Adolescent ; Age Factors ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Risk Factors ; Tachycardia, Supraventricular ; etiology ; pathology

Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; mortality ; physiopathology ; Renal Dialysis ; methods ; mortality ; Survival Rate

Aristolochic Acids ; adverse effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Kidney Tubular Necrosis, Acute ; chemically induced ; prevention & control

Objective To study the genome DNA methylation in rheumatoid arthirits(RA)and the re- lated factors of DNA methylation.Methods Twenty-first cases with RA and 20 controls were recruited to par- ticipate the study.Plasma Hcy,SAM,SAH,the MTHFR gene C677T polymorphism and the expression of LFA-1 in CD4~+T cells was measured in all patients and controls.Results①The SAM levels were lower sig- nificantly in RA groups than in controls.The SAH levels were higher significantly in RA groups than in con- trols.②There was significant inverse correlation between plasma Hcy level and SAM level(r=-0.932,P＜0.01). There was significant positive correlation between plasma Hcy level and SAH level(r=0.924,P＜0.01).③The expression of LFA-1 in CD4~+T cells was higher significantly in RA groups than in controls.There was a signif- icant positive correlation between LFA-1 expression level and Hcy level(r=0.557,P＜0.01),a significant in- verse correlation between LFA-1 expression level and SAM level(r=-0.651,P＜0.01).④The MTHFR gene mu- tation lead to dramatically increase of Hcy,SAH level and the expression of LFA-1 level in CD4~+T cells and genome DNA hypomethylation.Conclusion①Hypomethylation of genome DNA is found in most RA pa- tients.②The factors associated with genome DNA hypomethylation include MTHFR gene mutation and hyper- homocysteinemia.③The expression of LFA-1 in CD4~+ T cells is higer in RA groups than in controls,which re- lates to the DNA methylation level and the MTHFR gene C677T polymorphism.

AIM: To investigate the role of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in the growth of Müller cells using a co-culture system in vitro . METHODS: Müller cells were cocultured with RPE cells under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions in Transwell chamber culture system. Müller cell proliferation was evaluated by MTT assay. The number of cells which migrate through micropores and stay on the outer bottom side of insert systems were observed and counted. RESULTS: The activities of proliferation and migration of Müller cells when cocultured with RPE cells were significantly higher than those of the Müller cells when cultured alone at all time points under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions. However, for both the coculture and control groups, there is no significant difference between the measurements at 3 and 6 hours. CONCLUSION: Evidence suggests that RPE, when co-cultured with Müller cells, can stimulate migration and proliferation of Müller cells under both hypoxic and normoxic conditions in a time-dependent manner; how-ever, there is no evidence to support the synergetic interaction of RPE and Müller cells co-cultured under hypoxic conditions.

Abdominal Cavity ; physiopathology ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Constipation ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

Microvesicles (MVs) are the heterogeneous mixtures of vesicles. MVs released by leukemia cells constitute an important part of the leukemia microenvironment. MVs might act as important reservoirs of microRNAs (miRNAs). It is worth evaluating whether MVs possess some unique miRNA contents that are valuable in understanding the pathogenesis. In this study, we investigated the miRNA expression patterns of Nalm-6-derived MVs, Jurkat-derived MVs and normal cell-derived MVs using miRNA microarrays. The potential target genes regulated by differentially expressed miRNAs were also predicted and analyzed. Results demonstrated that 182 miRNAs and 166 miRNAs were differentially expressed in Nalm-6-MVs and Jurkat-MVs, respectively. Many oncogenes, tumor suppressors and signal pathway genes were targeted by these aberrantly expressed miRNAs, which might contribute to the development of B-ALL or T-ALL. Our findings expanded the potential diagnostic markers of ALL and provided useful information for ALL pathogenesis.

OBJECTIVETo observe the short-term and long-term efficacies on primary dysmenorrhea treated with staging acupoint embedment therapy.

METHODSSeventy cases of primary dysmenorrhea were randomized into an embedment therapy group and a fenbid group, 35 cases in each one. In the embedment therapy group, the embedment therapy was applied twice during the menstrual cycle, one treatment 3 days before menstruation and one treatment during the 12th-14th days of menstruation, respectively. Guanyuan (CV 4), Zigong (EX-CA 1), Diji (SP 8) and Ciliao (BL 32) were the main acupoints in the treatment 3 days before menstruation. Shenshu (BL 23), Ganshu (BL 18) and Pishu (BL 20) were the main acupoints in the treatment during menstruation. In the fenbid group, fenbid was prescribed for oral administration, 0.3 g each time, twice a day, starting 3 days before menstruation till pain was relieved. The treatment of one menstrual cycle was one session. The continuous treatment of 3 menstrual cycles was required. The short-term and long-term efficacies were evaluated at the end of the 3rd cycle and in 3 months after the treatment terminal. The dysmenorrhea score was used to evaluate the efficacy. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and SF-36 were for the assessment of pain degree and life quality.

RESULTS(1) The total effective rate was 91.4% (32/35) in the embedment therapy group after the 3 menstrual cycles, which was better than 74.3% (26/35) in the fenbid group (P < 0.01). In the follow-up stage, the total effective rate was 91.4% (32/35) in the embedment therapy group, which was better than 40.0% (14/35) in the fenbid group (P < 0.01). (2) The differences were not significant in dysmenorrhea score and VAS score after the 1st and 2nd menstrual cycle treatments between the two groups (all P > 0.05). In the 3rd menstrual cycle and the follow-up stage, the dysmenorrhea score and VAS score were reduced obviously in the embedment therapy group as compared with those in the fenbid group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The rebound effect occurred in the follow-up stage in the fenbid group. (3) In the 3rd menstrual cycle and the follow-up stage, the improvement in the total score of life quality of the embedment therapy group was superior apparently to the fenbid group (P < 0.05, P < 0. 01).

CONCLUSIONThe staging acupoint embedment therapy achieves the superior short-term and long-term efficacies as compared with the oral administration of fenbid in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea. As the symptoms of dysmenorrhea and pain are relieved, the life quality is improved.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Catgut ; utilization ; Dysmenorrhea ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Pain Measurement ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Adult ; Brucellosis ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Diseases