OBJECTIVETo analyze the clinical characteristics of elderly patients with spinal tuberculosis and explore its clinical effects with anti-TB drugs alone.

METHODSFrom January 2008 to July 2010, the data of 36 patients with spinal tuberculosis underwent conservative treatment of anti-TB drugs alone were analyzed. There were 19 males and 17 females with an average age of 73.5 years (ranged, 60 to 85). All patients were in the active phase with high ESR and CRP levels and were treated with 3HRZE/6-9HRE (course from 9 to 12 months). According to clinical symptoms, chemical examination, radiological image to adjust drug and depending on VAS score to evaluate pain.

RESULTSAll the patients were followed up from 8 to 24 months with an average of 15 months. Tuberculose of 31 patients healed after chemotherapy from 9 to 12 months and ESR and CRP recovered normally. Levofloxacin and para-amino salicylic acid were used in 4 cases because of 4 cases occurred drug fast for RFP or INH, after 15 months, their obtained healing. Symptom of 1 case got worse during chemotherapy, and surgical treatment were performed, after 3 months, ESR and CRP recovered normally, X-ray and CT showed spinal osteosclerosis and fusion without significant kyphosis and internal fixation loosening. Cobb angle was respectively(17.6+/-2.3) degrees, (18.1+/-2.7) degrees before treatment and last follow-up (P>0.05). MRI showed abscess was absorbed and spinal inflammation subsidised. VAS score was respectively 6.5+/-1.7, 1.4+/-0.5 before treatment and last follow-up (P<0.05). Seven patients had complications relating with drug adverse reaction,after discontinuation and treated with clinical symptom,the patients recovered normally.

CONCLUSIONAnti-TB drugs alone can obtain satisfactory effects in treating early senile spinal tuberculosis, but strict supervision and individual administration should not be disregardful.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antitubercular Agents ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tuberculosis, Spinal ; diagnosis ; drug therapy

Objective To evaluate the effect of hydrogen-rich saline on the expression of phosphor-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-p38MAPK) during cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in rats.Methods Seventy-two adult male Sprague-Dawley rats,weighing 220-250 g,were randomly divided into 3 groups (n =20 each) using a random number table:sham operation group (group S),I/R group and hydrogen-rich saline group (group I/RH).Cerebral ischemia was induced in chloral hydrate-anesthetized rats by 2 h middle cerebral artery occlusion in I/R and I/RH groups.The artery was only exposed but not occluded in group S.At 3 days before operation and immediately after onset of reperfusion,hydrogen-rich saline (0.6 mmol/L) 10 ml/kg was intraperitoneally injected in group I/RH,while the equal volume of normal saline was given in S and I/R groups.Neurological deficits were blindly assessed and scored at the end of 24 h reperfusion.The animals were then sacrificed,and brains were removed for microscopic examination and for determination of the cerebral infarct size (by TTC),brain water content,cell apoptosis (by TUNEL),and expression of p38MAPk and phosphor-p38MAPK (p-p38MAPK) (by immunohistochemistry and Western blot).Apoptosis index was calculated.Results Compared with group S,neurological deficit score,apoptosis index,brain water content and cerebral infarct size were significantly increased,and the expression of p38MAPK and p-p38MAPK was up-regulated in I/R and I/RH groups.Compared with group I/R,neurological deficit score,apoptosis index,brain water content and cerebral infarct size were significantly decreased,and the expression of p38MAPK and p-p38MAPK was down-regulated in group I/RH.The pathological changes of cerebral tissues were significantly attenuated in group I/RH as compared with group I/R.Conclusion Hydrogen-rich saline can reduce cell apoptosis through inhibiting p-p38MAPK expression,thus attenuating cerebral I/R injury in rats.

Objective To evaluate the effect of hydrogen on the activation of caspase-3 in brain tissues during cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in rats.Methods Thirty-six healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley rats,weighing 220-250 g,were divided into 3 groups (n=12 each) using a random number table:sham operation (group S),I/R group and hydrogen group (group H).Cerebral ischemia was induced by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery followed by reperfusion in I/R and H groups.In group H,hydrogen-rich saline 5 ml/kg (0.6 mmol/L) was injected intraperitoneally at 3 days before establishment of the model and immediately after the onset of reperfusion.At 24 h of reperfusion,the rats were sacrificed,and hippocampal tissues were obtained for determination of neuroapoptosis (by TUNEL),apoptotic neuron count and expression of activated caspase-3 (by Western blot).The brain tissues in the ischemic area were obtained and stained with haematoxylin and eosin for examination of the pathological changes.Results Compared with group S,the expression of activated caspase-3 was significantly up-regulated,and the apoptotic neuron count was increased in I/R and H groups (P<0.05).Compared with group I/R,the expression of activated caspase-3 was significantly down-regulated,the apoptotic neuron count was decreased (P<0.05),and the pathological changes of brain tissues were significantly reduced in group H.Conclusion The mechanism by which hydrogen inhibits neuroapoptosis during cerebral I/R is probably related to inhibited activation of caspase-3 in brain tissues of rats.

