The current treatment of medical implant-associated infections is still challenging.The infections are particularly persistent because the bacteria attaching to the implant surfaces produce a protective matrix which establishes itself as biofilms,shielding the bacteria from antibiotics.Biofilm bacteria are resistant to antimicrobics at levels 500 to 5,000 times higher than those needed to kill non-biofilm bacteria.In vitro experiments have shown that electric current has anti-infection effect and can enhance the activity of some antimicrobial agents against certain bacteria in the biofilms.Direct electrical stimulation has already been safely used in humans for fracture healing.In this article,we review the current state and development in research on the anti-infection effect of electrical stimulation.

Objective To compare the effectiveness of Pregabalin given by fixed dose method and flexible dose method on treating central post-stroke pain.Methods Patients with central post-stroke pain were consecutively enrolled and randomized into fixed group and flexible group.The patients in fixed group were given pregabalin 300 mg per day for 8 weeks.The patients in flexible group were given pregabalin as follows:150 mg per day for 2 weeks, 300 mg per day for 2 weeks and 450 mg per day for 4 weeks.The primary outcome was numerical rating scale ( NRS) . The secondary outcomes included adverse effects, hospital anxiety and depression scales ( HADS ) and Athens insomnia scale ( AIS) .Results A total of 132 participants were enrolled with 65 in fixed group and 67 in flexible group from Jul 2009 to Dec 2014.Two patients in fixed group gave up the treatment while 7 patients gave up in flexible group though no significant difference was observed.Finally, 63 patients in fixed group and 60 patients in flexible group were included into analysis.There was no significant difference on gender, age, medical history between two groups. Compared with baseline, the NRS、HADS-A、HADS-D and AIS score were significantly decreased ( all P<0.05 ) .However, there was no significant difference of these scores between the two groups. Conclusion Two regimens of pregabalin showed the similar efficiency and safety to treat CPSP, however, fixed dose seemed to be more acceptable.

AIM:To study the effect of ONOO- on the airway epithelial injury. METHODS: The mitochondrial respiration, the amount of lactate dedydrogenase (LDH) release into the cell culture medium, the levels of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and the cellular apoptosis were examined after exposure of cultured rat tracheal epithelial (RTE) cells to ONOO-. RESULTS: Exposure of RTE cells to 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mmol/L ONOO- caused a dose-dependent suppression of the mitochondrial respiration . ONOO- also caused a dose-dependent increase in the percentage of LDH release. Exposure of RTE cells to ONOO- resulted in an increased generation of 8-OHdG in a dose-dependent manner. ONOO- caused an increase in apoptotic percentage in RTE cells in a time-dependent manner at different concentrations. CONCLUSION: ONOO- could cause necrosis and apoptosis in cultured RTE cells. Low concentration of ONOO- caused apoptosis in a time-dependent manner. Whereas exposure to high concentration of ONOO- resulted in cell necrosis, ONOO- caused a dose-dependent increase in the percentage of LDH release. Suppression of mitochondrial respiration and oxidative DNA damage by ONOO- may be the major cause of cellular injury induced by ONOO-.

Objective To build diagnostic model of stroke with qi deficiency and blood stasis.Methods Get the disease information by epidemiological investigation. All patients were recurited into training samples and testing samples by random. Diagnostic model was built by statistical method, and tested by training samples and testing samples. Results Three diagnostic models were built. The best model with discriminant function of qi deficiency and blood stasis has been proven to be the Bayes model. Conclusion The diagnostic model built by epidemiological investigation has the advantage of good accuracy. It will improve the accuracy of clinical syndrome differentiation.

Objective To invesigate the value of contrast-enhanced spiral CT scan in diagnosing renal pelvic carcinoma.Methods All 35 cases with renal pelvic carcinoma confirmed by surgical pathology underwent plain and contrast-enhanced (including 4 phases) spiral CT scans before operation.CT data were reviewed retrospectively in comparison with surgical and patholgical results.Results CT findings of renal carcinoma could be classified into 3 types:type Ⅰ,the lesions limited within the renal pelvis in 25 cases;thype Ⅱ,the lesions were out of the renal pelvis and had indefinable margins with the renal parenchyma in 6 cases;type Ⅲ ,only showed the pelvic wall thickened with hydronephrosis in 4 cases.On contrast-enhanced CT scan,inhomogeneous enhancement of the lesions was presented in cortical phase,the intensity of enhancement was not obviously changed in 13 cases in parenchymal and excretion phases,but the lesions were still hypointense in comparison with renal parenchyma,14 cases demonstrated inhomogeneous enhancement of the lesions in delayed phase.Conclusion Contrast-enhanced spiral CT scanning is valuable in diagnosing renal pelvic carcinoma and renal delayed phase should be emphasized.

BACKGROUND:Previous studies have found that endogenous gaseous signaling molecules such as NO, CO, H2S and SO2 play an important role in acute lung injury;there also have other gases participation, such as carbonyl sulfide.
OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of carbonyl sulfide for limb ischemia-reperfusion induced acute lung injury and its mechanism in rats.
METHODS:A total of 64 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into eight groups. Control group:without treatment;model group:limb ischemia for 4 hours and then reperfusion for 2 hours. Low-, moderate-and high-dose carbonyl sulfide groups were intraperitoneal y injected with 0.2, 0.5, 1.0 mL carbonyl sulfide respectively at 20 minutes before ischemia for 4 hours and reperfusion for 2 hours. Low-, moderate-and high-dose air groups were intraperitoneal y injected with 0.4, 1.0, 2.0 mL air respectively at 20 minutes before ischemia for 4 hours and reperfusion for 2 hours. 2 hours after reperfusion, the morphological changes of lung tissues and the change of lung coefficient were observed. The expressions of tumor necrosis factor-a, interleukin-1βand interleukin-6 both in lung tissue and serum were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Cel apoptosis was measured by TUNEL assay.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) Compared with the control group, significant damage of lung tissue was seen, and the lung coefficient increased significantly in the model group (P<0.05). The expressions of tumor necrosis factor-a, interleukin-l and interleukin-6 both in lung tissue and plasma increased (P<0.05), and apoptotic rate increased. (2) Compared with the model group, low-, moderate-and high-doses of carbonyl sulfide could mitigate the degree of lung injury, and reduce pulmonary coefficient and apoptotic rate. The low dose showed the most obvious effect. Low-and moderate-dose carbonyl sulfide could significantly decrease expressions of tumor necrosis factor-a, interleukin-1βand interleukin-6 both in lung tissue and plasma (P<0.05). (3) No significant difference in each index was visible in the low-, moderate-and high-dose air groups compared with the model group. (4) Results suggested that low dose of exogenous carbonyl sulfide through anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant effects plays the protective role on limb ischemia/reperfusion-induced acute lung injury in rats.

AIM:To investigate the role of PI3K/Akt and JAK2/STAT3 pathways in the protection of sulfur dioxide (SO2) against limb ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in rats.METHODS:ALI was induced by limb I/R in the SD rats.Na2 SO3 (0.54 mmol/kg, ip)/NaHSO3 (0.18 mmol/kg, ip) as SO2 donor was injec-ted at 20 min before reperfusion.The inhibitors of JAK2/STAT3 and PI3K/Akt pathways, Stattic (3 mg/kg, iv) and LY294002 (40 mg/kg, iv), respectively, were injected at 1 h before reperfusion.Peripheral blood and lung tissues were collected for determining the contents of the cytokines, the protein levels of the molecules related to the signaling pathways, apoptosis and histopathologic changes by ELISA, TUNEL and Western blot.RESULTS:Compared with control group, the content of MDA, the activity of MPO, lung coefficient, apoptotic index, cytokine expression, and the protein levels of p-Akt and p-STAT3 in I/R group all increased significantly, and administration of Na2 SO3/NaHSO3 attenuated the damage in the lung.Besides, the results of Western blot showed that the rat lung tissues expressed p-STAT3 protein and p-Akt pro-tein.After I/R, the protein levels of p-STAT3 and p-Akt were increased.After using Na2 SO3/NaHSO3 , p-Akt was in-creased, but p-STAT3 was decreased (P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Both JAK2/STAT3 and PI3K/Akt pathways are like-ly involved in the protective effect of SO2 against limb I/R-induced ALI in rats.The activation of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway increases I/R injury.Reversely, the activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway reduces I/R injury.Besides, JAK2/STAT3 and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways may have crosstalk during I/R-induced ALI and JAK2/STAT3 pathway may have an impact on the P13K/Akt pathway.

BACKGROUND: Chinese medicine Gukang prescription has a clear effect on clinical treatment of osteoporosis, but the therapeutic pathway is stil unclear.
OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of Chinese medicine Gukang on the expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand and osteoprotegerin by regulating core binding factor alpha 1 expression to control the growth and development of osteoblasts.
METHODS:Sprague-Dawley neonatal rats within 24 hours after delivery were used for the separation and culture of osteoblasts. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were used to prepare drug-containing serum, and then divided into two groups randomly:normal control group and Gukang group. Rats in the normal control and Gukang groups were intragastrical y administrated with extract of Gukang prescription and normal saline based on rat’s body surface area, for 1 consecutive week. Two hours after the last administration, blood samples were taken from the heart. Then the serum was col ected. Osteoblasts at passage 3 were confirmed with alkaline phosphatase assay and digested. After counting and planting, al osteoblasts were divided into two groups and treated with col ected
serum for 72 hours. Proliferative rate of osteoblasts was detected by using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide test. Secretion of alkaline phosphatase was detected by using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and corrected with the corresponding absorbance value. mRNA expression of core binding factor alpha 1, receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand and osteoprotegerin were detected by using reverse
transcription-PCR in al groups.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:mRNA expression of osteoprotegerin and core binding factor alpha 1 in the Gukang group was significantly higher than that in the normal control group, but protein and mRNA expression of receptor
activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand were dramatical y lower in the Gukang group compared with the normal control group (P<0.01). These findings indicate that Chinese medicine Gukang prescription can modulate the expression of
core binding factor alpha 1, thereby adjusting the expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand and osteoprotegerin, which may be one of the mechanisms underlying Gukang treatment for osteoporosis.

BACKGROUND:Some studies have shown that blocking the venous return can promote fracture healing but there is no study about the effect of repeated transient ischemia on promoting fracture healing. OBJECTIVE:To observe the promoting effect of repeated transient ischemia on early fracture healing based on micro-CT technique. METHODS: Forty-eight Wistar rats were used to make animal models of right tibial midpiece closed fractures folowed by K-wire fixation. Rats were randomly divided into four groups: 24-hour group, 48-hour group, 72-hour group and control group. Tourniquet was used on the root of the affected thigh, inflated for 10 minutes, and then released for 10 minutes. Three above-mentioned cycles were taken as an ischemic treatment. At 24 hours after fracture fixation, the ischemic treatment was first carried out, and after that, it was done every 24 hours in the 24-hour group, every 48 hours in the 48-hour group and every 72 hours in the 72-hour group. In the control group, the tourniquet with no inflation was used once on the right lower limb every 24 hours after fixation. Al the rats were kiled at 2 weeks after modeling to take out the right tibia with removal of K-wires for micro-CT observation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The trabecular bone volume and total volume in the regions of interest were significantly higher in the 24-hour group than the other three groups (P < 0.05), but the tissue mineral density and calus tissue mineral density were significantly lower in the 24-hour group than the other three groups (P < 0.05).There was no significant statistical difference in the bone volume fraction among the four groups (P > 0.05). These findings indicate that within 2 weeks after fractures, the repeated transient ischemia can promote fracture healing, which may be related to the improvement in the secretion of growth factor, revascularization and osteoblast proliferation induced by repeated transient ischemia.