[Objective] To explore the therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese and western medicine for the treatment of primary chronic glomerular nephritis. [Methods] Seventy-two cases were randomized into two groups by using random number table. Group A ( n = 36) was treated with compound Glucosidorum Tripterygll Totorum Tablets, Jinshuibao Capsules, Compound Sanqi Capsules for oral use, as well as intravenous injection of Huangqi injection apart from routine western medicines, and at the same time given herbal medicine on the basis of syndrome differentiation. Group B ( n = 36) was treated with routine western medicines such as drugs resisting hypertension, diuretics and hormones when necessarily. After a 60-day treatment, the therapeutic effect in the two groups was observed as well as the changes of 24-hour urinary protein, serum total protein (TP) , albumin (Alb), total cholesterol (TC ) , triglyceride (TG) and immunoglobulins (Ig) A and G. [Results] The total effective rate was 94.44% in group A, and 66.67% in group B, the difference being significant (P 0.05). [Conclusion] The effect of traditional Chinese and western medicine for the treatment of primary chronic glomerular nephritis is better than that by using western medicine only.

The hemorrheological changes were observed in 7 cases with portal hypertension after they were operated on with distal splenocaval shunt (DSCS). Similar cases with splenecto-my served as controls. It was found that blood hyperviscosity was slightly decreased after DSCS and the deformability of erythrocytes was improved from 7 to 14 days after DSCS. But blood hyperviscosity was significantly increased in the cases after splenectomy. Blood hyperviscosity was lower in the cases with DSCS than in those with splenectomy. Blood hyperviscosity , expressed mainly by the aggregation rate and deformability of erythrocytes, platelet count, etc, is dependent on the spleen. Since the spleen is preserved in DSCS so blood hyperviscosity is slightly decreased and complications due to blood hyperviscosity may be less in number after DSCS.

AIM: To investigate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3 (VEGFR-3) and CD31 in relation to metastasis in ovarian epithelial tumors. METHODS: VEGFR-3 and CD31 expression were examined by immunohistochemical methods, VEGFR-3 positive microlymphatic count (MLC) and microvessel density (MVD) were assessed by the image analysis. RESULTS: Both MLC and MVD in ovarian epithelial carcinomas were higher than those in benign tumors(MLC, P 0 05). CONCLUSIONS: VEGFR-3 and CD31 expression correlate significantly with metastasis, MLC and MVD might predict peritumoral lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis, which may be as a biologic marker for metastasis in ovarian epithelial tumors. [

Objective To investigate the effects of different blood pH of the recipients on ischemiareperfusion (I/R) injury to the transplanted lungs in rats. Methods Sixty-four pure bred male SD rats weighing 250-350 g were randomly divided into equal numbers of donors and recipients and the recipient rats were randomly divided into 4 groups(n = 8 each). Both donor and recipient rats were anesthetized with intraperitoneal (IP)ketamine 15 mg/kg and diazepam 6 mg/kg, tracheostomized and mechanically ventilated. In donor rats heparin 1 ml was injected via inferior vena cava and 4 ℃ LDP solution 40 ml was injected via pulmonary artery . The left lung was then removed and placed in 4℃ LDP solution and kept for 4 h. The left lung transplantation was performed using two-cuff-one-stent anastomosis technique. Before the transplanted lung was reperfused, the recipients' blood pH was adjusted to 7.4 (group Ⅰ), 7.2 (group Ⅱ), 7.3 (group Ⅲ) and 7.5 (group Ⅳ) by HCI and NaHCO3 solutions infused via femoral vein. After 2 h reperfusion, the transplants were removed for microscopic examination and determination of W/D lung weight ratio, MPO and SOD activities and MDA, TNF-α and IL-8 contents. Results SOD activity was significantly higher while MPO activity, and MDA, TNF-α and IL-8 contents in the lung tissue were significantly lower in group Ⅲ than in group Ⅰ . There was no significant difference in SOD and MPO activities and MDA, TNF-α, and IL-8 contents in the lung tissue among group Ⅰ , Ⅱ and Ⅳ. There was no significant difference in W/D lung weight ratio among the 4 groups. Microscopic examination showed that the histological damage was attenuated in group Ⅲ compared with the other 3 groups. Conclusion The I/R injury to the transplanted rat lungs can be effectively alleviated by reducing blood pH of the recipients to 7.3.

