Background: Radiation pneumonitis is one of the most common complications during radiotherapy of thoracic tumors. It impacts the quality of life of the patients and has life-threatening danger. However, there is a lack of drugs for prevention and treatment of this disease. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Liangxue Jiedu Huoxue Decoction, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, in prevention of radiation pneumonitis. Design, setting, participants and interventions: A prospective randomized clinical study was conducted. A total of 100 patients diagnosed with lung cancer from Department of Radiotherapy, Chinese PLA General Hospital, who were planning to receive radiotherapy, were randomly assigned into treatment group and control group, with 50 patients in each group. In the treatment group 3 cases were lost to follow-up and one case was excluded, while in the control group 6 cases were lost to follow-up and 2 cases were excluded. Patients in the treatment group were treated with Liangxue Jiedu Huoxue Decoction in addition to radiotherapy, while patients in the control group were treated with radiotherapy alone. Main outcome measures: The incidence rates of radiation pneumonitis in the two groups were calculated. Acute radiation injury scoring criteria by Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG), clinical-radiographic-physiologic (CRP) score system, and Karnofsky Performance Status Scale (KPS) were used to evaluate the status of the patients. Results: The incidence rate of radiation pneumonitis was lower in the treatment group than in the control group (13.04% versus 33.33%, P<0.05). According to the RTOG scale, the extent of lung injury was improved in the treatment group as compared with that in the control group (P<0.05). The CRP score in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The KPS score in the treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Liangxue Jiedu Huoxue Decoction can decrease the incidence rate of radiation pneumonitis, reduce the extent of the lung injury, alleviate the symptoms of radiation pneumonitis, and improve life quality of the patients.

The ideal treatment and recovery of osteoarticular injury remain to be resolved. Small intestinal submucosa (SIS), a naturally-occurring decellularized extracellular matrix, has been recognized as an ideal scaffold for tissue engineering and widely used in repairing various tissues and organs. Nowadays its application has also been gradually increased in the field of orthopedics. We reviewed laboratorial studies and clinical trails about the application of SIS in bone and joint repair, aiming to evaluate its effects on the repair of bone, cartilage, meniscus, ligament and tendon. SIS has showed promising results in repairing bone, meniscus, ligament or tendon. However, additional studies will be required to further evaluate its effects on articular cartilage and tendon-bone healing. How to optimize SIS material,is also a focused problem concerned with making SIS a potential therapeutic option with high value for orthopedic tissue repair.
Animals ; Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy ; Humans ; Intestinal Mucosa ; cytology ; Intestine, Small ; cytology ; Joint Diseases ; physiopathology ; surgery ; therapy ; Tissue Engineering ; instrumentation ; methods ; Tissue Scaffolds ; chemistry

Ictal semiology is essential for the pre-operative evaluation of candidates for epilepsy surgery. We propose an ictal sign of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) termed tonic-automotor (TA), defi ned as contralateral tonic spasm of upper limb associated with ipsilateral hand automotor seizure and often accompanied ipsilateral head turning. We assessed the occurrence and lateralizing/localizing value of TA in TLE, we analyzed 129 seizures in 41 patients with TLE: 90 seizures in 30 patients with TLE of hippocampal sclerosis (TLE/HS) and 39 seizures in 11 patients with TLE of other lesions (TLE/ non-HS). When compared with unilateral automotor seizure and unilateral tonic spasm, TA occurred more frequently in TLE/HS patients (40% vs 10% and 16.7%). In addition, 24 seizures in 12 patients with TA were observed only in TLE/HS patients and contralateral to the seizure focus based on the side of tonic spasm. However, there was no signifi cant difference in the TLE/HS between dominant side and nondominant side. In addition, TA sign occurred relatively early in the ictal phase. Thus, TA may be a more reliable lateralizing sign of epileptogenic zone and a semiologic marker of TLE/ HS patients.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical characteristics of children with critical hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) who were treated with mechanical ventilation and to explore the risk factors for poor prognosis.

