Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) plus long-snake moxibustion for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) due to kidney deficiency and cold coagulation. Methods: A total of 60 patients in active stage of RA were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, with 30 cases in each group. Patients in the control group took methotrexate tablets and nimesulide dispersible tablets orally for treatment, while those in the observation group received additional treatment of EA plus long-snake moxibustion. Both groups were treated for 12 weeks. The post-treatment changes in symptomatic grading and quantifying score, disease activity score with 28 joint counts (DAS28), and inflammatory indicators erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were observed, and the efficacy was evaluated. Results: The total effective rate in the observation group was 89.9％, versus 76.6％ in the control group, and there was a significant difference in the total effective rate between the two groups (P<0.05). After treatment, the symptomatic grading and quantifying score and DAS28 in both groups were significantly improved (all P<0.05), and the improvements in the observation group were more significant than those in the control group (both P<0.05). Besides, there were 11 cases with low disease activity index (DAI) and in remission in the observation group versus 5 cases in the control group, showing a statistically significant between-group difference (P<0.05). The ESR and CRP scores in both groups were significantly reduced after treatment (all P<0.05), also showing statistically significant between-group differences (both P<0.05). Conclusion: The efficacy of additional EA plus long-snake moxibustion based on oral medications for RA due to kidney deficiency and cold coagulation is better than that of the oral medications alone.

Objective: To quantitatively study the incidental extra-cardiac ifndings (ECFs) by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) in order to better recognize those lesions in clinical practice.
Methods: A total of 1169 suspected CAD patients received CCTA in our hospital from 2011-06 to 2013-03 and 1030 patients were enrolled in this study. There were 589 in-patients, 441 out-patients and 549 patients≥60 years of age,481 patients < 60 years of age. 3 physicians evaluated the incidental ECFs in the full ifeld of view (FOV) in different window level and window width for lung, mediastinum, thorax and upper abdominal areas. Clinical relevance of ECFs were classiifed by corresponding scores. Score 1, the patients with severe lesion need immediate treatment, score 2, the lesion with clinical and prognostic signiifcance and score 3, the ifnding without clinical signiifcance.
Results: There were 197/1030 (19.1%) patients having 224 ECFs and 27 (2.6%) patients having 2 ECFs; 90/1030 (8.7%) patients having 106 signiifcant lesions including 3 (0.3%) of lung cancer and 8 (0.8%) of pulmonary embolism; 107 patients with 118 lesions without signiifcance. ECFs were found in 114/589 (19.4%) in-patients and in 83/441 (18.8%) out-patients, P>0.05; 76/481 (15.8%) of patients < 60 years of age and 121/549 (22.0%) of patients≥60 years,P<0.05.
Conclusion: Unexpected ECFs detection rate was 19.1% in patients undergoing CCTA without further radiation exposure by reconstruction with the full FOV setting, and 8.7% of ECFs had clinical signiifcance. Radiologists should routinely analyze the extra-cardiac organs in CCTA.

Apoptosis ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; diagnosis ; genetics ; metabolism ; therapy ; Cell Proliferation ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Early Diagnosis ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; Humans ; MicroRNAs ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mouth Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; genetics ; metabolism ; therapy ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Polymorphism, Genetic

Objective To investigate characteristic skin lesions and typical histopathological changes of adult-onset Still's disease(AOSD) for its early diagnosis and treatment.Methods Clinical data were collected from 8 patients with AOSD,and analyzed retrospectively.Results All the patients had transient rashes and persistent papules/plaques during the course of disease.Of the 8 patients,1 had urticaria-like rashes,3 had dermatomyositis-like rashes,and 1 had prurigo pigmentosa-like rashes.Biopsies were carried out at the sites where transient rashes or persistent papules/plaques occurred.Histopathological findings showed necrotic keratinocytes in the upper prickle cell layer,and perivascular infiltration of neutrophils and lymphocytes in the upper dermis.Conclusion The skin lesions and histopathological changes of AOSD are characteristic,which can provide clues to the early diagnosis of AOSD.

OBJECTIVE: To establish an HPLC method for the content determination of prostaglandin A1 and prostaglandin B1 in Alprostadil for injection.METHODS: The determination was performed on Alltech Alltima C18 column with mobile phase consisted of phosphate puffer(pH=6.3)-acetonitrile-methanol(70 ∶ 25 ∶ 5) at a flow rate of 1.5 mL? min-1.The detection wavelength was set at 196 nm.The column temperature was set at room temperature and the injection volume was 20 ?L.RESULTS: The prostaglandin A1 and prostaglandin B1 were well separated from main component and other impurities.The linear range of prostaglandin A1 and prostaglandin B1 were 0.175～19.00 ?g?mL-1(r=0.999 7) and 0.23～19.90 ?g?mL-1(r=0.999 2).The contents of prostaglandin A1 in 3 batches of samples were 4.7%,4.9% and 4.3%,and the contents of prostaglandin B1 in 3 batches of samples were 0.6%,0.8% and 0.5% respectively.CONCLUSIONS: This method is proved to be simple,specific and suitable for the content determination of related substances in Alprostadil for injection.

Objective To evaluate the characters of respiratory function in children with chronic cough and explore the correlative association between cough variant asthma(CVA) and etiology of chronic cough.Methods One hundred and forty patients with chronic cough were divided into 2 groups based on peak expiratory flow(PEF) or forced expiratory volume in one second(FEV1).Ninty-three cases were done exercise test and 47 cases were done bronchoditor rest.The parameters included forced vital capacity(FVC),FEV1,PEF,forced expiratory flow at 50% and 75%(FEF50,FEF75).Results The measurement 35 cases with positive bronchoditor rest,and 30 cases with positive exercise test were found.The PEF and FEV1 variation rate were(18.30?10.50)%,(18.78?9.44)% in exercise test groups,and(30.36?27.27)%,(36.13?26.83)% in bronchoditor rest groups,respectively.Conclusions FEV1,PEF may be used as markers for the reversibility of airway obstructe in children with CVA.There is significant correlation between PEF and FEV1.Respiratory function mensurate may reflect the change and degree of inflammation in the airway of children with chronic cough.

The most effective sequence of small interfering RNA (siRNA) silencing STAT3 of psoriatic keratinocytes (KCs) was screened out,and the effects of the most effective siRNA combined with ultrasonic irradiation and SonoVue microbubbles on the expression of STAT3 of KCs and the dose-and time-response were investigated.Three chemically-synthetic siRNAs targeting STAT3 carried by Lipofectamine 3000 were transfected into KCs,and the effects on STAT3 expression were detected,then the most effective siRNA was selected for the subsequent experiments.The negative controls of siRNA (siRNA-NC) labeled with Cy3 carried by Lipofectamine 3000 combined with ultrasonic irradiation and SonoVue microbubbles were transfected into KCs,then the optimal parameters of ultrasonic irradiation were determined.The most effective siRNA carried by Lipofectamine 3000 combined with ultrasonic irradiation at the optimal parameters and SonoVue microbubbles was transfected into KCs,and the dose-and time-response of RNA interference was determined.The effect of RNA interference by the most effective siRNA at the optimal time and dose carried by Lipofectamine 3000 combined with ultrasonic irradiation and SonoVue microbubbles (LUS group) was compared with that only carried by Lipofectamine 3000 (L group).The results showed that siRNA-3 achieved the highest silencing efficacy.0.5 W/cm2 and 30 s were selected as the parameters of ultrasonic irradiation.The siRNA-3 carried by Lipofectamine 3000 combined with ultrasonic irradiation and SonoVue mierobubbles could effectively knock down the STAT3 expression at mRNA and protein levels in dose-and time-dependent manners determined at 100 nmol/L with maximum downregulation on mRNA at 48 h,and on protein at 72 h after transfection.The LUS group achieved the highest silencing efficacy.It was concluded that siRNA-3 carried by Lipofectamine 3000 combined with ultrasonic irradiation and SonoVue microbubbles could effectively knock down the STAT3 expression in psoriatic KCs,and the optimized transfection condition and the sequence of siRNA-3 could serve for further research on gene therapy of psoriasis.

Cinobufacino injection is a significant anti-tumor medicine for the treatment of various tumors in clinic, which was made from water extraction of the skin of Bufo bufo gargarizans. In present paper, HPLC-DAD-FT-ICR-MS method was used to identify the major bufadienolides in cinobufacino for the first time. Solid-phase extraction with dichloromethane and silica was used to enrich the total bufadienolides in cinobufacino. Based on the UV and high resolution MS/MS data, 33 bufadienolides were analyzed and characterized. Among them, eight compounds were identified by comparing with standard references unambiguously. This study elucidated the major bufadienolides in cinobufacino, which provided material foundation of cinobufacino and will be benefit for the further pharmacological research.
Amphibian Venoms ; chemistry ; Animals ; Bufanolides ; analysis ; chemistry ; Bufo bufo ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Molecular Structure ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

To obtain chemical constituent information of rat plasma after oral administration of Huang-Lian-Jie-Du Decoction (HLJDD), a LC-FT-ICR-MS method has been established, and both positive and negative ions scan modes were include in the analysis. By comparing their retention time, high resolution mass data of HLJDD extracts, blank plasma and dosed plasma, 38 constituents, including 22 prototype compounds and 16 metabolites, were detected in rat plasma after oral administration of HLJDD. In the 22 prototype compounds, 16 constituents were determined unambiguously by comparing with references. In the analysis of metabolites, phase II reactions like glucuronidation and sulfation were the major biotransformation pathways of HLJDD. M11 was observed as the only phase I metabolite in present experiment. The results will be beneficial for the further pharmacokinetics and pharmacological evaluations of HLJDD.
Administration, Oral ; Alkaloids ; blood ; Animals ; Biotransformation ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Flavonoids ; blood ; Iridoids ; blood ; Male ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Maca as one of the star products in the international health care market in recent years, had a wide range of application value and promoted to all over the world. However, the basic research of Maca was not deep, lack of systematic and clear efficacy studies. Market products hype its aphrodisiac effect, which greatly impact more systematic in-depth research and exploration. Therefore, this paper briefly summarizes advance research in recent years including the status quo of the resources, growth cultivation, phytochemical, pharmacological effect and other aspects, which can provide reference for rational development and utilization of Maca.
Animals ; Biomedical Research ; Humans ; Lepidium ; chemistry ; classification ; growth & development ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; metabolism ; pharmacology