Diabetes has become a global epidemic disease now. Its chronic progressive deterioration and the acuteand chronic complications affect the quality of the patients' lives seriously. The prevention and treatment of diabetes has become one of the research focuses in recent years. NLRP3 (NOD-like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3) inflammasome can recognize the metabolic stress signals, and cause caspase-1 activation and interleukin-lp (IL-1p) production, and is closely related to diabetes development. The latest studies have shown that NLRP3 inflammasome will be a new potential target for the treatment of diabetes. This article reviews the activation and regulation of NL-RP3 inflammasome, and the effect of NLRP3 inflammasome on glucose metabolism and its targeted therapy in diabetes.
Carrier Proteins ; Caspase 1 ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Humans ; Inflammasomes ; Interleukin-1beta ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein

Objective To find out about the distribution both of the kinds of diseases afflicting outpatients and of the volume of outpatient service in the hospital so as to control the quality of outpatient sen'ice in a scientific way. Methods Using the method of whole group sampling survey, an investigation was made into all the outpatients to the hospital during the five working days of a certain week in April, 2002. Results The departments ranking in the first five places with regard to the volume of outpatient service were respectively the Departments of Orthopedics, Dermatology, Endocrinology, Otorhinolaryngology and Gastrointestinal Diseases. The kinds of diseases ranking in the first five places were respectively upper respiratory tract infection, diabetes, hypertension, gastritis and pregnancy. First-visit patients accounted for 54.6% while return-visit patients accounted for 45.4% . Conclusion It is imperative for the hospital to enhance its discipline development, define the orientation of its discipline development in line with the disease spectrum, take active steps to meet various challenges and improve the o, uality of its medical service.

Bidding invitation and procurement of medical equipment is one of the most important works in hospital.It can increase the working efficiency to hold the key taches of medical equipment procurement from 4 aspects including the science of decison-making,the comfirmability of bidding invitation,the right choice of the way of bidding,etc.So some important taches of medical equipment procurement are analyzed and discussed and some points for attention are raised.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2008,29(2):76-77]

Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Humans ; Pediatric Dentistry ; Root Canal Preparation ; Subcutaneous Emphysema ; diagnostic imaging

Objective To investigate the clinical features of patients with hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis (HTGP) and the influence of hypertriglyceridemia on severity or progress of acute pancreatitis.Methods By retrospective analysis,45 patients with HTGP and 184 patients with acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP) were studied.Age,gender,medical history,severity and complications were recorded and analyzed.Results Compared to ABP group,HTGP patients were significantly younger,more patients were observed in the diabetes,obesity and pregnancy.The hospitalization days in the HTGP group were much longer than that in the ABP group.The number of patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) in the HTGP group were significantly higher than that in the ABP group (11/45 vs 20/184).The Ranson scores in the HTGP group were significantly higher than ABP group (2.58 ± 1.78 vs 1.98 ± 1.26).The number of HTGP patients with respiratory failure,renal failure,circulatory failure and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) were higher than that in ABP patients.More HTGP patients had acute peripancreatic fluid collection (APFC),pancreatic pseudocysts and pancreatic necrosis than ABP patients.The mortality in IITGP group was higher than that in ABP group.Conclusions HTGP patients are younger,have more comorbidities and complications,with a trend towards more severe disease.To improve the prognosis are crucial in treatment of HTGP.

BACKGROUND:Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel transplantation for myocardial infarction becomes popularized in recent years, but transplanted cels cannot survive and proliferate under early inflammatory reaction or local ischemia/hypoxia microenvironment, eventualy hampering the therapeutic outcomes.
OBJECTIVE:To investigate the therapeutic effect of PTEN-silenced bone marrow mesenchymal stem cels on acute myocardial infarction.
METHODS:(1) Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cels from Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to receive no treatment, NCsiRNA transfection using Lipofectamin2000orPTEN siRNA transfection using Lipofectamin2000. Cel growth curves were described using MTT method to detect cel cycle using flow cytometry. (2) Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were selected to prepare myocardial infarction models that were randomized into three groups (n=10 per group): blank control, negative control and RNAi group. Six hours after modeling, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cels transfected with nothing, NCsiRNA and PTEN siRNA were respectively injected into the infarcted center of the left ventricular anterior wal in these three rat groups. After 4 weeks, al rats were subjected to cardiac function detection using echocardiography, and the survival and proliferation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cels in the rats were observed by fluorescence microscopy.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the other two groups, a significant increase in the absorbance values at different culture time, the proportion of cels in S+G2phase, and the number ofbone marrow mesenchymal stem cels in the myocardial tissue was found in the RNAi group (alP< 0.05). Additionaly, the left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular shortening fraction were significantly reduced in the RNAi group than the blank control and negative control groups at 4 weeks after cel transplantation (P< 0.05). Bothin vivoandin vitroexperimental findings showed that PTEN silencing could effectively improve cel survival and proliferation in the infarcted myocardium. Moreover, in thein vivoexperiment, an overt improvement in rat’s cardiac function was achieved.

Objective To investigate the effect of free toe transplantation in finger reconstruction.Methods Free toe transplantations were performed in 164 patients (185 fingers) suffering from finger defection.There were 134 males and 30 females,aged at 12-83 years [mean (44.8 ± 11.2)years].Finger deletion severity was classified as grade Ⅰ in one case,grade Ⅱ in 18,grade Ⅲ in 23,grade Ⅳ in 49,grade Ⅴ in 54,and grade Ⅵ in 19.According to Gilbert standards,dorsal metatarsal arteries were classified as type Ⅰ in 68 cases,type Ⅱ in 84,and type Ⅲ in 12.Survival ratio of the transplanted fingers and hand function rehabilitation were observed.Results The transplanted toe survived in 160 cases (173 fingers).They composed of all the cases of grade Ⅰ-Ⅴ finger deletion and 15 cases of grade Ⅵ finger deletion; all the cases of type Ⅰ dorsal metatarsal arteries,83 cases of type Ⅱ dorsal metatarsal arteries and nine case of type Ⅲ dorsal metatarsal arteries.Transplantation failed in four cases (12 fingers) of grade Ⅵ finger defection including one case of Gilbert Ⅱ dorsal metatarsal arteries and three cases of Gilbert Ⅱ dorsal metatarsal arteries.Postoperative results were excellent in 110 cases and good in 50.Conclusions Toe transplantation is helpful to restore the finger shape and function and the outcome is satisfactory.Anatomic deformation of dorsal metatarsal arteries is the main cause for the failure of finger reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Reading disorder is the main obstacle in children, but its etiology and pathogenesis are still uncovered.OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between brain blood flow (BBF)and scores for children reading skill detecting test (CRSDT), in order to provide theoretical references for earlier intervention and functional monitoring for children with reading disorder(RD).DESIGN: Comparative observation study with RD children as subjects and normal children as controlSETTING: Nuclear medicine and psychological-health institute of a university.PARTICIPANTS: This study was carried out in Nuclear Medicine and Psychological-health Institute of Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University. Between August 1998 and August 1999, 25 children with RD were screened out from the students from grade 3 to grade 6 in two Changsha civic elementary schools, including 15 males and 10 females aged(10±1)teacher lasted for more than one year and began from the earlier stage of school age(before grade three), with their achievement ranked last or often failed in examinations, even stay in the same grade due to learning disorder;and teacher or investigation of their homework accorded to the ICD-10 didiseases. Meanwhile 20 healthy children with normal intelligence were randomly selected as control group from the same class of RD children,including 12 males and 8 females with age of (10 ± 1 )years.METHODS: Non blood sampling-SPECT images was used for detecting cerebral blood flow(CBF), as well as right and left CBF and regional CBF (rCBF) of both RD children and normal controls. Rough scores for CRSDT were obtained for analyzing the relationship between it and CBF.group .RESULTS: CBF was(388.7 ± 37.7) μL/g per minute in RD group obviously lower than(436.5 ± 26.4) μL/g per minute in control gruop( t = 2. 820, P ＜ 0.01 ) ;The distribution frequency of regions with obviously decreased rCBF ranked as follows: frontal lobe, occipital lobe ＞ parietal-occipital boundary ＞ temporal lobe ＞ parietal lobe ＞ thalamus ＞ other regions(cerebellum,brain stem and basal ganglion) in RD children; moreover rough scores for reading skill was found positively correlated with CBF in RD group( r = 0.651,P ＜0.05).CONCLUSION: CBF was proved decreased in children with RD, and CBF obtained by SPECT image and CRSDT can be used for reflecting the severity of disease and brain function, expecting to improve their long-term life quality of RD children by earlier intervention.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effects of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) in elderly patients with primary intractable trigeminal neuralgia.Methods 27 elderly patients with primary intractable trigeminal neuralgia were treated with BTX-A local multiple point injection.The efficacy was assessed by visual analog scores (VAS) before and 1 week,2 weeks,1 month,3 months and 6 months after the treatment.Results VAS scores was (9.2±1.1),(5.8±3.0),(3.6± 2.3),(2.3±2.3),(3.2±2.9) and (4.6±3.2) before and 1 week,2 weeks,1 month,3 months and 6 months after BTX-A treatment respectively.VAS score was gradually decreased,reached the lowest at 1 month after BTX-A injection,and then was gradually increased.There were significant differences in VAS scores between between pre-and post-treatment (P＜0.05).The efficiency was 37.0％,85.2％,92.6％,70.4％ and 59.3％ at 1 week,2 weeks,1 month,3 months and 6 months after the treatment respectively.There were significant differences in efficacy between different time points after the treatment (all P＜0.05).3 patients had the transient numbness of mouth askew and incomplete eyelid closure and recovered spontaneously after 4-8 weeks.No severe adverse effects were found in the other 27 patients.Conclusions BTX-A is safe and effective in the treatment of primary intractable trigeminal neuralgia in elderly patients.

Objective To investigate the effects of microRNA-29a (miR-29a) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced apoptosis in human monocytes THP-1 cells in order to understand the molecular mechanisms.Methods Human monocytes THP-1 cell line were exposed to LPS after transfected with miR-29a inhibitors (100 nmol/L) or just transfected with miR-29a mimic (100 nmol/L) by lipofectamine RNAiMAX.Flow cytometry (FCM) was used to detect the cell apoptosis.Real-time RT-PCR was employed to measure expressive levels of the gene Bcl-2 and Mcl-1.The luciferase assay was performed in HEK293T cells,which were co-transfected with plasmid DNA and miRNA by using Lipofectamine 2000.Statistical analysis carried out by using SPSS 13.0 software for One-way ANOVA and Student' s t test.Results Transfection with miR-29a mimics for 48 h increased apoptosis rate and significantly reduced the expressions of Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 in THP-1 cells in comparsion with the control group.The apoptosis rate also raised in THP-1 cell stimulated by LPS for 24 h followed by LPS stimulation for 24 h,the apoptosis rate was decreased in comparison with the LPS group.In addition,our luciferase assay data showed that HEK293T cells cotransfected with miR-29a mimics and Bcl-2 3 ' UTR-Wt or Mcl-1 3' UTR-Wt plasmid significantly reduced the luciferase activity compared with the control group.Conclusions The miR-29a may regulate apoptosis by targeting the genes Bcl-2 and Mcl-1,and miR-29a may play a pivotal role in the process of apoptosis in immune cells.