Astragalus polysaccharides was lounded to 4-(2-aminoethylphenol), followed by labeling the APS-Tyr with fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate (FITC) at the secondary amino group. The absorption enhancement effects of low molecular weight chitosan and protamine on astragalus polysaccharides were evaluated via Caco-2 cell culture model. The results show that the fluorecent labeling compound has good stability and high sensitivity. On the other hand low molecular weight chitosan and protamine also can promoted absorption of the astragalus polysaccharides without any cytotoxity, and the absorption increase was more significant with increasing the amount of low molecular weight chitosan and protamine. At the same time, the low molecular weight chitosan has slightly better effect. The transepithelial electric resistance (TEER) of Caco-2 cells show that absorption enhancers could improve its membrane transport permeability by opening tight junctions between cells and increasing the cell membrane fluidity.
Absorption ; Astragalus Plant ; chemistry ; Biological Transport ; Caco-2 Cells ; Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate ; chemistry ; Fluorescent Dyes ; chemistry ; Humans ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Polysaccharides ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics

OBJECTIVETo introduce an arthroscopic technique in managing recurrent dislocation of the patella and its clinical results.

METHODSSixteen patients with recurrent patellar dislocation were reviewed, including 3 males and 13 females. The average age was 17.6 years old (ranged from 14 to 32 years). The patients suffering from patellar sub-luxation averaged 18.5 months (ranged from 6 to 23 months)before operation. These patients were treated with lateral patellar retinacular release outside the synovial bursa of knee joint and medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction using the semitendinosus tendon free autograft. The Lyshohm scores before and after operation were used to evaluate outcomes at the final follow-up.

RESULTSAll the patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 6 to 48 months, with an average of 12 months. There was no recurrence. The Q angle decreased from (16.4 ± 3.7)° to (10.1 ± 1.4)°; insall index decreased from 1.37 ± 0.25 to 1.28 ± 0.23; congruence angle decreased from (21.3 ± 2.6)° to (5.86 ± 2.23)°; Lysholm score improved from 76.1 ± 5.2 to 89.8 ± 4.1 at 6 months after operation.

CONCLUSIONCompared with conventional procedure, arthroscopic surgery for recurrent dislocation of the patella achieves excellent outcomes with minimum invasion.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Arthroscopy ; Bursa, Synovial ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; surgery ; Male ; Patellar Dislocation ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Patellar Ligament ; surgery ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo compare the efficacy and safety of segmental pulmonary vein isolation (SPVI) and circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (CPVI) guided by EnSite NavX system in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

METHODSEighty-five patients with paroxysmal AF and persistent AF were enrolled in this study. Forty patients (30 with paroxysmal AF and 10 with persistent AF) underwent SPVI procedure, and 45 (31 with paroxysmal AF and 14 with persistent AF) underwent CPVA guided by EnSite NavX three-dimensional electrophysiological mapping system. All the patients were followed up for over six months.

RESULTSThe success rate was 65% in the SPVI group and 84.4% in the CPVI group (P=0.0332), with incidence of major complications of 17.5% and 6.7%, respectively (P=0.0845). In the SPVI group, 12.5% patients had pulmonary vein stenosis after the operation, which occurred in none of the patients in the CPVI group (P=0.0312). The total procedure time was 200.4+/-37.0 min in the SPVI group, significantly shorter than that in the CPVI group (226.5+/-26.1 min, P=0.002). The fluoroscopy time in the SPVI group was obviously longer than that in the CPVI group (54.7+/-9.7 vs 27.1+/-3.1 min, P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONSCPVI guided by EnSite NavX system is more effective than SPVI for treatment of atrial fibrillation with significantly shortened fluoroscopy time but prolonged procedure time. The two procedures results in comparable incidences of major complications, but CPVI is associated with reduced rate of pulmonary vein stenosis in comparison with SPVI.

Aged ; Atrial Fibrillation ; surgery ; Catheter Ablation ; adverse effects ; methods ; Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac ; methods ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Veins ; physiopathology ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo investigate the efficacy and safety of circumferential pulmonary vein ostial isolation guided by EnSite NavX three-dimensional electrophysiological mapping in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

METHODSThirty-eight patients with drug refractory paroxysmal or persistent AF underwent circumferential pulmonary vein ostial isolation and were followed up to investigate the efficacy and safety of the treatment.

RESULTSAll cases reached the endpoint of the ablation, and both sides of the pulmonary vein were completely isolated, with an average procedure time of 200.4-/+37.0 min, X-ray exposure time of 54.7-/+9.7 min, and three-dimensional left atrial geometry reconstruction time of 27.5-/+7.5 min. During the follow-up for 9-/+3 months, the success rate of initial ablation was 89.5%, and the incidence of procedure-related complications were 7.9%.

CONCLUSIONSCircumferential pulmonary vein ostial isolation guided by EnSite NavX three-dimensional electrophysiological mapping can be effective and safe for AF treatment.

Adult ; Aged ; Atrial Fibrillation ; surgery ; Catheter Ablation ; methods ; Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Veins ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of multiglycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii (GTW) on sperm apoptosis in male rats and its possible mechanisms.

METHODSSixteen male SD rats were equally assigned to two groups to receive GTW and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) intragastrically, both at 20 mg/(kg x d) for 6 weeks. Then the epididymal sperm was collected for the measurement of the apoptosis rate, sperm membrane lipid fluidity and the contents of NO, MDA and SOD by flow cytometry and spectrophotometric determination.

RESULTSAfter 6 weeks of medication, the GTW group showed a significant increase in sperm apoptosis and contents of NO and MDA (P < 0.01) and a remarkable decrease in sperm membrane lipid fluidity (P < 0.05) and SOD content (P < 0.01) as compared with the CMC control group.

CONCLUSIONGTW can damage sperm membrane lipid peroxidation and sperm membrane structure, increase sperm apoptosis, and reduce sperm membrane lipid fluidity.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Membrane ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Glycosides ; pharmacology ; Lipid Peroxidation ; drug effects ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; analysis ; Membrane Fluidity ; drug effects ; Nitric Oxide ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spermatozoa ; drug effects ; Superoxide Dismutase ; analysis ; Tripterygium ; chemistry

In this study, the biopharmaceutical properties of 20 (S)-protopanaxadiol (PPD) were studied. Firstly, the equilibrium solubility and apparent oil/water partition coefficient of PPD were used to predict the absorption in vivo. Meanwhile the membrane permeability and absorption window were studied by Caco-2 cell model and single-pass intestinal perfusion model. Furthermore, the bioavailability and metabolism were combined to study the absorption properties and metabolic properties in vivo. All of them were used to provide theoretical and practical foundation for designing PPD preparation. The results showed that PPD is poorly water-soluble, and the equilibrium solubility in water is only 35.24 mg x L(-1). The oil-water partition coefficient is 46.21 (logP = 1.66). By Caco-2 cell model, the results showed PPD uptake in general, and it also has efflux. By in situ intestinal perfusion model, the results showed that the absorption of PPD in the intestine is good, and the effective permeability coefficient were duodenum > jejunum > ileum > colon. The oral bioavailability of PPD was 29.39%. It was not well. Metabolic studies showed PPD in vivo presented a wide spread metabolism. So the main factors that restricted oral bioavailability of PPD were the poor solubility and first-pass effect.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Area Under Curve ; Biological Availability ; Caco-2 Cells ; Humans ; Intestinal Absorption ; Male ; Permeability ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sapogenins ; administration & dosage ; blood ; chemistry ; metabolism ; pharmacokinetics ; Solubility ; Tissue Distribution

OBJECTIVETo assess the value of routine intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) support in patients with high-risk acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODSThe clinical data of 41 patients with high-risk AMI undergoing emergency PCI with routine IABP support were retrospectively reviewed, and 38 patients paired with the former group receiving emergency PCI for high-risk AMI without IABP support at the same time were included as the control group. Thirty days after the operation, the two groups were compared for myocardial ischemic events, left ventricular function and major adverse cardiac events (MACE).

