The origin and development of umbilical therapy in traditional Chinese medicine is explored from related literature in the history. As a result, the Shang period is regarded as initial period of umbilical therapy, while periods from Han Dynasty, Jin Dynasty and Southern-Northern Dynasties to Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty could be taken as stage of primary development. Time from Song Dynasty, Jin Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty to Ming and Qing Dynasties is believed as mature stage. Also the manipulation, application principle, indications and contraindications of umbilical therapy are explained. A brief overview of modern development of umbilical therapy is also described.
China ; History, 15th Century ; History, 16th Century ; History, 17th Century ; History, 18th Century ; History, 19th Century ; History, 20th Century ; History, Ancient ; History, Medieval ; Humans ; Medicine in Literature ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; history ; methods ; Umbilicus ; physiology

Objectives To investigate the effects of matrine on the proliferation and apoptosis of SK-NEP-1 cells in vitro, and its possible mechanism. Methods Trials were divided into following groups:control group, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5mg/ml of ma-trine intervention groups. The inhibition rate of SK-NEP-1 cells treated with different concentration of Matrine was detected by MTT colorimetric assay. Apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry (FCM). RT-PCR analysis was employed to measure the PDCD4 mRNA expression. Results Matrine (final concentrations=0.5, 1.0 and 1.5mg/ml) could induce apoptosis and inhibit the growth of SK-NEP-1 cells. Compared with the controls without matrine treatment (8.81±3.71)%, the inhibition rates of SK-NEP-1 cells were (20.79 ± 6.20)%, (31.25 ± 5.07)%, and (51.15 ± 12.70)%, respectively;the apoptotic rates of SK-NEP-1 cells treated with different concentration of matrine were (13.67±0.78)%,(17.43±1.65)%and (20.80±1.54)%, respectively. Significant difference in the inhibition and apoptotic rates of SK-NEP-1 cells between each drug group and control group was observed(P<0.05), and the inhibition and apoptotic rates of SK-NEP-1 cells increased gradually with increased matrine concentration, thus exhibiting a dose-dependent effect(P<0.05). To the expression of CXCR4 mRNA,the grey levels of SK-NEP-1 cells treated with matrine intervention group (final concentrations=0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mg/ml) were (0.720 ± 0.058), (0.540 ± 0.095) and (0.307 ± 0.050), respectively. The mRNA expression of CXCR4 was seen in SK-NEP-1 cells. Compared with control group, the expres-sion of CXCR4 mRNA was decreased significantly in matrine intervention group (P<0.01).There were significant difference in CXCR4 mRNA level among the SK-NEP-1 cells treated with 0.5,1.0,1.5mg/mL of matrine (P<0.01). Conclusions Matrine could induce apoptosis and inhibit the growth of SK-NEP-1 cells in a dose-dependent way which may be associated with the down-regulated CXCR4 expression in SK-NEP-1 cells.

AIM: To investigate the anti-cancer effect of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) activated by sensitized dendritic cells (DCs). METHODS: Immature DCs were induced in vitro from peripheral blood monocytic cells (PBMC) and sensitized by adding tumor cells antigen extract. DCs were identified by their morphology and surface markers. MTT assay was used to evaluate the killing activity of CTL activated by sensitized DCs. The effects of specific CTL cells on inhibiting transplanted tumor HT-29 growth and on preventing HT-29 tumor generation were evaluated by injecting CTL into nude mice. RESULTS: After cultured for seven days, a large number of activated DCs were obtained with typical morphology, extensive stimulatory proliferation capacity and high CD80 (63.5%), CD83 (67.6%) and CD3/HLA-DR (83.2%) expressions. The killing activity of CTL at 20∶1 ratio of effective cells to target cells was more than 75% to tumor cells, 35%-45% to homologous cell line and weaker to other germ cell line (P

Objective To study the adverse effect of house indoor air pollution on children respiratory system health in Lanzhou city.Methods A retrospective questionnaire investigation on 1 700 children respiratory health was carried out in three kindergartens,three elementary schools involving lower grade pupils in three districts in Lanzhou city.At the same time,the information about the home environment of the children and family background was collected.Applying logistic regression model, the influencing factors were analyzed.Results The over-standard rates of indoor air quality were from 12.4% to 43.8% in Lanzhou.In the non-heating period,the over-standard rates of formaldehyde,benzene,SO_2,NO_2,CO and PM10 in indoor air were 22.6%,14.5%,13.3%,12.4%,0% and 23.3% respectively.In the heating period,the over-standard rates of the pollutants were 27.3%,16.4%,34.6%,28.5%,32.3% and 43.8% respectively.Indoor air pollution was statistically associated with children respiratory symptoms and diseases,the related risk factors were someone smoking in home,house decorated,opening windows, ventilation,heating in winter,sharing bedroom and maternal education.The outdoor air pollution was one of the influencing factors. Conclusion Children respiratory diseases and symptoms are related to many air pollution factors,such as outdoor and indoor air pollution,personal characteristic and family factors,so to prevent and control indoor air pollution,a comprehensive way should be taken in Lanzhou city.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of plasma neuropeptide Y (NPY), neurotensin (NT) and their relationships on the diurnal rhythm of BP and target organ damage for essential hypertension.

METHODSAmbulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) for 24 hours was performed in ninety patients with essential hypertension and thirty healthy subjects. The patients were divided into two groups: 55 dippers and 35 non-dippers according to the ABPM results. Plasma NPY and NT levels in subjects were measured at 8:00, 16:00 and 2:00 o'clock by using radioimmunoassay method. Target organ functions were measured.

RESULTSThe plasma NPY level was higher and NT was lower in patients with hypertension those in normal controls (P < 0.001). Compared with dippers, non-dippers had a higher NPY and a lower NT plasma levels, especially appearing at 2:00 o'clock. The patients with left ventricular hypertrophy, stroke or kidney damage had a higher NPY and a lower NT levels compares with those without target organ damage.

CONCLUSIONThe changes in plasma NPY and NT may contribute to disturbance of the diurnal rhythm of blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension, especially in those with target organ damages, which may serve as a pathophysiologic mechanism for target organ damages in hypertension.

Adult ; Aged ; Blood Pressure ; Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory ; Circadian Rhythm ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; blood ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neuropeptide Y ; blood ; Neurotensin ; blood

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship of Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome with carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and endothelium-dependent vasodilatation function (EDVF) in patients with hypertensive disease (HD) for providing an objective basis of syndrome differentiation in HD patients.

METHODSColor Doppler's ultrasound was used to measure the endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of brachial artery and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in 60 HD patients (the HD group) and 30 normal controls (the control group). And the relationship of the outcomes with Chinese medicine syndrome types in patients was analyzed statistically.

RESULTSFMD was lower and CIMT was higher in HD patients of all syndrome types than those in the control group respectively (P<0.01). Comparison between patients of different syndrome types showed that FMD was higher in patients of Gan-fire exuberance type and yin-deficiency and yang-hyperaction type than in those of both yin-yang deficiency type and phlegm-dampness stagnancy type (P<0.01, P<0.05), while CIMT in patients of Gan-fire exuberance type was the lowest in all types, and that in yin-deficiency and yang-hyperaction type was lower than in yin-yang deficiency type (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONCIMT and FMD may be used as a reference index for CM syndrome differentiation in HD patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness ; Case-Control Studies ; Endothelium-Dependent Relaxing Factors ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Tunica Intima ; diagnostic imaging ; Tunica Media ; diagnostic imaging

To study the transport mechanisms of drugs for transplacental treatment of fetal tachyarrhythmia, MDCKII-BCRP and MDCKII cell models was used. MDCKII-BCRP and MDCKII cell monolayer model was used to investigate the bi-direction transport of sotalol, propranolol, propafenone, procainamide and flecainide. Drug concentrations were measured by HPLC-UV or chemiluminescence. The apparent permeability coefficient (P(app)), efflux rate (R(E)) and net efflux rate (R(net)) were calculated. Drugs with R(net) greater than 1.5 were further investigated using cellular accumulation experiments with or without a BCRP inhibitor. The R(net) of sotalol, propranolol, propafenone and procainamide were less than 1.5, while R(net) of flecainide with concentrations of 20 and 5 μmol x L(-1) were 1.6 and 1.9, respectively. The results showed that the transport of flecainide on MDCKII-BCRP cell monolayer could be mediated by BCRP; and the affinity increased when the concentration of flecainide decreased. Cellular accumulation experiments further suggested that accumulation of flecainide in MDCKII-BCRP cells was significantly lower than that in MDCKII cells in a concentration-dependent manner. BCRP inhibitor quercetin (50 μmol x L(-1)) significantly increased the accumulation of flecainide in MDCKII-BCRP cells (P < 0.05). Our preliminary data showed that flecainide but not sotalol, propranolol, propafenone or procainamide can be a substrate of BCRP. Thus the effect of flecainide may be affected by the BCRP in the maternal placental trophoblast membrane layer when treating fetal tachyarrhythmia.
Animals ; Biological Transport ; Cell Membrane Permeability ; Dogs ; Female ; Flecainide ; metabolism ; Madin Darby Canine Kidney Cells ; metabolism ; Placenta ; physiology ; Pregnancy ; Tachycardia ; drug therapy

