Objective To investigate the pregnancy outcomes of couples with either maternal or paternal balanced translocations.Methods One hundred and ninety-four couples were divided into three groups based on the kind of translocations:135 with reciprocal translocation,52 with nonhomologous Robertsonian translocations,and 7 with homologous Robertsonian translocations.Past reproductive histories were surveyed.For those who wanted to have their own babies by natural conceptions after knowing their karyotypes as well as the risks of abnormal offsprings,subsequent pregnancy outcomes were recorded.Total pregnancy outcomes were compared between three groups.Results(1)503 previous and subsequent pregnancies were recorded in detail.The pregnancy outcomes are as follows:spontaneous abortions 81.7% (411/503);induced terminations because of fetal abnormalities 3.2%(16/503);birth defects 7.2% (36/503);normal/balanced offsprings 8.0%(40/503).In reciprocal translocations,nonhomologous Robertsonian translocations and homologous Robertsonian translocations,the birth defects rates were 5.7% (20/350),10.9%(14/128)and 8.0%(2/25),respectively(P

OBJECTIVETo clarify the commercial original species of hippocampus in the market.

METHODField survey and interview were applied to the investigation.

RESULTPresent study identified the main commercial hippocampus of 13 species, including Pharmacopoeia contained four kinds of hippocampus (without Hippocampus japonicus) listed in Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and the identification method for the 13 kinds of commercially hippocampus was established.

CONCLUSIONThe further research on hippocampus should be strengthened for the establishment of hippocampal quality control standard.

Animals ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; economics ; standards ; Quality Control ; Smegmamorpha ; anatomy & histology ; classification

Mantidis Oötheca is commonly used Chinese medicine. Because of the used medicinal part is oötheca and many mantis species can yield ootheca, it is not possible to identify its original animal accurately. There is no unanimous conclusion about the corresponding relationship between Mantis and Mantidis Oötheca (Sangpiaoxiao). This relationship is the basis of the Mantidis Oötheca research. Our study combined the methods of artificial incubation oötheca and capture the living mantis to identify the species of Mantis and Mantidis Oötheca. The results showed that the origin insects of Mantidis Oötheca was Tenodera, Hierodula and Statilia genus insects. This has laid a foundation for further study of Mantidis Oötheca.
Animals ; Mantodea ; chemistry ; classification ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; standards ; Quality Control

The discussion centered primarily on background, basis and research ways of the study on producing area suitability of genuine traditional Chinese drugs in this paper. The authors expounded application and development of the used modem techniques. The direction and strategy of producing area suitability of genuine traditional Chinese drugs for the future were proposed and prospected aiming to provide with scientific thoughtway and guiding later production and practice.
Climate ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Ecosystem ; Geographic Information Systems ; Pharmacognosy ; Plants, Medicinal ; genetics ; growth & development ; Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique ; Soil ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; therapy ; United States

BACKGROUNDLiver transplantation is the most effective treatment for patients with end-stage liver failure, however infection after transplantation is a serious clinical complication. The purpose of this research was to investigate the molecular epidemiology and the influence of multidrug-resistant Gram-positive infection in patients, following liver transplantation, to provide reference for clinical treatment and prevention of Gram-positive bacterial infection.

METHODSWe isolated and detected bacteria from phlegm, throat swabs, urine, wound or wound secretions, blood, and fecal samples from 221 liver transplant patients in our hospital from January 2007 to April 2010. All isolated bacterial strains were identified and tested by minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) drug-sensitive detection using the BioMerieux ATB bacterial identification instrument and repetitive extragenic palindromic-polymerase chain reaction (REP-PCR) detection of bacterial homology. Risk factors were calculated by multivariate Logistic regression analysis.

RESULTSWe collected 250 specimens from 221 patients hospitalized following liver transplantation surgery, of which 29 patients developed multiple infections. Sixty-five Gram-positive bacterial strains were isolated from different specimens from 53 infectious patients. We detected 29 multidrug-resistant Gram-positive strains from 29 patients (44.62%), including 20 Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) strains (68.97%) and nine Enterococcus strains (31.03%). All 20 S. aureus strains were highly resistant to aminoglycosides (gentamicin), cephalosporins (cefoxitin), quinolones (ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin), lincomycins (clindamycin), penicillin, and erythromycin. The resistance rate reached 100% in some cases. The S. aureus strains were highly sensitive to vancomycin and oxazolidinone (linezolid), with MIC50 < 2 µg/ml for both. The nine Enterococci strains were also highly resistant to aminoglycosides, quinolones, and penicillins, and highly sensitive to vancomycin (MIC50 < 2 µg/ml) and oxazolidinone (MIC50 < 1 µg/ml). Using REP-PCR detection, S. aureus was divided into five genotypes with 14 B-type strains. Enterococcus was divided into 11 genotypes, with two D-type strains, two G-type strains, and two K-type strains. The risk factors for Gram-positive bacterial infection in patients following liver transplantation were preoperative use of antibiotics (OR = 3.949, P = 0.004), high intra-operative blood input (OR = 1.071, P = 0.005), and postoperative renal failure (OR = 5.427, P = 0.043).

CONCLUSIONSS. aureus and Enterococcus were the main pathogens causing infection following liver transplantation in patients with drug-resistant Gram-positive bacterial infection. The isolated strains were resistant to multiple antibiotics. B-type S. aureus strains were predominant. Reasonable use of antibiotics, decreasing intra-operative blood input, and preventing post-operative renal failure may reduce Gram-positive bacterial infections and the appearance of drug-resistant strains following liver transplantation.

