Objective:To compare the clinical efficacy of Du's heat-reinforcing method and Western medication in treating diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D).Methods:Sixty-five IBS-D patients were randomized into two groups by the random number table.Thirty-three cases in the treatment group were intervened by acupuncture with Du's heat-reinforcing method,while thirty-two cases in the control group were given oral administration of pinaverium bromide tablets.The intervention lasted 4 weeks for both groups.The IBS symptom severity score (IBS-SSS),IBS-quality of life (IBS-QOL) and hospital anxiety and depression scale (HAD) were adopted to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy.Results:The two groups each had two dropout cases.The clinical recovery rate was 38.7％ and the total effective rate was 90.3％ in the treatment group versus 13.3％ and 66.7％ in the control group.The treatment group was superior to the control group in both clinical recovery rate and total effective rate (both P＜0.05).After 1-week and 4-week treatment,respectively,the IBS-SSS scores were lower compared with the baseline in both groups,and the intra-group differences were statistically significant (both P＜0.05);the score in the treatment group was lower than that in the control group,and the between-group difference was statistically significant (both P＜0.05).After 4-week treatment,the component scores of IBS-QOL showed improvements in both groups,and the treatment group was superior to the control group in the improvements of dysphoria,interference with activity,health worry and food avoidance (all P＜0.05).The anxiety and depression scales of HAD (HAD-a,HAD-d) in the treatment group and the HAD-a in the control group obtained significant improvements (all P＜0.05);the scores of HAD-a and HAD-d in the treatment group were significantly better than those in the control group (both P＜0.05).Conclusion:Acupuncture with Du's heat-reinforcing method can effectively ease the symptoms of IBS-D,improve the quality of life and the state of anxiety and depression.It can produce a more significant efficacy than oral administration of pinaverium bromide tablets.

Humans ; Pulmonary Fibrosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Signal Transduction ; physiology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism ; Wound Healing ; physiology

ObjectiveTo retrospectively determine the prevalence of Ramp lesion (the peripheral attachment of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus) of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus with concurrent anterior cruciate ligament(ACL) ruptures and analyze the relevant risk factors.MethodsFrom April 2002 to October 2007,868 consecutive knees were diagnosed as ACL injury and received arthroscopic surgery for ACL reconstruction(ACLR).All the patients were verified for the tears of Ramp area under arthroscopy.The prevalence of Ramp lesion was evaluated respectively.Then all cases were divided into different groups depending on the time interval from ACL injury to ACLR (TFI) and other relevant risk factors as age and gender.ResultsAmong 868 knees underwent surgery for ACLR,144 knees were diagnosed as Ramp lesion.The average age was 24.7 years,113 males,31 females.The mean TFI to ACLR was 29.3months.The prevalence of Ramp lesion was 16.59％,which was analyzed as logarithmic correlation with TFI.Patients younger than 30-year old and male patients had significant higher prevalence of Ramp lesion.ConclusionRamp lesion is a common meniscus injury that can occur at the time of ACL rupture or as a result of knee laxity associated with ACL insufficiency.The prevalence of Ramp lesion is 16.59％ which increases with time until 24 months after initial injury.Patients younger than 30-year old and male patients have higher prevalence of Ramp lesion.

Objective To explore the biological characteristics and karyotype of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)and hematopoietic sup- port of MSCs.Methods MSCs were isolated from bone marrow of 11 SLE patients and 6 healthy controls by density centrifugation and adhesive culture in vitro.The surface markers were detected by flow cytometry (FCM).The morphological changes of MSCs were observed in primary and passage cultures.The growth curves were assayed.The karyotype of MSCs was detected by blocking cellular mitosis with colchicines.The MSCs from SLE patients and healthy controls were infused to ICR mice after high-dose chemotherapy.The changes of peripheral blood counts of the mice were recorded.Results Approximately(6～9)?10~9 MSCs from SLE were obtained after 5 passages and their growth was slower than normal controls(P＜0.01).Both groups were positive for CD29,CD44 and CD105,and negative for CD14,CD34,CD45 and HLA-DR.MSCs from SLE had a normal karyotype.MSCs infusions of the two groups were accompanied by no adverse event and the recovery of white blood cell,hemoglobin and platelet count was quicker when compared with the controls(P＜0.05).Conclusion MSCs from SLE have demonstrated abnormalities in expansion in vitro.MSCs from SLE have a normal karyotype.Ex vivo MSCs infusion from SLE patients can support hematopoiesis as normal MSCs.

There were significant increase in urine protein excretion,raised malondialdehyde(MDA) level and expressions of NF-?B,p22phox and p47phox in renal tissue,and significant decrease in reduced glutathione,superoxide dismutase,vitamin C and E levels in type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakisaki rats after 12 weeks. There was obvious histomorphologic change in the kidneys.All the above indices were improved by intraperitoneal injection of?-lipoic acid(35 mg/kg q.o.d).Besides,significant positive correlations were found of MDA level to p22phox,p47phox and NF-?B in the renal tissue,?-lipoic acid seems to protect the diabetic kidney in this diabetic rat model via antioxidative effects.

0.2 g/L)with normal diets. Conclusions Living donor liver transplantation for hepatic complications of Wilson's disease can cure and correct the underlying metabolic defect. It is a lifesaving therapy in children with fulminant Wilsonian hepatitis and has many unsurpassed advantages.

Adult ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; CD3 Complex ; metabolism ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; drug therapy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drug Hypersensitivity ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Immunoblastic Lymphadenopathy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Ki-1 Antigen ; metabolism ; Lymphadenitis ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lymphoma, T-Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Receptors, Complement 3d ; metabolism ; Sulfasalazine ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use

Adult ; Cutis Laxa ; complications ; diagnosis ; Emphysema ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process by which fully differentiated epithelial cells undergo a phenotypic conversion and assume a mesenchymal cell phenotype, including elongated morphology, enhanced migratory and invasiveness capacity, and greatly increased production of extracellular matrix (ECM) components. The EMTs associated with wound healing, tissue regeneration, and organ fibrosis are termed as type 2 EMT. Over the past two decades, emerging evidence suggested that injured epithelial cells, via type 2 EMT, may serve as important sources of fibroblasts and contribute to organ fibrosis, such as kidney, liver, lung and eyes. There is perhaps no doubt that adult epithelial cells can undergo EMT in vitro in response to transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and other inflammatory or pro-fibrotic stimuli. However, whether type 2 EMT really occurs in vivo, whethers it is actually a source of functional and activated interstitial fibroblasts and whether it contributes to tissue fibrosis have already been the subjects of heated debate. In this review, we will describe the main features of EMT, the major findings of type 2 EMT in vitro, the evidences for and against type 2 EMT in vivo and discuss the heterogeneity and pitfalls of the techniques used to detect EMT during fibrotic diseases. We suggest that in order to ascertain the existence of type 2 EMT in vivo, different proper phenotype markers of epithelial and mesenchymal cells should be jointly used and cell lineage tracking techniques should be standardized and avoid false positives. Finally, we believe that if EMT really occurs and contributes to tissue fibrosis, efforts should be made to block or reverse EMT to attenuate fibrotic process.
Animals ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; physiology ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; metabolism ; Fibrosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo explore the role of Compound Danshen Injection (CDI) in regulating the expression of aquaporin 3 (AQP3) in human amnion epithelium cells (hAECs), and to study the relation between c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signal pathway and AQP3.

METHODShAECs were isolated and primarily cultured from term pregnancy with normal amniotic fluid volume and from term pregnancy with oligohydramnios, and then hAECs were further divided into four groups, i.e., the blank control group (A), the SP600125 group (B), the CDI group (C), and the SP600125 +CDI group (D). The cell viability was measured by cell counting kit-8 assay (CCK-8). The expression of total JNK, phosphorylated JNK, and AQP3 were determined by Western blot.

RESULTS(1) In hAECs with normal AFV or with oligohydramnios: There was no statistical difference in the cell viability or the expression of total JNK among the 4 groups (P > 0.05). But there was statistical difference in the expression of p-JNK (P < 0.05). Compared with A group, the expression of p-JNK was obviously down-regulated in B group, but obviously up-regulated in C group (P < 0.05). The expression of p-JNK was significantly lower in D group than in C group, but higher than that in A group or B group (P < 0.05).The AQP3 expression in the hAECs with normal amniotic fluid volume of C group and D group were higher than that in the A group (P < 0.05). However, there was no statistical difference in the AQP3 expression between C group and D group (P > 0.05). In hAECs with oligohydramnios, the expression of AQP3 obviously decreased in B group, but up-regulated in C group (both P < 0.05). The expression of AQP3 was lower in D group than in C group, but higher than in B group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCDI could regulate the AQP3 expression in hAECs with oligohydramnios via activating the JNK signal pathway.

Amnion ; cytology ; drug effects ; Aquaporin 3 ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Epithelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; physiology