Development of liver fibrosis is closely associated with angiogenesis and abnormal vascular remodeling. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of angiogenesis and vascular remodeling in fibrogenesis, the results that inhibition of angiogenesis is effective in suppression of liver fibrosis demonstrate that therapies with several molecular targets against angiogenesis, inflammation and fibrosis might be beneficial for the treatment of cirrhosis. However, there is some evidence that inhibition of angiogenesis can even worsen fibrosis. This article outlines recent advances regarding the interplay between inflammation, angiogenesis and fibrogenesis in terms of cellular and molecular mechanisms, and suggests a requirement of greater understanding to intervene in these key processes, such as liver sinusoidal endothelial cell fenestration and impact distinct chemokine actions driving monocyte migration and differentiation, for therapeutic benefit in the future.
Humans ; Inflammation ; therapy ; Liver Cirrhosis ; therapy ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; therapy ; Vascular Remodeling

Objective To observe the efficacy of lipoic acid combined with mosapride in the treatment of diabetic neurogenic bladder.Methods 30 patients with type 2 diabetes complicated with diabatic neurogenic bladder were treated with lipoic acid and mosapride for three weeks,on the base of good controlling of blood glucose,blood lipids,and other metabolic indicators.The residual urine volume of bladder and urodynamic indicators were compared before and after treatment.Results The residual urine volume of bladder and urodynamic indicators after treatment for three weeks and withdrawal for four weeks were (62.5 ± 27.8) ml and (61.3 ± 21.6) ml,(8.3 ± 1.9) ml/s and (7.9 ±2.1)ml/s,(10.7 ± 1.8)ml/s and (10.3 ± 1.6) ml/s,(25.6 ±2.7)cm H2O and (24.5 ±2.3)cm H2O,which were significiantly better than those before treatment [(128.3 ± 72.5) ml,(5.2 ± 1.3) ml/s,(8.4 ± 1.2) ml/s,(18.1 ±1.2)cm H2O](t=4.01,4.21,3.45,3.52,3.68,3.47,3.33,3.24,all P ＜0.01).Conclusion Lipoic acid combined with mosapride has good effect in the treatment of diabetic neurogenic bladder.

Innate immunity initially resists the infection of pathogenic microorganism in host immune response.Recent researches confirmed that mitochondria participated in a wide range of innate immune pathways,mainly including contributing to innate immune activation,regulating antiviral signaling pathways and antibacterial immunity.Therefore,further studies on the relationship among mitochondria,hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection and innate immune response might contribute to elucidate the mechanism of chronic HBV infection and explore the mechanism of host immune to clear HBV.Here,mitochondria playing a vital role in regulations of innate immune response,HBV infection tending to chronicity by suppressing innate immune response and chronic HBV infection by regulating the innate immune response through injuring mitochondria,were reviewed.

Chronic pain is a common clinical disease,which brings great burden to the patients.However,the pathogenesis underlying of chronic pain is complicated,which is affected by many factors,such as physiology,psychology and society.Therefore,the treatment of chronic pain has been a problem in clinical practice.Considering its complexity,a single way of treatment usually could not reach satisfactory results,so combination therapy is often used to treat chronic pain at present.The combination therapy includes pharmacological treatment,psychological approaches,interventional treatment,self management and so on.The treatment plans are distinct for different types of chronic pain,even the individual patients with the same kind of pain.The emergence of interdisciplinary rehabilitation programs shed light upon the treatment of chronic pain recent years.This paper reviewed the research on chronic pain treatment,in order to provide theoretical basis for clinical practice.

Objective:To establish a highly sensitive, rapid and selective liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method for the determination of metoprolol in rat plasma.Methods:A simplified liquid-liquid extraction with acetidin was employed for the sample preparation. The separation was carried out on a Thermo ODS-C_(18)(5 μm,100 mm×2.1 mm).The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-methanol-water(20∶20∶60). Propranolol was used as the internal standard. The detection was performed on a liquid chromatography mass spectrometry by selected ion monitoring(SIM) scan mode electrospray ionization(ESI).Results and Conclusion:The range of calibration curve was 0.1-50 ng/ml and the limit of quantification was 0.1 ng/ml. The intra- and inter-day precision RSD was less than 15%.This method is sensitive, simple,rapid and suitable for the pharmacokinetic study of metoprolol.

Objective To evaluate the possible molecular pathogenesis of intractable temporal lobe epilepsy. The potassium ion channel gene KCNJ4 encodes one of the subfamilies of Kir channels, Kir2.3 subunit, which may play an important role in modulating neuronal excitation. Interference in the function or expression of this gene would cause disturbance of ionic concentrations, thus leading to seizure activity. Methods Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western-blot analysis were used to measure the expression alterations of KCNJ4 mRNA as well as its protein product Kir2.3 channel in temporal cortex samples from patients who had undergone temporal lobectomy for intractable epilepsy (n=12). Tissue from 10 subjects who did not have epilepsy served as controls. Results The expression of KCNJ4 mRNA (0.438?0.178) and its protein Kir2.3 (M 50=0.063) were significantly decreased in epileptic brain compared with the controls (P

Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Zonisamide(ZNS) as adjunctive therapy in patients with refractory partial seizures receiving other antiepileptic drags (AEDs).Methods This was a randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled study conducted at multi-centers.All 240 subjects were randomized to either the ZNS group or the placebo group in a 1:1 ratio.The double-blind treatment phase included a titration phase during which zonisamide dose inereased from 100 mg/day to 300 mg/day over 4 weeks and then a 12-week fixed-dose phase.The primary efficacy endpoint was,the median % reduction from baseline in all pattial seizure frequency(CPS+SPS+SGS)during the fixed-dose phase.The important secondaw endpoint wag the responder rate.Safety profiles and tolerance were also evaluated.Results The FAS analysis showed the median reduction from baseline in the ZNS group was greater than in the placebo group(48.4%vs 26.6%),the difference was significant for ZNS compared with placebo(F=4.904,P=0.028);The responder rates for all partial seizures(48.6%vs34.9%,X2=4.046,P=0.044)and for complex seizures(52.2% vs 33.3%,X2=5.607,P=0.018)were significantly higber in the ZNS group than in the placebo group in the FAS population.The overall adverse events(AEs)profile was comparable between the two groups.The most frequent AEs considered to be related to zonisamide by the investigator were headache,dizziness,somnolence,anorexia,nausea,etc.Conclusions ZNS is superior to placebo in reducing the frequency of partial seizures and well-tolerated.ZNS could be a choice of adjunctive therapy in patients with refractory partial seizures.

OBJECTIVETo observe the distribution of constitution types of Chinese medicine (CM) in patients with osteonecrosis of femoral head (ONFH).

METHODSTotally 130 ONFH patients were recruited. Constitution types of CM were identified in all patients. Distribution features of constitution types of CM in ONFH patients were observed. The differences of distribution in gender, age, single or bilateral hips, course of disease, staging, cause, and region were also analyzed.

RESULTSSeventy patients were of complicated constitutions, while 60 patients were of single constitution. Among the 60 single constitution cases, yang-deficiency constitution [18 (13.9%)], damp-heat constitution [10 (7.7%)], blood-stasis constitution [7 (5.4%)], and qi-deficiency constitution [7 (5.4%)] were mainly distributed. Of the complicated constitutions, yang-deficiency dominated constitution occupied the top ratio [30 (23.1%)], followed by blood-stasis dominated constitution [15 (11.5%)], damp-heat dominated constitution [9 (6.9%)]. By putting them together, yang-deficiency constitution occupied the top constitution of CM [48 (36.9%)], followed by blood-stasis constitution [ 22 (16.9%)] and damp-heat constitution [19 (14.6%)]. The aforesaid three constitutions accounted for 68.5% of the total. There were no statistical distribution differences in gender, age, single or bilateral hips, course of disease, staging, or cause.

CONCLUSIONYang-deficiency constitution, damp-heat constitution, and blood-stasis constitution were liable constitutions of CM in ONFH patients.

Femur ; pathology ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Osteonecrosis ; complications ; drug therapy ; Yang Deficiency

OBJECTIVETo investigate the leukogenic function of Shuanghuang Shengbai (SHSB) granule and the related mechanisms.

METHODMouse leukopenic models were induced by radiation. Mice were divided into normal control group, model control group, positive control group-Li kejun tablet group and three different dose (high, middle, low-dose) groups of SHSB granule. The peripheral hemogram, thymus index (TI), spleen index (SI), bone marrow nucleated cell (BMNC) and colony forming unit-spleen (CFU-S) were evaluated. The proliferation of bone marrow cells was determined. The in vitro cultured colony forming unit granulocyte macrophage (CFU-GM) was estimated. The index of CD34+ cell in BMNC were determined by flow cytometry. The ultra-micro structure of bone marrow were observed by electromicroscope.

RESULT(1)SHSB rranule could increase the WBC of model mice; (2)SHSB granule could increase BMNC and promote the proliferation of bone marrow cell; (3)SHSB granule could increase CFU-S, CFU-GM and CD34+ cell index in BMNC of model mice significantly; (4)SHSB Granule could also protect the bone marrow hemotopoietic microenvironment from the harm of radiation; (5)SHSB granule could increase the SI of model mice, indicating the enhancement of immunological function.

CONCLUSIONSHSB granule has apparent leukogenic function. The mechanism may be related to enhancing the proliferation of hematopoietic cells and protecting the bone marrow hemotopoietic microenvironment.

Animals ; Antigens, CD34 ; metabolism ; Bone Marrow Cells ; drug effects ; pathology ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Colony-Forming Units Assay ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; drug effects ; Leukocyte Count ; Leukopenia ; immunology ; pathology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

Objective] To explore the humoral and cellular immune responses in mice to eukaryotic expression recombinant plasmid encoding histidine rich protein 2 (HRP\|Ⅱ) of Plasmodium falciparum. [Methods] The start and stop codes were introduced into HRP\|Ⅱ gene fragment, the reading frame and the position of start and stop codes in HRP\|Ⅱ were identified by sequencing. HRP\|Ⅱ fragment containing the start and stop codes was cloned into pcDNA3 1(\|) to form pcDNA3 1(\|)/HRP\|Ⅱ. The BALB/c mice were immunized i.m. with the plasmids for 3 times in 3 weeks intervals. Two weeks after the last immunization, the sera and splenocytes were collected to investigate anti\|HRP\|Ⅱ antibodies by ELISA and the splenocytes proliferation response to HRP\|Ⅱ. [Results] Sequence data show that the reading frame and the position of start and stop codes are correct. Restriction enzyme digestion indicated that the HRP\|Ⅱ gene fragment containing start and stop codes was successfully cloned into pcDNA3 1(\|). Mice raised significant anti\|HRP\|Ⅱ antibodies after pcDNA3 1(\|)/HRP\|Ⅱ immunization, and the splenocytes proliferated prominently when stimulated with HRP\|Ⅱ protein. [Conclusion] Eukaryotic expression recombinant plasmid \{encoding\} HRP\|Ⅱ gene can induce significantly humoral and cellular immune response in mice. HRP\|Ⅱ gene may be a good candidate for P.falciparum blood\|stage multiple DNA vaccine.