OBJECTIVE:To establish a method for the content determination of total flavonoids in Morus alba. METHODS:UV-visible spectrophometry was performed with Al(NO2)3-NaNO2-NaOH color-test at the wavelength of 510 nm with the reference of rutin. RESULTS:The linear range of rutin was 0.031 2-0.156 mg/ml(r=0.999 9);RSDs of precision,stability and reproduc-ibility tests were lower than 2%;recovery was 95.7%-101.0%(RSD=2.1%,n=6). CONCLUSIONS:The method is simple,sta-ble and reproducible,and can be used for the content determination of total flavonoids in M. alba.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of combination therapy of ambroxol with vibration? expectoration machine on ventilator-associated pneumonia Methods A total of 96 patients from the Department of Critical Care Medicine were selected and randomly divided into 3 groups:control group,ambroxol group and ammonia ambroxol + vibration expectoration machine group (n=32,each).The ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) was randomly divided into three groups (n =32,each).All patients were treated with conventional therapy including anti-inflammatory,suction,airway humidification,nutritional support.On this basis,ambroxol group was given ambroxol 30 mg in 100 ml normal saline,intravenously dripped 3 times a day.On the basis of treatment in the ambroxol group,ammonia ambroxol + expectoration machine were given G5 vibration expectoration machine to expectorate sputum 2 times every other day.Results There were significant differences in acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE Ⅱ),PaO2/FiO2,respiratory rate (RR),heart rate (HR) before versus after the treatment of the three groups (F =5.736,9.432,6.361,5.862,respectively,all P＜0.05).After treatment in the three groups,APACHE Ⅱ,PaO2/FiO2,RR and HR showed statistically significant differences inter-group among three groups (F=4.674,8.665,7.351,6.562,respectively,all P＜0.05).Clinical effective rates of the three groups were 71.9％,84.4％,93.8％ respectively,and showed statistically significant differences inter-group among three groups (all P＜0.05).Conclusions Combination therapy of ambroxol and vibration expectoration machine shows significant effects on VAP,and it is better than ambroxol alone.

RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end products) is a multiligand receptor on the cell surface.Ligand-RAGE inter-actions activate several signal transduction pathways that propa-gate cellular oxidative stress and inflammatory response.RAGE expressed on the CD4 + T cells has been identified as a central transduction receptor which affects the activation,proliferation, migration and differentiation of the cells.In addition,blockade of RAGE suppressed the development of multiple immune-related
disorders mediated by CD4 + T cells.These studies highlight the importance of RAGE and its ligands for CD4 + T cells.This arti-cle briefly reviews the role of RAGE and its ligands on the prolif-eration,migration and differentiation of CD4 + T cells and sum-marizes the related research progress.

Objective To compare the accuracy of bispectral index (BIS),Narcotrend index (NI),index of consciousness (IoC) versus auditory evoked potential index (AAI) in monitoring the depth of sedation induced by propofol.Methods Sixty ASA physical status Ⅰ or Ⅱ patients of both sexes,aged 41-64 yr,with body mass index 20-30 kg/m2,scheduled for elective surgeries under general anesthesia,were enrolled in the study.Propofol was given by target-controlled infusion (TCI) with the initial target effect-site concentration (Ce) of 0.8 μg/ml using Marsh pharmacokinetic model,and then the Ce of propofol was increased by 0.1 μg/ml,and OAA/S was performed.Before TCI of propofol,the values of BIS,NI,IoC and AAI were recorded,and at the same time the value of OAA/S score was 5.During TCI of propofol,when OAA/S score reached 4,3,2 and 1 in turn,the Ce of propofol was recorded,the sequence for determination of the values of BIS,NI,IoC and AAI was determined using a random number table,and the values were then recorded for 5 s after the values were stable and then averaged.The parameters for vital signs were maintained within the normal range.Pearson correlation of BIS,NI,IoC and AAI values with Ce of propofol was analyzed.Results The correlation coefficients of BIS,NI,IoC and AAI values with the Ce of propofol were rBIs-Ce =-0.829,rSI-Ce =-0.886,rloC-Ce =-0.881 and rAAI-Ce =-0.791,respectively.There was no significant difference between rBIS-Ce,rNI-Ce,rIoC-Ce and rAAI-Ce.Conclusion There are no significant differences in the accuracy of BIS,NI,IoC or AAI in monitoring the depth of sedation induced by propofol in middle-aged patients with non-noxious stimuli.

Objective:To assess type C behavior in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) in order to provide basis for clinical prevention,treatment and psychological intervention of OLP.Methods:Type C behavior scale was used on 85 OLP patients and 85 control patients,who were in accordance with the inclusion criteria,in order to investigate their type C behavior.The scale included 9 items:anxiety,depression,anger,anger toward inside (anger-in),anger toward outside (anger-out),reasoning,domination,optimism,and social support.Scores of the 9 items between OLP patients and control group were calculated under the instruction of the scale and were statistically analyzed,and OLP group was further stratified statistically by sex,reticulate-erosive-ulcerative (REU) pathological type and course of diseases,and the scores of each group were analyzed and compared.Results:Among the 85 OLP patients,there were more females,more non-erosive lesion type,and the most common site for OLP was the buccal mucosa.The scores of the type-C behavior questionnaire for anxiety,depression,anger and optimism were respectively 43.01 ± 7.47,44.02 ± 7.61,21.56 ± 5.26,22.15 ± 4.00 among the OLP patients and were 37.94 ±8.70,39.58 ±7.35,18.12 ±5.39,24.05 ±3.23 among control group,with significant differences (P ＜ 0.05 for all) between the two groups.The female OLP patients had higher anxiety,depression,anger scores (43.21 ± 6.97,44.29 ± 7.54,21.64 ± 5.09) and lower reasoning,domination,optimism scores (39.12 ±5.66,16.29 ±3.95,22.05 ±4.12) with significant differences (P ＜0.05 for all) compared with those of the female controls.The scores between male patients and male controls showed no significant difference.The patients with erosive lesions had higher anger score (22.94 ± 5.26) than that of the patients without erosive lesions (20.60 ± 5.03),with a significant difference (P ＜ 0.05).With the development of the disease,the tendency of anxiety and depression of the patients were more obvious,while optimism scores remained declining.The patients suffering more than 3 years of OLP had higher anger-toward-outside scores (17.36 ± 3.35) than the patients suffering less than 3 years of OLP (15.19±3.99),with a significant difference (P ＜0.05).Conclusion:OLP patients showed an obvious type C behavior characteristic,especially in anxiety,depression,anger and low optimism.This research provides the C behavior characteristic of OLP for further psychological consultation or intervention during OLP treatment.

OBJECTIVETo summarize the clinical manifestation and diagnosis of ganglioneuroma in spine and investigate the clinical effect of surgical treatment.

METHODSThe clinical data of 6 patients underwent a surgery for ganglioneuroma in spine from January 2008 to January 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 4 males and 2 females, aged from 2 to 63 years old with an average of 34.6 years. The courses of disease were from 3 days to 17 years. Five patients complicated with superficial hypesthesia in correlative level of tumor, and the muscle strength under tumor plane had decreased at different levels, with the strength of grade II-IV. Two cases complicated with hypermyotonia and positive bilateral Hoffmann's and Babinski sign. Five cases were sporadic lesion in correlative spinal canal and one case complicated with the giant occupying lesion in thoracic cavity.

RESULTSSix operations had been performed including 5 en bloc and 1 subtotal resection. Postoperative pathological results showed tumor cells scattered or fasciculated inserted into Schwann cells in the stroma. In 2 patients complicated with radiculalgia before operation, 1 case was relieved and 1 was invariant after operation. All 4 patients with preoperative dyscinesia in the limbs obtained improvement after operation. All the patients were followed up from 0.3 to 6.8 years with an average of 2.5 years. At the final follow-up, according to ASIA grade, 5 cases were good and 1 case was invariant. During the follow-up, only 1 patient experienced chemoradiation because of merging ganglioneuroblastoma and receiving subtotal resection. No recurrence in other 5 cases.

CONCLUSIONGanglioneuroma is a benign and rare tumors in spine. Clinically, radicular pain and sensory-motor disorders are the main manifestations. Its diagnosis depends on pathological examination. Prognosis of surgical treatment is good.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Ganglioneuroma ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; surgery

Objective To investigate the impact of tube current and tube voltage on CT attenuation,the correlation between CT attenuation and iodine concentration,as well as the percentage of reducing dosage for contrast agent while reducing the tube voltage.Methods A total of 100 saline solutions with decreasing dilution of contrast medium,in which concentration was between 0.5 to 50.0 mg/ml with the interval of 0.5 mg/ml,was produced.Each of the 25 syringes with a 4 ml sample was fixed on a cylindrical CT calibrated water phantom with an equal distance used the tape.CT scans were performed with a total of 15 scanning methods of the combination of the different tube voltages (70,80,100,140 kV) and tube current (100,200,280 mA).All of the CT attenuations were measured and recorded.The differences of CT attenuations under different scanning tube currents and tube voltages were compared with one-way ANOVA.The Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationship between CT attenuation and iodine concentration,and linear correlation equations were calculated and shown by regression analysis.According to the equations,the changes of contrast medium dosage were calculated with the changes of tube voltage.Results There was no significant difference in CT attenuations on different tube currents when the tube voltage was fixed (all P＞0.05),while when the tube current was fixed,the difference of CT attenuations on different tube voltages was statistically significant (all P＜0.05).Under different scanning conditions,the CT attenuations was linearly related to the iodine concentration (r2 was 0.953 to 0.997,all P＜0.01).While the tube voltage was reduced from 140 kV to 120 kV,100 kV,80 kV,70 kV,respectively,the iodine concentration of the samples were reduced by 15.4％,33.7％,53.4％,64.7％ respectively.While the voltage was reduced from 120 kV to 100 kV,80 kV,70 kV,respectively,the iodine concentration were rednced by 21.6％,44.9％,58.2％,respectively.While the voltage was reduced from 100 kV to 80 kV and 70 kV,the iodine concentration was reduced by 29.7％ and 46.7％,respectively.While the voltage was reduced from 80 kV to 70 kV,the iodine concentration was reduced by 24.1％.Conclusion CT attenuation can keep constant in low tube voltage setting by reducing the dosage of contrast agent,which can achieve a low radiation dose and low contrast agent dosage.

Objective To study the expression of mitochondrial tumor suppressor gene 1 (MTUS1) mR-NA in papillary thyroid carcinoma(PTC).Methods Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) was used to detect MTUS1 mRNA level in 68 cases of human PTC and the adjacent non-cancerous epithelium (NCE) specimens.Results The relative expression value of MTUS1 mRNA in PTC was 0.31 ± 0.09,while it was 0.65 ±0.12 in NCE.The difference had statistical significance between the 2 groups(t =2.39,P ＜0.05).In PTC,mRNA expression of MTUS1 gene was related to the pathological grade,and lymph node metastasis(P ＜ 0.05)while it was not related to patients' age,sex,differentiation degree,tumor size or TNM stage(P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion mRNA expression of MTUS1 gene is lower in PTC than in NCE,which may play an important role in carcinogenesis and progression of PTC.

Objective Methylation of anti-oncogene can be demethylated by related drugs which can help the inactivated gene to express again .This study aims to study the effects of the demethylating agent 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine on the growth of human thyroid papillary cancer cell line TPC-1 and mRNA and protein expres-sion of KLF4.Methods TPC-1 cells were treated with different concentration of 5-Aza-CdR.MTT was used to detect the influence of 5-Aza-CdR on cell proliferation .RT-PCR was used to detect mRNA and protein expression levels of KLF4.Results After being treated with 5-Aza-CdR for 24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours, the growth of TPC-1 cells was inhibited and the inhibition was in time and concentration depended manner .After treatment with 5-Aza-CdR, mRNA and protein expression levels of KLF 4 were increased, and the difference had statistical significance(P<0.05).Conclusion 5-Aza-CdR can inhibit the cell viability of TPC-1 cells through upregulat-ing KLF4 expression , which may provide experimental basis for 5-Aza-CdR in treating thyroid cancer .

Objective:To evaluate the effect of tropisetron on pyroptosis in cardiomyocytes subjected to hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R) and the relationship with α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR).Methods:Routinely cultured H9C2 cardiomyocytes were divided into 4 groups ( n=6 each) using a random number table method: control group (C group), H/R group, tropisetron plus H/R group (Tro+ H/R group), and α7nAchR antagonist MLA plus tropisetron plus H/R group (MLA+ Tro+ H/R group). H/R was produced by 12 h exposure of cells to hypoxia followed by 6 h reoxygenation in the other three groups except group C. Tropisetron at the final concentration of 10 nmol/L was added at 1 h before hypoxia in group Tro+ H/R.In group MLA+ Tro+ H/R, MLA was added at 2 h before hypoxia, and then 1 h later tropisetron at the final concentration of 10 nmol/L was given.At 6 h of reoxygenation, the pyroptosis rate of cardiomyocytes was determined by fluorescence immunostaining of caspase-1-AlexaFluor 488/DAPI, the concentrations of interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) and IL-18 in the supernatant were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the activity of LDH in the supernatant was measured by 2, 4 dinitrophenylhydra-zine colorimetric method, and the expression of α7nAchR, NLRP3 and caspase-1 in cardiomyocytes was detected by Western blot. Results:Compared with group C, the pyroptosis rate, activity of LDH and concentrations of IL-1β and IL-18 in the supernatant were significantly increased, the expression of NLRP3 and caspase-1 was up-regulated, and the expression of α7nAchR was down-regulated in group H/R ( P<0.05). Compared with group H/R, the pyroptosis rate, activity of LDH and concentrations of IL-1β and IL-18 in the supernatant were significantly decreased, the expression of NLRP3 and caspase-1 was down-regulated, and the expression of α7nAchR was up-regulated in group Tro+ H/R ( P<0.05). Compared with group Tro+ H/R, the pyroptosis rate, activity of LDH and concentrations of IL-1β and IL-18 in the supernatant were significantly increased, the expression of NLRP3 and caspase-1 was up-regulated, and the expression of α7nAchR was down-regulated in group MLA+ Tro+ H/R ( P<0.05). Conclusion:α7nAchR is involved in the process of tropisetron inhibiting pyroptosis in cardiomyocytes subjected to H/R.