Objective: To search for a safe approach for transsphenoidal endoscopic pituitary surgery, so as to avoid injury of intercavernous sinuses during the operation. Methods: The anterior intercavernous sinus, posterior intercavernous sinus, inferior intercavernous sinus, basilar sinus, and dorsum sella sinus of 20 Chinese adult cadavers were surgically observed; and the relevant data were obtained and analyzed. Results: The existence rates of anterior intercavernous sinuses, posterior intercavernous sinuses, inferior intercavernous sinuses, basilar sinuses, dorsum sella sinuses were 95%(19), 75%(15), 10%(2), 100% (20) and 30%(6), respectively; their anteroposterior diameters were (2.08±0.90) mm, (5.14±2.54) mm, (1.30±0.40) mm, (2.26±1.02) mm, and(2.01 ± 0.80) mm, respectively; and their supra-inferior diameters were (2.74 ± 0.96) mm, (1.10±0.74) mm, (1.48±0.29) mm, (15.67±4.54) mm, and (3.35±1.93) mm, respectively. The distance between inferior edge of anterior intercavernous sinus and the anterior edge of posterior intercavernous sinus was (5.78±1.89) mm. Conclusion: The intercavernous sinus should be avoided to expose the pituitary after opening the antapex of sella trucica during transsphenoidal endoscopic pituitary surgery. When the intercavernous sinus can not be avoided, reasonable incision and hemostatic method should be selected before operation to prevent severe bleeding.

Objective: To provide anatomic data for accurately localizing aperture of sphenoidal sinus without injurying sphenopalatine arteries in endoscopic transsphenoidal sella surgery. Methods: The anterior walls of spheroid sinus were observed and measured (layout, position, external diameter, distances to other structures of interest) with a vernier caliper and an angle gauge on 15 adult cadavers. Results: The distances from the root of columella nasi to the inforior pole of sphenoidal sinus aperture and the sphenopalatine foramen were (60.40 ± 3.21, 58.10-72.76) mm and (62.14 ± 1.93, 59.50-73.40) mm, respectively. The distance from the inferior pole sphenoidal sinus aperture to the sphenopalatine foramen was (12.20 ± 1.10, 8.10-16.35) mm. The diameter of the sphenopalatine artery was (1.99 ± 0.13, 1.50-2.80) mm. The distances from the inferior pole of sphenoidal sinus aperture to the superior and inferior posterior artery of nasal septum were (3.49 ± 0.24, 2.78-5.20) mm and (6.42 ± 1.08, 4.30-8.50) mm, respectively. Conclusion: Aperture of sphenoidal sinus is an important marker in endosopic transsphenoidal sella surgery. The anterior wall of sphenoid sinus should be opened from the inforior pole of sphenoidal sinus aperture to avoid injurying sphenopalatine artery.

Objective: To provide anatomic data for accurately locating the important structures of sellar area and preventing injury during endoscopic extended transsphenoidal approach to the sellar area. Methods: The extended transsphenoidal approach was employed in twenty cadavers via endoscope, and the posterior wall of sphenoid sinus was divided into different parts for localizing sella turcica, carotid protuberance and optic canal. Important structures were observed and measured under microscope. Results: The posterior wall of sphenoid sinus was divided into five parts according to the four lines along the two sides of the two carotid protuberances. The depths of the sella turcica in the tuberculum sellae, anterior wall of sella turcica and sellar floor were (2.20±0.19 [0.63-6.90]) mm, (0.71±0.06 [0.36-2.78]) mm, and (0.94±0.18 [0.23-2.81]) mm, respectively. The transverse diameter, sagittal diameter and coronal diameter of pituitary gland were (14.72±1.07 [10.92-18.38]) mm, (10.13±0.92[9.37-12.51]) mm and (5.13±0.74 (2.37-7.91]) mm, respectively. Conclusion: The five parts of the posterior wall of sphenoid sinus in this study can facilitate the localization of important structures in the sellar area during the extended transsphenoidal approach to sellar area via endoscope, so as to prevent iatrogenic injury of vital structures in the sellar area.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Fistula ; surgery ; Humans ; Hyoid Bone ; surgery ; Infection ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Thyroglossal Cyst ; surgery ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore clinical features the adverse reactions of Tanshinone II(A) Sodium Sulfonate Injection (T II(A) SSI) and their reasons, thus providing reference for rational medication.

METHODSThe literatures on adverse reactions and incompatibilities of T II(A) SSI were retrieved (domestic medical journals from January 2000 to December 2011) and statistically analyzed.

RESULTSIn the 18 cases of adverse drug reaction (ADR), the clinical manifestations of T II(A) SSI induced adverse reactions were various, involving reactions of appendages and the neuromuscular system (each accounting for 50%). The elderly and women were mainly involved. Many organs and systems were involved. There existed more incompatibilities.

CONCLUSIONThe medical workers should pay special attention to T II(A) SSI induced adverse reactions, thus avoiding recurrence of ADR, evading risks, and ensuring safe and rational medication.

Adult ; Aged ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; Female ; Humans ; Injections ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phenanthrenes ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects

To study the effect of steaming and baking process on contents of alkaloids in Aconite Lateralis Radix (Fuzi), 13 alkaloids were analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS equipped with ESI ion source in MRM mode. In steaming process, the contents of diester-diterpenoid alkaloids decreased rapidly, the contents of monoester-diterpenoid alkaloids firstly increased, reached the peak at 40 min, and then deceased gradually. The contents of aconine alkaloids (mesaconine, aconine and hypaconine) increased all the time during processing, while the contents of fuziline, songorine, karacoline, salsolionl were stable or slightly decreased. In baking process, dynamic variations of alkaloids were different from that in the steaming process. Diester-diterpenoid alkaloids were degraded slightly slower than in steaming process. Monoester-diterpenoid alkaloids, aconine alkaloids and the total alkaloids had been destroyed at different degrees, their contents were significantly lower than the ones in steaming Fuzi at the same processing time. This experiment revealed the dynamic variations of alkaloids in the course of steaming and baking. Two processing methods which can both effectively remove the toxic ingredients and retain the active ingredients are simple and controllable, and are valuable for popularization and application.
Aconitine ; analogs & derivatives ; isolation & purification ; Aconitum ; chemistry ; Alkaloids ; isolation & purification ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drug Stability ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; Hot Temperature ; Plant Extracts ; isolation & purification ; Steam ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Time Factors

To evaluate the immunogenicity of inactivated SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV), three groups of rabbits were immunized three times at 2-week intervals with inactivated vaccine + adjuvant, adjuvant,and normal saline respectively. Eight batchs of serum were sampled from the auricular vein at day 7 to day 51, and specific IgG antibody titers and neutralizing antibody titers were detected by indirect ELISA and micro-cytopathic effect neutralizing test. Antibody specificity was identified by proteinchip assay.Histopathological changes were detected by H&E staining. The results showed that, rabbits in the experimental group immunized with inactivated SARS-CoV all generated specific IgG antibodies with neutralizing activity, which suggested the inactivated SARS-CoV could preserve its antigenicity well and elicit an effective humoral immune responses. The peak titer value of specific IgG antibody and neutralizing antibody reached 1:40960 and 1:2560 respectively. In the experimental group, no obvious histopathological changes was detected in the H&E stained slides of heart, spleen, kidney and testis samples, but the livers had slight histopathological changes, and the lungs presented remarkable histopathological changes. These findings are of importance for SARS-CoV inactivated vaccine development.

With reverse transcriptase PCR, the transcripton of copper homeostasis relative gene Afe0329 in Acidithiobacillus ferrooxians standard strain ATCC23270 was investigated. The further analysis of genes in this transcripton was analyzed employed by Vector NTI, Blast, TMHMM Server, PSORTb software and so on. From the DNA of different strains, the transcripton of Afe0329 was amplified using special primer pairs to identify the universality of it in the genome of A.ferrooxidans strains. The results showed that gene Afe0330 and Afe0331 were cotranscribed with Afe0329, and they were in a single transcripton. Gene Afe0329 was supported to express a P1b3-type ATPase which is a heavy metal ion pumping transmembrane protein, protein AFE0330 which expressed by gene Afe0330 was a cytoplasmic protein, no significant ho- mologous sequences of Afe0330 or Afe0331 had been obtained by Blast analysis. And the transcripton of Afe0329 was universal in genome of A. ferrooxidans strains.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of different therapeutic methods and the recipes of Chinese medicine (CM) on the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in Kupffer cells of rats with fatty liver disease and to explore the mechanisms of these therapeutic methods.

METHODSBy using a random number table, 98 rats were randomly divided into 7 groups: control group, model group, and 5 treatment groups, including soothing Liver (Gan) recipe group, invigorating Spleen (Pi) recipe group, dispelling dampness recipe group, promoting blood recipe group, and complex recipe group. Rats in the control group were fed with normal food and distilled water by gastric perfusion, while rats in the model group were fed with high-fat food and distilled spirits by gastric perfusion. Rats in the 5 treatment groups were fed with high-fat food and corresponding recipes by gastric perfusion. Twelve weeks later, all rats were sacrificed and liver tissues were stained for pathohistological observation. Kupffer cells were isolated from livers of rats to evaluate JNK and phospho-JNK expressions by Western blotting.

RESULTSThe grade of hepatic steatosis was higher in the model group than the control group (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the grade of fatty degeneration in soothing Liver recipe group and invigorating Spleen recipe group were significantly ameliorated (P<0.05). Expressions of JNK and phospho-JNK in Kupffer cells were significantly higher in the model group than those in the control group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the model group, expressions of JNK in all treatment groups decreased, especially in invigorating Spleen recipe group and promoting blood recipe group (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, expressions of phospho-JNK in all treatment groups declined significantly (P<0.01), especially in soothing Live recipe group and invigorating Spleen recipe group.

CONCLUSIONSThe high expressions of JNK and phospho-JNK in Kupffer cells might play an important role in the pathogenesis of fatty liver disease in rats. The recipes of CM, especially invigorating Spleen recipe and soothing Liver recipe, might protect liver against injury by reducing the total JNK protein content and inhibiting the activation of JNK protein in Kupffer cells of fatty liver model rats, which showed beneficial effects on fatty liver disease.

Animals ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Enzyme Activation ; drug effects ; Fatty Liver ; enzymology ; pathology ; therapy ; Hepatocytes ; drug effects ; enzymology ; pathology ; JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism ; Kupffer Cells ; drug effects ; enzymology ; pathology ; Liver ; drug effects ; enzymology ; pathology ; Phosphorylation ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo verify the clinical efficacy of acupuncture combined with auricle cutting method for treatment of blood stasis-type psoriasis.

METHODSFifty-six cases of blood stasis-type psoriasis were randomly divided into a combined therapy group, a auricle cutting group, an acupuncture group and a control group, 14 cases in each one. Based on regular treatment of TCM decoction in four groups, the combined therapy group was treated with acupuncture and auricle cutting method, and the auricle cutting group was treated with sham-acupuncture and auricle cutting, and the acupuncture group was treated with acupuncture and sham auricle cutting, and the control group was treated with sham-acupuncture and sham auricle cutting. The acupuncture was applied at Dazhui (GV 14), Feishu (BL 13), Ganshu (BL 18) and Geshu (BL 17), etc., and manipulated with routine technique; in the sham acupuncture, the needle was inserted into dermis layer so that the needles could be swung without being dropped out. In the auricle cutting, erbeixin (P1) of unilateral auricle was selected and cut by Chan needle to perform bloodletting; in the sham auricle cutting, the neighborhood approximately 0.5 cm next to erbeixin (P) of auricle was selected as cutting area. The treatment was given once a day, seven days as a treatment session for totally two sessions. Psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) before and after treatment was observed and efficacy of each group was compared.

RESULTSThe effective rate was 57.1% (8/14) in the combined therapy group, which was superior to 14.3% (2/14) in the auricle cutting group, 7.1% (1/14) in the acupuncture group and 0.0% (0/14) in the control group (all P < 0.05). The scores of PASI were all decreased in each group after the treatment (all P < 0.05), which was the most significant in the combined therapy group (all P < 0.05). After factorial analysis, the main effect was P < 0.05 in the auricle cutting, P < 0.05 in the acupuncture and P < 0.05 in interaction effect of combined therapy.

CONCLUSIONThe scores of PASI of blood stasis-type psoriasis could be effectively reduced by acupuncture, auricle cutting method and TCM decoction, among which the interaction effect of auricle cutting and acupuncture combined with TCM decoction is the most significant.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Bloodletting ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Ear ; blood supply ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Psoriasis ; blood ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult