OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects and mechanism of total flavonoids from Armeniaca mume on depression in chronic stress depression model rats. METHODS:60 rats were randomly divided into normal saline group,model group,fluox-etine group(positive control,20 mg/kg)and total flavonoids from A. mume low-dose,medium-dose,high-dose groups(80,160, 240 mg/kg), 10 in each group. Except for normal saline group, the other groups adopted chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)+solitary feeding condition to induce depression model. These groups were intragastrically administered,once a day,for 28 d. Changes of body mass and food intake,degree of preference for sugar were observed;forced swimming test and tail suspen-sion test were used to determine the time that rats did not move;open field test was used to determine the changes of residence time in central square,horizontal crossing lattice,standing times,modification times;tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α),cortisol, interleukin 6 (IL-6),serotonin (5-HT) levels in serum after 24 h of last administration were determined. RESULTS:Compared with normal saline group,growth of body mass,food intake and sugar preference percentage in model group were decreased;the time that rats did not move was prolonged in forced swimming test and tail suspension test;residence time in central square was prolonged,while horizontal crossing lattice,standing times and modification times were decreased in open field test;serum levels of TNF-α,cortisol were increased,while IL-6,5-HT were decreased,with statistical significances (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Com-pared with model group,except that there were no obvious improvement in sugar preference percentage,the time that rats did not move in forced swimming test,modification times in open field test in total flavonoids from A. mume low-dose group and IL-6, 5-HT levels in serum in total flavonoids from A. mume low-dose,medium-dose groups,the above-mentioned indexes were obvious-ly improved in other groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS:Total flavonoids from A. mume can obviously improve the CUMS-induced depression in rats,and the mechanism may be related to inhibiting inflammation response,adjusting the hypothala-mus-pituitary-adrenal axis functions.

Objective To investigate the X-ray and CT features of anterior mediastinal lymphoma.Methods 11 cases with lymphoma of anterior mediastinal confirmed by pathology were collected,the X-ray and CT features were reviewed.Results The tumors in all cases appeared as anterior mediastinal tumor,among them,the tumors in six cases grew at anterior mediastinum bilaterally and in five cases at one-side.There were soft tissue nodi around tumor in eleven cases,superior vena cava were involved in 6,neighborhood blood vessel embed by tumors in 5,pleural effusion could be seen in 3,combined with hydropericardium in one.Conclusion The anterior mediastinal lymphomas have certain imaging characteristics,most of them can be distinguish from other anterior mediastinal malignant tumors if one analysing their imaging features carefuly.

Objective To evaluate the plasma D-dimer level in the patients of type 2 diabetes mellitus with hypertension and investigate their correlation.Methods Eighty-five subjects were divided into three groups according to clinical manifestation:control group:20 subjects ; type 2 diabetes mellitus group:21 subjects; type 2 diabetes mellitus combined with hypertension group:44 subjects.The level of plasma D-dimer was measured and the difference was compared between groups.The results were showed as mean ± sd,and the difference was compared using ANOVA Test ( SPSS13.0).Results The plasma D-dimer concentrations in normal control group was ( 102.15 ± 32.48 ) μg/L,in single type 2 diabetes mellitus was ( 148.62 ± 80.99 ) μg/L,while plasma concentrations in type 2 diabetes mellitus combined with hypertension was ( 206.28 ± 92.99 ) μg/L.plasma D-dimer concentration was higher in single type 2 diabetes mellitus than that in normal control cases( P ＜0.05) ;And plasma D-dimer concentration was also found increased in type 2 diabetes mellitus combined with hypertension when compared with control group (P ＜ 0.01 ) ;And there was also significant difference on plasma D-dimer concentration between single type 2 diabetes mellitus and type 2 diabetes mellitus combined with hypertension cases ( P ＜ 0.05 ).Conclusion The plasma levels of D-dimer was increased obviously in single type 2 diabetes mellitus and type 2 diabetes mellitus combined with hypertension,it may be related to the imbalance of coagulation and fibrinolytic system.Monitoring of plasma D-dimer concentration in type 2 diabetes and patients with hypertension may have important clinical implications for the prevention of thrombotic diseases.

BACKGROUND: Integrin α5β1 has been shown to be related to acetabular cartilage degeneration due to developmental dysplasia of the hip.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of integrin α5β1 in differently degenerated cartilage tissues of the knee after knee osteoarthritis.METHODS: Seventy-five degenerated articular cartilage specimens at the weight-bearing surface of femoral lateral and medial condyles were removed from patients with knee osteoarthritis who underwent total knee replacement, and were then allotted to four groups based on Mankin's grading system: normal (n=6), mild degeneration (n=24), moderate degeneration (n=26) and severe degeneration (n=19) groups. The expression of integrin α5β1 in each group was detected using real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry and western blot assay.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The detected results were consistent in the three kinds of assays, and the expression level of integrin α5β1 was ranked as follows: severe degeneration group > moderate degeneration group > mild degeneration group > normal group (P < 0.05). To conclude, differential expression levels of integrin α5β1 are found in different degenerative degrees of articular cartilage in knee osteoarthritis. Furthermore, the expression level of integrin α5β1 is increased with the degenerative severity.