·AIM: To determine whether a combined scleral buckle and pars plana vitrectomy, as a primary surgery, owns any advantage over a single scleral buckling in pseudophakic and aphakic retinal detachments.·METHODS: Thirty consecutive pseudophakic/aphakic retinal deachments were included in this retrospective study. Each patient underwent combined scleral buckle and pars plana vitrectomy, and was followed up for 3 to 14 months. Patients were examined with respect to anatomic reattachment, visual acuity improvement, and surgical complications.·RESULTS: All eyes were anatomically reattached after the first operation. All patients had an increase in their visual acuity, and there were no complications attributable to the vitrectomy procedure.·CONCLUSION: A combined surgery for primary pseudophakic/aphakic retinal detachments offers significant benefits to scleral buckling alone. The improved uccess rate is contributing to the function of vitrectomy, which improves peripheral visibility and reduces the occurrence of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR).

AIM: To investigate the characteristics and surgical management of retinal detachment (RD) after laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in myopia.METHODS: Documents of patients with RD observed in 18342 eyes (9 598 patients) who underwent LASIK were retrospectively reviewed. None of the patients had history of corneal or other diseases before LASIK and preoperative fundus examination was performed. Patients were followed for a mean of 20 months and the clinical features of the eyes which developed RD after LASIK were investigated.RESULTS: Six patients including 2 males and 4 females developed RD, and the incidence of RD after LASIK was 0.33‰. Mean pre-LASIK myopia in these 6 eyes was 9.33D.None of these eyes had prophylactic treatment history of any retinal lesions. Mean time interval between LASIK and RD development was 9.2 months. All RDs happened spontaneously and were managed with vitrectomy and other techniques.Retinal reattachment was achieved at the first retinal detachment surgery in all 6 eyes (100%) at mean follow-up of 9.3months.CONCLUSION: RD after LASIK is not common. The study suggests no cause-effect relationship between RD and LASIK procedure in myopic eyes. However, clinicians should still be aware of retinal pathology in patients undergoing LASIK.

AIM: To assess the efficacy and safety of prophylactic laser photocoagulation for retinal breaks before laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in myopic eyes.METHODS: From April 2000 to April 2004, totally 1 845 eyes ( 1 233 patients ) requesting LASIK had a fundus examination with indirect ophthalmoscopy before the surgery. They were divided into two groups according to the presence (Group 1) or absence of retinal breaks (Group 2). All patients with retinal breaks, though they were asymptomatic, underwent prophylactic laser photocoagulation to seal the breaks before LASIK.RESULTS: Patient age ranged from 18 to 43 ( 25.3±5.7) yaers old. Mean preoperative spherical equivalent refraction (PSER) was -7.44± 2.13 D (range, -1.50 to -14.50 D). Retinal breaks were identified and treated in 37eyes (2.05%) of 32 patients;1 808 eyes of 1 201 patients had no retinal breaks. No statistical difference was found in age ( P ＞0.05) or gender (P ＞0.05) between the two groups. Significant difference of PSER was noted between Group 1 (-9.41± 4.15D) and Group 2 (-7.52±3.71D) (P＜0.05). During a mean 14mo follow-up, none of the patients developed retinal detachment.CONCLUSION: The efficacy and safety of prophylactic laser photocoagulation for retinal breaks was confirmed.Retinal breaks should be identified and treated by photocoagulation in eyes before LASIK for myopia.

· AIM: To report the clinical results of vitrectomy for Terson syndrome.· METHODS: Twenty-one eyes of 15 patients with Terson syndrome underwent vitreous surgery with the mean follow-up of 19.1mo.· RESULTS: Incomplete posterior vitreous detachment(PVD) was found in 15 eyes (71.4 %), epiretinal membrane was formed in 7 eyes (33.3 %), and retinal detachment occurred in 4 eyes (19.0 %). Significant visual improvement occurred in all eyes after vitrectomy: visual acuity of 20/40 or better was achieved in 17 eyes (80.9 %)and 4 eyes (19.0 %) developed lens opacity.· CONCLUSION: Vitrectomy for Terson syndrome can provide good visual recovery, with low complication rate,including that of cataract.

