ObjectiveTo assess the factors influencing plasma B-type natriuretic peptide(BNP) levelsin patients with chronic atrial fibrillation (AF).MethodsClinical and echocardiographic information weredetected or collected.Level of plasma BNP were measured through immunofluorescence quantitified method in222 CAF patients.The patients were divided into two groups according to left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) :LVEF ≥50％ (normal group) and LVEF ＜ 50％ (case groups) .LVEF was detected by transthoracicechocardiography.Fasting Blood Glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid, were measured, and history ofhypertension, diabetes mellitus and smoking, were recorded.ResultsSerum levels of BNP in patients of chronicAF with LVEF ＜ 50％ were significantly higher than those with LVEF≥50％ (Mean Rank, 158.00 and 87.78 ,Z=-7.705, P ＜ 0.001) .In multiple logistic regression analysis, male gender (OR: 13.115,95％ CI 3.382 to50.860,P ＜0.001),history of hypertension(OR:3.710,95％ CI 1.104 to 12.472 ,P = 0.034) ,lower TC(OR: 0.397,95％ CI 0.214 to 0.735, P = 0.003) , LVEF(OR :0.791,95 ％ CI 0.723 to 0.867, P ＜ 0.001) , history ofsmoking(OR: 4.660,95％ CI 1.256 to 17.281, P = 0.021)were significant and independent determinants ofBNP elevation.ConclusionLower LVEF, male gender, history of hypertension and smoking, lower plasma TCare independent predictors of plasma BNP levels in patients with chronic AF.

AIM:To observe the effect of fresh amniotic membrane transplantation ( FAMT) in acute ocular chemical burns.
●METHODS:A prospective study of 25 consecutive cases (36 eyes) with acute ocular chemical burns were treated with FAMT. The clinical efficacy was observed such as the time of amniotic membrane absorbed, corneal epithelialization & transparency, visual acuities and complications.
●RESULTS: With follow-up ranged from 3 to 6mo, 31 eyes′ amniotic membrane were dissolved in 2wk (86%). A total of 33 eyes showed corneal epithelialization in 4wk ( 92%) , 3 eyes showed persistent corneal epithelial defects and need secondary limbal stem cell transplantation or corneal transplantation ( 8%) . A total of 10 eyes showed superficial corneal vascularization (28%), 6 eyes′ cornea were opacity in part (17%), and one eye was symblepharon (3%).
●CONCLUSION:Early FAMT is an effective treatment in the management of acute ocular chemical burns to support epithelial healing, restore ocular surface integrity with potential to improve vision and reduce the incidence of complications. Furthermore, FAMT has advantages of easily obtain and convenient usage, which is suitable in local hospital of our country.

Animals ; Heart Function Tests ; Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) ; metabolism ; In Vitro Techniques ; Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial ; methods ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Animals ; Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) ; metabolism ; In Vitro Techniques ; Ischemic Preconditioning ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Objective:To investigate the immunogenicity of SARS-CoV N DNA vaccine and the feasibility of live-attenuated Salmonella typhimurium as the carrier to deliver the N DNA vaccine.Method:The recombinant attenuated salmonella strain CS022 harboring the pcDNA-N DNA vaccine was constructed.And mouse was immunized with the recombinant strain via intranasal and oral routes.Cellular and humoral immune responses were assessed by ELISA,lymphocyte proliferation assays,ELISPOT and FACS.Result:The oral immunization with the transformed salmonellae elicited strong immune responses mainly including high level of N-specific antibody,a dramatic activation of IFN-?-secreting cells,a high level of lymphocyte proliferation,and a high level of activated CD8+ T cells.Conclusion:Live-attenuated Salmonella typhimurium could effectively deliver the SARS-CoV N DNA vaccine in vivo.These encouraging pre-clinical data provide a rational basis for undertaking a new immune style to investigate SARS vaccine.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of electroacupuncture and diet adjusting on insulin resistance in rats with nutrition obesity, and the role of electroacupuncture and diet adjusting in the treatment of obesity. METHODS: Obesity was induced in rats by high-fat diet. Rats with nutrition obesity were randomly divided into high-fat diet (HD) group, high-fat diet plus electroacupuncture (HA) group, normal diet (ND) group and normal diet plus electroacupuncture (NA) group, with another group of SD rats as normal control (NC). After 15 days, all the rats' body weight and length were measured, the Lee's index was calculated, and the levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), free fatty acid (FFA), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting insulin (FINS) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were detected. RESULTS: Compared with the HD group, food intake, body weight and viscera fat weight of the rats with nutrition obesity in the HA group and the NA group were markedly reduced (P<0.05). The levels of blood serum TC, FFA and IR index in the NA group were obviously lower than those in the HD group (P<0.01). The levels of TNF-alpha and FINS in the NA group were lower than those in the HD group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Electroacupuncture plus diet adjusting can decrease the levels of serum TNF-alpha and FINS of the obesity rats, and improve the state of insulin resistance.

OBJECTIVETo explore the differences of electroacupuncture (EA) on onset time and symptom improvement for treatment of different types of functional constipation.

METHODSThirty-eight cases of constipation were selected, including 9 cases of constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C), 10 cases of slow transit constipation (STC), 10 cases of pelvic floor dyssynergia (PFD) and 9 cases of inadequate defecatory propulsion (IDP). The electroacupuncture was applied at Tianshu (ST 25), Fujie (SP 14), Shenshu (BL 23), Dachangshu (BL 25) and so on in abdominal and lumbosacral area, 5 times per week, 10 times as a treatment course. The onset time, score of clinical symptoms of constipation and improvement of every symptom in each group were compared.

RESULTS(1) The onset time was (1.78 +/- 0.83) days in IBS-C type, (3.11 +/- 1.90) days in IDP type, (4.10 +/- 1.85) days in STC type and (4.30 +/- 2.00) days in PFD type, indicating statistical differences between IBS-C type and STC type, IBS-C type and PFD type (both P < 0.05). (2) Compared before the treatment, the total scores of symptoms on the onset day in each group were all improved (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and score of IBS-C type was superior to the rest 3 types (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). (3) EA improved desire to defecate or frequency of defecation in each type (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), in which both were improved in STC type and PFD type, and the improvement of defecation frequency was more significant in STC type (P < 0.01). EA relieved unsmooth defecation or pendant-expansion feeling in each type (all P < 0.05), in which both were improved in IBS-C type (both P < 0.05). EA relieved abdominal distension and pain in IBS-C type, STC type and PFD type (all P < 0.05), while its effects were not obvious on defecation difficulty, defecation time and defecation texture (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe electroacupuncture for treatment of 4 types of constipation is characterized by rapid onset; the improved symptoms are not identical in the electroacupuncture treatment plan for each type of defecation; the main improvement of symptoms are lied on desire to defecate and frequency of defecation, unsmooth defecation or pendant-expansion feeling and abdominal distension and pain. Meanwhile the improvements of defecation texture, defecation difficulty and defecation time were not signi-ficant.

Adult ; Aged ; Constipation ; etiology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Defecation ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; complications ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pelvic Floor Disorders ; complications ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To explore the change rules of peak area ratio of STR loci to Amelogenin (AMEL) locus (STR/AMEL), a sex-determining gene in DNA degradation, and to evaluate the application of STR/AMEL value in the estimation of DNA degradation degree. METHODS: DNA was extracted from iliopsoas, and the variations of STR/AMEL value (Penta E/AMEL, Penta D/AMEL, FGA/AMEL) were analyzed after the artificial degradation was made by DNase I, and the changes of these three ratios of the iliopsoas naturally degraded in an outdoor environment were also analyzed. The regression curves were analyzed using the periods of DNA degradation and outside the body as the independent variable (x) and the STR/AMEL value as the dependent variable (y) and three curve equations under two conditions were established. RESULTS: Both under the conditions of artificial and natural degradation, STR/AMEL value had a negative relationship with the degradation time. The relationship between STR/AMEL and degradation time can be well simulated by the cubic function. R2 was over 0.99 under controlled degradation condition and over 0.86 under natural degradation condition. CONCLUSION The STR/AMEL value (Penta E/AMEL, Penta D/AMEL, FGA/AMEL) is negatively related with the DNA degradation degree, which follows mathematical regression models strictly, and it might be applied to evaluate the DNA degradation degree.
Amelogenin/genetics* ; DNA Damage/genetics* ; DNA Primers ; Humans ; Microsatellite Repeats ; Regression Analysis ; Time Factors

L9 (3(4)) orthogonal experiment was used to design the extraction technology of compound Clematidis Radix spray. Weight coefficients of active ingredients and dry extract rate were solved by information entropy. Support vector machine (SVM) was established and the model parameters were optimized through the genetic algorithm. Grid search algorithm was used for optimization of extraction technology of Clematidis Radix spray. The optimal extraction technology was to extract Clematidis Radix spray in water with 6 times the weight of herbal medicine for 3 times, with 2 h once. Bias of value between real and predicted by SVM was 1.23%. SVM was compared with traditional intuitive analysis of orthogonal design. It indicates that the new method used to optimize the extraction parameters of compound Clematidis Radix spray is more accurate and reliable.
Clematis ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Support Vector Machine ; Technology, Pharmaceutical

In the current study, nine flavonoids were isolated and purified from 75% ethanol extract of Selaginella uncinata (Desv.) Spring by column chromatographic techniques over macroporous resin, polyamide, silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and pre-HPLC. On the basis of their physico-chemical properties and spectroscopic data analyses, these compounds were elucidated as cirsimarin (1), nepitrin (2), apigenin-6-C-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-8-C-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), apigenin-6-C-β-D-glucopyranosyl-8-C-α-L-arabinopyranoside (4), apigenin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (5), 2,3-dihydroamentoflavone (6), 4'-O-methylamentoflavone (7), 2,3-dihydro-4'-O-methyl-amentoflavone (8), and 2,3,2",3"-tetrahydron-4'-O-methyl-robustaflavone (9). Compounds 1-5 belong to flavonoid glycosides and were isolated from the genus Selaginella for the first time.
Flavonoids ; analysis ; Selaginellaceae ; chemistry