Objective: To evaluate the effects of 650 nm-10.6 μm combined laser in patients with knee Osteoarthritis (OA) and to determine whether the combined laser provides greater pain relief and improved function compared with red light. Methods: Forty-eight patients with knee OA were randomly allocated to two groups (24 per group), receiving 20 rain irradiation with 650 nm -10.6 μm combined laser or red light emitting diode respectively on point Dubi (ST 35) 3 times a week for the first course (2 weeks) and twice a week for the second one (4 weeks). The main outcome measures were WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index) scores. In addition, patients' global assessment, adverse effects and validation of patient blinding were analyzed. Results: All the patients completed the first course, but 12 were lost during the second one. Due to the high dropout rate by the second course, only the data acquired from the first course could be analyzed. No differences of general data of patients and WOMAC scores were found in between-group comparison before treatment (P>0.05). The WOMAC scores of patients in both combined laser group and red light group reduced significantly compared to baseline by the end of the first course (P<0.01). There were no significant differences on the reduction rate of WOMAC scores between two groups (P>0.05). Neither the patients' global assessment nor the dropout rate showed statistical differences between two groups (P>0.05). There was no difference between two groups in patients correctly guessing the treatment assignment (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the reduction rate of WOMAC scores and the patients' global assessment between patients who guessed their assignment (P>0.05). Conclusion: Both combined laser and red light irradiation are beneficial to patients with knee OA. But as the statistical indifferences between two groups, the authors can't conclude from this study whether the combined laser is more effective.

Objective:Glucose-insulin-potassium(GIK) is clinically used for reducing mortality in acute myocardial infarction(MI). It is known that ventricular arrhythmia, left ventricular dysfunction and impaired baroreflex sensitivity(BRS) are the three major determinants for predicting the mortality after acute MI. The present work was designed to study the effects of GIK on BRS, ventricular arrhythmia, and left ventricular function in rats with coronary artery ligature. Sprague-Dawley rats were used and the myocardial infarction was produced by ligature of the left anterior descending artery. Five weeks after coronary artery ligation, BRS was measured in conscious state with a computerized blood pressure monitoring system and left ventricular function and electrocardiogram were determined in the anaesthetized state in the subacute phase of myocardial infarction. It was found that GIK did not affect the blood pressure and heart period in both conscious and anaesthetized rats. GIK did not enhance BRS, but reduced ventricular arrhythmia and improved left ventricular function by reducing left ventricular end diastolic pressure in anaesthetized rats with MI. It is proposed that reducing ventricular arrhythmia and improving left ventricular function contribute to the effect of GIK on reducing the mortality after MI.

Objective:Glucose-insulin-potassium(GIK) is clinically used for reducing mortality in acute myocardial infarction(MI). It is known that ventricular arrhythmia, left ventricular dysfunction and impaired baroreflex sensitivity(BRS) are the three major determinants for predicting the mortality after acute MI. The present work was designed to study the effects of GIK on BRS, ventricular arrhythmia, and left ventricular function in rats with coronary artery ligature. Sprague-Dawley rats were used and the myocardial infarction was produced by ligature of the left anterior descending artery. Five weeks after coronary artery ligation, BRS was measured in conscious state with a computerized blood pressure monitoring system and left ventricular function and electrocardiogram were determined in the anaesthetized state in the subacute phase of myocardial infarction. It was found that GIK did not affect the blood pressure and heart period in both conscious and anaesthetized rats. GIK did not enhance BRS, but reduced ventricular arrhythmia and improved left ventricular function by reducing left ventricular end diastolic pressure in anaesthetized rats with MI. It is proposed that reducing ventricular arrhythmia and improving left ventricular function contribute to the effect of GIK on reducing the mortality after MI.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Cordyceps sinensis (CS) on pancreatic islet B cells of experimental hepatic fibrogenesis rats.

METHODSRats were randomly allocated into three groups: normal group, model group and CS group. The rats in the latter two groups were administered with CCl(4) solution to induce liver fibrosis, the CS group was also treated with CS 10 days after the beginning of CCl(4) administration. Rats in normal group were sacrificed at the beginning of the experiment, while the rats in the other two groups were sacrificed randomly at the end of the third and sixth weeks. The rats' islets were isolated and cultured in vitro, then the basal insulin level of the islets and the serum level of insulin were determined by radioimmunological assay.

RESULTSIt seemed no change that the levels of serum insulin and basal insulin between the model group and the normal group at the third week. But at the sixth week, both insulin levels in the model group were higher than those in the normal group (52.6 mU/L2.5 mU/L vs 23.7 mU/L 2.3 mU/L, q=13.01, p<0.05; 52.94muU/ml 13.12muU/ml vs 35.16muU/ml 5.64muU/ml, q=10.06, p<0.01). No significant change could be seen in the serum levels of insulin between the CS group and the model group at the third and sixth weeks. But the basal insulin levels in the CS group were apparently higher than those in the model group at the third and sixth weeks (156.63muU/ml 6.57muU/ml vs 39.64muU/ml 3.95muU/ml, q=66.94, p<0.001; 140.44muU/ml 38.53muU/ml vs 52.94muU/ml 13.12muU/ml, q=12.98, p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONCordyceps sinensis can increase the basal insulin level of the islets in CCl(4)-induced liver fibrosis rats.

Animals ; Carbon Tetrachloride ; toxicity ; Cordyceps ; Female ; Insulin ; blood ; secretion ; Islets of Langerhans ; physiopathology ; Liver ; pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental ; pathology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo explore the changes and significance of the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondria membrane potential (Delta Psi) in HepG2 cells under the stress of cisplatin (CDDP).

METHODSHepG2 cells were incubated with CDDP. The changes in the level of ROS were determined by a probe (2,7-dichloro fluorescein-ciactate, DCFH-DA) and the changes of Delta Psi were reflected as changes of intensities of fluorescence seen under a laser scan microscope using a probe (rhodamine-123). All these changes in cells at 0 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 120 h, 168 h were dynamically observed.

RESULTSThe level of ROS was much higher after the CDDP treatment than the non-treated, and the increase lasted for 24 h and 48 h. Then it started to decrease at 72 h, gradually returning to normal level at 120 h. Under the selective pressure of CDDP, the fluorescence intensity of rhodamine-123 in HepG2 cells was decreasing at 24 h and 48 h, then gradually started to increase at 72 h. There were no such changes in the cells of the controls.

CONCLUSIONThe changes of ROS and Delta Psi in HepG2 cells under the pressure of CDDP suggest that the cells change themselves adapting to such pressures.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cisplatin ; pharmacology ; Hepatocytes ; cytology ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Membrane Potentials ; drug effects ; Mitochondria, Liver ; physiology ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the short-term and long-term effects of dense endoscopic variceal ligation (DEVL) for bleeding esophageal varices.

METHODSPatients with acute or with a history of esophageal variceal bleeding underwent regular DEVLs with a 2-3 week interval between 2 sessions until their varices disappeared at the lower 5-6 cm part of the esophagus. Follow-up study and gastroscopy were performed at 3, 6 and 12 months after the final DEVL in all patients. The results at 3 months were classified as short-term effects and those after 6 months as long-term ones.

RESULTS126 patients underwent DEVLs with 403 sessions and 3641 ligations; each patient was ligated with a mean of 3.2 sessions and at 28.9 points. The cure rate of acute variceal bleeding was 100.0%; short-term rate of variceal eradication was 94.4% and variceal rebleeding occurred in 3.9% patients. After a mean of 22.3 months follow-up period, the recurrence of esophageal varices was observed in 11.9% patients, but the variceal rebleeding rate was only 3.2% and no patients died from it.

CONCLUSIONDEVL was very useful and effective in both short-term and long-term variceal eradication and prevention of variceal rebleeding.

Adult ; Aged ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices ; etiology ; surgery ; Esophagoscopy ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; surgery ; Humans ; Ligation ; methods ; Liver Cirrhosis ; complications ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical features of liver disease patients with abnormal glucose metabolism.

METHODSLiver functions and levels of FPG, PPG, FINS, PINS, FCP, and PCP in 91 chronic hepatitis B patients with abnormal glucose metabolism (62 had liver cirrhosis) were analyzed.

RESULTS(1) The incidence of hepatogenic impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and of diabetes mellitus (DM) in hepatitis B patients with liver cirrhosis (20.53%; 24.11%) were higher than those without cirrhosis (3.82%; 1.64%; P<0.05, P<0.01). (2) There were no diabetic symptoms among any of the hepatogenic IGT and DM patients. 12 of 19 chronic hepatitis B patients with primary DM and 6 of 12 hepatitis B associated liver cirrhosis patients with primary DM had diabetic symptoms. (3) The levels of FPG and PPG in chronic hepatitis B patients with hepatogenic IGT and DM were lower than those in the patients with primary DM (P<0.05), but the levels of PINS and PCP in chronic hepatitis B patients with hepatogenic IGT and DM were higher than those in the patients with primary DM (P<0.05). (4) There were no differences in the levels of FPG and PPG between the hepatitis B associated liver cirrhosis patients with hepatogenic DM and those with primary DM (P<0.05). The levels of FINS, PINS, FCP, and PCP were higher in the hepatitis B associated liver cirrhosis patients with hepatogenic DM than those in the hepatitis B associated liver cirrhosis patients with primary DM (P<0.05). The levels of FPG and PPG in the hepatogenic DM patients were higher than those in the hepatogenic IGT patients (P<0.05), but their levels of FINS, PINS, FCP and PCP were lower than those in the hepatogenic IGT patients (P<0.05, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONHepatogenic IGT and DM are always secondary in severe liver cirrhosis patients, who always showed no diabetic symptoms. The chronic hepatitis B patients with hepatogenic DM had increased insulin secretion, while the hepatitis B associated liver cirrhosis patients with hepatogenic DM had decreased insulin secretion.

Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus ; epidemiology ; etiology ; metabolism ; Female ; Glucose Intolerance ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; complications ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; complications ; metabolism ; Male

Objective:Clonidine,by activating peripheral α-sbrenoceptors, produces transient pressor response after i.v.injection in anesthetized animals.Moxonidine, with at least 40-fold higher affinity to I1-imidazoline receptors than to α2-adrenoceptors,produces also a transient pressor response. This work was designed to investigate whether I1-imidazoline receptors are involved in this pressor effect of moxonidine. Methods:Female spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHRs,aged 14-16 weeks)were anesthetized with urethane.To observe the transient pressor responses,moxonidine 0.1,0.3,1.0mg/kg(intravenous,i.v),2.0μg(intracerebroventricular,i.c.v.)and 1.0,10.0mg/kg(intragastric,i.g.)were administrated in different groups of rats.To evaluate the roles of α1-adrenoceptors,α2-adrenoceptors and I1-imidazoline receptors in the transient pressor responses to moxonidine, prazosin(10.0μg/kg),yohimbine(2.0mg/kg),phentolamine(0.2mg/kg),idazoxan(1.0mg/kg)or yohimbine+idazoxan(2.0mg/kg+1.0mg/kg)were intravenously given to the animals before moxonidine 0.3mg/kg (i.v.).Results:It was found that i.v.moxonidine produced a greater pressor response than clonidine when producing a similar reduction of blood pressure.This effect of moxonidine was not influenced by prazosin, but was partly inhibited by yohimbine, phentolamine or idazoxan,and completely blocked by the combination of yohimbine and idzaxon.Neither i.c.v.injection nor i.g. administration of moxonidine induced transient pressor responses.Conclusion:The transient pressor response of i.v. moxonidine is mediated by both peripheral I1-imidazoline receptors and α2-adrenoceptors.

OBJECTIVETo screen the carcinogenesis associated genes in gastric carcinoma by gene chip.

METHODSU133A (Affymetrix Santa Clara, CA) gene chip was used to detect differentially expressed genes in tumor tissues, paratumor mucosa and normal mucosa. Bioinformatics was used to analyze the screened results.

RESULTSA total of 150 genes were detected with a difference of expression levels more than 3 times in paratumor mucosa compared with normal gastric mucosa, 130 of which were up-regulated and 20 down-regulated. According to the function classifications of the differentially expressed genes, the most common ones were enzyme and enzyme regulon activity associated genes(28, 18.7% ). The frequencies of nuclei acid binding activity associated genes,signal transduction associated genes and protein binding associated genes were 11.3%, 10%, and 8.7% respectively. Seventy-one differentially expressed genes were detected both in tumor tissues and paratumor mucosa compared with normal mucosa, 61 of which were up-regulated and 10 down-regulated. Among these 71 genes,e leven genes were localized on chromosome 19, 6 on chromosome 1, 2, 16, 17 respectively. No abnormal differentially expressed gene were detected on chromosome 5, 14, 22 and Y.

CONCLUSIONSThese 71 genes differentially expressed both in tumor tissues and paratumor mucosa may be associated with carcinogenesis of gastric carcinoma. The four kinds of genes associated with enzyme and enzyme regulon activity, nuclei acid binding activity, signal transduction, and protein binding should be the main genes for the study of carcinogenesis in gastric carcinoma.

Gastric Mucosa ; pathology ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Stomach Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of rhein on the development of hepatic fibrosis.

METHODSThe animal models were made with carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) mixed with vegetable oil (3/2, v/v), which was injected subcutaneously twice a week for 6 weeks, and with 5% ethanol for free drinking water. At the same time, Rhein was administrated at the dose of 25 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg once a day for 6 weeks. The changes of both biochemical markers, such as the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), hyaluronic acid (HA), procollagen type III (PCIII) in serum and SOD, malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver, and related histopathological parametres were determined.

RESULTSCompared with the model group, there were three kinds of changes in the larger quantity of rhein treated group. (1) The levels of ALT, HA, PCIII in serum and MDA in liver homogenate were decreased significantly (from 150 U/L +/- 16 U/L to 78 U/L +/- 18 U/L, 321 microg/L +/- 97 microg/L to 217 microg/L +/- 75 microg/L, 31 microg/L +/- 14 microg/L to 16 microg/L +/- 6 microg/L and 3.67 nmol/mg +/- 0.68 nmol/mg to 1.88 nmol/mg +/- 0.34 nmol/mg, respectively, t > or 2.977, P<0.01). However the level of SOD in liver was increased (from 62.45 NU/mg +/- 8.74 NU/mg to 91.26 NU/mg +/- 14.04 NU/mg, t=4.453, P<0.01). (2) The expressions of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) and alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) in liver were markedly reduced (P<0.05 and P<0.01). (3) The collagen staining positive area was decreased and the grade of fibrosis was reduced significantly in liver (P<0.05 and P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONRhein can protect hepatocyte from injury and prevent the progress of hepatic fibrosis in rats, which may associate with that rhein plays a role in antioxidation, anti-inflammation, inhibiting the expression of TGF-beta1 and suppressing the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs).

Animals ; Anthraquinones ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; pharmacology ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Collagen ; analysis ; Liver ; drug effects ; pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1