Objective: To develop an expeditious method for the simultaneous determination of main active compounds in Fufang Ejiao Syrup (FES, compound Ejiao oral liquid) by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in transflective mode. Methods: The contents of total flavonoids and total saponins were determined by colorimetric assays, while the soluble solid content was determined using a moisture analyzer as reference value. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was employed for the calibration of regression models between NIRS and the indexes. Results: The correlation coefficients (R2) of the constructed models for total flavonoids, total saponins, and soluble solid content were 0.9798, 0.9660, and 0.9978, respectively, and the root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP) were 69.6, 17.6 μg/mL, and 0.394%, respectively. Conclusion: The proposed method is fast and accurate, and facilitating the rapid analysis of main active components in FES.

Cardiomyopathies ; complications ; Diverticulum ; complications ; Hematoma ; complications ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

Hide melting presents itself as one of the most critical processes in the production of donkey-hide gelatin. Here a NIR-based method was established for the rapid analysis of in-process hide melting solutions as well as for end-point determination of this process. Near infrared (NIR) spectra of hide melting solutions were collected in transflective mode. With the contents of total nitrogen determined by the Kjeldahl method as reference values, partial least squares regression (PLSR) was employed to build calibration models between NIR spectra and total nitrogen. Model parameters including wavelength range and PLS factors were optimized to achieve best model performance. Based on the contents of total nitrogen predicted by calibration model, end point of hide melting was determined. The constructed PLS model gave a high correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.991 3 and a root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of 0.807 g x L(-1). With the predicted total nitrogen and predefined limit, decisions concerning the proper times of melting were made. This research demonstrated that NIR transflectance spectroscopy could be used to expeditiously determine the contents of total nitrogen which was subsequently chosen as the indictor for determining the end-point of hide melting. The proposed procedure may help avoid unnecessary raw material or energy consumption.
Animals ; Calibration ; Endpoint Determination ; methods ; Equidae ; anatomy & histology ; Gelatin ; chemistry ; Least-Squares Analysis ; Nitrogen ; analysis ; chemistry ; Skin ; chemistry ; Spectrophotometry, Infrared ; Time Factors ; Transition Temperature

Cholesteatoma ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Humans ; Petrous Bone ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo research and appraise the method and long-term effects of trigeminal neuralgia by the operation of retrogasserian combing.

METHODSFrom 1994 to 2000, fifty cases of trigeminal neuralgia were treated through posterior fossa microsurgery, 30 of which received both microvascular decompression and retrogasserian combing while 20 only by retrogasserian combing.

RESULTSOf the 50 cases, forty of trigeminal nerves were found to be compressed by arteries, while 28 of them were the superior cerebellar artery, and 12 the anterior inferior cerebellar artery. All the cases were cured through the operations. Fifty patients were followed up for 4 to 8 years, and then 2 recurrent patients were found and other 48 patients had no recurrence. Nine out of fifty patients have facial insensitivity, others facial sense perceptions are right.

CONCLUSIONSThe effect of the operation of retrogasserian combing is sure. This operation was applicable to any case of trigeminal neuralgia, especially to the cases that no vascular compression was found in the operations.

Adult ; Aged ; Decompression, Surgical ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neurosurgical Procedures ; methods ; Treatment Outcome ; Trigeminal Nerve ; surgery ; Trigeminal Neuralgia ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo report the serious complications of microvascular decompression and (or) selective neurectomy in cerebellopontine angle.

METHODSTo review 322 cases of microvascular decompression and (or) facial nerve splitting, selective neurectomy for hemifacial spasm, trigeminal neuralgia and glossopharyngeal neuralgia respectively. Among 322 cases, hemifacial spasm 164, which 96 underwent facial nerve splitting, 68 underwent microvascular decompression and facial nerve splitting. The selective neurectomy and neurectomy were performed in 128 cases of trigeminal neuralgia and 30 cases for glossopharyngeal neuralgia respectively.

RESULTSOf the serious complications 2 died (0.6%), The mild to severe hearing impairment occurred in 21 cases (6.5%), in which 3 cases presented total hearing loss (0. 9%); Postoperative cerebellospinal leakage in 20 (6. 2%).

