Objective To explore the surgical skills and efficacy of microsurgical excision of large acoustic neurinoma via the suboccipital retrosigmoid keyhole approach. Methods Fifty-nine patients with large acoustic neurinoma (≥3 cm) underwent microsurgical resection via suboccipital retrosigrmoid keyhole approach. The intraoperative position of the operative bed and angle of the microscope were adjusted to expose the tumors sufficiently. The duramater was sutured tightly and the bone flap was replaced and fixed. Results Of the 59 patients, 53 (89.8%) received a total resection of the tumors, and 6 (10.2%) subtotal resection. No patient died. The facial nerve was anatomically preserved in all the patients. Forty-five patients (76.3%) suffered from mild or moderate facial palsy after the surgery, and the symptoms were improved significantly after expectant treatment. Fifteen patients preserved partial hearing. No subcutaneous water accumulation or cerebrospinal fluid leakage occurred.Conclusion Microsurgery via suboccipital retrosigmoid keyhole approach is a favorable treatment for large acoustic neurinomas with low morbidity and mortality,which can effectively protect the function of the acoustic and facial nerves.

OBJECTIVETo observe central immediate effect of acupuncture at Yanglingquan (GB 34) on passive movement of cerebral infarction paitents with hemiplegia by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and provide reference for clinical treatment.

METHODSWith 1. 5 T MRI scanner, six cases of right cerebral infarction paitents with left hemiplegia in recovery stage were scanned during passive fingers movement before and after acupuncture at Yanglingquan (GB 34), which was controlled with sham-acupoint acupuncture to observe immediate activated part of the corresponding brain.

RESULTSThe activated areas of the passive movement in all the patients were mainly motor sensory cortex on the right side. Compared with sham-acupoint, in the left anterior insula, in ferior frontal gyrus, central gyrus, fusiform gyrus, cerebellum, acupuncture at Yanglingquan (GB 34) has better central effect. These areas were involved with several brain networks.

CONCLUSIONThe acupuncture at Yan glingquan (GB 34) could promote recover of helmiplegia by regulating motor-related network.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Brain ; diagnostic imaging ; Cerebral Infarction ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Movement ; Radiography ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the type 2 diabetic patient's periodontal condition and to analyze the influencing factors of periodontitis.

METHODSA total of 182 type 2 diabetic patients were included in the survey and requested to fill out a questionnaire, and their periodontal status was evaluated by measuring probing depth (PD), attachment level (AL), sulcus bleeding index (SBI), simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S).

RESULTSThe prevalence of periodontitis in this group of patients was 96.7% (176/182), including 20 patients with mild periodontitis, 156 with moderate to advanced periodontitis. The mean PD and AL of the 182 patients were (2.92 +/- 0.67) mm and (2.87 +/- 1.31) mm. At least one tooth was lost in 57.1% (104/182) of the patients. The factors related to periodontitis were age, gender, smoking, living in town or country, and 2 h plasma glucose of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). There was no relationship between the severity of periodontitis and education level. The majority of patients did not receive any periodontal therapy.

CONCLUSIONSPeriodontal status was bad in patients with type 2 diabetes. It is important to develop an education program on oral health for type 2 diabetic patients.

Aged ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; complications ; Educational Status ; Humans ; Periodontal Diseases ; Periodontal Index ; Periodontitis ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; Prevalence ; Rural Population ; statistics & numerical data ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Urban Population ; statistics & numerical data

OBJECTIVE We have recently reported that cysteinyl leukotriene (CysLT) signaling plays an important role in microglial interleukin (IL)-1β secretion and subsequent neurotoxicity. The present study aimed to examine microglial morphological changes and the upstream molecular underlying IL-1βproduction in CysLT receptor agonist leukotriene D4 (LTD4)-treated BV2 microglia in vitro. METHODS Twenty-four hours after murine microglial BV2 cells were stimulated with LTD4 (1-100 nmol·L- 1), the cell proliferation and morphology were observed. The expression level of cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease 1 (CASP1) protein was measured by Western blotin BV2 cells. In addition, BV2 cells were pretreated with or without CysLT1 receptor antagonist montelukast for 1 h and the effects of monte-lukaston LTD4-stimulated microglial activation and CASP1 expression were evaluated. RESULTS The number of BV2 cells had an increasing tendency after 24 h treatment with LTD4, but no significant differences were observed between the control and LTD4-treated cells (P>0.05). Under basal and resting conditions, BV2 microglial cells displayed a ramified morphology. However, LTD4 at 100 nmool · L- 1 drove microglial morphological changes from a ramified towards an amoeboid shape. The expression of CASP1 protein was significantly upregulated in 100 nmool·L-1 LTD4-treated BV2 microglia (P<0.01). Furthermore, pretreatment with CysLT1 receptor antagonist montelukast prevented cell morphological changes and suppressed the increased CASP1 expression in LTD4-treated BV2 cells (P<0.05). CONCLUSION CysLT receptor agonist LTD4 induces morphological changes and CASP1 expressionin BV2 microglia, which can be inhibited by CysLT1 antagonist. These results suggest the involvement of CysLT signaling in microglial morphological changes and CASP1 expression.

BACKGROUNDHypertrophic scar is one of the most common complications and often causes the disfigurement or deformity in burn or trauma patients. Therapeutic methods on hypertrophic scar treatment have limitations due to the poor understanding of mechanisms of hypertrophic scar formation. To throw light on the molecular mechanism of hypertrophic scar formation will definitely improve the outcome of the treatment. This study aimed to illustrate the negative role of eukaryotic initiation factor 6 (eIF6) in the process of human hypertrophic scar formation, and provide a possible indicator of hypertrophic scar treatment and a potential target molecule for hypertrophic scar.

METHODSIn the present study, we investigated the protein expression of eIF6 in the human hypertrophic scar of different periods by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis.

RESULTSIn the hypertrophic scar tissue, eIF6 expression was significantly decreased and absent in the basal layer of epidermis in the early period, and increased slowly and began to appear in the basal layer of epidermis by the scar formation time.

CONCLUSIONSThis study confirmed that eIF6 expression was significantly related to the development of hypertrophic scar, and the eIF6 may be a target molecule for hypertrophic scar control or could be an indicator of the outcomes for other treatment modalities.

Adult ; Blotting, Western ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; metabolism ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation ; genetics ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peptide Initiation Factors ; metabolism ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

The brand equity is valuable intangible assets of traditional Chinese medicine companies, who are excellent representatives of traditional Chinese medicine enterprises and the most promising ones to good international medicine brands. However, there is still no systematic study on how to correctly evaluate the brand equity of listed traditional Chinese medicine companies at present. To make it clear, the main impacting factors on brand equity of listed traditional Chinese medicine companies, both structured open outline pre-research and closed questionnaire research were adopted for the field survey, and some suggestions for how to protect and enhance the brand equity were also presented on the basis of survey and analysis, in the hope of improving the brand management level of listed traditional Chinese medicine companies, and making a beneficial exploration for the development of brand theory of the traditional Chinese medicine industry.
Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods

This study was aimed to prepare a reconstructed B. Fragilis-derived recombinant α-galactosidase developed for human B to O blood group conversion. Based on the construction of recombinant E. Coli (DE3) which can express α-galactosidase, the inducing time and inducer concentration were optimized for high expression of α-galactosidase. Then, the expression products in supernatant were purified by cation and anion exchange column chromatography. The purified α-galactosidase was used to treat B group red blood cells in phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) for 2 hours to prepare O group red blood cells. The results showed that the optimal inducing conditions for α-galactosidase expression were IPTG 0.1 mmol/L, 37°C and 2 hours. The specific enzyme activity of purified protein increased from 0.42 U/mg to 2.1 U/mg as compared with pre-purification. And, the conditions of B to O blood group conversion were 26°C, pH 6.8 (neutral pH condition) and 2 hours. Moreover, 225 µg of the enzyme could converse 1 ml B red blood cells to O completely. It is concluded that the technology of expression and purification of recombinant α-galactosidase has been established, and the purified protein can converse B red blood cells to O completely, which means that an effective enzyme conversing B red blood cells to O has been obtained.
ABO Blood-Group System ; immunology ; Bacteroides fragilis ; enzymology ; Cloning, Molecular ; Escherichia coli ; metabolism ; Humans ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; alpha-Galactosidase ; biosynthesis

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical and epidemiologic characteristics and the serum types of enterovirus of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in children.

