Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes that can sense danger signals from damaged cells or pathogens and assemble to mediate the activation of caspase-1, which proteolytically activates the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18.Uniquely, inflammasome activation needs two steps to induce inflammation.Its activation has been studied in human and different experimental liver diseases and demonstrated to have effects on hepatocyte damage, immune cell activation and amplification of liver inflammation.In this review, inflammasome and their functions in variant liver diseases (especially ALD, NASH, ischemia-reperfusion liver injury) will be discussed in detail.These findings could help us deepen our understanding about these diseases, and provide new clues to the therapy of them in clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE:To observe the efficacy and safety of low-dose Progesterone injection combined with Baotai wuyou capsule in the treatment of threatened abortion. METHODS:107 patients with threatened abortion were retrospectively analyzed and divided into observation group(54 cases)and control group(53 cases)by different medication. All patients received bed rest orally taking folic acid and other measures. Meanwhile,control group was given Progesterone injection 20-40 mg,qd,intramuscu-larly injected. Observation group was given Progesterone injection 10-20 mg,qd,intramuscularly injected and given 4 Baotai wuy-ou capsule additionally,tid,taking with ginger decoction,no fish during the medication. The courses of 2 groups were 14 d. Clini-cal efficacy,hemostatic time,remission time of abdominal pain and backache in 2 groups were observed,and the incidence of ad-verse reactions during the treatment was recorded. RESULTS:The total effective rate in observation group was significantly higher than control group,hemostatic time,remission time of abdominal pain and backache were significantly shorter than control group, the incidence of adverse reactions was significantly lower than control group,with statistical significances (P<0.05). CONCLU-SIONS:Low-dose Progesterone injection combined with Baotai wuyou capsule shows good efficacy in the treatment of threatened abortion,which can shorten patients'hemostatic time,remission time of abdominal pain and backache,and reduce the incidence of adverse reactions,with good safety.

Objective: To study the effects of Amorphophallus konjac refined powder combined with minimal flavonids on antioxidation , serum lipids and body weight in rats .Method: Wistar rats were divided into four groups fed with different diets, and then antioxidative ability of blood and liver, levels of serum lipids and body weight were detected and analysed in rats. Results: Konjac refined powder combined with Ginkgo biloba flavonids could decrease MDA content and increase activities of SOD and GSH-Px significantly, and also reduce serum TC, LDL-C, TG levels, improve HDL-C level in rats. As to antiobesity, no notable difference was found .Conclusion: Combined with flavonids, the antioxidation of Konjac food is improved significantly, and serum lipids level is decreased, but antiobesity effect is in-significant.

The hemorrheological changes were observed in dogs in the first 2 hours after they were inflicted with oleic acid-induced RDS.It was found that hematocrit,absolute viscosity and relative viscosity of whole blood were significantly increased but plasma viscosity showed no marked changes.These facts imply that in the early stage of oleic acid-induced RDS,the hemorrheological changes were characterized by hemoconcentration and decrease of the trans-formability of erythrocytes,which might be one of causes of the functional failure of pulmonary microcirculation.