CONCLUSIONSIt was demonstrated that, even though the microvascular decompression and /or neurectomy was a safe procedure for posterior neuropathy, mortal and serious complications might occur. It was essential to pay great attention to the entire decompression procedure in avoiding cerebellar injury. Using of intraoperative ABR and avoiding of impairment of the acoustic nerve might contribute to the prevention of the postoperative hearing loss.

Adult ; Aged ; Cerebellopontine Angle ; surgery ; Decompression, Surgical ; adverse effects ; Female ; Hearing Loss ; etiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neurosurgical Procedures ; adverse effects ; Postoperative Complications

OBJECTIVETo investigate the short-term efficacy and safety of triple semicircular canal occlusion (TSCO) in the treatment of intractable Meniere's disease (MD), so as to provide an alternative surgical procedure for treating MD.

METHODSSeventeen patients, who had received standardized conservative treatment for at least one year with poor effect, underwent TSCO were retrospectively analyzed. Vertigo control and auditory function were evaluated. Pure tone audiometry, caloric test, and vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) were performed for evaluation of audiological and vestibular function. Postoperative follow-up period was 6 - 13 months, with an average of ten months.

RESULTSAccording to the preoperative staging of hearing, among the 17 patients, there were 2 cases in stage II (with an average hearing threshold of 25 - 40 dBHL) and 15 in stage III (41 - 70 dBHL). No vertigo was found during the follow-up period, with 100% control rate of vertigo. During the same period, we had performed endolymphatic sac decompression operation in 25 MD patients. The control rate of vertigo was 72.0%. The vertigo control rate of TSCO was significantly higher than that of endolymphatic sac decompression operation (χ(2) = 3.87, P < 0.05). Three months after surgery, 12 patients showed no significant change in comparison to primary status, 5 patients presented with an mild increase in the average hearing threshold of less than 20 dBHL, with 29.4% of hearing loss rate. Post-operatively, all patients suffered from temporary vertigo and balance disorders. Vertigo was disappeared in all patients within 3 days, while, balance disorders were disappeared in 10 patients within 1 - 2 weeks after surgery, and in another 7 patients within 2 months, with an average recovery time of 12.6 days. Three months after treatment, loss of semicircular canal function by caloric test was found in the operation side of all patients and no change in VEMP test was noted. All patients had no facial paralysis, cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and other complications.

CONCLUSIONSTSCO, which can reduce vertiginous symptoms in patients with intractable MD, represents an effective and safe therapy for this disorder. TSCO is expected to be used as an alternative procedure for the treatment of MD in selected patients suffering from moderate to severe hearing loss.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Meniere Disease ; surgery ; Middle Aged ; Otologic Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Retrospective Studies ; Semicircular Canals ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo establish an animal model of Bell's palsy induced by the reactivation of latent herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), and observe the effect of interferon and IgG on the facial nerve paralysis induced by HSV-1 infection. METHODS Totally 64 four-week-old female Balb/c mice weighted 16-18 gram were selected. Using scratching the surface of bilateral auricles by a 26-gauge needle, 25 microl HSV-1 with a titer of 6.7 x 10(8) PFU/ml was inoculated into the left auricle and the same volume of PBS was placed in the right in order to develop a mouse model of latent HSV-1. In this study, interferon and IgG administration were performed before and after facial nerve paralysis and continued for 3 days. Controls were given normal sodium instead of interferon and IgG, and the incidence and duration of facial nerve paralysis were compared in the groups interferon and IgG and control. Ciclosporin was given to the mice eight weeks after recovery from facial nerve paralysis caused by inoculation with HSV-1. The HSV-1 DNA in bilateral facial nerve and bilateral trigeminal ganglion after the treatment were examined with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. RESULTS There were 10 mice of facial nerve paralysis in the first group. The incidence of facial nerve paralysis was 50% and the duration of facial nerve paralysis was (7.2 +/- 2.2) days. There were 6 mice of facial nerve paralysis in the second group. The incidence of facial nerve paralysis was 30% and the duration of facial nerve paralysis was (4.5 +/- 1.8) days. There were 16 mice of facial nerve paralysis in the control group. The incidence of facial nerve paralysis was 67% and the duration of facial nerve paralysis was (8.9 +/-2.6) days. IgG didn't reduce the incidence and duration of facial nerve paralysis by statistics analysis (P > 0.05), but interferon reduced the incidence and duration of facial nerve paralysis (P < 0.05). After administration of ciclosporin, 3/28 of mice developed facial nerve paralysis. The HSV-1 DNA was detected from facial nerve of all the mice of facial palsy. No facial palsy was observed in mice in which no HSV-1 DNA was detected from facial nerve.

