BACKGROUNDMethylprednisolone (MP), a synthetic glucocorticosteroid, has been broadly studied in experiments on endotoxin-induced shock and septic shock. This study was designed to ascertain whether glycine and MP can protect against organ injury and death caused by hemorrhagic shock, and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of these protective effects in rats.

METHODTo establish a shock model, Wistar rats were bled to maintain mean arterial pressure at 30-50 mmHg for 1 hour and subsequently resuscitated with the shed blood and normal saline. Just prior to resuscitation, the rats were randomly assigned to four groups: sham group (operation performed without inducing shock), shock group, shock + glycine group (glycine injected at the beginning of resuscitation) and shock + MP group (MP injected at the beginning of resuscitation).

RESULTS(1) Seventy-two hours after resuscitation, the survival rate of rats from the shock group had decreased to 20%, while the survival rates of rats from the shock + glycine and shock + MP groups were 77.8% and 80%, respectively. The difference was significant (P <0.05). (2) Eighteen hours after resuscitation, pathological alterations in the organs of the rats were apparent. In rats from the shock group, edema, interstitial leukocyte infiltration, and cellular degeneration occurred in the liver, lungs, kidneys, and heart. Glycine and MP reduced these pathological changes significantly. (3) Eighteen hours after resuscitation, the levels of creatine phosphokinase, transaminases, and creatine were elevated significantly in rats from the shock group, indicating injury to the heart, liver, and kidneys, while these levels were elevated only slightly in the shock + glycine and shock + MP groups. The differences were significant (P <0.01). (4) There were significant increases in intracellular calcium and production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) by isolated Kupffer cells stimulated by endotoxin after hemorrhagic shock. These changes were completely prevented by glycine and MP (P <0.01).

CONCLUSIONGlycine and MP reduce organ injury and mortality caused by hemorrhagic shock by preventing increase of intracellular calcium levels in Kupffer cell, suppressing Kupffer cell activation, decreasing the production of TNF-alpha by Kupffer cells, and blocking systemic inflammatory responses.

Animals ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Glycine ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Methylprednisolone ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Multiple Organ Failure ; etiology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Shock, Hemorrhagic ; drug therapy ; mortality ; pathology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; biosynthesis

Endogenous electric fields (EFs) have been detected at wounds and damaged tissues. The potential roles of EFs in tissue repair and regeneration have been an intriguing topic for centuries. Recent researches have provided significant insights into how naturally occurring EFs may participate in the control of tissue repair and regeneration. Applied EFs equivalent to the size of fields measured in vivo direct cell migration, cell proliferation and nerve sprouting at wounds. More remarkably, physiological EFs are a guidance cue that directs cell migration which overrides other well accepted directional signals including initial injury stimulation, wound void, contact inhibition release, population pressure and chemotaxis. EFs activate many intracellular signaling pathways in a directional manner. Modulation of endogenous wound EFs affects epithelial cell migration, cell proliferation, and nerve growth at cornea wounds in vivo. Electric stimulation is being tested clinically for the treatments of bone fracture, wound healing and spinal cord injury. EFs thus may represent a novel type of signaling paradigm in tissue repair and regeneration. Combination of the electric stimulation and other well understood biochemical regulatory mechanisms may offer powerful and effective therapies for tissue repair and regeneration. This review introduces experimental evidence for the existence of endogenous EFs and discusses their roles in tissue repair and regeneration.
Cell Division ; Cell Movement ; Cell Proliferation ; Electric Stimulation ; Electromagnetic Fields ; Humans ; Neurons ; physiology ; Regeneration ; Wound Healing ; Wounds and Injuries ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo isolate antifungal compound from Paeonia suffruticosa, and to find the antifungal mechanisms by observing the ultrastructural modifications of yeasts in growth phase produced by 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose (PGG).

METHODSPeony (Paeonia suffruticosa) root bark (PRB) was separated by solvent extraction and purified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method using analytical and preparative reversed phase C18 column on the basis of bio-assay method. In order to investigate the antifungal mechanism of PGG, Yeasts were submitted to different concentrations [3 × minimum inhibition concentration (MIC), 0.3 × MIC] for 1 h under constant stirring at 30 °C, and transmission electron microscopy was performed.

