OBJECTIVE:To establish an analytical method for the determination of prednisolone and prednisolone-hemisuccinate in biological media METHODS:Using RP-HPLC,biological media were extracted with a mixture of n-pentane and methyl tert-butyl ether(2∶3) The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and trisodium citrate buffer (33∶67) The sample was eluted on C18 column and detected at 254nm RESULTS:The extraction recoveries of two drugs were over 80% and the RSDs of within-day and day-to-day were below 3% CONCLUSION:The method is simple,rapid,sensitive,accurate and good enough to be applied to the pharmacokinetic study of new preparation of prednisolone and can also be applied to other similar glucocorticoids

Objective:To investigate the alteration of delayed memory and its relationship with neurogenesis and angiogenesis in vascular dementia (VD) rats after moxibustion therapy. Methods: Two hundred adult male SPF Wistar rats were chosen for the experiment. Thirty-six rats were randomly selected as the sham operation group. Except for rats in the sham operation group (n=36), the others were made into VD models by bilateral common carotid arteries occlusion (BCCAo). After modeling, the 108 survived rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: a model group, a neural stem cells (NSCs) plus endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) moxibustion group and a NSCs moxibustion group. Co-transplanted implant was transplanted into the rats in the NSCs plus EPCs moxibustion group, and the rats in the NSCs moxibustion group were transplanted by NSCs only. The NSCs plus EPCs moxibustion group and the NSCs moxibustion group received suspended moxibustion therapy at Baihui (GV 20), Dazhui (GV 14) and Shenting (GV 24), (each group was divided into 3 subgroups by the treatment course as 1, 2 and 3 courses). Every group was measured by Morris water maze to evaluate its delayed memory after 3 treatment courses and the rat’s brain was taken out after perfusion of 4% paraformaldehyde one day after 1, 2 and 3 treatment courses, respectively. Marker protein expression was detected by laser confocal microscope to analyze the effect on neurogenesis and angiogenesis. Results: VD rats showed delayed memory in Morris water maze test 3 d after ischemic injury. After 3 courses of moxibustion therapy, VD-induced delayed memory deficits were improved in the NSCs plus EPCs moxibustion group and the NSCs moxibustion group. The expressions of nestin, doublecortin (DCX) and CD34 increased significantly in the two moxibusiton groups after every treatment course (all P＜0.05), which might contribute to the neurogenesis and angiogenesis in hippocampus. In addition, compared with the rats in the NSCs moxibustion group, the expressions of nestin, DCX and CD34 increased significantly in the NSCs plus EPCs moxibustion group (P＜0.05). Conclusion: Moxibustion can reverse VD-induced delayed memory deficits, which may be related to the promotion of neurogenesis and angiogenesis.

Objective To evaluate and screen out the specific characters of thyroid nodules on grayscale and color Doppler ultrasonography. Methods One hundred and four thyroid nodules in 95 patients were studied with gray-scale and color Doppler ultrasound before surgery.According to the probability of malignancy,the main independent characters were screened out by Logistic regression analysis and then got the formula which could calculate the probability of malignancy.Results Fifty three nodules,included 44 hyperplasia,7 adenomas,1 switch granuloma and 1 Hashimoto's disease,were benign.Fifty one nodules,included 47 papillary carcinomas,3 medullary carcinomas,1 metastatic carcinomas,were malignant pathologically.The significant characters to differentiate malignant from benign were the shape,margin,border,halo,echostucture,echogenecity,echo uniformity,calcicum,bolood vessel shape and partial abnormal rich blood of thyroid nodules.After two variables logistic regression analysis,a fomula were worked out.Probability of malignancy=1/1+e-z,which z=-7.44+1.30×halo+1.05×calcicum+1.5×vessel shape.If a thyroid nodule with no halo,microcalcicum and irregular vessel shape,the probability of malignancy was 0.99,while with complete halo,no calcicum and regular vessele shape,the probability of malignancy of the nodule was 0.02.Conclusions The halo,calcium and blood vessel shape of thyroid nodules were three independent characters of thyroid nodules to predict malignant thyroid nodules on gray scale and color Doppler ultrasound.

