Keratoconus is a corneal ectasia disease that dramatically affects visual function.Currently,the treatment approach of keratoconus includes wearing of spectacles or contact lenses,epikeratophakia,keratoplasty,etc.Femtosecond laser is a type of infrared laser operated in pulse form,which is accurate,safe and simple in operation.This technique has been applied in keratoplasty,intrastromal corneal ring implantation and cross-linking.Combination therapy may achieve better outcome.This review focuses on the related application of femtoseeond laser in keratoconus treatment.

Femtosecond laser represents the frontier technique in the field of refractive surgery,and its novel scanning mode is under investigation.It has transformed from simple refractive correction to multifield therapy for the advantages in accuracy and safety.Such technique has been employed in the treatment of keratoconus,penetrating and lamellar corneal transplantation,the completion of channel for intrastromal corneal ring segments implantation and achievement of collagen cross-linking.Femtosecond laser can achieve better outcomes in keratolimbal allograft and corneal biopsy for ocular surface reconstruction and histopathologic diagnosis.Also,femtosecond laser has been applied in the treatment of presbyopia and cataract.With improvement in related technique,femtosecond laser might be utilized more frequently in clinical practice.This paper focus on its novel application in therapeutic corneal surgeiries.

Corneal refractive surgery has been the major solution for the correction of ametropia.With the standardization of preoperative examination,intraoperative procedure and perioperative drugs,corneal refractive surgery has become much safer.Meanwhile,patients can get not only good visual acuity,but also favorable visual quality.However,the patient satisfaction has not been improved dramatically with the enhance of effectiveness and safety after surgery.Increase of the satisfaction degree to corneal refractive surgery is related to multiple factors such as experienced and highly skilled operation,operative safety,lessening operative complication,good postoperative visual and life quality of patients.Comprehensively analyzing existing problems in corneal refractive surgery in China and further obtain satisfaction of patient will be of an important significance for the healthy development of laser corneal refractive surgery.

OBJECTIVETo observe mainfestations of syndrome and biochemical indices of hypertensive model rats with excessive accumulation of phlegm-dampness syndrome (EAPDS), and to explore its possible pathological mechanism.

METHODSEAPDS rat model was prepared in 50 Wistar rats by feeding with high fat forage. Meanwhile, a normal control group consisting of 10 Wistar rats was set up by feeding with normal forage. After 25-week continuous feeding, 22 rats with body weight (BW) and blood pressure (BP) exceeding 25% those of the control group were selected as a model group. BW, BP, blood lipids, and related serological indicators were detected in all rats. Morphological changes of target organs were observed. mRNA expression levels of leptin receptor (LepR), Janus kinase2 (Jak2), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3), suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 (Socs3), angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1), angiotensin II receptor type 2 (AT2), phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (P13K), serine threonine kinase (Akt), nuclear factor of kappa B (NF-κBp65), inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase α (IKKα), NF-kappa-B inhibitor β (lKKβ), NF-kappa-B inhibitor α (IKBα), and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Expression levels of AT1 and LepR in aorta were detected by immunohistochemical assay and Western blot respectively.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, BW, BP, and blood lipids increased; serum levels of leptin (Lep) , Ang II, Hcy, ET-1, TNF-α, IL-6, and p2-MG increased, but NO decreased in the model group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Aortal endothelial injury and smooth muscle cell proliferation occurred in the model group, accompanied with heart and renal injury. Compared with the control group, mRNA expression levels of LepR, Jak2, Stat3, Socs3, AT1 , PI3K, Akt, NF-κB p65, IKKβ, IKBα, and AMPK in aorta were up-regulated significantly (P < 0.05), while the expression of IKKa decreased (P < 0.05). Immunohistochem- ical staining showed, brownish yellow deposit of AT1 and LepR was obviously increased, with more extensively positive distribution. Western blot results showed, as compared with the control group, protein expression levels of AT1 and LepR obviously increased in the model group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSModel rats exhibited typical syndromes of EAPDS. They put up weight with fat abdomen, gloomy hair, poor appetite, hypersomnia, lowered activities , reduced food intake, loose stool, dark red tongue, white tongue with white, thick, greasy fur. Lep could be taken as one of objective indicators for evaluating hypertension rat model with EAPDS.

Animals ; Aorta ; Cell Proliferation ; Disease Models, Animal ; Hypertension ; physiopathology ; I-kappa B Proteins ; Interleukin-6 ; Leptin ; blood ; NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha ; NF-kappa B ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling Proteins ; Transcription Factor RelA ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

OBJECTIVETo report the clinical characteristics and treatment of 3 patients with juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG).

METHODSA retrospective review of the medical records of 3 patients with JXG.

RESULTSJXG was characterized by solitary or multiple yellowish cutaneous nodules, or eye involvement . It could also affect pituitary. JXG was easily misdiagnosed as Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH). Treatment for JXG was surgical excision of a solitary skin lesion and some cases might be, spontaneous regression. In cases with multisystem involvement, chemotherapy regimens used to treat LCH may be effective.

CONCLUSIONSJXG is one of the more common non-Langerhans histiocytic proliferations and is frequently seen in infants and children. LCH-like chemotherapy is effective for patients with symptomatic multisystem JXG.

Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Xanthogranuloma, Juvenile ; diagnosis ; therapy

A L9 (3(4)) orthogonal design table to be used to get nine combinations of extraction of three herbs of Wuji pill: Coptis chinensis, Tetradium ruticarpum and Paeonia lactiflora Pall., and nine extraction of single herbs correspondingly, altogether eighteen combinations. Quantification of five representative bioactive ingredients: berberine, palmatine, evodiamine, rutaecarpine, paeoniflorin in rat liver by ultra high liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry after oral administration at 2 h time point of eighteen combinations. The result shows the bioactive ingredients have different concentrations betweem different combinations and the single herb with the same dosage significantly as well as the same dose combinations. C. chinensis with evodiamine concentration of low and high dose T. ruticarpum was positively correlated. T. ruticarpum with berberine concentration of low dose C. chinensis was negatively correlated and of meddle dose C. chinensis was correlated positively. T. ruticarpum with paeoniflorin concentration of middle dose P. lactiflora was correlated positively. P. lactiflora with palmatine concentration of middle dose C. chinensis was negatively correlated and with evodiamine and rutaecarpine concentration of middle dose T. ruticarpum was negatively correlated. These shows the three single herbs interactions resulted in the differences of each ingredients concentration in rat liver. The orthogonal analysis indicates the combination 12: 6: 6 make the maximum concentration in rat liver.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Biological Availability ; Biomedical Research ; methods ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drug Stability ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Liver ; metabolism ; Male ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Temperature

Soxhlet extraction is a common method of sample preparation. However, there has been no discussion about the efficiency of Soxhlet extraction from different batches and the factors that cause content fluctuation. In this study, Panax ginseng was selected as a model sample. Soxhlet extraction by means of a water bath, which has always been neglected, was identified as a novel key factor in the poor repeat-ability in different batches of Soxhlet extraction, as it can affect the siphon times and reflux time, which have been positively correlated with the ginsenoside contents. By substituting round bottom flasks in the same column, the relative standard deviation of the most fluctuated compound, ginsenoside Rb1, was decreased from 24.6% to 5.02%. Scanning electron microscopy analysis confirmed that the breakdown of the surface of the ginseng powder in the Soxhlet extraction led to a better dissolution of ginsenosides, indicating that chloroform may promote the extraction of ginsenosides by disrupting the cell structure. Moreover, 70% methanol was regarded as the better solvent for extracting the ginsenosides. Overall, this work offers a practical and effective protocol for improving the accuracy and repeatability of Soxhlet extraction methodology for ginsenosides and other analytes.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on survival, migration and differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) transplanted into the brain of newborn rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage and the recovery of nervous functions.

METHODSThe NSCs were separated from hippocampus of neonatal Wistar rats within 24 h after birth. Brdu, NSE and GFAP were used as markers of differentiation and proliferation of NSCs. The newborn rats were subjected to hypoxic-ischemic condition to induce brain damage. Seven days later, NSCs transplantation was performed for the animals. The rats were divided into normal control group, HIBD group, PBS group, NSCs transplantation group, BDNF group and BDNF + NSCs transplantation group randomly. At 4 weeks after transplantation the nervous function of rats was observed by Y-maze and nerve behavior test. After they were sacrificed, the rat brains were examined by immunocytochemistry for Brdu and by immunofluorescence for NSE/Brdu.

RESULTSThe hippocampus NSCs of newborn rat could be well cultured and they expressed nestin and they could differentiate into NSE, GFAP. Most of NSCs survived in cerebral ventricle 4 weeks after transplantation in brain through Brdu immunocytochemistry and they migrated into regions of brain extensively, especially to the injured side of cortex and hippocampus. The number of living NSCs in the injured side of cortex and hippocampus of BDNF + NSCs transplantation group increased evidently and the percentage of NSCs differentiated into NSE was higher than that in the NSCs transplantation group (P < 0.05). The nerve function recovery of the rats in BDNF and NSCs treated group was significantly better than that in the other groups (P < 0.05). The NSCs group had no prominent changes as compared with the model groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSNSCs can be isolated from newborn rats hippocampus and cultured in vivo. NSCs can survive, migrate and differentiate into neurons through cerebral ventricle. BDNF could significantly accelerate proliferation and differentiation of NSCs transplanted into the brain of rats with HIBD. The nervous function recovery was improved prominently by transplantation of NSCs with BDNF application, which may become a potentially effective method to treat HIBD.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; therapeutic use ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; therapy ; Lateral Ventricles ; Neural Stem Cells ; transplantation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Stem Cell Transplantation

OBJECTIVETo measure lutein, zeaxanthin and β-carotene level in foods commonly consumed in Beijing, and compare the content difference between raw and cooked food.

METHODSForty-six commonly consumed foods of 8 classes were collected in Haidian district of Beijing from September to October in 2009. A high performance liquid chromatography method was used to determine the content of lutein, zeaxanthin and β-carotene in both raw and cooked samples.

RESULTSLutein was abundant in cucurbitaceous and solanaceous, allium and nuts, especially in Chinese chive (18 226.9 µg/100 g) and pumpkin (13 265.2 µg/100 g). Major sources of zeaxanthin included round pumpkin, green garlic shoot, corn and eggs, whose level of zeaxanthin were 444.6, 283.5, 279.7, 118.6 - 377.9 µg/100 g, respectively. Zeaxanthin level of those cooked foods changed to 483.9, 239.3, 279.1, 149.5 - 594.7 µg/100 g, respectively. The zeaxanthin level of cooked Chinese chive reached 1081.2 µg/100 g, while we did not detect any zeaxanthin in raw Chinese chive. β-carotene was present in a wide variety of vegetables and fruits. Carrot (17 234.3 µg/100 g) was a good source of β-carotene, while its level in cooked carrot was 17 013.5 µg/100 g.

CONCLUSIONConsuming the proper kinds of foods and changing the method of food processing were beneficial to increase the intake of lutein, zeaxanthin and β-carotene.

China ; Cooking ; Food ; Food Analysis ; Lutein ; analysis ; Xanthophylls ; analysis ; Zeaxanthins ; beta Carotene ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo study the mechanism in masticatory muscle dysfunctional induced by hemimastication.

METHODSCa2+ contents were measured with atomic absorption spectrometry; calcinuerin were measured with colorimetric method; muscle fiber types were measured with adenosine-triphosphate (ATPase) staining.

RESULTS(1) Compared with the controls, Ca2+ contents in experimental group had the higher level except 8 weeks (P < 0.05). (2) The ratio of slow fiber in experimental group increased, higher than the match groups (P < 0.05). (3) With Ca2 contents rise, the activities of calcinuerin present a bell-like shape. (4) The ratio of slow-type fiber was positively correlated to the activities of calcinuerin (r = 0.876, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe signal way of muscle fiber growth and fiber transformation were activated by high concentration of calcium, then, muscle fiber transferred from fast to slow type. It may play an important role in the mechanism that hemimastication result in masticatory muscles dysfunction.

Adenosine Triphosphate ; Calcium ; Humans ; Mastication ; Masticatory Muscles