Adjuvants, Immunologic ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; pharmacology ; Antiviral Agents ; pharmacology ; Caffeic Acids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Echinacea ; chemistry ; classification ; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Molecular Structure ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Polyunsaturated Alkamides

OBJECTIVETo study the lipid constituents from Echinacea purpurea.

METHODThe compounds were isolated by chromatography method and the structures were identified on the basis of spectral analyses.

RESULTFive compounds were isolated and identified as, 1 beta, 6 alpha-dihydroxy-4(14)-eudesmene(1), (2E, 4E, 8Z, 10E)-N-isobutyl-2,4,8,10-dodecatetraenamide(2), (2E, 4E, 8Z, 10Z)-N-isobutyl-2,4,8,10-dodecatetraenamide(3), cerotic acid(4), hyxacosyl alcohol(5).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 1,4 and 5 were obtained from the plant for the first time.

Echinacea ; chemistry ; Fatty Acids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Fatty Alcohols ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Sesquiterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of Xuebijing injection(XBJI, traditional Chinese medicine), in inhibiting TLR4--NF-kappaB--IL-1beta pathway of myocardial hypoxia/reoxygenation in rats.

METHODSThirty six male SD rats (280 +/- 30) g were randomly divided into six groups (n = 6): normal group (N group), balanced perfusion group (BP group), model group (M group), low dose XBJI group (XBJI(L) group), middle dose XBJI group (XBJI(M) group), high dose XBJI group (XBJI(H) group). By Langendorff isolated heart perfusion device to establish the model of myocardial hypoxia/reoxygenation in rats. ELISA was used to detect the concentration of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta); Western blot was used to detect the expression of nuclear factor kappa B p65 (NF-kappaB p65) protein and toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) protein; and RT-PCR to determine the expression of NF-kappaB p65 mRNA and TLR4 mRNA;To observe microstructure changes of hypoxia/reoxygenation myocardial by light microscopy.

RESULTSCompared with M group, the IL-1beta concentration, NF-kappaB p65 and TLR4 protein,NF-kappaB p65 and TLR4 mRNA of XBJIL group, XBJI(M) group, XBJI(H) group expression decreased in varying degrees,and decreased most obviously all in XBJI(M) group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); Myocardical structural damage was serious in M group, and improved after treatment XBJI, the most obvious was the XBJI(M).

CONCLUSIONDifferent dose of XBJI can inhibit TLR4--NF-kappaB--IL-1beta signal transduction pathway and reduce several inflammatory reaction after myocardial hypoxia/reoxygenation injury, the 4 ml/100 ml of XBJI is the best.

Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Heart ; drug effects ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-1beta ; metabolism ; Male ; Myocardium ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; drug therapy ; Signal Transduction ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; metabolism ; Transcription Factor RelA ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo review the situation of stomatological research projects supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and to analyze the status of stomatological research and obtained achievements in the past decade.

METHODSThe internet-based science information system of NSFC together with Yearbook of Chinese Stomatology was served as the basis of data collection. All of the data were arranged and analyzed by Excel.

RESULTSA total of 866 projects and 234.4054 billion Yuan were supported by NSFC during the past decade, and they were increasing continuously. The average supportive strength of each single project was also enhanced. The percentage of projects supported by the NSFC for young scientists accounted for the biggest proportion. The approved projects of stomatology were covering an increasingly wide area of the subjects. The projects number of different areas kept growing, and further investigations were done in these projects. The areas number were from 10 increasing to 26.

CONCLUSIONSWith the support of NSFC, great progress has been made in stomatology, and the interdisciplinary research between stomatology and other disciplines is more active.

China ; Databases, Factual ; Foundations ; Natural Science Disciplines ; Oral Medicine ; economics ; Research Support as Topic ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of curcumin (CUR) on cycteinyl aspirate specific protease-12 (Caspase-12) and pneumocyte apoptosis in pulmonary ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury mice.

METHODSThe in vivo unilateral in situ pulmonary I/R injury mouse model was established in C57BL/6J mice. Sixty experimental mice were randomly divided into six groups by random digit table, i. e., the sham-operation group (Sham), the I/R group, the I/R + dimethyl sulfoxide group (I/R + DMSO), the I/R + low dose CUR pre-treated group (I/R + CUR-100), the I/R + middle dose CUR pre-treated group (I/R + CUR-150), the I/R + high dose CUR pre-treated group (I/R + CUR-200), 10 in each group. Mice were euthanized and their left lungs were excised. Wet lung weight to dry lung weight (W/D) and the total lung water content (TLW) were tested. The morphological changes of the lung tissue were observed and index of quantitative evaluation for alveolar damage (IQA) detected under light microscope. The ultra-microstructure of the lung tissue was observed under electron microscope. The mRNA and protein expression levels of Caspase-12 and glucose regulated protein (GRP78) were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot. Apoptosis index (AI) of the lung tissue was determined by terminal-deoxynucleoitidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) method.

RESULTSCompared with the Sham group, expression levels of Caspase-12, GRP78 mRNA and protein all significantly increased in the I/R group (P < 0.05); W/D, TLW, IQA, and AI were all notably higher (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); the morphological and ultrastructural injury of the lung tissue were notably observed in I/R group. Compared with the I/R + DMSO group, expression levels of GRP78 mRNA and protein were increasingly higher in the I/R + CUR-100 group, the I/R + CUR-150 group, and the I/R +CUR-200 group (P < 0.05), expression levels of Caspase-12 mRNA and protein were lower (P < 0.05); W/D, TLW, IQA, and AI also decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); the morphological and ultrastructural injury of the lung tissue were gradually alleviated in the I/R + CUR groups.

CONCLUSIONCUR had better effect on the lung protection against I/R injury, which might be related to inhibition for pneumocyte apoptosis associated with Caspase-12 in excessive unfolded protein response (UPR).

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Caspase 12 ; metabolism ; Curcumin ; pharmacology ; Heat-Shock Proteins ; metabolism ; Lung ; blood supply ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Reperfusion Injury ; metabolism ; pathology ; prevention & control

OBJECTIVEThe aim of the study was to review the cases of Kawasaki Disease (KD) and analyze the clinical features especially their cardiac complications.

METHODSTotally 283 patients with KD were hospitalized from 1992 to 2002. Their clinical features and factors associated with increased risk of coronary artery aneurysms were reviewed.

RESULTS(1) Among the 283 KD patients, 186 were male and 97 were female. The male-female ratio was 1.9:1. Most of them (71%) were younger than 3 years old. Seasonal peak was in spring and summer (from May to Aug). Depending on the criteria of KD, 228 (81%) were diagnosed as typical KD and 55 (19.4%) were atypical KD. All patients had fever, lasting for 6.1 days. The most common clinical features were oral mucosal changes (97.5%) and cervical lymphadenopathy (95.4%), conjunctivitis (91.2%). And changes in the extremities (89.8%) and rash (81.5%) were also noted. (2) Before the treatment, coronary artery abnormalities were seen in 103/279 (36.9%), which occurred within 4 - 30 days of fever onset. Two weeks after intravenous gamma globulin (IVIG) treatment, the new cases of coronary artery abnormalities were 28/211 (13.3%). The prevalence of coronary artery aneurysms (CAA) with KD was 4.7%. The risk factors of CAA were male cases (P < 0.05) and fever lasting longer than 9 days (P < 0.05). Other cardiac abnormalities in acute phase included left atrial and ventricular enlargement (40/279, 14.3%) and changes in ECG (57/274, 20.8%). The pericardial effusions were found in 11 cases (3.9%).

CONCLUSIONSCardiac complications of KD occurred in the early period of KD. The new cases of coronary artery abnormalities were 13.3% after IVIG treatment. The risk factors of CAA included male cases and fever lasting for longer time.

Child, Preschool ; Coronary Aneurysm ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Female ; Heart Diseases ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; administration & dosage ; Male ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; complications ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors