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 explore the effect of Danggui Yinzi (DY) on delayed allergy in model mice with qi-blood deficiency syndrome (QBDS).

METHODSQBDS model was established in 48 Kuming mice of SPF grade by using reserpine and acetophenone hydrazine. Forty of them were then randomly divided into the model group, the loratadine group, the high dose DY group, the middle dose DY group, and the low dose DY group, 8 in each group. Another 8 in line with the same standard were recruited as a blank group. Mice in high, middle, and low dose DY groups were administered with DY concentrated solution at 60, 30, 15 g/kg by gastrogavage. Mice in the loratadine group were administered with loratadine solution at 1.66 mg/kg by gastrogavage. Equal volume of normal saline was administered to mice in the model group and the blank group by gastrogavage. All medication was given once per day for 1 successive week. Except those in the blank group, the rest mice were evenly smeared with 1% DNCB solution on the abdomen. Five days after skin allergy, 1% DNCB solution was smeared to right ear of all mice to stimulate allergic reaction. Mice in the blank group were smeared in the same way without allergenic reaction. The auricle swelling and the inhibition ratio were determined at 24 h after attack. Blood was collected from orbit and serum IgE level detected using double-antibody sandwich ELISA.

RESULTSCompared with the blank group, auricle swelling obviously increased and serum IgE level was obviously elevated in the model group (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, auricle swelling obviously decreased and serum IgE level was obviously reduced in the 3 dose DY groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Meanwhile, the auricle swelling degree was superior in high and middle dose DY groups to that in the loratadine group (P < 0.05). The inhibition ratio of auricle swelling was sequenced from high to low as 67.3% in the high dose DY group, 56.0% in the middle dose DY group, 48.1% in the low dose DY group, 47.3% in the loratadine group.

CONCLUSIONSDY could inhibit auricle swelling and lower serum IgE level. It also could inhibit delayed allergic reaction in model mice with QBDS to some extent.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Edema ; drug therapy ; Hypersensitivity, Delayed ; drug therapy ; Immunoglobulin E ; blood ; Loratadine ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Qi ; Random Allocation

Fibrolase is a non-hemorrhagic zinc metalloproteinase isolated from southern copperhead snake venom (Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix) and is capable of degrading fibrin clots resulting from purified fibrinogen or from blood plasma. Alfimeprase, a truncated form of fibrolase, as a clinical agent was successfully completed PhaseII clinical trials.The cDNA of alfimeprase was amplified by recursive PCR, digested with BamHI and HindII, and cloned into pET43.1a, pMALp2X and pMALc2X vectors to generate fusions with NusA, MBP and sMBP(with signal peptide), respectively. Nus/alfimeprase was expressed in soluble form by co-expressing with chaperone FkpA and inducing with1mmol/L IPTG. The fusion protein accounted for about 25 % of total protein following cell lysis. Alfimeprase was successfully purifiesd by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography and cleaved by enterokinase. The results demonstrate the fibrinolytic activity of recombinant alfimeprase using fibrin plate assays and fibrinogen hydrolysis.

Objective To explore the application value of Mammotome biopsy system in diagnosis and treatment of breast lesions. Methods Summed up the experience of 318 breast lesions in 192 patients who were treated with mammotome. Results 316 lesions were re-sected safely and completely. Skin hematoma was found in 17 patients and ecchymosis was found in 8 patients after operation. All patients had no recurrence and residual. Conclusion The Mammotome biopsy system has many advantages for the diagnosis and treatment of breast lesions, including accurate localization, minimal invasion, safety and good cosmetology.

BACKGROUND:The immunomodulatory ability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs)gives it a promising future in treating graft-versus-host disease(GVHD),especially with previous success in treating patients with acute GVHD.However,there are fewer reports concerning BMSCs in treating chronic GVHD,particularly for sclerodermatous chronic graft-versus-host disease(ScGVHD).OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of treatment of BMSCs for ScGVHD,and to primarily explore the immunological mechanism of clinical efficacy.METHODS:Four ScGVHD patients at the Affiliated Hospital of Academy of Military Medicine Science,between September 2006 and August 2008,were enrolled for this trial.The median patient age was 41 years,1 female and 3 male.The patients received BMSCs infusion at a dose of(1.0～2.0)×10~7 cells every time by intrabone marrow injection from the anterosuperior iliac spine and BMSCs from the same donor for the same patient were infused more than once.Concomitant medications for ScGVHD were individualized for each patient,but all were current standard medicines and the doses were significantly tapered.RESULTS AND CONCLUTION:After BMSCs infusion,the ratio of Th1 to Th2 was dramatically overturned,with an increase of Th1 and a decrease of Th2 reaching at a new balance.Correspondingly,symptoms of all the four patients gradually improved.During the course of BMSCs treatment,the life signs and laboratory results from the recipients remained normal.By the time of this report,there has been no recurrence of leukemia in the four patients.Although this study alone cannot guarantee the application of BMSCs in ScGVHD,the results are strongly in favor of the idea that the BMSCs treatment for ScGVHD patients is therapeutically practical without any detectable side effects,which may provide a new insight into the matter of treating ScGVHD clinically,thus will greatly increase the survival rate of leukemia after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

OBJECTIVETo observe the efficacy and safety of zhongfu hypotension capsule (ZHC) in treating hypertension of yin-deficiency with sthenic-yang syndrome type.

METHODSAdopting the stratified, block randomized, double-blinded, double-dummy, positive parallel controlled, multi-centered clinical trial method, the tested group was treated by orally taken 3 capsules of ZHC (0.5 g/capsule) twice a day, and the control group was treated by orally taken Lotensin Tablet 1 tablet (10 mg/tab.) once a day. And all received the adiaphorous drug with the dosage-form mimic to that used in the tested group. The therapeutic course was 4 weeks for both groups.

RESULTSThe markedly effective rate and the total effective rate in reducing blood pressure was 58.65% and 79.81% respectively in the tested group, and 60.51% and 78.34% respectively in the control group; while the markedly effective rate and the total effective rate for alleviating TCM syndrome was 21.15% and 78.85% in the tested group, and 25.48% and 86.62% in the control group respectively. Comparisons between the two groups showed insignificant difference (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONZHC has good efficacy and is safety in treating hypertension.

Adult ; Aged ; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Benzazepines ; therapeutic use ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Syndrome ; Tablets ; Yin Deficiency ; drug therapy ; pathology

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

0.05)between the two groups.Conclu- sion The long-term outcomes of e-CHB is not markedly different compared with that of e+CHB.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on pain threshold and spinal NR2B subunit expression in a rat model of neuropathic pain due to chronic compression injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve and explore the analgesic mechanism of EA.

METHODSMale SD rats weighing 200-280 g were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=10), namely the sham-operated group, CCI group, EA+CCI group, and sham EA+CCI group. All the rats underwent tests of the mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal threshold. On day 13 after the surgery, all the rats were decapitated to collect the L4-6 segments of the spinal cord to examine NR2B expression using Western blotting.

RESULTSThe postoperative mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal threshold were significantly lowered in CCI, EA+CCI and sham EA+CCI groups as compared to those before the surgery (P<0.05). EA obviously alleviated the hypersensitivity in the rats with CCI and inhibited spinal NR2B expressions (P<0.05). No significant differences were found in the mechanical withdrawal threshold, thermal threshold or spinal NR2B subunit expression between CCI group and sham EA+CCI group (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONEA may alleviate neuropathic hypersensitivity partially by inhibiting NR2B expression in the spinal cord of rats with neuropathic pain resulting from CCI of the sciatic nerve.

Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Male ; Neuralgia ; metabolism ; pathology ; therapy ; Pain Threshold ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate ; metabolism ; Spinal Cord ; metabolism

Objective To explore the clinical value of indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence navigation combined with carbon nanoparticles (CNP) in sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for patients with early breast cancer. Methods A total of 294 early breast cancer patients with axillary node negative in Department of Breast Surgery, Foshan Hospital Affiliated to Sun Yat-Sen University from June 2013 to April 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Of the patients, 149 cases underwent SLNB with ICG combined with CNP (combination group), while 145 cases underwent SLNB with methylene blue alone (MB group). If the intraoperative pathology results of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) were negative, axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) was avoided. The SLNs detection rate, detection number, metastatic SLNs detection rate in SLNB were compared between two groups. The influence of age and body mass index (BMI) on SLNs detection rate was also analyzed. Results In the combination group, subcutaneous lymphatic channels were successfully visualized in 145 patients, and the detection rate was 97.3％(145/149). The fluorescence of SLNs was successfully detected in 143 patients, and the detection rate was 95.9％(143/149). The detection rate of SLNs was higher in the combination group than that of methylene dye alone group (97.9％vs. 91.0％,χ2=6.902,P<0.05). The average number of detected SLNs was higher in the combination group than that of methylene dye alone group (4.5±1.6 vs. 3.2±1.5,t=4.476,P<0.05). Fifty-eight metastatic SLNs were found in 715 SLNs in the combination group (8.1％), and 26 in 544 SLNs in MB group (4.7％). The detection rate was significantly higher in the combination group than that of methylene dye alone group (χ2=13.714,P<0.01). Age and BMI showed no influence on the detection rate and accuracy of SLNB in two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion The combined tracing of ICG fluorescence and carbon nanoparticles for SLNB has showed a better stability and operability in patients with early breast cancer, which is recommended to be a new SLNB method.