Objective To study the efficacy and safety of low-dose azithromycin with tiotropium bromide in the treatment of stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.Methods A hundred and ten patients were randomized into three groups:tiotropium bromide group (36 cases,group A),azithromycin with tiotropium bromide group(38 cases,group B)and control group(36 cases,group C).Patients in group A were given tiotropium bromide (18 μg,q,d )in addition to conventional treatment.The patients in group B were given lowdose azithromycin (250 mg,twice a week) in combined with tiotropium bromide.The patients in control group were given the conventional treatment only.The courses of treatment lasted for six months.Results Compared with the control group,the frequency of acute exacerbation in patients treated with azithromycin and tiotropium bromide was reduced remarkably ( 2.1 ± 0.6 and 4.9 ± 0.7,t =18.5061,P ＜ 0.05 ).The severity of clinic symptoms ( Cough 1.3 ± 0.5 vs.2.2 ± 0.6,P ＜ 0.05 ),expectoration ( 1.0 ± 0.2 vs.1.7 ± 0.3,P ＜ 0.05 ),anhelation ( 1.5 ± 0.8 vs.2.1 ± 0.6,t =3.6342,P ＜ 0.001 ) ],life quality ( 29 ± 8 vs.42 ± 11,P ＜ 0.05 ) and six-minutes walking distance( [ 370.00 ± 14.26 ] m vs.[ 290.00 ± 12.85 ] m,P ＜ 0.05 ) of the azithromycin with tiotropium bromide group were improved significantly when compared with control.Compared with the tiotropium bromide group,the frequency of acute exacerbation ( 2.1 ± 0.6 vs.3.2 ± 0.8,P ＜ 0.05 ),the severity of clinic symptoms (Cough 1.3 ±0.5 vs.1.8 ±0.4,P＜0.05),expectoration( 1.0 ±0.2 vs.1.3 ±0.3,P ＜0.05) and anhelation( 1.5 ±0.8 vs.1.9 ± 0.6,P ＜ 0.05 ) ],life quality ( 29 ± 8 vs.36 ± 10,P ＜ 0.05 ) and six-minutes walking distance ( [ 370.00 ± 14.26 ] m vs.[ 330.00 ± 13.76 ] m,P ＜ 0.05 ) were improved over those of tiotropium bromide group.Conclusion The long-term low-dose azithromycin in combinned with tiotropium bromide is good and safe in treating stable COPD.Therefore,it is worth of further clinical evaluation.

Objective To observe the influence of octreotide(OCT)on plasma ALT and AST and hepatic tissue protein expression of Bcl-2,Bax,GRP78 and CHOP in rats liver with fibrosis,to explore whether it relieves liver injury in rats with hepatic fibrosis by relieving endoplasmic reticulum stress(ERS)reaction. Methods For-ty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into Con group ,Mod group and OCT-treatment groups at high and low doses(1,10 mg/kg/12 h respectively). Except for rats in Con group,all rats were injected with 40%CCl4 sub-cutaneously twice a week for 8 weeks to establish hepatic fibrosis ,and those in OCT-treatment groups were injected at different doses of OCT twice a day at the same time. Plasma ALT and AST was assayed;the isolated livers were evaluated for histopathological changes by HE staining and Masson staining;hepatic histological grading and stag-ing were assessed by Ishak scoring system;Bcl-2,Bax,GRP78 and CHOP protein expression levels were deter-mined by Western blot. Results Compared with those in Con group ,the degrees of inflammatory cell infiltration and fibers,hepatic histological grading and staging,plasma ALT,AST activities and Bax,GRP78,CHOP protein levels were significantly increased in Mod and OCT-treatment groups ,but Bcl-2 protein level was significantly de-creased at the same time(P<0.01). Compared with those in Mod group ,the degrees of inflammatory cell infiltra-tion and fibers,hepatic histological grading and staging,plasma ALT,AST activities and Bax,GRP78,CHOP protein levels were significantly decreased in OCT-treatment groups ,but Bcl-2 protein level was significantly in-creased at the same time(P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between 2 OCT-treatment groups(P >0.05). Conclusions OCT can reduce the level of liver injury in rats with hepatic fibrosis ,thus the mechanism may be related to relieving the ERS reaction in liver.

Animals ; Carbon Radioisotopes ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; genetics ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Glucose ; administration & dosage ; metabolism ; Lipid Metabolism ; Liver ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Transcriptome

To establish an EDTA complexation extraction pretreatment combining with GFAAS method for the determination of residual aluminium ion in Huoxiang zhengqi pellets without digestive treatment, systematical investigation was made on sample preparation, and EDTA was used for the complexation extraction of residual aluminium ion in samples. The pH, concentration and volume of extraction solution, the temperature and time of microwave extraction, and graphite furnace temperature program were investigated. The results were compared with the microwave digestion. It was showed that, 0.1 g of sample weight was added in 20 mL 0.05 mol x L(-1) EDTA solution (pH 3.5), followed by heating at 150 degrees C for 10 min in the microwave extraction device. The determination of GFAAS was performed at optimized detection wavelength (257.4 nm) as well as graphite furnace temperature program, the detection limits and quantification limits were 2.37 μg x L(-1) and 7.89 μg x L(-1), respectively. The precision (RSD) was less than 2.3%. The average recovery was 96.9% -101%. The present method is easy, rapid and accurate for the determination of residual aluminium ion in Huoxiang zhengqi pellets.
Aluminum ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Drug Contamination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Edetic Acid ; chemistry ; Graphite ; chemistry ; Spectrophotometry, Atomic ; methods ; Temperature

OBJECTIVETo investigate the distributive path and proliferative rule of marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the rat transplanted via caudal vein from male rat to female rats model of chronic aristolochic acid nephropathy (CAAN).

METHODSCells taken from femoral bone marrow of male Wistar rats were made into single cell suspension, cultured, purified and identified as MSCs. MSCs were transplanted via caudal vein into 50 female Wistar CAAN model rats allocated in the test group, they were killed, 10 rats in a batch, at various time points (6 h, 48 h, 10 d, 30 d and 60 d after transplantation). Besides, 10 rats allocated in the control group were killed on the 30th day after received sham-transplantation. Kidney tissue of all rats was taken for detecting cells originated from the donors by fluorescence in situ hybridization test with FAM-labeled sex determining region of Y chromosome (SRY FISH) probe, and their number in SRY was counted using SRY PCR.

RESULTSMSCs were mainly distributed in the glomerular capillaries at the time points of 6 h and 48 h, but the number of MSCs in glomerular capillaries decreased and those in renal mesenchyma increased at the time points from 10 d to 60 d gradually, then tended to a steady state, meanwhile it showed a stable increasing trend in renal tubule. Cell colony of MSCs could be found in mesenchyma with a slowed down increasing between 30 d to 60 d, but the increasing in tubule was still steady.

CONCLUSIONMSCs originated from the donor can enter the kidney of acceptor and distribute from blood capillary to renal mesenchyma and tubule, and they can long time inhabit there and make propagation.

Animals ; Aristolochic Acids ; toxicity ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Cell Proliferation ; Female ; Kidney ; pathology ; Kidney Diseases ; chemically induced ; pathology ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo study the risk factors for capillary leak syndrome (CLS) in neonates.

METHODSThe clinical data of 52 neonates with CLS (case group) were retrospectively reviewed. Fifty hospitalized neonates without CLS were used as the control group. The possible factors for the development of CLS were identified by univariate analysis. The independent risk factors for CLS were determined by multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTSThe univariate analysis showed that the incidences of hyperglycemia, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), sepsis and cold injury syndrome in the case group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). The logistic regression analysis showed that sepsis (OR=5.004, P=0.001), RDS (OR=3.880, P=0.013) and cold injury syndrome (OR=3.207, P=0.023) were the independent risk factors for the development of CLS.

CONCLUSIONSRDS, sepsis and cold injury syndrome are independent risk factors for CLS in neonates. Hyperglycemia may be associated with the development of CLS.

Capillary Leak Syndrome ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVE:To study the effect of comprehensive psychotherapy on psychology of cancer patients received chemotherapy or radiotherapy. METHODS:77 cancer patients received chemotherapy or radiotherapy were divided into two groups. Both groups received routine chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Intervention group(n=40)were additionally given comprehensive psychotherapy,i.e. cognitive therapy,psychological persuasion and relaxation training. Self-rating anxiety scale(SAS)and self-rating depression scale(SDS)were applied to evaluate all patients one week before intervention and one month after comprehensive psychotherapy. RESULTS:SAS and SDS scores of intervention group were significantly lower than that of control group after treatment(P0.05). CONCLUSION:Comprehensive psychotherapy can improve the mental state of patients with can-cer.

