Acupuncture Therapy ; Adolescent ; Female ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; complications ; Optic Nerve Diseases ; etiology ; therapy ; Retinal Degeneration ; etiology ; therapy

Lateral habenula ( LHb ) , which is situated in the dorsal diencephalon of all vertebrates, is an important component of the habenular complex. The neural network outlined in previ-ous studies indicates that LHb acts not only as an important relay station to link the forebrain with the midbrain regions that in-volved in regulating behavioral responses to reward and mediating the transmassion of negative feedback information, but also is closely connected with 5-HT system. Indeed, recently studies demonstrate that experimental manipulations of LHb are followed by behavioural alterations in relation to drug addiction, reward-a-version responses, pain, sleep, depression and so on. This arti-cle mainly reviews the mechanisms of LHb involved in all kinds of physiological activities.

The syndrome of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus(IDDM)includes not only abnor-mal glucose metabolism but also specific microvascular complications that include nephropathy,retinopathy and neuropathy.In the short term,improvement in the quality of life and possible prevention of further morbidity associated with diabetes makes pancreas trans-plantation an important therapeutic option,particularly when combined with a kidney trans-plant,in appropriately selected diabetic patients.The focus of the early management of the pancreas transplant recipient is the prevention of acute rejection.In this article we review the methods for clinical diagnosis of the early acute rejection due to pancreas transplanta-tion.

The potential of 99mTc labeled P1, P4-di (adenosine-5')-tetraphosphate (Ap4A) for imaging experimental atherosclerotic plaques was evaluated in New Zealand white (NZW) rabbits. To label the 99mTc to Ap4A, stannous tartrate solution was used. 99mTc-Ap4A was purified on a Sephadex G-25 column. The radiochemistry purities of 99mTc-Ap4A were 85% to 91%. Biodistribution study revealed 99mTc-Ap4A cleared from blood rapidly. Thirty min after 99mTc-Ap4A administrated on NZW atherosclerotic rabbits, lesion to blood (target/blood, T/B) ratio was 3.17 +/- 1.27, and lesions to normal (target/non-target, T/NT) ratio was 5.23 +/- 1.87. Shadows of atherosclerotic plaques were clearly visible on radioautographic film. Aortas with atherosclerotic plaques also could be seen on ex vivo gamma camera images. Atherosclerotic abdominal aortas were clearly visible on in vivo images 15 min to 3 h after 99mTc-Ap4A administration. 99mTc-labeled Ap4A can be used for rapid noninvasive detection of experimental atherosclerotic plaque.

Molecular Probe Techniques ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; physiology ; Regeneration ; Stem Cells

Objective To investigate the oxidative damage of lead acetate and sodium arsenite to human immortalized keratinocytes line HaCaT and the protective effects of TFBP extracted from the leaves of broussoneria papyifera. Methods Cultured immotlalized keratinocytes line HaCaT were treated by 0.1 mmol/L lead acetate and 5.0 ?mol/L sodium arsenite respectively,and 0～200 mg/L TFBP were added to the culture media at the same time. The contents of malondialdehyde(MDA?雪,the activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD)and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)in the cultured HaCaT cells were determined. The protective effects of TFBP at different concentrations were evaluated. Results 0.1 mmol/L lead acetate caused oxidative damage to HaCaT cells markedly. When the concentrations were increased to more than 100 mg/L,TFBP had certain protective effects from the damage induced by lead acetate with the decrease of the MDA levels from 4.23 ?mol/L to 1.87 ?mol/L and the increase of the SOD levels from 25.90 U/mg Pro to 37.12 U/mg Pro,while the activities of GSH-Px showed no significant change. The activities of SOD and GSH-Px were increased in the cultured cells treated by sodium arsenite with 150 mg/L and 200 mg/L TFBP. Conclusion Lead acetate and sodium arsenite could cause significant oxidative damage to HaCaT cells and TFBP had certain protective effects on the cells from the oxidative damage induced by lead acetate and sodium arsenite under the conditions of this study.