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents in fresh fleshyscaleaf of Lilium lancifolium.

METHODThe constituents were separated. by various kinds of chromatography and their structures were identified on the basis of spectral analysis.

RESULTTen compounds were identified regaloside A (1), regaloside C (2), methyl-a-D-mannopyranosid (3), methyl-ca-D-glucopyranoside (4), (25R, 26R) -26-methoxyspirost-5-ene-3p-yl-O-ca-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside (5), (25R)-spirost-5-ene-3beta-yl-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside (6), (25R, 26R)-17alpha-hydroxy-26-methoxyspirost-5-ene-3beta-yl-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-[beta-D-glucopyra nosyl-(1-->6)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside (7), daucosterol (8), adenoside (9), berberine (10).

CONCLUSIONAll compounds except 1 and 3 were isolated from this species for the first time, and berberine was first reported in genus Lilium.

Berberine ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Lilium ; chemistry ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Saponins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of augmentative locking compression plate combined with bone graft in treating aseptic femoral shaft nonunion after intramedullary nailing.

METHODSTwenty-one cases with aseptic femoral shaft nonunion after intramedullary nailing from January 2007 to January 2013 were treated,including 18 males and 3 females with a mean age of 37.7 years (ranged from 23 to 64 years). The mean period of nonunion after surgery was 23.9 months (ranged from 9 to 62 months). According to Weber-Cech classification,10 of those 21 cases were hypertrophic nonunion,7 were atrophic, and 4 had oligotrophic fracture nonunion. All patients retained the original intramedullary nail, and applied with augmentation plating of 6 to 8 holes locking compression plate, unicortical fixation with 2 to 3 locking screws in the proximal or distal end, with simultaneous autologous iliac bone grafting. After treatment,all patients were allowed to partial weight-bearing until full weight-bearing according to the radiological results. All patients were followed up and were evaluated with clinical and imaging results.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up from 8 to 24 months, averaged (13.5±3.5) months,which showed clinical union at 4 to 8 months, averaged (6.0±1.0) months and radiological solid union at 7 to 12 months, averaged (9.1±1.5) months. No such complications as infection,hardware loosening or breaking were found.

CONCLUSIONAugmentative locking compression plate(LCP) combined with bone graft for aseptic femoral shaft nonunion after intramedullary nail has a satisfied clinical efficacy. It's an useful and simple method.

Adult ; Bone Nails ; adverse effects ; Bone Plates ; Bone Transplantation ; Female ; Femoral Fractures ; complications ; surgery ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; adverse effects ; Fractures, Ununited ; complications ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; etiology ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of compound Danshen Dripping Pill (DSP) on carotid arterial intima-media thickness (IMT) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

METHODSOne hundred and thirty T2DM patients were assigned to four groups, 32 in the Group A, the control group treated with blood glucose (BG) and blood pressure (BP) controlling; 32 in the Group B, with BG, BP and blood lipid (BL) controlling, 32 in Group C with BG, BP, BL controlling and vitamin E administration, and 34 in Group D with BG, BP, BL controlling and DSP administration. Patients in Group D were subdivided by Chinese medicine syndrome differentiation into four types, 8 of Yin-deficiency with flourishing heat type (YDFH), 5 of both qi-yin deficient type (BQYD), 8 of both yin-yang deficient type (BYYD) and 13 of blood-stasis and qi-stagnant type (BSQS). Fasting blood glucose (FBG), BP and BL in patients were observed periodically, and IMT in them were measured by ultrasonography before treatment, as well as at the end of the 1st, 3rd, and 5th year of treatment to dynamically observe the changes of IMT and condition of plaque formation, and analyze the relation between them with FBG, BP and BL.

RESULTSThe 5-year follow-up was performed in 105 patients. In the observation period, level of total cholesterol (TC) showed a decreasing trend and level of high density cholesterol (HDL-C) showed an increasing trend in all the 4 groups, the improvements in Group C and D were slightly better than those in Group B, while significantly superior to those in Group A; the changes of FBG and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbAlc) were insignificant in the 4 groups. IMT and numbers of atheroma plaque increased gradually in all groups in the observation period, however, the changes in Group D were lesser than those in other groups, showing significant difference (P < 0.01). It was showed that the increasing of cervical carotid IMT in T2DM patients was correlated with levels of HbAlc, HDL-C, LDL-C, triglyceride and TC, especially in Group D.

CONCLUSIONDSP might delay the occurrence and development of diabetic macro-vascular disease.

Carotid Arteries ; pathology ; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Diabetic Angiopathies ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry ; Tunica Intima ; pathology ; Tunica Media ; pathology

Objective:To investigate the influence of sCD80-Linker-sCD40L fusion protein on the unspecific anti- tumor immunity in vitro.Methods:Ovarian cancer SKOV3 cells were separately transfected with recombinant adenoviral vectors containing sCD80-Linker-sCD40L fusion gene,sCD80 gene,sCD40L gene or with control adenovirus.The expres- sion of the sCD80-Linker-sCD40L fusion protein,sCD80 protein and sCD40L protein in the supernatants of SKOV3 cells was determined by ELISA.Dendritic cells(DCs)were cultured with peripheral blood mononuclear cells from a patient with ovarian carcinoma.DCs and autologous T cells were co-cuhured and were exposed to different supernatants for 48 h. The allostimulatory effects of DCs on T cells were determined by mixed lymphocyte reaction(MLR).The unspecific kill- ing activities of induced T cells against SKOV3/K562 cells were measured by LDH-releasing assay.Results:ELISA assay showed that levels of the sCD80-Linker-sCD40L fusion protein,sCD80 protein and sCD40L protein in the supernatants of transfeced SKOV3 cells were 2.791 ng/ml,1.956 ng/ml and 1.407 ng/ml,respectively.The fusion protein-exposed DCs ([0.382?0.053]vs[0.167?0.028],P

Utilizing the enrichment substrate,an aerobic denitrifying bacterial strain with the capability of phosphorus removal was screened from the activated sludge which had been domesticated by actual living sewage.By the morphological observing and identification of the physiological and biochemical indexes,the strain was identified to belong to Pseudomonas.The aerobic denitrifying bacterial strain was applied to deal with the simulated and actual living wastewater.By inspecting the changes of total nitrogen,inorganic phosphorus and CODcr in the wastewater,it was ascertained that the optimal wastewater treatment condi-tions of the bacterial strain were C/N= 3,inoculated ratio= 10%,pH 6.8,30?C,treatment time= 2 d.After the activated sludge was strengthened by the aerobic denitrifying bacterial strain,its treatment capability for ac-tual living sewage was improved,evidently.

Objective To compare and quantify the determinants in quantitative electroencephalogram(q-EEG) and heart rate variability power spectrum analysis(HRV-PSA) of ketamme(KTM) anesthesia for preschoolers. Methods Seventy four cases were selected and assigned into 3 groups named A(4-5 years), B(5-6 years), C(6-7 years), 22,28,24 cases in every group respectively. All cases were induced with KTM 5 mg /kg intramuscularly and changes of determinants were recorded continuously. If body movement happened, KTM would be injected with 1 mg/kg. Results On pre- anesthesia, BIS in group A was the least among 3 groups, while LF/HF and HRVI were the largest(P

Objective To explore the changes of atrial natriuretic peptide(ANP)and parathyroid hormone(PTH)in umbilical cord blood of newborn infants with intrauterine growth retardation(IUGR)and their relationships with electrolytic.Methods A total of 71 IUGR infants borned between Jan.2006 and Aug.2007 were enrolled in this study.Another 40 normal appropriate for gestational age neonates were selected as control group.The study group were divided into 2 groups:mature IUGR group(n=29)and premature IUGR group(n=42).The samples of umbilical cord blood of every group were collected at the time of delivery,and ANP,PTH levels in umbilical cord blood were mea-sured by radioimmunoassay.The sodium,calcium levels in their peripheral vein were measured simultaneously.Results 1.Compared with control group[(0.78?0.42)?g/L],the ANP levels of premature IUGR group[(1.26?0.47)?g/L] and the mature IUGR group[(1.09?0.51)?g/L] were significantly increased(t=5.98,2.76 Pa0.05).The calcium levels of the premature IUGR group[(1.85?0.37)mmol/L]significantly decreased(t=1.93 P0.05)compared with control group [(2.02?0.44)mmol/L].3.The serum sodium level was negatively correlated with the umbilical ANP level(r=-0.93 P