Different techniques of peritoneal closure were evaluated on their effect on the development of postoperative adhesions. Sixty rats were divided into 3 groups of 20 and each group was assigned to one technique. The peritoneum was closed in the 2 groups using different techniques; conventional or edge to edge in the first group and everted edges in the second. In the third group, the peritoneum was not closed. This study showed that there was a significant reduction in the development of postoperative adhesions with one closure of the peritoneum. Suturing of the edges of the peritoneum increased the incidence as well as the severity of postoperative adhesions.

Animal ; Rats ; Peritoneum ; Tissue Adhesions ; Sutures ; Neurosurgical Procedures

Objective To evaluate the role of CT and MR/in the diagnosis of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome(PRES).Methods Eight women with PRES(6 pregnant women,1 case after chemotherapy,and 1 patient with hypertension)were enrolled in our study.All of them had MR imaging (T_1WI,T_2WI,FLAIR,DWI),and five cases underwent post-contrast T_1WI and three dimensional contrast enhanced MR angiography(3D CEMRA).Two cases also had CT scan.Results MRV in all 8 patients showed no evidence of stenosis,dilation,or thrombosis in cranial veins and sinuses.MRI demonstrated multiple lesions located in bilateral parieto-occipital lobes(8 cases),bilateral basal ganglia(2 cases),and bilateral frontal lobes(4 cases).The lesions were prominent within white matter,some of them involved gray matter(3 cases).Lesions appeared as hyperintense signals on FLAIR and T_2-weighted images, isointense or mildly hypointense signals on T_1-weighted images,normal or decreased intensity on DWI,and isointensity or hyperintensity on apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)maps.Post-contrast T_1WI showed mild reversible enhancement and 3D CEMFdisplayed numerous reversible“grape-like”enhancements in terminal arterial branches along the middle cerebral artery(MCA),anterior cerebral artery(ACA)and posterior cerebral artery(PCA).Follow-up scan showed decreased abnormal signals.Conclusion Lesions of PRES are usually located in parieto-occipital lobes,especially in white matter,but they can also be seen in frontal lobes and basal ganglia bilaterally.Post-contrast T_1WI and 3D enhanced MRA can provide useful information in the manifestation of reversible enhancement.MRI has advantages to display lesion in PRES,

Adolescent ; Female ; Humans ; Sacrum ; pathology ; surgery ; Spondylolysis ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are characterized by abnormal central processing with altered brain activation in response to visceral nociceptive signals. The effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on IBS patients is unclear. The study is set to study the effect of EA on brain activation during noxious rectal distension in IBS patients using a randomized sham-controlled model. METHODS: Thirty IBS-diarrhea patients were randomized to true electroacupuncture or sham acupuncture. Functional MRI was performed to evaluate cerebral activation at the following time points: (1) baseline when there was rectal distension only, (2) rectal distension during application of EA, (3) rectal distension after cessation of EA and (4) EA alone with no rectal distension. Group comparison was made under each condition using SPM5 program. RESULTS: Rectal distension induced significant activation of the anterior cingulated cortex, prefrontal cortex, thalamus, temporal regions and cerebellum at baseline. During and immediately after EA, increased cerebral activation from baseline was observed in the anterior cingulated cortex, bilateral prefrontal cortex, thalamus, temporal regions and right insula in both groups. However, true electroacupuncture led to significantly higher activation at right insula, as well as pulvinar and medial nucleus of the thalamus when compared to sham acupuncture. CONCLUSIONS: We postulate that acupuncture might have the potential effect of pain modulation in IBS by 2 actions: (1) modulation of serotonin pathway at insula and (2) modulation of mood and affection in higher cortical center via ascending pathway at the pulvinar and medial nucleus of the thalamus.
Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Brain ; Cerebellum ; Electroacupuncture ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Magnetics ; Magnets ; Neural Pathways ; Pain Perception ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Pulvinar ; Salicylamides ; Serotonin ; Thalamus

OBJECTIVETo determine the effectiveness of an instant haw beverage in regulating lipid disturbance, enhancing antioxidant enzyme activity and immune function.

METHODSData was collected from 60 hyperlipidemic subjects. In this crossover design, each subject randomly received either the instant haw beverage (100 ml corresponding to 3 g of haw powder or 30 g of fresh haw fruit plus the carrier-guar gum plus some starch) or placebo (guar gum 1.5 g plus some starch as the carrier of the beverage) twice daily. Each supplementation lasted 31 days with a 28-day washout period between treatments.

RESULTSThe instant haw beverage significantly reduced total serum cholesterol (9.6%), triglyceride (12.1%), LDLC (18%) while significantly increased SOD activities (7.5%). The placebo was shown to have positive results in some of the lipid profiles, though the effects of the instant haw beverage demonstrated greater significance. Serum triglyceride levels were significantly decreased and SOD activity significantly increased only as subjects were supplemented with the instant haw beverage while no significant changes were seen with placebo.

CONCLUSIONSupplementation with the instant haw beverage positively affects blood lipid profile, antioxidant status and immune function in individuals with hyperlipidemia.

Adaptor Proteins, Vesicular Transport ; Adult ; Aged ; Antioxidants ; Apolipoprotein A-I ; blood ; Apolipoproteins B ; blood ; Beverages ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Cross-Over Studies ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; blood ; drug therapy ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Proteins ; analysis ; Superoxide Dismutase ; blood ; Triglycerides ; blood

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of polysaccharide nucleic acid-fraction (BCG-PSN) in the treatment of vasomotor rhinitis. METHOD: Sixty patients were randomly divided into BCG-PSN group (n = 30) and control group (n = 30). The patients in BCG-PSN group were administered with BCG-PSN 1.0 mg twice a week for two months, and intranasal azelastine was used if needed. The patients in control group were administered with intranasal azelastine solely twice a day, which could be decreased with the symptom relief. Follow-up was 6 months. Symptom and medication scores were recorded. Side effects were registered. RESULT: The symptom and medication scores of BCG-PSN group were significantly lower than that of control group (P < 0.01) after BCG-PSN treatment. There was no significant difference in symptom score between the two groups at 6 months after BCG-PSN treatment (P > 0.05), while the medication score of BCG-PSN group was still much lower than that of control group (P < 0.01). No serious adverse events were reported in BCG-PSN group except for local pain on the injection place in one patient. CONCLUSION BCG-PSN is effective and safe in the treatment of vasomotor rhinitis.
Adolescent ; Adult ; BCG Vaccine ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rhinitis, Vasomotor ; drug therapy ; Single-Blind Method ; Young Adult

Animals ; Cell Adhesion Molecules ; metabolism ; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Thalidomide ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use

In the auditory system, the spontaneous activity of cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs) is initiated by the release of ATP from inner supporting cells (ISCs). This ATP release sets off a cascade, activating purinergic autoreceptors, opening of Ca 2+ -activated Cl- channel TMEM16A, Cl- efflux and osmotic cell shrinkage. Then, the shrunken ISCs efficiently regain their original volume, suggesting the existence of mechanisms for refilling Cl- and K + , priming them for subsequent activity. This study explores the potential involvement of NKCCs (Na+ -K+ -Cl- cotransporters) and KCCs (K+ -Cl- cotransporters) in ISC spontaneous activity, considering their capability to transport both Cl- and K+ ions across the cell membrane. Employing a combination of immunohistochemistry, pharmacological interventions, and shRNA experiment, we unveiled the pivotal role of NKCC1 in cochlear spontaneous activity. Immunohistochemistry revealed robust NKCC1 expression in ISCs, persisting until the 2nd postnatal week. Intriguingly, we observed a developmental shift in NKCC1 expression from ISCs to synaptophysin-positive efferent terminals at postnatal day 18, hinting at its potential involvement in modulating synaptic transmission during the post-hearing period. Experiments using bumetanide, a well-known NKCC inhibitor, supported the functional significance of NKCC1 in ISC spontaneous activity. Bumetanide significantly reduced the frequency of spontaneous extracellular potentials (sEP) and spontaneous optical changes (sOCs) in ISCs. NKCC1-shRNA experiments conducted in cultured cochlear tissues further supported these findings, demonstrating a substantial decrease in event frequency and area. Taken together, we revealed the role of NKCC1 in shaping the ISC spontaneous activity that govern auditory pathway development.

[Abstract] Objective: To detect the expression of miR-126 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to analyze its correlation with clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients, as well as to explore the effect of miR-126 over-expression on the malignant biological behaviors of Tca8113 cells. Methods: A total of 62 pairs of cancer and para-cancerous tissue specimens from OSCC patients who were surgically treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from June 2016 to June 2018 were collected for this study; in addition, human tongue squamous carcinoma Tca8113 cell line and human mouth keratinocyte HOK cell line were also selected for this study. The expression of miR-126 in cancer tissues and cells was detected by qPCR, and the relationship between miR-126 expression and clinicopathological features and prognosis of the patients was analyzed. miR-126 mimics and miR-NC plasmids were respectively transfected into Tca8113 cells by liposome transfection technology. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion were detected by MTT method, Flow cytometry and Transwell chamber method, respectively; and the expressions of apoptosis, migration and invasion related proteins were detected by Western blotting. Results: The expression level of miR-126 in OSCC tissues and Tca8113 cells was significantly lower than that in para-cancerous tissues and HOK cells (all P<0.01). The expression of miR-126 was associated with TNM stage and lymph node metastasis (all P<0.05), and patients with high miR-126 expression had significantly better overall survival rate than patients with low expression (P<0.05). After transfection with miR-126 mimics, the cell proliferation, migration and invasion ability significantly decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01) while the apoptosis rate significantly increased in Tca8113 cells (P<0.01), the expression levels of Bcl-2, N-cadherin and vimentin in Tca8113 cells significantly decreased (all P<0.01), and expression levels of Bax and E-cadherin significantly increased (all P<0.01). Conclusion: miR-126 is low expressed in OSCC tissues and Tca8113 cells. Up-regulation of miR-126 inhibits cell proliferation, migration and invasion and promotes apoptosis of Tca8113 cells.

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of super-antigen (SAg) of group A Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS), isolated from patients with scarlet fever or pharyngeal infections in Beijing between 2015-2017. Methods: Throat swab specimens from patients with scarlet fever or pharyngeal infections were collected and tested for GAS. Eleven currently known SAg genes including SpeA, speC, speG, speH, speI, speJ, speK, speL, speM, smeZ and ssa were tested by real-time PCR while M protein genes (emm genes) were amplified and sequenced by PCR. Results: A total of 377 GAS were isolated from 6 801 throat swab specimens, with the positive rate as 5.5%. There were obvious changes noticed among speC, speG, speH and speK in three years. A total of 45 SAg genes profiles were observed, according to the SAgs inclusion. There were significant differences appeared in the frequencies among two of the highest SAg genes profiles between emm1 and emm12 strains (χ(2)=38.196, P<0.001; χ(2)=72.310, P<0.001). There also appeared significant differences in the frequencies of speA, speH, speI and speJ between emm1 and emm12 strains (χ(2)=146.154, P<0.001; χ(2)=52.31, P<0.001; χ(2)=58.43, P<0.001; χ(2)=144.70, P<0.001). Conclusions: Obvious changes were noticed among SAg genes including speC, speG, speH and speK from patients with scarlet fever or pharyngeal infections in Beijing between 2015-2017. SAg genes including speA, speH, speI and speJ appeared to be associated with the emm 1 and emm 12 strains. More kinds of SAg genes profiles were isolated form GAS but with no significant differences seen in the main SAg genes profiles, during the epidemic period.
Antigens, Bacterial/genetics* ; Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins ; Bacterial Proteins ; Beijing/epidemiology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Exotoxins ; Female ; Humans ; Membrane Proteins ; Pharyngitis/microbiology* ; Pharynx/microbiology* ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/microbiology* ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Scarlet Fever/microbiology* ; Streptococcal Infections ; Streptococcus pyogenes/isolation & purification* ; Superantigens/genetics*