Animals ; Endocrine Disruptors ; toxicity ; Lethal Dose 50 ; Perchlorates ; toxicity ; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds ; toxicity ; Thyrotropin ; metabolism ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

Objective To study the synthesizing site,transporting mode,and storing position of essential oil in Pogostemon cablin stems and leaves.Methods Ultrathin slicing and histochemical methods were used.Results In parenchyma cells in the stem of P.cablin,dark osmiophilic material was observed in plastids and mitochondria,otherwise,some small gray vesicles were also found in cytoplasm.Some dark osmiophilic droplets were found to adhere to outer membrane of small gray vesicles,and many small gray vesicles with osmiophilic droplets gathered in outer membrane of large vacuole.In leaves,it was different case.Because palisade tissue cells were arranged closely,which had smaller volume and rich chloroplasts,so there was not large vacuole in palisade tissue cells.Plastids,mitochondria,and small vacuole were distributed in high density,but the first two organelles contained more dark osmilphilic substance than latter.Conclusion The plastid is the main synthesis site of essential oil,and the essential oil was mainly transferred by small gray vesicles into large vacuole to store in the stem.In leaves,chloroplast not only has photosynthesis,but also is the main synthesis site of essential oil,and essential oil is permeated into small vacuole to store.

Objective To investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of laparoscopic extraperitoneal inguinal hernia repair with low-pressure pneumoperitoneum without using stapling devices.Methods A total of 38 patients with reducible inguinal hernia underwent laparoscopic extraperitoneal inguinal hernia repair in our hospital from January 2006 to February 2007.Three abdominal trocars were introduced into the extraperitoneal cavity.An 11-mm trocar was placed at the lower border of the umbilicus,and the other two sized 5.5 mm were at the upper and lower 1/3 of the line between the umbilicus and the pubic symphysis,respectively.Then,low-pressure(6-8 mm Hg) CO2 was insufflated into the extraperitoneal cavity.Non-traumatic forceps was used to create an operative space from the hilum to the pubic symphysis and the diseased inguinal area.The hernia sac and the fabrics around it were disconnected.For big hernia sacs,the sac was ligated,cut at the cervix,and then left at its original site.While for small hernia sacs,it was dissociated and put back into the abdominal cavity.Afterwards,a patch sized 12 cm ? 15 cm was placed into the cavity,stretched,and attached to the abdominal wall,covering the annulus inguinalis profundus,Hesselbach triangle,and the femoral ring,without using stapling devices.After the operation,the patients received sandbag compression at the operative area and were kept in bed with urethral catheter for 24 hours. Results The operation was successfully accomplished in all the 38 cases without conversion to open surgery.The operation time was 45-85 min(mean,56 min).The intraoperative blood loss was 5-10 ml.After the operation,seroma occurred in 4 cases,and perforation in 2.No subcutaneous emphysema,hypercapnia,intestinal injury,neuralgia,or hemorrhage was found.The patients were followed up for 6 to 19 months(mean,10.5 months),and no recurrence occurred.Conclusions It is feasible to use laparoscopic extraperitoneal inguinal hernia repair with low-pressure pneumoperitoneum without using stapling devices.The method is associated with few complications and confirmed efficacy.

Objective To study the feasibility,superiority and curative effect of percutaneous nephrolithotomy with fibrous sheath and Swiss LithoClast Master (EMS Ⅲ) through T-tube tract for retained choledocholithiasis. Methods This study involved 32 patients with hepatolithiasis who were treated in our hospital from August 2004 to August 2007. By combining percutaneous nephrolithotomy (with a fibrous sheath on) and Swiss LithoClast Master (EMS Ⅲ) through a T-tube tract,retained choledocholithiasis was removed. Results The 32 patients totally underwent 36 operations. The mean operation time was 43 minutes (ranged from 33 to 78 minutes). In 28 of the cases,the stones were extracted completely by one session; and 2 were cured by two operations. The final stone-free rate was 94% (30/32). Follow-up was carried out in all the patients for 26 to 48 months (mean,29 months),during which no patients developed abdominal pain,jaundice or fever,no recurrence was detected by B-ultrasonography. Two patients showed residual stones after the treatment,one of them received Roux-en-Y hepatocholangioenterostomy because of extensive multiple biliary stones in the liver,which could no be removed completely after three sessions of nephrolithotomy; another patient who was a 70-year old man refused the secondary operation and thus retained a few stones in the right inferior lobe of the liver. In this series of 32 cases,no bile duct tear,massive hemorrhage,biliary leakage,cholangitis or abdominal distension occurred. Conclusions It is a safe,convenient,and simple method to combine percutaneous nephrolithotomy with Swiss LithoClast Master via T-Tube tract for retained choledocholithiasis. The procedure results in less pain in patients,and reduced equipment spoilage,while the cost is low. As the surgery is easy to perform,it is worth being widely used.

Objective To establish a multi-drug resistant model of temporal lobe epilepsy,and then the sodium current of pyramidal neurons in CA1 areas of the hippocampus was used as as index to observe the effect of hippocampal stimulation on pharmacoresistant epileptic rats.Methods Eighty Wistar rats were selected to prepare an amygdaloid kindled model of epilepsy by chronic stimulation of amygaloid basal lateral nucleus.When the kindled model of epilepsy was prepared successfully,the pharmacoresistant epileptic rats were selected according their response to phenobabital and phenytoin.The selected pharmacoresistant epileptic rats were divided into a hippocampal stimulation group (HS group) and a pharmacoresistant control group (PR group).A low-frequency hippocampal stimulation was performed in the HS group,while the PR group received sham stimulation.The whole-cell recording technique by patch-clamp was used to observe the changes of sodium current of hippocampal pyramidal neurons after the hippocampal stimulation.Results Compared with the PR group,the pharmacoresistant epileptic rats in HS group underwent low-frequency stimulation for 2 weeks showed that the amygdale stimulus-induced seizures were decreased (2.32 ± 0.38 in HS group and 4.45 ± 0.42 in PR group,t =84.600,P =0.000) and the parameters of the after-discharges were improved significantly.In HS group,the peak current shifted towards depolarization,the sodium channels were difficult to activate,and were more susceptible to inactivation.Moreover,the recovery time after the sodium channel inactivation was slower in HS group ((17.9 ±0.6) s) than in PR group((16.3 +0.3) s,t =-25.420,P =0.000).Conclusions Hippocampal stimulation may inhibit the sodium channel current of pyramidal neurons in CA1 areas of hippocampus.The mechanism of hippocampal stimulation in the treatment of pharmacoresistant epilepsy might be achieved partly by inhibiting the sodium channel current so as to decrease the excitability of hippocampal neurons.

Objective To explore the mechanisms of Artemisia argyi burning and moxibustion photo-thermal effect.Methods N-alkanes were obtained by gradient solvent extraction and silica gel column chromatography elution from 1, 3 and 5 years’ Artemisia argyi produced in QiChun, Hubei and analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS).Results The n-alkane contents of 1, 3 and 5 years’ Artemisia argyi were 318.65, 528.23 and 394.20μg/g, respectively. A total of seventeen kinds of n-alkanes were detected from the Artemisia argyi of three kinds of years. The 31 carbon alkane content was highest in all of them. Because N-alkanes affect the temperature and stability of Artemisia argyi burning, it may be the material basis for explaining “worrying seven years’ diseases seek 3 years’ Artemisia argyi”.

Objective To establish a multi-drug resistant model of temporal lobe epilepsy,and to observe the changes of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor expression in the hippocampal tissues so as to explore its effects in pharmacoresistant epileptogenesis.Methods One hundred rats were selected to prepare the amygdaloid kindled model of epilepsy by chronic stimulation of amygaloid basal lateral nucleus.After the kindled model of epilepsy was prepared successfully(n =52),pharmacoresistant epileptic rats were selected according to their response to the phenobabital and phenytoin.The selected pharmacoresistant epileptic rats (n =8)were sacrificed and the hippocampus was removed to determine the GABA receptor expression,and the same number of pharmacosensitive epileptic rats was used as control.Results The pharmacoresistant epileptic rats displayed degenerative and necrotic hippocampal neurons.The arrangement of hippocampal neurons was disordered,and the structural characteristics of the arrangement of the hippocampal neurons disappeared.The gray values of GABAA-positive neurons in the hippocampal tissues (141.15 ± 14.72) increased significantly compared with the pharmacosensitive epileptic rats (92.56 ± 5.17; t =3.380,P =0.006).Western blot method demonstrated that the band of GABAA became narrowed and thin.The relative quantity of GABAA in the hippocampal tissues (0.38 ± 0.08) decreased significantly as compared with the pharmacosensitive epileptic rats (0.88 ± 0.18).A significant difference was observed (t =5.420,P =0.002).Conclusions GABA receptor expression might be decreased in the hippocampal tissues of pharmacoresistant epileptic rats.It might play a certain role in the formation of pharnmacoresistant epilepsy.

Objective To observe the effect of robot-assisted upper limb training on the recovery of upper limb motor function after stroke.Methods One hundred patients within one month of suffering a stroke were randomly divided into a control group (50 cases) and a therapy group (50 cases).Both groups were given conventional drug therapy and rehabilitation training,while the therapy group also received robot-assisted training once a day,5 days per week for 12 weeks.The Fugl-Meyer assessment for the upper extremities (FMA-UE),the modified Ashworth scale (MAS) and the modified Barthel index (MBI) were used to evaluate the subjects before the experiment and after 4,8 and 12 weeks of treatment.Results During the treatment,the average FMA-UE scores and the average MBI of both groups increased gradually.The treatment group's averages were significantly better than those of the control group at each time point,except that there was no significant difference in elbow and wrist MAS scores.Conclusion Upper limb robots can be used with acute stroke patients in a clinical setting,and they may be beneficial for improving upper limb function and ability in the activities of daily living.