Limb-shaking transient ischemic attack (TIA), a rare manifestation, is commonly caused by severe stenosis or occlusion of an extracranial internal carotid artery. Such patients are usually treated with surgical revascularization or anti-platelet therapy. We present a 56-year-old woman with 6 months’ episodic attacks starting with mouth skewed to the right and a sensation of ‘weakness’ involving predominantly her left arm, and at times, also involved the left leg. This was immediately followed by rhythmic jerky movements of the left arm and at times, also involved the left leg. Magnetic resonance angiography revealed severe stenosis of M1 segment of the right middle cerebral artery. The patient’s symptoms were signifi cantly improved by treatment with anti-platelet drugs and nimodipine.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of twice irradiating with focused ultrasound on recurrent and metastasized U14 cervical cancer implanted in the legs of mice. Methods Seventy-two mice with U14 cervical cancer cells implanted in their legs were divided into three groups randomly,with 24 rats in each group.One group received a single dose of focused ultrasound,while mice in the second group were irradiated twice and surgery resection was administered to the third group 7 or 8 days after the tumor was implanted.After 23 days post implantation of the tumor,local tumor recurrence and metastasis to the lungs and lymph nodes were evaluated. Results The inhibition rate after double irradiation was 61.70％ for local recurrence and 68.18％ for metastasis,significantly higher than in the other two groups. Conclusions Both single and double irradiation with focused ultrasound are effective for inhibiting local recurrence and metastasis,but double irradiation is more effective.

Otolaryngology ; Periodicals as Topic ; Quality of Life ; Sickness Impact Profile

Chronic Disease ; Humans ; Nasal Polyps ; classification ; Sinusitis ; classification

OBJECTIVETo explore the dynamic changes of blood sugar and body's signs in streptozotocin diabetic animal models.

METHODSRat and mouse diabetic models were established by a single intraperitoneal (ip) injection and 5-day successive ip injections of streptozotocin respectively. Blood sugar levels were measured. The food consumption index (consumption of food/body weight) and the water consumption index (consumption of water/body weight) were calculated.

RESULTSSixty five point zero percent male rats received streptozotocin, 60 mg/kg ip, developed diabetes mellitus. The blood sugar remained in high level between the 15th day and the 25th day after injection, and it began to decline afterwards. By 5-day ip injections of streptozotocin, 40 mg/kg daily, 90.0% male mice developed diabetes mellitus. Dynamic changes of blood sugar of diabetic mouse were similar to those of rats, except that the blood sugar of mice did not decline as obvious as that of rats. The changes of water consumption index were in best fit with the changes of blood sugar in both models, with correlation index r>0.970.

CONCLUSIONThe blood sugar of diabetic animal model stayed in high level from the 15th day to the 25th day after the beginning of injection. And the period is suitable for observing effect of anti-diabetic drugs. The water consumption index can reflect the blood sugar levels of diabetes animals.

Animals ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Body Weight ; physiology ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; blood ; chemically induced ; physiopathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drinking ; physiology ; Eating ; physiology ; Male ; Mice ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Streptozocin

Injectable poly-D,L-lactic acid (PDLLA) is a relatively new subdermal biostimulatory filler that is used for the treatment of deep and shallow facial wrinkles. PDLLA is supplied as lumps of lyophilized powder in vials. It requires reconstitution with sterile water for injection (SWFI) into a homogeneous suspension before administration. The reconstitution methods recommended by the manufacturer are hand-shaking and vortex generator-assisted agitation. However, these methods have some disadvantages. Handshaking agitation, which is used for reconstitution prior to correction of shallow wrinkles (a process that requires 8 mL of SWFI), is an exhausting process. Vortex generatorassisted agitation, which is used for reconstitution before the correction of deep wrinkles (requiring 1.4 mL of SWFI), is time-consuming. To address these drawbacks, we propose a simple, quick, effortless, and efficient “back-and-forth” method for the reconstitution of injectable PDLLA. Using this technique, PDLLA can be easily prepared using large or small volumes of SWFI for different purposes related to facial volumization.

Objective：Rat UREB1 protein coded by the gene UREB1 can specially bind to URE (upstream regulatory element) which is in the upstream of the promoter. It′ s reported that the protein of UREB1 promote the transcription of Dynorphin gene and inhibits p53 transactivation. This study was designed to clone human UREB1 gene and explore the relationship between UREB1 and the development of tumor. Methods： The artificial synthetic oligonucleotide was used as the probe to screen human brain cDNA library and human UREB1 gene was cloned. The antibody, which was produced using the recombinant UREB1 from E.coli as the antigen and immunizing the animals, was utilized for detecting the distribution of UREB1 in different tumor tissues. Results： The human UREB1 gene was cloned by using in situ hybridization for screening human brain cDNA library, and the nucleotide sequences and the deduced amino acid sequence of human UREB1 has 91％ homology with that of rat UREB1 identified previously. Western blot analysis revealed that the human UREB1 was present in all tumor tissues but the quantity of UREB1 in different tissues was not the same. Immunohistochemistry results shown that the human UREB1 distributes primarily in the cytoplasm and nuclear of tumor cells and nuclear UREB1 in carcinosarcoma is much more than that in adenoma. After analyzing the level of tyrosine phosphorylated UREB1 in a few tumor tissues, the result shown that the more malignant the tumor tissue was, the higher level the tyrosine phosphorylated of UREB1 was in that tumor tissues. Conclusion： Human UREB1 may be involved in the development of tumor and its tyrosine phosphorylation may affect the degree of tumor malignant.