METHODSThe RT-nPCR method was established with universal primers within 5' untranslated region of enterovirus and VP1 region of Coxsackievirus A16 (CAV16) and enterovirus 71 (EV 71). Enteroviruses were detected with RT-nPCR in 237 children with HFMD. Clinical and epidemiologic characteristics and serum types of enterovirus of the patients with HFMD were studied.

RESULTSThe patients'age ranged from 7 months to 11 years (mean 4.2 +/- 0.5 years). The majority (94.5%) were less than 6 years old. HFMD was mostly seen in spring and winter (67.9%). Oral mucosal pox or ulcer as well as hand and foot rashes were observed in all 237 patients. Fever occurred in 141 patients (59.5%). Of the 237 patients, 133 (56.1%) were RT-nPCR positive. Of the 133 cases, 38 were positive for EV71, 64 were positive for CAV16, and 31 were negative for both EV71 and CAV16. The patients infected by different types of enteroviruses had similar clinical characteristics. Gene colon and sequence analysis for 12 strains of enteroviruses PCR positive products presented as EV71 (n=5), CAV16 (n=5), ECHO13 (n=1), and CAV5 (n=1).

CONCLUSIONSHFMD tends to occur in younger children less than 6 years old. The majority are affected in spring and winter. EV71 and CAV16 are common pathogens of HFMD. There is no relationship between clinical characteristics and serum types of enteroviruses in HFMD patients.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Enterovirus ; classification ; Female ; Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease ; virology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Seasons ; Serotyping

OBJECTIVETo study apoptosis and gene FasL expression induced by carbon disulfide in sertoli cells of male rats.

METHODSSertoli cells were exposed to different concentrations of CS(2) (0, 0.36, 0.72, 1.44 micromol/ml) for 24 hours. Survival rate, apoptosis rate, expression level of gene FasL were measured using MTT, FCM, and RT-PCR methods respectively.

RESULTSSertoli cell survival rate decreased as the concentration of CS(2) increased. The survival rate (73.34% +/- 1.39%) was significantly lower than the control group (99.98% +/- 5.48%) when the concentration of CS(2) > or = 1.44 micromol/ml (P < 0.05). Apoptosis rate increased as the CS(2) concentration increased. Apoptosis rate (7.93% +/- 0.43%) was significantly higher when the concentration of CS(2) > or = 1.44 micromol/ml (P < 0.05). Expression level of the FasL significantly increased as the concentrations of CS(2) (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCS(2) is cytotoxic to sertoli cells. It could cause apoptosis of sertoli cells.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Carbon Disulfide ; toxicity ; Cell Line ; Cell Survival ; Fas Ligand Protein ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Sertoli Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Testis ; cytology

OBJECTIVETo explore the relative risk factors of adult measles in Qingdao city.

METHODSCase-control study was used to collect the information from 70 adult measles cases and 140 controls. Information would include general social and demographic characteristics, history and times regarding measles vaccination, demography of the study of population etc.

RESULTSThe case group had lower proportion of measles vaccination (chi2 = 26.88, P < 0.05, OR = 5.12, 95% CI: 2.69 - 9.73) than the control group with statistical significance. The vaccination frequencies were stratified as three ranks: 0, 1, > or = 2 times for analysis. When having 0 and 1 time measles vaccination, no statistical significance was found in these two groups (chi2 = 1.86, P = 0.173), but there were statistical significance between 0 and > or = 2 times (chi2 = 45.24, P = 0.000, OR = 13.35, 95% CI: 5.80 - 30.71), 1 and > or = 2 times (chi2 = 26.23, P = 0.000, OR = 7.91, 95% CI: 3.37 - 18.59) in the two groups. It was also found that the proportion of floating population was higher in case group than that of the control group (chi2 = 21.60, P < 0.01, OR = 4.06, 95% CI: 2.21 - 7.45). At the same time, statistically significant correlation was found between adult measles and average family incomes (chi2 = 2.23, P < 0.05, OR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.15 - 3.76) by single-factor statistical analysis.

CONCLUSIONResults showed that 'without history of measles vaccination' was key relative risk factor for the adult measles while being a part of 'floating population' and those having lower incomes were among vulnerable groups.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Income ; Measles ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Measles Vaccine ; Risk Factors ; Transients and Migrants ; Vaccination ; statistics & numerical data