Objective To observe the effects of nerve impulses on the expression of carbonic anhydrase Ⅲ ( CAⅢ ) and its phosphatase activity, and to explore whether or not the cause of CAⅢ expressive decreased in skeletal muscles of myasthenia gravis( MG) is resulted from the obstruction of nerve impulse.Methods The motor nerves of extensor digitorum longus (EDL, mainly composed by fast fibers) and soleus (Sol, mainly composed by slow fibers) were cut off by operation of denervation.Levels and phosphatase activities of CAⅢ were analyzed at 7, 14, 28, and 56 d after denervation by Western blot and specific enzyme staining on the membrane following SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, respectively.Results (1) Levels of CAⅢ in Sol of normal side (eg denervated contralateral) were much higher than that in EDL of normal side, and the levels in both Sol and EDL had an enhanced tendency with time (age) increase, especially for Sol.After denervation, the levels of CAⅢ in EDL were gradual increased, however, the level in Sol was 14 d after denervation as the boundary of ascension and then decline.( 2) The phosphatase activities of CAⅢ in Sol of normal sides were much higher than that in EDL of normal sides, and there were an enhanced tendency with time (age) increase in Sol, but no significant changes were found in EDL The enzyme activities in denervated Sol were lower(in the 14, 28, and 56 days after denervation: 14.39 ±1.93, 11.48 ±1.46, 9.04 ±1.46) much than their contralaterals(22.75 ± 1.80, 25.26 ±3.15, 25.82 ± 2.97; t = 0.002, 0.005, 0.002, all P ＜ 0.05), the enzyme activities in denervated EDL were also lower than their contralaterals, however, no significant differences were found.(3)It was consistent for CAⅢ levels and phosphatase activities in both Sol and EDL of normal sides.After denervation, however, the deviation of the CAⅢ levels and phosphatase activities happened, the levels of CAⅢ were increased, but the phosphatase activities were decreased.Conclusions The effect of nerve impulse transferring obstructed by denervation on CAⅢ expression of skeletal muscles is different from that by MG auto-antibody.The decrease of CAⅢ protein in the MG muscles may be not resulted from the nerve impulse transferring obstructed by MG auto-antibody.

In recent years, synthetic lethality of PARP [poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase] inhibition in cancers with BRCA1 (breast cancer susceptibility gene 1) and BRCA2 mutations appears to provide a novel, efficient and safe antitumor strategy. It was hypothesized that the mechanism underlying this new antitumor strategy was the inhibition of DNA damage repair leading to cell death. Since the synthetic lethality was confirmed in breast cancer cells by PARP inhibitor intervention, many highly selective and sensitive PARP inhibitors have been developed and applied in clinical trials. Although the effectiveness of PARP inhibitor used as a single agent can be reached in breast cancer and ovarian cancer with BRCA1 / BRCA2 mutation, it is generally advised to use PARP inhibitors in combination with chemotherapeutic agents or radiation therapy. This review is focused on the recent progress in clinical antitumor therapy with PARP inhibitors in combination with common chemotherapeutic agents. Copyright © 2013 by TUMOR.

Objectives: To estimate the value of magnetic susceptibility-weighted imaging (MSWI) in the pathologic grading of gliomas. Materials: Sixty patients with confirmed gliomas proved by pathological examination were prospectively examined. They were scanned by magnetic resonance (MR) turbo spin echo (TSE) T1-weighted imaging (WI) and dual fast low angle shot (FLASH)-T2* WI imaging with TE of 15 and 35 ms, respectively. The difference in the magnetic susceptibility artifact (MSA) induced by the various sequences was compared. The correlation of MSA [number, maximal diameter, and signal to noise ratio (SNR)] with WHO pathological grade and Ki-7 values were analyzed. Results: Multiplicity rank sum test and variance analysis indicated that there was a statistical difference in MSA between the three sequences, 15-ms FLASH-T2* WI, 35-ms FLASH-T2* WI, and TSE (χ 2 = 21.331, P = 0.001; F = 44.517 and 6.839,P <0.001). Pearson correlation analysis suggested that WHO pathological grade correlated with MSA parameters including number, maximal diameter and SNR (r =0.737, 0.624 and -0.528, P =0.000); the expression level of Ki-67 also correlated with MSA parameters including number, maximal diameter and SNR (r = 0.687, 0.577, and -0.533, P = 0.000). Conclusions: MSWI is helpful in the evaluation of preoperative pathologic grade of brain gliomas. MSA produced by longer TE FLASH (35 ms) is better than that produced by shorter TE FLASH (15 ms) to evaluate the pathologic grade of brain gliomas.

