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.

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.

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

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 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 discuss the diagnosis of pediatric concealed penis and evaluate the results after the correction of the pediatric concealed penis.

METHODSTwenty patients with pediatric concealed penis were treated by using a modified Devine's technique.

RESULTSThe appearance with a straightening penile was achieved in all of the patients. All of the patients recovered well after the operation without any complications.

CONCLUSIONSThe modified Devine' s technique could be a safe and effective method for the correction of the pediatric concealed penis with satisfactory outcome.

Adolescent ; Child ; Humans ; Male ; Penis ; abnormalities ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Skin Transplantation ; Surgical Flaps

Objective To estimate the incidence,mortality and 5-year prevalence rates of liver cancer in 2008,China.Methods Data from both 36 cancer registries and the Third National Death Survey in China (2004-2005) were used to estimate the incidence,mortality and 5-year prevalence of liver cancer in 2008 in the country by using the mathematical models to predict the liver cancer incidence and mortality in the next 20 years.Results In 2008,the incident cases of liver cancer was 402 208 ( 14.3％ of the total cancers) and the number of deaths from liver cancer was 372 079 ( 19.0％ of the total cancers).The incidence rate was 25.7/100 000,ranking the third among all cancers.The mortality rate was 23.7/100 000,ranking the second among all the cancers.The 5-year prevalence of liver cancer was 296 082 (6.4％ of the total cancers) with the proportion as 27.7/100 000,ranking the sixth among all the cancers.72.8％ of the liver cancer cases appeared in men and the sex ratio of male to female was 2.7:1.In terms of deaths due to liver cancer,74.3％ of them occurred in men,with sex ratio of male to female as 2.9:1.At any age group,the incidence and mortality of liver cancer among males were higher than those of females.Liver cancer happened more frequently among people older than 40 years of age,particularly among males.Data under our prediction showed that the incidence and mortality of liver cancer in China would gradually increase in the next 20 years.Conclusion Liver cancer is one of the most important public health issues in China.Both incidence and mortality of liver cancer have been increasing in China.The key populations for liver cancer prevention and control programs should be those who were older than 40-year-old,particularly on men.

Objective To understand the correlation between the sleep duration and the dangerous self-injurious behaviors of junior school students in Shanghai.Methods By using systematic sampling methods, 21 junior schools were randomly selected from 17 districts in Shanghai.By using simple random sampling methods, 2 classes were randomly selected from each grade of students from each of the selected junior schools.By using the Survey Questionnaire for Health-related Behaviors of Teenagers in Shanghai(junior school students'edition), questionnaire surveys were performed to investigate the sleep duration and the related dangerous self-injurious behaviors of junior school students.Results A total of 6 414 students (of which male students occupied 49.1% and female students occupied 50.9%) were surveyed and the pass rate of questionnaires was 99.55%.The average age of the students surveyed was 13.28±1.84.21.1% of the students surveyed slept less than 7 hours every day, 69.6% thereof slept 7-8 hours every day and 9.3% thereof slept 9 hours or more every day.In the past 12 months, 47.2% of the students surveyed often felt lonely,71.3% thereof felt unhappy because of study stress or unsatisfactory school records and 9.3% thereof cancelled their daily activities for 2 weeks or more because of feeling sad and desperate.11.7% of the students surveyed conducted self-injurious behaviors, 11.9% thereof contemplated suicide, 6.9% thereof made plans for suicide.The sleep duration of the students surveyed was negatively correlated with the rate of psychological depression related to self-injuries as well as the self-injurious behaviors thereof.Conclusion Lack of sleep is common among junior school students in Shanghai, and sleep insufficiency is correlated with self-injurious psychology and behaviors.which suggests that it is very much necessary to provide junior school students with education that improves sleep.

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 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