AIM:To observe the changes of macular thickness in patients after cataract operation.
METHODS: A total of 126 patients ( 133 eyes ) were divided into two groups that were included in this study. The group (68 eyes of 64 case) with phacoemulsification combined intraocular lens implantation and ( 65 eyes of 62 cases ) with manual small incision cataract surgery ( MSICS) . There was no complication before and during the surgery. Optical coherence tomography ( OCT) was examined 1, 3mo before and after surgery. The visual acuity and macular thickness were compared after surgery. The SPSS 17. 0 software was used for statistical analysis. The paired t-test was used before and after surgery. Independent-samples t test was used in two groups before and after surgery,α=0. 05.
RESULTS: The cataract phacoemulsification group:preoperative and 1mo after surgery, the mean macular thickness was 241. 3±10. 9μm and 279. 7±16. 5μm, with significant difference ( P < 0. 01 ). The mean macular thickness was 245. 6±12. 6μm 3mo after surgery without statistical difference compared with preoperative ( P>0-05). The mean macular thickness was 279. 7±16. 5μm 1mo after surgery and 245. 6±12. 6μm 3mo after surgery with statistical difference(P<0. 05). Three eyes displayed cystoid macular edema at 1mo after surgery and 2 eyes of them was resolved 3mo after surgery. The group of MSICS: preoperative and 1mo after surgery, the mean macular thickness was 240-5±11. 9μm and 280. 7±16. 8μm, with significant difference (P<0. 01). The mean macular thickness was 246. 6±13. 2μm 3mo after surgery without statistical difference compared with preoperative ( P >0-05). One month after surgery and 3mo after surgery, the mean macular thickness were 280. 7±16. 8μm and 246-6±13. 2μm, with statistical difference (P<0. 05). Two eyes displayed cystoid macular edema at 1mo after surgery and 2 eyes were resolved 3mo after surgery. Between the two groups pre-operation or after operation for 1, 3mo respectively P values were without statistical difference (P>0. 05).
CONCLUSION: The macular thickness and macular edema can be found 1mo after cataract phacoemulsification and MSICS. Three months post-operatively, macular edema disappears and does not show statistical difference compared with preoperative. The increase of macular thickness has no obvious relationship with the choice of surgery.

Objective To compare the therapeutic effect of angiotensin Ⅱ antagonist (Valsartan)and angiotension-converting enzyme inhibitor (Captopril) for the improvement of left ventricular systolic function(LVSF) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) at anterior wall. Methods A total of 75 patients with initial AMI at anterior wall were enlisted in the study. Patients were divided randomly into three groups: control group (n = 15), Captopril treated (n =30), and Valsartan treated (n =30). At 1 week and 28 weeks post AMI, the LVSF and left ventricular regional ejection fraction (LrEF) were measured by equilibrium radionuclide angiography (ERNA). The t-test was used to compare the dada. Results ( 1 ) At 28 weeks, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular peak ejection rate (LPER) in Valsartan treated group were significantly increased as compared with those of control: ( 59.4 ± 8.6 ) % vs (44.9 ± 8.4)%, t = 3.87, P ＜ 0.01 for LVEF; (3.89 ± 1.01 ) end-diastolic volume (EDV)/s vs (2.84 ±1.05) EDV/s, t= 4.16, P ＜ 0.01 for LPER). The left ventricular time to peak ejection rate (LTPER) in Valsartan treated group was significantly decreased ( ( 116 ± 16 )ms vs ( 137 ±20) ms, t =2.16, P ＜ 0.05 ) as compared with control. (2)Compared with 1-week, 28-week Valsartan treated group had a significant increase inLrEF2, LrEF4, LrEF5, LrEF6: (71.6±18.8)% vs (57.0±11.4)%, t=2.11, P＜0.05;(78.1 ±16.8)% vs (68.9±21.0)%, t =2.06, P＜0.05; (70.5±16.9)% vs (59.9 ±23.4)%, t=1.99, P ＜ 0.05; and (58.1 ± 9.0) % vs (46.0 ± 18.9) %, t = 2.43, P ＜ 0.05, respectively. Conclusions Valsartan and Captopril are effective for the improvement of LVEF after AMI at anterior wall. The effects of the two drugs are similar.

Objective To clone the human Islet neogenesis associated protein(rhINGAP)gene,express the gene extraeellulary in Pichia yeast for.further study on biological function and animal test on INGAP.Methods INGAP gene Was amplified with PCR and inserted into the recombinant plasmidα/pUC18.Then,the fusion gene of α and INGAP was digested and inserted into the expression plasmid pPIC9K.The positive recombinant plasmid which integrated INGAP Was confirmed by restriction enzyme digestion and sequencing,and it Was linearized with Sal Ⅰ digestion and transfered into the yeast host strain GS115 through electroporation.The yeast transformants that harbor the desired gene INGAP with high copy were selected by the auxotroph mediam G418,and verified by PCR.The condition of hake-flask culture was optimized,and the recombinant human INGAP Was induced expression with methanol as the only Carbone source.The antigen activity of the desired protein Was detected by Western blotting and ELISA method.Results Recombinant plasmid αINGAP/pPIC9K were successfully constructed and three positive Pichia yeast transformants were obtained.The expressed protein had satisfactory antigen activity,which Was confirmed by the Western blotting and ELISA method.Conclusions Pichia yeast expressing human Islet neogenesis associated protein (rhINGAP)gene was successfully constructed.