METHODSThe clinical data of 63 children with critical HFMD who were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit between April 2012 and September 2013 and needed mechanical ventilation were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSAmong the 63 children, 43 were boys and 20 were girls, and their mean age was 25 ± 18 months, with 81% under 3 years old. The four death cases were all under three years old. Compared with the cured cases, the death cases had a significantly lower mean age (8 ± 3 months vs 25 ± 18 months; P<0.05). Poor peripheral circulation above the elbow or knee joint, pulmonary edema involving at least two thirds of the lung field, and pulmonary hemorrhage were all closely related to death (P<0.01). The death cases and cured cases had significantly different peripheral white blood cell counts, blood lactic acid, and blood glucose (24 ± 11× 10⁹/L vs 12 ± 5×10⁹/L; 6.6 ± 1.8 mmol/L vs 3.6 ± 1.7 mmol/L; 16.4 ± 2.5 mmol/L vs 10.0 ± 3.0 mmol/L). The cases with critical illness score <90 had a significantly higher death risk (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSChildren with critical HFMD are mainly under 3 years old. The children face extremely high risk of death when they suffer from poor peripheral circulation above the elbow or knee joint, pulmonary edema involving at least two thirds of the lung field, and pulmonary hemorrhage. Significant increases in peripheral white blood cell counts, blood lactic acid, and blood glucose are risk factors for poor prognosis. Critical illness score is also related to poor prognosis.

Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease ; blood ; mortality ; therapy ; Humans ; Infant ; Lactic Acid ; blood ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Prognosis ; Respiration, Artificial ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo observe effects of ginsenoside-Rb (G-Rb) on total cholesterol, lipoprotein cholesterol metabolism and anti-oxidation in experimental hyperlipidemia rats.

METHODHyperlipidemia rats were respectively given G-Rb 50, 100, 200 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) ig for twelve days. Total cholesterol, lipoprotein cholesterol and lipid peroxidation (LPO) contents, prostacycline (PGI2), thromboxane (TXA2), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and blood viscosity were measured. Fat accumulation in liver was also observed.

RESULTTriglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) in serum, TXA2 in plasma, LPO in serum and liver, and blood viscosity were decreased significantly. High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc) in serum, PGI2 in plasma and SOD in serum and liver were significantly increased by G-Rb (100, 200 mg x kg(-1)) in experimental hyperlipidemia rats. In addition, G-Rb could decrease TC/HDL-c, LDLc/HDL-c ratio, increase PGI2/TXA2 ratio and inhibit fat accumulation in liver.

CONCLUSIONG-Rb could have anti-arteriosclerosis effect by improving cholesterol and lipoprotein-cholesterol metabolism, suppressing lipid peroxidation, increasing anti-oxidase activity and PGI2/TXA2 ratio.

Animals ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Female ; Ginsenosides ; pharmacology ; Hyperlipidemias ; metabolism ; Lipid Peroxides ; metabolism ; Liver ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo observe the protective effect of Acanthopanax senticosus saponins (ASS) on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

METHODThe myocardial ischemia-reperfusion model was induced by 30 min left anterior descending coronary occlusion and 120 min reperfusion in rats. The changes of myocardial infarct size (MIS), the serum creatine phosphokinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, the serum lipid peroxidation (LPO) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity and plasma endothelin (ET), angiotensin II (Ang II), prostacycline (PGI2) and thromboxane A2 (TXA2) levels and myocardial free fatty acid (FFA) content of infarct and noninfarct area were determined.

RESULTIn rats treated by ASS (in a dosage of 25, 50 and 100 mg x kg(-1) i.v. at 30 min after coronary occulusion), the MIS was significantly reduced, the serum CK and LDH activity, the plasma ET, Ang II and TXA2 level and myocardial FFA content declined, while plasma PGI2 level and PGI2/TXA2 was increased signficantly. In addition, serum LPO content declined, SOD and GSH-Px activity were increased markedly.

CONCLUSIONASS has protective effect on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, which may be due to its function of improving free radicals and myocardial metabolism, decreasing plasma ET, Ang II and TXA2 levels and increasing plasma PGI2 level and PGI2/TXA2 ratio etc.

Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Eleutherococcus ; chemistry ; Female ; Male ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; metabolism ; pathology ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; pathology ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Saponins ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effects of arthroscopic debridement for acute gouty arthritis of the ankle.

