Objective To investigate the effects of meliorated renal failure decoction (MRFD) on renal function and inflammatory cytokines in patients with CKD 3-4 stages. Methods Sixty-two patients with CKD 3-4 stages were divided into treatment group and control group through random number table method. Both groups were given conventional treatment of western medicine, and the treatment group was given MRFD additionally. After 6 months of treatment, the changes of TCM symptom scores, Hb, Scr, BUN, 24 h UP, IL-6, IL-8, TNF and eGFR were observed. Meanwhile, the clinical efficacy was evaluated. Results The total clinical effective rate in treatment group was 65.63%(21/32), and 30.00%(9/30) in the control group (P<0.01);the effective rate of TCM syndromes in treatment group was 96.88%(31/32), and 53.33%(16/30) in the control group (P<0.01). The symptoms were improved better in the treatment group than the control group except for the symptoms of dry mouth and throat, and diarrhea. The level of eGFR in treatment group increased obviously (P<0.05), while the levels of Scr, 24 h UP and BUN decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01), with statistical significance between the two groups ( P<0.01). The level of eGFR increased, and the levels of Scr decreased in the control group (P<0.01). The levels of IL-6, IL-8, and TNF in both groups were reduced, while the level of Hb increased in the two groups, without statistical significance (P>0.05). Conclusion MRFD can improve TCM syndrome and renal function, delay the progress of patients with CKD at 3-4 stage by means of reducing the inflammatory cytokines and inhibiting micro-inflammatory state.

Objective: To establish a female SPF BALB/c mouse model of antibiotic-associated intestinal microflora disturbance and analyze the effect of lactobacillus acidophilus.Methods: Female SPF BALB/c mice were treated with ceftriaxone in drinking water for five days,and followed by oral gavage of sodium chloride as natural recovery group or lactobacillus acidophilus(108CFU/mL) as therapeutic group.After seven days the intestinal microflora of the cecum content was abstracted and computed by plate counts and 16S rDNA-based PCR-DGGE method.Results: Plate counts indicated that the number of original bacterium lacticum and bacillus bifidus decreased significantly and enterococci proliferated abnormally after antibiotic treatment.After lactobacillus acidophilus treatment,the number of physiological bacteria and enterococci go back to normal levels.DGGE profile clearly indicated that the dominant bacteria changed and the bacterial diversity of intestinal microbiota was obviously decreased in the antibiotics treated group. Conclusion: Oral gavage of lactobacillus acidophilus has adjustment effect on Ceftriaxone induced intestinal microbiota disturbance.PCR-DGGE is a rapid、effective molecule method to reveal the whole microbiota status.

Objective To assess the effect of thoracoscopic surgery under laryngeal mask anesthesia and explore the nursing strategies. Methods Thirty-five patients from April to December in 2014 undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) were given intubation anesthesia and another thirty-five ones undergoing the same surgery in 2015 received laryngeal mask anesthesia. The two groups were compared in terms of surgery conditions, surgery complication and ambulation time. Results No significant differences were found in surgery time or blood loss between two groups (P>0.05). The postoperative waking time in the mask anesthesia group was significantly shorter than that of the intubation anesthesia group (P<0.05), and ambulation time was significantly shortened (P<0.05). The rates of throat discomfort, hoarseness and gastrointestinal reactions were significantly lower. Conclusions Laryngeal mask anesthesia used in small thoracoscopic surgery for airway management is safe and feasible. Combined with training in respiration and limb function, better analgesia and nursing, it can keep away complications related to intubation anesthesia, shorten hospital stay and accelerate postoperative rehabilitation.