CONCLUSIONSFacial nerve paralysis might be caused by reactivation of latent HSV-1, and the reactivation might be related with immunosuppression. Administration of interferon reduces the incidence and duration of facial nerve paralysis. Administration of IgG can't reduced the incidence and duration of facial nerve paralysis.

Animals ; DNA, Viral ; isolation & purification ; Disease Models, Animal ; Facial Paralysis ; etiology ; prevention & control ; virology ; Female ; Herpes Simplex ; complications ; pathology ; Herpesvirus 1, Human ; pathogenicity ; Immunoglobulin G ; therapeutic use ; Interferons ; therapeutic use ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Recurrence

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of telomerase in various lesions of adrenal cortex.

METHODSBy autoradiography-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol, telomerase expression was detected in 36 samples of adrenocortical lesions, including 29 cases adrenocortical adenoma (8 Cushing's syndrome, 17 aldosteronism and 4 nonfunctional adenomas), 5 cases of hyperplasia of adrenal cortex (presented with Chushing' syndrome), 2 cases adrenocortical carcinoma, and 4 samples of normal adrenal cortex.

RESULTSOf the 40 samples, 2 cases of adrenocortical carcinomas had telomerase expression, and the others had no telomerase expression detected.

CONCLUSIONSNo significant telomerase expression was found among different endocrine functional benign adrenocortical lesions. Telomerase expression may be used as an important marker of malignant adrenocortical tumor.

Adrenal Cortex ; enzymology ; Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms ; enzymology ; Adrenocortical Adenoma ; enzymology ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; analysis ; Cushing Syndrome ; enzymology ; Humans ; Telomerase ; analysis ; biosynthesis ; genetics

The Notch signaling pathway has been implicated in the regulation of cell-fate decisions such as differentiation of embryo stem cells and neural stem cells into neurons. We cultured human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) in vitro and induced hMSCs to differentiate into neural cells by beta-mercaptoethanol (beta-ME), DMSO and 3-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA). Immunocytochemistry was utilized to detect neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and Nissl body, and flow cytometry was used to determine cell growth phases. The expressions of signal molecules involved in the Notch pathway such as Notch1, Jagged 1 (JAG1), presenilin 1 (PS1) and hairy and enhancer of split 1(HES1) were observed by RT-PCR and immunofluorescent techniques. The results were as follows: (1) Before induction, the percentage of hMSCs at G(0)/G(1) was 58.5%, and the percentage at S+G(2)/M was 41.5%. After induction, the percentage of hMSCs at G(0)/G(1) increased to 73.1%, 76.2% and 78.1%, respectively on days 2, 4 and 6, and the percentage at S+G(2)/M decreased to 26.8%, 24.8% and 21.9%, respectively; The percentage of NSE-positive cells reached (77+/-0.35) %; Nisslos staining was positive in cytoplasm. (2) Notch1 and JAG1 were both expressed in hMSCs before and after induction, but the mRNA expressions of both Notch1 and JAG1, detected by RT-PCR, decreased obviously after induction(P<0.05). Notch1 mRNA/beta-actin was 1.157, 0.815, 0.756 and 0.570, and JAG1 mRNA/beta-actin was 0.437, 0.350, 0.314 and 0.362, respectively, on days 0, 2, 4 and 6 after induction. The Notch pathway activation participant PS1 mRNA and Notch pathway target gene HES1 mRNA also decreased apparently after induction (P<0.05), and their mRNA/beta-actin was 0.990, 0.449, 0.441, 0.454 and 0.370, 0.256, 0.266, 0.240 on days 0, 2, 4 and 6, respectively. These observations indicate that the expressions of Notch signal molecules were suppressed when hMSCs were induced to differentiate into neural cells. Based on these findings, we propose that low level of Notch signaling activation may contribute to neural cell differentiation.
Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors ; genetics ; Calcium-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Differentiation ; Flow Cytometry ; Homeodomain Proteins ; genetics ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; genetics ; Jagged-1 Protein ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Neurons ; cytology ; Receptor, Notch1 ; genetics ; Receptors, Notch ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Serrate-Jagged Proteins ; Signal Transduction ; Transcription Factor HES-1