To assess the normal value of left ventricular twist (LVtw) and examine the changes with normal aging by 2-dimensional ultrasound speckle-tracking imaging (STI), 121 healthy volunteers were divided into three age groups: a youth group (19-45 y old), a middle-age group (46-64 y old) and an old-age group (> or = 65 y old). Basal and apical short-axis images of left ventricular were acquired to analyse LV rotation (LVrot) and LVrot velocity. LVtw and LVtw velocity was defined as apical LVrot and LVrot velocity relative to the base. Peak twist (Ptw), twist at aortic valve closure (AVCtw), twist at mitral valve opening (MVOtw), untwisting rate (UntwR), half time of untwisting (HTU), peak twist velocity (PTV), time to peak twist velocity (TPTV), peak untwisting velocity (PUV), time to peak untwisting velocity (TPUV) were separately measured. The results showed that the normal LV performs a wringing motion with a clockwise rotation at the base and a counterclock-wise rotation at the apex (as seen from the apex). The LVtw velocity showed a systolic counterclock-wise twist followed by a diastolic clockwise twist. Peak twist develops near the end of systole (96%+/-4.2% of systole). With aging, Ptw, AVCtw, MVOtw, HTU and PUV increased significantly (P<0.05) and UntwR decreased significantly (P<0.05). However, no significant differences in TPUV, PTV and TPTV were noted among the 3 groups (P>0.05). It is concluded that LV twist can be measured non-invasively by 2-dimensional ultrasound STI imaging. The age-related changes of LVtw should be fully taken into consideration in the assessment of LV function.
Aging ; Echocardiography ; Heart Ventricles/anatomy & histology ; Heart Ventricles/*ultrasonography ; Ventricular Function, Left/*physiology ; Young Adult

Objective:To retrospectively analyze the survival outcomes of the surgical management of primary small cell carcino-ma of the esophagus. Methods:The medical records were reviewed for patients diagnosed with esophageal carcinoma and underwent esophagectomy from January 2000 to December 2009 at the Department of Thoracic Surgery of the Henan Cancer Hospital. We fo-cused on the clinical data of patients with small cell carcinoma of the esophagus. The Kaplan-Meier approach with log-rank test was used for survival analysis. Results:A total of 5,062 patients underwent esophagectomy with curative intent at the Department of Thorac-ic Surgery of the Henan Cancer Hospital;among which, 57 (1.1%) were diagnosed with small cell carcinoma of esophagus. The most common surgical approach was trans-left thoracic incision esophagectomy. Cervical esophagogastrostomy was performed for all pa-tients. The most common chemotherapy regimen was EP. The overall 5-year survival rate was 12.5%, and the median survival time was 45 months. Among the various stages, the 5-year survival rate and survival time were 25% and 50 months for Stage I, 5.9% and 43 months for Stage II, and 4.3%and 43 months for StageⅢ. Subgroup analysis showed that cases treated with surgery alone had poorer overall median survival time compared with those cases that underwent surgery plus chemotherapy (23.2 months vs. 60.7 months, re-spectively;P<0.01). Even for Stage I patients, thesurgery plus chemotherapysubgroup was associated with a significantly longer me-dian survival time than the surgery alone subgroup (81.9 months vs. 22.3 months, P<0.01). Conclusion:For patients with primary small cell carcinoma of the esophagus, surgery alone cannot provide the optimal prognosis. Surgery combined with systemic chemother-apy can improve the survival time.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics of skin lesions of tsutsugamushi disease.Methods The skin lesions and clinical characteristics of 17 hospitalized patients with tsutsugamushi disease were analyzed. Results Of the patients, 88.2% (15/17) developed eschar and skin ulcer, 64.7% (11/17) had skin rashes. The patients often developed solitary, painless and nonpruritic eschar 4 to 10 days after the occurrence of fever, with indefinite locations and average diameter of 1.2 cm (range: 0.5 - 3.0 cm). The eschar was covered with a black and dry surface and surrounded by a ring-shaped erythematous halo, and usually shedded 5 to 9 days after the appearance with the formation of shallow ulcer. Superficial lymphadenectasis was observed near the eschar in 80% of the patients with eschar, and no eschar was observed at the first visit in 66.7% of the patients. Skin rashes mainly included nonpruritic congestive papules (45.5%) and maculopapular rashes (54.5%), and often subsided 2 to 5 days after emergence. Conclusions The skin lesions of tsutsugamushi disease include eschar and skin rashes. Eschar is an important characteristic and highly suggestive of this entity.