BACKGROUNDCommon variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is one of the most common symptomatic primary immunodeficiency syndromes. The purpose of this article was to broaden our knowledge about CVID for better diagnosis and treatment.

METHODSClinical and immunological features of 40 Chinese patients with CVID were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTSThe median age at onset was 11-year-old (range 4-51 years). The median age at diagnosis was 14.5-year-old (range 5-66 years). The average time of delay in diagnosis was 5.3 years (range 1-41 years). The most common main complaint was fever due to infections (35 cases, 87.5%). Pneumonia (28 cases, 70%) was the most common type of infections. Bronchiectasis was present in 6 patients (15%). Autoimmune disease was detected in 6 cases of CVID, and malignancy in 2 cases. The median total serum levels of IgG, IgA, and IgM at diagnosis were 1.07 g/L, 0.07 g/L, and 0.28 g/L, respectively. The percentages of CD3- /CD19 + B-cells were 1%-3.14%.

CONCLUSIONSInfection is the most frequent presentation of CVID. Patients with unexplainable infections should receive further examination including serum immunoglobulin (Ig) and lymphocyte subset analysis. Regular and sufficient substitution with Ig is recommended.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Bronchiectasis ; drug therapy ; immunology ; pathology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Common Variable Immunodeficiency ; drug therapy ; immunology ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; metabolism ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of reserpine (RSP) for changing salivary protein secretion in Pi-deficient rats and to explore its possible mechanism.

METHODSTwenty rats allocated in the RSP group were given subcutaneous injection of RSP [0.4 mg/(kg x d)] for 9 successive days, while the other 20 rats in the control group were injected with same volume of saline instead. On the 10th day, ten rats randomly selected from each group were subjected for extracting saliva to detect salivary amylase activity (sAA) before and after an acid stimulation; and drawing blood from the orbital vein to measure the contents of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Then they were sacrificed and their parotids were taken out for pathological examination with HE staining, as well as for VIP and cAMP measuring, and zymogen granules counting under a transmission electron microscope. The remainder animals were stopped injecting and normally fed to 40 days, then subjected to be detected as above-mentioned.

RESULTSFood intake and body weight reduction were more significantly in the RSP group than in the control group. On the 10th day, the ratio of sAA before/after stimulation in the RSP group was 0.39 +/- 0.18, significantly lower than that in the control group (0.80 +/- 0.21, P < 0.01), but it was restored rapidly, reaching the normal range on the 25th day, on the 40th day, it became significantly different to the level on the 10th day (P < 0.05) and approached the level in the control group (P > 0.05). No significant pathological change of parotid was found in both groups; but the number of zymogen granules in the RSP group was remarkably more than that in the control group (41.4 +/- 4.9 vs 34.6 +/- 5.2, P < 0.01). Serum level of VIP in the RSP group was significantly less while that of cAMP was higher than that in the control group (22.5 +/- 13.1 mg/L vs 38.5 +/- 14.1 mg/L, and 125.8 +/- 15.5 micromol/L vs 105.3 +/- 16.7 micromol/L, both P < 0.05), but no inter-group difference was found in parotid tissue contents of both VIP and cAMP. All the indices detected became equivalent in the two groups on the 40th day.

CONCLUSIONThe reduction of salivary protein in Pi-deficient rats induced by RSP may be related to the regulatory pathway of VIP and cAMP.

Animals ; Cyclic AMP ; blood ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reserpine ; adverse effects ; pharmacology ; Salivary Proteins and Peptides ; metabolism ; Salivation ; drug effects ; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide ; blood

OBJECTIVETo assess the clearance role and safety of Chinese herbal enema therapy (CHET) in clearing enterogenic uremic toxins in chronic renal failure (CRF) patients, thus providing evidence for further optimizing the comprehensive treatment.

METHODSUsing nonrandomized concurrent control trial, 96 CRF inpatients of Department of Nephropathy, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, from March 2010 to December 2010 were assigned to the treatment group and the control group according to their willingness. All patients were treated with basic treatment referring to clinical plans in the non-dialysis phase, while those in the treatment group were additionally treated with CHET, once daily, 2 weeks as one therapeutic course. The symptoms, serum enterogenic uremic toxin levels [including indoxyl sulfate (IS), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and uric acid (UA)], and serum creatinine (SCr) were observed in the two groups between and after treatment. The adverse reactions were also monitored during the treatment period. The clinical efficacy and safety were also assessed.

RESULTSTotally 84 patients completed this clinical observation, 48 in the treatment group and 36 in the control group. The levels of SCr, BUN, and IS were obviously lower in the treatment group after treatment, showing statistical difference when compared with before treatment (P<0.01). There was no statistical difference in each index in the control group between before and after treatment (P>0.05). The post-treatment the IS level was lower in the treatment group than in the control group with statistical difference (P<0.05). Symptoms like fatigue, soreness of waist and knees, constipation and edema were partially relieved in both groups (P<0.05, P<0.01). The ratios of anorexia and nausea in patients of the treatment group was lowered after treatment (P<0.05). Besides, patients in the treatment group could defecate for more than once daily during the enema treatment period, dominated as rotten and soft feces. No severe adverse event occurred during the treatment period.

CONCLUSIONCHET combined basic treatment could lower the serum levels of enterogenic uremic toxins (IS and BUN) of CRF patients in a short period.

Adult ; Aged ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Creatinine ; blood ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Enema ; Female ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; blood ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Urea ; blood ; Uric Acid ; blood