Acute Coronary Syndrome ; therapy ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Humans ; No-Reflow Phenomenon ; prevention & control

Angina, Unstable ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Severity of Illness Index

Coronary Disease ; therapy ; Humans ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Animals ; Cardiovascular System ; drug effects ; Curcuma ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of methotrexate(MTX)on the hip involve ment in patients with ankylosing spondylitis(AS).Methods Among the AS patients with hip joint involvement admitted to the department from 1999—2002,50 patients were treated with sulfasalazine(SSZ)(control group, CG)and 48 MTX(observation group,OG).One kind of NSAIDs was taken by the patients in both groups as the basic therapy.The treatment was maintained in both groups after being discharged.Patients were followed-up for three years.The observation parameters included symptoms,signs,Bath AS disease activity index(BASDAI), Bath AS functional index(BASFI),hip joint function score,the CT staging of hip joint involvement,serum in- flammation markers,laboratory tests and side effects.The data were analyzed with SPSS10.0 statistics software. Results At the 1st,2nd and 3rd year,44,38 and 32 cases in the OG and 45,38 and 31 cases in the CG were followed up respectively.During the three-year follow-up period,the hip joint function score of the OG was significantly higher than that of the CG(P

Traditional Chinese medicine Curcuma Zedoary ( E'Zhu) contains essential oil, curcuminoid and other effective constituents, with such pharmacological actions as anti-platelet aggregation, lowing blood lipid, anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation. In recent years, studies have showed that certain extracts and chemical components of E'Zhu could mitigate myocardial cell mitochondria injury and protect vascular endothelium by enhancing heme oxygenase-1 activity, inhibit nuclear factor NF-kappaB, target genes interleukin-associated kinase-1 (IRAK-1), tumor necrosis factor receptor-6 (TRAF-6) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), reduce inflammatory infiltration, and inhibit growth factor-induced smooth muscle cells (SMCs) proliferation and migration by impacting oxidation of cellular phosphatases. Due to its different functions in vascular endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells, E'Zhu has been applied in drug-eluting stents, with a potential effect in preventing in-stent restenosis and thrombogenesis. In this paper, studies on pharmacological effects and mechanisms of extracts and main chemical constituents from E'Zhu in preventing vascular restenosis were summarized.
Animals ; Constriction, Pathologic ; drug therapy ; prevention & control ; surgery ; Curcuma ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Endothelium, Vascular ; drug effects ; Humans ; Stents

Survey on research and development of Fructus Gardeniae in the recent 10 years. Gardenia yellow has been used for food colorent, medicine, feedingstuff and cosmetic. Garnedia blue has been used for developing another pigment with red and yellow. Fructus Gardeniae has been used in digestive system for cholecyst constracting and gall-stone eliminating, for declining peroxide on SAP mouse and increasing immune ability, for protecting liver against cancel, anti-acetylcholinic restraining on stomach enginery, in cardiovascular system it has been used for centrally anti-hypertension, preventing atheroma and thrombus, also Fructus Gardeniae has been used for anti-inflammation, treating parenchyma injure etc. Geniposide used for increasing production in agriculture has wider perspect.
Analgesics ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; pharmacology ; Antihypertensive Agents ; pharmacology ; Bile ; secretion ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Food Coloring Agents ; toxicity ; Fruit ; chemistry ; Gardenia ; chemistry ; toxicity ; Gastric Acid ; secretion ; Humans ; Lipid Peroxidation ; drug effects ; Plant Extracts ; isolation & purification ; toxicity ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between cartilage end-plate calcification (CEC) and cervical intervertebral discs regression (CIDR) in rabbits, and to study the inhibitory effect of combined therapy of Kanggu Zengsheng Capsule (KZC) ansforming growth factor-apsule (TGF-PLC) and igene therapy (GT) on CEC by measuring the thickness of CEC layer.

METHODSThirty-five New Zeland rabbits of 4 months old were selected to establish cervical dynamic imbalance rabbit model for inducing CIDR (No disposal was given to rabbits in the normal control group). Seven months after operation, combined therapy of KZC and PLC were given, in doses calculated by body weight, to the modeled rabbits in the drug treated group with CEC of either superficial layer or full layer, twice a dantly by gavage for 30 successive days. While to those in the gene therapy group, the recombinant plasmid DNA with transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) was injected once their intervertebral discs (ID) of C(2-3) C(3-4) and C(4-5), 20 microl for each injection. One month later, all rabbits were sacrificed with periotic venous gas embolic method and their ID of C(4-5) (including partial body of the upper and lower vertebrae) was resected. The degree of CIDR was evaluated morphologically, and the thickness of CEC in rabbits was measured and compared between groups.

RESULTSThickness of CEC in the model group, either of superficial layer or of full layer, was significantly more than that in the normal control group with significant difference. Both combined KZC and PLC therapy and gene therapy showed significant inhibitory effects on CEC in treating CIDR (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCEC is the initial factor of CIDR with highly positive correlation. Both combined therapy of KZC and PLC and gene therapy can significantly inhibit CEC.

Animals ; Calcinosis ; complications ; pathology ; Cartilage ; pathology ; Cervical Vertebrae ; pathology ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Genetic Therapy ; Intervertebral Disc ; pathology ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation ; Spinal Diseases ; complications ; pathology ; therapy

Dramatic advances in the treatment of cardiovascular disease were witnessed in recent years, however, there are still some problems needed to be explored. The related issues in terms of coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation and chronic heart failure were discussed in this paper, and the latest progress of integrative medical treatment on them were reviewed as well.
Atrial Fibrillation ; therapy ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; therapy ; Chronic Disease ; Coronary Disease ; therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Heart Failure ; therapy ; Humans ; Phytotherapy

Adult ; Aged ; Bone Plates ; Bone Transplantation ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Canal ; surgery ; Spinal Fusion ; Spinal Stenosis ; surgery ; Spondylolisthesis ; surgery