RESULTSBased on the antifungal activity of PRB on Candida glabrata CBS138, the antifungal compound were isolated in ethyl acetate layer of PRB and identified as PGG by mass spectrometry, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses, with molecular weight of 940 and molecular formular as C41H32O26. Transmission electron microscopy showed that PGG degraded the cell wall envelope.

CONCLUSIONThe results suggest that PGG may be responsible for the antifungal activity of PRB by disrupting the structure of cell wall directly.

Antifungal Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Candida ; drug effects ; ultrastructure ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Hydrolyzable Tannins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Mass Spectrometry ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Paeonia ; chemistry ; Plant Bark ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

OBJECTIVETo explore the correlation between pathological characteristics of target organs and excess evil syndrome in IgA nephropathy.

METHODSData were collected in multicenter cooperation. Totally 266 IgA nephropathy patients were typed into exogenous wind-heat affection syndrome (49 cases), lower energizer damp-heat syndrome (100 cases), damp-phlegm syndrome (43 cases), and blood stasis syndrome (74 cases). Meanwhile, percutaneous renal biopsy was performed in all patients for Hass classification, Oxford classification, Katafuchi integral, and Jiang's classification methods. The correlation between excess evil syndrome and pathological index was analyzed.

RESULTSFour syndrome types were correlated with their Hass levels (r = 0. 341, P <0. 01). Affection of exogenous wind-heat syndrome was correlated with segmental proliferation of endothelial cells and damaged active lesions of segmental capillary loops. Lower-energizer damp-heat syndrome was associated with Hass III level, destroying active lesions of capillary loops, segmental proliferation of endothelial cells, glomerular segmental lesions, focal interstitial infiltration of inflammatory cells, focal interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy. Blood stasis syndrome was associated with Hass IV level, glomerular sclerosis, segmental glomerulosclerosis (S)/adhesion, mesangial hypercellularity (M), angiohyalinosis, multi-foci interstitial infiltration of inflammatory cells, multi-foci interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy. Phlegm-damp syndrome had higher proportions of Hass I and III levels, but with no association with other pathological parameters.

CONCLUSIONSExcess evil syndrome was associated with partial pathological characteristics of IgA nephropathy. It could reflect pathological damage degree of target organs, activities, chronic lesions, and prognosis of IgA nephropathy to certain extent. Correlated pathological characteristics and its evolution could indicate excess evil syndrome types and their evolution rules.

Capillaries ; Fibrosis ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA ; pathology ; Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental ; Humans ; Kidney Glomerulus ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Prognosis ; Syndrome

A flow controlling system for pulsed inhaled nitric oxide has been developed and tested, and here its features and initial animal experiments and clinical applications are described. The physical characteristic test indicates that the practical released dose of NO gas is very close to the theoretical flow of NO gas at variant pressures. Animal experiments demonstrate that inhaled NO gas concentration is lower than the concentration of theoretical inhalation, but the variance is not remarkable (p>0.05). When sixteen cases with CHD and PH were chosen to inhale NO gas (15 ppm, 15 min) PAP and PVR of all cases were reduced after inhalation of NO gas from 617 +/-51.3 dyn x s x cm(-5), 54.4+/-13.1 mmHg to 417+/-36.9 dym x s x cm(-5), 33.8+/-12.3 mmHg (PVR, p<0.01; PAP, p<0.01) respectively. When gas inhalation was stopped, these values returned to their base lines after a short period of time. All these show that the pulsed inhaled NO flow controlling instrument in accordance with the requirements of the designing, can be widely used in clinical diagnoses and treatments and will be a new tool offered for the treatments of the patients with PH.
Administration, Inhalation ; Animals ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiac Output ; Child ; Equipment Design ; instrumentation ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Male ; Nebulizers and Vaporizers ; Nitric Oxide ; administration & dosage ; analysis ; Rabbits ; Vascular Resistance

OBJECTIVETo study the protective effect of the Mixture of Shengmai Powder and Danshen Decoction (, abbreviated as the Mixture) in the rat model with type 2 diabetic cardiomyopathy in the rat model with type 2 diabetic cardiomyopathy, abbreviated as the Mixture) in the rat model with type 2 diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM).

METHODSForty-two SD rats with DCM model, established by the combination of insulin resistance by a high-fat diet with the damage of pancreatic islet β cells by intraperitoneal injection of high dose streptozotocin (50 mg/kg) once, were evaluated in the damage of the myocardium by electrocardiogram at the end of 12 weeks of grouping and intervention administration; the extent of damage in the myocardial subcellular structure was observed by electron microscopy; the content of myocardial collagen in the left cardiac ventricle was quantified by Masson staining test; the myocardial cell apoptosis was determined by TUNEL; the changes in the mRNA expression levels of thrombospodin-1 (TSP-1) and tribbles homolog 3 (TRB-3) by real-time quantitative PCR, the expression levels of myocardial TSP-1, tumor growth factorβ1 (TGF-β1), TRB-3, and chymase were detected by immunohistochemistry, and the changes in the expression levels of myocardial TSP-1, active-TGF-β1 (A-TGF-β1) and latent-TGF-β1 (L-TGF-β1) protein were tested by Western blotting.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the myocardial tissue was less damaged, and the extent of damage in the myocardial subcellular structure was less; the collagen fiber content and the cell apoptosis were reduced; the expression levels of TSP-1mRNA and TRB-3 mRNA, the expression levels of myocardial TSP-1, TGF-β1, TRB-3, and chymase, as well as the average expression levels of the myocardial TSP-1, A-TGFβ1, and L-TGF-β1 protein were decreased in the Mixture group.

CONCLUSIONThe Mixture of Shengmai Powder and Danshen Decoction could inhibit the process of myocardial fibrosis in the rat myocardium of DCM through multiple pathways and significantly delay the genesis and progress of DCM in hyperglycemic rats.

Animals ; Cytoprotection ; drug effects ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; complications ; drug therapy ; Diabetic Cardiomyopathies ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drug Combinations ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Heart ; drug effects ; Male ; Myocardium ; cytology ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Streptozocin

Objective To compare the complications in transoral CO2 and Nd: YAG laser surgery for the treatment of laryngeal carcinoma. Methods Retrospective analysis of 83 cases of glottic laryngeal carcinoma treated with laser surgery from January 1,1999 to December 31,2008 was carried out. Thirty-two cases were treated with the CO2 laser, including Tis(2 cases), T1N0M0 (21 cases), T2N0M0 (8 cases),and T3N0M0 (1 case). Fifty-one cases were treated with the Nd:YAG laser, including Tis (3 cases),T1N0M0 (36 cases), T1N2M0 (3 cases), and T2N0M0 (9 cases). Results Four complications ( 12.5% )occurred in the CO2 laser group. There was 1 local infection ( 3.1% ), 1 numbness of the tongue ( 3.1% ),1 odontoseisis (3. 1 % ), and 1 subcutaneous emphysema (3.1% ). Twenty-seven complications (52.9%)occurred in 19 patients in the Nd: YAG laser group. There were postoperative bleeding 2(3.9% ), dyspnea 5 ( 9. 8% ), local infection 7 ( 13.7% ), aspiration pneumonia 4 ( 7. 8% ), numbness of the tongue 2(3. 9% ), pharyngeal cutaneous fistula 1 (2.0%), vocal cord fixation 4 (7.8%), and laryngostenosis 2(3.9% ). Conclusion More complications were observed in the patients with Nd: YAG laser surgery when compared to the patients with CO2 laser surgery.

Objective To investigate the fourth branchial abnormity and its managements.Method Twelve cases of the fourth branchial abnormity treated between January 2005 and April 2012 were reviewed.Results Dissection of the recurrent laryngeal nerve was done in all cases.Partial thyroidectomy was performed in 10 cases,and 2 cases of them received selective neck dissection including level Ⅱ,Ⅲ,Ⅳ and Ⅵ.The abnormity lesions were found to pass posterior to the thyroid glands in the 10 cases and to pass through the inferior constrictor muscle into the pyriform sinus in 7 cases of them.The internal opening in the pyriform sinus demonstrated by preoperative examination couldn't be identified in the operation in one case.The abnormity tract terminated at the lateral surface of the esophagus in one case,passed into the cervical esophagus in one case,and terminated at the lateral surface of the thyroid gland in one case,and formed a cyst lateral to the thyroid gland in one case.No abnormity tract was found to loop around the hypoglossal nerve and to descend into the mediastinum.The left recurrent laryngeal nerve was cut off in one patient,although end to end anastomosis was performed immediately,the patient was still complicated with left vocal cord paralysis postoperatively.The median follow-up time of the cases was 24 months (8-88 months).One case was lost of follow up.No recurrence was found in 10 cases.Recurrence was found in one case,and no recurrence in 10 cases.Conclusions The presentation of congenital the fourth branchial fistula is variated significantly.Most abnormity lesions had close relations to the thyroid gland and the recurrent laryngeal nerve,thus the recurrent laryngeal nerve need to protect and partial thyroidectomy might be considered.In the recurrent cases when the abnormity couldn't be identified clearly,selective neck dissection including level Ⅱ,Ⅲ,Ⅳ and Ⅵ should be done long term follow up should be carried out in the cases that the internal opening couldn't be found.

