Objective To investigate the effect of pioglitazone on the expression of thrombospondin-1(TSP1)and transfor ming growth factor-β1 (TGF-131)in the kidney of diabetic rats.Methods Forty Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were randomly divided into 4 groups:normal control(NC),streptozocin-induced diabetic mellitus(DM),diabetic rats treated with pioglitazone(DP)and normal control rats treated with pioglitazone(NP).24-h urine protein quantity,serum creatinine(Scr) and kidney hypertrophy index were measured after treatment for 10 weeks,and the expression of TSP1 and TGF-β1 in the kidney was detected by using RT-PCR and immuohistochemistry.Results As compared with DM group,urine protein level and kidney hypertrophy index were significantly attenuated in DP group(P<0.05),but there was no significant difference in plasma glucose between them(P>0.05).As compared with NC and NP groups,the expression of TSP1 and TGF-β1 was significantly elevated in the kidney of DM and DP groups(P<0.01).Both TSP1 and TGF-β1 expression in DP group was lower than in DM group(P<0.05).Conclusion Pioglitazone can exert a direct protective effect on the kidney in diabetic rats,which is independent of the role of insulin sensitizer,and the mechanism may be associated with the decreased TSP1 expression in the kidney.

OBJECTIVETo establish an HPLC fingerprint to evaluate the quality of Polygalae Radix, root xylem, and those collected in different growth ages or harvest time.

METHODSeparation was performed at 30 °C on a Kromasil C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 μm); the mobile phases was acetonitrile and 0.05% H3PO4 water in the gradient elution; the flow rate was set at 1.0 mL · min(-1) and the detection wavelength at 314 nm; the quality discriminant analyses were accomplished by means of similarity analysis, cluster analysis, principal component analysis and neural network model.

RESULTIn 26 batches of Polygalae Radix, 24 batches fingerprint similarities were above 0.8. In 5 different growth or harvest time batches, 4 batches were above 0.8; in 8 batches root xylem samples, the similarities were all above 0.875. The similarity analysis was in accord with the quality discriminant analysis of cluster analysis, principal component analysis and neural network model.

CONCLUSIONFingerprint combined with chemical pattern recognition technique can effectively evaluate the quality of Polygalae Radix. The active substance species are all similar in cultivated, wild, different growth or harvest time Polygalae Radix and polygala root xylem, but the chromatography peak areas are different. The effective material contents are similar between wild and cultivated Polygalae Radix, but each chromatographic peak area of the root xylem is much smaller than that of Polygalae Radix. The chemical substance accumulation mainly depends on harvest month, but little growth time in Polygalae Radix.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; classification ; Polygala ; chemistry ; classification ; Quality Control

Objective To analyze the influential factors of healthy children′s heart rate turbulence (HRT). Methods One hundred and six healthy children with ventricular premature beat (VPB) were selected in this study and the correlation among HTR parameters as turbulence onset (TO) and turbulence lope (TS) and age, gender, basic heart rate, the number of VPBs were analyzed. Results It was observed that among three age groups, TO decreased with the age, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05), but there was no significant gender difference (all P > 0.05). TS increased with the age, and intergroup difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). In the group of children aged over seven, significantly higher TS was observed among boys (P < 0.05), while in the group of children aged 1 to 3 and the group aged 3 to 7 , there was no significant gender difference (P > 0.05). TO and TS decreased with the decline of heart rate (r = 0.494, P < 0.00; r = -0.569,P < 0.00 respectively), and the correlation between TO and HR, TS and HR was found.The number of VPBs had no significant correlation with TO or TS (r = 0.104,P = 0.290; r = 0.122,P =0.212). Conclusions The results demonstrate that influenced by age and basic heart rate, healthy children′s HRT increases with the age and the decline of heart rate. Therefore, the reference index of children′s HRT should differ from that of adults, which requires further evaluation.

Objective To evaluate the clinical effect of itraconazole in prevention of invasive fungal infections in allogeneic hema-topoietic stem cell transplantion .Methods In this retrospective study ,110 patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants were administed itraconazole or fluconazole for prevention of fungal infection .The occurrence and prognosis of invasive fungal infection ,and the side effect of both pyrroles were observed .Results Proven and probable invasive fungal infections occurred in 5 of 69 itraconazole recipients(7 .2% ) and in 8 of 41 fluconazole recipients(19 .5% ) during the first 180 days after transplanta-tion ,the difference had statistical significance(P<0 .05) .The fatality rate related to fungal infection had no statistical difference be-tween the two groups(2 .9% vs .7 .3% ) .The occurrence of itraconazole adverse reactions were more than fluconazole (26 .9% vs . 7 .0% ) ,and both itraconazole and fluconazole were well tolerated .Conclusion Itraconazole significantly reduces the incidence of inva-sive fungal infection in the patients receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants ,and it is a effective and safe prophylaxis .

