OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of physicochemical properties of drug on its permeability through buccal mucosa.

METHODSBenzoic acid, caffeine and hydrocortisone were selected as model drugs and their permeability coefficients through isolated porcine buccal mucosa were determined.

RESULTThe permeability coefficients of benzoic acid, caffeine and hydrocortisone through isolated porcine buccal mucosa were (1.01 x 10(-4)+/-1.64 x 10(-5))cm.s(-1)ì(2.75 x 10(-5)+/-1.79 x 10(-6))cm.s(-1) and (2.49 x 10(-5)+/-6.32 x 10(-6))cm.s(-1), which were 14,989 and 389 times as those through human skin, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe permeability of drugs through buccal mucosa seems to be much better than that through human skin.

Animals ; Benzoic Acid ; pharmacokinetics ; Caffeine ; pharmacokinetics ; Hydrocortisone ; pharmacokinetics ; In Vitro Techniques ; Mouth Mucosa ; metabolism ; Permeability ; drug effects ; Swine

Objective To observe the influence of exterior-interior meridian acupoint selection on hippocampal cell apoptosis and c-Jun N-terminal kinase ( JNK) in ischemia-reperfusion injury rats, and to explore the possible protective mechanism for ischemia-reperfusion injury. Methods One hundred and twenty SD rats were randomly divided into sham-operation group (SH), model group (I/R), electroacupuncture (EA) group and JNK inhibitor SP600125 ( SP) group. The ischemia-reperfusion model was established by occlusion of middle cerebral artery with intraluminal thread. EA group was given EA on acupoints of Zusanli ( ST 36) , Sanyinjiao ( SP 6) , Chize ( LU 5) , Hegu ( LI 4) , once a day, based on the method of exterior-interior meridian acupoint selection. We observed the neurological behavioral changes by Longa neurological function standard, detected the activation of phosphorylated JNK ( p-JNK) by immunohistochemical method and examined the hippocampal apoptotic index by TUNEL method. Results The neurologic impairment scores of EA group and SP group were lower than I/R group (P<0.05) . Apoptotic index of I/R group was higher than SH group (P<0.01) and that of EA group and SP group was lower than I/R group (P <0.05) . The level of p-JNK in I/R group was higher than SH group ( P <0.01) and that of EA group and SP group was lower than I/R group ( P <0.05). Conclusion Exterior-interior meridian acupoint selection therapy has certain effect on alleviating neurologic impairment and reducing apoptosis in ischemia- reperfusion injury rats, and the mechanism might be associated with the inhibition of the activation of JNK signaling pathway.

AIM:To study the visual acuity and refractive status of students pupils and middle school students in Shenzhen, and to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of myopia.
METHODS:A cluster sampling method was used to select five primary school students(6 737) and three junior middle school students(1 925) from Shenzhen. The visual acuity, anterior segment, fundus, eye position, and refractive status were measured. Information on associated factors for poor vision were also obtained using a questionaire. The risk factors of poor vision and the rate of myopia between grade or gender were analysed by Chi-square test.
RESULTS:The rate of poor vision was 67. 0%. Female, family history of high myopia, long time of continuous look near, short time of outdoor activities were the main risk factors. The rate of emmetropia, hyperopia, astigmatism and myopia were 15. 1%, 11. 3%, 11. 0% and 62. 6% respectively. Emmetropia, hyperopia and astigmatism incidenece rate decreased with age growing, but myopia incidence rate was increased. There were significant differences between adjacent two grades in myopia(χ2=7. 338-45. 018, P<0. 05 ) except the primary grade six and the junior grade one. There were significant differences between boys ( 61. 0%) and girls ( 65. 5%) in myopia(χ2=17. 180, P<0. 05).
CONCLUSION:The rate of poor vison is pretty high in students of Shenzhen aged between 5 to 16 years old, and myopia is the main reason. The development rate of myopia is increased with age. Early management of myopia may play an important role in controlling poor vision in students.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of loricrin (LOR) and cytochrome P450 3A5 (CYP 3A5) in oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) and to evaluate their roles in the defending ability of epithelium mucosae.

METHODSThe expression of LOR and CYP 3A5 was examined in the specimens of 66 OSF and 14 normal buccal mucosa samples by immunohistochemistry, and the protein and mRNA expression of them was detected by Western blot and reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR).

