Aim To explore the modulation of Salvia miltiorrhiza on hyperpolarization-activated current (Ih) channels in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons of rats and identify the mechanism of Salvia miltiorrhiza in alleviating pain and inhibiting calcium overload. Methods The effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza injection on Ih channels in DRG neurons of rats were examined by using whole-cell patch clamp technique. Results The experimental results showed that the amplitude of Ih evoked by -150 mV was (-1.06±0.18) nA. The Ih could be fitted well into the single kinetics and the time constant of activation, τ was clearly voltage-dependent with τ=(322.14±28.81) ms at -100 mV, decreasing to τ=(62.51±9.78) ms at -150 mV. The reversal potential of Ih was (-35.03±1.12) mV measured from tail currents. But no significant differences were found between the DRG neurons in the absence and presence of Salvia miltiorrhiza injection (10%, 25%, 50%) in the current amplitude, the time constant of activation and the reversal potential. The only difference between the DRG neurons in the absence and presence of Salvia miltiorrhiza injection was the half-activation potential of Ih. In control recordings the half-activation potential was (-106.07±3.59) mV. By comparison, the half-activation potentials changed to (-111.59±3.79) mV (n=31 neurons, P＜0.05), (-119.37±4.96) mV (n=31 neurons, P＜0.05) and (-121.23±3.86) mV (n=31 neurons, P＜0.05) in the presence of 10%, 25%, 50% Salvia miltiorrhiza injection, respectively. Conclusion Only the half-activation potential of Ih in the arthritic and neuropathic rat models shifted in the depolarizing direction, which increased the electrophysiological activity of Ih and made it related to peripheral hyperalgesia. The selective inhibition of Salvia miltiorrhiza on the electrophysiological activity of Ih may be one of the mechanisms underlying its analgesic effects.

BACKGROUND: There has been no definite cause for Bell's palsy. Different kinds of causes and courses always lead to different outcomes. Up to now there has not been to accord on the relationship between assessment of facial muscle function and prognosis of Bell's palsy.OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between level diagnosis, blink reflex(BR) , electroneurography(ENoG) and prognosis in order to find the timing for treatment of Bell's palsy.DESIGN: A self-control study.SETTING: Department of otolaryngology, Beihai People's Hospital,Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.PARTICIPANTS: There were 42 cases of Bell's palsy that were in accordance with the diagnosis criteria and hospitalized in the Beihai People's Hospital from January 1989 to December 1999. Thirty-six cases out of the 42 were well documented and thus were studied here.METHODS: Level diagnosis, BR and EnoG test as well as facial muscle assessment were conducted on thirty-six patients with Bell's palsy.RESULTS: Patients with facial function score under 11 and with the lesion at D segment had poor results in BR and ENoG test. The outcome of conservative treatment for these patients was also bad. That would be improved by facial nerve decompression. The results of examination within one month after palsy onset were correlated with prognosis ( P ＞ 0. 05) . Two cases received decompression on the 40th day onset and recovered completely. Two cases Received decompression in the 2nd month, one recovered completely and decompression and recovered partially.CONCLUSION: Patients with the following manifestations may make conplete recovery after conservative treatment: lesion distal to segment D, facial function over 11 marks, presence of R1 wave by BR test in the 1st month and fiber deprivation ＜ 90% by ENoG. Facial nerve decompression should be taken for patients in a condition other than that.

Chinese prescription is composed of Chinese herbal medicines according to "seven compatible relations" and "sovereign, minister, assistant and courier" principles. There are many methods in the research on combination and composition of Chinese herbal medicines. These methods are classified into traditional model and modern model. For the time being, compatibility study of traditional Chinese herbal medicines has developed from traditional model to modern model. The traditional model mainly studies the effects and mechanisms of the whole and split formulae in medical crude drug level, while the modern model mainly studies the effects and mechanisms of Chinese herbal medicine compositions in components combination level. Moreover, quantitative analysis becomes probable by modern model method. Now, setting up of new components combination model and optimal composition methods will not only develop the combination and the composition of Chinese herbal medicines from medicinal crude drug level to components composition level, but also get new formulae which have clear components and effects, and action targets and mechanisms. It will effectively promote the development of Chinese medicine formula.

T-lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) is a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL),which is biologically similar to T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL),and occurs most frequently in childhood and adolescence.T-LBL progresses fast.The treatment of LBL with conventional chemotherapy regimens for NHL has shown relatively low rates of complete remission and of disease-free survival.Now,it is reasonable to treat patients with LBL with the current ALL-type protocols,and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation may yield a more favorable overall survival (OS) in T-LBL patients,especial in relapsed or refractory LBL patients.

Two hundred male and 200 female patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus admitted from January 2007 to April 2008 were enrolled in the study. Of them, 267 were diagnosed as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by ultrasonography. The measurements included:body mass index (BMI) ,waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) ,fasting blood glucose( FBG), ALT, AST, total bilirubin(TBIL), cholesterol(CHO),triglyceride(TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDL-C) ,serum creatinine (Cr), supersensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and urine albumin/creatinine. The relationship of above factors with NAFLD was determined. Our data showed that male NAFLD patients were in general younger than female. The BMI ( t = 11. 361, P = 0. 000), waist circumference ( t = 9. 771, P =0. 000), hip circumference (t = 10. 469, P =0. 000) ,TG(t =7. 352, P =0. 000) and hsCRP (t =2. 242,P =0. 026) of NAFLD patients were significantly higher than those without NAFLD. The hsCRP of patients with central obesity was also significantly higher than those without central obesity (t = 0. 266, P = 0. 045 ).BMI and TG were positively correlated with NAFLD. Waist circumference was an independent factor of NAFLD in male patients, same as hip circumference with NAFLD in female patients. In conclusion, gender,central obesity and dyslipidemia may be risk factors for NAFLD in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objective To observe the effect of insulin glargine plus mefformin on inflammatory factors(IF) in the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes(T2DM).Methods 110 patients with newly diagnosed T2DM were given insulin glargine(beginning dose:10 U/d) and mefformin(0.5 g,tid) for 12 weeks;while 100 cases selected for the same period from the normal healthy population were taken as control group.Baseline fasting blood glucose(FPG),2 h postprandial blood glucose(2 hPG),glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA_1c),C-reactive protein(CRP),TNF-α and IL-6 were observed.Results Before treatment,FPG,2 hPG,HbA_1c and IF in T2DM group were obviously higher than those in control group(P＜0.05),but there was no difference in other clinical data (P＞0.05).After 12 weeks treatment,in T2DM group there was a significant improvement in blood glucose targets [FPG from (14.8±3.9) mmol/L to (6.6±2.1) mmoL/L;2 hPG from (17.6±3.3) mmol/L to (8.3±1.2)mmol/L;HbA1c from (9.6±2.7)% to (6.5±0.8)%,t=7.40,8.37,3.98,P＜0.05],and the level of IF also decreased significantly [CRP from (8.8±2.5) mg/L to (5.5±1.4) mg/L;TNFα from (2.9±0.6) ng/L to (1.6±0.2) ng/L;IL-6 from(170.3±22.2) pg/L to (105.9±14.6) pg/L,t=4.61,3.52,5.68,P＜0.05].Conclusions Insulin glargine and mefformin combined therapy can improve glucose metabolism in patients with newly diagnosed T2DM,and decrease the levels of IF.

Objective To study the cautious behaviors of mice under dangerous conditions caused by height. Methods An elevated beard task was designed,in which the mice were employed to get through a horizontally elevated beard. The time of getting through and number of looking-aside behaviors were recorded under different experimental conditions with different elevated height and visual cues. Results The mean time of getting through the elevated board with a height of 60cm was significantly longer than that of 15cm [(22.55±14.64)s Vs (12.16±8.67)s, P<0.05]. The number of looking-aside behaviors decreased from (2.95±1.73) to (1.95± 1.27) , P <0.05 ,when the visual cues on potential danger were controlled. Conclusion The cautious behaviors increase with the height of elevated board and decrease when controlling for the visual cues on potential danger, which indicate a trade-off relationship between the perceived danger and cautious behaviors.

Forty-three cases of malignant tumors with metastases to serous cavites were treated by interventional chemotherapy under ultrasound guidance and monitoring. 43 cases (83 injections) were all successfully operated and followed up. After peritoneoclysis, besides the common side effects of chemotherapyie nausea and vomiting, 3. 8% of the patients had abdominal pain and 75. 5% had abdominal distention. No complication of hemorrhage, infection, drug leakage or organ injury oceurred. It is suggested the method is safe easily to be used especially for the intracavitary chemotherapy of malignaant tumors and deserves to be widely employed.

Objective To explore the function and significance of interleukin(IL)-25 in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) through testing its expression in the intestinal mucosal and serum of patients with IBD. Methods Intestinal or colonic mucosal biopsies of 12 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), 16 patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and 10 healthy controls were collected. The expression of IL-25 at mRNA level was detected by real-time PCR and the situ expression of IL-25 in intestinal mucosa was analyzed with immunohistochemistry. At same time,serum of 20 UC patients, 24 CD patients and 20 controls was collected, and IL-25 concentration in the serum was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results Compared with healthy controls, the expression of IL-25 at mRNA level in inflamed mucosa of CD and UC patients was significantly decreased (P＜0.05), no statistic difference between UC and CD groups (P＞0.05).The immunohistochemistry results indicated that more IL-25 positive cells in normal lamina propria,the expression of IL-25 in mucosal epithelia cells was low, the expression of IL-25 protein in the intestinal or colonic mucosa of UC and CD patients significantly decreased ( P ＜ 0.05), no statistic difference between UC and CD groups (P＞0. 05). ELISA results showed that the level of IL-25 in the serum of UC and CD groups was significantly lower than healthy controls (P ＜ 0.05). Conclusion The expression of IL-25 in the intestinal mucosa and serum of IBD patients was significantly decreased,which suggested that IL-25 expression defects may closely related to the pathogenesis of IBD. IL-25 may be a new target for the IBD treatment.

Objective To explore the alterations of intestinal mechanical barrier during the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) progression. Methods To establish NAFLD rats' model,ninety male SD rats were divided into three groups equally: normal-diet group, high-sucrose diet group and high-fat diet group. At the 4th, 8th and 12th week each time point, ten rats were sacrificed in each group. Another twenty SD rats were randomly divided into carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) group and control group. The liver injured model of CCl4 group was induced by CCl4 ; all the rats of these two groups were killed at the 4th week. The degree of liver steatosis was observed through HE staining of liver paraffin sections. The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) level of portal vein blood was measured by limulus test. The occludin expression in intestinal mucosal was detected by immunofluorescent assay,and the fluorescence intensity was scored. The morphology change of intestinal mucosa tight junction was observed through electron microscopy. Results The liver histopathology suggested that NAFLD and liver injured rats' model was successfully established. There was no statistical significance of LPS level between high-sucrose diet group and normal diet group at all the time point (P＞0.05). At the 4th and 12th week, there was no statistical significance of LPS level between high-fat diet group and normal diet group (P＞0.05), while it was significantly higher in high-fat diet group than normal diet group at the 8th week (P＜0. 05). There was no statistical significance of LPS level between CCl4 group and control group (P＞0. 05). At the 8th week, the expression of occludin in normal-diet group, high-sucrose diet group and high-fat diet group was 1.80±0. 42, 1. 50 ± 0. 53 and 1.30±0.67, respectively, the expression was a little bit lower in high-sucrose diet group and high-fat diet group than in normal diet group, the difference was statistical significance (P＜0. 05). At the 12th week, the expression of occludin was significantly lower in high-sucrose diet group and high-fat diet group than normal diet group. The expression of occludin was significantly lower in CCl4 group (0.60±0.16) than in control group (1.80±0. 42) (P＜0. 05). No obvious morphology changes of tight junction was found in high-sucrose diet group, high-fat diet group and CCl4 group at each time point.Conclusion The expression of occludin decreased gradually during the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease progression. So in the NAFLD treatment, besides improving insulin resistance and protecting liver function,the protection of intestinal mucosa barrier as early as possible may slow down the progression of liver injury.