BACKGROUND: Cartilage stent materials were abundant. With the development of preparation technique, structure, and surface modification technique, performance of materials were improved remarkably; thus, Integrated-repaidng defects of articular cartilage and subchondral bone required high stability of cartilage replacement materials.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of polyurethane/nano-hydroxyapatite+polyamide66 (PU/n-HA+PA66) biological composite material on repairing articular cartilage and subchondral bone.METHODS: Twenty dog models were randomly divided into 4 groups: porous PU/n-HA+PA66 implant group, compact PU/n-HA+PA66 implant group, n-HA+PA66 implant group and blank control group. The macroscopic and histological evaluations were performed at 4, 12, and 24 weeks postoperatively. The interfaces of biomaterial implants with articular cartilage were observed by scanning electron microscope.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: After 12 and 24 weeks, bone tissue grew into lower layer materials. Porous PU was well fused with peripheral cartilage. At 24 weeks postoperatively, the porous PU was closely connected with surrounding articular cartilage than the compact PU, and the articular cartilage surrounding the compact PU degenerated obviously. PU/n-HA+PA66 had a similar structure with normal cartilage and subchondral bone and had remarkable effects on repairing defects of articular cartilage and subchondral bone.

BACKGROUND: Polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel (PVA) has been generally considered as a good substitute material of articular cartilage. Polyamide 66 (PA66) polymer has achieved an extensive application in the fields of engineering and medicine owing to its high intensity, strong tenacity and good stability. Polyurethanes exhibit good histocompatibility and blood compatibility and show distinct advantages in repairing cartilage.OBJECTIVE: To compare the outcomes of repairing articular cartilage defects in rabbit knee joints with three materials and to find the best material.METHODS: Thirty-six healthy adult New Zealand rabbits were prepared for the models of articular cartilage defects by perforating on the patellofemoral joint and randomly divided into 4 groups, with 9 animals in each group. PVA, polyurethane, and PA66 were implanted into the into articular cartilage defects in rabbits of corresponding groups. There was no treatment in the control group.The macroscopic and histological evaluations of rabbit knee joints were performed at 4, 8 and 12 weeks postoperatively. The score of histology was used to evaluate the repairs of articular cartilage defects at 12 weeks postoperatively.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: No infection was observed in all animals with good motion of joints. At 12 weeks postoperatively, the materials got well with surrounding cartilage, which did not degenerate obviously. The defects in the control group were filled with fibrous scar-like tissues that arranged in disorder. The histological score of the in the group implanted by PVA, as well as polyurethane, was higher than that in PA66 and the control groups (P < 0.05), but the difference between the two groups had no significance (P>0.05).The porous materials PVA and polyurathane have good function for replacing articular cartilage, with good biocompatibility.

Referring to the rapid developed life science and the higher requirements for the approval of innovative Chinese drugs in recent years, this paper described systematically the discovery, research and development (R&D) approaches for the innovative Chinese drugs under the new situation from the following five aspects, i. e., active components discovered from TCMs, the discovery of effective fractions of TCMs and their formulae, the R&D of TCM innovative drugs based on famous classic prescriptions and famous Chinese patent drugs, and the transformation of clinical effective prescriptions, on the basis of analysing the advantages of innovative drugs derived from natural products based on TCM theories and the problems existed in current R&D of new TCM drugs. Moreover, five suggestions are also given for the rapid development of TCM innovative drugs in China. All these will provide reference for the R&D of TCM innovative drugs.
China ; Drug Discovery ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; trends ; Research

Objective To evaluate the value of 320 row CT upper abdominal computed tomography angiography (CTA) in the follow up of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPSS) .Methods 21 cases after TIPSS therapy underwent upper ab-dominal CTA .Post-processing images ,including MPR ,VR ,MIP ,and CPR ,were used to determine the position and patency of the stent .The best images of the portal veins were obtained .Results Among the 21 cases ,CPR image clearly demonstrated endovascu-lar stent thrombosis in 3 cases(14 .29% ) with stent occlusion and 1 case(4 .76% ) with stent stenosis ;there were no stent stenosis or occlusion in 17 cases(80 .95% ) ,their CPR image showed the contrast agent was filled completely in the stent and no low-density thrombosis was found .The best phase of the portal vein was 45 s .Conclusion 320 row CT upper abdominal CTA can clearly dis-play the stent position and patency situation in patients ,therefore ,should be regarded as the first choice for the follow-up of patients after TIPSS therapy .

