Objective To study the effect of Xuebijing, a Chinese traditional medicine injection, on the THP-1 cells challenged by endotoxin, and to explore whether it induces endotoxin tolerance. Methods The THP-1 cells were pretreated with Xuebijing in different concentrations (10, 25, 50 mg/mL) and times (4, 12, 24 hours), and then challenged by endotoxin. The level of TNF-α in culture supernatant was detected by ELISA assay, and the expression of TLR4 and IRAK-M mRNA were detected by Real time-PCR technique. Results There was no significant difference in TNF-α level among all the groups (pretreated with different concentrations of Xuebijing for different time) (P>0.05). Only in 50 mg/mL Xuebijing group, TLR4 mRNA was 1.547-fold increase in 24 h than in 4 h group (P<0.05). Only when pretreated for 24 h, IRAK-M mRNA was 1.349-fold increase in 50 mg/mL Xuebijing group than in control group (P<0.05). However,there was no significant difference among other groups (P>0.05). Conclusions Xuebijing can not block the release of TNF-α from the THP-1 cells challenged by endotoxin;and it does not induce endotoxin tolerance. When pretreated with high concentration of Xuebijing for long time, the expression of both TLR4 and IRAK-M mRNA is up-regulated, but its significance is not yet clear.

BACKGROUND: To review progressions in the pharmacological study of natural plant Ficus carica L. (fig), summarize its main pharmacological effects so as to manifest values in clinical practice.DATA SOURCES: .By computer retrieval system, the relevant papers on the researches on Ficus carica were retrieved on Medline from January 1950 to September 2004 and limited at the referred word "Ficus carica" in English. Simultaneously, the relevant papers were searched by the computer on China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database from January 1999 to September 2004, focusing on the referred word "Fieus carica" in Chinese.STUDY SELECTION: Of all the relevant papers, ones focusing on the pharmacological study of Ficus carica were selected and the whole text were checked, meanwhile those had no relation with the pharmacological latex as well as various constituents and preparations. Exclusion criterion:repeated studies.DATA EXTRACTION: A total of 226 papers were checked on the study of Ficus carica, 30 papers were consistent with the standards. Among the 196 excluded papers, 189 were excluded because they were clinical experience report or repeated studies, 7 were reviews.DATA SYNTHESIS: Investigations of the fig, its leaves and latex as well as various constituents and preparations, have revealed many pharmacological effects such as: anti-tumor effects, the ability to mediate body metabolism, mediating hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and cholesterol levels, enhancing oxidation resistance, antibiotic effects, antivirus effects, the ability to mediate immunity, activating blood coagulation etc. It also may play an important role in supportive therapy in tumor treatment by reducing toxicity and side effects in actinotheraphy and chemotherapy. Several reports of anaphylaxis after fig intake have reported both in China and abroad.CONCLUSION: As an herb, fig has wide pharmacological effects and clinical practise values. The main pharmacological studies of it were focused on its anti-tumor effects and the ability to mediate body metabolism.Separation and purification of its active components and determining the interactions between them as well as the pharmacological and toxicological effects need further study. New pharmacological effect s will be found by studying various fig extracts.

Objective:To analyse the actual position of denture base and its relationship with the anatomic marks of alveolar ridge. Methods:According to the standardized process,10 sets of complete dentures were fabricated for edentulous patients by taking func-tional impression.Before and after completion of denture fabrication,trial wearing and full adjustment one week after application,the margin extension,thickness and form of the denture bases were measured.The relationship of denture base outline with anatomic marks of alveolar ridges was observed.Results:The most adjusted regions of upper and lower complete denture bases were hamular notch area,buccal shed area,far middle buccal corner region and retromylohyoid ridge area(P <0.05).Buccal outline of mandibular base was consistent with the external oblique ridge and the base edge corresponding to masseter muscle attachment in far middle buccal corner region was excluded from the base.Lingual outline was relieved in area of lingual frenum and was consistent with mandibular torus.Conclusion:Denture base is easily over extended in hamular notch area,buccal shed area,far middle buccal corner region and retromylohyoid ridge area.

Objective To develop secondary nursing discipline system based on the situation of China and the international trends of nursing education,which would be applied as the theoretical guideline for the construction of nursing system in China.Methods An indicator system of entry criteria of secondary nursing discipline was formed by examining the current situation of nursing knowledge body and organizational system in domestic and foreign countries through bibliometric and content analysis,were further supported in the panel meeting.Then the secondary nursing discipline system were constructed according to the entry criteria.Results Knowledge innovation,knowledge dissemination,personnel training and social needs of health were found to be the first indicators of the entry criteria,including 14 secondary indicators,10 secondary nursing disciplines were proposed.Conclusions The secondary nursing discipline system is in line with current situation of nursing at home and abroad,and would be gradually refined with the de velopment of nursing discipline.

