Chronic Disease ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Population Surveillance ; methods

A comprehensive analysis was conducted on resources composition of Chinese Herbs Sang (Morus sp.) in Sichuan using survey data and related literature. The original plants, germplasm collections, cultivation areas, main cultivated varieties and production sale of crude drugs of Sang in Sichuan were clearly expounded. Strategies for development and utilization of Sichuan mulberry resources were suggested.
Biotechnology ; China ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; methods ; Gardening ; methods ; Morus ; growth & development ; Plants, Medicinal ; growth & development

OBJECTIVETo investigate the therapeutic effect of Yiqi Huaju Recipe (YHR) combined with routine therapy on the blood pressure, the blood pressure variability and other cardiovascular risk factors in hypertension patients complicated with metabolic syndrome (MetS).

METHODSTotally 43 hypertension patients complicated with MetS were recruited in this study and randomly assigned to the treatment group (22 cases, treated with basic routine treatment +YHR) and the control group (21 cases, treated with basic routine treatment + placebo). The treatment course was 12 weeks. Detected were parameters such as 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist to hip ratio (WHR), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), fasting glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2 h postprandial plasma glucose (2 h PPG), fasting plasma insulin (FPI), serum lipid, etc.

RESULTSThe anthropometric parameters and plasma glucose levels (except HbAlc) were obviously lowered after treatment than before treatment in the treatment group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Besides, better effects were obtained in the WC, WHR, 2 h PPG, FPI and HOMA-IR (P < 0.05). The average blood pressure amplitude, the blood pressure variability, and blood pressure load at any time point were more obviously improved in the two groups after treatment than before treatment (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Besides, partial indices were better in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSYHR combined with routine therapy exhibited better effect on reducing the blood pressure amplitude, the blood pressure variability, and the blood pressure load in hypertension patients complicated with MetS. It could also effectively decrease the risk of other vascular disease.

Adult ; Blood Pressure ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; complications ; drug therapy ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome ; complications ; Middle Aged

Objective: To compare the prompt fixation strength and antifatigue strength of the locking and non-locking anterior cervical plating systems. Methods:AO Cervical Spine Locking Plate (CSLP), Danek Orion plate and AcroMed Acroplate were used on the lamb cervical spines. The CSLP and Orion were tested with screws locked and unlocked, and the Acroplate with unicortical and bicortical purchase. The fixation strength and pull-off strength of the screw-plate constructs were performed initially and after fatigue. Results: Locked CSLP and Orion constructs were more rigid than all unlocked unicortical systems initially and after cyclic loading. After fatigue testing, the strength of all unlocked constructs decreased significantly. There was no significant difference in pull-off strength between the CSLP, the Orion and the unicortical Acroplate. Conclusion: The locking mechanism significantly increases the prompt fixation strength and antifatigue strength of the tested screw-plate systems.

Objective To investigate the expression of immunohistochemistry of gastrin(GAS),somatostatin(SS),proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA) and Fas-ligand(Fas-L) in the sinus ventriculi of children with pediatric gastritis and to explore the significance of their expression in the pathogenesis of pediatric chronic gastritis.Methods Fifty cases of the sinus ventriculi mucosa samples were enrolled in 3 groups:chronic gastritis,helicobacter pylori(Hp) positive(group A,n=20);chronic gastritis,Hp negative(group B,n=19);control group,normal sinus ventriculi mucosa,Hp negative(group C,n=11).Immunohistochemistry En Vision were carried out including GAS,SS,PCNA and Fas-L.Results In the expression of GAS and SS,the values of group A and B were comparatively higher than those of group C,but there was no significant difference among them in statistics.In the expression of PCNA,the value of group A was comparatively higher and that of group B.The value difference between 2 groups was significant(P=0.019);in the expression of Fas-L,no significant difference was found among these 3 groups.Conclusions Expressions of GAS and SS both increase in children with chronic gastritis and maybe the increase of GAS and SS play a role in the pathogenesis of pediatric chronic gastritis;Hp infection promotes the multiplication of the sinus ventriculi membrana mucosa epithelium cell in pediatric chronic gastritis.

The α4β2-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) is a ligand-gated ion channel that is distributed throughout the nervous system. It is involved in the regulation of various neurotransmitters including acetylcholine, dopamine, γ-aminobutyric acid, and norepinephrine. α4β2-nAChR plays an important role in learning, memory, cognition, attention, inflammation, and pain. A large number of studies have shown that α4β2-nAChR is an important therapeutic target for neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, depression, nicotine dependence, pain, etc. It is an important target in the early diagnosis and curative effect detection of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease. This review summarizes the role, mechanisms and related drug research advances on α4β2-nAChR ligand drugs in neurological diseases, as well as providing a theoretical basis for identifying and developing more suitable α4β2-nAChR-related compounds.

Objective To determine the effect of histotype and histodifferentiation on the maximum standardized uptake value (SUV_(max)) of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) ~(18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT imaging.Methods Two hundred and sixty patients with NSCLc underwent ~(18)F-FDG PET/CT imaging.They were classified according to (1) histotype:as adenocarcinoma (AC),squamous cell carcinoma(SQC),adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC) and other type carcinoma (OTC),and (2) histodifferentiation:as grade Ⅰ (well-differentiated),grade Ⅱ (moderate-differentiated) and grade Ⅲ (poor-differentiated).The SUV_(max) and size(long diameter)of the primary lesions were measured.Multivariate regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between the SUV_(max) and variable factors including histotype,histodifferentiation,lesion size,age,sex,body height,body weight,body mass index (BMI),blood glucose level,dose,and rate of dose.Results Two hundred and sixty patients had 260 primary NSCLC tumors.There were 161 AC(15 grade Ⅰ,88 grade Ⅱ,58 grade Ⅲ),74 SQC(6 grade Ⅰ,39 grade Ⅱ,29 grade Ⅲ),15 ASC(7 grade Ⅱ,8 gradeⅢ)and OTC(8 large cell,2 carcinosarcoma).Only lesion size (F=87.046.P＜0.001),histodifferentiation (F=87.604,P＜0.001) and histotype (F=66.663,P＜0.001) were included for multivariate regression analysis with SUV_(max).After adjustment for lesion size,the SUV_(max)(mean and 95%confidence interval) in ascending order was AC Ⅰ:3.3(2.1-4.5),ACⅡ:6.0(5.5-6.6),SQCⅠ:6.1(4.2-8,0),ASC Ⅱ:6.6(4.8-8.4),SQCⅡ.7.8(7.0-8.6),OTC:8.1(6.6-9.6),AC Ⅲ:8.3(7.6-8.9),ASC Ⅲ:8.7(7.0-10.4),and SQC Ⅲ:8.9(8.0-9.8).11he SUV_(max) of AC Ⅰ was significantly lower than that of SQC Ⅰ(q=-2.786,P=0.017),same for AC Ⅱ and SQC Ⅱ(q=-1.776,P＜0.001),but no statistically significant differences were found among AC Ⅲ,ASC Ⅲ and SQC Ⅲ(q=-0.593,-0.422,0.171,P=0.288,0.642,0.860,respectively).For the same histotype lesions,the difference of SUV_(max) among AC Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ was statistically significant(q=-2.720,-4.943,-2.223,all P＜0.001),as also for SQC Ⅰ and Ⅲ(q=-2.751,P=0.012).Conclusion Histotype and histodifferentiation are significant correlative factors for ~(18)F-FDG uptake of NSCLC,with histodifferentiation being the factor with greater impact.

Objective To compare the efficacy of 18F-FDG PET/CT, 99Tcm-MDP bone scintigraphy (BS), and combination of the two techniques (PET/CT + BS) for detecting bone metastasis by ROC curve analysis. Methods All 296 patients with various cancers, who underwent both 99Tcm-MDP BS and 18F-FDG PET/CT within two months, were retrospectively analyzed. These images were interpreted according to 5-point scale (0: definitely negative, 1: probably negative, 2: equivocal, 3: probably positive, 4:definitely positive for bone metastasis), and the scale of PET/CT + BS was the sum of PET/CT and BS. In light of the confirmed diagnosis derived from pathology or follow-up, ROC curve analysis was performed.The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was compared by z-test. Results Of 296 cases, 61 (20.6%) were confirmed as bone metastases and 235 (79.4%) were negative. The AUC were 0. 919 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) :0. 867 - 0. 971) for BS, 0. 949 (95% CI: 0. 906 - 0. 991) for PET/CT, and 0. 994 (95% CI: 0.988-0.999) for PET/CT + BS, rctrospectively. The AUC of PET/CT + BS was statistically significantly larger than that of BS (z=2. 866, P=0.004) or PET/CT (z =2.027, P=0.043), while the AUC of PET/CT was larger than that of BS, but no statistically significance (z = 0. 881, P = 0. 378) was showed. The optimal sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value(NPV) were 90. 2% (55/61), 85. 1% (200/235), 86. 1% (255/296), 61. 1% (55/90), 97. 1%(200/206) for BS, 88.5% (54/61), 97.0% (228/235), 95.3% (282/296), 88.5% (54/61), 97.0% for PET/CT, and 98.4% (60/61), 95.7% (225/235), 96.3% (285/296), 85.7% (60/70) for PET/CT + BS,respectively. The specificity (χ2 = 19.862, P<0. 001), accuracy (χ2 = 23. 361, P<0.001) and PPV (χ2 =11. 791, P =0.001) of PET/CT + BS were significantly higher than those of BS, the sensitivity of PET/CT +BS was significantly higher than that of PET/CT (χ2 =4.167, P=0.031). Compared with BS, PET/CT had a higher specificity (χ2 = 19.600, P<0. 001), accuracy (χ2 = 13. 755, P <0. 001), PPV (χ2 = 13. 608, P <0. 001), but their sensitivity showed no statistically significant difference (χ2 = 0, P = 1. 000). Conclusions The efficacy of 18F-FDG PET/CT for detecting malignant bone metastasis was superior to that of 99Tcm-MDP BS alone. The detection ability can be obviously improved by combination of the two techniques.

Fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21) is an important metabolism regulator, however, whether FGF-21 has effects on cardiovascular remains unclear. In this study, H2O2-induced injury in H9c2 cells was used as a cell model, the anti-apoptosis potential and mechanism of FGF-21 against oxidative injury were evaluated by MTT assay, flow cytometry assay and real-time PCR. The results showed that FGF-21 could increase the cell survival of H2O2-induced injury in H9c2 cells and prevent H9c2 cells from oxidative stress-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, FGF-21 can elevate SOD activity and regulate Bcl-2/Bax expression in H9c2 cells. The results suggest that FGF-21 have protective effect against the H2O2-induced apoptosis in H9c2 cells.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Fibroblast Growth Factors ; pharmacology ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; toxicity ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Rats ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; genetics ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the effects of in situ venous arterialization on extensive artery obliterans occlusion of the lower extremity. Methods Lumbar sympathetic ganglionectomy and one stage in situ arterialization of the great saphemous vein were performed in 104 ischemic limbs of 88 patients with extensive arterial occlusion. Results Eighty-two of 104 limbs were followed-up from 6 months to over 6 years. The intermittent claudication, night pain improved in all cases, with satisfactory wound healing and no swelling of the lower limbs. Conclusions Arterial blood flow through venous conduit improves and reconstructs the blood circulation of the ischemic limbs.