AlM:To find better ways of treating ocular alkali burn, and to reduce the suffering of patients and social burden.METHODS:Totally 100 patients were graded according to the degree of chemical burns to four major groups, each half were randomly divided into the control group and the treatment group. Control group underwent conventional treatment. ln addition to conventional therapy, patients in each treatment group were also added a Breviscapine intravenous injection of 40mg daily. Corneal recovery time, changes in vision, degree of corneal opacity, number of corneal neovascularization and other complications were observed. Curative effects were analyzed statistically.
RESULTS:There was no significant difference in levelⅠgroup between control group and treatment group ( P>0. 05); There were significantly different in level Ⅱ, Ⅲand Ⅳ group ( P<0. 05 ). Compared to the degree of corneal opacity and the number of corneal neovascularization, the treatment group was obviously better than the control group(P<0. 05).
CONCLUSlON: Breviscapine in the treatment of ocular alkali burns can shorten the course of treatment, reduce corneal scarring, and improve vision.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) serotype on the interferon (IFN) treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C.

METHODSNinety-eight patients with chronic hepatitis C were divided into two groups: patients in group 1 (n=53) were treated with Pegasys, 180 ug injected subcutaneously once a week for 24 weeks, and those in group 2 (n=45) were injected with Roferon-A 3 MU three times a week for 24 weeks and then patients in both groups were followed up for another 24 weeks. The virological response at the end of follow up was the primary endpoint for evaluating the effects of IFN treatment. The HCV RNA levels of the chronic hepatitis C patients were determined with COBAS AMPLICOR MONITOR Test, version 2.0, and the HCV serotypes were examined by the means of ELISA using Murex HCV Serotyping 1-6 Assay.

RESULTSOf the 98 cases, HCV in 44 cases was serotype 1, in 23 was serotype 2, in 10 was serotype 3, in 1 was serotype 4, 1 was serotype 5 and in 2 was serotype 6; HCV serotypes in the remaining 17 patients could not determined. In Pegasys treatment group, the biochemical and virological response was not significantly different at the end of treatment between the patients with serotype 1 and non serotype 1 or serotype undetermined patients, but the sustained virological response rate of HCV serotype undetermined group (66.7 percent) was significantly higher than that of serotype 1 patients (27.3 percent) (p=0.035). In Roferon-A treatment group, the virological response rate at 24 weeks and sustained viral response rate at the end of follow-up was not significantly different between serotype 1 and non serotype 1 patients or serotype undetermined patients.

CONCLUSIONAfter the six months treatment course, the HCV serotype had some effects on the treatment response to Pegasys treatment for chronic hepatitic C.

Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; administration & dosage ; Drug Administration Schedule ; Female ; Hepacivirus ; drug effects ; immunology ; Hepatitis C Antibodies ; blood ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Humans ; Interferons ; administration & dosage ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

From original concept and literature of acupoint, the concept and clinical significance of ashi method is discussed, which clarifies that the essence of ashi method is to locate the acupoints by patients' sensitivity on force. The clinical application of heat-sensitive moxibustion has illustrated that positioning method of this therapy is based on the appearance of heat-sensitive moxibustion sensation. Although both types are based on patients' feeling, positioning method of heat-sensitive moxibustion stands on a new angle and uses a new method to locate acupoint. Therefore, it is believed that the positioning method of heat-sensitive moxibustion is the inheritance and development of ashi method.
Acupuncture Points ; China ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Medicine in Literature ; Moxibustion ; history ; methods ; Sensation

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Deferasirox on the micro-angiogenesis in narrow pedicle flap through Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition.

METHODS32 male rats were randomly divided into group I and II which were subdivided into Ia and Ib, IIa and IIb, 8 rats in each group. The rats were administrated intragastrically for 7 days with Deferasirox 100 mg/kg in group Ia and IIa, with the same dose of N. S. in group Ib and IIb. After that, narrow pedicle flaps were formed on the rats back. In group I, the subcutaneous vascular network was observed intraoperatively. The flap survival rate was recorded. In group II , specimens were collected at the distal end of flaps 3 days after operation. IHC and Western Blot were done to examine the expression of CD34, E-cadherin, Vimentin. The microvessel density was also calculated.

RESULTSThe subcutaneous micro-angiogenesis in group Ia was more exuberant than that in group Ib. The narrow pedicle flaps in group Ia survived completely, while the survival rate was 62.5% in group Ib (P < 0.05). The percentage of flap survival area for Ia and Ib was (100 +/- 0.00) % and (84.06 +/- 4.42)% (P < 0.05). The expression of E-cadherin in IIa was lower than that in IIb, while the expression of Vimentin and CD34 were higher in IIa, showing statistically difference (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONDeferasirox can improve the flap micro-angiogenesis through inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition, so as to improve the survival rate of narrow pedicle flap.

Animals ; Benzoates ; pharmacology ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; drug effects ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Surgical Flaps ; blood supply ; Triazoles ; pharmacology

Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Myeloma ; diagnosis ; immunology ; Prognosis ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; immunology

BACKGROUNDTo study the predictive factors associated with clinical deterioration in SARS patients.

METHODSThe clinical data of 60 SARS patients were analyzed by logistic regression and Cox's proportional hazards analysis.

RESULTSIn logistic regression models, both older age (P=0.009) and severe lymphopenia (P=0.004) were significant predictors of clinical deterioration. In Cox's proportional hazard models, severe lymphopenia was significant predictor associated with prolongation of stay in hospital.

CONCLUSIONOlder age and severe lymphopenia seem to be statistically significant for predicting the clinical deterioration in SARS patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Disease Progression ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Lymphopenia ; virology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Random Allocation ; SARS Virus ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; complications ; diagnosis ; immunology ; virology

Naringenin (1) was transformed to three metabolites (2-4) by Mucor sp. Based on LCMS(n)-IT-TOF and NMR spectroscopic data, 2-4 were identified as naringenin-7-O-sulphate, naringenin-4'-O-sulphate, and naringenin-5-O-sulphate, respectively. These results might provide hints to the mammalian/human metabolism of naringenin.
Biotransformation ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Flavanones ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Molecular Structure ; Mucor ; metabolism ; Sulfates ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate whether the rapid viral response (RVR) to combinational therapy with interferon and rabavirin can be used to predict the sustained viral response (SVR) in chronic hepatitis C patients.

METHODSAccording to their clinical characteristics, all patients in this study were given pegylated or conventional interferon injection and different dose of ribavirin according to their weight. Patients were injected Pegasys (pegierferon alpha-2a) 180 microg or 135 microg once a week, or pegyintron 50-80 microg once a week, or conventional interferon 3-5 MU every two days, in combination with a dose of 600-1500 mg/d ribavirin. The serum HCV RNA load was determined at 0, 4, 12 week, and then every 12 weeks. After the viral response obtained, the patients were treated for another 24-72 weeks and followed up 24 weeks. The main parameter to evaluate the efficacy was SVR rate. The influence factors associated with rapid viral response were investigated.

RESULTSRVR was obtained at week 4 in 84.2% of the 120 patients. The HCV RNA baseline of RVR group was (5.883+/-1.246) lg copies/ml, which was significantly lower than that of the group without RVR [(6.502+/-0.693) lg copies/ml, t=2.15, P=0.034]. 97 patients with RVR who finished treatment and follow-up, 90.7% of these patients obtained SVR, but the SVR rate in patients (82.4%) without RVR was lower than that in patients with RVR (x2=0.371, P=0.543). In this study, RVR rate was not associated with HCV genotype and the dose of interferon used. In the naive patients, the RVR to pegylated interferon was 87.8%, which was significantly higher than that in retreat patients (x2=4.651, P=0.031).

CONCLUSIONHigh RVR rate could be obtained in chronic hepatitis C patients treated combined with interferon and ribavirin. RVR rate is associated with the HCV RNA baseline load in both naive and retreat patients but not correlated to HCV genotype. RVR could predict the SVR.

Administration, Cutaneous ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antiviral Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Genotype ; Hepacivirus ; drug effects ; genetics ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; blood ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polyethylene Glycols ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Predictive Value of Tests ; RNA, Viral ; blood ; Recombinant Proteins ; Recurrence ; Ribavirin ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Viral Load ; Young Adult

In the research and development of new drugs, it is very important to investigate the in vitro metabolism of candidate drugs. Traditional models such as liver microsomes have many limitations, while the in vitro model of recombinant human drug metabolizing enzymes is considered as an important and useful approach because of its convenient access, stable activity and low cost. In this study, six major human UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) genes (UGT1A1, 1A3, 1A4, 1A6, 1A9 and 2B7) were cloned from human liver cDNA and heterologously expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and baculovirus-infected insect cell. UGT1A1, 1A3, 1A6 and 1A9 were successfully expressed in yeast and showed glucuronidation activity against a variety of different structural types of substrates, but their activities were low. All six UGTs were successfully expressed and exhibited significantly improved glucuronidation activity when Trichopolusia ni cells BTI-TN5B1-4 (High Five) were used as the host. The recombinant human UGTs expressed in insect cells can catalyze the glucuronidation of their specific substrates, and the glucuronidation products were synthesized at milligram-scale with yields of 13%-66% for the first time, of which the structures were identified via MS, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopic analysis. Above all, the recombinant human UGTs yeast and insect cell expression systems constructed in this study can be used for in vitro metabolism evaluation in the early stage of new drugs research and development, and also provide a new tool for the synthesis of glucuronide metabolites.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of ginseng and Ligustrazine drug containing serum on the proliferation, vitality, and extracellular-signal-responsive kinase (ERK) pathway in neural stem cells undergoing in vitro oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation culture.

METHODSThe cultured neural stem cells were randomly divided into 5 groups, i.e., the normal control group (Group A), the oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation group (Group B), the oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation +ginseng serum group (Group C), the oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation + Ligustrazine serum group (Group D), and oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation +ginseng and Ligustrazine drug serum group (Group E).The protein expression levels of ERK and phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK) were observed using immunoblotting. The proliferation of neural stem cells was observed using 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation assay. The vitality of neural stem cells was detected using methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) colorimetry.

RESULTSThe p-ERK level increased transiently at 10 min and 30 min after reoxygenation, but it decreased to the normal level at 4 h, 6 h, and 1 day, respectively. Compared with Group B, the p-ERK level at 6 h after reoxygenation could be elevated in Group C, D, and E. The proliferation and the vitality of neural stem cells at 1 day after reoxygenation could be enhanced. Furthermore, the effects of combination of ginseng and Ligusticum were better than those of using ginseng or Ligusticum alone.

CONCLUSIONSCombination of ginseng and Ligusticum could promote the proliferation and vitality of rats' neural stem cells undergoing oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation culture through ERK signal pathway. Its effects was better than that of using ginseng or Ligusticum alone.

Animals ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases ; metabolism ; Female ; Ligusticum ; chemistry ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; drug effects ; Male ; Neural Stem Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Panax ; chemistry ; Phosphorylation ; Pyrazines ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley