OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of baicalein on the gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) in the TM4 Sertoli cells of the mouse testis and its related mechanism.

METHODSWe measured the cytotoxicity of different concentrations of baicalein on the TM4 Sertoli cells in the mouse testis by MTT, detected the fluorescence transfer of the TM4 Sertoli cells by parachute assay, and determined the expression of the protein connexin 43 ( Cx43) in the baicalein-treated cells by Western blot and immunofluorescence assay.

RESULTSBaicalein produced no obvious cytotoxicity on the TM4 Sertoli cells at the concentration below 60 µmol/L but significantly increased their GJIC at 0-20 µmol/L (P < 0.01). Western blot and immunofluorescence assay showed that 0-20 µmol/L baicalein remarkably elevated the expression of Cx43 in the TM4 cells (P < 0.01) and on the membrane of the TM4 cells.

CONCLUSIONBaicalein at the concentration of 0-20 µmol/L can significantly enhance GJIC in mouse TM4 Sertoli cells by increasing the expression of the Cx43 protein.

Animals ; Cell Communication ; drug effects ; Connexin 43 ; metabolism ; Flavanones ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Gap Junctions ; drug effects ; Male ; Mice ; Sertoli Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; ultrastructure

We have constructed an immunotoxin(Ng76-TCS),which was composed of a monoclonalantibody directed against human melanoma and trichosanthin(TCS)——a single chain ribosomeinactivating protein.The cultured human melanoma cells(M21)were inhibited effectively byNg 76-TCS.The cytotoxicity of Ng76-TCS to M21 cells was 2,000-fold higher than that of free TCS and Ng76 mixture.A conjugate,which was prepared with normal mice immunoglobulinand TCS(NIgG-TCS),was 160-fold less cytotoxic to M21 cells.Meanwhile Ng76-TCS was125-fold less cytotoxic to nontarget cells Hela.These results showed that the immunotoxinNg76-TCS was a potent and specific anti-human melanoma agent.

Objective To investigate the effect of workplace violence on psychological health in nurse of emergency department.Methods 96 nurses of emergency department from 6 third-grade class-A hospitals in Guangzhou who had experienced workplace violence since the last six months were investigated by means of SCL-90 and self-designed questionnaire according to WHO' definition of workplace violence.Results 42.16％ of workplace violence happened between late night and early dawn.The incidence of psychological violence was 72.55％.The patients and their family were the main troublemakers.The risk factors of violence were:needs not met,dissatisfaction of service,heavy drinking,in sequence.On account of workplace violence,the average score of somatization,compulsion,depression,anxiety,hostility,fear and mental disease was significantly higher than the Chinese norm (t =4.676,3.745,2.892,8.236,2.796,8.012,5.177,23.801;P ＜ 0.01 or P ＜ 0.05 ).Conclusions Workplace violence severely affects psychological health of nurse in emergency department and should be prevented and controlled by effective measures.

OBJECTIVETo enlarge the ratio of length to width of a prefabricated random skin flap in a short period, in order to meet a special clinical need.

METHODSA white rat and a white mini-pig was chosen for an animal model for the experiment. They were divided into the experimental group and the control. The prefabricated flap was formed as the planned design. In the experimental group, the flaps were treated with a desired pressure in certain intervals at the planned part of the flap. We estimated and inspected the digitized perfusion of flap microcirculation, and made overcong and wide random skin flap survive within 24 hours, and this technique was finally used for the clinical wound treatment.

RESULTSAs expected, the survival area of the flap in the experimental group was significantly larger than the control. This technique was successfully used to repair the defects of the special sites in plastic and reconstructive surgery.

CONCLUSIONThe method of quickly prefabricated random flap could enlarge the ratio of length to width of the flap and put the flap in shape in short time. With the digitized estimating and inspecting, this method could obviously improve the survival area of the random flap and could also be very useful for the clinical treatment.

Adult ; Animals ; Dermatologic Surgical Procedures ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Skin ; metabolism ; pathology ; Skin Transplantation ; methods ; Surgical Flaps ; supply & distribution ; Time Factors ; Transplantation, Heterologous ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo study the expression changes of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-(alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), and their correlation with obesity in 20 -50 years old population of phlegm-damp constitution (PDC) and of normal constitution (NC) using Luminex technique.

METHODSTotally 101 population were recruited from Health Examination Center of Puren Hospital from April to December 2011. Based on body mass index (BMI), the subjects were assigned to four groups, i.e., the obesity of PDC group (Group OBT, BMI > or = 24 kg/m2, 30 cases), the non-obesity of PDC group (Group NOBT, BMI < 24 kg/m2, 25 cases), the obesity of non-PDC group (Group OBNT, BMI > or = 24 kg/m2, 28 cases), the NC group (Group P, BMI < 24 kg/m2, 18 cases). The BMI and body fat percent (FAT%) were compared among the 4 groups. Serum levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6, CRP, and MCP-1 were measured with Luminex technique.

RESULTSBMI was significantly higher in Group OBT and Group OBNT than in Group NOBT and Group P (all P < 0.05). The FAT% was significantly higher in Group OBT and Group OBNT than in Group P (P < 0.01). The serum TNF-alpha level in Group OBT was higher than in Group P (P < 0.01). The serum CRP and MCP-1 levels were significantly higher in Group OBT, NOBT, and OBNT than in Group P (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The score for PDC was positively correlated with TNF-alpha, IL-6, and MCP-1 levels (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSAbnormal higher levels of inflammatory factors exist in 20 -50 years old population of PDC. Chronic inflammation exists in population of PDC and obesity people.

Adult ; Body Mass Index ; C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Chemokine CCL2 ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Microchip Analytical Procedures ; Middle Aged ; Obesity ; blood ; diagnosis ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood ; Young Adult

Carotid-cavernous fistulas (CCFs) are abnormal arteriovenous anastamoses between the carotid artery and the cavernous sinus. These fistulas may be classified by cause (spontaneous or traumatic), flow velocity (high or low), or pathogenesis (direct or indirect). The most commonly adopted classification is that described by Barrow based on arterial supply. Traumatic CCFs are almost always direct shunts between the internal carotid artery (ICA) and the cavernous sinus. General features of CCFs, which may be apparent with any lesion, including bruit, headache, loss of vision, altered mental status and neurological deficits. Some fistulae may present primarily with hemorrhage before any evaluation can be performed. However, hemiparesis has been rarely observed. Only a literature review of Murata et al reported a case of hemiparesis caused by posttraumatic CCF, in which the fistula resulted in venous hypertension and subsequent brainstem congestion. While in our case, cerebral infarction was caused by total steal of the blood flow. The patient recovered after occlusion of the fistula with a detachable balloon.
Adult ; Balloon Occlusion ; methods ; Carotid-Cavernous Sinus Fistula ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; Cerebral Angiography ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; complications ; diagnosis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Paresis ; complications ; diagnosis ; Recovery of Function ; Risk Assessment ; Severity of Illness Index ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome ; Wounds, Nonpenetrating ; complications

OBJECTIVETo investigate the possibility and the limit in increasing the survival area of the random skin flap by extremely increasing the ratio of its length and width within 24 hours.

METHODSSD rats (n = 20) were chosen for this study. The rats were randomly divided into: subject group and control one. Pre-made skin flap was prepared as design. The subject group was carried out rapid pre-fabricated skin flap formation training. No training was performed in control group. The changes in perfusion value of micro-circulation inside skin flap were monitored during the whole process, and micro-circulation parameters of the skin flap were used to evaluate whether its blood circulation network was mature or not.

RESULTSTraining of pre-made skin flap at 18th hour, the perfusion value of its micro-circulation was basically stable, Skin flap formation was finished at 24th hour. Survival area in control group was (68.25 +/- 0.18)% and in subject group was (97.25 +/- 0.24)% (P < 0.01). There was a significant difference between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONSWithin short time, it is possible to establish micro-circulation in skin flap which exceeds the limit set by traditional theory. Digitalized judgment can be used to monitor the fast formation of super-big skin flap. This method is reliable and can increase the survival rate of random skin flap.

Animals ; Female ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Skin ; blood supply ; metabolism ; Skin Transplantation ; Surgical Flaps ; Time Factors

Radix Astragali, a Chinese herbal medicine possessing important cardiovascular pharmacologic effects, is widely applied for the treatment of chronic heart failure (CHF) in clinical practice. This paper summarizes briefly the researches in the last 10 years on its chemical compositions, effective ingredients for improving cardiac function, dose-effect relationship in treating CHF, and adverse reactions that occurred in clinical practice.
Astragalus Plant ; chemistry ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Heart Failure ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Phytotherapy ; trends ; Research ; trends

This paper reviewed the retrieved literature published in the last 10 years, regarding the mechanism of Radix Astragalus in treating heart failure, in aspects of myocardial contraction improvement, cardiac muscle cell protection, neuro-endocrinal system regulation, relative cytokine regulation, and left ventricular remodeling inhibition, etc.
Astragalus Plant ; Biomedical Research ; trends ; Cytoprotection ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Heart Failure ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Myocardial Contraction ; drug effects ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; drug effects ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo explore the prognostic factors and to compare chemotherapy alone versus surgical resection plus chemotherapy for early stage primary gastric diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL).

METHODSClinical data of 75 patients who were diagnosed as primary gastric DLBCL between January 1993 and August 2008 in Cancer Institute and Hospital of Tianjin Medical University were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTSAmong these 75 patients, 20 patients received chemotherapy alone and 55 underwent surgical resection plus chemotherapy. Complete remission rates were 65.0% (13/20) and 83.6% (46/55), effective rates were 75.0% (15/20) and 92.7% (51/55), and 5-year survival rates were 86.9% and 78.7% respectively in chemotherapy alone group and resection plus chemotherapy group, while the differences were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). Multivariate Cox regression model showed that international prognosis index (IPI) was the only independent prognostic factor (P<0.05, HR=11.350, 95%CI:1.011-127.371).

CONCLUSIONSIn early stage of DLBCL, IPI is the only independent prognostic factor. The clinical outcomes are comparable between chemotherapy alone and surgical resection plus chemotherapy.

Female ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome