Angina Pectoris ; drug therapy ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Phytotherapy ; Technology, Pharmaceutical

Objective To know the influence of gastrointestinal decontamination (including gastric lavage and activated charcoal treatment) on prognosis of asymptomatic presentation poisoning patients.Method six hundred and twenty seven asymptomatic presentation poisoning cases through January 1999 to December 2006 were reviewed retrospectively.Duration of ED stay and intubation requiring rate were compared between the intervention group and control group (patients treated only with supportive care),as well as complications associated with gastrointestinal decontamination intervention.Results Statistic analysis reveals no difference between the intervention group and the control group in rate of intubation (6.5 % vs 5.3 %,P=0.51) and emergency care unit admission (28.1% vs 26.6%,P=0.68).Meanwhile duration of ED stay is prolonged profoundly in prevention group [ (11.2?4.7) vs (8.9?5.0),P

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect and safety of L-carnitine in the treatment of idiopathic oligoasthenozoospermia based on current clinical evidence.

METHODSWe searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CNKI, VIP, CBM and Wanfang Database from the establishment to April 2014 for the published literature on the treatment of idiopathic oligoasthenozoospermia with L-carnitine. We conducted literature screening, data extraction, and assessment of the methodological quality of the included trials according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, followed by statistical analysis with the RevMan 5. 2 software.

RESULTSSeven randomized controlled trials involving 751 patients with idiopathic oligoasthenozoospermia met the inclusion criteria, and 678 of them were included in the meta-analysis. L-carnitine treatment achieved a significantly increased rate of spontaneous pregnancy as compared with the control group (RR = 3.2, 95% CI 1.74 to 5.87, P = 0.0002). After 12-16 and 24-26 weeks of medication, total sperm motility (WMD = 5.21, 95% CI 2.78 to 7.64, P < 0.0001 and WMD = 9.29, 95% CI 1.28 to 17.29, P = 0.02) and the percentage of progressively motile sperm (WMD = 12.44, 95% CI 4.58 to 20.31, P = 0.002 and WMD = 9.76, 95% CI 3.56 to 15.97, P = 0.002) were remarkably higher than those in the control group, but no statistically significant differences were observed in sperm concentration between the two groups (WMD = 4.91, 95% CI -2.63 to 12.45, P = 0.2 and WMD = 0.93, 95% CI -3.48 to 5.34, P = 0.68). After 12-16 weeks of treatment, the percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm was markedly decreased in the L-carnitine group as compared with the control (WMD = -2.48, 95% CI -4.35 to -0.61, P = 0.009), but showed no significant difference from the latter group after 24-26 weeks (WMD = -4.38, 95% CI -9.66 to 0.89, P = 0.1). No statistically significant difference was found in the semen volume between the two groups after 12-16 or 24-26 weeks of medication (WMD = -0.13, 95% CI -0.43 to 0.18, P = 0.42 and WMD = 0.28, 95% CI -0.02 to 0.58, P = 0.07). No serious L-carnitine-related adverse events were reported in 4 of the randomniized controlled trials.

CONCLUSIONThe current evidence indicates that L-carnitine can improve spontaneous pregnancy and semen parameters in the treatment of idiopathic oligoasthenozoospermia, with no serious adverse reactions.

Asthenozoospermia ; drug therapy ; Carnitine ; adverse effects ; pharmacology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Semen Analysis ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility

BACKGROUND: Altered mental status (AMS) is a very common emergency case, but the exact etiology of many AMS patients is unknown. Patients often manifest vague symptoms, thus, AMS diagnosis and treatment are highly challenging for emergency physicians. The aim of this study is to provide a framework for the assessment of AMS patients. This assessment should allow providers to better understand the etiology of mental status changes and therefore improve diagnostic skills and management. METHODS: This is a prospective cohort observational study. We recruited all adult patients with undifferentiated AMS at a single center tertiary care academic emergency department over 24 months (June 2009 to June 2011). Demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, assessment approaches, causative factors, emergency treatments and outcomes were collected prospectively. RESULTS: In 1934 patients with AMS recruited, accounting for 0.93％ of all emergency department (ED) patients, 1026 (53.1％) were male, and 908 (46.9％) female. Their average age was 51.95±15.71 years. Etiologic factors were neurological (n=641; 35.0％), pharmacological and toxicological (n=421; 23.0％), systemic and organic (n=266; 14.5％), infectious (n=167; 9.1％), endocrine/metabolic (n=145; 7.9％), psychiatric (n=71; 3.9％), traumatic (n=38; 2.1％), and gynecologic and obstetric (n=35; 1.9％). Total mortality rate was 8.1％ (n=156). The death rate was higher in elderly patients (≥60) than in younger patients (10.8％ vs. 6.9％,P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AMS pose a challenge for ED physicians. The most frequently encountered diagnostic categories causing AMS were primary CNS disorders, intoxication, organ system dysfunction, and endocrine/metabolic diseases. AMS has a high fatality rate in the ED. AMS is an important warning signal for ED patients because of its potentially fatal and reversible effects. Prompt evaluation and treatment are essential to decreasing morbidity and mortality associated with AMS.

OBJECTIVETo observe the expression of Clara cell secretory protein(CCSP) in the Kunming mouse model of n-hexane long-term inhalation, and to discuss the functions of Clara cell in injury lung induced by n-hexane.

METHODS24 healthy mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: one control group and three n-hexane groups (4 w, 8 w and 12 w), 6 each group. Primary concentration of n-hexane was 17.6 g/m3, 8 hours per day, 6 d per week. After inhalation, n-hexane concentration of blood from celiac artery was detected. The lungs were embedded with paraffin and HE staining in the routine. The ratio of Clara cells with CCSP reaction in bronchiole and the number of macrophage cells with lysozyme reaction were determined by immuno-histochemistry.

RESULTSIn the poisoning groups, the average n-hexane concentration of blood was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.01). There were apparent pathologic damages in lungs of the poisoning mice. In poisoning 4 w, 8 w and 12 w groups, the ratio of Clara cells was significantly decreased [(73.33 +/- 4.21)%, (60.98 +/- 4.94)%, (34.04 +/- 2.33)% in terminal bronchiole, and (75.44 +/- 7.91)%, (58.54 +/- 4.86)%, (33.35 +/- 2.67)% in respiratory bronchiole] as compared with the control mice [(80.26 +/- 6.43)% and (81.74 +/- 7.75)%, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01], meanwhile the numbers of macrophage cells were gradually increased [(21.39 +/- 7.41), (28.54 +/- 10.73), (48.97 +/- 19.55) per microscopic field at 200x] in poisoning mice than those in control mice [(7.84 +/- 3.12) per microscopic field at 200x, P < 0.05 or P < 0.01].

CONCLUSIONIn injury lungs after n-hexane inhalation, Clara cells are the target cells of n-hexane toxicity effect. Clara cells play an extensive protective role in lung inflammation.

Animals ; Epithelial Cells ; metabolism ; Hexanes ; toxicity ; Inhalation Exposure ; Lung Injury ; etiology ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Toxicity Tests, Chronic ; Uteroglobin ; metabolism

A sensitive and selective LC-MS/MS method for determination of citalopram in human plasma was established to study the bioequivalence of different formulations containing citalopram. The samples were simply pretreated by protein precipitation using acetonitrile, and then analyzed on a Zorbax Extend C8 column. The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-water-formic acid (60:40:0.2), at a flow-rate of 0.5 mL x min(-1). A Thermo Finnigan TSQ Quantum Ultra tandem mass spectrometer equipped with electrospray ionization source was used as detector and was operated in the positive ion mode. Selected reaction monitoring using the precursor to product ion combinations of m/z 325 --> m/z 109 and m/z 265 --> m/z 167 was performed to quantify citalopram and the internal standard, respectively. The pharmacokinetic parameters of citalopram in different formulations were calculated by non-compartment model. The linear calibration curves were obtained in the concentration range of 0.10-100 microg x L(-1). The lower limit of quantification was 0.10 microg x L(-1). The intra- and inter-day relative standard deviation (RSD) over the entire concentration range was less than 5.2%. Accuracy determined at three concentrations (0.25, 8.00 and 90.0 microg x L(-1) for citalopram) ranged from -4.7% to 1.3%. Each plasma sample was chromatographed within 3.0 min. The method was successfully used in bioequivalence study of citalopram in human plasma after oral administration of 20 mg citalopram. Calculated with AUC(0-120 h), the bioavailability of two formulations was (102.1 +/- 10.9)%. The method is rapid, selective, robust and is proved to be suitable for bioequivalence evaluation of different formulations containing citalopram.
Administration, Oral ; Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Area Under Curve ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Citalopram ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Humans ; Male ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Therapeutic Equivalency

Haizao Yuhu decoction (HYD) is a formula that has been used for approximately 500 years and famous for its efficiency in treating thyroid-related diseases in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). HYD was first presented by Chen Shi-gong in a famous surgical monograph named Waike Zhengzong during the Ming Dynasty. We conducted the research to investigate the possible pharmacokinetic profile of different prescriptions of HYD in rats, in order to reveal the interactions of Haizao and Gancao drug pair with other herbs in HYD. Liquiritin, naringin, besperidin, peimine, peiminine liquiritigenin, glycyrrhizic acid, hergapten, nobiletin, osthole, glycyrrhetinic acid in blood samples were determined by UPLC-MS/MS. The result revealed tbat Haizao could enhance the peak concentration of glycyrrhizic acid. The other herbs in HYD may promote'the absorption of flavonoids in Gancao in normal rats, but inhibit the absorption of saponins and accelerate their metabolism. Gancao and Haizao drug pair could enhance the bioavailability of hesperidin, peimine, bergapten, nobiletin and osthole and prolong the elimination of peimine and naringin.
Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Male ; Mass Spectrometry ; Plasma ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Flavonol synthase (FLS) is one of the key enzymes in flavonoids metabolic pathways. In this study, middle sequence was obtained from Carthamus tinctorius transcriptome sequencing results. Full-length cDNAs of FLS was cloned from petals of C. tinctorius to FLS by using RT-PCR and RACE technology. Its full-length cDNA was 1,201 bp, with an open reading frame of 1,101 bp and 336 encoded amino acids. The phylogenetic analysis showed that, FLS gene encoded amino acids in C. tinctorius were highly homologous with amino acids in congeneric Compositae species, especially Rudbeckia laciniata. The pBASTA-FLS plant expression vector was successfully built by the molecular biology method, which lays a foundation for further studying biology functions of the gene and biosynthesis mechanism of flavonoids.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Base Sequence ; Carthamus tinctorius ; classification ; enzymology ; genetics ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; metabolism ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Open Reading Frames ; Oxidoreductases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism

Adult ; Hepatic Encephalopathy ; therapy ; Hepatitis ; complications ; therapy ; Humans ; Liver Failure, Acute ; therapy ; Liver, Artificial ; Plasma Exchange

OBJECTIVECanine model established for tracheal defect reconstruction, to investigate the outcome of tracheal reconstruction with combination of polypropylene and flap.

METHODSAbout 3.5 to 4 centimeter cervical trachea was resected and replaced with artificial trachea made from monofilament knitted polypropylene and surgical flap. Covered stent was implanted postoperatively. Survival period and quality of life were recorded, bronchofibroscopy, X-ray films and HE sections were performed.

RESULTSSix dogs survived well and another two died. The causes of death were respiratory failure in 1 and infection in another. Stenosis of anastomosis in 1 was recorded during survival period. The dogs started drinking and eating on the second postoperative day, no dyspnea was found. The animals were sacrificed at 2, 4, 8 weeks and 6 months after surgery. Soft tissue growth was found in polypropylene net 2 weeks after surgery and more at 4 weeks. The polypropylene net was covered completely with soft tissue at 8 weeks and 6 months postoperatively, the hardness and sustentation degree were enhanced following the growth and fibrosis of soft tissue. The squamous epithelium and columnar epithelium were observed healing well by HE staining method.

CONCLUSIONSOne-stage operative artificial trachea made from monofilament knitted polypropylene which has good histocompatibility and surgical flap is the closer artificial trachea to native trachea. It has a promising prospect in clinical use.

Animals ; Dogs ; Polypropylenes ; Prostheses and Implants ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; instrumentation ; methods ; Skin Transplantation ; Surgical Flaps ; Trachea ; surgery