Objective To study the influence of resolving phlegm and relaxing bowels decoction(Huatan Tongfu decoction)on plasma tissue type plasminogen activator(t-PA),plasminogen activator inhibitor(PAI)and homocysteine(Hcy)in patients with acute cerebral infarction. Methods With randomized and controlled clinical research,78 inpatients from 2010 to 2012 in Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)Department of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital,Capital Medical University were chosen,including 40 patients in observation group and 38 patients in control group. The patients in control and observation groups were treated by conventional treatment,and additionally the patients in observation group received Huatan Tongfu decoction(ingredients:Trichosanthis 30 g,Arisaema with bile 6 g,Magnolia bark 10 g,Fried rice sprout 15 g),and the rhubarb decoction was made alone,each 20 mL decoction containing crude drug 6 g. 1-4 days after the beginning of the study,the two decoctions were mixed,and the patients took the lukewarm mixture orally twice daily(once 1/2 the dosage);5-12 days after the start of the study, the patients took 200 mL lukewarm mixed decoction daily,being divided into 2 times to administer,and according to the patient defecation situation,the dosage of rhubarb decoction was adjusted individually,the therapeutic course being 12 days. The t-PA,PAI and Hcy were detected before treatment and on the 7th day after treatment. TCM syndrome scores(phlegm syndrome,fire-heat syndrome and sthenic-fu syndrome)were recorded before and on the 12th day after treatment,and the scores of National Institute of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)were recorded at the same time. Results Before treatment,the differences in t-PA,PAI,Hcy levels and NIHSS score and phlegm syndrome,fire-heat syndrome and sthenic-fu syndrome scores were not statistically significant;all the indicators improved significantly after treatment compared with those before treatment,and the changes in observation group were more remarkable〔t-PA(mg/L):13.03±2.15 vs. 12.95±2.16,PAI(mg/L):23.64±9.07 vs. 26.81±10.00, Hcy(μmol/L):9.13±1.15 vs. 11.52±3.17,phlegm syndrome:9.16±1.71 vs. 11.17±2.89,fire-heat syndrome:7.51±1.59 vs. 8.81±2.26, sthenic-fu syndrome:0.61±0.87 vs. 1.19±1.14, NIHSS score:5.70±3.16 vs. 5.90±2.97〕. Conclusion The mechanism of Huatan Tongfu decoction in treatment of patients with acute cerebral infarction accompanied by TCM syndromes of phlegm heat and sthenic-fu may be related to the reduction of plasma PAI and Hcy levels,protection of vascular endothelium and promotion of fibrinolysis,thereby the decoction can improve the clinical efficacy.

The paper introduced the multi-site physician practice operational in the modes of hospital departmental support,hospital trusteeship,and public-private hospital management,and summarized the merits of such a practice adopted in the background of cooperative hospital operations as follows.A cooperation of common interests enjoys supports of all stakeholders and minimum resistance;better policies and conditions mobilize physicians'incentives; better continuity of medical practice; better public benefits of the hospital.The paper also probed into such issues as setbacks of the practice in such a background,complicity of medical disputes definition and resolution,possible talent drain of public hospitals,and possible impacts on branding and core competence of public hospitals.

Objective To establish a more comprehensive quality evaluation method for rhubarb pieces. Methods Fingerprints of 35 batches of rhubarb pieces were determined by HPLC, the control fingerprint was established, the common peaks were calibrated and the similarity was evaluated. Components of common peaks were identified by Q-TOF/MS and the content of 13 anthraquinones confirmed by reference substance was determined. Results There were 45 common peaks in the fingerprint of rhubarb pieces, including 17 anthraquinones (among them, eight bound anthraquinones of aloe-emodin-8-O-glucoside, rhein-8-O-glucoside, emodin-1-O-glucoside, chrysophanol-1-O-glucoside, chrysophanol-8-O-glucoside, aloe-emodin-3-hydroxymethyl-O-glucoside, emodin-8-O- glucoside, physcion-8-O-glucoside and five free anthraquinones of aloe-emodin, rhein, emodin, chrysophanol, physcion were confirmed by reference substance), two anthrones (sennoside B and sennoside A, confirmed by reference substances), 17 tannins (among them, gallic acid, catechin, epigallocatechin gallate, epicatechin and epicatechin gallate were confirmed by reference substance), two stilbenes [resveratrol 4′-O-glucoside and resveratrol 4′-O-β-D-(6″-O-galloyl)-glucoside, confirmed by reference substances], four butyrophenone [among them, 4-(4′-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone 4′-O-β-D-(2″-O-galloyl-6″-O-p-hydroxy-cinnamyl) glucoside, confirmed by reference substances], two chromones and one naphthalenes. The content of 13 anthraquinones in 35 batches of rhubarb pieces was quite different. Conclusion The established method can be used to evaluate the quality of rhubarb pieces.