Transforming growth factor β(TGF-β)superfamily ligands play an important role in regulating cellular homeostasis including proliferation,differentiation,apoptosis,immune sur-veillance and angiogenesis.Type Ⅲ TGF-βreceptor (TβRⅢ) is considered to be the coreceptor of TGF-βsuperfamily.TβRⅢnot only has an effect on classical Smad signaling pathway,but also on non-Smad signaling pathway.TβRⅢplays a crucial role in fibrosis,tumor,cardiovascular diseases via mediating kinds of signaling pathways.This paper reviews TβRⅢ mediated sig-naling pathway and its role in fibrotic diseases.

G protein- coupled receptors (GPCRs), also known as seven- transmembrane domain receptors, constitute the largest superfamily of cell surface receptors. By coupling to heterotrimeric G proteins, arrestins and other signaling molecules, GPCRs modulate diverse signal transduction pathways under physiological and pathological conditions. Recent studies have revealed crucial roles of GPCRs in tumorigenesis and development of cancer metastasis. This review summarizes roles of GPCRs, particularly the roles of those coupled to chemokines, prostaglandin, lysophosphatidic acid, endothelin, catecholamine and angiotensin in proliferation, invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis of hepatoma cells and development of hepatocellular carcinoma. The potential of GPCRs- based therapeutics being used for hepatocellular carcinoma is also highlighted.

Humans ; Male ; Myocutaneous Flap ; Neck Injuries ; etiology ; surgery ; Pectoralis Muscles ; transplantation ; Radiation Injuries ; surgery ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Skin Ulcer ; etiology ; surgery ; Tissue Transplantation ; methods

Acupoint compatibility is a basic element for acupuncture prescription and an important link for clinical acupuncture workers to obtain a therapeutic effect. Studying factors influencing the effect of acupoint combination and ascertaining its concept and connotation are of important significance for studying the mechanism of acupuncture action. By sorting out, summing up and analyzing relevant modern literature, it is found that factors influencing the effect of acupoint combination are those affecting the therapeutic effects of combination of two or more than two acupoints. Its contents include five aspects: combination mode, combination effect, stimulation method, time factor and body status. Analysis and induction show that acupoint selection is the primary task in studying factors influencing the effect of acupoint combination.

Primary insomnia (PI) is now a nonorganic sleep disorder that seriously affects the quality of life of people around the world and attracts the attention of medical circles at home and abroad. Western medicine treatment has side effects such as drug dependence and withdrawal rebound and cannot obviously improve the quality of sleep and life, while acupuncture has a good therapeutic effect on PI. This article explores the latest research status of acupuncture treatment for PI. Chinese Journal Net (CNKI, VIP and Wanfang) was mainly searched to retrieve and sum up recent five years’ literature about the study of acupuncture treatment for PI. The results show that acupuncture has an advantage in producing a short-term marked therapeutic effect on PI and being of a high total efficacy rate and can effectively treat primary insomnia.

ObjectiveTo observe the subcutaneous and intraperitoneal insulin injection's effect of the level of oxygen free radicals of type 2 diabetes model.MethodsC57BL/6J mice were chosen as normal control group (C group,n=9).KK mice were randomly divided into intraperitoneal injection of insulin group (i.p.group,n=9),the subcutaneous insulin group (s.c.group,n=9) and untreated group (U group,n =9).The i.p.group and the s.c.groups were given certain amount of insulin (insulin injecta and protamine insulin injecta by volume ratio of 2:1 mixture)for one month,maintained the GLU at normal levels (6±1.5) mmol/L.SOD,GSH-PX activity and MDA content of serum,liver,kidney and heart in each group were detected.Results The liver,kidney,heart and serum's SOD and GSH-PX activity significantly reduced and MDA content significantly increased in the U group.Both kinds of delivery methods could increase serum SOD and GSH-PX activity and reduce the content of MDA to the normal control group level,but the intraperitoneal injection had stronger effect.Two kinds of delivery methods could both reduce the MDA content of liver,and had almost the same effect; but the subcutaneous injection group had better effect on increasing the liver's SOD activity,and the intraperitoneal injection had better effect on increasing liver's GSH-PX activity.Intraperitoneal injection had better effect on reducing kidney' s MDA content and increased SOD activity.Two kinds of delivery methods had the same effect on reducing the heart's MDA content.Conclusion The two delivery methods can both make the MDA levels of KK mice in serum,heart,liver and kidney fall to as normal as that of control group,but the two delivery methods have different ways of improving the antioxidant capacity in different organs.Intraperitoneal injection can reduce MDA content in serum and kidney better.