Objective To compare the clinical benefits of rapid Rhino Stammberger sinus dressing (RR), a new nasal packing material for functional endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), with traditional packing materials sorbalgon plus Vaseline gauze (SV) prospectively. Methods Twenty-four patients with chronic sinusitis of the similar grade were enrolled in the study. After ESS, the nasal cavities of each patient were packed with RR in the right side as observing group and SV in the left side as control group. SV in the left nasal cavity was removed in the first day after operation and RR remained in the right nasal cavity until the first endoscopic follow-up 1 week postoperatively. The same perioperative treatments such as irrigation and local steroid were given in both sides of nasal cavities. The grade of rhinalgia, nasal obstruction, discharge, bleeding and epiphora in each side of nasal cavities were assessed on a visual analogue scale (VAS) by the patients at the operation day (packing period), the first day and the second day after operation respectively. Postoperative endoscopic assessment of nasal cavities including crest, discharge, pseudomembrane, edema of mucosa, bubble and ostium obstruction were carried out by a rhinologist on VAS at 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 weeks postoperatively. The follow-up continued until the complete mucosal healing. Results Three patients were dropped from statistical analysis. One of them with severe hypertension bleeding when he awoke from anesthesia, the RR was run out from the nasal cavity. The other two were lost in the follow-up. Twenty-one patients completed the follow -up ranging between 2 - 20 months. The scores of rhinalgia, epiphora at the operation day and the rhinalgia at the first day after operation in RR side were lower than SV side ( P < 0. 05). The scores of the amount of crust at the first week after operation in RR side were lower than SV side (P < 0. 05). Statistically, no significant deference was found between RR and SV in the length of mucosal healing period. Conclusious Patients felt more comfortable with the package of RR than traditional material No pain and secondary bleeding happened. The efficacy of RR on mucosal healing was similar with SV. RR showed some advantages and could be used as packing material following ESS.

OBJECTIVETo identify a mutation G2113-->A in the glycoprotein (GP)IX gene associated with Bernard-Soulier syndrome (BSS) and to investigate BSS pathogenesis.

METHODSAllele-specific restriction enzyme was used to analyze the samples of patient, her mother, her brother and 40 healthy volunteers. Site-directed mutagenesis was performed to construct a expression vector PD-IXG2113A harboring the mutation G2113-->A. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were transiently cotransfected with plasmids harboring the entire coding region of GPIbalpha, GPIbeta and GPIX or mutant GPIX, respectively. Expression of GPIbalpha and GPIX in transfected CHO cells were analysed with flow cytometer. GPIbalpha and GPIX in the cytoplasma of transfected CHO cells were analysed by immunostaining and Western blotting.

RESULTSThe patient was found to be homozygosity of the substitution, her mother and her brother be heterozygous. Expressions of GPIbalpha and GPIX in mutant CHO cells were remarkably reduced, but abundant in the cytoplasma.

CONCLUSIONThe mutation of Ala139(GCC)-->Thr(ACC) in the GPIX did not affect synthesis and assembly of GPIb/IX complex but influence its anchoring and expression on the cell surface, which was responsible for BSS.

Adult ; Animals ; Bernard-Soulier Syndrome ; genetics ; Blotting, Western ; CHO Cells ; Cricetinae ; Female ; Humans ; Mutation ; Platelet Glycoprotein GPIb-IX Complex ; genetics