Objective To evaluate the correlation of inflammatory severity between appendiceal ori-fice inflammation(AOI)and ulcerative colitis(UC). Methods A retrospective analysis of the patients who were diagnosed as UC was conducted to investigate the correlation of the severity of inflammation between AOI and UC by linear trend test. Results The detective rate of UC during the above period was 2. 3%(991/ 42 928),with the patient number of 991.Appendiceal orifice observation did not perform in 45 cases due to patients reasons. In 946 patients,260 cases were diagnosed as having AOI,which accounted for 27. 5%of the total cases examined.AOI positive rates were significantly different between groups based on endoscopic severity standard(χ2 = 27. 39,P<0. 05),which was similar in moderate and severe group[30. 2%(109/ 361) VS 29. 8%(147/ 493),P>0. 0125],both significantly higher than that in mild group[4. 3%(4/ 92),P<0. 0125]. In linear regression analysis,regression coefficient was 0. 32,χ2return = 29. 48(P<0. 05)and χ 2partial =31. 66(P<0. 05),which proved a positive correlation between the two drawn existed but not a simple linear relationship. Conclusion AOI is a sign in some active UC patients. Its severity of inflammation can reflect the degree of inflammation in UC,which may offer a terminal point when treating a slice of UC individuals and giving a signal of its relapse.

Objective To observe the effects of angiotensin Ⅱ( Ang Ⅱ) blockade on renal function, renal blood flow and renal oxygen consumption in chronic renal failure ( CRF) rats induced by 5/6th kidney ablation /infarction (5/6A/I).Methods Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups:the normal group (group A, n =14), mod-el group (group B, n=14) and angiotensin II blockade (Cozaar with Monopril) treatment group (group C, n =14).The chronic renal failure ( CRF) rat models were induced by 5/6th kidney ablation/infarction.The tail artery systolic pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and tail vein serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), hemoglobin ( Hb) and creatinine clearance rate ( Ccr) were assessed before and after intervention.The course of treatment was sixty days.The renal blood flow ( RBF) , blood gas analysis of abdominal aortic and renal vein, left renal vein pressure ( RV-pO2 ) were detected and remnant renal oxygen consumption ( QO2/TNa ) was calculated, and the pathological changes of remnant kidney were observed after the 60 d intervention.Results (1) Compared with the group A, the levels of Scr, BUN and tail artery SBP, DBP were significantly increased ( P<0.01 for all) , and the levels of Ccr and Hb were signifi-cantly decreased ( P<0.01) in the groups B and C, demonstrating the successful modeling.(2) Compared with the group B, the levels of Scr, tail artery SBP, DBP and QO2/TNa were significantly decreased (P<0.01 for all), the levels of BUN were decreased (P<0.05), the levels of Hb, Ccr and RVpO2 were significantly increased (P<0.01 for all), the level of RBF was increased ( P<0.05) in the group C after intervention.(3) The histopathological examination of the remnant re-nal tissue showed that the pathological changes in the group C were apparently reduced, better than those of the Group B. Conclusions Angiotensin II blockade can increase RBF, reduce renal oxygen consumption, improve renal function, and reduce the renal pathological changes in CRF rats.The mechanism of renal protection may be related to the regulation of cellular energy metabolism and improvement of renal oxygen consumption.

Hannum and colleagues performed DNA methylation sequencing to examine the relationship between DNA methylome and aging rate. Notably, they succeeded in building a quantitative and reproducible model based on the epigenetic bio-markers to predict aging rate with high accuracy. This progress enlightens us in many aspects particularly in applying this novel set of bio-markers on studying the mechanism of aging rate using adult tissue-specific stem cells, building up a potential quantitative model to explore the mechanism for other epigenetic factors like non-coding RNA, and understanding the principle and mechanism of 3D chromatin structure in epigenetic modulation.
Aging ; genetics ; pathology ; Base Sequence ; Chromatin ; genetics ; DNA Methylation ; genetics ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; Genome, Human ; Humans ; RNA, Untranslated ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; trends

Objective To evaluate the clinical value of Chinese Multi-Dimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MDHAQ-C) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods From December 2015 to October 2016,four hundred and twelve RA patients were recruited in this study and completed the MDHAQ-C independently and routine assessment of patient index data 3 (RAPID3) was calculated. Then correlations were assessed by Spearman correlation coefficient of RAPID3 with indices of clinical relevance and disease activity to evaluate its clinical values. Results MDHAQ-C is moderately correlated with ESR (r=0.399), CRP (r=0.381), SJC (r=0.499), TJC (r=0.558) (P<0.01), but highly correlation with VAS of pain (r=0.836), VAS of global status (r=0.915) and overall assessment of physician (r=0.784)(P<0.01), and highly correlated with a Spearman's coefficient of 0.784 for DAS 28-ESR, 0.734 for CDAI and 0.682 for SDAI (P<0.001). Conclusion MDHAQ is a reliable, valid instrument for disease activity assessment and a feasible index for clinical settings in Chinese RA patients.