Objective To investigate the clinical value of double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (DCUS) in the macroscopic classification of rectal carcinoma. Methods Seventy-one patients with rectal carcinoma were examined by ultrasound after intrarectal infusion and intravenous bolus injection of SonoVue preoperatively. And three types were divided according to the shape of the tumor:protruding type, ulcerative type and invasive type. After surgery, DCUS and perfusion contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (PCUS) were compared with final pathologic results respectively, and the relationship between general tumor type and TN staging were analyzed.Results The accuracy of DCUS [88.7%(63/71) ] in macroscopic classification of rectal carcinoma was significantly higher than that of PCUS [73.2%(52/71) ](χ2=5.534,P<0.05). For the invasion depth into the intestinal wall, the protruding type was mainly in T1, T2 and T3 stages while ulcerative and invasive type in T2, T3 and T4 stages (χ2=12.322, P<0.05 ). For the stage of lymph node, the protruding type was mainly in N0 and N1 while ulcerative and invasive type in N1 and N2(χ2=6.733,P < 0.05 ). Conclusions DCUS, with its high accuracy, is a new valuable method for macroscopic classification of rectal carcinoma.In the aspect of intestinal wall invasion and the lymph node, protruding type is less severe than ulcerative type and invasive type.

Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of death in Australia. The Tick Program by the National Heart Foundation was designed to assist consumers in making healthier food choices. The aim of our study was to evaluate the awareness of university students regarding the Tick Program as a sustainable approach in preventing the onset of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in youth. Following Ethics Committee approval, a cross-sectional study was undertaken in 2006 to measure university students’ level of awareness of the Tick Program using a self-administered survey form. Inclusion criteria were full-time university students who have lived in Australia for a minimum duration of twelve months and do their own shopping. Students of less than 18 years of age were excluded from the study. Of 110 university students surveyed, 97 questionnaires were successfully completed (response rate: 88%). Overall there was a high level of awareness (72.2%) of the Tick program, which was also considered trustworthy by a majority of participants, with a mean rating of 3.87 (on a scale of 1 to 5). Tick-approved products were also considered a healthier choice by participants (mean 4.06 out of 5). Participants were also asked to identify potential barriers limiting the use of the Tick in making purchase decisions. The most important barrier identified to the Tick program was the limited range of Tick-approved products. A significant proportion of respondents also believed there was limited publicity of the program. The Tick Program is considered to be trustworthy and the approved products were regarded as healthy, with the results showing that participants have confidence in the Tick Program. This research also highlighted the potential areas for improvement of the Tick Program.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Food Preferences ; Students ; Universities ; Australia

Serum cytokine concentrations were determined in patients with Graves'disease(GD)before and after treatment of thiamazole.Serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor(sIL-2R)level was markedly raised before treatment as compared with normal subjects and returned to normal after 3 month therapy.Serum IL-8 level was lowered in GD patients and showed no change after 3 month therapy.No relationship between IL-8 and other markers was found.Serum IL-1?,IL-6 and TNF-?levels in GD patients showed no difference with those in normal controls.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the therapeutic effects of Qingre Quyu Granule (QQG) on the patients with severe carotid stenosis, and to explore the mechanism of it.

METHODSNinety-six patients with severe carotid stenosis were enrolled in the study and were classified into a QQG group (n=48) and a control group (n=48) randomly using consecutively numbered envelopes. The patients in the QQG group were given QQG and Western medicine, those in the control group were given Western medicine merely, the course of treatment was 16 weeks. All patients went through endarterectomy after treatment. Plaques were subjected to the analysis of CD3, CD68, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), matrix metalloprotease-9 (MMP-9), CD40L, tenascin-C, and collagen content lipid content by immunohistochemistry or polarized light analysis.

RESULTSBy the end of experiment, the expressions of CD3, CD68, ICAM-1, MMP9, CD40L and tenascin-C on the plaques were statistically significant lower in the QQG group compared with the control group(P<0.01). The lipid content of the plaque was also significantly lower in the QQG group compared with the control group (P<0.01). The interstitial collagen in the tissue sections of the plaques was also significantly higher in the QQG group in comparison with the control group (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONQQG could stabilize carotid artery plaques through inhibiting pro-inflammation factors and restraining the tenascin-C and MMP9 pathway.