Objective To review the clinical characteristics and treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in children. Methods The clinical data of 103 children with T1DM admitted to our hospital from Februry 2002 to August 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. Thirty one cases with diabetic ketoacidosis (KDA) were treated with continuous insulin pump (group A) or basal-bolus insulin therapy (group B). The differences in blood glucose control time, the rate of hypoglycemic episodes, glucose fluctuation, fasting blood glucose (FBG), 2 h postprandial blood glucose (2 hPBG), insulin dosage, the time of urine acetone bodies disappear and length of stay were compared in two groups. Results The age of 103 children with T1DM was from 38 d to 15. 33 y with an average of (8 ±3) y; most of them was 7 - 10 y (47, 45.6% ). Seventy eight children were first diagnosed accounting for 75.7%; boys accounted for 55.3% of total. Fifty one cases (49.5%) were diagnosed in winter and spring and 67 (65.2%) had infections, most of them were respiratory tract and gastrointestinal infections. Sixty two cases (60. 2% )presented as diabetic ketoacidosis at the first onset, including 4 cases (3.9%) with cerebral edema. Some patients were complicated by Hashimoto's thyroiditis, hyperthyroidism, SLE and other autoimmune diseases.Among 31 cases with ketoacidosis the FBG and PBG were decreased significantly after treatment, there were no significant differences between two groups (P ＞ 0. 05 ). Compared to group B the correction time of DKA and urine acetone bodies was shorter, and reached the targeted glucose levels more quickly, the frequency of blood fluctuation and the hypoglycemia was significantly lower, the length of stay was shorter, and the daily dose of insulin was lower in group A; the differences between two groups were statistically significant ( P ＜0. 05 or P ＜0. 01 ). Conclusions The clinical symptoms at first onset of T1 DM in children are not typical,and likely to be combined with DKA; infection may be one of the inducing factors for DKA. Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion with pump can control the blood glucose more effectively and equably, and are convenient for use by children; so it is a better treatment option for type 1 diabetes mellitus in children.

Objective To survey on knowledge of home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) in community physicians of Zhejiang province.Methods One hundred and thirty eight community physicians from Xiacheng District of Hangzhou Municipality were assigned in intervention group (n =70) or control group (n =68).The knowledge of home blood pressure monitoring was surveyed by using the China HBPM questionnaire in both groups.Results Total 132 valid questionnaires were returned,including 70 from intervention group and 62 from control group.The results showed that 80.0％ (61/70) physicians in intervention group and 62.9％ in control group frequently suggested hypertensive patients to have HBPM in out-patient clinics (P ＜ 0.05).Physicians who correctly instructed patients to use upper arm electronic sphygmomanometer,to measure blood pressure in morning and night,to repeat 2-3 times each time,to record result 3 times,and to take ≥ 135/85 mmHg(1 mmHg =0.133 kPa) as criteria of hypertension in intervention and control groups were 67.1％ (47/70) versus 32.3％ (20/62),5.7％ (39/70) versus 29.0％ (18/62),92.9％ (65/70)versus 66.7％ (40/62),38.6％ (27/70)versus 6.4％ (4/62)and 57.1％ (40/70) versus 38.7％ (24/62),respectively,and the differences between two groups were all statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05).As for measuring frequency,92.9％ (65/70) physicians in intervention group and 67.7％ (42/62) in control group considered that blood pressure should be measured every day for poorly controlled patients ; 81.4％ (61/70) versus 14.5 ％ (9/62) considered that blood pressure should be measured every week for well-controlled patients; 87.1％ versus 35.5％ (22/62) considered that blood pressure should be measured every year at least for people with normal blood pressure; there were significantly differences between two groups (P ＜ 0.05).The community physicians generally considered that HBPM can be used to improve the awareness of hypertension for patients and to increase the blood pressure control rate in community.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of endoscopic surgery using the low-temperature plasma radiofrequency for nasal inverted papilloma. Methods In a retrospective study, clinical data of 8 patients underwent endoscopic surgery were analyzed since July 2008. Tumor stage according to Krouse was T1:1, T2:6, T3:1, T4:0, respectively. T1 and T2 lesions were completed excised using the low-temperature plasma radiofrequency, T3 lesions were excised using microdebrider combined with plasma radiofrequency.

RESULTSThe average blood loss was about 20 ml, with the exception of one patients with recurrent nasal inverted papilloma about 200 ml. Shorter operative time, minimal postoperative pain, epithelization of nasal cavity was seen 2 months postoperatively. There were no complications. All patients were followed-up for 2-6 months, with no recurrence.

CONCLUSIONSSurgical treatment of nasal inverted papilloma using low-temperature plasma radiofrequency had following advantages: less blood loss, complete en bloc tumor resection, mild injury, short surgery time, mild postoperative pain. In summary, low-temperature plasma radiofrequency is a minimally invasive treatment for nasal inverted papilloma.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Catheter Ablation ; methods ; Cold Temperature ; Debridement ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nose Neoplasms ; surgery ; Papilloma, Inverted ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To analyze the association between β2-AK 27 locus genetic polymorphisms and asthma, and the protective effect in airway hyperreactivity. Methods The allel polymerase chain reaction were used to determine β2-AR 27 locus genetic polymorphisms in 149 patients with cough variant asthma who have the airway hyperreactivity. To observe these people for two years in order to know the proportion of changed to typical asthma. And compare with 90 people in healthy group. Results (1) The distribution frequency of β2-AR 27 locus genetic polymorphisms is major in heterozygote (57 % ) , and the Glu/Glu homozygote has the least ( 20% ) , (2) There was a significant decrease in the frequency of Glu/Glu genotype in asthmatics compared with healthy group(9% VS 20% ) ,OR = 0.4(P<0.05) ,95% CI (0.2 ～0. 9) ,but there was no significant difference in the allele frequency of asthmatics compared with healthy group,(3)The frequency of Glu/Glu genotype in severe asthma was lower than stable asthma group(P<0. 05). Conclusion These results suggesteded that β2-AR 27 locus genetic polymorphisms is correlated with asthma,and the Glu27 could have the protective effect to the airway.