From the water soluble extract of Flos Lonicera japonica Thunb.,three triterpenoid saponins were isolated. On the basis of detailed analysis of 1HNMR, 13CNMR, 1H-1HCOSY, HMBC, HMQC, FAB MS, their structures were decided as 3-O-?- L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-?-L-arabinopyranosyl hederagenin 28-O-?-Dxylpyranosyl (1→6 )-?-D-glucopyranosyl ester (Ⅰ), 3-O-?-L-arabinopyranosyl hederagenin 28-O-?-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1→2) [?-D-xylpyranosyl (1→6)] -?-glucopyranosyl ester (Ⅱ) a nd 3-O-?-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1→2) -?-L-arabinopyranosyl hederagenin 28-O-?-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1→2)[?-D-xylpyranosyl (1→6)]?-D-glucopyranosyl ester（Ⅲ), and chlorogenin tetraacetate (Ⅳ). Pharmacological experiment showed thatthese compounds had cytoprotective effects against carbon tetrachloride induced hepatic injury.

Objective To clarify the factors influencing development of cholecystopathy in schis-tosomiasis portal hypertension. Methods The data of 116 schistosomiasis portal hypertension patients from 1998 to 2002 were retrospectively analyzed and compared with non-liver disease pa-lients. Results Of the incidence of cholecystitis, the schistosomiasis portal hypertension patients vs non-liver-disease were 87.9% (102/116) vs 36.6% (15/41) (P0. 05). Of the incidence of cholecystolithiasis, the schistosomiasis portal hypertension patients vs non-liver-disease were 38.8% (45/ 116) vs 19.5% (8/0.41) (P0. 05). Conclusion The incidences of cholecystolithiasis and cholecystitis are closely correlated with portal hypertension in schistosomiasis, and are not closely correlated with hypersplenism.

Objective To investigate the relationship between plasma concentration of osteopontin (OPN) and disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).Methods The plasma concentration of OPN in 28 healthy controls and 38 SLE patients was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results The plasma concentration of OPN was significantly higher in SLE patients compared to that in the healthy controls (420?203 ng/mL vs 73?14 ng/mL,P＜0.001),in the patients with proteinuria com- pared to that in the patients without proteinuria (623?88 ng/mL vs 288?135 ng/mL,P＜0.001),in the patients with active disease compared to that in those with inactive disease (529?143 ng/mL vs 185?66ng/mL,P＜0.001),in the patients before treatment compared to that in the patients after treatment (556?130 ng/mL vs 142?22 ng/mL,P＜0.001).The plasma concentration of OPN in patients with arthritis was not different from those without arthritis (489?153 ng/mL vs 375?222 ng/mL,P＞0.05).Plasma concentration of OPN showed a significant positive correlation with systemic lupus erythematosus disease ac- tivity index (SLEDAI) (r=0.93,P＜0.001),but a significant negative correlation with serum C3 level (r=-0.49,P＜0.05).There was no correlation between plasma concentration of OPN and antinuclear an- tibody titre,erythrocyte sedimentation rate,or serum level of C4.Conclusions These data show that plas- ma OPN level has some correlation with the SLE activity,renal damage and progression or amelioration of SLE.OPN could be involved in the pathogenesis of SLE.

Objective To investigate the risk factors of the intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV). Methods Eighty eight patients (88 eyes) of postoperative ocular hypertension in a series of 339 patients who had undergone PPV with normal ocular pressure before operation were retrospectively studied. The ocular pressures in both preoperative and postoperative periods were detected by NCT examination, and the ocular hypertension was decided on the level of ≥25 mm Hg. The relationships of occurence of the time of onset and duration of persistence of postoperative ocular hypertension with the different kinds of primary diseases, the techniques of operation, and the condition whether or not the affected eyes had formerly accepted surgical intervention, were analyzed. Results The IOP elevation occures mostly within 1 to 2 weeks postoperatively (77 eyes, 87.5%). In 65 cases (65 eyes) IOP returned to normal in 1 week, and in another 14 cases (14 eyes) in 1 month after treatments. Six patients' (6 eyes ) IOP was under 25 to 30 mm Hg with the medicine. With sustained elevation of IOP over 4 to 6 months, 3 cases (3 eyes ) lost or almost lost their vision finally. The probability of postoperative IOP elevation in the patients suffered from the retinal detachment with proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) ≥grade C 2 was the highest in all the patients in our study (38.2%, P

Objective To evaluate and compare the predictive validity of the Braden Q and Braden pressure ulcer risk assessment scales in the acute pediatric patients, and explore the cutoff score of the scales. Methods We adopted the prospective cohort study design.The settings included three PICU of three different children's hospitals. Two nurses were appointed as the data collectors, and they were in charge of both the scoring and the skin assessment separately. Results We collected 145 samples. There were 9 patients who developed the pressure ulcers, and the incidence rate was 6.2%. The cutoff score of Braden Q and Braden scale was 17 and 14. The AUC of the ROC curve of the two scales was 0.481 and 0.398. Conclusions The Braden Q scale is more suitable for the pediatric patients. Further study is neededed to improve the scale.

BACKGROUND:Numerous studies have confirmed that neovascularization plays an important role in the growth, invasion and metastasis of tumors. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the features of CD133+ ovarian cancer stem-like cels differentiating into vascular endothelial cels. METHODS:CD133+ ovarian cancer stem-like cels were successfuly harvested from A2780 ovarian cancer cel lines using serum-free culture method, and incubatedin vitro onto 96-wel plates with or without Matrigel. Then, we observed the capacity of CD133+ ovarian cancer stem-like cels and human umbilical vein endothelial cels to form tube-like structures at different time points. Through xenograft experiments, the role of CD133+ ovarian cancer stem-like cels in the angiogenesis of ovarian cancer was observed using immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:CD133+ovarian cancer stem-like cels and human umbilical vein endothelial cels cultured with no Matrigel had no corresponding lumen formation, and could not express CD31. But those cultured with Matrigel had lumen formation and expressed CD31 significantly. After tumor formation, human-derived CD31 expression was observed in the tumors. These findings indicate that CD133+ ovarian cancer stem-like cels can differentiate into vascular endothelial cels, and be involved in tumor revascularization.

Objective To determine the dynamic change of serum procalcitonin (PCT) level after traumatic brain injury and the rclated clinical significance.Methods Serum levels of PCT and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ATCH) in 137 patients with traumatic brain injury and 20 normal volunteers were measured by electrochemiluminescence assay.Correlation between serum PCT level and severity of traumatic brain injury was evaluated.Results Percentage of serum PCT level at low inflammatory-risk threshold detected from day 1 to day 14 after admission was descended from 80.3％ to 63.5％.Meanwhile,the percentage of serum PCT level at high inflammatory-risk threshold was a rising-fall-rising trend,but the percentages of serum PCT level at median and definite inflammatory-risk thresholds showed sustained increase from 13.9％ to 27.0％ and 0.7％ to 3.7％ separately.Based on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS),the dynamic change of serum PCT level demonstrated a distinct bimodal pattern in severe injury group,a gradual falling after rising mode in middle injury group which was significantly and positively correlated with GCS (r =0.463,P ＜ 0.05),and a rising-falling-slight rising tendency in minorinjury group.In addition,the GCS in each group only closely related to the positive detections of serum PCT level detected at days 3 and 7 (x2 =10.32,16.31 respectively P ＜ 0.01).Serum ATCH level at day 1 was far higher than that at day 14 in severe injury group and was significantly higher in severe injurygroup compared with minor and middle injury groups (P ＜ 0.01 or 0.05).Conclusions Positive serum PCT may be predictive of the traumatic brain injury and injury degree within 3-7 days after the injury.The dynamic change of serum PCT is associated with the specialized mechanism of traumatic brain injury and neuronendocrine response,and it may be a useful parameter to assess posttraumatic stress response and prognosis.

Objective To investigate the differences of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF)in the resting state between short-term heroin and methamphetamine abusers after withdrawal.Methods Sixteen male short-term heroin abusers and fourteen male short-term methamphetamine abusers were performed the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).The differences of ALFF be-tween the two groups were performed with preprocessing softwares.Threshold was set to 0.05.Results Compared with metham-phetamine-dependent patients,heroin-dependent patients showed increased ALFF in the left side of the lingual gyrus and the left ton-sil of cerebellum and decreased ALFF in the left side of the brain stem,midbrain and the left side of the cerebellar vermis.Conclusion There are differences between the short-term heroin and methamphetamine abusers in the function of the brain,mainly involving the brain regions associating with cognition and affection.

Objective To investigate the role of recombinant Vibrio vulnificus cytolysin (rVvhA) in inducing THP-1 cells damage and study the pathway of associated calcium influx .Methods Inverted mi-croscope, CCK-8 cell proliferation kit, Fluo3/AM staining and caspase activity detection were performed to analyze the damage of THP-1 cells induced by rVvhA and the pathway of calcium influx .Results rVvhA had cytotoxic effects on THP-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner .The concentrations of extracellular K +and LDH were respectively up-regulated after 1 h and 6 h of 12 μg/ml rVvhA intervention .Verapamil , Mibe-fradil and SKF-96365 could not prevent the influx of free Ca 2+induced by rVvhA .The activities of caspase-3 and caspase-9 were singanificantly enhanced by rVvhA in a time-dependant manner .Conclusion rVvhA can induce THP-1 cells damage through triggering extracellular calcium influx via porous channel on cell membrane.Moreover, rVvhA might induce THP-1 cell apoptosis through activating caspase-9/3-dependent pathway .