Humans ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; immunology ; SARS Virus ; immunology ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; prevention & control ; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus ; Vaccines, DNA ; immunology ; Vaccines, Inactivated ; immunology ; Vaccines, Synthetic ; immunology ; Viral Envelope Proteins ; immunology ; Viral Vaccines ; immunology ; Virion ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo compare therapeutic effects between suspine rotation and flexion manipulation for treating lumbar disc herniation.

METHODSFrom December 2008 to January 2011, 134 patients with lumbar disc herniation were treated, including 74 males and 60 females,ranging in age from 17 to 67 years,33 patients with age over 50 years old. According to diagnosis the ladder of the 9 cases bulging type, 74 hernia type, 51 cases free type. The patients were randomly divided into treatment group ( 69 cases) and control group (65 cases). All the patients were treated with the three-dimensional computer-controlled traction therapeutic apparatus,with continued traction for 20 minutes. After traction, flexion manipulation and rotat-ing manipulation were respectively adopted in treatment group and control group (on alternate days one time, 3 times as a course of treatment). The symptoms and signs (including back pain and discomfort, lower limb pain and numbness, powerless urination and defecation,numbness in perineum, straight-leg raising degree,ability of lower extremity walking,work and live) of patients were observed after treatment.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up for 0.5 to 6 months with an average of 1.1 months. After treatment, the symptoms and signs of patients have significantly improved (P < 0.01), but the symptomes of powerless urination and defecation,numbness in perineum was not improved obviously (P>0.05). Forty-two of 69 patients in treatment group got excellent result, moderate in 20, poor in 7; Twenty of 65 patients in control group got excellent result, moderate in 25,poor in 20.

CONCLUSIONThe whole effect of lumbar backwards rotation manipulation is more satisfactory than flexsion manipulation for treating lumbar intervertebral disc herniation. But spinning force and times should be noticed.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; physiopathology ; Male ; Manipulation, Orthopedic ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Recovery of Function ; Rotation ; Young Adult

Paracetamol was used as a model drug in this study to investigate the synergetic effects of lipid coating and beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) inclusion for masking the bitter taste of poorly soluble drugs. To control the concentration as low as possible of the free drug which produced a bitter taste, a kinetic model was established to calculate the drug distribution theoretically among the free drug in medium, lipid coated particles and molecular inclusion on the basis of the preparation and characterization of the lipid microspheres, so as to select the proper amount of beta-CD. Finally, the synergetic drug delivery systems were prepared and characterized by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), molecular simulation and the electronic tongue. As a result, the drug release rate constant (k) of the lipid microspheres coated with octadecanol was determined as 0.001 270 s(-1). Then, the synergetic drug delivery systems were prepared with the ratio of 6.74 : 1 (w/w) for beta-CD and paracetamol. The chemical shift values for the fingerprint peaks of paracetamol all increased and hydrogen bonds were formed between the oxygen on the phenolic hydroxyl group, the nitrogen on the imino in paracetamol and the hydrogens on the hydroxyl groups in beta-CD. The results tested by the electronic tongue indicated that the paracetamol, lipid microspheres, beta-CD inclusion and their mixture showed different taste characteristics, with the bitterness order of the synergetic drug delivery systems approximately lipid microspheres < beta-CD inclusion < paracetamol, which confirmed the synergetic taste masking effects of lipid coating and beta-CD molecular inclusion. In summary, the synergetic taste masking was jointly achieved through the retard of the drug release by the lipid coating and the inclusion of the free paracetamol by beta-CD through hydrogen bonds.
Acetaminophen ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Administration, Oral ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Electrical Equipment and Supplies ; Electrochemical Techniques ; instrumentation ; methods ; Hydrogen Bonding ; Kinetics ; Lipids ; chemistry ; Microspheres ; Solubility ; Taste ; drug effects ; beta-Cyclodextrins ; chemistry

BACKGROUNDThe decreased degradation of extra-cellular matrix proteins plays an important role in the onset of diabetic nephropathy. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), which are members of the matrix metalloproteinase family, are associated with this process. Angiotensin II (AII) plays an important role in the development of diabetic nephropathy also. This research aimed to investigate the effect of angiotensin II receptor blocker on glucose-induced mRNA expressions of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in rat mesangial cells.

METHODSRat mesangial cells were cultured and divided into 5 groups: normal glucose (group NG), high glucose (group HG), group NG + AII, NG + AII + saralasin (group NG + AII + S, saralasin is the AII receptor blocker) and HG + saralasin (group HG + S). After the cells were incubated for 24 hours, AII concentrations in the supernatant were measured by radioimmunoassay and the expression of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 mRNA was assayed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTSAII concentrations were higher in group HG ((56.90 +/- 13.54) pg/ml) and group HG + S ((51.30 +/- 5.96) pg/ml) than in group NG ((37.89 +/- 8.62) pg/ml, P < 0.05), whereas there was no significant difference between group HG and group HG + S. The expression of MMP-9 mRNA and MMP-9/TIMP-1 mRNA ratio in group NG + AII (MMP-9, 0.33 +/- 0.04; MMP-9/TIMP-1, 0.40 +/- 0.06) and group HG (MMP-9, 0.36 +/- 0.02; MMP-9/TIMP-1, 0.45 +/- 0.03) were decreased more significantly than those in group NG (MMP-9, 0.72 +/- 0.02; MMP-9/TIMP-1, 1.21 +/- 0.07). These values in group NG + AII + S (MMP-9, 0.71 +/- 0.02; MMP-9/TIMP-1, 1.18 +/- 0.05) were higher than those in group NG + AII, and the values in group HG + S (MMP-9, 0.71 +/- 0.02; MMP-9/TIMP-1, 1.16 +/- 0.05) were higher than those in group HG (all were P < 0.05). TIMP-1 mRNA expression was increased more significantly in group NG + AII (0.81 +/- 0.03) and group HG (0.80 +/- 0.03) than in group NG (0.59 +/- 0.02), but it was lower in group NG + AII + S (0.60 +/- 0.01) than in group NG + AII and also lower in group HG + S (0.61 +/- 0.01) than in group HG (all were P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSHigh glucose stimulates AII production. Both high glucose and AII induce a decrease in MMP-9 mRNA expression and MMP-9/TIMP-1 mRNA ratio as well as an increase in TIMP-1 mRNA expression, which can be reversed by saralasin, suggesting that high glucose can aggravate impaired matrix degradation by altering gene expression of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 and that the effect of high glucose may be mediated by AII.

Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers ; pharmacology ; Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists ; Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Glucose ; pharmacology ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; genetics ; Mesangial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Saralasin ; pharmacology ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 ; genetics

OBJECTIVEThe purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of THY1 protein expression in epithelial ovarian cancer.

METHODSImmunohistochemistry (IHC) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) staining were used to detect the protein expression of THY1, Ki67 and cell apoptosis in 76 epithelial ovarian cancers by tissue microarray. The correlation between THY1 expression and patients' clinical features was analyzed.

RESULTSOf the 76 epithelial ovarian cancer samples, 64 were informative for IHC and TUNEL assays and 42 (65.6%) among them showed down-regulated/loss expression of THY1 protein. A significant positive correlation of THY1 protein expression with clinical stage and distant metastasis was observed in this ovarian cancer cohort (P < 0.05). The more advanced the tumor stage, the more frequency of loss expression of THY1 protein. In addition, the mean positive rate of Ki67 staining in tumors with down-regulated/loss expression of THY1 was 33.7% +/- 3.5%, significantly higher than that in the tumors with normal expression of THY1 (17.3% +/- 6.1%, P = 0.0027). However, no significant correlation was observed between THY1 protein expression and tumor cell apoptosis as well as patients' survival in this series (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONDown-regulated/loss expression of THY1 protein in epithelial ovarian cancer is significantly correlated with cancer cell proliferation and metastasis in the epithelial ovarian cancer, and it may be used as one of the new molecular biomarkers to predict the disease progression in patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Apoptosis ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Mucinous ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous ; metabolism ; pathology ; Down-Regulation ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Ki-67 Antigen ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Survival Rate ; Thy-1 Antigens ; metabolism

The paper is aimed to provide a novel index, named as multidimensional spatial triangular area, for the evaluation of the release-absorption correlation of multiple component traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). The applicability of the method was demonstrated by the example data. The method and standard practice for evaluation of the release-absorption correlation for western medicines with single compound could not be applied to TCMs with multiple components. The release percentage or absorption percentage of the multiple components for TCMs at the sampling time was a point in the multidimensional space. The area of the triangle formed byt the sequential three points represented the changing characteristics of the components' release and absorption kinetics. The side lengths of the triangle could be calculated from the spatial distances between each two of the sequential three points. Then the triangle area could be obtained by the side lengths. The in vitro release-in vivo absorption correlation of the multiple components could be represented by the correlation between the integrating values of the release triangle areas and that of the absorption triangle areas. The results of the examples indicated that the multidimensional spatial triangular area method could treat the multiple components in a holistic way, in line with the holism the hi he TCMs. Therefore, the multidimensional spatial triangular area method provided new methodology for the release-absorption correlation of the TCMs with multiple components.
Algorithms ; Chemistry Techniques, Analytical ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H5N1 Subtype ; classification ; genetics ; pathogenicity ; Influenza Vaccines ; immunology ; Influenza, Human ; drug therapy ; prevention & control ; transmission ; Vaccination

OBJECTIVETo summarize the effects and complications of osteosarcoma around knee treated by wide resection and replacement by the tumor-type prosthesis.

METHODSBetween July 1997 and July 2004, 117 patients with osteosarcoma around the knee had been treated with wide resection and reconstruction with prosthesis. Alcohol-devitalized tumor bone prosthetic composite were used for reconstruction in 13 patients, and allograft prosthetic composite (APC) were used in 25 patients. All patients accepted 2 cycles of chemotherapy before the surgery.

RESULTSThe mean follow-up period was 3.5 years (1 - 8 years). Nine patients had failure of union at the graft-host junction. Fracture of the stem of the prosthesis occurred in 5 patients, late infection was found in 19 patients, and aseptic loosening occurred in 3 patients. Bone fracture occurred in 1 patient and prosthesis sinking occurred in 2 patients.

CONCLUSIONSThe tumor-type prosthetic reconstruction offers the best knee function after resection of the tumor around the knee, and recurrence rate can be accepted. However, the tumor-type prosthesis needs further improvement because of the high complication rate.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; adverse effects ; methods ; Bone Neoplasms ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteosarcoma ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo establish a primary culture method of rat testis Leydig cell.

METHODSThe primary rat Leydig cells were treated with or without 4 U/ml human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and testosterone in culture medium was detected by radioimmunoassay. The morphology and biological characteristics of Leydig cell were observed.

RESULTSThe culture cells were highly homogeneous, proliferative and had a high differentiation rate. The high purified Leydig cells were verified by their dynamic morphological changes and 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase delta4-delta5 isomerase (3beta-HSD) histochemical staining. The testosterone secretion induced by hCG significantly increased (P < 0.05) 24 hours after inoculation than that induced without hCG in the control.

CONCLUSIONIt suggests that the Leydig cell cultured in vitro may secrete high concentration of testosterone, and this study laid the basis of androgen replacement therapy for partial androgen deficiency in aging male.

3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases ; Animals ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cells, Cultured ; Chorionic Gonadotropin ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Leydig Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; secretion ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Testis ; cytology ; drug effects ; Testosterone ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo research the changes in microscopic characteristics and ability of secreting testosterone between aged SD rat Leydig cells and young SD rat Leydig cells.

METHODSThe total and free serum testosterone levels of serum both young and aged rats were examined. The changes in microscopic characteristics between young and aged rat Leydig cells were observed under microscope and electron microscope. The testosterone secreted by cultured Leydig cells of stimulated by hCG and Forskolin both groups were detected.

RESULTSA significant difference was found in both total and free testosterone levels between young and old rats (P < 0.05). Aged SD rat Leydig cells were observed smaller in volume and more markedly stained than young ones; The secretion ability of aged rat Leydig cells was found lower than that of young rat Leydig cells with or without hCG and Forskolin stimulation (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe secreting index of aged SD rat Leydig cells is lower than that of young rat Leydig cells both in vivo and vitro, and the reason is the system of synthesizing testosterone is arrested.

Androgens ; deficiency ; Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Leydig Cells ; pathology ; secretion ; Male ; Progesterone ; secretion ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Testosterone ; secretion