Objective To find out critical disease entities threatening the health of Qingdao residents and to provide the relevant authorities with decision making basis. Methods A survey was conducted by means of the retrogressive method and the ICD 9 disease classification method, wherein data were collected via the computer. Results The first five hospitals in the ranking of hospitalization distribution of critical cases were the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University Medical College(35.2%), the Municipal Hospital(22.7%), Haici Hospital (16.4%),the Eighth Hospital of Qingdao(10.0%), and the First Hospital of Qingdao (8.0%). The first five diseases in the list were also the first five diseases so far as mortality was concerned: malignant tumor, cerebrovascular disease, heart disease, chronic bronchitis with the complication of pulmonary emphysema, and diabetes. Conclusion It is imperative to optimize the allocation of health resources and pay attention to the readjustment of people's dietary structure.

Objective To observe the influence of the coumarins from Radix Angelicae pubescentis (TCA) on the hypnotic effects of pentobarbital sodium and barbital sodium. Methods Mice were randomly divided into solvent (5% Tween-80, 20 mL/kg), chloromycetin (25 mg/kg) and TCA (50, 100 mg/kg) groups, which were administered orally with equivalent volume. One hour later, all the animals were given pentobarbital sodium (40 mg/kg, ip) or barbital sodium (200 mg/kg, ip), and then the latent period and duration of hypnosis were observed. Results Hypnotic duration of pentobarbital sodium was prolonged by 249.8%, 171.1% and 78.7% in chloromycetin and two TCA groups respectively (P

Objective To study the antioxidative effect of the ethanol extract (e-EXT) and aqueous extract (a-EXT) of Codonopsis lanceolata from Mount Taishan in mice. Method The mice were divided into six groups at random. After the mice were orally treated with 5% Tween-80 (solvent,20 mL/kg),Vitamin C (0.1 g/kg),e-EXT (10,20 g/kg) and a-EXT (10,20 g/kg) once daily for 14 days respectively,the blood,liver and brain were collected for determining SOD,GSH-Px,GSH and MDA levels. Results The SOD,GSH-Px and GSH levels were enhanced significantly,and the MDA levels were reduced markedly in serum,liver and brain homogenate of the mice treated with 20 g/kg e-EXT and a-EXT. In the serum and liver homogenate of 10 g/kg a-EXT group,the levels of SOD,GSH-Px and GSH were increased,the contents of MDA were decreased. Conclusion The ethanol extract and aqueous extract of Codonopsis lanceolata from Mount Taishan could enhance the antioxidative ability of the mice,especially the large-dose aqueous extract.