RESULTSPatients receiving IABP support had a significantly lower incidence of myocardial ischemic events than those without IABP (4.9% vs 15.8%, P<0.05), and showed greater improvement in the left ventricular function. Significant differences were also observed in the mortality rate, incidence of reinfarction and revascularization rate between the two groups, but not in the rate of MACE.

CONCLUSIONPatients undergoing PCI for high-risk acute AMI can benefit from routine IABP support in terms of improvement of left ventricular function and reduce myocardial ischemic events and the rate of MACE. These results, however, still await further confirmation by large-scale clinical trials.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumping ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction ; mortality ; therapy ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Ventricular Function, Left

OBJECTIVETo investigate sperm DNA integrity in male infertility patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

METHODSThis study included 90 infertile men with HBV infection (group A), 82 infertile men without HBV infection (group B) and 70 normal fertile men (group C). We detected sperm DNA integrity among the subjects, including DNA fragmentation index (DFI) and high DNA stainability (HDS), by sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA), and compared them among the three groups.

RESULTSDFI was higher in group A ([28.17 +/- 13.06]%) than in B ([26.64 +/- 9.79]%) and C ([15.67 +/- 4.73]%), significantly higher in A and B than in C (P < 0.05) but with no significant difference between A and B (P > 0.05). HDS was higher in group A ([10.83 +/- 5.601]%) than in B ([9.04 +/- 3.48]%) and C ([8.04-2.25]%), with significant difference between A and C (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSperm DNA integrity of infertile males is significantly different from that of normal fertile men, and infertility with HBV infection further impairs sperm DNA, which is manifested by abnormal sperm nuclear maturity.

Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Chromatin ; DNA ; genetics ; DNA Damage ; Hepatitis B ; pathology ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; genetics ; virology ; Male ; Sperm Count ; Spermatozoa ; pathology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo assess the value of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in the diagnosis of bladder cancer.

METHODSUrine samples from 100 patients suspected of having bladder cancer were collected before cystoscopy for immediate urine cytology and FISH analysis. The criteria for FISH abnormality were determined by evaluating the urine specimens from 20 subjects without urogenital neoplasm.

RESULTSThe overall sensitivity of cytology and FISH was 43.2% and 82.4%, and their specificity was 92.3% and 88.5%, with diagnostic concordance rate of 56.0% and 84.0%, respectively. The differences between FISH and cytology showed statistical significance in the sensitivity, diagnostic concordance rate, non-muscle-invasive cancer and primary cancer.

CONCLUSIONThe sensitivity and efficiency of FISH in the detection of bladder cancer are superior to those of cytology, especially for prophase cancer.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell ; diagnosis ; Cytodiagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Urine ; cytology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo introduce a compound external ear framework characterized by few complications, simplicity and very low rate of implant exposure or absorption.

METHODSA compound auricular framework, being composed of the ninth autogenous costal cartilage as ear rim and Medpor ear base, was used in one-stage total ear reconstruction. All patients were followed up postoperatively.

RESULTSNine cases have been performed clinically using this compound framework and all of them achieved satisfactory efficacies. The reforged ears looked natural and achieved superior cosmesis, and none of them experienced ear rim fracture or implant exposure or distortion.

CONCLUSIONThis compound auricular framework has advantages of practicability, simplicity and minimal complications. It may be an ideal framework for the reconstruction of total external ear at present.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Biocompatible Materials ; Bone Transplantation ; methods ; Cartilage ; transplantation ; Child ; Ear, External ; abnormalities ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Polyethylenes ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Transplantation, Autologous