Acupuncture Analgesia ; methods ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Migraine Disorders ; etiology ; prevention & control ; therapy ; Models, Theoretical ; Neuropeptides ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Professional Practice

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of periradicular compound betamethasone injections into the periganglionic space in the treatment of radicular pain.Methods Periganglionic compound betamethasone infiltrations were performed in 76 patients with lumbar radicular pain under MSCT guidance.All patients were divided into two groups including group 1(31 cases of lumbar disc herniation)and group 2(45 cases of lumbar degenerative disorders).The total and two groups scores of VAS were compared after the therapeutic procedure with evaluation of the efficacy.Results 88%(69/76)of patients showed significant pain reduction,with the score of VAS 6.5?2.0(before therapy)dropping to 3.4?1.8(after 1 week)and 3.8?1.9(after 3 month).Differences in improvements before and after the therapy were statistically significant.Differences between one-week and three-month follow-up were not statistically significant.Differences between the two groups demonstrated no statistical significance.Conclusion Periradicular compound betamethasone injection under CT guidance is safe and useful in the treatment of lumbar radicular pain.

Genotypic and environmental variation in Cd, Cr, As, Ni and Pb concentrations of grains, and the relationships between these heavy metals and Fe, Zn were investigated using 9 rice genotypes grown in 6 locations for two successive years. Significant genotypic variation was detected in the five heavy metal concentrations in grains, indicating the possibility to reduce the concentration of these heavy metals in grains through breeding approach. The environmental effect varied with metal, with Pb and Ni having greater variation than the other three metals. There was significant genotype-environment (location) interaction of the concentrations of all five heavy metals in grains, suggesting the importance of cultivar choice in producing rice with low heavy metal concentrations in grains for a given location. Correlation analysis showed that Cd and As, Cr and Ni, and As and Pb concentrations in rice grains were closely associated, and that Ni concentration in grains was negatively correlated with Zn concentration.
Arsenic ; analysis ; Cadmium ; analysis ; Chromium ; analysis ; Edible Grain ; chemistry ; genetics ; Environment ; Genetic Variation ; genetics ; Genotype ; Lead ; analysis ; Metals, Heavy ; analysis ; Nickel ; analysis ; Oryza ; chemistry ; genetics ; Soil Pollutants ; analysis

A differentially expressed cDNA fragment obtained from a cDNA-AFLP analysis, which performed on floral buds of male sterile and fertile lines of cabbage, was used as a querying probe to blast the Genbank and Arabidopsis databases. Based on the assembled homologous cDNA sequences, a full-length cDNA of 633 bp for BoDHAR was cloned by RT-PCR. Furthermore, we have experimentally cloned and sequenced the 5' flanking sequence of gene BoDHAR by genomic walking method based on ligation-mediated PCR. The full length DNA sequence with 1486bp, containing two introns, was achieved. Homologous analysis shows that gene has 82.3% identity at nucleotide level, and 79.6% identity at amino acid level with Arabidopsis dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR) gene AT1 G19570.1. Structurally, BoDHAR encodes a polypeptide of 210 amino acids, which contains a GST-c-DHAR domain highly conserved among other members of the DHAR superfamily and has multiple phosphorylation sites. Promoter predictions software indicated that the 5' upstream region contained putative transcription signals and conserved sequences, one CAAT-box, one G-box and four TGAC-like motifs. To advance our understanding of gene BoDHAR, tissue expression pattern were analyzed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The results indicate that expression level of gene BoDHAR is higher in fertile buds than that in sterile buds, and expressed intensively in the anther.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Base Sequence ; Brassica ; genetics ; Cloning, Molecular ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Oxidoreductases ; genetics ; Plant Infertility ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

Computer Graphics ; Computer-Assisted Instruction ; Forensic Pathology ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Pathology ; education ; Pathology, Clinical ; Specimen Handling ; methods

To investigate the Fe2+ effects on root tips in rice plant, experiments were carried out using border cells in vitro. The border cells were pre-planted in aeroponic culture and detached from root tips. Most border cells have a long elliptical shape. The number and the viability of border cells in situ reached the maxima of 1600 and 97.5%, respectively, at 20-25 mm root length. This mortality was more pronounced at the first 1-12 h exposure to 250 mg/L Fe2+ than at the last 12-36 h. After 36 h, the cell viability exposed to 250 mg/L Fe2+ decreased to nought, whereas it was 46.5% at 0 mg/L Fe2+. Increased Fe2+ dosage stimulated the death of detached border cells from rice cultivars. After 4 h Fe2+ treatment, the cell viabilities were > or =80% at 0 and 50 mg/L Fe2+ treatment and were <62% at 150, 250 and 350 mg/L Fe2+ treatment; The viability of border cells decreased by 10% when the Fe2+ concentration increased by 100 mg/L. After 24 h Fe2+ treatment, the viabilities of border cells at all the Fe2+ levels were <65%; The viability of border cells decreased by 20% when the Fe2+ concentration increased by 100 mg/L. The decreased viabilities of border cells indicated that Fe2+ dosage and treatment time would cause deadly effect on the border cells. The increased cell death could protect the root tips from toxic harm. Therefore, it may protect root from the damage caused by harmful iron toxicity.
Iron ; toxicity ; Oryza ; cytology ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Plant Roots ; cytology ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Seedlings ; cytology ; drug effects ; growth & development

The present study was to investigate the effects of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) on thermal nociception in SD rats. The rats were divided into control and drug-administration groups. The animals of control group were given vehicle solution via i.c.v. injection. The animals of drug-administered groups were given IL-1beta at different doses (5, 50 and 500 pg/kg b.w.) via i.c.v. injection. IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra, 50 ng/kg) was injected 20 min before injection of IL-1beta or vehicle solution. The nociceptive threshold, which was represented as paw withdrawal latency (PWL), to a noxious thermal stimulation was measured using an analgesiameter. I.c.v. injection of IL-1beta dose-dependently shortened the PWL. At the dose of 500 pg/kg, the shortening of the PWL occurred at 20 min, reaching a peak within 40 min, lasted 100 min after injection, then gradually returned to the baseline level. Pretreatment with IL-1ra completely blocked the effects of IL-1beta-induced shortening in PWL. The results obtained suggest that IL-1beta may induce hyperalgesia in rats through binding to IL-1 receptors in the brain.
Animals ; Hot Temperature ; Hyperalgesia ; drug therapy ; Injections, Intraventricular ; Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein ; pharmacology ; Interleukin-1beta ; pharmacology ; Nociception ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Interleukin-1 ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Touch

AIMTo study the chemical constituents of Marsdenia tenacissima (Roxb.) Wight et Arn.

METHODSTo separate compounds with various chromatography technology and to elucidate their structures by chemical and spectral analysis.

RESULTSTwo compounds were isolated from Marsdenia tenacissima and their stuctures were determined as tenacissosides J (I) and tenacissosides K (II).

CONCLUSIONCompounds I and II are new C21 steroidal glycosides.

Glycosides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Marsdenia ; chemistry ; Molecular Conformation ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Steroids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

Acupuncture Analgesia ; trends ; China ; Drug Combinations ; Drug Synergism

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of aromatase on breast cancer proliferation and invasive ability, so as to detect the relationship between in situ estrogen levels and molecular biological characteristics of breast cancer.

METHODSBy immunohistochemistry staining, the expression of aromatase, matrix metalloproteinases 2 (MMP2) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP 9) in the primary breast cancers were detected, the associations between aromatase and MMPs as well as clinical-pathological factors were analyzed.

RESULTSThe positive rates of aromatase were 25.0% (+) and 29.9% (++). Aromatase status was associated with MMP2, MMP9 and co-expression of MMP2 and MMP9 (P < 0.05), but not associated with tumor size, ER/PR status, menopausal status and tumor grade (P > 0.05). In the postmenopausal patients there was a relationship between aromatase and tumor size (P < 0.05), but not in the premenopausal patients (P > 0.05); there was a relationship between aromatase and co-expression of MMP2/MMP9 in the patients with ER and/or PR positive (P < 0.05), but not in the patients with ER and PR negative (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSIn the breast cancer in situ estrogen produced by tumor aromatase may promote the cancer cells proliferation and invasiveness and maybe through ER pathway especially in the postmenopausal patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Aromatase ; metabolism ; Breast Neoplasms ; enzymology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Receptors, Estrogen ; metabolism ; Receptors, Progesterone ; metabolism