As the technologic sophistication of generation and distribution of electrical energy has grown, so has the general concern about the effects of electric fields on human health. There can be no doubt that the significance of electrical trauma will continue to grow with our increasing use of power. It is apparent that our understanding of the various forms of electric trauma must increase, while we continue to promote safety near electrical hazards and develop effective medical therapies. Tissue damage as a result of electrical injury occurs by two mechanisms which are summative in action and have a variable degree of contribute to the ultimate damage produced. Thermal tissue damage occurs as a result of heat generated within the tissue (which offer an electrical resistance) secondary to the passage of the electrical current. High temperatures can also lead to cell membrane components, e.g., phospholipids, to dissolve. Electroportation damage is the tissue damage induced secondary to the strong electric field. Transmembrane potentials caused by electrical current result in the formation of pore in the phospholipid component of the cell membrane resulting in loss of function of the cell membrane with consequent cell death.
Animals ; Electric Injuries/physiopathology* ; Heart Injuries/physiopathology* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Muscle, Skeletal/injuries*

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical efficacy of autologous semitendinosus and gracilis tendon grafting with anchor repair for the treatment of chronic achilles tendon rupture and severe scarring.

METHODSFrom April 2010 to October 2012,26 patients with chronic achilles tendon rupture(with Myerson type III ) and severe scarring were treated with autologous semitendinosus and gracilis tendon grafting with anchor repair. There were 19 males and 7 females,with an average age of 32 years old (ranged, 22 to 47 years). The time from injury to surgery was from 3 to 12 months (7 months on average). The plantar flexion strength of all injuried feet attenuated and single heel rise test were positive in 26 cases before operation. Plaster immobilization and routine rehabilitation therapy were performed after operation. Clinical effects were evaluated by Arner-lindholm criterion and complications were observed after operation.

RESULTSAll the patients were followed up from 12 to 24 months with a mean of 16 months. No complications such as achilles tendon re-rupture, wound infection, etc were found during follow-up period. According to the Arner-Lindholm standard, 15 cases got excellent results and 11 good.

CONCLUSIONUsing autologous semitendinosus and gracilis tendon grafts with anchor repair to treat chronic achilles tendon rupture and severe scarring is a perfect surgical procedure.

Achilles Tendon ; injuries ; surgery ; Adult ; Chronic Disease ; Cicatrix ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rupture ; Young Adult

Adult ; Aged ; Bone Plates ; Female ; Femoral Fractures ; surgery ; Femur ; injuries ; surgery ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-ninenamide), a compound found in hot peppers, has been reported to have different physiological actions on different cell types. Not much work has been done about the effect of capsaicin on the function of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC). In the present study, we examined the action of external application of capsaicin on pacemaker activity in the cultured ICC from the small intestine of mouse. METHODS: We investigated the effect of capsaicin on pacemaker currents in cultured ICC from the small intestine of mouse using a whole cell patch-clamp technique and Ca2+-imaging analysis. RESULTS: When capsaicin was applied externally to the pacemaker generating ICC, it completely inhibited the pacemaker potential under current-clamp mode (I = 0) and the pacemaker current under voltage-clamp mode at a -70 mV of holding potentials. The effect of capsaicin on pacemaker activity in ICC was shown dose dependently. The effect of capsaicin was not through the transient receptor potential of the vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) channel as capsazepine did not block the effect of capsaicin. L-NAME, an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, also did not block the capsaicin-induced effects. When the action of capsaicin was examined in the intracellular calcium oscillation, it completely abolished the calcium oscillation. CONCLUSIONS: These results prove that the capsaicin has the inhibitory effects on the ICC which is carried out neither through TRPV channel nor the nitric oxide production. Intracellular Ca2+ was also an important target for actions of capsaicin on ICC.
Animals ; Calcium Signaling ; Capsaicin ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; Interstitial Cells of Cajal ; Intestine, Small ; Mice ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Patch-Clamp Techniques

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effect of Shenfu Injection (SFI) against myocardium ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) in mitral valve replacement (MVR) with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

METHODSForty patients undergoing selective MVR were randomly assigned to the control group and trial Groups I, II, III, and IV according to the different administrations of SFI, 8 patients in each group. The changes of systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean blood pressure (MBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in each group were monitored, respectively. The recovering percentage of spontaneous heart beat, the heart rate (HR) and cardiac rhythm as well as the abnormal duration of ECG-ST segment were recorded after the restoration of heart beat. The serum concentration of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were determined as well.

RESULTS(1) The SBP, MBP and DBP values, the recovering rate of spontaneous heart beat, HR, ECG-ST, atrioventricular block and ventricular arrhythmia were significantly improved in group IV compared with any other groups. (2) Compared with the control group, the postoperative serum contents of cTnI and MDA were significantly decreased, but the activity of SOD was significantly increased in group IV.

CONCLUSIONSSFI had a certain protective effect against myocardium IRI. Moreover, better efficacy was seen with the administration of 1.5 mL/kg SFI into CPB priming fluid and pumping 1.5 mL/kg SFI via CPB as soon as the clamped aorta was unclamped.

