Adult ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; blood ; genetics ; Pneumoconiosis ; blood ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

OBJECTIVETo observe clinical effect of integrated Chinese medical (CM) treatment (as maintenance therapy) on the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after first-line chemotherapy.

METHODSThe study was a prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Totally 69 non-progressive advanced NSCLC patients treated with first-line chemotherapy were randomly assigned to the test group (34 cases) and the control group (35 cases). Patients in the control group were treated with one Western drug chemotherapy (Gemcitabine or Alimta or docetaxel). Those in the test group were treated with integrated CM treatment (CM decoction, CM Intravenous preparation, and point application). Each cycle consisted of 21 days. Treatment lasted till the disease progressed, or intolerable toxic/adverse reactions occurred, or patients refused to continue the treatment. Patients' life spans were regularly followed-up.

RESULTS(1) The median cycle of maintenance therapy was 2 cycles for two groups with no statistical difference (P =0.274). The median PFS was 12.43 weeks in the test group and 10.00 weeks in the control group, showing statistical difference (P =0.025). The middle survival time (MST) was 18.8 months in the test group and 16.73 months in the control group, showing no statistical difference (P =0.437).

CONCLUSIONCM treatment (as maintenance therapy) showed quail effect to one Western drug chemotherapy in prolonging patients' life span.

Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; Deoxycytidine ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Pemetrexed ; therapeutic use ; Prospective Studies ; Taxoids ; therapeutic use

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), multipotent stem cells, can replicate as undifferentiated cells and have the potential to differentiate into different lineages of mesenchymal tissues, including bone, cartilage,endothelial, neural, smooth muscle, skeletal myoblasts, and cardiac myocyte cells. The ischemia-induced death of cardiomyocytes results in scar formation and reduced contractility of the ventricle. Several preclinical and clinical studies have supported the notion that MSCs therapy may be used for cardiac regeneration.When transplanted into the infracted heart, MSCs prevent deleterious remodeling and improve recovery, but the mechanism is not clear. In this work,we review evidence and new prospects that support the use of MSCs in cardiomyoplasty.

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture plus navel acupuncture for patients with urinary retention after radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer. Methods: A total of 64 patients with urinary retention after radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer was divided into a navel acupuncture group (22 cases), an acupuncture group (18 cases) and an acupuncture plus navel acupuncture group (24 cases). All three groups received bladder function training and neuromuscular electrical stimulation. In addition, navel points were combined in the navel acupuncture group. Electroacupuncture was conducted to Qihai (CV 6), Zhongji (CV 3), Dahe (KI 12), Shuidao (ST 28), Ciliao (BL 32) and Huiyang (BL 35) in the acupuncture group. The acupuncture plus navel acupuncture group received both treatments. The catheter was removed after 3 d of treatment. Spontaneous urination, residual urine volume, urinary catheter dependence and recurrence after 3 d, 6 d and 9 d of treatment in each group were observed, respectively. Results: In the acupuncture plus navel acupuncture group, the markedly effective rates after 3 d, 6 d and 9 d of treatment were significantly higher than those in the navel acupuncture group and the acupuncture group; the urinary catheter dependence was lower than that of the other two groups, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05, P<0.01); the spontaneous urination time was shorter than that of the navel acupuncture group and the acupuncture group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05, P<0.01); the residual urine volume was significantly less than that of the navel acupuncture group and the acupuncture group, and the differences were statistically significant (both P<0.01). After the catheter was removed, recurrence was observed from the next day after spontaneous urination was resumed. There were 2 cases of recurrence in the navel acupuncture group, 2 cases in the acupuncture group and 1 case in the acupuncture plus navel acupuncture group. The recurrence rate of the acupuncture plus navel acupuncture group was significantly lower than that of the navel acupuncture group and the acupuncture group (both P<0.01). Conclusion: Acupuncture plus navel acupuncture has satisfactory efficacy for urinary retention after radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer. It can significantly shorten the urinary retention time, reduce the patient's dependence on urinary catheter, and reduce the residual urine volume.