Objective To assess the detection of urinary neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL) and blood prohibitin (PHB) levels in early diagnosis of children with acute kidney injury (AKI).Methods One hundred and twenty children with severe allergic purpura,sepsis,kidney disease or heart disease admitted from June 2011 to June 2013 in our hospital were enrolled,including 60 cases with AKI and 60 cases without AKI;and 60 healthy children were selected as the control group.The urinary NGAL and blood PHB levels were measured with ELISA method.Results At d1 after diagnosis,the urinary NGAL level in severe AKI group [(146.76 ±61.22) μg/L] was higher than that in non-AKI group [(21.79 ± 17.31) μg/L] and control group [(17.42 ± 13.11) μg/L] (t =15.430 and 22.216,P ＜ 0.01).At d2 after diagnosis,the urinary NGAL level in severe AKI group [(82.31 ± 44.76) μg/L] was higher than that in non-severe AKI group [(21.56 ± 28.56) μg/L] (t =8.863,P ＜0.01).At d1 of diagnosis,the blood PHB level in severe AKI group was higher than that in non-severe AKI group [(14.03 ±6.43) vs.(8.01 ± 6.13),t =11.271,P =0.004];blood PHB in severe AKI group was higher than that in non-AKI group [(10.63 ± 4.21) vs.(8.00 ± 4.76),t =7.051,P =0.017].The levels of urinary NGAL and serum PHB gradually decreased over time in children with severe AKI.The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of urinary NGAL and blood PHB for diagnostic of AKI were 0.833 and 0.952 (P ＜ 0.01),respectively.The diagnostic rate of the combination of the two parameters was 100％.Conclusions The diagnostic value of PHB alone or NGAL in AKI still may be improved.The detection of PHB combined with NGAL can make up each other and improve the diagnosis of AKI,which contribute to the early diagnostic of AKI for clinical workers and provide effective intervention measures,and then reduce the mortality.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of intra-articular berberine injection on the structural remodeling of subchondral bone plate and osteoprotegerin/receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand(OPG/RANKL) system expression in rabbits with osteoarthritis(OA). METHODS: Forty 12-month-old male rabbits with an average of(2.73±0.18) kg of body weight, underwent left anterior cruciate ligament transection(ACLT), and were divided into berberine group and placebo groups after operation, 20 rabbits in each group. The berberine group received intra-articular injection of 100 μmol/L berberine 0.3 ml every week for 6 weeks. In placebo group, the same dose of 0.9% sodium chloride injection was injected into the left knee joint cavity every week for 6 weeks. Another 20 12-month-old male rabbits, weighing (2.68±0.18) kg, underwent sham operation on the left knee joint without intra-articular injection intervention (sham operation group). On the last day of the sixth week after operation, three groups of animals were sacrificed to obtain knee joint specimens. The femoral medial condyle samples were obtained for histological evaluation of cartilage and subchondral bone, Mankin scoring system was used to evaluate articular cartilage structure. Image-Pro Plus(IPP) software was used to evaluate subchondral bone plate bone volume(BV), bone volume/total volume(BV/TV), trabecular circumference(TC), mean trabecular thickness (Tb.Th). Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerization Enzyme chain reaction(reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, RT-PCR) was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of OPG and RANKL in subchondral bone tissue at 6 weeks after operation. RESULTS: The cartilage structure evaluation showed that the surface of cartilage tissue in the sham operation group was smooth and flat, and the safranin coloration was full in the full thickness of the cartilage;the cartilage tissue in the berberine group showed uneven surface layer, and the staining of safranin O was mildly decreased;the surface layer fibrosis was seen in placebo group, Safranin O faded significantly. The Mankin score in the berberine group was lower than that in placebo group(P<0.01), but higher than that in sham operation group(P<0.01). The structural evaluation of subchondral bone plate showed that the trabecular bone in sham-operated group was densely arranged;after berberine intervention, the trabeculae were closely arranged;the subchondral bone trabeculae in placebo group were relatively sparse, and the distance between trabeculae was wider. Subchondral bone plate IPP software evaluation showed that BV, BV/TV, TC, Tb.Th in berberine group were higher than those in placebo group(P<0.01), BV, BV/TV, TC, Tb.Th in berberine group were higher than those in placebo group(P<0.01), while lower than the sham operation group (P<0.01). PCR test results showed that the expression of OPG mRNA in the berberine group was significantly higher than that in placebo group(P<0.01), and OPG mRNA in the berberine group was lower than that in sham operation group (P<0.01). There was no significant difference in mRNA expression of RANKL among three groups(P>0.05);the ratio of OPG/RANKL in berberine group was higher than that in placebo group(P<0.01), but lower than that in sham operation group(P<0.01). CONCLUSION Intra-articular injection of berberine can effectively inhibit the resorption of subchondral bone in the early stage of OA and delay the development of the disease. The specific mechanism may be that berberine maintains the balance of OPG/RANKL system by up-regulating the expression of OPG gene in subchondral bone.
Animals ; Berberine/therapeutic use* ; Bone Density Conservation Agents/therapeutic use* ; Bone Plates ; Cartilage, Articular ; Humans ; Ligands ; Male ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Osteoarthritis/metabolism* ; Osteoprotegerin/metabolism* ; RNA, Messenger/therapeutic use* ; Rabbits

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effectiveness and safety of the combined treatment with acupuncture and venlafaxine hydrochloride on depression in terms of the microstructure change of white matter fiber tracts of brain based on diffusion tensor imaging technology (DTI). METHODS: The prospective study design was adopted. All of 60 patients with depression were randomized into an acupuncture-medication group and a medication group, 30 cases in each one. In the medication group, venlafaxine hydrochloride was used, 75 mg per day in the 1st week, 150 mg per day in the 2nd week and 225 mg per day from the 3rd to 6th week. In the acupuncture-medication group, on the base of the treatment in the medication group, acupuncture was combined. Baihui (GV 20) and Yintang (GV 29) were the main acupoints. The supplementary acupoints were selected according to the clinical symptoms of individuals. The needles were retained for 30 min. Acupuncture was provided once every 2 days, 3 times a week. The consecutive 12 weeks of treatment were required in the two groups. Additionally, a normal group was prepared with 30 healthy volunteers. Separately, before treatment, in 2, 8 and 12 weeks of treatment, Hamilton's depression scale (HAMD-17), Beck depression inventory scale (BDI) and the antidepressant side effect scale (SERS) were adopted to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the two groups. Moreover, before and after 12 weeks of treatment, DTI was adopted to detect the fractional anisotropy score (FA) of each brain region in the patients. RESULTS: After treatment, the scores of HAMD-17 and BDI were all reduced in the two groups (<0.05). In 8 and 12 weeks of treatment, the scores of HAMD-17 and BDI in the acupuncture-medication group were less than those in the medication group (<0.05). The difference in SERS score was not significant statistically between the two groups (>0.05). Compared with the healthy volunteers, FA scores in 6 brain regions changed obviously in the patients with depression, including the white matter of bilateral frontal lobes, splenium of corpus callosum, left cingulated gyrus, white matter of bilateral inferior temporal gyrus, white matter of bilateral inferior parietal lobe and white matter of bilateral deep temporal occipital region separately. Before treatment, the differences in FA scores of these 6 brain regions were not significant statistically between the two groups (>0.05). After treatment, FA scores in the white matter of bilateral frontal lobes, white matter of bilateral inferior temporal gyrus and white matter of bilateral deep temporal occipital region in the acupuncture-medication group were all higher than those in the medication group (<0.05). CONCLUSION Acupuncture repairs the brain white matter fiber tracts in some brain regions to certain extent and the therapeutic effects are enhanced with the adjuvant medication of venlafaxine hydrochloride.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Brain ; Depression ; therapy ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Venlafaxine Hydrochloride

Aim To establish a method for the stable expression of recombinant humanized Anti-her2 monoclonal antibody and to measure its bioactivity. Methods Anti-her2 heavy chain and light chain eukaryotic expression vectors were used to transfect CHO cells, and then scaled-up after screening the stably expressed cell line. Protein A affinity chromatography was utilized to purify the fusion protein. Western blot was used to identify the properties of the product, SDS-PAGE and HPLC were employed to detect its specificity, and CCK8 assay was used to detect its effect on cell viability. Results One cell line with stable expression of recombinant antibody was selected for scale-up. The supernatant was gained for the purification with protein concentration of 135.9 mg · L

Nonspecific low back pain is closely associated with afferent nerve ingrowth into degenerated IVDs and increasing the inflammatory response. Members of the class 3 semaphorins signal their response through two prominent receptors; the NRP (Neuropilin-1) and the Plexin A. Sema3A (Semaphorin3A) is primarily known for their role in modulating neuronal survival as well as neurite outgrowth and guidance via regulation of Sema3A-NRP-1-plexinA signal pathway. Also, sema3A is shown to be conductive to innervate the inner painful degenerated IVDs (Intervertebral discs). Furthermore, sema3A is thought to act as a barrier to endothelial cells survival and migration on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and inhibition of KLF5-induced (Krüppel-like factor 5) inflammatory mediators within degenerated IVDs. Therefore, Sema3A produce a new perspective of dual-action therapeutic agent for attenuating the regulator of innervation and angiogenesis into degenerated IVDs and inhibition of KLF5-induced inflammation.
Endothelial Cells ; Humans ; Low Back Pain ; Neuropilin-1 ; Semaphorin-3A ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors are promising new antidiabetic drugs. It had been proposed that DPP-4 inhibitors exert their antidiabetic effect by inhibiting the degradation of glucagon-like peptide 1(GLP-1) . However, new evidence has shown that the increase of GLP-1 is not notable after the use of these drugs in patients with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, the specific mechanisms via which DPP-4 inhibitors in controlling blood glucose has became questionable. In recent years, studies have revealed many possible mechanisms through which DPP-4 inhibitors regulate glycemia: DPP-4 inhibitors may selectively reduce DPP-4 activity in the intestine, causing the increase of portal plasma GLP-1 level and thus promoting the release of insulin via nerve reflex;also, they may decrease the cleavage product of GLP-1 and reduce the degradation of other bioactive peptides.
Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; drug therapy ; Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; pharmacology

Objective To study seasonal variation of blood pressure (BP) in patients with essential hypertension (EH) and its association with meteorological elements. Methods In total, 1800 patients with essential hypertension were recruited by cluster sampling from three townships and towns in Qingzhou,Shandong province, 1155 men and 645 women, with an average age of 61.3 years (ranging from 29 to 85years). BP was measured for all of them in sitting position at 8:00 in the morning every seven to 14 days during July 2008 to June 2009. Local meteorological data were collected accordingly such as temperature,humidity and atmospheric pressure, and multivariate regression analysis was performed to show their association. Results In general, BP in patients with EH presented a decreasing trend during the first half year of observation, with the lowest in the summer ( May to August). From September to October, their BP began to increase gradually, and reached the peak in the winter ( November to February nest year). There was significant difference in systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) between various seasons (Pspring-summer = 0.002 and 0.000, Pwinter-spring = 0.001 and 0.000, Psummer-autumn = 0.045 and 0.000,Psummer-winter =0. 000 and 0. 000, Pautumn-winter =0. 000 and 0. 000, respectively), except for those between the spring and autumn. Both SBP and DBP reversely associated with outdoor air temperature and room temperature(beta= -0.08, t = -2.39, P ＜0.05 and beta = -0.24, t = -6.21, P ＜0.01,respectively), (beta = -0.08, t = -2.39, P ＜0.05 and beta = -0.24, t = -6.21, P ＜0.01,respectively). Conclusions BP in patients with EH reveals seasonal variation, with the lowest in the summer and the highest in the winter and evident fluctuation in the spring and autumn, especially in SBP,which associates with room temperature and their blood vessel elasticity.