Objective To evaluate the effects of the sciatic nerve block on emergence agitation following sevoflurane-based anesthesia in pediatric patients undergoing foot orthomorphia.Methods Sixty pediatric patients,aged 3-7 yr,weighing 12-20 kg,of ASA physical status Ⅰ or Ⅱ,scheduled for elective foot orthomorphia,were randomly assigned to one of two groups (n =30 each):control group (group Ⅰ) and sciatic nerve block group (group Ⅱ).After induction of anesthesia,laryngeal mask airway was inserted,and artificial or mechanical ventilation was performed.Anesthesia was maintained with inhalation of sevoflurane (end-tidal concentration 0.5％-2.0％) and iv fentanyl 0.5-2.0 μg/kg.The sciatic nerve block on the affected side was performed under the guidance of a nerve stimulator,and 0.25％ bupivacaine 0.5 ml/kg was injected.Laryngeal mask airway removal time and emergence time were recorded.At 30 min of recovery from anesthesia,agitation was scored and the development of emergence agitation was recorded.Pain was evaluated with Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R) at 10 and 30 min of recovery from anesthesia.Adverse reactions including hypoxemia and nausea and vomiting were also recorded during recovery from anesthesia.Results Compared with group Ⅰ,the intraoperative consumption of fen tanyl and mean end-tidal concentration of sevoflurane were significantly decreased,laryngeal mask airway removal time and emergence time were shortened,and the incidence of emergence agitation,PPS-P scores and incidence of hypoxemia were decreased in group Ⅱ.Conclusion The sciatic nerve block is helpful in decreasing the development of emergence agitation following sevoflurane-based anesthesia in pediatric patients undergoing foot orthomorphia.

Objective To investigate the relationship among the proliferation of CD4+T cells, the intracellular levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and transforming growth factor-?1(TGF-?1), and allergic bronchial asthma. Methods Dermatophagoides farinae antigen were prepared as allergen. Twenty-five patients with asthma and 15 healthy individuals were enrolled and divided into blank control group, allergen group and self control group, respectively, after venous blood sample collection. The proliferation of CD4+T cells and the distributions of CD4+/IL-10+, CD4+/TGF-?+1 and CD4+/IL-10+/TGF-?+1 were measuredby flow cytometry (FCM). Results The distributions of CD4+/IL-10+, CD4+/TGF-?+1 and CD4+/IL-10+/TGF-?+1 could hardly be detected in the peripheral blood samples of the blank controls of the patients with asthma and healthy ones. In the allergen group of the healthy individuals, the peripheral blood CD4+T cells were significantly proliferated, and the proportions of CD4+T cells andCD4+/IL-10+ cells were much higher than the self control group, while there was no significantly increase in the proportions of CD4+/TGF-?+1 and CD4+/IL-10+/TGF-?+1 subgroups. In the allergen group of those with asthma, the proportions of peripheral blood CD4+, CD4+/IL-10+, CD4+/TGF-?+1 and CD4+/IL-10+/TGF-?+1 cells were not found significantly increased compared with those self controls. After being activated by allergen, the proportion of peripheral blood CD4+/IL-10+ cells was significantly lower in the patients with asthma than the healthy individuals(P

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) modified bovine serum albumin (AGE-BSA) on the expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in human renal mesangial cells (HRMCs).

METHODSHRMCs were cultured in vitro with medium containing different doses of AGE-BSA or BSA (50,100, 200, 400 mg/L) for 48 hours, or with AGE-BSA (200 mg/L) for different times (12, 24, 48, 72 h). Immunocytochemistry assay was used to estimate the protein level of RAGE. The ROS in cells were measured by flow cytometry and the mRNA expression of MCP-1 were analyzed by semi-quantiative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) after treatment with AGE-BSA or BSA.

RESULTSThe protein level of RAGE was upregulated in the HRMCs with AGE-BSA. The expression of ROS and MCP-1 significantly enhanced by incubation of AGE-BSA in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The effects of AGE-BSA-induced up-regulation of ROS and MCP-1 level was significantly blocked by neutralizing antibodies to RAGE, while the expression of ROS and MCP-1 stood nearly unchanged after cultured with huamn IgG.

CONCLUSIONThe expression of ROS and MCP-1 in HRMCs is induced by AGE-BSA through RAGE, which may have potential effects in the pathgenic mechanism of diabetic nephropathy.

Cells, Cultured ; Chemokine CCL2 ; metabolism ; Glycation End Products, Advanced ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Mesangial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products ; Receptors, Immunologic ; metabolism ; Serum Albumin, Bovine ; pharmacology

In the current study, nine flavonoids were isolated and purified from 75% ethanol extract of Selaginella uncinata (Desv.) Spring by column chromatographic techniques over macroporous resin, polyamide, silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and pre-HPLC. On the basis of their physico-chemical properties and spectroscopic data analyses, these compounds were elucidated as cirsimarin (1), nepitrin (2), apigenin-6-C-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-8-C-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), apigenin-6-C-β-D-glucopyranosyl-8-C-α-L-arabinopyranoside (4), apigenin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (5), 2,3-dihydroamentoflavone (6), 4'-O-methylamentoflavone (7), 2,3-dihydro-4'-O-methyl-amentoflavone (8), and 2,3,2",3"-tetrahydron-4'-O-methyl-robustaflavone (9). Compounds 1-5 belong to flavonoid glycosides and were isolated from the genus Selaginella for the first time.
Flavonoids ; analysis ; Selaginellaceae ; chemistry

Animals ; Arsenic ; toxicity ; Comet Assay ; DNA Damage ; drug effects ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Tobacco Smoke Pollution ; adverse effects

OBJECTIVETo study the proliferation and apoptosis of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) on leukemic U937 cells and its possible mechanism.

METHODThe inhibitory effect of TMP on the proliferation of U937 cells was detected by CCK-8 assay. The cell apoptosis and cycle distribution were examined by the flow cytometry. The mRNA expressions of bcl-2 and P27 were determined by the Real-time PCR. Western blot was carried out to detect bcl-2, caspase-3, cyclin E1, CDK2 and P27 expressions.

RESULTTMP inhibited the proliferation of U937 cells in a dose-and-time dependent manner, with IC50 value of 160 mg x L(-1) at 48 h. In addition, TMP could induce the apoptosis of U937 cells and block the cell cycle in G0/G1 phase. According to the results of Real-time PCR and Western blot, TMP could down-regulate the expression of apoptosis-related molecule bcl-2, cycle-related protein cyclin E1 and CDK2 and up-regulate caspase-3 and P27.

CONCLUSIONTMP shows the effects in inhibiting the proliferation of leukemic U937 cells and inducing the apoptosis. Its mechanism may be related to the impacts on the cell cycle distribution, down-regulation of the bcl-2 expression, which finally activates caspase-3, starts the apoptosis path and causes the cell apoptosis.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 2 ; analysis ; Humans ; Leukemia ; drug therapy ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; analysis ; Pyrazines ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; U937 Cells

Although quality assessment is gaining increasing attention,there is still no consensus on how to define and grade postoperative complications.The absence of a defimition and a widely accepted ranking system to classify surgical complications has hampered proper interpretation of the surgical outcome.This study aimed to define and search the simple and reproducible classification of complications following hepatectomy based on two therapy-oriented severity grading system:Clavien-Dindo classification of surgical complications and Accordion severity grading of postoperative complications.Two classifications were tested in a cohort of 2008 patients who underwent elective liver surgery at our institution between January 1986 and December 2005.Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to link respective complications with perioperative parameters,length of hospital stay and the quality of life.A total of 1716 (85.46％) patients did not develop any complication,while 292 (14.54％)patients had at least one complication.According to Clavien-Dindo classification of surgical complications system,grade Ⅰ complications occurred in 150 patients (7.47％),grade Ⅱ in 47 patients (2.34％),grade Ⅲa in 59 patients (2.94％),grade Ⅲb in 13 patients (0.65％),grade Ⅳa in 7 patients (0.35％),grade Ⅳb in 1 patient (0.05％),and grade Ⅴ in 15 patients (0.75％).According to Accordion severity grading of postoperative complications system,mild complications occurred in 160 patients (7.97％),moderate complications in 48 patients (2.39％),severe complications (invasive procedure/no general anesthesia) in 48 patients (2.39％),severe complications (invasive procedure under general anesthesia or single organ system failure) in 20 patients (1.00％),severe complications (organ system failure and invasive procedure under general anesthesia or multisystem organ failure) in 1 patient (0.05％),and mortality was 0.75％ (n=15).Complication severity of Clavien-Dindo system and Accordion system were all correlated with the length of hospital stay,the number of hepatic segments resected,the blood transfusion and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety (HADS-A).The Clavien-Dindo classification system and Accordion classification system are the simple ways of reporting all complications following the liver surgery.

AIMTo study the active constituents of Swertia davidi Franch..

METHODSChromatography was used to isolate and purify the chemical components, their structures were identified by spectral analysis.

RESULTSThree compounds were identified as 1,7-dihydroxy-3,8-dimethoxyxanthone (gentiacaulein) (V), 1,8-dihydroxy-3,7-dimethoxyxanthone (methylswertianin) (VI) and 1,8-dihydroxy-3,4,7-trimethoxyxanthone (VII).

CONCLUSIONCompound VII is a novel xanthone, named daviditin A, the others were isolated from Swertia davidi Franch. for the first time.

Molecular Structure ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Swertia ; chemistry ; Xanthones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effects of oxymatrine on chronic heart failure induced by isoproterenol (ISO) and to observe its effects on ADMA metabolism pathway in ISO-induced chronic heart failure in rats.

METHODMale Sprague-Dawley rats were given oxymatrine (100,50 mg kg-1) orally for 14 days. Heart failure was induced in rats by subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol (5 mg kg-1 d-1 ) at the 8th day for 1 week. Serum parameters, haemodynamic parameters, Heart weight, and histopathological variables were analysed. Expression of protein levels were measured by Western blot.

RESULTOxymatrine (100,50 mg kg-1) significantly attenuated serum content of cTn I, improved left ventricle systolic and diastolic function and left ventricular remodeling, reduced the ISO-induced myocardial pathological changes compared with ISO group. In addition, oxymatrine (100,50 mg kg-1) significantly reduced serum level of ADMA (P <0. 01), normalize the reduced dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 2 (DDAH2) expression (P <0. 01) , but had no effect on the isoproterenol-induced upregulated protein arginine methyltransferases 1 expression.

CONCLUSIONOxymatrine could ameliorate the experimental ventricular remodeling in ISO-induced chronic heart failure in rats and the mechanism involved in reducing serum content of ADMA and increased DDAH2 expression.

Alkaloids ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Amidohydrolases ; metabolism ; Animals ; Arginine ; analogs & derivatives ; blood ; metabolism ; Chronic Disease ; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic ; drug effects ; Heart Failure ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Hemodynamics ; drug effects ; Isoproterenol ; adverse effects ; Male ; Organ Size ; drug effects ; Quinolizines ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Troponin I ; metabolism

Animals ; Antihypertensive Agents ; pharmacology ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Cold Temperature ; Hypertension ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Hypolipidemic Agents ; pharmacology ; Isoflavones ; pharmacology ; Kidney ; pathology ; Lipid Metabolism ; drug effects ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR