Data Mining ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Stomach Diseases ; therapy

Objective: To observe the changes of heart rate and the contents of angiotensin Ⅱ(AngⅡ) in blood plasma in ventricular tachycardia(VT) rats with electro-acupuncture(EA) on ‘daling’(PC7). Methods: 40 SD rats were randomly divided into normal, model, treatment and control groups with 10 cases in each. VT model was duplicated by inject CsCl in femoral vein. To observe the rats’ electrocardiogram (ECG) and record their heart rates. EA was applied to‘daling’ (PC7) on treatment group and applied to‘Taiyuan’ (LU9) on control group for 5 minutes. Then, we detected the contents of AngⅡ in the rats’blood plasma respectively. Results: The heart rate and contents of AngⅡin rat increased obviously in model group were (547?30) time/min and (353.21?49.12)pg/mL). They restored to the normal state after EA ‘daling’ (PC7) are(474?25)time/min and(268.44?47.49)pg/ mL.But the effect was not obvious in ‘Taiyuan’ (LU9). Conclusion VT rat heart can be prompted to restore to the normal state after EA ‘daling’(PC7); AngⅡ played an important role in VT.

Objective To investigate the effect of curcumin(Cur)on proliferation and apoptosis of human esophageal carcinoma drug-resistant cells Eca-109/VCR in vitro and in vivo. Methods The inhibitory effect of Cur on Eca-109/VCR was detected by CCK-8 method. The apoptosis rate of Eca-109/VCR cells after treatment with Cur was determined by flow cytometry. Eca-109/VCR xenografts were established in nude mice and inhibitory effect of Cur on xenografts was observed. HE staining was used to observe the morphological changes. Apoptosis was detect-ed by TUNEL. ELISA was used to measure Caspase-3,Caspase-8 and Caspase-9 expression in nude mice serum. Results Cur significantly inhibited the proliferation of Eca-109/VCR in a time and concentration-dependent man-ner and it could induce apoptosis of Eca-109/VCR. Cur significantly inhibited the growth of xenografts and a large number of necrosis existed in Cur group. Cur induced apoptosis in xenografts and the expression of Caspase-3,Cas-pase-8 and Caspase-9 in serum increased with the increase of Cur concentrations. Conclusion Cur could inhibit the growth of esophageal carcinoma xenografts in vitro and in vivo and its role might be up-regulating the expression of Caspase-3,Caspase-8 and Caspase-9 and associated with the apoptosis induction of drug-resistant esophageal carcinoma cells.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine combined with systemic chemotherapy and/or regional arterial perfusion for pancreatic cancer with liver metastases (PCLM).

METHODSWe retrospectively selected 292 patients with PCLM who were treated by Chinese herbal medicine combined with systemic chemotherapy and/or regional arterial perfusion at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital from January 2001 to December 2010. All patients were assigned to the Western medicine treatment group (157 cases) and the integrative medicine treatment group (135 cases). Patients in the Western medicine treatment group were treated with gemcitabine (GEM)-based chemotherapy, and partial of them received regional arterial perfusion. Those in the integrative medicine treatment group additionally took Chinese herbs of clearing heat and eliminating mass for at least 4 weeks. The median survival time (MST) , adverse reactions and the incidence of complications were observed.

RESULTSThere was no statistical significance in general data between the two groups (P > 0.05). There was statistical difference in MST between the two groups (4.8 months vs 5.5 months, P < 0.05). No death occurred during chemotherapy or regional arterial perfusion. All toxic or adverse reactions were tolerable.

CONCLUSIONChinese herbal medicine combined with systemic chemotherapy and/or regional arterial perfusion was effective and safe, and it could be optimally selected as palliative therapy for PCLM.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Complementary Therapies ; methods ; Deoxycytidine ; analogs & derivatives ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; secondary ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical effect and safety of chiropractic in treating cervicogenic sudden hearing loss.

METHODSFrom January 2011 to October 2013, 90 patients with cervicogenic sudden hearing loss were randomly divided into treatment group and control group according to the random number table produced by SPSS 19.0 software. In the treatment group, there were 17 males and 28 females, aged from 31 to 62 years old with an average of (47.57±9.43) years; course of disease was from 1 to 3 days with an average of (1.43±0.68) days; pure-tone audiometry score was from 46.5 to 77.8 dB with the mean of (61.20±9.83) dB; Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire (NPQ) score was from 17 to 31 scores with an average of (23.46±7.18) scores. In the control group, there were 15 males and 30 females, aged from 28 to 64 years old with an average of (45.77±6.99) years; course of disease was from 1 to 3 days with an average of (1.50±0.73) days; pure-tone audiometry score was from 48.1 to 75.0 dB with the mean of (63.91±8.05) dB; Northwick Park Neck Pain Questionnaire (NPQ) score was from 20 to 29 scores with an average of (25.61±10.43) scores. The patients of control group were treated with dexamethasone intravenous drip of 10 mg, 3 days later, decreased to 5 mg, 3 days again. And with the methycobal intravenous drip of 500 μg, treatment continued for 10 days. The patients of treatment group were treated with chiropractic additionally except for the therapeutic methods of control group. Chiropractic included local muscle loosening, attacking point, bilateral pulling atlanto-axial joint, and continuous treatment for 10 days. The pure-tone audiometry score and NPQ score were compared between two groups after treatment.

RESULTSAfter the treatment, pure-tone audiometry score and NPQ score in treatment group improved to (40.23± 8.14) dB and (12.70±8.29) scores respectively, which were obviously better than that of control group's (37.70±10.61) dB and (21.24±11.13) scores (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONCompared with routine method for cervicogenic sudden hearing loss, additional chiropractic can improve hearing and relieve neck pain effectively.

Cervical Vertebrae ; Female ; Hearing Loss, Sudden ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Manipulation, Chiropractic ; methods ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged

AIMTo study the fingerprint of Ezhu by GC-MS.

METHODSGC-MS analysis was performed for 18 samples of three species of Curcuma used as Ezhu. TIC profiles were evaluated by "Computer Aided Similarity Evaluation System" (MATLAB5.3 based, Ver. 1.240, developed by Research Center for Modernization of Chinese Medicine, Central South University). The characteristic peaks in chromatograms were identified by comparing mass data with literatures. Hierarchical clustering analysis was performed by SPSS based on the relative peak area (RPA) of identified peak to germacrone in 18 samples.

RESULTSResemblance values of 18 samples of Ezhu were pretty low. The mutual mode fingerprint plots of Ezhu were failed to develop. However, 18 samples were divided into two main clusters based on hierarchical clustering analysis, Curcuma wenyujin cluster and Curcuma phaeocaulis cluster, but the samples of Curcuma kwangsiensis were dispersive. Therefore, based on hierarchical clustering analysis, two mutual mode fingerprint plots of Curcuma wenyujin and Curcuma phaeocaulis were developed. But that of Curcuma kwangsiensis was failed because of low resemblance among samples.

CONCLUSIONThe mutual mode fingerprint is the basis for quality control of Chinese materia medica from multi-origins. Development of GC-MS fingerprint of Ezhu was failed, which indicates that the chemical components in different species of herbs used as one Chinese materia medica may be significantly different. The relationship of chemical components and pharmacological activities should be further studied so as to elucidate the rationality of Chinese materia medica from multi-origins.

Cluster Analysis ; Curcuma ; chemistry ; classification ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Phylogeny ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; classification ; Quality Control ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sesquiterpenes ; analysis ; Sesquiterpenes, Germacrane ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo introduce a rapid colorimetric method for assessing the viability of osteosarcoma cells after chemotherapy.

METHODSColorimetric assay and automatic microplate scanning spectrophotometer were used for assaying the viability of osteosarcoma cells.

RESULTSClose correlation was found between the absorbance at 570 nm of the formazan products and the number of viable osteosarcoma cells.

CONCLUSIONAn effective, sensitive and convenient colorimetric assay has been established to assess the survival of osteosarcoma cells following chemotherapy.

Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Bone Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Colorimetry ; methods ; Formazans ; Humans ; Osteosarcoma ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tetrazolium Salts

OBJECTIVETo assess the feasibility of using MTT assay for detecting the apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells following chemotherapy.

METHODSThe osteosarcoma cells derived form surgical specimens were cultured in RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 10% calf serum. Chemotherapeutic agents were administered in the cell culture, and MTT assay was used to observe the cell apoptosis under optical microscope.

RESULTSMTT staining accurately identified apoptosis of the osteosarcoma cells, and the apoptotic cells were easily distinguished from normal cells and dead cells.

CONCLUSIONMTT staining is convenient and practical for detecting osteosarcoma cell apoptosis.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Bone Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Osteosarcoma ; pathology ; surgery ; Tetrazolium Salts ; Thiazoles ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

OBJECTIVETo establish a ICP-MS method for the determination of heavy metals, including As, Hg, Pb, Cd, in four traditional Chinese medicines.

METHODThe samples were digested by closed-versel microwave. The four heavy metals were directly analyzed by ICP-MS. Select internal standard element in for the method by which the analyse signal drife is corrected by the signal of another element (internal standard elements) added to both the standard solution and sample.

RESULTFor all of the analyzed heary methals, the correlative coefficient of the calibration curves was over 0.999 2. The recovery rates of the procedure were 97.5%-108.0%, and its RSD was lower than 11.6%.

CONCLUSIONThis method was convenient, quick-acquired, accurate and highly sensitive. The method can be used for the quality control of trace elements in traditional Chinese medicines and for the contents determination of traditional Chinese medicines from different habitats and species.

Arsenic ; analysis ; Cadmium ; analysis ; Codonopsis ; chemistry ; classification ; Curcuma ; chemistry ; classification ; Ecosystem ; Gentiana ; chemistry ; classification ; Lead ; analysis ; Mass Spectrometry ; methods ; Mercury ; analysis ; Metals, Heavy ; analysis ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Platycodon ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVETo study the cost of the hypertensive outpatients.

METHODSThe study randomly selected 460 insured patients with hypertension and investigated their cost on each case in the out-patient department through 2002, based on the electronic system of medical insurance.

RESULTSAs a whole, the distribution of hypertensive outpatient expenditure takes on the positively skewed, with the median of 1 567.9 Yuan RMB. With the increase of age, the average expenses in each age group increased accordingly. In the study, the average number of outpatient attendances per patient was 19.5, the average expenses per visit was 115.4 Yuan RMB. In age groups 40 - 49 and 50 - 59, expenses of outpatient in male and female groups are obviously different in 2002 (Wilcoxon W(40 - 49) = 36, P(40 - 49) = 0.037; Wilcoxon W(50 - 59) = 374, P(50 - 59) = 0.023), as well as the number of out-patients (Wilcoxon W(40 - 49) = 52.5, P(40 - 49) = 0.007; Wilcoxon W(50 - 59) = 379, P(50 - 59) = 0.028). When considering the factors of gender and age at one time, the outpatient expenditures in the male group were significantly different between the different age groups (chi(2) = 22.3, P < 0.001), as well as the number of outpatients (chi(2) = 25.4, P < 0.001). In addition, the expenditure of drugs, which took a large proportion of the total expenditure of hypertensive outpatients (about 83.6 percent), was divided into three parts according to the degree of correlation with hypertension: direct expenses related to the with disease, the indirect expenses and the irrespective. The proportions of each part were 19.9 percent, 32.3 percent and 47.8 percent respectively.

CONCLUSIONWhen economic evaluation of community prevention is carried out, the cost and cost-benefit analysis based on the analysis of outpatient expenditure and the proportion of expenses on hypertension should be taken into account. Additionally, to provide appropriate mode of medicare, to impact the behaviors and expenditure of patients, and to provide low-cost but good effective drug are also essential and important factors.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Ambulatory Care ; China ; Female ; Health Care Costs ; statistics & numerical data ; Hospitals, Community ; economics ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Hypertension ; economics ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Outpatients ; statistics & numerical data ; Sex Factors ; Time Factors