Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of rhubarb combined with Probiotics for treatment of patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) accompanied by acute lung injury (ALI). Methods A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted. Sixty patients with SAP and ALI were randomly divided into a rhubarb group and a combination of rhubarb and Probiotics group (combined group), 30 cases in each group. Both groups were treated with conventional therapy. On that therapeutic base, the patients in rhubarb group were treated with rhubarb 3 g·kg-1·d-1 (Raw rhubarb in boiling water 200 mL was cooked for 30 minutes, then the decoction was divided into two parts to be infused through nasal jejunal tube, retaining for 1 hour);while in the combined group, beside the above rhubarb therapy, the patients were additionally given Probiotics [Clostridium butyric acid:Chang Lekang capsule, once 1 grain (0.42 g), twice a day] through nasal jejunal tube. The therapeutic course was 14 days in the two groups. The plasma endotoxin levels, oxygenation index, and acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ(APACHEⅡ) score were observed before and after treatment for 7 days and 14 days, respectively. After treatment for 30 days, the time of intestine functional recovery and mechanical ventilation, number of damaged organs, number of infectious sites, number of pancreatic pseudocysts, length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay and 30-day fatality rate were observed in the two groups. Results With the prolongation of treatment, the plasma level of endotoxin and APACHEⅡscore in the two groups were gradually reduced, and the oxygenation index was gradually increased after treatment for 7 days and 14 days in the two groups compared with those before treatment, and there were statistically significant differences in above indexes on the 14th day after treatment between combined group and rhubarb group [endotoxin (μg/L): 19.16±1.90 vs. 21.20±1.05, oxygenation index (mmHg, 1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa): 369.50±5.45 vs. 341.50±7.36, APACHE Ⅱscore:11.84±0.60 vs. 13.00±0.86, P<0.05 or P<0.01]. The length of intestine functional recovery in the combined group was longer than that in the rhubarb group (days: 5.63±1.75 vs. 5.02±1.54), the number of damaged organs (2.08±0.74 vs. 2.70±1.11), the number of infectious sites (1.93±0.64 vs. 2.23±0.83), the number of pancreatic pseudocysts (1.22±0.34 vs. 1.63±0.11) and the mortality rate [10.0%(3/30) vs. 13.3%(4/30)] in the combined group were lower than those of the rhubarb group, but there were no statistically significant differences between two groups (all P > 0.05). The times of mechanical ventilation (days: 13.40±1.76 vs. 15.60±1.28) and the length of ICU stay (days:16.13±1.25 vs. 17.63±1.30) were significantly shorter in combined group than those in rhubarb group (both P<0.05). Conclusion Rhubarb combined with Probiotics for treatment of patients with SAP and ALI can promote their recovery of lung function and shorten their length of ICU stay.

Objective To observe the effects of different dosages of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) on generating the routine bone marrow dendritic cells, and supply suitable dosage of GM-CSF on preparation of dendritic cell vaccines used for different purpose. Methods Using low (5 ng/ml) and conventional (20 ng/ml) and high dosage( 50 ng/ml ) of GM-CSF combined interleukin-4 ( IL-4 ) to induce murine bone marrow dendritic cells were performed, The phenotypes (CD_(11c), CD_(80), CD_(86)) and functional properties of the DC were compared by FACS analysis and MLR. Results The DC induced by low dosage of GM-CSF were immature DC, expressing low CD_(11c), CD_(80), and CD_(86). DC induced by conventional dosage were functional mature, expressing higher CD_(11c), CD_(80), CD_(86), which could induce allogeneic T lymphocyte responses. DC induced by the high dosage GM-CSF were the most phetotypicaUy and functional mature cells, expressing the highest CD_(11c), CD_(80) CD_(86), which could induce the strongest allogeneic T lymphocyte responses. Conclusion The dosages of GM-CSF affect the maturation stage of dendritic cells. Low dosage of GM-CSF generated immature dendritic cells, but conventional dosage and high dosage generated mature dendritic cells. DC generated through high dosage of GM-CSF were the most mature in phenotype and function.