Objective:To study the role of TNF-?in the mechanism of hepatocyte apoptosis induced by intestinal perforations due to abdominal firearm wound. Methods:A total of 42 Chang-Bai piglets were divided randomly into 7 groups: control group and wounded 1, 2 , 4, 8, 12, 24 hour groups.The model of intestinal perforations due to abdominal firearm wound were established in wounded groups. Levels of plasma endotoxin were measured using ehromogenic limulus amehoeyte lysate test.Hepatic TNF-? content was measured with immunohistochemical staining and image analysis in all groups. Hepatocyte apoptosis indexes and serum TNF-? levels were determined at the same time. Results: Levels of plasma endotoxin, serum TNF-?, hepatic TNF-? content and hepatocyte apoptosis indexes in wounded groups were all significantly elevated compared with control group(P

Objective To research the portable electron video equipment for tracheal intubatton in first aid. Methods According to the attributes of physiological bend and specialty of windpipe and gular of image, a horniness endoscopic of "C" model was designed with optical interface, CCD image transducer and small crystal display. It could quickly and visually lead tracheal intubatton through nonnasality. Results It was portable, visual, easily-operated. The rate of successful leading of tracheal intubatton is 97.8% . Conclusion It is especially suited to field battle, first aid, abrupt affairs, etc.

Objective:To study the role of NF- ?B in the mechanism of liver injury following intestinal perforations due to abdominal firearm wound. Methods:A total of 42 Chang-Bai piglets were assigned randomly into 7 groups: control group and wounded 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 hours group.The model of intestinal perforations due to abdominal firearm wound was established in wounded groups. Hepatic NF-?B and TNF-? content was measured with immunohistochemical staining and image analysis in all groups. Hepatocyte apoptosis indexes and serum ALT levels were also determined at the same time. The alterations of hepatic tissue were observed under light microscope. Results: Levels of hepatic NF-?B activity in wounded groups were significantly elevated compared with control group, and two peaks appeared in 1 h group and 8 h group, respectively (P

BACKGROUND:Contraction of three-dimensional collagen gels has been used as a model for the contraction which characterizes both normal wound healing and the development of fibrosis in the tissue. Several factors and cytokines,such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1, prostaglandin E2 and insulin have been proved to play important roles in collagen remodeling in vitro as well as serum extravasation during the fibrotic progress.OBJECTIVE: To observe extracellular collagen matrix contraction and apoptosis of fetal lung fibroblasts in TNF-α,interleukin-1, insulin, prostaglandin E2, albumin and globum under three-dimensional culture, and investigate the effects of cytokines, insuin, serum and serum protein on the remodeling and fibrotic formation of lung tissue.DESIGN: A randomized controlled experiment.SETTING: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Lanzhou General Hospital of Lanzhou Military Area Command of Chinese PLA.MATERIALS: The experiment was carried out The experiments were carried out in the respiratory laboratory of Lanzhou General Hospital of Lanzhou Military Area Command of Chinese PLA from August 2005 to January 2006. Human fetal lung fibroblasts (American Type Culture Collection), Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) and fetal bovine serum, insulin, transforming growth factor (TGF) (R&D), prostaglandin E2, type Ⅰ collagen was extracted from rat-tail tendons.METHODS: In order to investigate the effect of initial collagen concentration in the gels on the contractility of fibroblasts,the appropriate amount of collagen was mixed with distilled water, four fold-concentrated DMEM, and cells were suspended so that the mass concentration was 0.75-2.0 g/L, with a physiological ionic strength and the desired cell concentration. In order to investigate the effect of cell number in the gels on the contraction, the cellular concentration fibroblasts in the gels were prepared to 0.2×107-4×107 L-1. The areas of floating gels were measured daily and the contraction was calculated by contrasting the initial size (％ of initial area). Different serum concentrations (0.01％-0.5％)in the medium were prepared, the serum albumin (0.1％) or globulin (0.1％) were added to the serum-free culture medium to observe the gel contraction. TGF (10 mg/L), interleukin-1 (10 mg/L), insulin (1 mg/L) and prostaglandin E2 (0.1 μmol/L) were added to observe the effects of cytokines and insulin on fibroblasts-mediated collagen gel contraction.The DNA content and cellular survivability in gels in collagen were determined.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Effect of lung fibroblasts on collagen contraction with or without the presence of cytokines in three-dimensional culture; Effect of collagen with different concentration on the proliferation and apoptosis.RESULTS: ① Collagen gel contraction showed a dependence on the number of fibroblasts. ② Collagen gel contraction was augmented by increasing serum concentration in culture medium, and albumin increased the contraction dramatically. ③TGF and insulin significantly increased the contraction, whereas prostaglandin E2 and interleukin-1 significantly inhibited the gel contraction. ④ The lower the initial collagen concentration was, the more gel contracted and smaller final size were observed, and cell apoptosis increased.CONCLUSION: During the fibrotic process, fibroblast population migrated into the injured lung tissue may play an important role in the development of pulmonary fibrosis and serum infiltrating into injury lung tissue may play an role in stimulating the fibrotic progress. Infiltrating fluids and edema result in the dilution of the collagen concentration in the pulmonary interstitial which may lead to stronger contraction and serious fibrosis. In the dense fibrosis area, cells were hard to survive. In consequence, the final structure of fibrotic lung could not been changed and lung fibrosis progressed.

Objective To investigate the protective and cure effects of dexamethasone on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis.Methods32 rats were randomly divided into the control group (C-group, n=8), injury group (I-group, n=12) and dexamethasone group (D-group, n=12). The acute pulmonary model was established by intratracheal injection of bleomycin with rats of the I-group and D-group; while rats of the C-group injected with distilled water. After that, rats of the D-group were injected with dexamethasone sodium phosphate in intraperitoneal every day, those of the C-group and I-group were injected with saline. The animals were killed on the 3rd, 7th, 14th, and 27th days after treatment, and tests of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), total lung collagen content and lung tissue processing were performed.ResultsPathological evidence of the I-group rats demonstrated that the alveolar compartment companied with massive inflammatory cell invasion and a number of myofibroblast proliferation became more thick. However, lung injury in the D-group rats got better than that in the I-group. Neutrophil percentage achieved peak in both I-group and D-group on the 7th day. But the neutrophil ratio in the D-group was significantly lower than that of the I-group on the 7th day ( P<0.05) and the 14th day ( P<0.01). Total lung collagen content achieved peak on the 14th day both in I-group and D-group, but that of the I-group was significantly higher than that of the C-group ( P<0.01) and the D-group was significantly lower than the I-group ( P<0.01).ConclusionDexamethasone plays a protective and cure role in lung fibrosis by efficiently inhibiting the gather and invasion of neutropils and restraining the increase of collagen secreted by proliferous fibroblasts.

BACKGROUNDAcute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is a common condition, which affects not only the quality of life of patients but also their prognosis. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of an inhaled salbutamol sulfate solution and an inhalation suspension of the glucocorticoid budesonide that were atomized with heliox to treat patients with AECOPD.

METHODSTwenty-three patients with AECOPD were divided into a treatment group (He/O2 = 70%/30%) and a control group (N2/O2 = 70%/30%). The salbutamol sulfate and budesonide were administered by inhalation twice a day for 7 days. Vital signs, arterial blood gas levels, pulmonary function and the levels of serum myostatin (sMSTN) were measured and lung vibration imaging was performed.

RESULTSWe found that the PaO2 and PaCO2 values were not significantly different between the two groups at the various time points (P > 0.05). There were also no significant differences in any of the parameters of pulmonary function between the two groups. However, after baseline correction, the increase rate of the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), the forced vital capacity (FVC), and the maximum minute ventilation (MVV) appeared to be significantly increased at some time points compared with the baseline (before treatment) in both groups (P < 0.05). Although the values of quantitative lung distribution (QLD) for different regions and the levels of sMSTN were slightly different between the two groups, the repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that there were no significant differences between the two groups or within any group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAlthough the use of heliox as a driving gas can improve symptoms and benefit patients with AECOPD, the heliox treatment group did not have significant differences in arterial blood gases, lung function, lung vibration response imaging or the levels of sMSTN compared with the control group. (Chinese Clinical Trial Register Center ChiCTRTRC-00000273).

Administration, Inhalation ; Aged ; Albuterol ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Budesonide ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Drug Interactions ; Female ; Helium ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oxygen ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Prospective Studies ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; drug therapy

As the search for effective treatments for COVID-19 continues, the high mortality rate among critically ill patients in Intensive Care Units (ICU) presents a profound challenge. This study explores the potential benefits of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a supplementary treatment for severe COVID-19. A total of 110 critically ill COVID-19 patients at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Vulcan Hill Hospital between Feb., 2020, and April, 2020 (Wuhan, China) participated in this observational study. All patients received standard supportive care protocols, with a subset of 81 also receiving TCM as an adjunct treatment. Clinical characteristics during the treatment period and the clinical outcome of each patient were closely monitored and analysed. Our findings indicated that the TCM group exhibited a significantly lower mortality rate compared with the non-TCM group (16 of 81 vs 24 of 29; 0.3 vs 2.3 person/month). In the adjusted Cox proportional hazards models, TCM treatment was associated with improved survival odds (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the analysis also revealed that TCM treatment could partially mitigate inflammatory responses, as evidenced by the reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines, and contribute to the recovery of multiple organic functions, thereby potentially increasing the survival rate of critically ill COVID-19 patients.
Humans ; COVID-19 ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Critical Illness ; Treatment Outcome