RESULTSLOR was overexpressed in 42 (63.6%) cases of OSF, and showed a significant difference only between the early and moderately stages of OSF (P < 0.05), but no clear difference between moderately and advanced stages (P > 0.05). All normal buccal mucosa tissues showed positive immunoreactivity for CYP 3A5 protein in the membrane and cytoplasm of spinous epithelial cells and cytoplasm of endothelial cells, 5 (7.6%) cases of OSF showed weak staining of CYP 3A5 in spinous epithelial cells and 33 (50%) showed faint in cytoplasm of endothelial cells. A negative relationship between its expression and pathological stages was found in OSF (P < 0.05). RT-PCR results were fully consistent with the immunohistochemical data. But the results of Western blot only showed the expression of CYP 3A5 was significantly higher in normal buccal mucosa samples than OSF.

CONCLUSIONThe results suggest that the LOR and CYP 3A5 might play a vital role in the change of defending ability of epithelium mucosae as well as the pathopoiesis and carcinogenesis of OSF.

Blotting, Western ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A ; Epithelial Cells ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; Mouth Mucosa ; Oral Submucous Fibrosis

OBJECTIVETo observe the growth and osteogenic property of cultured dog bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) by investigating the effects of astragalus polysaccharides (APS) on the proliferation and ultrastructure of BMSCs into osteoblasts in vitro.

METHODSBMSCs osteogenic property was detected by improved Wright-Giemsa, Gomori and alizarin dyeing method. The proliferation and differentiation of the induced BMSCs with APS in different concentration and time were detected by MTT assay and the morphologic change of the induced BMSCs was observed by transmission electron microscope (TEM).

RESULTSBMSCs osteogenic property was detected with Wright-Giemsa deep-bluing, Gomori method blacking and with more mineral nodules alizarin dyeing method carmining. APS with concentration of 0.005 mg/mL can promote the proliferation of the induced BMSCs in short-term culture (1th, 3th day) and 50 mg/mL can decrease the effect through long-term culture (5th day). Observed by TEM (5th day), the number of mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum increased and the extracellular matrix was excreted more in the induced BMSCs by APS with concentration of 0.005 mg/mL. However, not only the number of mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum reduced but also the structure was swollen, degenerative, membrance damaged in the induced BMSCs by APS with concentration of 50 mg/mL.

CONCLUSIONAPS with lower concentration in short-term culture may promote BMSCs proliferation and differentiation.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; Cell Differentiation ; Dogs ; In Vitro Techniques ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Osteoblasts ; Polysaccharides

OBJECTIVETo observe the effectiveness and safety of external applying Compound Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F. (TwHF) in relieving joint pain in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

METHODSIn this double-blinded, randomized multicenter trial, a total of 174 moderately active RA patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to the treatment group (treated with Compound TwHF, 87 cases) and the placebo control group (87 cases). Compound TwHF or placebo was externally applied in painful joints, 20 g each time, once per day for 8 weeks. Self-reported joint pain relief was taken as a primary effective indicator. Visual analogue scale for pain (VAS), disease activity score of 28 joints (DAS28), VAS for general health (GH) were evaluated before treatment, at week 4 and after treatment. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and hypersensitive C reactive protein (hs-CRP) were tested before and after treatment. Menstrual changes in females were observed during treatment. Skin irritation occurred during the recording process was assessed using skin irritation strength. Intention to treat (ITT) was statistically analyzed.

RESULTSThe joint pain relief rate in the treatment group was 90.8% (79/87 cases), higher than that in the placebo control group (69.0%, 60/87 cases; P = 0.001). VAS pain score, DAS28, VAS for GH score were significantly improved in the two groups at week 4 of treatment and after treatment, as compared with before treatment (P < 0.01). ESR and hs-CRP levels significantly decreased in the treatment group after treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). No difference was found in post-treatment VAS pain score, DAS28, VAS for GH score, ESR, or hs-CRP between the two groups (P > 0.05). Eight adverse events occurred in the treatment group (5 skin allergy, 1 intolerance of medical odor, and 2 mild liver injury), while 3 adverse events occurred in the placebo control group (2 skin allergy, 1 mild liver injury). There was no statistical difference in adverse event between the two groups (P > 0.05). No menstrual change occurred in the treatment group.

CONCLUSIONExternal applying Compound TwHF was an effective and safe way to relieve-joint pain of RA patients, which could be taken as an adjuvant therapy.

Arthralgia ; drug therapy ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; drug therapy ; Blood Sedimentation ; C-Reactive Protein ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Phytotherapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Tripterygium

Teeth that have short clinical crown, which are not alone enough to support the definitive restoration can be best treated using the post and core system. The advantages of fiber post over conventional metallic post materials have led to its wide acceptance. In addition to that the combination of aesthetic and mechanical benefits of fiber post has provided it with a rise in the field of dentistry. Also the results obtained from some clinical trials have encouraged the clinicians to use the fiber posts confidently. Fiber posts are manufactured from pre-stretched fibers impregnated within a resin matrix. The fibers could that be of carbon, glass/silica, and quartz, whereas Epoxy and bis-GMA are the most widely used resin bases. But recently studies are also found to be going on for polyimide as possible material for the fiber post resin base as a substitute for the conventional materials.
Bisphenol A-Glycidyl Methacrylate ; Carbon ; Crowns ; Dentin ; Dentistry ; Quartz ; Tooth

OBJECTIVETo determine the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders in children in Shanghai.

METHODThis study was conducted on the infants and young children who were below 24 months of age recruited consecutively from April 2008 to June 2008 from the 12 communities in Minhang district in Shanghai. The questionnaire on gastrointestinal symptoms and growth was sent to 5030 children < 24 months old. The age distribution of the 5030 children was: < 6 months: 1922 infants (38.2%), 6 - < 12 months: 1933 (38.4%) infants; 12 - < 18 months: 811 (16.1%) children; 18 - < 24 months: 364 (7.2%) children.

RESULTAmong the 5030 children, 1909 had gastrointestinal disorders (38.0%). There was no significant difference in the rate of the disorders between sexes (P = 0.06). Regurgitation was found in 899 (17.9%) infants/children, constipation in 690 (13.7%), 619 (12.3%) infants/children suffered from diarrhea and only 71 (1.4%) suffered from colic. The incidence of gastrointestinal disorders was significantly different among different age groups. The incidence of constipation and regurgitation decreased and the incidence of diarrhea increased with growth (P < 0.01). Infants growth parameters in the group with gastrointestinal disorders especially in those with regurgitation were lower than those without gastrointestinal disorders, the difference is statistically significant. The hospital visit rate of infants with diarrhea was 62.68%, which was higher than the rate of the other three symptoms (4.45% - 16.90%).

CONCLUSIONGastrointestinal disorders are common in infants and young children in Shanghai and may have a great impact on growth. Early management could relieve the disorders and ensure infants to get normal growth and development.

China ; epidemiology ; Colic ; epidemiology ; Diarrhea ; epidemiology ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; epidemiology ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Male ; Prevalence ; Vomiting ; epidemiology

OBJECTIVES: To study the association between infliximab trough level (IFX-TL) prior to maintenance treatment and disease outcome in children with Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 35 children with CD who received induction therapy with infliximab (IFX) and the measurement of IFX-TL before maintenance treatment from August 2018 to November 2021. Clinical data and laboratory markers at baseline and before maintenance treatment were collected, and the association between outcome and IFX-TL was analyzed. RESULTS: The clinical remission group, endoscopic remission group, and combined remission group had a significantly higher IFX-TL level than the corresponding non-remission groups (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in the IFX-TL level between the biological remission and non-biological remission groups (P>0.05). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that IFX-TL had an area under the ROC curve of 0.959 (95%CI: 0.894-1) in predicting clinical remission, with a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 100% at the optimal cutoff value of 2.3 µg/mL (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Among children with CD receiving infliximab induction therapy, the children achieving clinical and endoscopic remission before maintenance treatment tend to have a higher level of IFX-TL. IFX-TL has a certain predictive value for clinical remission.
Child ; Humans ; Infliximab/therapeutic use* ; Crohn Disease/drug therapy* ; Gastrointestinal Agents/therapeutic use* ; Retrospective Studies ; C-Reactive Protein/analysis*