Biomarkers ; blood ; Biopsy, Needle ; utilization ; Hepatitis C ; complications ; Humans ; Liver ; pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; diagnosis ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo study the mechanism of scalp penetration acupuncture treating acute cerebral hemorrhage (ACH).

METHODSThe treatment group (n = 30) and the control group (n = 30) were treated with the same basic therapy, but scalp penetration acupuncture was added to the treatment group. Changes of plasma ET and CGRP contents were compared.

RESULTSAfter treatment for 14 days, the content of plasma ET in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.01). Moreover, the content of plasma CGRP was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONScalp penetration acupuncture is able to improve the prognosis of the patient with ACH by means of regulating the contents of plasma ET and CGRP.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Calcitonin ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; therapy ; Endothelins ; blood ; Humans ; Scalp

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of portal hypertension on prognosis in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis.

METHODSThe clinical data of decompensated cirrhosis patients in our hospital, between 2003 and 2006, were retrospected and followed up. Model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score and Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) classification was calculated using the standard formula. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to compare the mortality in subgroups ranked by the syndromes. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate the effect of the syndromes on prognosis.

RESULTSA cohort of 322 patients was admitted in this study at the end of the follow-up. The mortality of variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, a large volume ascites, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, the type I and type II hepatorenal syndrome was 45.9%, 79.4%, 66.7%, 100%, 100% and 84.6% respectively. On the whole, the occurrence of all the syndromes was correlated with CTP classification and MELD score. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that all of these syndromes, except for low to medium volume of ascites, significantly affected the survival rate (P<0.01). In Cox regression analysis, all the syndromes were the independent predictors of prognosis, the regression coefficient values of hepatic encephalopathy, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, type I and type II hepatorenal syndrome, variceal bleeding and ascites were 0.973, 0.928, 0.935, 0.866, 0.464 and 0.369 respectively.

CONCLUSIONSThe portal hypertensive syndromes have significant effect on the prognosis of the patients with decompensated cirrhosis, hepatic encephalopathy is the worst one.

Adult ; Aged ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Hepatic Encephalopathy ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Hepatorenal Syndrome ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Humans ; Hypertension, Portal ; complications ; epidemiology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; complications ; mortality ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Models, Statistical ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prognosis ; Severity of Illness Index ; Survival Analysis

This work was directed at obtaining a better gene carrier to improve the effects of gene delivery. Neutral liposomes made from cholesterol, lecithin and DOPE by reverse evaporation technique were used for encapsulating DNA-HAP complex which was made from DNA and optimized HAP. The sizes of complexes and the efficiency of encapsulation were detected. The efficiency of transfection into Hela cells was shown by observation of X-gal staining and measurement of transfection efficience. The average size of complexes was 643nm, the average encapsulating efficiency of DNA in microspheres reached 11.67%. These Lipid-Hydroxyapatite-DNA complex (LHD) could be transfected into mammalian cells. The Lipid-Hydroxyapatite-DNA complex prepared by reverse evaporation technique could be applied availably in DNA delivery system, and it gave another thinking to increase the gene transfection of non- viral genetic vector.
DNA ; administration & dosage ; Durapatite ; administration & dosage ; Genetic Therapy ; Lipids ; administration & dosage ; Transfection ; methods

Dependovirus ; genetics ; Genetic Therapy ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Liver Diseases ; therapy

Humans ; Liver Failure ; mortality ; surgery ; Liver Transplantation ; mortality ; Models, Biological ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors ; Survival Rate

Collagen Type I ; biosynthesis ; Hepatocyte Growth Factor ; biosynthesis ; Hepatocytes ; cytology ; metabolism ; physiology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Liver Regeneration ; Receptors, Vitronectin ; biosynthesis

Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Endothelin-1 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Hepatocytes ; metabolism ; Liver ; cytology ; metabolism ; Liver Cirrhosis ; prevention & control ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Simian virus 40 ; genetics ; Transfection

Humans ; Liver Diseases ; complications ; diagnosis ; Liver Failure ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Models, Biological ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models

Animals ; Humans ; Leptin ; genetics ; physiology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; etiology ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; analysis ; physiology ; Receptors, Leptin ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; genetics ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1