Objective To investigate the relationship between sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+modulation proteins and postresuscitation myocardial dysfunction. Methods Thirty-eight SPF male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into control group(n=12)and cardiac arrest(CA)group(n=26). CA was induced by intravenous bolus of potassium chloride(40μg/g),and cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR)was conducted 8 minutes later. No CA was induced in control group except catheter placement for monitoring cardiopulmonary parameters after anesthesia. Invasive hemodynamic parameters were monitored for 1 hour after CPR. Echocardiogram was performed to evaluate cardiac function. Myocardial samples were harvested 5 minutes and 1 hour after restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC),and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA2a),phosphorylated phospholamban (p-PLB) and rynodine receptor(RyR)were determined by Western Blot. Results ROSC rate of CA group was 92.3%(24/26),and mean recovery time was (68 ±39)seconds. Cardiac function was significantly impaired in CA group at 1 hour after resuscitation, and ejection fraction, fraction shortening (FS), the maximal rate of left ventricular pressure increase/decline (±dp/dt max)were significantly decreased compared with those in control group 〔ejection fraction:0.548±0.060 vs. 0.809±0.043,F=71.692,P=0.000;FS:(34.4±4.4)%vs. (46.0±3.5)%,F=55.443,P=0.000;+dp/dt max(mmHg/s):4 718±743 vs. 7 098±394,P<0.01;-dp/dt max(mmHg/s):-3 824±612 vs.-6 187±473,P<0.01〕. Compared with control group,the expression levels of p-PLB (gray value)was significantly decreased at 5 minutes and 60 minutes(5 minutes:0.64±0.15 vs. 1.29±0.13,P<0.01;60 minutes:0.95±0.08 vs. 1.30±0.09,P<0.05)after resuscitation in CA group,while the level of sarcoplasmic SERCA2a(gray value)and RyR (gray value)showed no significant differences(SERCA2a 5 minutes:1.01±0.18 vs. 1.24±0.07,60 minutes:1.03± 0.14 vs. 1.25 ±0.06;RyR 5 minutes:0.96 ±0.13 vs. 0.97 ±0.13,60 minutes:0.88 ±0.14 vs. 0.99 ±0.11,all P>0.05). Conclusions The impairment of the p-PLB is closely related to postresuscitation myocardial dysfunction.

Objeetive To investigate the retired elderly patients who had traditional Chinese medicine for preventing cardio-vascular disease and their complications for providing the best possible care.Methods Forty-eight retired elderly patients who had been given the infusion of traditional Chinese medicine for preventing the cardio-vascular disease over two years were analyzed.Results The finance,individual choice and social influences were the three major factors for the retired elderly people to choose traditional Chinese medicine for preventing cardiovascular diseases.In forty-eight patients of the study,100％ of them had secure medical insurance and they did not have any worries with the finance.93.75％ of them positively agreed with the treatment.91.67％ of them supported the idea use of the traditional Chinese medicine to promote the health and had the positive influence on the society.Conclusion Financial reasons,individual preference and social influences are the main factors to affect the retired elderly patient's choice of having traditional Chinese medicine to prevent cardiovascular disease.Our health care system for the retired elderly people has ensured the compliance of the treatment.With the increased awareness of the importance of the health,the traditional Chinese medicine has been widely used to prevent the occurrence of the cardio-vascular disease.

Objective To compare laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) with open appendectomy (OA) in the treatment of appendicitis complicating gangrene,perforation and abscess in children.Methods This study included 614 consecutively admitted patients with acute complicated appendicitis undergoing laparoscopic (267 cases) or open (347 cases) appendectomy.Clinical outcomes were compared between the 2 groups in relation to operative time,length of hospital stay,postoperative complications and in hospital cost. Results There was no mortality.Conversion to open surgery was necessary in 7 patients in LA group.Laparoscopic appendectomy was associated with a shorter hospital stay (4.6 d vs.8.1 d,P =0.00),lower incidence of wound infection(5.3％ vs.12.8％,P =0.03),less bowel obstruction(5.0％vs.10.0％,P =0.04) and nosocomial infection (9.7％ vs.18.3％,P =0.04).Intra-abdominal abscess formation was significantly higher after laparoscopic surgery (4.1％ vs.1.1％,P =0.04 ).The cost of treatment and operative time were higher in the laparoscopic group than in open appendectomy,however,there was no statistically significant difference. Conclusions Laparoscopic technique is a safe and clinically beneficial operative procedure for complicated appendicitis in children with short hospital stay,early recovery,good cosmetic appearance,and low complication rate,except for a higher incidence of intraabdominal abscess.