OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of continuous high-volume hemofiltration (CHVHF) on interleukin 1 receptor-associated kinase-4 (IRAK-4) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).

METHODSForty-one patients with SAP were randomly divided into two groups to receive treatment with CHVHF plus conventional therapy (21 patients) and conventional therapy only (20 patients). Venous blood samples were taken before and 12, 24, and 72 h after the treatment for evaluation of APACHE II scores. The mRNA and protein levels of IRAK-4 in the monocytes were determined by real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively, and serum TNF-alpha levels was detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSAmong the 21 patients receiving CHVHF, 18 survived and 3 died, and in the conventional therapy group, death occurred in 5 cases. In the surviving patients of CHVHF group, the APACHE II scores, IRAK-4 mRNA and protein levels and TNF-alpha levels were all significantly lowered after the treatment, and these indices were also significantly lower than those in the conventional group after treatment (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONCHVHF is effective in reducing monocyte IRAK-4 levels and serum TNF-alpha level in SPA patients, and thus alleviates the symptoms and improves the prognosis of SAP, possibly by reducing the level of the activators that induce monocyte activation via the Toll-like receptor.

Adult ; Blotting, Western ; Female ; Hemodiafiltration ; methods ; Humans ; Interleukin-1 Receptor-Associated Kinases ; blood ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pancreatitis, Acute Necrotizing ; blood ; pathology ; therapy ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

Biomacromolecules play an important role in the treatment of many diseases, but as a result of cell membrane serving as the natural barriers, only the small molecular compounds whose molecular weights are smaller than 600 Da can get through cell membrane and enter the cell. In recent years, some short peptides (the length less than 30 amino acids) are found to have the cell-penetrating function, called cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). They are able to effectively translocate segments of protein, polypeptides, nucleic acid into the cells of many mammal animals with many methods. They have high transduction efficiency and will not lead to cell damage. So, the discovery of CPPs has a very good applicable prospect in such research fields as cell-biology, gene-therapy, drug transduction in vivo, evaluation of clinical medicine and medical immunology. This paper reviews the types and characteristics of CPPs, internalization mechanisms, applications, and their existing problems.
Absorption ; drug effects ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Cell Membrane Permeability ; Cell-Penetrating Peptides ; classification ; pharmacology ; physiology ; Drug Carriers ; Endocytosis ; physiology ; Humans ; Protein Transport

OBJECTIVETo discuss the therapeutic effects of the atlantoaxial pedicle screw system fixation in treatment of atlantoaxial instability.

METHODSFrom June 2003 to March 2010, 32 patients with atlantoaxial instability were treated by atlantoaxial pedicle screw system fixation, included 21 males and 11 females wiht an average age of 42.5 years old ranging from 28 to 66 years. Among them, 18 cases were odontoid process fractures, 7 were congenital dissociate odontoid process, 4 were Jefferson fracture combined with odontoid fracture, 3 were rheumatic arthritis causing atlantoaxial instability. All patients suffered from the atlantoaxial subluxation and atlantoaxial instability. The JOA score ranged from 4 to 14 (means 9.1 +/- 0.3) before operation. The patients had some image examination including the X-ray of cervical vertebrae (include of dynamic position film), spiral CT 3D reconstruction and/or MRI. The position of pedicle screw system implantation,the angle of pedicle screw system implantation and screw length were measured. Operating skull traction. Operation undewent general anesthesia, implanted the pedicle screw, reduction and bone fusion under direct vision. The bone was fixated between posterior arch of atlas and lamina of axis by the lateral combination bended to posterior.

RESULTSOne hundred and twenty-eight atlantoaxial pedicle screws were implanted in 32 patients. No patient had the injure of spinal cord, nerve root and vertebral artery. All patients were followed-up from 6 to 48 months (averaged 16 months). After operation, the JOA score ranged from 11 to 17 (averaged 15.9 +/- 0.2), improvement rate was 86.1%. The fracture of odontoid process were healing completely. All fusion bone were combinated. The internal fixation wasn't loosening and breaking.

CONCLUSIONThe atlantoaxial pedicle screw system fixation was effective method to treat atlantoaxial instability. The method had many advantages, such as provide rigid and short segment fixation, safe and simple, high fusion rate. The method was worth in clinical application.

Adult ; Aged ; Atlanto-Axial Joint ; diagnostic imaging ; injuries ; surgery ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Bone Screws ; Female ; Humans ; Joint Instability ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo provide accurate data on health related behaviors and protective factors among students in middle schools in China, for developing priorities, programs and policies on health education.

METHODSWe used a standard scientific sample selection process developed by American Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct the questionnaire survey among middle schools from four cities--Beijing, Hangzhou, Wuhan and Urumchi.

RESULTSData were found as: 3.2% of students are overweight; 25.3% of students rarely washing hands before eating at school, 20.5% of the students had seriously injured in the past 12 months, 30.4% of male students having had physical fighting, 17.1% of the students having serious attempted suicide, 29.7% of the students ever tried or experimented cigarette smoking, 13.0% having drunk from alcohol and 14.5% having been offered or selling drugs during the past 30 days, 78.9% were in an insufficient amount of physical activity and only 14.3% often used seat belt when riding in a car.

CONCLUSIONSThere were many problems on health related behaviors among middle school students in these four cities, especially on hygiene, physical activities, psychological situation, smoking and drinking etc. It is absolutely necessary to develop health education for children and adolescence to promote their healthy behaviors and lifestyle.

Adolescent ; Adolescent Behavior ; Child ; Child Behavior ; China ; Health Behavior ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Male ; Risk Reduction Behavior ; Students ; psychology ; statistics & numerical data ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Urban Health

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of pentoxifylline (PTX) on oxidative stress in brains of epileptic (EP) rats based on the nuclear factor E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) antioxidant response element (ARE) signal pathway.MethodsThirty-six healthy and adult male Wistar rats were included in the experiment and were divided into blank control group (peritoneal injection of isotonic saline), EP control group (induced EP episode), and PTX group (induced EP episode ＋ PTX pretreatment) according to a completely random method, then 12 rats in each group. The behavioral changes of rats in each group were monitored, and the EP attack rate and seizure latency were recorded. The rats were sacrificed to collect substantia nigra and hippocampus for testing oxidative stress indicators and expression levels of Nrf2 ARE signaling pathway-related proteins.ResultsNo abnormal reaction was observed in the control group after treatment. The EP attack rate in the EP control group reached 83.33%. The EP attack rate (33.3%) and the attack level ((2.14±0.40) vs (3.09±0.58)) in the PTX group were significantly lower than those in the EP control group, and the seizure latency was significantly longer than that in the EP control group (P<0.05). Compared with the blank control group, the rats in the EP control group had significantly higher levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the substantia nigra and hippocampus, and significantly reduced glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities (P<0.05). Compared with EP control group, MDA content in substantia nigra and hippocampus of PTX group ((760.22±74.86) nmol/g vs (682.93±69.01) nmol/g·pro, (842.24±101.17) nmol/g·pro vs (705.46±80.87) nmol/g·pro) were significantly reduced, GSH ((68.31±12.57) μg/g·pro vs (94.43±14.11) μg/g·pro, (64.27±10.28) μg/g·pro vs (87.36±11.11) μg/g·pro), SOD ((95.34±8.72) U/mg·pro vs (120.60±10.04) U/mg·pro, (91.33±8.46) U/mg·pro vs (118.46±9.94) U/mg·pro) activity was significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with the blank control group, the expressions of substantia nigra tissue, hippocampal Nrf2, and HO1 protein in the EP control group rats were significantly reduced (P<0.05); while the substantia nigra tissue and hippocampal Nrf2 protein in the PTX group were significantly increased compared with the EP control group ((0.72±0.09) vs (0.30±0.04), (0.34±0.06) vs (0.21±0.03)), HO 1 ((0.66±0.08) vs (0.34±0.05), (0.48±0.08) vs (0.31±0.05)), NQO1 protein expression was significantly increased ((0.48±0.07) vs (0.25±0.06), (0.78±0.11) vs (0.68±0.07), P<0.05), and the expression of hippocampal tissue returned to the blank control group (P>0.05) ). The expression of substantia nigra tissue was significantly higher than that of the blank control group (P<0.05).ConclusionPTX can inhibit EP seizure and improve the oxidative stress in the brain of rats at the early stage of EP. The possible mechanism is that PTX can specifically activate Nrf2 ARE signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical therapeutic effect of light and heat of moxibustion for knee osteoarthritis (KOA). METHODS: A total of 216 patients with KOA were randomized into a traditional moxibustion group (72 cases, 8 cases dropped off), a moxibustion light group (72 cases, 9 cases dropped off) and a moxibustion heat group (72 cases, 10 cases dropped off).The special light-heat separation moxibustion cup was applied, the patients in the traditional moxibustion group received the treatment of moxibustion, the patients in the moxibustion light group received the treatment of moxibustion light and the patients in the moxibustion heat group received the treatment of moxibustion heat. The acupoint selection of the three groups was Neixiyan (EX-LE 4), Dubi (ST 35) and Zusanli (ST 36), the treatment was given 20 min each time, 3 times a week, 4 weeks were required totally, and the follow-up surveys were made 4 and 8 weeks after treatment. The scores of Western Ontario and McMaster University osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) and visual analogue scale (VAS) were observed before treatment, after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment, 4 and 8 weeks after treatment. The therapeutic effects were evaluated according to the criterion of patient global assessment (PGA) after 4 weeks of treatment and 8 weeks after treatment. RESULTS: Compared with before treatment, the pain scores, stiffness scores, physical function scores and total scores of WOMAC were reduced after 2, 4 weeks of treatment and 4 weeks after treatment in the three groups (<0.05). The pain scores, stiffness scores, physical function scores and total scores of WOMAC were reduced 8 weeks after treatment in the traditional moxibustion group and the moxibustion heat group (<0.05). The stiffness score, physical function score and total score of WOMAC were reduced 8 weeks after treatment in the moxibustion light group (<0.05). The pain score, physical function score and total score of WOMAC in the traditional moxibustion group after 4 weeks of treatment were lower than the moxibustion light group (<0.05). Compared with before treatment, the VAS scores were reduced after 2, 4 weeks of treatment and 4 , 8 weeks after treatment in the three groups (<0.05). The improvement rates in the traditional moxibustion group and the moxibustion heat group after 4 weeks of treatment and 8 weeks after treatment were superior to the moxibustion light group (<0.05). CONCLUSION The light and heat of moxibustion have therapeutic effect for KOA, and the therapeutic effect of moxibustion heat is superior to moxibustion light.
Acupuncture Points ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Light ; Moxibustion ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Parkinson disease (PD) is the second-most common neurodegenerative disorder. Its main pathological mechanism is the selective degeneration and deletion of dopaminergic neurons in the dense part of the substantia nigra and the damage of dopaminergic neurons caused by the abnormal deposition of a Lewy body, leading to a decreased dopamine level. Positron emission computed tomography (PET)/single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a molecular imaging technology that can directly or indirectly reflect changes in molecular levels by using a specific tracer. With the research and development on the tracers of related enzymes for labeling dopamine transporter and dopamine receptor and for being involved in dopamine formation, this imaging technology has been applied to all aspects of PD research. It not only contributes to clinical work but also provides an important theoretical basis for exploring the pathological mechanism of PD at a molecular level. Therefore, this review discusses the application value of PET/SPECT in PD in terms of early diagnosis, disease severity evaluation, clinical manifestations, differential diagnosis, and pathological mechanism.