Aged ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic ; metabolism ; CD3 Complex ; metabolism ; CD40 Ligand ; metabolism ; Carotid Arteries ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carotid Stenosis ; blood ; complications ; drug therapy ; Collagen ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Inflammation ; complications ; pathology ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; metabolism ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; blood ; complications ; drug therapy ; Tenascin ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the metabolic alterations in the brain of neonates with HIE and correlate those alterations with clinical grading and prognosis of HIE.Methods Fourty-six eases of full-term neonates diagnosed as HIE clinically were performed MRI and 1~H-MRS,9 healthy neonates without the evidence of asphyxia were studied as controls,1~H-MRS techniques included single voxel proton MRS and two dimensional muhi-voxel chemical shift spectroscopy imaging,point resolved spectroscopy sequence was used for 1~H-MRS.Metabolic changes in the spectroscopy were analyzed in neonates with HIE,and study the relationgship between MRS findings and prognosis.Results(1)The typical 1~H-MRS manifestations of full- term neonates suffering from HIE were as follows:the peaks of Lac were elevated,GLx-? were elevated and NAA were decreased.(2)GLx-?/Cr ratio in control,mild,moderate and severe HIE group was 0.16, 0.21,0.64,and 1.31,respectively.Lac/Cr ratio in control,mild,moderate and severe HIE group was 0.12,0.14,0.19,and 0.26,respectively.There was a significant difference in the ratio of GLx-? and Lac/Cr between HIE group and control group(t=5.01,P

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), while determine their relationship with clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis.

METHODSTumor tissues were obtained from 60 patients who underwent resection of laryngeal carcinoma in Affiliated First People's Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University. Immunohistochemistry (Envision DAKO) was used to detect the expressions of HIF-1alpha and COX-2 in the tumor tissues. As control group, 15 cases of atypical hyperplasia, 10 cases of leukoplakia of vocal cord and 10 cases of polyp of vocal cord were studied. All patients were regularly followed up and the clinical data were collected systematically.

RESULTSPositive staining rates of HIF-1alpha and COX-2 were 95.0% (57/60) and 98.3% (59/60), respectively in all 60 specimen of LSCC. The positive expressions in LSCC were significantly higher than those in atypical hyperplasia, leukoplakia and polyp of vocal cord ( Fisher's exact test, P < 0.01). The expression of HIF-1alpha was correlated with COX-2 in LSCC (r = 0.526, P < 0.01). High level expressions of HIF-1alpha and COX-2 were 35.0% (21/60) and 38.3% (23/60) respectively. High level expression of HIF-1alpha was significantly correlated with clinical stages (chi2 = 4.331, P < 0.05) and lymph nodes metastases (Fisher's exact test, P < 0.05). High level expression of COX-2 was significantly correlated with clinical stage (chi2 = 8.539, P < 0.01) and T stages (chi2 = 6.792, P < 0.01). With univariate analysis, high level expressions of HIF-1alpha and COX-2 were significantly associated with a worse overall survival (chi2 = 6.003, P < 0.05 and chi2 = 9.489, P < 0.01, respectively) and disease-free survival (chi2 = 5.010, P < 0.05 and chi2 = 6.102, P < 0.05, respectively). With multivariate analysis, recurrence and high level expression of COX-2 were two unfavorable prognostic factors (RR = 7.104, P = 0.003; RR = 5.714, P = 0.008).

CONCLUSIONSThe expressions of HIF-1alpha and COX-2 played an important role in the process of tumorigenesis and development of LSCC, The expression of HIF-1alpha was correlated with COX-2 in LSCC. COX-2 and recurrence were probably significant risk factors for prognosis of LSCC.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Survival Analysis

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to investigate the polymorphisms of D6S1043 and D12S391 loci among Han population and evaluate their values in paternity testing. MERTHODS: By using fluorescence dye-labeled primers and capillary electrophoresis, the allele frequencies of the two STR loci among 192 unrelated individuals were investigated. RESULTS: Twelve alleles were observed in both D6S1043 and D12S391 loci. The ranges of allele frequencies were from 0.0026 to 0.1719 and from 0.0026 to 0.2292, respectively. The discrimination power of D6S1043 and D12S391 were 0.9656 and 0.9510. The Average exclusion probability in paternity testing for duos were 0.573 and 0.510. The Average exclusion probability in paternity testing for trios were 0.731 and 0.679, respectively. The genotypes frequencies met Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium expectation. CONCLUSION The results show that D6S1043 and D12S391 have high values in forensic paternity testing.
Alleles ; China/ethnology* ; DNA Fingerprinting/methods* ; Electrophoresis, Capillary ; Forensic Medicine/methods* ; Gene Frequency ; Genetics, Population ; Humans ; Paternity ; Probability ; Tandem Repeat Sequences/genetics*