Objective To evaluate the causes,clinical manifestations and diagnosis of tarsal tunnel syndrome. Methods Operation was performed for 18 patients ( 21 sides) with tarsal tunnel syndrome. Preoperative Takakura index was 3-7 points with an average of 6.4 points. Ganglion was found in 15 cases (17 sides), varicosity in 2 cases (3 sides) and lipoma in 1 case. Results The symptoms disappeared without recurrence in 0.5 to 17 years' follow-up (average 7.3). Postoperative Takakura index was 9-10 points (average 9.7). Conclusion Tarsal tunnel syndrome is rare in the clinical practice with varied causes and different clinical manifestations. Operation can be performed with satisfactory results for the patients unsuitable for conservative treatment.

Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) can provoke the apoptosis of retinal cells and downregulate the expression of calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) in the retina.Capsaicin promotes the release of CGRP and elicits protective effects on human organs.However,whether CGRP protects retinal cells in diabetic retinopathy (DR) is still unclear.Objective The study was designed to examine the effect of capsaicin on the apoptosis of retinal cells in diabetic rats and its relationship with CGRP.Methods Forty clean healthy adult male Sprague-Dawey rats were randomly divided into the diabetes group,capsaicin pretreated group,streptozocin (STZ)control group,capsaicin control group and plain control group,with 8 rats per group.The diabetic model was established by the intraperitoneal injection of 60 mg/kg in all rats except those of the plain control group.0.4 mL of a 1％ capsaicin injected at 20 mg/kg was subcutaneously injected for 3 consecutive days prior to model establishment in the capsaicin pretreated group,after which 1.2 mL of STZ was intraperitoneally injected on the fourth day.Rats from the STZ control group were administered intraperitoneally 1.2 mL of 0.1 mol/L,pH 4.5,citrate buffer.The capsaicin control group received subcutaneous injections of 0.4 mL of 1％ capsaicin at 20 mg/kg for 3 consecutive days,after which 1.2 mL of 0.1 mol/L,pH 4.5,citrate buffer was administered intraperitoneally.The rats were sacrificed at the tenth week after model establishment and retinal specimens were prepared for the apoptosis assay by TUNEL staining and the quantitative analysis of caspase-3 activity.Expression of CGRP in the retina and serum was detected using ELISA.The use of experimental animals followed the Regulations for the Administration of Affairs Concerning Experimental Animals by State Science and Technology Commission.Results Retinal cell apoptosis was mainly localized to the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) layer.The apoptosis rate of RGCs was (43.4±5.0)％ in the DR model group and (30.0±5.1)％ in the capsaicin pretreated group,showing a significant difference (t =5.930,P＜0.01).Compared with the DR model group and capsaicin pretreated group,the apoptosis rates of the DR control group (12.4±9.9) ％ and the capsaicin control group (17.6-±6.1) ％ were significantly lower (t =8.800,t =4.925,P＜0.01).The apoptosis rate of the plain control group was (16.2±6.9)％,exhibiting significant differences in comparison with the DR control group and capsaicin control group (t =-0.989,t =0.951,P＞0.05).The specific activity of caspase-3 was (2.19±0.86) in the DR model group and (1.96±0.56) in the capsaicin pretreated group,presenting a significant difference (t =-0.515,P＜0.05).Those of the DR control group and capsaicin control group were (1.47±0.14) and (0.74±0.27),respectively,with considerable decline in comparison with the DR model group and capsaicin pretreated group (t=2.142,t=2.797,P＜0.05).The retinal and serum CGRP levels were (424.4±44.2)and (148.8±39.1) ng/L,respectively,displaying significantly lower levels than (543.2±74.4) and (237.5±78.7) ng/L (t =3.070,2.359,P＜0.05) from the capsaicin pretreated group.Conclusions Apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells occurs in the STZ-induced diabetic rats.Pretreatment of capsaicin reduces retinal cell apoptosis,which may be associated with an increase of CGRP in the retina.

Esophageal Atresia ; complications ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Respiratory System Abnormalities ; complications ; Trachea ; abnormalities ; Tracheoesophageal Fistula ; complications

The neonatal resuscitation program consisted of three stages:pilot promotion, provinces promotion and grass-roots promotion in China. Neonatal resuscitation was easy to learn, training forms were various, the duration was different. There were regional differences in the pass rate of examination and standard recovery rate. The neonatal resuscitation training rate, the system execution rate and the equipment rate in primary hospitals was lower than secondary hospitals and tertiary hospitals. The primary hospitals would be the key link of the neonatal resuscitation program. We suggested to build neonatal resuscitation training and treatment system.

Objective To explore the value of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)in differentiating brain tuberculomas from me-tastases.Methods Conventional and enhanced MRI as well as diffusion weighted imaging (DWI)were performed in 24 cases of brain tuberculomas(immature in 18 cases and mature in 6 case)and 36 cases of metastases.The mean ADC values and relative ADC (rADC)values were calculated from the enhanced and non-enhanced regions of mass and the peripheral edema regions of brain le-sions.Results The mean ADC values and rADC values in the enhanced,non-enhanced and the peripheral edema regions were 796.90×10 -6 mm2/s and 1.1 6,864.85×10 -6 mm2/s and 1.27,1 531.60×10 -6 mm2/s and 2.24 for the immature brain tuberculo-mas;791.95×10 -6 mm2/s and 1.1 6,61 1.80×10 -6 mm2/s and 0.87,and 1 488.45×10 -6 mm2/s and 2.10 for the mature tubercu-lomas;421.95×10 -6 mm2/s and 0.61,961.00×10 -6 mm2/s and 1.36,1 545.00×10 -6 mm2/s and 2.18 for the brain metastases, respectively.There were significant differences in the mean ADC values (H =42.293,P ≤0.05)and rADC values (H =42.575, P ≤0.05)for the enhance regions in the three groups .There were also significant differences in the mean ADC values (H =33.100, P ≤0.05)and rADC values (H =1 7.867,P ≤0.05)for the non-enhance regions.No significant difference in the mean ADC values (H =1.550,P ≥0.05)and rADC values (H =5.511,P ≥0.05)were found for the peripheral edema regions.Conclusion The ADC values of DWI can help to differentiate brain tuberculomas from metastases,when combining with the conventional and enhanced MRI.

Objective:To investigate the volatile constituents in Folium isatidis. Methods:The volatile constituents from Folium isatidis were analyzed by head-space solid micro-extraction coupled with GC-MS for the first time. Results: Thirty-five compounds (89. 95%) were identified from the volatile constituents in Folium isatidis. The main volatile constituents of Folium isatidis were 6, 10, 14-trimethyl-2-pentadecanone (6. 32%), nonanal (5. 99%), phenethyl isothiocyanate (5. 79%) and palmitic acid (5. 62%). Conclusion:Palmitic acid and benzyl alcohol may be the main effective constituents in Folium isatidis.

Objective:To investigate the changes and significances of serum cystatin C and transforming growth factor-β1 levels for the neonatal asphyxia.Methods:Forty-six asphyxia newborns were chosen as the asphyxia group,and thirty healthy newborns were selected as the control group.The TGF-β1,CysC,BUN,Scr,and GFR levels of both groups were detected on the 1st,3rd,7th day after hospitalization.According to the renal injury,the 46 newborns were divided into normal group and asphyxia group,and the serum indexes were detected and analyzed.Results:On the 1st,3rd,7th day after hospitalization,the TGF-β1,GFR of asphyxia group was obviously increased and was lower than those of the control group (P＜0.05);the level of CysC,BUN,Scr in both groups were decreased,and the change degree in asphyxia group were higher than that of the control group (P＜0.05);the CysC,BUN,Scr in renal injured group were higher than those of normal group,and TGF-β1,GFR were much lower (P＜0.05).Additionally,TGF-β1 level of renal injured group was negatively correlated to the BUN and Scr,and positively correlated with the GFR (P＜0.05).The level of serum CysC in renal injured group was positively correlated to BUN and Scr and negatively correlated to GFR (P＜0.05).Conclusion:The serum TGF-β1,CysC in asphyxia newborns had significant changes compared with the healthy newborns and was correlated to the renal injured indexes,which had clinical directive significance on the early diagnosis,condition judgment,and prognosis of neonatal asphyxia with renal injury.

60 Gy.The 5-year local control rates are 92%,71% and 87% respectively(P=0.9194),and 5-year overall survival rate are 68%,62% and 53% respectively(P=0.4194).There is no significant difference of overall survival and local control rate between these three dose groups.Five patients with dose of more than 50Gy died of late toxicities.Conclusions:Adjuvant radiotherapy for Stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ patients with rectal cancer dose not show dose response.There is no improvement of local control and survival due to the escalation of dose.The dose of conventional radiotherapy is better at less than 50Gy.Overdosage may lead to severe toxicities.

Objective To identify the miR-122 which regulateing GATA4 expression during the induction of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (bMSCs) differentiating into cardiomyocyte-like cells. Methods BMSCs were isolat-ed from bone marrow and induced to differentiate into cardiomyocyte-like cells using 5-azacytidine. The miR-122 which may regulate expression of GATA4 were predicted using miRanda and TargetScan softwares and identified by dual luciferase report system. The expressions of miR-122 and GATA4 were determined using q-PCR during the differentiation of bMSCs into cardiomyocyte-like cells. Results The induced cells were completely in contacted with adjoining cells and uniform in shape and aligned parallelly. Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) expression was detected by immunofluorescence cytochemistry. Using dual luciferase reporter system in vitro, miR-122 were proved to be able to effectively inhibit GATA4 expression by binding the 3′UTR of GATA4 mRNA. q-PCR results showed that the expression of miR-122 is negatively correlated with that of GATA4 mRNA transcription. Conclusion These results indicated that miR-122 regulate the expression of GATA4 during the induction of cardiomyocyte-like cells.

In order to study the effects of ethyl pyruvate on cardiomyocyte apoptosis following ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in vitro and the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins, isolated rat hearts were perfused in a Langendorff model. Twenty-four rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=8 in each group): control group was perfused for 120 min. In the I/R group, after 30 min stabilization the injury was induced by 30 min global ischemia followed by 60 min reperfusion. Ethyl pyruvate (EP) group was set up with the same protocol as I/R group except that it was supplied with 2 mmol/L EP 15 min before ischemia and throughout reperfusion. Myocardial malonaldehyde (MDA) content was measured. Myocardial apoptotic index (AI) was tested by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) method. The expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and pro-apoptotic protein Bax in cardiac myocytes was detected by immunohistochemistry. As compared with control group, the content of MDA, myocardial AI and the expression of Bcl-2, Bax proteins were increased significantly in I/R group, but the content of MDA, myocardial AI and the expression of Bax protein were decreased obviously and the expression of Bcl-2 protein was up-regulated in EP group (P<0.05). These results demonstrate that EP could inhibit apoptosis of cardiac myocytes possibly via alleviating oxidative stress, up-regulating Bcl-2 and down-regulating Bax proteins.
Apoptosis ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Malondialdehyde/pharmacology ; Myocardium/*pathology ; Myocytes, Cardiac/cytology ; Oxidative Stress ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/*metabolism ; Pyruvates/*pharmacology ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; Tissue Distribution ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein/*metabolism