Objective To evaluate therapeutic ERCP in the treatment and preventing the recurrence of acute biliary pancreatitis(ABP).Methods One hundred and seventeen patients of ABP were randomly divided into two groups,ERCP treatment group(n=49)and non-ERCP control group(n=68).Changes of clinical symptoms and laboratory indexes were recorded accordingly.Follow-up study was for all the patients. Results Of the 117 with ABP,99 cases were mild(MABP)and 18 ones were severe(SABP).The days of relief of abdominal pains,normalization of hepatic function indexes and hospitalization were significantly shorter in ERCP treatment group than that in control group.The complications related to endoscopic therapy were not found.All patients had got followed-up visits for average 20(range 5-37)months(94.0%).The re- currence rate in the ERCP group 0(0/46)were significantly lower than that in the control group 46.8%(29/ 62)(P

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of heat-sensitive point medicinal moxibustion plus percutaneous administration of tetrandrine in treating lumbar intervertebral disc herniation. Methods One hundred and twenty patients with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation were randomized to treatment and control groups, 60 cases each. The treatment group received heat-sensitive point medicinal moxibustion plus percutaneous administration of tetrandrine and the control group, heat-sensitive point medicinal moxibustion alone. The VAS score and the JOA Score for Back Pain score were recorded in the two groups before and after treatment. The clinical therapeutic effects were compared between the two groups. Results There were statistically significant pre-/post-treatment differences in the JOA Score for Back Pain score and the VAS score in the two groups (P<0.01). There were statistically significant post-treatment differences in the JOA Score for Back Pain score and the VAS score between the treatment and control groups (P<0.01). The excellent and good rate was 80.0％ in the treatment group and 55.0％ in the control group; there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.01). Conclusion Heat-sensitive point medicinal moxibustion plus percutaneous administration of tetrandrine is an effective way to treat lumbar intervertebral disc herniation.

OBJECTIVETo study the changes of thrombomodulin(TM) in both plasma and tissue extracts of cancer patients for evaluating its clinical significance.

METHODSPlasma TM levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) in plasma of 188 cancer patients and in 24 cancer tissue extracts including their adjacent normal tissue.

RESULTSThe plasma TM levels both in cancer patients and in metastasis patients were significantly higher than that in controls [(33.47+/-14.25) microg/L/ (41.68 +/-16.96) micro/L, compared with (20.40+/-7.22) microg/L, P<0.01]. The plasma TM levels in cancer patients after operation decreased obviously [(18.45+/-9.96) microg/L, compared with (28.29+/-11.74) microg/L,P<0.01]. Whereas, the plasma TM levels in patients with recurrence and metastasis after operation increased obviously [(34.50+/-12.57 micro/L]. The plasma TM levels in metastasis of lung cancers, gastric cancers and pancreatic cancers were significantly higher than that in non-metastasis (P<0.05 approximate, equals 0.01) respectively, but no significant differences were found between controls and non-metastasis cancers including gastric cancers, pancreatic cancers, nasopharyngeal cancers, large intestine cancers and laryngeal cancers (P>0.05). The TM levels in cancer tissue extracts were significantly lower than that in their adjacent normal tissue extracts [(647.71+/-317.51)) microg/L,compared with (1455.63+/-772.22) microg/L,P<0.01]. On the contrary, the plasma TM levels in these cancers were higher than that in controls.

CONCLUSIONThe rise of plasma TM levels in cancer patients is associated with metastasis and diffusion of cancers. The TM levels can be used as an sensitive index for judging progression and metastasis of cancers.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasms ; blood ; chemistry ; Thrombomodulin ; analysis ; blood ; Tissue Extracts ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo study the plasma levels of urokinase-type plasminogen activator(u-PA) and its soluble receptor(suPAR )in patients with multiple myeloma(MM) and to evaluate their clinical significance.

METHODSPlasma u-PA and suPAR levels in 34 MM cases were measured with enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The changes of plasma u-PA and suPAR levels in 6 MM cases were observed in succession before and after chemotherapy.

RESULTThe plasma u-PA and suPAR levels of MM patients were significantly higher than those of controls. The plasma u-PA and suPAR levels in the progress period was significantly higher than those in the stable period of MM patients as well as in controls (P<0.01), whereas there were no significant difference between the stable period of MM patients and controls (P>0.05). Among 6 cases,the plasma u-PA and suPAR levels after chemotherapy were significantly lower than those before chemotherapy (P<0.05). MM patients with tumor cells >20% in bone marrow smear had higher levels of plasma u-PA and suPAR than those with tumor cells <19% (P<0.05 P<0.01). The plasma u-PA and suPAR levels were positively correlated with the levels of serum globulin and the percentage of tumor cells in bone marrow,but negatively correlated with the levels of serum albumin.

CONCLUSIONPlasma u-PA and suPAR levels can serve as an index for clinical staging and assessing the therapeutic effect in MM patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Bone Marrow Neoplasms ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Myeloma ; blood ; pathology ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; blood ; Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator ; blood

Ten dimeric phthalide racemates (1-10) were isolated from an aqueous extract of the Angelica sinensis root head (Guitou) by separation techniques of column chromatography over macroporous adsorbent resin, MCI resin, silica gel, and Sephadex LH-20, together with preparative thin-layer chromatography and reversed phase HPLC. The racemates were further separated into (+)-/(-)-1-(+)-/(-)-10 with chiral HPLC. Their structures including absolute configurations were elucidated by comprehensive analysis of spectroscopic data, combined with electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and NMR calculations as well as single crystal X-ray diffractions. Compounds (+)-/(-)-1-(+)-/(-)-10 are either new structure or new natural product, named (+)-/(-)-angelidipthalidic acids A-H [(+)-/(-)-1-(+)-/(-)-8] and (+)-/(-)-angelidipthalidols A and B [(+)-/(-)-9 and (+)-/(-)-10], respectively. Meanwhile, dimeric phthalide mono- and bis-lactone derivatives with 3.3′a,8.6′- and 3.6′,8.3′a-coupling patterns as well as determination of their relative configurations are discussed.

Four new triterpenoids, together with six known analogues, were isolated from an aqueous extract of the Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa seeds, by multiple column chromatographic separation methods using stationary phases of macroporous adsorption resin, MCI resin, normal phase silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, and Toyopearl HW-40C as well as preparative thin-layer chromatography and reversed-phase HPLC. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic data analysis, the new structures were trivially named jujubaceanothoside A (1), 23-epijujuboside A (2), and jujubosides J and K (3 and 4), while the known analogues were identified as jujubosides A-C (5-7) and II (8), alphitolic acid (9), and betulinic acid (10). The structure of 1 was confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction.

OBJECTIVETo observe the inhibitory effect of 4-chlorobenzoyl berbamine (BBD9) on imatinib-resistant cell line K562 (K562/IR) in vitro and in vivo and explore the mechanisms.

METHODSThe IC50 of BBD9 and berbamine (BBM) was determined by MTT assay. The expressions of p210(Bcr-Abl), IKKa, cytoplasmic and nuclear NF-κBp65 were determined using Western blotting in K562/IR cells following a 48-h exposure to 0.5 µg/ml BBD9 or 8 µg/ml BBM. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell viability, apoptosis and necrosis; Western blotting was employed to determine the expressions of PARP, caspase-3, caspase-9 and LC3II in K562/IR cells exposed to different concentrations of BBD9 for 48 h. In nude mouse models bearing K562/IR cell xenograft, the tumor weight, tumor regression, and body weight changes of the mice were measured after treatments with 15 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg BBD9 and 100 mg/kg imatinib.

RESULTSThe IC50 of BBD9 and BBM was 0.73 µg/ml and 5.43 µg/ml, respectively. In K562/IR cell cultures, the expressions of p210(Bcr-Abl), IKKa and nuclear NF-κB p65 were all decreased following BBD9 and BBM treatments, but BBD9 produced more potent effect; cytoplasmic NF-κB p65 showed no obvious changes after the treatments. The cell apoptosis and necrosis increased with the concentrations of BBD9, which also dose-dependently increased the levels of cleaved caspase-3, csapase-9, PARP, and LC3II expression. In the tumor-bearing mouse model, BBD9 showed stronger effects than imatinib in reducing the tumor weight, promoting tumor regression, and increasing the body weight.

CONCLUSIONBBD9 can effectively inhibit the growth of K562/IR cells in vitro and in vivo by activating cell apoptosis, necrosis and autophage pathways, down-regulating expressions of p210(Bcr-Abl) and IKKa and suppressing the cytoplasm-to- nucleus translocation of NF-κBp65.

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Benzamides ; Benzylisoquinolines ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Female ; Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; I-kappa B Kinase ; metabolism ; Imatinib Mesylate ; K562 Cells ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Piperazines ; pharmacology ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Pyrimidines ; pharmacology ; Transcription Factor RelA ; metabolism ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

OBJECTIVEThe purpose of this work was to investigate the distribution pattern of fibrinolytic factors and their inhibitors in rabbit tissues.

METHODSThe components of the fibrinolytic system in extracts from a variety of rabbit tissues, including tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), plasminogen (Plg), plasmin (Pl) and alpha(2) plasmin inhibitor (alpha(2)PI), were determined by colorimetric assay.

RESULTSThe tissue extracts in renal, small intestine, lung, brain and spleen demonstrated strong fibrinolytic function, in which high activity of tPA, Plg and Pl was manifested; whereas in skeletal muscle, tongue and stomach, higher activity of PAI-1 and alpha(2)PI showed obviously. Also excellent linear correlations were found between levels of tPA and PAI-1, Pl and alpha(2)PI, Plg and Pl. In related tissues, renal cortex and renal marrow showed distinctly higher activity of tPA and lower activity of PAI-1, with the levels of Plg and Pl in renal cortex being higher than those in renal marrow, where the alpha(2)PI level was higher than that in renal cortex. Similarly, the levels of tPA, Plg and Pl in small intestine were higher than those in large intestine, but with respect to PAI-1 and alpha(2)PI, the matter was reverse. In addition, the fibrinolytic activity in muscle tissue was lower, however, the levels of tPA, Plg, and Pl in cardiac muscle were obviously higher than those in skeletal muscles, and the levels of PAI-1 and alpha(2)PI were significantly lower than those in skeletal muscle.

CONCLUSIONOur data demonstrate that a remarkable difference of the fibrinolytic patterns exists in rabbit tissues, which has probable profound significance in understanding the relationship between the function of haemostasis or thrombosis and the physiologic function in tissues.

Animals ; Female ; Fibrinolysin ; metabolism ; Fibrinolysis ; Gastric Mucosa ; metabolism ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; metabolism ; Intestinal Mucosa ; metabolism ; Male ; Organ Specificity ; Plasminogen ; metabolism ; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 ; metabolism ; Rabbits ; Tissue Extracts ; metabolism ; Tissue Plasminogen Activator ; metabolism ; alpha-2-Antiplasmin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo observe and investigate the risk factors and pathogen diversification of nosocomial lower respiratory infections in patients with hematological malignancy after chemotherapy.

METHODSRespiratory tract microbial population of fifty patients with different kinds of hematological malignancy and para-prepared to chemotherapy was quantitatively analyzed before and after chemotherapy at an arranged time from April, 2004 to December, 2005. Susceptibility test was determined for bacterium of nosocomial infection, and the homology of the same species of the bacteria was analyzed by a pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).

RESULTSIncidence rate of lower respiratory infections in patients with the hematological malignant after chemotherapy was 16%. The major nosocomial infectious pathogens were Acinetobacter spp; Escherichia coil and Fungus. Among them, Acinetobacter spp, were highly resistant to cephalosporins, quinolones, aminoglycosides, carbapenems and antibiotic with enzyme inhibitor, respectively but susceptible to Cefoperazone/Sulbactam belonging to antibiotic with enzyme inhibitor. And it was shown that there were two clones by the pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).

CONCLUSIONFollowing-up of nosocomial lower respiratory infection in patients with hematological malignancy after chemotherapy might offer theoretical evidence for the rational use of antibiotics and the control of nosocomial infections.

Acinetobacter baumannii ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Cross Infection ; epidemiology ; Escherichia ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Opportunistic Infections ; epidemiology ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between abnormal reactions of free radicals in bodies of patients with acute organophosphorus pesticide poisoning (AOPP) and damages induced by free radicals.

METHODS58 AOPP patients and 58 healthy adult volunteers (HAV) were enrolled in an independent samples control design, in which spectrophotometric methods were used to determine the concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) and lipoperoxides (LPO) in plasma, and LPO in erythrocytes, vitamin C (VC), vitamin E (VE) and beta-carotene (beta-CAR) in plasma as well as activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in erythrocytes.

RESULTSCompared with the average values of every biochemical parameter in the HAV group, the average values of LPO in plasma and in erythrocytes, and NO in plasma in the AOPP group were significantly increased (P = 0.000001), while the average values of VC, VE, beta-CAR in plasma as well as SOD, CAT, GSH-Px and AChE in erythrocytes in the AOPP group were significantly decreased (P = 0.000001). The findings of Pearson product-moment correlation analysis between the value of AChE in erythrocytes and the values of above biochemical parameters for 58 AOPP patients showed that there was a significant linear negative correlation between AChE in erythrocytes and LPO, NO in plasma, and LPO in erythrocytes (P = 0.000001-0.001319), while there was a significant linear positive correlation between AChE in erythrocytes and VC, VE, beta-CAR in plasma as well as SOD, CAT, GSH-Px in erythrocytes (P = 0.000013-0.000824). The results of discriminant analysis of above chemical parameters for 58 AOPP patients and 58 HAV suggested that the correct rates of discriminant analysis were increased to 100% when the values of AChE and LPO in plasma and in erythrocytes, or AChE and others, were jointly used for the discriminant analysis.

CONCLUSIONThe findings of the present study suggest that a series of free radical reactions in AOPP patients' bodies are pathologically aggravated, and the discriminant analysis used the above biochemical parameters could markedly increase its correct rates for AOPP patients.

Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Free Radicals ; blood ; Humans ; Lipid Peroxides ; blood ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; Organophosphate Poisoning ; Pesticides ; poisoning ; Poisoning ; blood