0.05).There were more polycystic ovary (PCO) and (or) polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) patients,more basal antra] follicles,longer duration of Gn stimulation (range 16-33 days),higher Gn dose,lower serum peak estradiol (E_2) level,fewer oocytes,fewer embryos transferred,in group 1 compared with group 2 (P

The selective side-chain cleavage of phytosterol to 4-androstene-3,17-dione(4-AD)and 1,4-androstadiene-3,17-dione(ADD)by Mycobacterium sp.was described.Because of the similarity in chemical structure between 4-AD and ADD,it is difficult to separate them from the fermentation broth.So far,it has been verified that the ADD can be produced by dehydrogenation of 4-AD.In this reaction,3-Ketosteriod-1-Dehydrogenase(ksdD)plays an important role.The gene knocking out method was used to solve the problem.Partial sequence of ksdD was obtained by PCR which was 631bp in length.Then,a targeting vector pUC19-MK was constructed,which was electroporate into the original strain Mycobacterium neoauru.The method of homologous recombination was used to knock out ksdD gene located in the chromosome of Mycobacterium neoauru.In this way,ksdD would lose its enzyme activity.In the result,5 transformants were screened.The experiments of steroid transformation by the transformants were carried out.The productivity of 4-AD reached 17.52% after 144h,which is 192% higher than the original strain.Meanwhile,the productivity of ADD reached 6.12%,which is 89.9% lower than the original strain.

Cell Culture Techniques ; methods ; Fixatives ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; methods ; Tissue Fixation ; methods

Objective To provide the effective prevention method of falls in order to decrease the incidences of falls among the elderly inpatients. Methods The elderly inpatients were divided into the high risk group, the moderate risk group and the low risk group according to the Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment Tool (Chinese Version) and performed different preventive measures. Results The incidences of falls decreased from 0.045% to 0.015% after performing classification care plan over 1 year. Conclusions The classification care plan was effective and practicable on reducing the incidence of falls.

This study was aimed to investigate the relationships between oxidative stress and depression in patients with acute leukemia. Ninety two cases of acute leukemia were randomly enrolled in the study. Depressive disorder was assessed by self-rating depression scales (SDS) and multiple items questionaires. The total anti-oxidation capability (T-AOC), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, as well as malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) levels were measured in pre-treatment periods. Meanwhile, the steady state level of human 8-hydroxyguanine glycosylase (hOGG1) mRNA transcript was monitored by quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed that the defence of antioxidant system was impaired in patients with acute leukemia. The incidence of depression was 47.83% in 92 cases. T-AOC and SOD activities were significantly decreased in patients with depression, while ROS, NO, MDA levels and hOGG1 mRNA expression were reverse of the former. It revealed that depression positively correlated with course of disease and hOGG1, and negatively correlated with T-AOC. It is concluded that oxidative damage occurs in patients with acute leukemia, moreover, lower antioxidant defences exist in depressive patients. These results underscore the notion that oxidative stress may promote the development of depression.
Adult ; Aged ; Depression ; complications ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; complications ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oxidative Stress ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; complications ; metabolism ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo compare the difference in the efficacy on gait time cycle of ischemic stroke between yin-yang respiratory reinforcing and reducing needling technique (yin-yang needling) and the conventional acupuncture.

METHODSSixty cases of ischemic stroke were randomized into a conventional acupuncture group and a yin-yang needling group, 30 cases in each one. The basic treatment (the control of blood pressure, blood sugar and blood lipid, the intravenous drops of ginkgo leaf extract and dipyridamole injection and vinpocetine injection) were applied in the two groups. Additionally, in the conventional acupuncture group, the acupoints of the Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming [Biguan (ST 31), Liangqiu (ST 34), Zusanli (ST 36), Shangjuxu (ST 37), Xiajuxu (ST 39), etc.] were selected and stimulated with the even needling technique. In the yin-yang needling group, the acupoints of yin meridians such as Zuwuli (LR 10), Xuehai (SP 10), Yinlingquan (SP 9) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6), etc. and the acupoints of yang meridians such as Biguan (ST 31), Liangqiu (ST 34) and Yanglingquan (GB 34), etc. were selected. The reducing manipulation of respiratory reinforcing and reducing technique was applied to the acupoints of yin meridians and the reinforcing manipulation was applied to the acupoints of yang meridians. The kinematics time parameters were determined and compared before and 4 weeks after treatment.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the differences in the gait cycle, the phase time of standing (%), the phase time of single support (%), the phase time of unilateral sway (%) on the affected (healthy) foot and phase time of double support (%) were significant as compared with those before treatment in the patients of the two groups (all P < 0.05), in which, the gait cycle (1.75 +/- 0.21 vs 2.02 +/- 0.37), the phase time of standing (%) on the affected (healthy) foot [(65.41 +/- 5.20)% vs (68.37 +/- 6.24)%, (70.99 +/- 6.47)% vs (74.51 +/- 5.19)%], the phase time of unilateral sway (%) on the affected (healthy) foot [(36.08 +/- 4.86)% vs (33.65 +/- 2.94)%, (31.04 +/- 3.41)% vs (26.77 +/- 2.67)%] and the phase time of double support (%) [(36.91 +/- 5.10)% vs (41.22 +/- 5.39)%] in the yin-yang needling group were improved much obviously after treatment as compared with those in the conventional acupuncture group. The differences in support phase time (%), single support phase time (%) and sway phase time (%) were significant between the affected limb and healthy limb of the two groups after treatment (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONYin-yang respiratory reinforcing and reducing needling technique effectively improves hemiplegic gait movement cycle and walking function in patients of ischemic stroke, which is superior to the conventional acupuncture treatment.

Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; methods ; Aged ; Female ; Gait ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Male ; Meridians ; Middle Aged ; Stroke ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Time Factors ; Yin-Yang