OBJECTIVE To compare the difference of methods for active systemic anaphylactic reaction induced by breviscapine injection between ″Pharmacopoeia″ 2010 edition, an Attached ⅫG in Traditional Chinese Medicine lnjection Safety Test Application Guidelines ″ Anaphylactic Reaction Test″(thereafter referred to as the method of ″Pharmacopoeia″) and the Traditional Chinese Medicine, Natural Medicine lmmune Toxicity (Anaphylaxis, Anaphylactic Reaction of Light) Technology Guiding Principles in the 2005 Version (thereafter referred to as the method of ″Guiding Principle″) and provide reference for non-clinical safety evaluation of drugs. METHODS According to the methods of ″Pharmacopoeia″and ″Guiding Principle″, respectively, the effect of breviscapine injection on active systemic anaphylactic reaction of guinea pigs was investigated. The guinea pigs were divided into four groups, negative control group, positive control group, breviscapine injection 5 and 50 mg.kg-1 groups. ln the sensitization phase, the guinea pigs were ip administrered with breviscapine injection 0.5 mL each every other day for 3 times. The dose was 5 and 50 mg.kg-1 , respectively. For the method of ″Pharmacopoeia″, on the 14th and 21st days after the first sensitization, the guinea pigs were iv administrered with breviscapine injec-tion 1 mL. For the method of ″Guiding Principle″, the guinea pigs were provocated on the 12th day after the first sensitization. Each group was studied by observing the symptom of anaphylactic reaction and immune time. RESULTS For the method of ″Pharmacopoeia″, on the 14th day after the first sensitization, there was 1 guinea pig with sneezing and (or) the nose-scratching at different time in the 5 mg.kg-1 group. ln the 50 mg.kg-1 group, there was one or two cases of sneezing and (or) 1 case of nose-scratc-hing. The 5 and 50 mg.kg-1 dose groups conformed to the regulations. On the 21st day after the first sensitization, trembling occurred in the 5 mg.kg-1 group, with 1 or 2 guinea pigs sneezing and ( or) scratching the nose. There were 4 guinea pigs (4/ 4) with sneezing 1 and 3 times, cough once or twice, 1 scratching nose and urination at different time, and 1 guinea pigs (1/ 4) appeared 3 times consecutive sneezing and shivering in 50 mg.kg-1 group. The 5 mg.kg-1 group conformed to the regulations, while the 50 mg.kg-1 group did not. For the method of ″Guiding Principle″, the 5 mg.kg-1 group was weak positive or positive, with different degrees of symptoms of an anaphylactic reaction, including 3 guinea pigs scratched nasal symptoms. And the 50 mg.kg-1 group of anaphylactic symptoms including scratc-hing nose, sneezing, coughing and (or) urination, showed positive. CONCLUSION During the active systemic anaphylactic reaction of drugs non-clinical safety evaluation of drugs the advantage of either method should be brought into play. The method of ″ Pharmacopoeia″ may be used for preliminary screening of test samples. ln case pf suspected reactions, the method of ″Guiding Principle″ should be used for more detailed observations.

BACKGROUND: Facet joint disease plays a major role in axial low-back pain. Few diagnostic tests and imaging methods for identifying this condition exist. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is reported that it has a high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing facet disease. We prospectively evaluated the use of bone scintigraphy with SPECT for the identification of patients with low back pain who would benefit from medial branch block. METHODS: SPECT was performed on 33 patients clinically suspected of facet joint disease. After SPECT, an ultrasound guided medial branch block was performed on all patients. On 28 SPECT-positive patients, medial branch block was performed based on the SPECT findings. On 5 negative patients, medial branch block was performed based on clinical findings. For one month, we evaluated the patients using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index. SigmaStat and paired t-tests were used to analyze patient data and compare results. RESULTS: Of the 33 patients, the ones who showed more than 50% reduction in VAS score were assigned 'responders'. SPECT positive patients showed a better response to medial branch blocks than negative patients, but no changes in the Oswestry disability index were seen. CONCLUSIONS: SPECT is a sensitive tool for the identification of facet joint disease and predicting the response to medial branch block.
Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Prospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon ; Zygapophyseal Joint

Emphysematous cholecystitis is an uncommon form of acute cholecystitis characterized by the presence of gas within the wall, lumen of the gall bladder or biliary ducts. Clinically it is very similar to ordinary farm. But since the risk of perforation is five times that expected from ordinary cholecystitis, early diagnosis and appropriate surgical treatment are important. We could diagnose these cases by the simple abdomen, abdominal ultrasound and abdominal CT by the presence of air in the lumen and the wall of the gall bladder. Percutaneous trans hepatic gall bladder drainage (PTGBD) for decompression was used because poor general condition of patients and later, we could successfully perform the cholecystectomy without any complication. We presented two cases of emphysematous cholecystitis with review of the relevant literature on the subject.
Abdomen ; Cholecystectomy ; Cholecystitis ; Cholecystitis, Acute ; Decompression ; Drainage ; Early Diagnosis ; Emphysematous Cholecystitis* ; Humans ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Ultrasonography ; Urinary Bladder

BACKGROUND: Bone mineral density (BMD) is under strong genetic control. A recently reported case of severe estrogen resistance caused by a germ-line mutation at the estrogen receptor gene locus suggests the possibility that other variants of the estrogen receptor (ER) gene could be responsible for the heritable components of bone density. METHODS: Two restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) at the ER gene locus, represented as PvuII and XbaI, and their relationship to bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers were examined in 95 healthy premenopausal women. Their mean age was 29 +-6.9 years (mean+-SD). RESULTS: The distribution of the PvuII and XbaI RFLPs was as follows: PP 20 (21.1%), Pp 40 (42.1%), pp 35 (36.8%), and XX 5 (5.3%), Xx 33 (34.7%), xx 57 (60.0%) (capital letters signify the absence of, and lower case letters signify the presence of the restriction site of each RFLP). There was no significant relation between ER genotypes and BMD measured at several sites such as lumbar spine (L2-4), distal forearm, and femoral neck. Also no significant genotypic differences were found in the several biochemical markers and sex hormone status. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that these polymorphisms are not predietive of bone turnover nor BMD in a sample of healthy Korean premenopausal women.
Biomarkers ; Bone Density* ; Estrogens* ; Female ; Femur Neck ; Forearm ; Genotype* ; Germ-Line Mutation ; Humans ; Osteoporosis ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Spine