Aconitum ; Adult ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Electrocardiography ; drug effects ; Female ; Heart Rate ; drug effects ; Humans ; Injections ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; analysis ; Middle Aged ; Mitral Valve ; surgery ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; prevention & control ; Panax ; Plant Extracts ; therapeutic use ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

Aged ; Biopsy, Needle ; methods ; Coal Mining ; Humans ; Lung ; pathology ; Lung Neoplasms ; complications ; diagnosis ; Middle Aged ; Pneumoconiosis ; complications

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents of the dried roots of Zanthoxylum dimorphophyllumr. spinifolium and to find out the active constituents of the plant.

METHODModern chromatography was used to purify chemical constituents, and their structures were identified by various spectral methods.

RESULTFour compounds were isolated and identified as isopimpinellin (I), xanthoxyletin (II), 6-(2', 3'-dihydroxy-3'-methyl-butyl)-7-hydroxy-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one (III), 6-(2'-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy, 3'-dihydroxy-3'-methybutyl)-7-hydroxy-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one (IV).

CONCLUSIONAll of the above compounds were isolated from the above mentioned plant for the first time.

Coumarins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Furocoumarins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Zanthoxylum ; chemistry

Objective To evaluate the status of rehabilitation resource configuration and rehabilitation service of health system in Guangdong province,and to provide basis for the development of rehabilitation institutions. Methods From November to December in 2015, an online survey was conducted among rehabilitation hospitals in Health and Family Planning Commission of 21 cities in Guangdong province by using self-administered ques-tionnaire.The deadline was December 30th,2015. Results There were 38 rehabilitation hospitals in Guangdong province including 18 non-profit and 20 for-profit ones. Only one was tertiary rehabilitation hospital.There were totally 4524 open beds,hospitals with 50 to199 beds ac-counted for 68.4%. There were 37,262 rehabilitation equipments worth more than 10,000 Yuan, in which less than 500,000 Yuan was the most.There were 776 rehabilitation doctors,1051 nurses,749 therapists,and 248 oth-er staff members. The annual hospital admissions were more than 55,000, hospital bed utilization rate was 74.6%,bed turnover rates was 12.75,the working time of bed was 272.3 days,and the average length of stay in hospital was 19.5 days. Conclusion These rehabilitation institutions cannot meet the need of people in Guangdong province.Many problems ex-isted,such as low hospital scales,unbalanced geographical distribution,low rates of hospital beds utilization and turnover,inadequate hospital management and imperfect health system.The service and management capabilities of rehabilitation institutions should be strengthened.

Objective To develop a method for the determination of total cholesterol in serum by isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (ID-LC/MS/MS).Methods Serum samples were supplemented by addition of [3,4-~(13)C_2]-cholesterol,hydrolyzed with alcoholic sodium hydroxide and oxidized into cholest-4-ene-3,6-dione by chromic acid.The oxidation products were analyzed by LC/MS/MS using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) source and detection modes of multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) and single ion recording (SIR).Signals (peak areas) of the internal standard were corrected for the contributions of cholesterol and the signal ratios of cholesterol to internal standard for the calibrations were linearly regressed against cholesterol concentrations.The resulted regression equation was used for the calculation of serum cholesterol concentrations.Results The correlation coefficients between the peak area ratios and cholesterol concentrations were 0.999 9 and higher.Under MRM mode,the average within-run CV of the results obtained on 3 serum samples was 0.95% (ranged from 0.92% to 0.99%) and the total CVwas 0.86% (0.82% to 0.89%),and under SIR mode,the within-run CV was 0.64% (from 0.54% to 0.77%) and the total CVwas O.69% (0.62% to 0.81%),respectively. Results on certified reference materials (SRM 1951 a Level Ⅰ and Level Ⅱ;GBW 09145 and GBW 09147) showed an average bias of 0.23% (0.14% to 1.00%) under MRM mode,and 0.24% (0.07% to 1.27%) under SIR mode.Conclusions An ID-LC/MS/MS method for serum cholesterol has been developed.It is specific and precise and may be used as a candidate reference method.

Objective: To evaluate the immunogenicity of HIV-1 clade C/B’ vaccine based on modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) vector in mice. Methods: Mice were inoculated with 3-dose HIV vaccine by intramuscular injection. Blood sample were collected every second week, and then the antibodies against HIV were detected. At week 6, mice were killed and cellular immune responses were examined by ELISPOT. Result: The number of spot forming cells in the 107 pfu/ml -dose group was more than those of 105 pfu/ml -dose and 106 pfu/ml -dose groups significantly. HIV specific antibodies emerged at week 2 and elevated rapidly at week 4 and week 6. The level of specific IgG in the 107 pfu/ml -dose group was more than those of 105 pfu/ml -dose and 106 pfu/ml -dose groups significantly. Conclusion: The ADMVA induces both humoral immunoresponse and cellular immune responses.