METHODSForty-one patients with acute gouty arthritis of the ankle were treated under arthroscopy from January 2010 to June 2012. All the patients were male, age in ranging from 28 to 69 years with an average of 43 years. Eighteen patients were in the left ankles and 23 in the right ankles; 12 cases were firstly attack and 29 cases were recurrent attack. Course of disease was from 2 weeks to 30 months. The American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot Scale score was used to evaluate the clinical effects. Number of acute attacks of gouty arthritis were observed.

RESULTSAll the patients were followed up at least 12 months. The mean AOFAS Ankle-Hindfoot Scale score increased from 58.44 +/- 9.45 preoperatively to 86.15 +/- 7.36, 83.41 +/- 9.22, 84.10 +/- 8.22 postoperatively at 6, 12, months and the last follow-up respectively. Swelling of the ankle were improved significantly, pain was relieved and the mean number of acute attacks of gouty arthritis decreased significantly.

CONCLUSIONArthroscopy is helpful for the diagnosis of acute gouty arthritis of the ankle and improvement of clinical symptoms and ankle function.

Adult ; Aged ; Ankle Joint ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Arthritis, Gouty ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Arthroscopy ; Debridement ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of arthroscopy-assisted minimally invasive management of bunion and hallux valgus deformities.

METHODSTotal 50 patients (53 feet) with bunion and hallux valgus deformities were treated under arthroscopy from July 2008 to July 2011, with an average age of 42.3 years old (ranging from 30 to 65 years old) involving 19 left feet, 28 right feet and 3 both feet. The American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) hallux metatarsophalangeal-interphalangeal(MP-IP) Scale Score was used to evaluate the therapeutic effect.

RESULTSThere were no complications such as hallux varus, hallux rigid and nerve or blood vessel injury. Clinically, AOFAS MP-IP Scale Score was increased from 62.19 ± 6.01 preoperatively to 88.26 ± 6.81 postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONArthroscopy-assisted minimally invasive management appears to be a good procedure with advantages of less complication, little trauma and early rehabilitation for bunion and hallux valugs deformities.

Adult ; Aged ; Arthroscopy ; methods ; Female ; Hallux Valgus ; surgery ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; methods

OBJECTIVETo observe the protective effect of compound acanthopanax senticosus injection (CASI) on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion arrhythmia in rats.

METHODThe myocardial ischemia-reperfusion model was induced by 30 min coronary occulusion and 60 min reperfusion in openchest anesthetized rats. The changes of arrhythmia with electrocardiogram lead II, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and Ca2+ in myocardium were determined.

RESULTIn rats treated by CASI (in a dosage of 25, 50 and 100 mg x kg(-1) femoral vein infusion at 30 min after coronary occulusion), the incidence of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion ventricular arrhythmias, for instance the ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (Vf), was effectively prevented, the appearing time of arrhythmia was delayed and the duration of arrhythmia was shortened, while the elevated ST segment lowered as well. At the same time, the contents of myocardial Ca2+ and MDA were decreased significantly as well as the activities of myocardial SOD and GSH-Px increased markedly.

CONCLUSIONCASI is of protective effect on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion arrhythmia, which may be related to scavenging the oxygen free radicals and Ca2+ overload formed during reperfusion.

Animals ; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; drug therapy ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Electrocardiography ; Eleutherococcus ; chemistry ; Female ; Ginsenosides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; metabolism ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; complications ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; pathology ; Panax ; chemistry ; Phytotherapy ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Saponins ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the application of tunica vaginalis flap in repairing the deformity of urethra and urethral fistulas.

METHODSTunica vaginalis flap from the scrotum were used to wrap the reconstructed urethra in the 38 cases of hypospadias urethroplasty and urethral fistulas repair from 2002.

RESULTSAll of cases were followed up for six months to one year. There was a fistula reoccurred after epispadias fistula repair, the repair was successful in other patients. There was no recurrent fistulas or urethral strictures. Penile cosmesis was excellent and erected well.

CONCLUSIONSThe application of tunica vaginalis flap in urethral repair can raise achievement ratio and reduce the incidence of urethral fistulas. The flap is ease to mobilize with no harmful effects on the testicles.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypospadias ; surgery ; Male ; Scrotum ; surgery ; Surgical Flaps ; Testis ; surgery ; Urethra ; surgery ; Urethral Diseases ; surgery ; Urinary Fistula ; surgery ; Young Adult