Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of methotrexate(MTX)on the hip involve ment in patients with ankylosing spondylitis(AS).Methods Among the AS patients with hip joint involvement admitted to the department from 1999—2002,50 patients were treated with sulfasalazine(SSZ)(control group, CG)and 48 MTX(observation group,OG).One kind of NSAIDs was taken by the patients in both groups as the basic therapy.The treatment was maintained in both groups after being discharged.Patients were followed-up for three years.The observation parameters included symptoms,signs,Bath AS disease activity index(BASDAI), Bath AS functional index(BASFI),hip joint function score,the CT staging of hip joint involvement,serum in- flammation markers,laboratory tests and side effects.The data were analyzed with SPSS10.0 statistics software. Results At the 1st,2nd and 3rd year,44,38 and 32 cases in the OG and 45,38 and 31 cases in the CG were followed up respectively.During the three-year follow-up period,the hip joint function score of the OG was significantly higher than that of the CG(P

OBJECTIVE: To establish an RP-HPLC method for determination of the contents of eplerenone and its related substances. METHODS: A RP-HPLC method was developed by using a C18 column (Agilent Poroshell, 4.6 mm×100 mm, 2.7 μm), the mobile phase consisted of H2O-CH3CN-MeOH (64:18:18), the flow rate was 1.0 mL·min-1, and the detection wavelength was set at 240 nm. The diluent was H2O-CH3CN-MeOH (50:25:25). RESULTS: Eplerenone was well separated from the impurities. For the determination of related substances, the LODs of eplerenone, its intermediate (III and IV) and related substances (A-E) were 0.03, 0.13, 0.25, 0.05, 0.05, 0.26, 0.07 and 0.12 ng, and the LOQs were 0.12, 0.42, 0.84, 0.18, 0.18, 0.86, 0.22 and 0.41 ng, respectively. The calibration curves of eplerenone and related substances (A-E) had good linear relationship within 0.13-1.53, 0.25-3.03, 0.25-2.99, 0.13-1.61, 0.14-1.63, and 0.13-1.54 μg·mL-1 (r=0.9999, n=1), and the correction factors of the related substances (A-E) were all in the range of 0.90-1.10. The average recoveries of the related substances (A-E) were all within 95.0%-105.0% (n=9). For the content determination of eplerenone, the validation test showed good linearity over the range of 12.60-75.63 μg·mL-1 (r=0.999 6, n=6) with good repeatability (RSD=0.19%, n=6). CONCLUSION: The developed method proves to be simple, accurate, specific and reliable. It can be applied to the determination of eplerenone and its related substances.

Objective To explore the relationship between the expression of EIIIA + fibronectin in incised wound of rat’s skin and injury time. Methods The wounding model was established by cutting the dor-salskin of 48 adult SD rats. The rats were sacrificed atthe pre-setinjury time as immediately, 0. 5h, 1h, 2 h, 3 h, 4 h, 6 h, and 8 h. The skin sam ples were taken at the m argin of wound. The expression of the EIIIA + fibronectin was detected by im m unohistochem istry and W estern blotting and the relationship be-tween its expression and injury time was observed. Results The expression of EIIIA + fibronectin was not observed im m ediately. The basal cell of skin began to showpositive expression 0. 5 h after injury. W ith the extension of injury time, positive staining became stronger. The value of relative optical density was gradually increased with prolonged injury time by the W estern blotting analysis. Conclusion The expres-sion of EIIIA + fibronectin could be used for estimation of injury time in the early stage of skin injury.