Spider silk is a natural protein fibroin with excellent character as it is light and tenacious. It has a wild potential applications in the biomedical field due to its good biocompatibility and degradation. Arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) is a highly conserved amino acid sequence of many adhesion protein. Biological materials binding with RGD peptide in the surface can promote cells adhesion, migration and proliferation. Our lab had constructed the 16 muhimers with the introduced RGD peptide codons which involve cell adhesion for the first time. It was found that the mechanical capability of the 16 mulimer protein was very limited because of the big gap in molecular weight with nature spider proteins when it was used to made biomaterial scaffold.In this paper,based on the 16 multimers of the highly, repetitive sequence of spider dragline silk and with RGD peptide condons which has been constructed by our lab forestall, it was used to construct the 32 and 64 multimers sequence of spider dragline silk by the strategy of "head to tail". The 32 and 64 multimers were ligated into prokaryotic expression vector pET-30a, and then the B121 (DE3) pLysS. The fragments were in agreement with the desired through digestion, agarose gel electrophoresis respectively. By registration into the GenBank data-base, the serial numbers of DQ469929 and DQ837297 were gained respectively. The expression of recombinant protein was introduced by the addition of IPTG. SDS-PAGE analysis shows that the molecular weight of products expressed here are 102 kD and 196.6kD in agreement with the desired respectively. It was the first time for the high polymer spider dragline silk protein expressed in prokaryotic biology. Furthermore, a larger quantity of synthetical proteins with high density fermentation were searched after, and a suit of high efficient purification methods for 32 multimers protein were established.
Animals ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Fermentation ; Fibroins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Oligopeptides ; biosynthesis ; chemistry ; genetics ; Polymers ; metabolism ; Protein Engineering ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Transformation, Bacterial

OBJECTIVETo investigate the different changes after maxillary protraction between the cleft and non-cleft patients with anterior crossbite.

METHODSProspective controlled clinical trial was carried out. Eighteen patients (aged 9.6 +/- 1.2 years) with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) were chosen as the experimental group. Eighteen non-cleft patients (aged 9.8 +/- 1.4 years) with similar malocclusions were selected as control group. All the patients were before puberty according to the evaluation of the hand wrist radiograms. Hyrax appliance and reverse headgear were used in both experimental and control groups. Lateral cephalometric radiographs were taken before and after treatment. Computerized cephalometric analysis was carried out. Paired t tests or t test were performed using software package SAS 8.1.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the main changes in experimental group were: SNA +1.45 degrees , A-TFH +2.19 mm, SNB -2.18 degrees , ANB +3.64 degrees , MP/SN +2.78 degrees , LL-EP +0.88 mm in UCLP group. And in control group were: SNA +1.42 degrees , A-TFH +2.12 mm, SNB -1.32 degrees , ANB +2.68 degrees , MP/SN +1.47 degrees , LL-EP -1.37 mm.

CONCLUSIONSBefore puberty, maxillary protraction could accelerate maxillary forward growth in UCLP patients and the changes were similar to non-cleft patients. The occlusal relationship and soft tissue profile were improved significantly in both patients with or without cleft. The amount of mandibular posterior rotation in patients with UCLP was larger than in those with no cleft.

Cephalometry ; Child ; Cleft Lip ; surgery ; therapy ; Cleft Palate ; surgery ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Jaw Relation Record ; Male ; Malocclusion ; therapy ; Maxilla ; growth & development ; Osteogenesis, Distraction

Objective To find out the potential risk factor of plague in Wanzhou section of the Three Gorges Reservoir area, and to provide scientific basis for prevention and control of plague. Methods Rodents were captured by rat traps/cages at night and identified into species in Wanzhou section of the Three Gorges Reservoir area from 2001 to 2009. Flea was counted and serum antibodies against plague F1 of rats, cats and dogs were detected by indirect hemagglutination (IHA). Plague surveillances were performed in human beings and rats. Results The rodents captured belonged to 9 species, 2 families, 2 orders and 1 classes. The average indoor rodent density was 1.16% (961/82 558), and was 1.12% (1345/119 671) outdoors. Rattus norvegicus was the dominant species,accounting for 50.37%. The proportion of R. Flavipectus was 3.80% in 2004, 4.50% in 2008 and 10.12% in 2009,showing an increasing trend year by year. There were three kinds of mice infected fleas in Wanzhou, which including Xenopsylla cheopis, Leptopsylla segnis and Ctenocephalides felis. The average rate of flea infected mice was 1.18%(82/6959) and the total flea index was 0.036. No F1 antibody against plague was detected in 6959 dogs and 160 cats serum samples. Conclusions No plague is found in Wanzhou section of the Three Gorges Reservoir area. But R.Flavipectus, Xenopsylla cheopis and Leptopsylla segnis are dominant species in Wanzhou section, and the proportion of which shows an increasing trends year by year. There is a potential risk of plague outbreaks in Wanzhou section of the Three Gorges Reservoir area.