Acupuncture Therapy ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pterygium ; therapy ; Yin Deficiency ; therapy

Objective To detect the expression and function of cysteinyl leukotriene receptors (CysLTRs)in keratinocytes.Methods Human keratinocytes were isolated from the tissue of foreskin by digestion with dispase Ⅱ and trypsin,and subjected to primary culture.By using confocal laser scanning microscopy and reverse transcriptase PCR,the localization and expression of CysLTRs were studied in kemtinocytes.respectively.Some primarily cultured keratinocytes were pretreated with leukotriene D4 (30 nmoi/L),MK571(300 nmol/L),and BAYu9773 for 5 minutes followed by the detection of intmcellular calcium level using the Ca2+ indicator dye Fura-2/AM as well as cell proliferation bv MTT assay.Results The expressions of CysLTR1 and CysLTR2 were observed in cultured keratinocytes,and they were mainly located on cell membrane,partly in cytoplasm and nuclei.Compared with non.stimulated cells,a significant increase Was noted in the expression of CysLTRs,especially in the nuclei of keratinocytes stimulated by LTD4(P＜0.05),together with an elevation in intracellular calcium level(42.27±3.00 mmol/L,P＜0.01)and acceleration in cell proliferation (P＜0.01).However,both MK571 and BAYu9773 could completely block the effect of LTD4 on intmcellular calcium level and cell proliferation.and there was no significant difference in the blocking effect between MK571 and BAYu9773.Conclusions Functional CysLTRs are expressed in human keratinocytes.and they carl increase the intracellular calcium level in,and cell proliferation of,keratinocytes.

This paper introduced the model of clinical pharmacists involving in pharmacy administration in Southwest Hospital.It features the following :1 .Establishment of the chief resident pharmacists mechanism , with clinical pharmacists involving in clinical drug treatment , therapy consultations and hospital‐wide consultations ;2 .Rational drug use quality control ,to supervise normative drug use of clinicians using the driver′s license management system for drug use;3 .Establishment of effective communication channels between physicians and pharmacists ,for mutual learning and supervision .Such model has helped clinical pharmacists to accumulate experiences in drug therapy ,and encouraged rational drug use .

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) for the treatment of portal hypertension of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods Ninety-five portal hypertension patients with hepatic carcinoma were enrolled.TIPS was performed in 63 patients and the other 32 patients received support medical care.The data referred to survival time of the 95 patients after treatment was collected by follow-up visit.The informations about success rate of TIPS,hepatic encephalopathy,rebleeding and causes of death were assessed.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare the survival time between two groups.The association of survival time with Child-Pugh classification and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score was analyzed.Results The success rate of TIPS was 97.8% with reduction of mean portal vein pressure of 13.6 cmH2O(1 cmH2O=0.098 kPa).The incidence of hepatic encephalopathy was 20.6% and rebleeding was 26.3% six months after TIPS treatment.Fifty-six patients treated with TIPS died at the end of follow-up.Twelve of which were died of variceal bleeding complicated with portal hypertension.The median survival time of TIPS group (3.67 months) was significantly longer than that of control group (1 month). Moreover, the median survival time in patients with low MELD score (≤13) was significantly longer than that in those with high MELD seore (＞13, x2=4.71,P=0.03). Whereas the median survival time was decreasing from Child-Pugh A to C(x2=15.6,P=0.00). Conclusions TIPS is one of effective and safe therapeutic methods to control portal hypertension. However, liver function is an important factor for selcetion of TIPS.

Estrogen receptors (ERs) are members of nuclear receptors and related to several diseases such as cancer, inflammation and osteoporosis. ERs have two forms, ERα and ERβ, which have different functions and organism distributions. Compounds selectively targeting ERβ can regulate important physiological functions and avoid the side effects caused by targeting ERα. Therefore, selective ERβ ligands have received considerable research interest in recent years. In this article, different kinds of selective ERβ ligands were summarized and their structure-activity relationships were also analyzed.
Estrogen Receptor beta ; chemistry ; Humans ; Ligands ; Structure-Activity Relationship

Objective To investigate the relationship between the activation of RhoA and thrombin-induced neuron injury in the cortex of fetal rats. Methods The neurons from the fetal ratcortex were culturedin vitro for 8 d; and then,they were treated by thrombin at different concentrations (0,1,10,30 and 100 U/mL) for 3 h,and by 30 U/mL thrombm at different times (0,0.5,1,3 and 6 h);Western blotting was used to examine the effects of these different treatments on the activation of RhoA.The neurons were pretreated with Exoenzyme C3,the RhoA inhibitor,for 0.5 h,and incubated with 30 U/ml thrombin for 3 h; and then,Western blotting was employed to examine the activation of Rho A; besides that,the injuries of these neurons with the presence and absence of Exoenzyme C3 were observed by Hoechst33258 staining and CCK-8 assay.Results The activation of RhoA expressing in membrane with the treatment of 30 U/mL thrombin for 3 h was significantly increased as compared with that under the treatment of 0 U/mL (P＜0.05); and the total RhoA showed no significant changes with the treatment of all concentrations. The 3 h site with thrombin (30 U/mL) could more significantly induce R hoA expression as compared with other time sites (P＜0.05),and the total RhoA showed no significant changes under the treatment of all time sites. Pretreatrnent of neurons with Exoenzyme C3 could significantly down-regulate RhoA level as compared with those without pretreatment (P＜0.05); meanwhile,Hoechst33258 staining indicated that the number of brightly stained neurons in the Exoenzyme C3presence group was dramatically decreased as compared with that in the Exoenzyme C3 absence group (P＜0.05), and CCK-8 assay showed that the cell survival rate in Exoenzyme C3 absence group significantly decreased as compared with that in the Exoenzyme C3 presence group (P＜0.05).Conclusion RhoA in membrane is related to the thrombin-induced neuron injury in the cortex of fetal

OBJECTIVETo investigate the feasibility and features of 3 catheter-mediated approaches of gene transfer into heart, including direct myocardial injection (DMI), coronary artery perfusion (CAP), and intrapericardial cavity injection (ICI).