Objective To observe the effect of stageⅢdiabetic nephropathy(DN)treated by Qizhi Jiangtang capsule and explore its potential mechanism. Methods According to digital table method,the patients who conformed to the diagnostic criteria of stageⅢDN were randomly divided into two groups:an experiment group and a control group. All the patients in the two groups took elution treatment for 2 weeks,and then were treated with western basic therapy. The patients in the experiment group were administered orally with Qizhi Jiangtang capsule(2.5 g once, 3 times a day),while those in the control group treated with valsartan 80 mg,once a day. Urine microalbumin(mALB), mALB/urine creatinine(UCr),β2-microglobulin(β2-MG),α1-microglobulin(α1-MG)were observed in the two groups,endothelin-1(ET-1),nitric oxide(NO),thromboxane B2(TXB2),6-keto prostaglandin F1α(6-keto-PGF1α) were also determined. Serum creatinine(SCr),blood urea nitrogen(BUN),serum cystatin-C(Cys-C),retinol-binding protein(RBP),β2-MG were detected in the blood biochemistry automatic analyzer. These laboratory markers were inspected before treatment and at the 4th,8th and 12th week after treatment. Results Ninety-six patients in the experiment group and 95 patients in the control group were effectively included in the end. Before treatment,there were no statistic significant differences in urine mALB,mALB/UCr,β2-MG,α1-MG and blood ET-1,NO,TXB2, 6-keto-PGF1α between two groups(all P>0.05). Along with the prolongation of treatment,urine mALB,mALB/UCr,β2-MG,α1-MG and ET-1,TXB2 were significantly reduced,while NO,6-keto-PGF1α were significantly raised in the two groups after treatment,and the above changes in the experimental group were more obvious. There were statistic significant differences of mALB,mALB/UCr,β2-MG,α1-MG and TXB2,6-keto-PGF1αbetween two groups at the 12th week after treatment〔mALB(mg/L):36.6±9.2 vs. 78.6±16.5,mALB/UCr(mg/mmol):3.90±1.97 vs. 9.70±2.90,β2-MG(mg/L):0.25±0.10 vs. 0.40±0.12,α1-MG(mg/L):8.40±2.26 vs. 12.50±3.21,TXB2 (ng/L):75.8±18.7 vs. 94.7±21.7,6-keto-PGF1α(ng/L):73.4±15.2 vs. 65.2±11.5,P<0.05 or P<0.01〕. But there were no statistic significant differences of ET-1 and NO between experimental group and control group at the same time-points〔ET-1(ng/L):57.6±6.9 vs. 59.1±6.2,NO(μmol/L):68.9±11.6 vs. 65.4±10.7,both P>0.05〕. In each of the two groups,the comparisons of the levels of SCr,BUN before and after treatment,there was no statistical significant difference at any time point;the same comparisons between the two groups,there was also no statistic significant difference before treatment and at each of the same time-point after treatment(all P>0.05). The levels of Cys-C,RBP andβ2-MG of the control group after treatment had the tendency of decreasing,but no statistic significant differences were found(all P>0.05). The levels of Cys-C,RBP,β2-MG of the experimental group at the 12th week after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment〔Cys-C(mg/L):0.72±0.07 vs. 0.89±0.12,RBP (mg/L):53.0±14.2 vs. 66.1±16.5,β2-MG(mg/L):1.86±0.71 vs. 2.79±0.82,all P<0.05〕. Conclusions Qizhi Jiangtang capsule can significantly reduce the levels of urine mALB and mALB/UCr of patients with stageⅢDN and stabilize their renal functions;its therapeutic effect is better then that of valsartan. Its mechanisms are related to the reduction of ET-1,elevation of NO,maintenance of dynamic equilibrium of thromboxane A2/prostacycline(TXA2/PGI2) and protection of vascular endothelial cells.

Objective:To establish a fibrin zymography method for identifying the active proteins in lumbrokinase,and investigate the production difference and batch consistency of 5 different manufacturers. Methods:Fibrin zymography was used with the final con-centration of fibrinogen of 5 × 10 - 4 g·ml - 1 ,renature time of 30 min in 2. 5% Triton-x-100,incubation time of 30 min in PBS buffer (pH = 7. 4)at 37℃ and the protein concentration in the sample of 5. 0-37. 5 μg. Results:The sensitivity of the method was high,and the molecular weight distribution of active protein bands for the samples from five manufacturers was between 15KD and 40KD with 6 common active protein bands. The zymography of the samples from the five manufacturers had slight difference,while various batches of the samples from the same manufacturer showed no difference. Conclusion:The method is special. It can reflect molecular weight distribution and species of active protein,batch consistency and production process stability. It is easy to be standardized and suitable for the identification of lumbrokinase,which can lay foundation for the quality consistency evaluation of marketed products.

Objective·To investigate and compare the clinical characteristic of non-organic dyspnea and asthma both with complaint of dyspnea.Methods·Seventy-four consecutive patients with non-organic dyspnea,and 74 age-,height-,weight and sex-matched patients with asthma were recruited for investigation in the study.The self-assessment surveys were conducted for the two groups by means of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale,Nijmegen Questionnaire and Athens Insomnia Scale.The words for describing dyspnea,clinical symptoms,effective sleep hours and items of pulmonary function test were collected and analyzed Results·Non-organic dyspnea patients tended to describe psychogenic aspects.Asthma patients tended to describe airflow limitation.Non-organic dyspnea group mainly performed psychogenic symptoms.The sleeping time in non-organic dyspnea group was significantly lower than that in asthma group(P＜0.05).The score of anxiety,depression,Nijmegen Questionnaire,Athens Insomnia Scale,FEV1,FEV1％Pred,FVC％Pred,FEV1/FVC in non-organic dyspnea group were significantly higher than those in asthma group (P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in FVC between two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion·The non-organic group feel more anxiety,depressed and insomnic than the asthma group.Lung function test of asthma group is often abnormal.To discriminate non-organic dyspnea with asthma,clinicians should pay more attention to emotion,sleep,somatoform symptoms,medical history and so on,and do pulmonary function test,improve the understanding of the characteristics of the two diseases,decrease misdiagnosis and wrong diagnosis.

Objective:To evaluate the effects of neuregulin-1 (NRG-1) pretreatment on diaphragmatic function in septic rats.Methods:Twenty-six clean-grade healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 220-260 g, were divided into 3 groups using a random number table method: sham operation group (group S, n=6), sepsis group (group Sep, n=10) and NRG-1 group (group N, n=10). Sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture in anesthetized rats.Group S underwent simple laparotomy.At 30 min before operation, recombinant human NRG-1β 10 μg/kg was injected through tail vein in group N, while the equal volume of normal saline was given in S and Sep groups.At 24 h after operation, the survived rats were sacrificed, and the diaphragm was removed for determination of the contractile function and contents of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and for examination of the pathological changes (by hematoxylin and eosin staining). Results:Compared with group S, the force-frequency curve was shifted downward, and the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were increased ( P<0.01), inflammatory cell infiltration was observed in Sep and N groups.Compared with group Sep, the force-frequency curve was shifted upward , and the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were decreased ( P<0.01), inflammatory cell infiltration was alleviated in group N. Conclusion:NRG-1 pretreatment can improve diaphragmatic contractile function in septic rats, and the mechanism is related to reducing diaphragmatic inflammatory responses.

BACKGROUND: For treatment of femoral neck fracture, all therapies with the exception of joint replacement encounter the problems including slow healing, poor prognosis, various complications, and unable to bear weight for long time. Fracture hip supporting joint (FHSJ) is a novel unlimited hip support implement that possesses the double functions of fracture fixation and joint supporting and can be used to prevent and treat the complications of femoral neck fracture in young people.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mechanical effects of FHSJ on treatment of femoral neck fracture.METHODS: Three types of two-dimensional finite element models were constructed by AutoCAD: normal hip (group A), femoral neck fracture fixed with two screws (group B), and femoral neck fracture fixed with two screws and FHSJ (group C). The grids of two-dimensional four nodal point elements were divided by ANSYS (PLANE82). Under the identical condition, the calculations were performed respectively.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The stress peak value of femoral head weight-bearing zone was 1.029 and 1.63 MPa in group A and group B, respectively, and that in the group C was 0.1-0.4 MPa. The stress peak value of the screws was 37.186 and 7.474 MPa in the group B and group C, respectively. These results indicate that FHSJ installation based on fixation of multiple screws could promote the recovery of femoral head and neck, which exhibits promising prospects in treatment of femoral neck fracture in young people.