Clavicle ; Forensic Medicine ; Fractures, Bone ; Humans ; Skull Base

OBJECTIVE: To establish a model of alcoholic liver fibrosis (ALF) in rats induced by complex factors. METHODS: Forty-seven healthy male rats were divided into three groups: normal control group (n=12), minor CCl4 group (n=12) and complex factors group (n=27). The rats in the complex factors group were fed a complex diet including alcohol, corn oil and pyrazole, and administered with intraperitoneal injection of minor CCl4 to induce ALF. During induction process, the histopathological changes of liver tissue and the values of liver-to-body weight ratio were both observed regularly. The serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (gamma-GT) in these three groups were all examined at the 12th week of the induction process. RESULTS: At the 12th week of the induction process, the model of ALF induced by complex factors was successfully established in rats, and the histopathological presentations showed alcoholic fatty liver, hepatitis and liver fibrosis in a sequence along with the induction process. The value of liver-to-body weight ratio and the serum levels of ALT, AST and gamma-GT of rats in the complex factors group were all significantly different from those in the other two groups. CONCLUSION: It is a steady and effective way to induce ALF in rats with complex diet and minor CCI4 injection.

Objective To evaluate the theraputic effect of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE)for hepatocellular carcinoma with tumor thrombosis of portal vein.Methods One hundred and six patients of hepatocellular carcinoma with tumor thrombosis of portal vein under treament of TACE were observed before and after the procedure.Results After TACE tumor size reduced＞50% in 23 patients,＜50% in 25, no significant change in 44.The size of tumor enlarged in 12.The disappearance of portal vein tumor thrombosis accessed in 14,with reduction in 39,and no significant change in 51.Two patients died within one week.Conclusion TACE provides good therapeutic effect on hepatocellular carcinoma with tumor thrombosis of portal vein.

The shape and structure of granules are controlled by the granulation process, which is one of the main factors to determine the nature of the solid dosage forms. In this article, three kinds of granules of a traditional Chinese medicine for improving appetite and promoting digestion, namely, Jianwei Granules, were prepared using granulation technologies as pendular granulation, high speed stirring granulation, and fluidized bed granulation and the powder properties of them were investigated. Meanwhile, synchrotron radiation X-ray computed micro tomography (SR-µCT) was applied to quantitatively determine the irregular internal structures of the granules. The three-dimensional (3D) structure models were obtained by 3D reconstruction, which were more accurately to characterize the three-dimensional structures of the particles through the quantitative data. The models were also used to quantitatively compare the structural differences of granules prepared by different granulation processes with the same formula, so as to characterize how the production process plays a role in the pharmaceutical behaviors of the granules. To focus on the irregularity of the particle structure, the box counting method was used to calculate the fractal dimensions of the granules. The results showed that the fractal dimension is more sensitive to reflect the minor differences in the structure features than the conventional parameters, and capable to specifically distinct granules in structure. It is proved that the fractal dimension could quantitatively characterize the structural information of irregular granules. It is the first time suggested by our research that the fractal dimension difference (Df,c) between two fractal dimension parameters, namely, the volume matrix fractal dimension and the surface matrix fractal dimension, is a new index to characterize granules with irregular structures and evaluate the effects of production processes on the structures of granules as a new indicator for the granulating process control and optimization.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Fractals ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Powders ; Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship ; Synchrotrons ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Objective To investigate the frequency of CD4~+CD25~+FOXP3~+Treg cells in the peripheral blood of systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)patients and its association with disease activity.Methods Pe- ripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC)from 28 patients(including 18 active SLE)and 22 healthy controls were counted and stained for CD4,CD25 and intracellular FOXP3.Cells were examined by 3-color staining on the Epics XL-MC and data were analyzed using EXPO32 software.Disease activity was assessed by systemic lupus erythematousus activity index(SLEDAI).Results The frequency of CD4~+CD25~+FOXP3~+Treg cells was significantly decreased in patients with active SLE compared with patients with inactive SEE and controls [(1.08?0.43)%,(1.58?0.45)% and(1.66?0.34)%,P

Background: High rate of in?stent restenosis (ISR) remained an unsolved clinical problem in clinical practice, especially among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Diabetic patients often had hypertriglyceridemia with elevated levels of very low?density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL?C). Increasing evidence suggested that VLDL?C was known as a significant risk factor for atherosclerosis and had been recommended as a treatment target by current dyslipidemia guidelines. However, the role of VLDL?C in the occurrence and development of ISR in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with DM had not been studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the elevated levels of VLDL?C and the risk of ISR in CAD patients with DM. Methods: A total of 1390 diabetic patients, who underwent coronary drug?eluting stent (DES) implantation at Beijing Anzhen Hospital and followed up by angiography within 6–24 months, were consecutively enrolled. Patients' demographic and clinical characteristics, including age, gender, CAD risk factors, family history, life style, medical history, and coronary angiographic information, were collected carefully at baseline percutaneous coronary intervention and follow?up angiography. Multivariate Cox's proportional hazards regression modeling using the step?wise method (entry, 0.05; removal, 0.05) was used to determine the independent risk associated with ISR in diabetic patients. Results: Finally, 1206 of patients were included in this study. ISR occurred in 132/1206 diabetic patients (10.9%) by follow?up angiography. Patients with ISR had elevated median serum VLDL?C levels compared with those without ISR (0.65 mmol/L vs. 0.52 mmol/L, P = 0.030). The multivariate regression analysis showed that VLDL?C was significantly associated with the risk of ISR in diabetic CAD patients (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03–1.29, P = 0.017). The HR for the risk of ISR associated with VLDL?C level ≥0.52 mmol/L was 3.01 (95% CI: 1.24–7.34, P = 0.015). Conclusion: The elevated level of serum VLDL?C was a significant and independent risk factor for ISR in diabetic CAD patients after coronary DES implantation.

OBJECTIVE: Studying forensic medical problem related with RTA leading PTSD and supplying accumulating evidence for psychiatric compensation in court. METHODS: One hundred and fifty six victims of RTA were recruited who applied to court for a costs order. The victims were examined for psychiatric diagnosis by psychiatrists and for rank of impairment by experts in forensic clinical medicine. The self-report psychopathological status and quality of life were also measured. RESULTS: Eighty one victims of 156 (51.92%) fulfilled the criteria for PTSD (ICD-10). Morbidity difference in male and female were significant; The more serious extent of impairment is, the more PTSD'possibility is; The scores in World Health Organization Quality of Life were lower and in SAS and SDS were higher in PTSD group than in non-PTSD group. Acquirement of awarded costs could obviously prevent PTSD. CONCLUSION The higher PTSD incidence existed in the RTA victims who applied to court for a costs order, and acquirement of awarded costs could obviously prevent PTSD.
Accidents, Traffic ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Compensation and Redress ; Disability Evaluation ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Forensic Medicine ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales ; Quality of Life ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology* ; Wounds and Injuries/psychology* ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate survivin mRNA and protein expressions in mitomycin (MMC)-treated hepatoma carcinoma Hepa1-6 cells in vitro.

METHODSHepa1-6 cells were cultured in vitro in the presence of MMC at the concentrations of 1.0, 3.0 and 9.0 microg/ml, respectively, and 1 day and 3 days after the culture, the cell growth inhibition was assessed using MTT assay and the expressions of survivin were detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting.

RESULTSMMC at the concentration of 9.0 microg/ml resulted in significantly greater growth inhibition of the Hepa-6 cells than MMC at 1.0 and 3.0 microg/ml, and at the latter two concentrations, MMC treatment for 3 days did not produce obvious cell growth inhibition. Survivin expressions at both the mRNA and protein levels in Hepa1-6 cells were significantly decreased 1 day after MMC treatment at the 3 concentrations, and after 3-day MMC treatment at 1.0 and 3 microg/ml, survivin expressions increased to exceed the control level, whereas survivin maintained the low expression levels in cells treated with 9 microg/ml MMC for 3 days.

CONCLUSIONSurvivin expression in Hepa1-6 cells increases in response to MMC treatment at low doses, which might be one of the reasons for chemotherapeutic drug resistance.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; metabolism ; Mitomycin ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVEPelvic lymph node metastasis is an important prognostic factor of cervical cancer. The prognosis of cervical cancer patients with common iliac lymph node metastasis is poor, but few systematic studies have been reported . This study was to investigate the characteristics, risk, treatment and prognosis of stage IB-IIB cervical carcinoma patients with common iliac lymph node metastasis.

METHODSA total of 960 patients with cervical cancer receiving radical hysterectomy and bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy were selected from the hospitalized patients in the Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University between January 1995 and December 2005, and analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTSOf the 960 patients, 288 (30.0%) had pelvic lymph node metastasis, and 45 (4.7%) had positive common iliac lymph node. The 5-year overall survival rate (OS) of patients with common iliac lymph node metastasis was 46.1%, and 67.5% in patients with other pelvic lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). