Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumoconiosis ; diagnosis

AIM: To evaluate the effect of flavored Siwu granules in the clinical adjuvant treatment for phlegm and blood stasis mutual junction retinal vein occlusion.
METHODS: Sixty patients (60 eyes) were randomly divided into treatment group and control group, both with retinal laser photocoagulation and intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide, but the treatment group used flavored siwu granules. Vision, fundus change, fundus fluorescein angiography, clinical syndrome of traditional Chinese medicine ( TCM ), hemorheology examination and safety assessment were evaluated before and 8wk after treatment.
RESULTS: At 8wk after treatment, there were differences on vision improvement, retinal circulation time, whole blood low shear viscosity and total efficient rate of clinical syndrome of TCM, compared with control group(P<0. 05).
CONCLUSION: Flavored siwu granules adjuvant for phlegm and blood stasis mutual junction retinal vein occlusion can improve visual acuity and reduce the eye complications.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of exercise (EX), low-fat diet (LFD) and their combination intervention on the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) expression of insulin resistance in rats.

METHODSOne hundred and thirty male rats randomly assigned to 2 groups: Control (CON)-10 rats consuming a low-fat diet; HFD-120 rats consuming a high-fat diet (HFD). The dietary regimen was sustained for 8 wk, at which point the 40 HFD group rats gaining the most weight were referred to as the obese rats. Glucose tolerance was assessed by an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). During the procedure of OGTT, the blood was drawn for insulin assay (insulin release test). The whole body insulin resistance was assessed by glucose-insulin index. The obese HFD group rats were randomized into one of four intervention groups: HFD-sedentary (HFD-SED), HFD-exercise(HFD-EX), low fat diet-SED (LFD-SED), LFD-EX. Ex rats performed 8-wk exercise training on a motorized treadmill. The CON group had access to low-fat diet for another 8 wk. After 8 wk of exercise and low-fat diet intervention, the OGTT and insulin release test were performed again. To use ELISA technique for detecting TNF-alpha in soleus muscle and adipose tissue.

RESULTSAfter being fed high-fat diet for 8 wk, glucose-insulin index in the HFD group were significantly greater than that in CON group (P < 0.01). After 8-week exercise and low-fat diet intervention, glucose-insulin index in HFD-SED group was significantly greater than that in CON group (P < 0.01). The index in three intervention groups was significantly less than that in HFD-SED group (P < 0.01) . TNF-alpha content in adipose tissue and the soleus muscle for HFD-SED group was significantly greater than that in CON group (P < 0.01). Three intervention groups were significantly less than HFD-SED group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONExercise and low-fat diet interventions can decrease the TNF-alpha expression in insulin resistance rat.

Animals ; Diet, Fat-Restricted ; Insulin Resistance ; Male ; Obesity ; metabolism ; Physical Conditioning, Animal ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

In order to obtain the fungicides with minimal impact on efficiency of mycorrhizal symbiosis, the effect of five fungicides including polyoxins, jinggangmycins, thiophanate methylate, chlorothalonil and carbendazim on the growth of medicinal plant and efficiency of mycorrhizal symbiosis were studied. Pot cultured Glycyrrhiza uralensis was treated with different fungicides with the concentration that commonly used in the field. 60 d after treated with fungicides, infection rate, infection density, biomass indexes, photosyn- thetic index and the content of active component were measured. Experimental results showed that carbendazim had the strongest inhibition on mycorrhizal symbiosis effect. Carbendazim significantly inhibited the mycorrhizal infection rate, significantly suppressed the actual photosynthetic efficiency of G. uralensis and the most indicators of biomass. Polyoxins showed the lowest inhibiting affection. Polyoxins had no significant effect on mycorrhizal infection rate, the actual photosynthetic efficiency of G. uralensis and the most indicators of biomass. The other three fungicides also had an inhibitory effect on efficiency of mycorrhizal symbiosis, and the inhibition degrees were all between polyoxins's and carbendazim's. The author considered that fungicide's inhibition degree on mycorrhizal effect might be related with the species of fungicides, so the author suggested that the farmer should try to choose bio-fungicides like polyoxins.
Fungi ; drug effects ; growth & development ; physiology ; Fungicides, Industrial ; pharmacology ; Glycyrrhiza uralensis ; chemistry ; growth & development ; microbiology ; physiology ; Mycorrhizae ; drug effects ; growth & development ; physiology ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; Symbiosis ; drug effects

Administration, Oral ; Adult ; Atrial Flutter ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Digoxin ; therapeutic use ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Fetal Diseases ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Hydrops Fetalis ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Pregnancy

The morphological index of the seedlings including the plants height, the ground diameter, the leaf amounts, the fresh weight of the whole plant and the ratio of height to diameter was measured and the principal components were analyzed so as to determine the grading index, and stepwise cluster analysis was applied for clustering analysis. Pot experiments were used to measure the indicators of plant growth and development, the yield and the quality. The results showed that the height and ground diameter were determined as the quality indicators of the seedlings grading and the standard quality grading of seedlings of Anoectochilus roxburghii was initially set up, different seeding plants influenced the plants growth and the yield. The ground diameter of the class I was larger than that of the class II and III, so as the yield. The seedling grading had no obvious effect on the internal quality of medicinal materials. The results of the study provide the basis for standard cultivation of A. roxburghii.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Orchidaceae ; chemistry ; classification ; growth & development ; Quality Control ; Seedlings ; chemistry ; classification ; growth & development

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the role of Jiangzhi Xiaoban Tablet (JXT) in improving heartfunction of coronary heart disease (CHD) patients by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and speckle trackingimaging (STI) technology.

METHODSRecruited were 60 inpatients with confirmed CHD by coronary angiography at First Affiliated Hospital, Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from October 2013to November 2014. They were assigned to the treatment group (group A) and the control group (groupB) according to random digit table, 30 cases in each group. Patients in group A took JXT, 0.45 g/tablet,4 tablets each time, 3 times per day, while those in group B took Simvastatin Tablet, 20 mg/tablet, 1 tablet each time, once per evening. The therapeutic course for all was 8 weeks. The long axis view of theheart of 18 segments STI Peak strain LS and TDI peak systolic Sa parameters were performed in all patients before and after treatment.

RESULTSBefore treatment segments of STI strain LS and TDI longitudinal peak systolic peak Sa were not statistically different between the two groups (P > 0.05). Each segment of STI peak longitudinal strain LS and TDI peak systolic Sa in the two groups were higher after treatment than before treatment (P < 0.05). After treatment each segment of STI parameters of LS and eachTDI segment parameters of Sa were significantly lower in group B than in group A (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONJXT could improve heart function of CHD patients to different degrees, and its curative effect was betterthan that of routine Western medicine (Simvastatin Tablets) treatment.

Coronary Artery Disease ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; Heart ; drug effects ; Humans ; Simvastatin ; therapeutic use ; Tablets

OBJECTIVETo investigate the susceptibility to carbon tetrachloride and benzene in offspring of expanded simple tandem repeats (ESTR) mutation mice exposed to formaldehyde (FA).

METHODSF5 and F10 offspring (200 mg/m3 x 2 hours) served as H group and ICR mice were used as control group (group C). The F5 and F10 offspring were exposed to 10 ml/kg carbon tetrachloride at the doses of 0.05%, 0.50% or 5.00% for 24 hours, respectively or 500 or 1000 mg/kg benzene for 24 hours, respectively by intraperitoneal injection. Serum alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and the hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD) or malondialdehyde (MDA) were detected; also the hepatic pathological changes were observed under light microscope; the micronucleus in sternum bone marrow cells as the biomarker of benzene blood toxicity were measured.

RESULTSALT and AST activities in group C of F5 mice exposed to 0.50% and 5.00% CCl4, ALT in groups C and H of F10 mice exposed to 0.05%, 0.50%, 5.00% CCl4, AST in groups C and H of F10 mice exposed to 0.50% and 5.00% CCl4 were significantly higher than those in controls, respectively (P<0.05); as compared to the control, hepatic SOD activities in group C of F5 and F10 mice exposed to 0.50% and 5.00% CCl4, in group H of F5 mice exposed to 0.50% and 5.00% CCl4 and F10 mice exposed to 5.00% CCl4 were significantly reduced, respectively (P<0.05); however, MDA contents in group C of F10 mice exposed to 0.50% and 5.00% CCl4, in group H of F5 mice exposed to 0.05% and 0.50%, 5.00% CCl4 and F10 mice exposed to 0.50% and 5.00% CCl4 were significantly increased than those in control group, respectively (P<0.05). The susceptibility to CCl4 in ESTR mutation F5 mice exposed to FA was significantly higher than that in control F5 mice, but the susceptibility to CCl4 in ESTR mutation F10 mice exposed to FA was significantly lower than that in control F10 mice. The histopathological examination showed that the injury of hepatocytes in C and H groups significantly increased CCl4 doses, and the injury of hepatocytes in H group was higher than that in C group. The micronuclear rates in C and H group mice exposed to benzene(500 mg/kg C group, F5 and F10 mice; 1000 mg/kg C group, F5 and F10 mice; 500 mg/kg H group, F5 and F10 mice; 1000 mg/kg C group, F5 and F10 mice) were 5.88 per thousand +/- 4.55 per thousand, 8.25 per thousand +/- 2.06 per thousand, 7.50 per thousand +/- 6.99 per thousand, 10.67 per thousand +/- 1.16 per thousand, 7.88 per thousand +/- 3.09 per thousand, 9.20 per thousand +/- 1.30 per thousand, 9.63 per thousand +/- 4.34 per thousand and 13.33 per thousand +/- 2.08 per thousand, respectively, which were significantly higher than those (1.13 per thousand +/- 0.35 per thousand, 1.20 per thousand +/- 0.82 per thousand, 1.25 per thousand +/- 0.46 per thousand, 1.33 per thousand +/- 1.03 per thousand) in the solvent control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONFA could result in the change of susceptibility to CCl4 and benzene in offspring of ESTR mutation mice. ESTR mutation may be a biomarker of the susceptibility to chemicals, but the molecular mechanisms should be investigated in the future.

Alanine Transaminase ; metabolism ; Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; metabolism ; Benzene ; toxicity ; Carbon Tetrachloride ; toxicity ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; Environmental Exposure ; Female ; Formaldehyde ; toxicity ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Liver ; drug effects ; pathology ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Mutation ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Tandem Repeat Sequences ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the CT imaging characteristics of incomplete and complete myocardial bridges-mural coronary artery (MB-MCA).

METHODSFifty subjects with dual source coronary CT angiography (DSCTA) evidenced MB were included. The subjects were divided into incomplete MB-MCA and complete MB-MCA groups. The diameter of MCA in best systole phase and diastole phase, the MCA stenosis rate, the presence of atheromatous change proximal to the MB were evaluated.

RESULTSThere were 58 MB, the average length was (2.02 ± 1.02) cm, 23 were incomplete MB and 35 were complete MB. Thirty-two MB were in the middle segments of left anterior descending artery (55.2%); 17 MB were in the distal segment of the left anterior descending artery (29.3%); 1 MB was in the proximal segment of left anterior descending artery; 3 MB in diagonal branch; 4 MB in obtuse marginal branch, 1 MB in distal right coronary artery. It was statistically significant difference between the incomplete MB-MCA and the complete MB-MCA of the diameter change in diastole and systole phase [(1.93 ± 0.49) mm, (1.71 ± 0.45) mm vs. (2.21 ± 0.41) mm, (1.63 ± 0.52) mm, P = 0.008] and stenosis rate (10.38% ± 20.2% vs. 25.12% ± 21.02%, P = 0.01). Atherosclerotic finding was evidenced in 8 incomplete MB (34.78%) and 15 complete MB (42.86%) at the proximal vessel of mural coronary artery (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONDSCTA can vividly display the incomplete and complete myocardial MB, accurately evaluate the shape change of MB-MCA in diastole and systole phase and detect the atherosclerotic change in the proximal vessel of MB.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Atherosclerosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vessels ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Bridging ; diagnostic imaging ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinicopathological and immunohistochemical features of extra-gastrointestinal stromal tumors (EGIST) arising from the omentum and mesentery and to investigate the cellular origin of these tumors, prognostic factors, and the relationships with gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

METHODSNineteen cases of mesenchymal neoplasms arising from the omentum and mesentery (previously diagnosed as smooth-muscle tumors or schwannomas) were studied morphological with a panel of immunohistochemistry including CD117 and CD34.

RESULTSAmong the 19 cases, 14 tumors were confirmed to be EGIST, of which 6 tumors arose from the omentum and 8 cases located at the mesentery. The size of tumors ranged from 3.5cm to 29.0 cm (mean 12.4cm) in diameter. Histologically, there were 9 cases of mainly spindle cell type, 2 cases of mainly epithelioid cell type and 3 cases of mixed cell type. all EGIST expressed CD117 (14/14) and a percentage of them expressed also CD34 (8/14) and/or SMA (6/14), anyhow, all EGIST were negative for desmin and S-100 protein. Six patients with tumors arising from the omentum were all alive without evidence of disease (tumor-free). Among 7 cases with tumors of the mesentery, three patients died of the disease, 1 alive with the disease and 3 patients alive without evidence of the disease.

CONCLUSIONSEGIST were identical by their histological and immunohistochemical features with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). This tumor may arise from the multipotential mesenchymal stem cells. EGIST have various clinical behavior, and the parameters used for predicting the prognosis of GIST may not be completely suitable for EGIST evaluation.

Actins ; analysis ; Adult ; Aged ; Antigens, CD34 ; analysis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Mesentery ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Omentum ; pathology ; Peritoneal Neoplasms ; immunology ; pathology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit ; analysis