ObjectiveTo investigate the pain relieving degree and the comprehensive efficacy of pricking-cupping bloodletting plus microwave therapy in treating intractable tennis elbow.MethodSeventy-two patients meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly allocated, using a random number table, to a treatment group (pricking-cupping bloodletting plus microwave therapy,n=36) and a control group (electroacupuncture plus microwave therapy,n=36). The pain relieving degree and the overall therapeutic effect were assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and theCriteria of Syndrome Diagnosis and Therapeutic Effect in Traditional Chinese Medicinein the patients after treatment.ResultThe pain relieving degree and the overall therapeutic effect were more remarkable in the treatment group than in the control group (P<0.05).ConclusionPricking-cupping bloodletting plus microwave therapy can effectively heighten the pain relieving degree and the overall therapeutic effect in treating patients with intractable tennis elbow.

Objective: The energy intake and energy expenditure were measured in order to observe the variation of energy metabolism in simple obese children and provide evidences for further research of etiology, prevention and control of obesity in children. Methods: Basic metabolic rate(BMR), resting metabolic rate (RMR) and energy expenditure of standardized cycling were measured by using open-circuit indirect calorimetry in 54 obese children and 60 nonobese children in a full-time boarding school in Guangzhou suburb. Total energy expenditure (TEE) was estimated by time record of activities and factorial approach. Dietary intake was surveyed by weighing method. Results: When expressed as kJ/h, BMR,RMR, energy expenditure of standardized cycling were significantly higher(P

Femtosecond laser is mainly used in corneal refractive surgery.In recent years,the progress of the entire process of femtosecond laser makes a dramatic change and development of corneal refractive surgery.Photoinduced decomposition of femtosecond laser can ionize human tissue and accurately carry out intratissue cutting with less influence for the outside area of target site.So it is proved to have a high safety in clinical application.Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery and lens refractive surgery is going to be a new stage in ophthalmology,and its application in cataract extraction includes the cutting of clear corneal incision and anterior capsula of lens as well as cutting up of lens nuclei.The advancement of femtosecond laser in lens refractive surgery mainly is the correction of presbyopia.The progress of femtosecond laser in lens surgery was summarized.

AIM:To explore the changes and the mechanism of heart functions in the rats with spleen-qi defi-ciency syndrome.METHODS:The rats were randomly divided into blank control group and spleen-qi deficiency model group.The changes of cardiac functions in the rats were determined by ultrasonic imaging with a high-resolution in vivo im-aging system.HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes.The protein expression of brain natriuretic peptide ( BNP) in the myocardium was assessed by Western blotting.The contents of BNP and cAMP in the serum and myocardium were measured by ELISA.The mRNA expression of basic fibroblast growth factor ( bFGF) and protein kinase A ( PKA) was detected by real-time PCR.RESULTS:Compared with blank control group, the myocardial cells in the model group had different degrees of necrosis and degeneration.Stroke volume and ejection fraction were decreased.The contents of cAMP and BNP in the serum and myocardium were increased in model group.The protein expression of BNP and the mR-NA expression of bFGF and PKA were also increased.CONCLUSION:Spleen-qi deficiency syndrome causes heart func-tion decline in rats.The expression of BNP, cAMP, PKA and bFGF is all increased.

[ABSTRACT]AIM:ToobservetheeffectofthesignalingpathwayofproteinkinaseC(PKC)-nuclearfactor-ery-throid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) on the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) induced by cigarette smoke extract (CSE) in the rat airway epithelial cells .METHODS:After exposed to CSE , the airway epithelial cells of male SD rats were di-vided into control group , CSE3 group, RO318220 group, Nrf2 siRNA group and RO318220+Nrf2 siRNA group.The pro-tein levels of HO-1, Nrf2 and PKC were semi-quantified by Western blotting .The protein expression of HO-1 was assessed by immunocytochemistry .The mRNA expression of HO-1 was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction ( RT-PCR) .Nrf2 protein location was observed by immunofluorescence staining .HO-1 activity was also determined .RE-SULTS:After exposure to CSE for 3 h, the Nrf2 protein was mainly located in the nucleus , and the expression level of Nrf2 protein in the nucleus was stronger than that in the control cells .CSE also significantly enhanced the levels of p-PKC protein, and HO-1 mRNA, protein and activity .Pretreatment with RO318220 significantly decreased the levels of PKC pro-tein, Nrf2 protein, and HO-1 mRNA, protein and activity.Meanwhile, Nrf2 protein significantly decreased , and the activ-ity, mRNA and protein levels of HO-1 were also significantly attenuated by pretreatment with siRNA to knock down Nrf2. Pretreatment with RO318220 and Nrf2 siRNA significantly decreased the PKC protein , Nrf2 protein, and HO-1 mRNA, protein and activity .CONCLUSION:CSE up-regulates the HO-1 expression through PKC-induced nuclear translocation of Nrf2 in the rat airway epithelial cells .