Adult ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial ; genetics ; Female ; Gram-Positive Bacteria ; drug effects ; genetics ; pathogenicity ; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections ; epidemiology ; etiology ; microbiology ; Humans ; Liver Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Male ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Middle Aged ; Molecular Epidemiology

The pathogenesis and etiology of still remain unknown. Current evidence suggests that the occurrence of depression may be related to a reduced secretion of neurotransmitters, neuronal apoptosis, inflammation, intestinal flora and other factors. Although the commonly used antidepressants such as SSRIs, SNRIs, NaSSA, and SARIs produce some therapeutic effects, they fail to relieve the full spectrum of the symptoms of depression. In recent years, esketamine was found to produce a potent and a long-lasting antidepressant effect by acting on the NMDA receptors. Herein the authors review the progress in the study of the pathogenesis and drug therapies of depression, the efficacy of esketamine treatment and the underlying mechanism, and the prospect of esketamine treatment. Currently the mechanism of the antidepressant effect of esketamine remains indeterminate and its clinical application is limited, but its effect in rapidly alleviating the symptoms of depression suggests its bright prospect for clinical applications.
Antidepressive Agents ; pharmacology ; Depression ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Ketamine ; pharmacology ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate

Objective To determine the clinical features,neurophysiological characteristics and cervical magnetic resonance imaging of sensory neumnopathy,and to describe the pathology of skin nerve, sural nerve and spinal dorsal columns.Methods Two patients who died from sensory neuron disease (SND)after infection of digestive tract were discussed including clinical features and ancillary tests which included neurophysiology and pathology of peripheral nerve and spinal dorsal columns.Associated documents are reviewed.Results Early ataxia,widespread sensory symptoms and global loss of deep tendon reflex were the distinctive signs of SND,which was characterized by non-length-dependent abnormalities of sensory nerve action potentials,a hallmark of ganglionopathies.The second patient showed normal cervical magnetic resonance imaging possibly because of short course of disease,while diffuse hyperintensity in the spinal posterior columns of SND was reported.Demyelination of spinal posterior columns and loss of mostly large diameter nerve fibers without regeneration clusters were the main pathological features.Conclusions The distinctive clinical features and neurophysiological characteristics of SND indicate that peripheral sensory nerve fibers are widely damaged.Pathology of spinal posterior columns confirm that central sensory pathway are impaired which allow the localization of the pathologic site to the dorsal root ganglion neurons.Cervical spinal MRI of SND are possibly normal at early phase.

Objective To compare the effects of gastric gavage and intramuscular injection of prednisone on the bone mineral density, skeletal biomechanical properties and bone metabolism in rats.Methods A total of 45 SPF rats were randomly divided into three groups:normal group, intragastric administration group, and intramuscular injection group.The normal group, as a control group, was administrated with normal saline 2 mL per day, both the intragastric administration group and i.m.injec-tion group received prednisone 0.5 mg/(kg.d) for 12 weeks.All rats were examined for bone mineral density (BMD) and the level of serum β-CTX and PINP.The femoral cortical biomechanical properties ( elastic load, maximal load, rupturing load) were measured by three point bending test.Results After 12 weeks, compared with the normal group, BMD and elastic load, maximal load, and rupturing load of the femur were significantly decreased.Compared with the intragastric gavage group, BMD was significantly decreased, while the elastic load, maximal load, and rupturing load of the femur were not significantly changed in the i.m.injection group (P＜0.05 for all).Compared with the normal group, the level of serum β-CTX was significantly raised (P＜0.05) and the level of serum PINP was significantly decreased (P＜0.05).Compared with the intragastric gavage group, the level of serumβ-CTX was also significantly raised (P＜0.05), the level of serum PINP was significantly decreased (P＜0.05), the bone trabecula and hemopoietic tissue were obviously decreased, while the adipose tissue increased obviously. Conclusions Both intragastric gavage and intramuscular injection of prednisone affect the level of BMD, skeletal biomechanical properties and bone metabolism.However, i.m.injection of prednisone decreases the BMD and bone strength more significantly, leading to a higher bone turnover with increased bone resorption, and leads to osteoporosis earlier.Our results may suggest that oral administration of prednisone is more safe in clinical treatment.

BACKGROUND: It is a hotspot that calcium phosphate and calcium sulphate as the main ingredients are combined with one or more other materials to improve or increase the performance of bone tissue engineering scaffolds. OBJECTIVE: To introduce the research advance of these two kinds of scaffolds in bone tissue engineering. METHODS: The articles related to the bone tissue engineering published during January 2000 to June 2015 were retrieved from CNKI and PubMed databases by computer. The key words were “bone tissue engineering, scaffold, calcium phosphate, calcium sulphate, vascularization” in Chinese and English, respectively. ESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Calcium phosphate and calcium sulfate are characterized as having good biocompatibility, biodegradability, osteoconductivity and complete bone substitutability. However, single use of calcium phosphate or calcium sulfate scaffold has certain disadvantages, both of which are difficult to ful y meet the requirements of the bone defect repair. Improvement can be acquired in the mechanical strength, injectability and biodegradability, as wel as drug-loading and pro-angiogenesis of the scaffold in combination with other materials. In the basal and clinical research, we should explore and develop ideal scaffolds in on the basis of therapeutic aim. However, most of the scaffold studies are stil at the extracorporeal and animal experiment stage, and the comparative studies on composite scaffolds and optimal proportion of those composite scaffolds stil need to be further investigated.