Objective To observe the effects of long-term hemodialysis(HD) combined with hemoperfusion(HP) on the levels of protein-bound uremic toxins (PBUTs) in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients.Methods Forty-six patients with MHD were selected and divided into HD +HP group and HD group .HD+HP group ( n=22 ) was treated with low-flux HD twice a week and HD combined with HP once a week ,while HD group(n=24) was treated with low-flux HD three times a week.The follow-up lasted 36 weeks.The pre-dialysis concentration of PBUTs was measured at week 12, 24, 36 and baseline.PBUTs included hippuric acid (HA), indoxyl sulphate (IS)and p-cresyl sulphate (PCS).High performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry ( HPLC-MS/MS) was used for determination .Results After 36 weeks of follow-up, the concentration of the three toxins in the HD +HP group was lower than that in the HD group during the study.At the end of the study, the reduction rates of HA, IS and PCS were 33.5%,12.8% and 24.2%, respectively, in HD+HP group.The three toxins in HD group increased by 2.3%,21.8%and 2.8%.The clearance rate of HA, PCS and IS in the HP+HD group was higher than in HD group (P<0.05).Conclusion Long-term HD combined with HP can more effectively remove PBUTs , and keep them at a lower level .

Objective To investigate the plasma level change of myeloperoxidase(MPO)in patients suffering from stable angina pectoris.Methods Five hundred and seventy three patients underwent elective coronary angiography in a bi-racial cohort study,which included 295 patients with stable angina peetoris(SAP)and 278 subjects served as control.Plasma level of MPO and traditional risk factors of coronary artery disease(CAD)were measured.Results MPO levels did not differ significantly between control group and SAP group[126.3(95.8-160.2)mg/L vs 123.6(97.4-150.0) mg/L P＞0.05].MPO levels were similar across ethnicity and gender[black male 119.6(94.8-146.9) mg/L,white male 124.6(99.9～154.6)mg/L,black female 124.0(93.3～152.3)mg/L and white female 127.5(95.3～159.8)mg/L],and were correlated positively with the levels ofⅦfactor(r= 0.251,P＜0.01),fasting plasma glucose(r=0.095,P＜0.05),triglyceride(r=0.186,P＜0.01), total cholesterol(r=0.081,P＜0.05),high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(r=0.123,P＜0.01) and fibrinogen levels(r=0.077,P＜0.01),negatively correlated with adiponectin level(r=-0.115, P＜0.01).Conclusions Plasma MPO level is not elevated in patients with SAP.This suggests that MPO is not a characteristic feature of SAP.There are also no significant relationships between different genders and between different ethnicities.

The study was purposed to investigate the effects of the panaxadiol saponin (PDS) from Ginseng on proliferation and differentiation of human CD34(+) cells from human bone marrow. Highly purified CD34(+) cells were isolated from human bone marrow by using the Dynal CD34 Cell Selection System (Dynal, Norway). The cells were exposed to PDS at various concentrations in both agar semi-solid culture of CFU-Mix and suspension culture of myeloid and erythroid cells in order to observe the effects of PDS on proliferation of CD34(+) cells. The cells were marked with 4 kinds of monoclonal antibody in related with their differentiation toward to myeloid and erythroid lineages, then examined by flow cytometry (FACS) after being incubated with PDS for 14 days. The results showed that the number of CD34(+) cells was 1.0 +/- 0.15% out of marrow nuclear cells after being purified by Dynal beads system. The enrichment of CD34(+) cells reached to 86.8 +/- 2.8%. The best efficiency in promoting proliferation of CD34(+) cells in vitro was obtained when the concentration of PDS was 25 mg/L, the formation of CFU-Mix colonies significantly increased by 56.3 +/- 3.5% over those of no-PDS control (p < 0.01). The results from suspension culture revealed that myeloid cells elevated in a dose-dependent manner with a peak increasing rate of 35.6 +/- 3.2%, and erythroid cells significantly increased by 22.3 +/- 2.1% over those of no-PDS control (all p < 0.01). After incubation with PDS for 14 days, number of CD33(+) cells increased in a dose-dependent manner with a peak increasing rate at 50 mg/L. CD71(+) cells reaching the peak were at 25 mg/L, while G-A(+) cells were increased by 7.2 +/- 1.3% (p < 0.01) at 10 mg/L, but the number of CD15(+) cells was not found to be changed before and after treating with PDS. It is concluded that PDS not only enhance the proliferation of CD34(+) cells, but also induce differentiation of CD34(+) cells toward to myeloid and erythroid lineages. PDS may play the roles as like hematopoietic growth factor, or provide synergistic effects on growth factor in the regulation of hematopoiesis.
Antigens, CD34 ; metabolism ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Ginsenosides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Hematopoiesis ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Humans ; Panax ; chemistry ; Saponins ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology

Objective To explore the distribution and characteristics on genotype of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the relationship between Beijing genotype and drug-resistant phenotypes in Tianjin city. Methods 656 clinical strains were collected from Tianjin Center for Tuberculosis Control and ten other Tuberculosis Institute in Tianjin from January 2008 to June 2009.Information regarding administration, clinical as well as laboratory findings of patients were collected.Proportion method was adopted to detect the susceptibility on four anti-tuberculosis drugs, namely streptomycin (SM), isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RFP) and ehambutol (EMB). Both Beijing and non-Beijing genotypes were differentiated by multiplex PCR. The relationship between Beijing genotype and drug-resistant phenotypes was analyzed. Results In this study, the overall resistance rate of MTB was 26.98%, with multidrug-resistant rate was 6.25%. Among 656 MTB strains, 600isolates (91.46% ) belonged to Beijing genotype. There was significant difference between Beijing and non-Beijing genotype (x2=4.26, P=0.039) among the Tianjin household registered population.Concerning the drug resistance, there was no significant difference between the two groups.Conclusion Beijing genotype strains were the predominant one in Tianjin. The proportion of people infected with the Beijing genotype strains in Tianjin household registration of patients was significantly higher than the proportion of patients in the floating population in the same region.Results from the statistical analysis did not reveal any statistically significant association between Beijing genotype and drug resistance.

BACKGROUNDPomegranate (punica granatum) belongs to the family Punicaceae, and its peel has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine because of its efficacy in restraining intestine, promoting hemostasis, and killing parasites. Pomegranate peel has been reported to possess wound-healing properties which are mainly attributed to its polyphenol extracts. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of pomegranate peel polyphenols (PPP) gel on cutaneous wound healing in diabetic rats.

METHODSAlloxan-induced diabetic rats were given incisional wounds on each side of the mid-back and then treated daily with PPP gel (polyphenol mass fraction = 30%) post-wounding. Rats were sacrificed on days 4, 7, 14, and 21 post-wounding to assess the rates of wound closure, histological characteristics; and to detect the contents of hydroxyproline, production of nitric oxide (NO), and activities of NO synthase (NOS), as well as the expressions of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and epidermal growth factor (EGF) in wound tissue.

RESULTSWound closure was significantly shortened when PPP gel was applied to the wounds of diabetic rats. Histological examination showed the ability of PPP gel to increase fibroblast infiltration, collagen regeneration, vascularization, and epithelialization in the wound area of diabetic rats. In addition, PPP gel-treated diabetic rats showed increased contents of hydroxyproline, production of NO, and activities of NOS and increased expressions of TGF-β1, VEGF, and EGF in wound tissues.

CONCLUSIONPPP gel may be a beneficial method for treating wound disorders associated with diabetes.

Alloxan ; Animals ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Female ; Gels ; Hydroxyproline ; analysis ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; biosynthesis ; Polyphenols ; pharmacology ; Punicaceae ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; physiology ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; physiology ; Wound Healing ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinicopathologic features of the brain tissue diagnosed as ulegyria from modified anatomic hemispherectomy for refractory epilepsy.

METHODSThe clinical and pathologic findings were reviewed in 39 patients who underwent modified anatomic hemispherectomy and diagnosed as ulegyria in the Epilepsy Center of Tsinghua University Yuquan Hospital from 2007 to 2011.

RESULTSAll patients including 30 males and 9 females had medically intractable seizures, and the mean age of seizure onset and disease duration were 4.0 years and 7.3 years respectively. Significant history included febrile seizure in 14 patients (35.9%), cerebral hemorrhage in 8 patients (20.5%), fetal distress and surgical trauma each in 6 patients (15.4%), vascular malformation and cerebral hemorrhage in 1 patient (2.6%), and unclear history in 4 patients (10.2%). Histologically, all cases were characterized by cortical destruction, with neuronal loss and gliosis. All cases were accompanied by varying degree of cortical dysplasia, which were diagnosed as focal cortical dysplasia IIId. Hippocampus sclerosis was identified in 2 cases. Seizure outcome after surgery revealed 37 patients (94.9%) had an Engel grade I, two patients (5.1%) had an Engel grade II.

CONCLUSIONSFebrile seizure, cerebral hemorrhage, fetal distress and surgical trauma in childhood can lead to refractory epilepsy. Histopathological change in the brain is ulegyria accompanied by focal cortical dysplasia IIId. Modified anatomic hemispherectomy is an effective therapy to treat those patients with extensive changes of one hemisphere.

Adolescent ; Adult ; CD3 Complex ; metabolism ; Cerebral Cortex ; abnormalities ; pathology ; surgery ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Epilepsy ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemispherectomy ; methods ; Humans ; Infant ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Malformations of Cortical Development ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

This study aimed to investigate the antihypertensive effect and possible mechanism of Dendrobium officinale flos on hypertensive rats induced by high glucose and high fat compound alcohol. The hypertensive models were successfully made by high-glucose and high-fat diet, with gradient drinking for 4 weeks, and then divided into model control group, valsartan (5.7 mg·kg⁻¹) positive control group and D. officinale flos groups (3，1 g·kg⁻¹). After 6 weeks of treatment, the blood pressure of rats was measured regularly. After the last administration, endothelin-1 (ET-1), thromboxane B₂ (TXB₂), prostacyclin (PGI₂) and nitric oxide (NO) were tested. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression and lesion status in thoracic aorta were detected. The vascular endothelium dependent dilation of the thoracic aorta was detected by the isolated vascular loop tension test. The results showed that D. officinale flos could significantly reduce systolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure in hypertensive rats, inhibit the thickening of thoracic aorta and the loss of endothelial cells, reduce plasma content of ET-1 and TXB₂, and increase the content of PGI₂ and NO. After long-term administration, vascular endothelium dependent dilation of the thoracic aorta was significantly increased, and could be blocked by the eNOS inhibitor (L-NAME) and increase the expression of eNOS. Therefore, D. officinale flos has an obvious antihypertensive effect on high glucose and high fat compound alcohol-induced hypertensive rats. Its mechanism may be correlated with the improvement of vascular diastolic function by protecting vascular endothelial cells, and finally resist hypertension.
Animals ; Antihypertensive Agents ; pharmacology ; Blood Pressure ; Dendrobium ; chemistry ; Diet, High-Fat ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Endothelin-1 ; blood ; Endothelium, Vascular ; drug effects ; Epoprostenol ; blood ; Glucose ; Hypertension ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; metabolism ; Rats ; T-Box Domain Proteins ; blood ; Vasodilation

This experiment focuses on the effect of Yunkang oral liquid on abortion rate, endocrine system and VEGF signal pathway in Clark classical recurrent abortion model mice. RSA mice were randomly divded into model group, low, middle and high-dose groups and progesterone group. The normal pregnancy mice were included into normal group. Since the first day of pregnancy, the normal group and the RSA model group were given the same dose of distilled water, while low, middle and high-dose groups were given Yunkang oral liquid at the dose of 9, 18, 36 mL·kg¹·d⁻¹; progesterone group were given progesterone by 0.039 g·kg¹·d⁻¹. The mice were put to deathat the 15th day of pregnancy, and the embryo loss rate of each group was observed. Serum estradiol (E₂), progesterone (P), prolactin (PRL), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) level were tested; the protein expressions of estrogen receptor(ER), progesterone receptor (PR), prolactin receptor (PRLR) in decidua and RAS, MAPK, VEGF, VEGFR-2 gene and protein expressions in deciduas were studied. The results showed that middle, high dose Yunkang and progesterone could significantly decrease the embryo loss rate of RSA mice. The levels of FSH, LH, PRL, P and E₂ in serum in Yunkang and progesterone groups were increased, and the serum levels of FSH, LH, and E₂ in Yunkang group were higher than those in progesterone group. Western blot analysis showed that Yunkang oral liquid and progesterone can significantly increase the expressions of PRLR, PR in the uterine decidua of RSA mice, and the expression of ER in Yunkang group was higher than that in progesterone group. Western blot and PCR showed that the Yunkang oral liquid and progesterone can significantly increase RAS, MAPK, VEGF, VEGFR-2 gene and protein expressions in the uterine decidua of RSA mice. The results showed that Yunkang oral liquid can effectively reduce the embryo loss rate of RSA model mice, increase the levels of FSH, LH, PRL, P and E₂ in serum, promote the expressions of PRLR, PR, ER protein in decidua and the RAS, MAPK, VEGF, VEGFR-2 gene and protein expressions in the decidua, improve the vascular remodeling of fetal interface, the endometrial receptivty, the development of decidua and the blastocyst implantation.