METHODSFifteen dogs were used, and 0.3 ml (1 x 10(9) pfu) of an adenovirus (Adex1SR LacZ) was injected into the heart by 3 methods. The dogs were killed 5 days following injection, and gene expressions in heart and liver were evaluated by histochemical analysis.

RESULTSThe results showed that (1) the CAP method was relatively less damaging and induced sparse LacZ expression in the myocardium, and the gene expression was also found in both vessels within the myocardium and liver; (2) gene transfer by DMI resulted in intense LacZ expression around the injection accompanied by a local inflammatory response; (3) LacZ expression elicited by ICI was detected in either the inner surface of the parietal pericardium or epicardial surface of the heart, and also in the myocardium underlying the visceral pericardium.

CONCLUSIONThree catheter-mediated methods of gene transfer into the heart may be used and a reasonable approach should be chosen according to purpose.

Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Animals ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Dogs ; Female ; Gene Expression ; Gene Transfer Techniques ; Genetic Vectors ; administration & dosage ; genetics ; Inflammation ; etiology ; Injections ; adverse effects ; methods ; Lac Operon ; genetics ; Liver ; metabolism ; Male ; Myocardium ; metabolism

Objective:To sieve molecular biomarkers associated with heart failure derived from arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC).Methods:The comparative gene microarray analysis using individual left ventricular myocardial samples from 5 patients with heart failure resulting from ARVC undergoing transplantation and 5 matched samples from normal adult heart were performed.The accuracy rate of the differentially expressed genes obtained by gene microarray was further verified by quantitative real time RT-PCR.Results:83 genes (from a total of 35000) that were differentially expressed in diseased hearts versus normal hearts were identified.Among them thirty-seven genes were up-regulated and forty-eight genes were down-regulated in ARVC hearts compared with the normal hearts.Changes of gene expressions were most prominently observed in those belonging to the "metabolism" category.Eighty percent of the selected 30 differentially expressed genes from microarray analysis were confirmed by quantitative real time RT-PCR.The highly expressed level of atrial natriuratic peptide (ANP) in ARVC hearts that was confirmed by quantitative real time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry was reported.Conclusion:For the first time to our knowledge,the altered expressed genes in ARVC hearts compared with the matched normal hearts were identified.The results are the base to further study the molecular mechanism and identify diseased-specific molecular biomarkers in heart failure derived from ARVC.

By referring to the management model of chief residents, the system of chief resident pharmacists is established to promote the training of clinical pharmacists and the construction of clinical pharmacy disciplines. Professional clinical pharmacists are elected to be the chief resident pharmacists, who are designated based on qualification for application, appointment procedures, scope of responsibilities and job description. The establishment and implementation of the chief resident pharmacist system plays a positive role on the team building of high-quality clinical pharmacists, accelerating the development of clinical pharmacy disciplines. It can serve as an important measure to further strengthening the construction of clinical pharmacists system.

OBJECTIVEIn order to rationally allocate resources and to improve the quality of life of people with dementia, it is necessary to assess their current health services status.

METHODSA population-based door-to-door caregiver survey was conducted in Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai and Chengdu in 1998. Totally 1 141 individuals with dementia were found among 34 807 residents aged 55 years and over on the basis of national prevalence study of dementia. Then 428 families with demented patients were randomly selected for questionare interview. Interviews were completed in 405 but refused by 23 families. Measurements included demographic characteristics of patients and their caregivers, perspective of the victim of the disease, current awareness of the disease and medical and welfare services provided.

RESULTSAmong 405 cases of dementia (including 298 cases of AD and 81 cases of VaD), mean MMSE scores were 16.3 +/- 5.3 for 157 mild cases, 12.7 +/- 5.4 for 135 moderate cases, and 6.2 +/- 5.8 for 110 severe cases. Most patients (96%) were cared for at home by family members. Among caregivers, 189 (48.8%) considered the impairment of cognition, behavior and daily living activity in demented persons as a result of normal aging. Half of the caregivers spend over 8 hours each day looking after the patient. Whether the caregivers brought their relatives with dementia to a doctor was determined by disease severity, i.e. 8.3% for mild, 13.5% for moderate, and 19.4% for severe in 1996 to approximately 1997 and 14.4%, 25.6% and 33.6%, respectively in 1998-1999. Of those, only 26.9% reported receiving a dementia diagnosis, and only 21.3% received a recommedation to take medication. However, there was no established standard treatment and only 2% patient's used Ache-I.

CONCLUSIONSGeneral education is needed to increase the public awareness of dementia. For patients with dementia, early diagnosis, early treatment and optimal care are important to improve their quality of life.

Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Caregivers ; psychology ; China ; Cost of Illness ; Dementia ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; nursing ; Female ; Health Services for the Aged ; Home Nursing ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sampling Studies ; Severity of Illness Index ; Surveys and Questionnaires