OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of SF-36 scale being applied in different countries under different culture and to describe the quality of life of pulmonary tuberculosis patients in China and Thailand.

METHODSSF-36 scale was applied to pulmonary tuberculosis patients in both countries using face to face interview.

RESULTSMany coefficients among domains were greater than 0.5 when quality of life of tuberculosis patient in both countries was measured. Cronbach's coefficient of all domains were greater than 0.7 for tuberculosis patients in China while cronbach's Coefficient of most domains were equal or greater than 0.7 for tuberculosis patients in Thailand except for vitality and social domains. The score of social domain for patients in Thailand was greater than that of China.

CONCLUSIONStructure validity was not good for tuberculosis patients in both countries since there were some items overlapped in different domains. However, the reliability was good for measuring quality of life of tuberculosis patients both in China and in Thailand.

China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Quality of Life ; Reproducibility of Results ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Thailand ; epidemiology ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; physiopathology ; psychology

AIM:To investigate the protective effect of nerve growth factor combined with Ginkgo biloba extract on retinal ischemia-reperfusion (RIR) injury in rabbits with experimental high intraocular pressure.METHODS:Establishment of rabbit glaucoma ischemia reperfusion model.Twenty-four New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into three groups:nerve growth factor group, Ginkgo biloba extract group and combination group.Respectively, in the continuous administration of 1, 7, 14d.We observed the morphological changes of the tissues of the retina.The levels of superoxide dismutase(SOD), nitric oxide(NO) and malondialdehyde(MDA) in retinal tissue were measured.RESULTS:Respectively, first, in the continuous administration of 1, 7, 14d, the contents of MDA and NO in Ginkgo biloba extract group and nerve growth group were higher than that in combination group (P<0.05).Secondly, the SOD content of Ginkgo biloba extract group and nerve growth group were lower than that of combination group at each time point (P<0.05).At each time point, the number of HE staining of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) showed that the loss of RGCs in the combination group was significantly lower than that in the other groups, and the ganglion cell count showed that the Ginkgo biloba extract group and the neuronal growth group were lower (P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Nerve growth factor combined with Ginkgo biloba extract has better protective effect on retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury.The mechanism may be related to the decrease of free radicals and increase the activity of SOD in retinal tissue.

BACKGROUND:Polyhydroxybutyrate-co-volerate (PHBV) is a noticeable tissue engineering material of polyhydroxyalkanoates family. It has the properties of low immune rejection response and good biocompatibility, and its degradation products are non-toxic.
OBJECTIVE:To investigate the biocompatibility of PHBV membrane material and human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s in vitro.
METHODS:Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s at passage 3 were seeded upon PHBV membrane as experimental group and upon conventional culture plates as control group. Then we calculated the adherent cel number of two groups at 1, 2 and 4 hours and got the cel adherent rate. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide assay was used at days 2, 4, 6, 8 to observe the cel proliferation of two groups. Fluorimetric method with the fluorescent dye Hoechst 33258 was used to detect the DNA content of cel s at days 3, 6, 9 and 12 in both groups. After cel s were seeded upon PHBV membrane for 5 days, the cel growth upon the material was examined under a scanning electron microscope.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:When the cel s were cultured for 1 hour, the adherent rate in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group;but there were no significant differences between two groups at the other two periods. No difference was found in the cel proliferation and the DNA content between the two groups. Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s seeded upon PHBV membrane for 5 days grew wel with spindle morphology and the intercel ular connections were tight and more extracel ular matrices were observed by scanning electron microscopy. Taken together, PHBV membrane material shows a good biocompatibility with human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cel s.

Culture environment is the key factor in the construction of dermal skin.It was investigated that the effects of the culture methods,including the static culture and spinner flask culture,and stir speeds on the cells proliferation,metabolism and distribution within collagenchitosan sponges.A higher cell density and specific growth rate was obtained with spinner flask culture versus static culture,especially,the 80 r/min spinner flask culture.The cell distribution in dermal substitutes from stirred culture system was more uniform than static culture,as well as that with increase of stir speeds in spinner flask.In summary,the spinner flasks culture with proper stir speed shows promise for the construction of dermal substitutes in vitro.

OBJECTIVE To investigates the effects of imperatorin on the oxidative stress in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus after focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. METHODS Transient focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion model in male Sprague-Dawley rats was induced by 2 h middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by 24 h reperfusion. Imperatorin (1.25 and 2.5 mg·kg- 1) or vehicle were administered intraperitoneally at 1, 5 and 9 h after the onset of ischemia. At 24 h after reperfusion, the biomarkers of oxidative stress such as the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation products malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), the activities of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus were observed. We also assessed the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and the NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO-1) protein expression by Western blot. RESULTS As compared to vehicle-treated animals, imperatorin treatment significantly reduced the ROS, MDA, NO levels and iNOS activity, increased T-AOC and the activities of SOD and CAT. Furthermore, imperatorin treatment also significantly induced the nuclear translocation of Nrf2, enhanced the protein expression of HO-1 and NQO-1 in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that imperatorin can protect the brain against the excessive oxidative stress induced by cerebral ischemia/reperfusion through activation of Nrf2 signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of masking therapy for the early stage of the patients with noise-induced tinnitus,and imply the treatment for patients with noise-induced tinnitus. METHOD: Sixty-eight cases with tinnitus were studied. All the patients took the audiological examinations and tinnitus tests firstly, and accepted the masking therapy for 6 months. The therapeutic effiency was evaluated according to tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) and subjective visual-analogue scale (VAS). The minimum masking intensity was also evaluated. RESULT: The majority of the patients with noise-induced tinnitus (59 cases, 86. 8%) had tinnitus frequency of 4 kHz,and most of them (44 cases, 64. 7%) had positive residual inhibition tests. Tinnitus completely disappeared in 3 cases after masking therapy, and the efficiency of this treatment is 83. 8%. There was significant difference in the scores of THI and VAS before and after therapy(P<0. 01), and there was also significant difference in the minimum masking intensity (P<0. 01). CONCLUSION Masking therapy is the most important treatment for the patients in the early stage of noise-induced tinnitus. The therapeutic effiency is significant and should be promoted.
Humans ; Noise ; adverse effects ; Tinnitus ; etiology ; therapy

OBJECTIVE: To analyze and summarize nystagmus of patients with posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) in positioning test,and to improve the diagnosis and treatment of posterior canal BPPV (PSC-BPPV). METHOD: The present study was conducted on 175 patients who had unilateral BPPV of the posterior semicircular canal (PSC). Their positional nystagmus recorded by videnonystagmography in Dix-Hallpike test,roll test and roll over test were analyzed to summarize the characteristics of nystagmus on nystagmograph of PSC-BP-PV. RESULT: Of the 175 patients, lesion was located in the left PSC in 69 (39.4%) patients,the right PSC in 106 (60. 6%)patients. The nystagmus of patients with PSC-canalithiasis showed upward on the vertical phase of nystagmograph and orientated the different side on horizontal phase in the head hangging position. The horizontal phase pointed to the contralateral side in 47(26. 9%) patients, the ipsilateral contralateral side in 100(57. 1%) patients,no significant reverse ingredients in 28(16.0%) patients. When these patients returned to sit,139(79.4%) patients showed down beating positioning nystagmus, whereas 36 (20. 6%) patients with no nystagmus only had a short vertigo or dizziness. The horizontal phase of the 139 patients pointed to the contralateral side in 40(22. 9%) patients,the ipsilateral contralateral side in 68(38. 9%) patients,no significant reverse ingredients in 31(17. 7%) patients. In roll test,12 patients of the right PSC-BPPV presented an up-beating rotatory nystagmus when the head turned to right,and 5 patients of the left PSC-BPPV presented a down-beating rotatory nystagmus when the head turned to left. When the patients changed body from the left lateral position to the right lateral position in the roll over test, 74(42. 3%) patientsshowed vertical positioning nystagmus. In 30 patients who presented an up-beating nystagmus, there were 25(83. 3%) patientscame from the right PSC-BPPV. In 44 patients who presented a down-beating nystagmus, there were 36(81. 8%) patientscame from the left PSC-BPPV. The direction of the vertical nystagmus was highly correlated with the judgment about the side of the PSC-BPPV in roll over test (P<0. 01). CONCLUSION The patient with PSC-canalithiasis showed an uncertain direction in torsional nystagmus in Dix-Hallpike test,the diagnosis was mainly concern with the vertical nystagmus. When we found a rotatory nystagmus with much more up-beating nystagmus in roll test, it might be PSC-BPPV. We also can use the roll over test to diagnose the location of the otolith in which side of the PSC-BPPV.
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo ; complications ; Dizziness ; Electronystagmography ; Face ; Head ; Humans ; Nystagmus, Physiologic ; Otolithic Membrane ; Patient Positioning ; Semicircular Canals ; Vertigo ; Vestibular Function Tests

To observe the effect of intracarotid administration of adrenomedullin (AM) on the spontaneous electrical activity of area postrema (AP) neurons, 78 spontaneous active units were recorded from 63 sino-aortic denervated Sprague-Dawley rats using extracellular recording technique. The results obtained are as follows. (1) Following intracarotid administration of AM (0.3 nmol/kg), the discharge rate of 47 out of 78 units increased markedly from 2.99+/-0.24 to 4.79+/-0.29 spikes/s (P<0.001), 20 units decreased from 3.24+/-0.46 to 1.97+/-0.37 spikes/s (P<0.001), and the remaining 11 showed no response. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) did not change throughout the experimentation. (2) Pretreatment with intracarotid administration of calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist CGRP8-37 (3 nmol/kg) did not change the effects of AM. (3) Following intracarotid injection of NO precursor L-arginine (30 mg/kg), the excitatory effect of AM was attenuated. The above results indicate that AM can excite spontaneous electrical activity of AP neurons, this effect is not mediated by calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor but may be attenuated by NO precursor L-arginine.
Action Potentials ; physiology ; Adrenomedullin ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Aorta ; innervation ; physiology ; surgery ; Area Postrema ; physiology ; Carotid Sinus ; innervation ; physiology ; surgery ; Denervation ; Injections, Intra-Arterial ; Male ; Neurons ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; blood ; diagnosis ; Case-Control Studies ; Cystatin B ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; blood ; diagnosis ; Male ; Middle Aged

?AlM: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of posterior continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis ( PCCC ) combined with anterior vitrectomy in preventing posterior capsule opacification of congenital cataract surgery.
?METHODS:Postoperative clinical follow-up data of 82 cases ( 87 eyes ) with congenital cataract treated in Eye Center of our hospital from January 2011 to August 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into the surgical control group ( 38 cases, 40 eyes, recieved phacoemulsification + PCCC ) and the study group ( 44 cases, 47 eyes, accepted phacoemulsification+ PCCC + anterior vitrectomy). The incidence of central optic axis opaque and postoperative visual acuity distribution were recorded at 1a follow - up. lntraoperative and postoperative complications were observed.
?RESULTS:The rate of central optic axis opaque grade 0 in control group was 37. 5%, compared to 76. 6% in study groups. The opacity distribution ratio of grade 1,2,3 and 4 in study group were lower than that of control group, and the central optic axis opacity distribution ratio in study group was significantly better than that of control group (P<0. 05). The 19 eyes(47. 5%) of visual acuity testing ≤0. 5 in control group , was higher than the 7 eyes(14. 89%) of that in the study group, The 21 eyes (52. 5%) of visual acuity testing >0. 5 in control group was lower than the 40 eyes ( 85. 11%) of that in study group. The visual acuity between two groups has statistical significance difference after 1a follow-up ( P<0. 05 ) , and the visual acuity in study group was significantly better than that in the control group. The postoperative intraocular pressure at 1mo and 1a follow-up was lower than before operation in two groups ( P<0. 05), but there was no significant difference between two groups in intraocular pressure (P<0. 05).
?CONCLUSlON: Combination of phacoemulsification, PCCC and anterior vitrectomy presents reliable clinical effects on postoperative central optic axis opacity distribution ratio and visual acuity, and it should be adopted to prevent the occurrence of posterior capsule opacification.