Mild cognitive impairment is a transitional stage between normal aging and dementia. It is important in terms of recognizing memory loss in older people as well as identifying a group of individuals at high risk of developing dementia and who may benefit from preventive strategies. Ginkgo biloba extract has been shown to possess polyvalent properties, such as anti-oxidation, anti-apoptosis and anti-inflammation. Ginkgo biloba extract appears to have a neuroprotective effect against neurodegenerative diseases.

Objective To explore the generalization effect of a semantic navigation strategy(SNS)on naming in patients with aphasia.Methods Fourteen patients with aphasia were randomly divided into an SNS group (n =7)and an unrelated semantic(US)group(n =7).One hundred and twenty-two words chosen from Chinese word association norms were used in this study.The presentation sequence of words was generated automatically with network analysis techniques for the SNS group and randomly without network analysis techniques for the US group.After baseline tests using the western aphasia battery(WAB)and the mini-mental status examination(MMSE),all patients received language training once a day for 10 consecutive days.The amount of correct responses was recorded every day in order to draw the learning curve.The generalization effect was evaluated with 46 untrained items before and after training with all patients.Results The average learning curve of the SNS group was steeper than that of the US group.Correct responses on trained items were significantly more frequent in the SNS group than in the US group after the 6th day of training.After 10 days the frequency of correct responses on untrained items in the SNS group was significantly higher than it had been before training,and higher than the frequency after training in the US group.The frequency of no response on untrained items in the SNS group had declined,and it had declined more than in the US group.Conclusion A semantic navigation strategy may promote significant generalization while improving the learning curve in naming among patients with aphasia.

Objective To compare the effects of ureteroscopic lithotripsy (URL), minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy ( MPCNL) , retroperitoneal laparoscopic ureterolithotomy ( RLU) and open ureterolithotomy (UL) for the treatment of complex upper ureteral calculi. Methods The data of 281 patients with complex upper ureteral calculi from January 2005 to January 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. 48 patients of them received treatment of URL, 113 patients received MPCNL, 67 patients received RLU and other 53 patients received UL. Results Success rates of treatment at the first time were:URL 62.5% (30/48), MPCNL 92.9%(105/113),RLU 100%(67/67) and UL 100%(53/53) . The mean blood losses during the operation were:URL (9.2 ± 1.4) mL,MPCNL (72.5 ± 5.8) mL,RLU (43.1 ± 8.5) mL and UL (100.5 ± 9.2) mL. The average operation time of URL group was shorter than three other groups, and the difference was statistically significant (P< 0.05) . The average hospital stay of URL group was also shorter than three other groups ( < 0.05) . The difference was not statistically significant in complications among four groups after operation ( >0.05) . Conclusion Clinical characteristics of patients and individual require ment should be considered comprehensively before an individual treatment choice is made for the treatment of complex upper ureteral calculi.