Forty-two patients with type 2 diabetes (DM group),23 type 2 diabetic patients with unstable angina pectoris (DM + UAP group),and 36 healthy subjects (control group) were enrolled in this study.Serum samples were collected for determining serum concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF),Angiopoietin (Ang)-1,Ang-2,angiogenin,angiostatin,basic fibroblast growth factor,and platelet-derived growth factor-BB using protein array technology.The results showed that there were no significant differences in serum concentrations of all 7 angiogenic factors between control group and DM group.Whereas,serum concentrations of V EGF and Ang-2 were significantly increased in DM + UAP group compared with control group [(3 532.10 ± 1 813.72vs 2 444.50 ± 1 152.21) pg/ml,(286.90-± 217.01 vs 171.92 ± 106.63) pg/ml,both P＜0.01].Pearson's correlation analysis revealed that serum concentrations of all 7 angiogenic factors were not related to HbA1C,fasting and 2 h postprandial plasma glucose,triglycerides,high density lipoprotein cholesterol,as well as low density lipoprotein cholesterol.

A RP-HPLC method was developed to evaluate the quality of Picrasmae Ramulus et Folium by simultaneous determination of five constituents including 1-hydroxymethyl-beta-carboline (1), 1-methoxicabony-beta-carboline (2), 4-methoxy-5-hydroxy-canthin-6-one (3), 4, 5-dimethoxy-canthin-6-one (4) and maackiain (5) in Picrasmae Ramulus et Folium. The samples were separated on a Kromasil RP-C18 (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) column eluted with acetonitrile and 0.1% phosphoric acid as mobile phases in gradient mode. The detection wavelength was set at 254 nm. The calibration curves and linearity of the above five standards were determined as (1) Y = 6 525.6X + 37.25 (0.009-1.780 microg, r = 0.996 8), (2) Y = 3 662.3X + 41.55 (0.005-0.920 microg, r = 0.999 5), (3) Y = 3763.1X + 146.87 (0.015-3.060 microg, r = 0.999 0), (4) Y = 2 174.1X + 21.52 (0.003-0.620 microg, r = 0.999 5), and (5) Y = 276.25X + 7.65 (0.010-1.960 microg, r = 0.998 9), respectively. The method is simple and repeatable, and can be used for the quality assessment of Picrasmae Ramulus et Folium.
Alkaloids ; analysis ; Calibration ; Carbolines ; analysis ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Chromatography, Reverse-Phase ; methods ; Flavonoids ; analysis ; Indole Alkaloids ; analysis ; Picrasma ; chemistry ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Pterocarpans ; analysis ; Reproducibility of Results

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of a self-made guiding needle of steel wire in guiding the wire through the tibial tunnel for the treatment of avulsion fractures of tibial posterior cruciate ligament with open reduction and wire fixation.

METHODSFrom February 2011 to June 2014, a total of 22 patients with avulsion fractures of tibial posterior cruciate ligament underwent surgical treatments were analyzed, including 14 males and 8 females with an average age of 35.6 years old (ranged, 17 to 63 years old). According to Meyers classification, 9 patients were classified as type II, 13 patients were classified as type III. All the patients underwent open reduction and wire fixation with medial knee "L" shape approach. A wire guiding needle was used to guide the wire through the tibial tunnel during operation.

RESULTSWith the assistance of wire guidance needles, wires passed through the tibial tunnel rapidly during the operation in all the 22 patients. All the patients were followed up, X-ray imagings 6 months after operation showed the fractures healed well. The average follow-up time in all patients was 6 months (ranged, 6 to 12 months). The averaged Lysholm knee score in 22 knee was 92.7 +/- 3.4. All patients' posterior drawer test were negative.

CONCLUSIONSelf-made wire guiding needle can simplify the operation procedures in which the wires pass through the tibial tunnel, shorten the operation time, reduce the surgical trauma and complications, and be worthy of clinical application.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Bone Wires ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Posterior Cruciate Ligament ; injuries ; surgery ; Tibia ; injuries ; surgery ; Tibial Fractures ; surgery ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo characterize the HA1 regions of hemagglutinin gene of influenza viruses (H3N2) isolated from children in Beijing from 1998 - 2004.

METHODSThe HA1 regions of hemagglutinin gene were amplified by RT-PCR from the viruses isolated and identified as A3 (H3N2) from clinical samples collected from infants and children during the peak seasons of influenza between 1998 and 2004. PCR products were sequenced or cloned into T-A vector and were analyzed after being sequenced.

RESULTSThe HA1 regions of hemagglutinin genes amplified from those isolates were 987 bp in length, encoding a protein of 329 amino acids in length. The identities of nucleotides and amino acids among these H3N2 isolates in Beijing and vaccines strains from 1998 - 2004 were 95.5% - 100.0% and 93.0% - 100.0%, respectively. The homology of the HA1 regions were related to the date of virus isolation, meaning the homology was higher among those strains isolated in nearer dates than others. Seven potential N-linked glycosylation sites in the HA1 regions located at amino acid positions 8, 22, 38, 63, 126, 165 and 285 were conserved in all the viruses analyzed. Two sites at 122 and 133 were inserted in those virus isolated after 1997, and another site at 144 appeared in those isolated after 1999. More amino acid substitutions located in the five putative antigenic sites or receptor binding sites were found more in the isolates than the isolates from previous year. Phylogenetic analysis showed new branches appeared continuously during 1998 - 2004. The strains isolated during winter in 2004 belonged to different branches, suggesting the appearance of new variants.

CONCLUSIONAmino acid substitutions continuously occurred in the HA1 regions of hemagglutinin genes in influenza virus (H3N2) isolated from children in Beijing from 1998 - 2004, which might have resulted in antigenic drift and led to the appearance of new variants.

Amino Acid Substitution ; China ; DNA, Viral ; analysis ; Gene Amplification ; Hemagglutinins ; genetics ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype ; genetics ; Influenza, Human ; virology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been broadly investigated and shown to exert many preventive and therapeutic actions besides their important role in maintenances human health and normal development. In mammals, the level of omega-3 PUFAs is relatively too low compared with omega-6 PUFAs, which metabolically and functionally distinct from omega-3 PUFAs and often have important opposing physiological functions. Either the inefficiency of omega-3 PUFAs or the excess of omega-6 PUFAs will cause many healthy problems. So methods have been sought to increase the amount of omega-3 PUFAs and to improve the omega-6/omega-3 ratio in body. In this study, the sFat-1 gene, which putatively encodes a omega-3 fatty acid desaturase, was chemically synthesized according to the sequence from Caenorhabditis briggssae (with codon usage modified), and constructed into a mammal expression vector pcDNA3. 1-sFat1-EGFP. This vector was introduced into CHO cells by lipid-mediated transfection, and it's expression quickly and effectively elevated the cellular omega-3 PUFAs (from 18-carbon to 22-carbon) contents and dramatically improved the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 PUFAs. Cellular lipids extracts from stably selected cells were analyzed with GC-MS and the results showed that amount of total omega-6 PUFAs dropped from 48.97% (in GFP cells)to 35.29% (in sFat-1 cells), whereas the amount of total omega-3 PUFAs increased from 7.86% to 24.02%, respectively. The omega-6/omega-3 ratio also dropped from 6.23 to 1.47. These data demonstrates the Caenorhabditis briggssae omega-3 Fatty Acid Desaturase gene, sFat-1, was synthesized successfully and can produce omega-3 PUFAs by using the corresponding omega-6 PUFAs as substrates, which shows its potential for use in the production of omega-3 PUFAs in transgenic animals.
Animals ; CHO Cells ; Caenorhabditis ; enzymology ; genetics ; Cricetinae ; Cricetulus ; Fatty Acid Desaturases ; genetics ; physiology ; Fatty Acids ; analysis ; Plasmids ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

Adolescent ; Altitude ; Brain ; drug effects ; Codonopsis ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Tablets

OBJECTIVETo observe and compare the influence of acupoint sticking therapy in dog days and in non-dog days to the quality of life of allergic rhinitis patients.

METHODSFifty-five cases were divided into group A (the acupoint sticking therapy in dog days group, 28 cases) and group B (the acupoint sticking therapy in non-dog day group, 27 cases) randomly. The acupoint sticking therapy description (Dazhui (GV 14), Fengmen (BL 12), Feishu (BL 13) etc. was used in both groups. Five times of acupoint sticking therapy were given to patients in group A during dog days in 2010, while another 5 times of acupoint sticking therapy were given to patients in group B before the dog days. The Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) was used to evaluate the effects before, after and half a year after treatment.

RESULTSThe scores of behavior problems, nasal symptoms and quality of life in RQLQ of both groups all decreased after treatment (all P < 0.01). The score of emotion reaction of group A in the follow-up period decreased compared with that before treatment (P < 0.05). The scores of non-nasal-or-ocular symptoms, ocular symptoms and emotion reaction after treatment and in the follow-up period all decreased than those before treatment (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The decreasing degrees of scores of non-nasal-or-ocular symptoms, ocular symptoms, emotion reaction and quality of life after treatment and in the follow-up period in group A were all greater than those in group B (P < 0.01, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIn the same season, both acupoint sticking therapy in dog days and in non-dog dags can improve the symptoms of allergic rhinitis, but the improving degree to quality of life in the method of acupoint sticking in dog days is greater.

Acupuncture Points ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Quality of Life ; Rhinitis ; drug therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes in the serum content of immunoreactive calcitonin (iCT) after burns or inhalation injury, and to explore its diagnostic significance.

METHODSTwenty-four dogs were randomized into 4 groups, i. e. A (n = 6, with moderate degree inhalation injury) , B ( n = 6, with severe inhalation injury), C (n = 6, with most severe inhalation injury) and D (n = 6, with severe burns) groups. The serum content of iCT and blood gas analysis before and after injury were determined at different time points. The degree of inhalation injury was determined with fibrobronchoscopic examination at 6 post-inhalation injury hour (PIH).

RESULTS(1) Fiber bronchoscopic examination showed that the degree of inhalation injury in each group was coincident with the anticipation. (2) The serum content of iCT in each group at 1 PIH was obviously higher than that before injury, and it was evidently higher in A, B and C groups than that in D group at 4 PIH. The peak value of iCT in group A at 24 PIH was (453+/-224) ng/L, and it increased gradually in B and C groups at 48 PIH. The serum content of iCT increased continually from 2 PIH on, and it reached (125+/-41) ng/L at 48 PIH. (3) Compared with PaO2 value before injury (109+/-8) mmHg, there was no obvious difference of the PaO, in A and D groups. PaO2 value in B and C group began to descend continually at 8 PIH (65+/-6) mmHg, and that in C group began to descend at 4 PIH (71+/-9) mmHg. PaCO2 value in C group began to increase at 24 PIH(52+/-11) mmHg when compared with that before injury(38+/-5 ) mmHg.

CONCLUSIONThe changes in the serum level of iCT within 8 PIH occurred much earlier than PaO2 and PaCO2, thus it has the same diagnostic significance as fibers bronchoscopic examination.

Animals ; Blood Gas Analysis ; Burns, Inhalation ; blood ; physiopathology ; Calcitonin ; blood ; Disease Models, Animal ; Dogs

Objective To evaluate the effect of limited open reduction in the treatment of femoral shaft fractures with intramedullary nail.Methods The clinical data of 39 patients with femoral shaft fractures in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery,Southern Medical University Xiaolan Affiliated Hospital from January 2016 to December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed.All patients were treated with intramedullary nailing.Among them,25 cases were treated with limited open reduction (observation group) and 14 cases were treated with closed reduction (control group).The operation time,fluoroscopy frequency,blood loss volume,infection rate and curative effect were compared between 2 groups.Results The 39 patients were followed up for 7 to 25 (10.3 ± 2.8) months.The operation time and fluoroscopy frequency in observation group were significantly lower than those in control group:(111.4 ± 20.3) min vs.(129.3 ± 21.4) min and (7.0 ± 2.6) times vs.(22.6 ± 7.8) times,but the blood loss volume was significantly higher than that in control group:(454.0 ± 131.4) ml vs.(342.9 ± 120.7) ml,and there were statistical differences (P＜0.05 or ＜0.01);there was no statistical difference in the infection rate and excellent/ good rate between 2 groups (P＞0.05).Conclusions Limited open reduction simplifies the operation steps,shortens the operation time,and has fewer fluoroscopy times and less X-ray time.It can achieve the same effect as closed reduction,and can be used as an effective supplementary means when closed reduction equipment and technology are deficient.

Objective To discover the effect of partial splenic embolization on the immune function of cirrhotic patients with hypersplenism. Methods Patients involved in the study were enrolled and divided into three groups, including control group, experimental group, and complication group. Numbers of CD3