Animals ; Cardiomegaly ; Constriction ; Heart ; Mice

OBJECTIVETo observe the efficacy and safety of Qizhi Jiangtang Capsule (QJC) in treating stage 3b diabetic kidney disease (DKD) patients with macroalbuminuria.

METHODSPatients who conformed to the diagnostic criteria of stage 3b DKD were randomly assigned to two groups according to random digital table, the experiment group and the control group, 84 in each group. All patients received a two-week elution period, and then were treated with basic Western therapy. Patients in the experiment group took QJC, 5 pills per time, 3 times a day, while those in the control group took Valsartan Capsule 160 mg each time, once daily. The observation period of follow-ups was limited within 6 months, and the time points were set as the baseline, 1st month, 3rd month, and 6th month. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBS), 24 h urine protein quantitative (24 h UPQ), plasma albumin (ALB), and serum creatinine (SCr) were detected and recorded, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated. The occurrence of hypoglycemic reaction, coagulation disorder, gastrointestinal tract reaction, allergy, hyperkalemia, doubling of creatinine, and overall adverse events were observed and recorded at same time.

RESULTSFinally 81 patients in the experiment group and 80 patients in the control group were effectively included. Compared with the baseline level, SBP and DBS obviously decreased in the control group at month 1 of treatment (P < 0.05), and more significantly decreased at month 6 of treatment (P < 0.01). SBP at month 1, 3, and 6 of follow-ups; DBS at month 6 of follow-ups was lower in the control group than in the experiment group (P < 0.05). At month 1, 3, and 6 of follow-ups, 24 h UPQ of the experiment group was significantly lower than the baseline level (P < 0.01). It was also significantly lower than the level of the control group at the same time point (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in 24 h UPQ at month 1, 3, and 6 of follow-ups between the control group and the baseline level (P > 0.05). ALB of the experiment group showed an increasing trend. It was significantly higher than the baseline level at month 6 (P < 0.05), which was also higher than that of the control group at same period (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the ALB level in the control group (P > 0.05). SCr of two groups showed an increasing trend. SCr of the experiment group was significantly higher at month 1, 3, and 6 follow-ups than the baseline level (P < 0.05). But the increment of SCr was higher in the control group than in the experimental group, and obviously higher than the baseline levels (P < 0.05). eGFR of both groups showed a decreasing trend. The decrement was higher in the control group than in the experimental group (P < 0.05). The proportion of progression of renal functions at month 1, 3, and 6 of follow-ups in the experimental group was 0.0% (0 case), 9.55% (8 cases), and 21.4% (18 cases), while they were 8.3% (7 cases), 21.4% (18 cases), and 40.5% (34 cases) in the control group. There was no statistical difference in the proportion of progression of renal functions between the two groups at month 3 and 6 of follow-ups (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONQJC could effectively reduce urinary protein of patients with stage 3b DKD, and delay the progression of renal functions.

Adult ; Albumins ; analysis ; Albuminuria ; drug therapy ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Creatinine ; blood ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tetrazoles ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Valine ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Valsartan

This study investigated the mental health status of medical students in China, and analyzed the influencing factors in order to provide evidence for mental health education for medical students. A stratified cluster sampling method was used to recruit medical students from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China. The questionnaire survey on general information and Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) were used for investigation and analysis. The results showed among the 1137 valid questionnaires, 278 (24.45%) participants had SCL-90 score ≥ 160. The top three mental problems of medical students were obsessive-compulsive disorder, interpersonal sensitivity and depression in terms of the factor score ≥ 2.5 and the number of participants who reflected on the diseases. The third-year medical students had the worst mental health status, and fifth-year medical students had the best mental health status. Students from rural area had more psychological problems than those from urban area; furthermore, students with high professional satisfaction, those who were the single child of the family, non-poor students, and those whose parents had high education level had better mental health status. It was concluded that the mental health of medical students is not optimistic in China. Medical students have some mental health problems of different degrees. Factors that influence the mental health of medical students include academic pressure, professional satisfaction level and family environment.

AIM To investigate the effect of fenofibrate and simvastatin on the serum free fatty acids of alcoholic fatty liver in rats. METHODS The rat model of alcoholic fatty liver was reproduced by chronic ethanol ingestion plus olive oil diet. The model rats were divided into three groups as follows: finofibrate treatment group(finofibrate 80 mg?kg -1 po, once a day),simvastatin treatment group (simvastatin 4 mg?kg -1 po, once a day)and control group without either above-mentioned treatment. Experimental rats were treated for four weeks and then sacrificed for blood sampling. Serum free fatty acids were analyzed by gas chromatography. RESULTS Fenofibrate significantly ameliorated the decrease in polyunsaturated fatty acids induced by ethanol [oleic acid:(38.212?7.788) ?g?L -1 vs (31.620?6.142) ?g?L -1,linoleic acid:(37.269?8.065) ?g?L -1 vs (30.254?9.063) ?g?L -1,arachidonic acid:(11.646?2.601) ?g?L -1 vs (9.012?1.236) ?g?L -1] accompanied by the improvement of the fat infiltration of the liver, but demonstrated no effect on the increase in serum saturated fatty acids by ethanol. In the contrast, simvastatin can aggravate the decrease in polyunsatrurated fatty acids and significantly increase the levels of satrurated fatty acids in serum induced by ethanol along with the pathological aggravation of alcoholic fatty liver. CONCLUSION The results of present study revealed that fenofibrate and simvastatin exerted different effect on the serum free fatty acids of alcoholic fatty liver. Polyunsatrurated fatty acids in the serum play an important role in the pathogenesis and treatment response of alcoholic fatty liver.

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture at Hegu (LI 4) on central facial nerve paralysis after ischemic stroke, and explore dose-effect relationship among different stimulation intensities of acupuncture at Hegu (LI 4) as well as its optimal treatment plan.

METHODSAccording to different acupuncture stimulation intensities which were based on treatment time and needle insertion direction, fifty patients were randomly divided into a Hegu 1 group, a Hegu 2 group, a Hegu 3 group, a Hegu 4 group and a control group, ten cases in each one. Different stimulation intensities of acupuncture at Hegu (LI 4) combined with facial paralysis acupoints, including Yingxiang (LI 20), Dicang (ST 4), Jiache (ST 6) and Quanliao (SI 18), were applied in Hegu 1 to 4 groups; meanwhile acupuncture at stroke acupoints, including Neiguan (PC 6), Shuigou (GV 26) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6), and medication treatment were adopted. Except acupuncture at Hegu (LI 4), the treatment of the control group was identical as Hegu groups. The treatment duration lasted for 14 days. The House-Brackmann facial never grading systems (H-B), Toronto facial grading system (TFGS), degrees of facial never paralysis (DFNP), facial disability index (FDI) and clinical efficacy were compared among groups.

RESULTS(1) Compared before the treatment, H-B, TFGS, DFNP and physical function score in FDI were all improved significantly in the Hegu 1 to 4 groups (all P < 0.05), but social function score in FDI was not obviously improved (all P > 0.05); all the scores in the control group were not evidently changed (all P > 0.05). (2) Compared with the control group, differences of H-B before and after treatment in the Hegu 1 to 4 groups, differences of TFGS in the Hegu 2 group and differences of DFNP in the Hegu 1 and Hegu 2 group were significantly improved (all P < 0.05). The differences of any scale among Hegu 1 to 4 groups were not significant (all P > 0.05), in which the most evident change was found in Hegu 2 group. (3) The total effective rate was 90.0% (9/10), 100.0% (10/10), 90.0% (9/10) and 80.0% (8/10) in Hegu 1 to 4 groups, which were significantly higher than 60.0% (6/10) in the control group (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture at Hegu (LI 4) has affirmative clinical efficacy on central facial nerve paralysis after ischemic stroke, in which oblique insertion along the opposite direction of meridian for 5 s of twirling manipulation has the best clinical effect.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Facial Paralysis ; etiology ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stroke ; complications

Cysts ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of amifostine in treating aged patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Three aged ITP patients (one aged 88, one aged 75, another aged 65) were treated with amifostine over a period of 4 weeks for each. The results showed that the early positive responses were observed in all 3 aged patients after treatment with amifostine 5 x 400 mg per week for 4 weeks, the recovery of platelet counts to normal level were found in 2 cases after 1 week and in 1 case after 2 weeks. Following 4 months after stop of treatment with amifostine, the normal platelet counts still remains in all patients, no more blood transfusions, hormonal preparation and gamma-globulin were given. Amifostine has never been reported elewhere as to treat of aged ITP. In conclusion, amifostine has a good early therapeutic effect on aged ITP patients, but its clinical outcome of long-term still needs further evaluation.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Amifostine ; therapeutic use ; Drug Administration Schedule ; Humans ; Male ; Platelet Count ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic ; drug therapy ; Treatment Outcome

Objetive: To investigate whether apoptosis of SGC7901 cells can be induced by the expression of the recombinant gene of anti-HER2 ScFv/tBid. Methods: The recombinant anti-HER2 ScFv/tBid gene was cloned into vector pCMV and the recombinant plasmid was transfected into SGC7901 cells. The gene expression was detected by RT-PCR and immunofluorescent staining. Cell counting was carried out to show the effect of the gene transfection on cell growth. At the same time, significant apoptotic peak was detected by flow cytometry in recombinant anti-HER2 ScFv/tBid gene transfected cells. Results: The fusion protein of anti-HER2 ScFv/tBid was observed in the cytoplasm of transfected SGC7901 cells. The transfected cells displayed typical cell growth inhibition and apoptosis. Conclusion: Fusion protein of anti-HER2 ScFv/tBid can induce apoptosis of SGC7901.

The aim of this study was to investigate the curative effect of amifostine (AMF) combined with recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) on the aged patients with myelodysplastic syndrome. Two aged MDS patients (one aged 91; another 86) were treated with amifostine and rhEPO over a period of 4 weeks. The results showed that a short-term curative effect was observed and transfusion interval was prolonged in both patients after 4 week treatment with 5 x 0.4 g AMF plus 3 x 6,000 U rhEPO per week. The reticulocyte count in MDS-RA patient returned to normal at first week of treatment and still remained in normal level for 4 weeks; leukocyte, hemoglobin and platelet values in peripheral blood of MDS-RCMD patient obviousby increased, the abnormally increased reticulocyte value displayed a decrease trend after amifostine plus rh-EPO treatment. In conclusion, amifostine plus rhEPO may have a good therapeutic effect for aged MDS patients, and its clinical long-term curative effect still needs further evaluation.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Amifostine ; therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Erythropoietin ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; drug therapy ; Recombinant Proteins ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome

The present study was aimed to investigate the damage effect of hepatocyte growrh promoting substance (HGS) on the HL-60 cell DNA in vitro and to explore the possible mechanism underlying the effect. Experiment was divided into 3 groups: one was control group, in which 0.9% NaCl solution was added, and other two were experimental group 1 and group 2, where 22.5 microg/ml and 40 microg/ml HGS were added, respectively. HL-60 cell growths were compared between groups with and without HGS. Single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) was used to detect DNA damage of HL-60 cell. DNA electrophoresis was used to detect the apoptosis of HL-60 cells caused by HGS. The results showed that the inhibitory effects of HGS on growth of HL-60 cells were observed in group with 22.5 microg/ml and group with 40 microg/ml after culture for 2 days, the DNA ladder and the apoptosis of HL-60 cells occurred in these 2 groups on day 2 after addition of HGS, the counts of HL-60 cells with comet tail in these experimental groups were found to be more increased in comparison with control group. In conclusion, the HGS can inhibit the growth of HL-60 cell and the apoptosis of HL-60 cells should be induced through pathway of DNA damage caused by HGS.
Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; genetics ; Cattle ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Comet Assay ; DNA Damage ; DNA, Neoplasm ; analysis ; genetics ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; Peptides ; pharmacology