidney disease （CKD） have an extremely poor cardiovascular outcome. Arterial stiff-ness, a strong independent predictor of survival in CKD, is connected to arterial media calcification. A huge number of different factors contribute to the increased arterial calcification and stiffening in CKD, a process which is in parallel with impaired bone metabolism. This coincidence was demonstrated to be part of the direct inhibition of calcifcation in the vessels, which is a counterbalancing effect but also leads to low bone turnover. Due to the growing evidence, the defnition of “CKD mineral bone disorder” was created recently, un-derlining the strong connection of the two phenomena. In this review, we aim to demonstrate the mechanisms leading to increased arterial stiffness and the up-to date data of the bone-vascular axis in CKD. We over-view a list of the different factors, including inhibitors of bone metabolism like osteoprotegerin, fetuin-A, pyro-phosphates, matrix Gla protein, osteopontin, fbroblast growth factor 23 and bone morphogenic protein, which seem to play role in the progression of vascular calcif-cation and we evaluate their connection to impaired ar-terial stiffness in the mirror of recent scientifc results.

Bio-feedback treatment of fecal incontinence: Where are we, and where are we going?

Fecal incontinence is a disabling disease, often observed in young subjects, that may have devastating psycho-social consequences. In the last years, numerous evidences have been reported on the efficacy of bio-feedback techniques for the treatment of this disorder. Overall, the literature data claim a success rate in more than 70% of cases in the short term. However, recent controlled trials have not confirmed this optimistic view, thus emphasizing the role of standard care. Nonetheless, many authors believe that this should be the first therapeutic approach for fecal incontinence due to the efficacy, lack of side-effects,and scarce invasiveness. Well-designed randomized,controlled trial are eagerly awaited to solve this therapeutic dilemma.

Measurement of Tip Trajectories in the Cardiac Reentry

Reentrant impulse in the myocardium is considered to be a major factor promoting electrophysiological abnormalities or even leading to ventricular tachycardias (VTs) and ventricular fibrillations (VFs). Tip trajectory of the reentrant wave can reflect stability of the electrical propagation and area of the reentrant movement, thereby being considered as one of the most concerned parameters in studying electrical activities during VT/VF. The purpose of the present study is to propose a practical method to find out tip trajectories using a computational approach. In this study Luo-Rudy 1991 mathematical model of the ventricular cell was used. The operator splitting method was utilized to integrate the partial differential equations in the two-dimensional tissue. And spiral waves were initiated by the cut wave front technique. Through experiments we found it was difficult to find out the tips by finding intersection of the two isovoltage lines as proposed in most papers. Therefore, we suggested that tip points were detected by seeking the shortest distance of the two adjacent isovoltage contour lines. The results showed that tip trajectories of these spiral waves found in our way were very near to the tips observed, implying validation of our method in measuring tip trajectories in cardiac reentry.

Arsenic exposure decreases rhythmic contractions of vascular tone through sodium transporters and K^+ channels

Arsenic-contaminated drinking water is a public health problem in countries such as Taiwan, Bangladesh, United States, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile. The chronic ingestion of arsenic-contaminated drinking water increases the risk for ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and prevalence of hypertension. Although toxic arsenic effects are controversial, there is evidence that a high concentration of arsenic may induce hypertension through increase in vascular tone and resistance. Vascular tone is regulated by the rhythmic contractions of the blood vessels, generated by calcium oscillations in the cytosol of vascular smooth muscle cells. To regulate the cytosolic calcium oscillations, the membrane oscillator model involves the participation of Ca2+ channels, calcium-activated K+ channels, Na+/Ca2+exchange, plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase, and the Na+/K+-ATPase. However, little is known about the role of K+ uptake by sodium transporters [Na+/K+-ATPase or Na+-K+-2Cl-(NKCC1)] on the rhythmic contractions.Vascular rhythmic contractions, or vasomotion are a local mechanism to regulate vascular resistance andblood flow. Since vascular rhythmic contractions of blood vessels are involved in modulating the vascular resistance, the blood flow, and the systemic pressure,we suggest a model explaining the participation of the sodium pump and NKCC1 co-transporter in low dose arsenic exposure effects on vasomotion and vascular dysfunction.