Objective To explore the parental personality traits and affective expression in abuse children.Methods The investigation was carried out in 3 villages in Xinxiang,Henan province,with a total of 1 310 households,of which there were altogether 370 households that had children at 10-15 years old.From them,200 households were randomly selected to screen the children for child abuse,and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and Toronto Alexithymia Scale(TAS) assessment were made among the parents who were primary caregi-vers.Independent samples t-test and Chi-square test were conducted to the 196 valid questionnaires.Results The average educated years of parents in abuse group and non-abuse group were (7.75?5.437)years old and (7.28? 2.532) years old,there was no significant diffe-rence (P=0.413).The average age of fathers in abuse group and non-abuse group were (36.16?8.96)years and (39.06?7.99)years repectively,there was no significant difference(P=0.170),and those of mothers in both groups were (36.06?5.15)years and (37.62?5.70) years respectively,there was no significant difference(P=0.121).There were 31 fathers and 49 mothers who were guardian in abuse group,while there were 35 fathers and 81 mothers in non-abuse group (?2=1.56 P=0.212).No significant differences were found in parental psychoticism [t(father)=1.221 P= 0.227;t (mother)=-0.471 P=0.639],neuroticism[t (father)=-0.524 P=0.602;t(mother)=-0.556 P=0.579],extraversion/ introversion[t(father)=-0.449 P=0.655;t(mother)=-0.859 P=0.392] and lie [t(father)=-1.263 P= 0.211;t(mother)=0.733 P= 0.465],the ability to identify and describe feelings[t(father)=0.946 P=0.348;t(mother)=0.815 P=0.417],to distinguish between bodily sensations[t(father)=0.215 P=0.831;t(mother)=2.107 P=0.037],to daydream [t(father)=-0.088 P=0.930;t(mother)=-0.971 P=0.333]and to focus on externally oriented thinking[t(father)=-0.648 P= 0.519;t(mother)=-0.164 P= 0.870] in TAS.Conclusions In a general way parents who abuse their children do not necessarily have problems with their personalities or affective expression.Not only abnormal parents are likely to assault their children,but also normal parents may do it as well.

0.05).The FMPV of the B?448 AA plus GA was higher than that of the GG type in obesity group(P0.05).Conclusions The simple obesity in children is associated with Fg and FMPV,which have become the high risk factors of the disease of heart and brain.The Fg B?448 G/A gene polymorphism may be an accumulative efficiency gene of children with simple obesity by influencing FMPV.

Objective To investigate the protective effects of Digoxin on cardioventricular function in rats after simulated weightlessness.Methods Eighty rats were divided randomly into 5 groups:control(Con)group,tail-suspended+sham feeding(TS+SF)group,tail-suspended+Digoxin 2 wk(TS+D2)group and tail-suspended+Digoxin 3 wk(TS+D3)group.The TS+SF group was given the distilled water.At the end of tail-suspended for 3 weeks,the heart function of 10 rats in each group was examined with echocardiography.The level of atrial natriuretic polypeptide(ANP)in serum was measured with immunoradiometric assay in other 6 rats.Results Compared with TS+SF group,the contractile function of LV improved in TS+D2 and TS+D3 groups(P0.05).Conclusion Digoxin can improve muscle contractile and blood ejection of LV and retard the tendency of atrophy in simulated weightlessness.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of dressing and moxibustion-pretreatment on the local joint swelling and stress hormone in hypothalami of rats with adjuvant arthritis (AA) at early and secondary stages.MethodsForty Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: normal group, early and secondary model groups, early and secondary pre-dressing and moxibustion (PDM) groups. The dressing with Chinese herb and moxibustion was stuck on Dazhui point (GV14) before the AA model established. The effects of dressing and moxibustion-pretreatment on the feet swelling and corticotropin-releasing-hormone (CRH), beta-endorphin (β-EP) and neuropeptide-Y (NPY) in hypothalami were observed.ResultsThe right feet swelling rate at early and secondary stages obviously increased after modeling ( P<0.01), and it became lower in early and secondary PDM groups than in model groups at the same phases ( P<0.05～0.01). The level of hypothalamic CRH was higher after modeling ( P<0.05～0.01), compared with early model group, it had a tendency to going down in early PDM group, moreover, in secondary PDM group the level was similar with the normal group. The level of hypothalamic β-EP increased significantly in early model group ( P<0.01), and lightly changed in secondary model group, it decreased in early PDM group but increased in secondary PDM group, compared with model groups at the same stages ( P<0.05). The level of hypothalamic NPY increased significantly after modeling, and it declined in the secondary PDM group ( P<0.05).ConclusionDressing and moxibustion-pretreatment can relief feet swelling of AA rats, which may be related with its regulative effect on the level of hypothalamic CRH, β-EP and NPY.

BACKGROUNDDiabetic nephropathy is a major cause of renal failure in diabetes mellitus (DM). It has been known that renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockers have a renal protective effect. This study aimed to investigate whether treatment with angiotensin II receptor blocker, olmesartan, could modify renal hemodynamic variables and vascular structural properties, then attenuate renal injury in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DM rats.

METHODSDM was induced in male Wistar rats by intraperitoneal administration of STZ. The rats were then randomized to a DM group and an olmesartan treatment (OLM + DM) group. The normal group (non-DM) were administered only citrate buffer. At the end of the 14th week, blood glucose, kidney weight/body weight and urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio were determined. Further, the flow-pressure and pressure-glomerular filtration rate (GFR) relationships were determined for maximally vasodilated, perfused kidneys. From the relationship, 3 indices of vascular structural properties were estimated: slope of flow-pressure (minimal renal vascular resistance, reflecting overall luminal dimensions of preglomerular and postglomerular vasculature), slope of pressure-GFR (glomerular filtration capacity against pressure) and threshold pressure for beginning filtration at pressure-GFR (preglomerular to postglomerular vascular resistance ratio). Kidneys were then perfusion fixed for histological analysis. The renal histopathology was observed by light microscopy.

RESULTSThe body weight of DM rats was lower than that of non-DM rats. Blood glucose, kidney weight/body weight, urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio were significantly greater in DM rats than in non-DM rats. The parameters such as kidney weight/body weight, urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio in OLM + DM rats had dramatically decreased compared with those in DM rats. However, the treatment with olmesartan had no effect on blood glucose levels. The slope of flow-pressure relationship was greater in DM rats than that in non-DM rats (P < 0.05). But the slope of the pressure-GFR relationship was lower in DM rats than that in non-DM rats (P < 0.05) with the x-intercept of the line similar between the two groups. The slope of the flow-pressure relationship was decreased in DM rats group treated with olmesartan (P < 0.05). Moreover, olmesartan significantly increased the slope of the pressure-GFR relationship in DM rats (P < 0.05). The x-intercept of the pressure-GFR relationship reduced following olmesartan in DM rats.

CONCLUSIONSTreatment with olmesartan reduced urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio independent of blood glucose and increased average renal vessel lumen diameter in the perfused kidneys of STZ-induced DM rats, predominantly in preglomerular vessels, and then improved renal excretory capability. These findings were consistent with remodeling of the preglomerular vasculature in our hisological measurements.

Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers ; therapeutic use ; Animals ; Blood Glucose ; drug effects ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; drug therapy ; prevention & control ; Hemodynamics ; drug effects ; Imidazoles ; Kidney ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Organ Size ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Tetrazoles

Objective:To systematically evaluate the risks of anti-TNF-αtreatment-associated infection, severe infection and tuberculosis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, and to reduce the infection incidences associated with anti-TNF-αtherapy. Methods:We used Meta analysis to systematically review randomized controlled trials on anti-TNF-αtreatment associated risks of infecion, severe infection and tuberculosis in AR patients.Results:Although no statistically significant differences were detected in TB risk between anit-TNF-αtreatment and the control group (0.5%vs 0.07%;P=0.27, OR=1.85, 95%CI:0.62-5.52), there still existed a clinically obvious elevation of TB risk in monoclonal anti-TNF-αtreatment, which was illustrated by the results that no TB case was reported in the etanercept group, but 11 TBs in 2050 infliximab-treated cases, and 3 TBs in 722 adalimumab-treated cases. The total infection and severe infection risks were also signiifcantly higher in patients receiving anti-TNF-αtreatment (P<0.05). Subanalysis revealed that etanercept showed no signiifcantly higher infection or severe infection risk than control group (P>0.05), while both kinds of monoclonal antibodies of TNF-αblockers showed a signiifcantly elevated infection or severe infection risks (P<0.05). High doses of anti-TNF-αtreatment were associated with statistically increased risks of severe infection (6.0%vs 2.8%, P=0.04, OR=1.68, 95%CI:1.02-2.78). Conclusion:The TB risk of anti-TNF-αtreatment deserves close attention, especially in places with high rate of BCG vaccination and MTb infection. Monoclonal anti-TNF-αtreatment brings higher risks of infection and severe infection than soluble TNF-αreceptor.