Based on the structure and function of acupoint and in association of the definition and principle of sensor, the acupoint is the sensitive element, being sensitive to the physical stimulation with acupuncture and moxibustion and sensitively responded to the disorders; the acupoint is the sensing element, transforming the changes of the acupoint information via the complicated internet conduction, integration and regulation, so as to generate the effects on organic body; the acupoint is the conversion element, transforming every irritation into the bioelectric signal or optical signal so that the organic body could recognize it. Therefore, the acupoint is regarded as the sensor of information in the organic body.
Acupuncture Points ; Electrophysiological Phenomena ; Humans ; Meridians

Vascular endothelium plays an important role in regulating vascular homeostasis. Over the past years, it has become clear that endothelial dysfunction is a key event of pathophysiological changes in the initiation and progression of injuries induced by extreme environmental factors. The present review summarizes current understanding of vascular endothelial dysfunction induced by hypoxia, cold and heat, and provides the information for prevention and treatment of environmental exposure injuries.
Endothelium, Vascular ; physiopathology ; Environment ; Humans ; Hypoxia ; physiopathology ; Temperature ; Vascular System Injuries

Background Dominant eye is one of the functional asymmetric organ,and the dfference between dominant eye and undominant eye is a researching hotspot.But the study about accommodation in adult myopia is less.Objective This study was to determine the association between ocular dominances and accommodative factors in the subjects with adult myopia.Methods This study used prospective descriptive research method.Thirty-five subjects aged from 18 to 35 years with the myopia ranged from-2.00 D to-10.00 D and anisometropia less than 1.5 D,BCVA≥ 1.0 were recruited consecutively in this study.Ocular dominance was determined using the hole-inthe-card test and thumb test.Refractive error was measured with objective and subjective optometry,and amplitude of accommodation was measured by push-up test.Fusion cross cylinder(FCC) was used to measure the accommodative lag,and flipper test was applied to determine the accommodative facility.Oral informed consent was obtained from each subject before any relevant examination.Results No significant differences were found in the amplitude of accommodation (D),accommodative facility (cpm) and accommodative lag (D) between the dominant eye and undominant eye (accommodative amplitude:9.69 D±2.30 D vs.9.60 D±2.37 D,P =0.294 ;accommodative facility: 11.08 D±4.20 D vs.10.63 D± 4.60 D,P=0.260;accommodative lag:P=0.141).In the patients with the right eyes as dominance eyes,the accommodative amplitude of both eyes were (9.48±2.29) cpm and (9.33 ± 2.49) cpm,and accommodative facility were (10.50 ± 4.70) cpm and (9.99 ± 4.90) cpm.There were no significant differences between the right and left eyes in the accommodative amplitude,accommodative facility and accommodative lag (P =0.319,0.116,0.590).In the patients with the left eyes as dominant eyes,the accommodative amplitude of both eyes were (9.91±2.35)D and (9.88±2.26) D,and accommodative facility were (10.70±3.77)cpm and (11.25 ±4.27) cpm.No significant differences were seen between the right eyes and left eyes in the accommodative amplitude,accommodative facility and accommodative lag (P =0.749,0.295,0.238).Conclusions The amplitude of accommodation of the dominant eye is not significantly enhanced,and less accommodative lag and better accommodative facility also are found in the demonstrate eye in myopia adults with low anisometropia.

The stems and branches of Hypericum petiolulatum were extracted by alcohol and liquid-liquid extraction. Seven furofuran lignans were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of ethanol extract of H. petiolulatum by using silica gelchromatography, Sephadex LH-20 chromatography, medium-pressure liquid chromatography and preparative HPLC. Their structures were identified by the spectroscopic methods as pinoresinol (1), medioresinol (2), 8-acetoxypinoresinol (3), epipinoresinol (4), (+)-syringaresinol (5), (+)-1-hydroxysyringaresinol (6) and erythro-buddlenolE (7). All the isolates were firstly found in H. petiolulatum. In the bioassay, compound 7 showed remarkable antioxidative activity inhibiting Fe(+2)-cystine induced rat liver microsomal lipid peroxidation with inhibitory rate 38% at a concentration of 1 x 10(-6) mol · L(-1) (positive control Vit E with the inhibitory rate of 35% at the same concentration).
Animals ; Antioxidants ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Hypericum ; chemistry ; Lipid Peroxidation ; drug effects ; Microsomes, Liver ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Molecular Structure ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Rats

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between the expression of EIIIA+ fibronectin in incised wound of rat's skin and injury time. METHODS: The wounding model was established by cutting the dorsal skin of 48 adult SD rats. The rats were sacrificed at the pre-set injury time as immediately, 0.5 h, 1 h, 2 h, 3 h, 4 h, 6 h, and 8 h. The skin samples were taken at the margin of wound. The expression of the EIIIA? fibronectin was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting and the relationship be- tween its expression and injury time was observed. Results The expression of EIIIA+ fibronectin was not observed immediately. The basal cell of skin began to show positive expression 0.5 h after injury. With the extension of injury time, positive staining became stronger. The value of relative optical density was gradually increased with prolonged injury time by the Western blotting analysis. CONCLUSION The expression of EIIIA+ fibronectin could be used for estimation of injury time in the early stage of skin injury.
Animals ; Fibronectins/metabolism* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Proteins/metabolism* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Skin/metabolism* ; Staining and Labeling ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo observe the protective effects of the Huanglian Jiedu decoction aqueous extract and its active fraction, which consists of total alkaloids, total flavonoids and total iridoid, on the thalamus of cerebral ischemia in rats.

METHODThe rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was chosen. Male SD rats were randomly divided into sham-operation group, model group, aqueous extract group (800 mg x kg(-1)), total alkaloids group(44 mg x kg(-1)), total flavonoids group (50 mg x kg(-1)) and the total iridoid group (80 mg x kg(-1)). The rats were administered the appropriate drugs intragastrically once a day, for 7 days after surgery. An equivalent volume of saline was given in the sham surgery and model groups. The HE staining was adopted to observe the pathological changes. Determination of Glu and gamma-GABA in thalamus were detected by HPLC with fluorescence detection. The expression of GAD65 was examined with immunohistochemistry and double staining with uorescent-conjugated antibodies against GFAP and Cx43 was chosen in this study.

RESULTThe neurons degenerated in MCAO rats after cerebral ischemia 7 d. The content of Glu, gamma-GABA decreased (P < 0.05), the expression of GAD65 reduced (P < 0.05) and the expression of GFAP and Cx43 increased (P < 0.01) in thalamus of rats compared with sham-operation group. Huanglian Jiedu decoction aqueous extract, total alkaloids, total flavonoids and total iridoid reduced the degeneration of neurons. Total flavonoids could promote the expression of GAD65 (P < 0.05) and decrease the expression of GFAP and Cx43 (P < 0.01) in thalamus compared with model group while it could also increased the content of Glu,gamma-GA BA to normal levels. Compared with model group, Huanglian Jiedu decoction aqueous extract, total alkaloids and total iridoid could raise the expression of Cx43, and Huanglian Jiedu decoction aqueous extract could also increase the expression of GAD65 (P < 0.05). The expression of GFAP in Huanglian Jiedu decoction aqueous extract group, total alkaloids group and total iridoid group were not different compared with model group while the content of gamma-GABA decreased (P < 0.05) compared with sham-operation group.

CONCLUSIONThe degeneration of nerve cells, the reduction of neurotransmitter amino acids content, the aberrant activation of astrocytes and the abnormal expression of GFAP and Cx43 will appear in thalamus of MCAO rats after ischemia. Huanglian Jiedu decoction total flavonoids could relieve the injury of nerve cell through inhibiting the abnormal activation of astrocytes and regulating the expression of GFAP and GAD65.

Animals ; Astrocytes ; drug effects ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; drug therapy ; Male ; Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Thalamus ; drug effects

Female ; Hepatitis C ; complications ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Liver Cirrhosis ; complications ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Middle Aged ; Recombinant Proteins ; therapeutic use ; Vitiligo ; complications ; drug therapy