Objective To find a new method for evaluating the left ventricular relaxation time constant Tau with aortic regurgitation by continuous wave Doppler.Methods Twelve Beagle dogs were included in the study.The dog aortic regurgitation model was produced under ultrasound guiding by carotid artery puncture.Aortic pressure was measured by pressure catheter and left ventricular pressure was measured by Millar catheter which was introduced into the left ventricular through cardiac apex.Then microspheres were injected into the left coronary artery under the guidance of ultrasound to induce acute ischemic left ventricular dysfunction,when left ventricular end-diastolic pressure increased more than 5 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa).Dobutamine or esmolol was infused to alter left ventricular function.Aortic regurgitation velocity spectrum was recorded by the continuous-wave Doppler echocardiography in different hemodynamic status.At the same time,left ventricular pressure,dp/dt,aortic pressure and continuous ECG tracing were displayed on the multi-channel physiological recorder.Measurement was recorded of-dp/dtmax in the dp/dt tracings and the pressure at the time of-dp/dtmax in the left ventricular pressure tracings.Tau =-P/(dp/dtmax),Tau was the catheter-derived time constant (Taucatheter).Aortic regurgitation spectrum of original audio data was post-processed with MATLAB mathematical software.The spectral lines refresh time of about 300 μs was chosen to form a new Doppler spectrum.Three points:(t1,1 m/s),(t2,2 m/s) and (t3,3 m/s) were selected in aortic regurgitation velocity spectrum and tl,t2 and t3 was put into the corresponding Tau formula:Tau=(t2-t1)/ln[(ADP-C-4)/(ADP-C-16)],Tau=(t3-t1)/ln[(ADP-C-4)/(ADP-C-36)].Tau was the aortic regurgitant time constant (Tauultrasound).The difference between Taucatheter and Tauultrasound was compared by paired t test.The correlation between Taucatheter and Tauultrasound was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis.Results Twelve dogs were successfully produced aortic regurgitation model.Two dogs died of ventricular fibrillation during the procedure of acute ischemic left ventricular diastolic dysfunction.The range of the Taucatheter was between 27.12 ms and 86.88 ms with an average of (48.973± 14.667) ms;the range of the Tauultrasound was between 28.13 ms and 90.18 ms with an average of (51.236± 15.146) ms.The difference was not statistically significant (t=1.841,P ＞ 0.05).Pearson correlation analysis showed that Taucatheter was positively correlated with Tatultrasound (r=0.89,P=0.000).Conclusion Choosing three points:(t1,1 m/s),(t2,2 m/s) and (t3,3 m/s) in aortic regurgitant velocity spectrum and putting into the corresponding formula,we can calculate Tau,which had a good correlation with the catheter-derived Tau.

Small molecule drug screening technology is continuously evolving and expanding along with drug discovery,and the innovation in drug screening technology can improve the research and development efficiency and success rate,shorten the cycle time,and reduce the cost.From traditional screening technologies based on known active compounds and high-throughput screening(HTS)to new technologies such as structure-based drug discovery(SBDD),fragment-based drug discovery(FBDD),DNA encoded compound library(DEL)and proteolysis targeting chimeras(PROTAC),small molecule drug screening technologies are continuously broadening the market potential for small molecule drugs.This article will provide an overview of the current status of small molecule drug screening technology,systematically review each technique along with their advantages and disadvantages,and offer essential insights for the development of new small molecule drug screening technologies.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cell Culture Techniques ; methods ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged