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 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 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 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.

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics and genetic features of tyrosine hydroxylase deficiency(THD) caused by TH gene variants for the improvement of the understanding of the disease. Methods:The clinical and genetic data of 33 children with THD caused by TH gene variants were diagnosed in the Department of Neurology of Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University from May 2011 to January 2020 and their data were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Results:There were 19 females and 14 males.The age at onset was ranged from 0 to 6.3 years.13 patients developed diseases, accompanied with fever after infection, and 1 patient suffered from hypoxia, 19 patients suffered from no predisposing factors.There were 7 mild TH-deficient dopa-responsive dystonia cases, 16 severe TH-deficient infantile parkinsonism with motor delay cases and 10 very severe TH-deficient progressive infantile encephalopathy cases.Clinical symptoms were fluctuating, including 26 cases of diurnal fluctuation, 22 cases of infection aggravation, and 30 cases of fatigue aggravation.The initial symptoms included tiptoeing and numbness in the limbs(7 cases), motor development retardation or degression (26 cases), fremitus (8 cases), ptosis (2 cases), and status dystonicus (3 cases). Other clinical features had hypermyotonia (23 cases), hypomyotonia (27 cases), decreased movement (27 cases), decreased facial expression (24 cases), fremitus (18 cases), tiptoeing (20 cases), talipes equinovarus (7 cases), ptosis (8 cases), oculogyric crisis (10 cases), salivation (21 cases), dysphagia (12 cases), dysarthria (16 cases), dyspnea (3 cases), increased sleep (10 cases), decreased sleep (5 cases), irritable mood (15 cases), apathetic mood (2 cases), profuse sweating (8 cases), and status dystonicus (6 cases). A total of 6 patients′ right limbs were more severe, and 14 patients′ lower limbs were more severe.Eight patients had family history, and Levodopa treatment was effective for all patients.Ten patients suffered side effects, including dyskinesia and irritability.Four patients were lost follow-up, and 29 patients were followed up between 0.8 and 13.2 years old until Ja-nuary 2020.Totally, 22 patients almost had no such symptoms.Twenty-five TH gene pathogenic variants were discovered in 33 patients.There were 13 novel variants (c.1160T>C, c.1303T>C, c.887G>A, c.1084G>A, c.1097A>T, c.734G>T, c.907C>G, c.588G>T, c.992T>G, c.755G>A, c.184-6C>T, c.1510C>T, c.910G>A) and 2 patients had c. 910G>A variant.Meanwhile, there were 5 hot variants [c.698G>A(13 cases), c.457C>T(9 cases), c.739G>A(6 cases), c.1481C>T(4 cases), c.694C>T(3 cases)]. c.910G>A(2 cases) may be the foun-der variant of Chinese population. Conclusions:THD caused by TH gene variant mostly onsets from infant, with complex clinical features.Most of these patients were severe, and only a few were very severe and mild.Very severe and mild symptoms were easily misdiagnosed.Levodopa treatment was obviously effective.A possible founder variant of Chinese population (c.910G>A) was found.c.698G>A and c. 457C>T mutations mainly appeared in patients with severe and extremely severe THD, while c. 739G>A mainly appeared in patients with mild THD.

Objective To identify the association between gestational weight gain and birth weight over the past 9 years in Kunshan city,Jiangsu province,China.Methods This population-based study was conducted between 2001 to 2009.Data were retrieved from Perinatal Monitoring System of Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Kunshan.The study population consisted of 33 631 women and singleton live fetus.Gestational weight gain was defined as the total weight gain during the last and first prenatal care program and divided by the interval weeks.Results From 2001 to 2009,the average incidence of low birth weight was 1.86％,while the average incidence of macrosomia was a bit higher,fluctuating around 8.47％.On those underweight mothers,after adjustment for potential confounders,and stratified by the BMI levels,which were evaluated at the first prenatal care program,we found that weight gain in the 3rd and 4th intervals,could reduce the risk of low birth weight (less than 2500 g).With those mothers with normal-weight,weight gain in the 2 rid,3 rd and 4th intervals,would reduce the risk of low birth weight.Risks in the 4th quantile among underweight and normal-weight group were prevalence odds radio (POR) 95％CI:0.51 (0.32-0.80) and 0.58 (0.42-0.79),respectively.The risks showed a significant downward trend in underweight and normal- weight groups with increased gestational weight gain.As for macrosomia (≥4000 g),the risks increased (POR 95％CI) 4.69(2.82-7.81 ) in underweight,4.15 (3.43-5.03) in normal-weight,in overweight,3.64 (2.62-5.06) and 1.96 (1.48-2.60) in obese mothers with increased levels of gestational weight gain.Trend tests indicated that the risks of marcosomia increased in all levels of BMI,with the increase of gestational weight gain.Conclusion Findings from this population-based study suggested that gestational weight gain could reduce the risks of low birth weight among underweight and normal-weight groups,while increase the risks of macrosomia in all parturients,as compared with lowest levels of gestational weight gain.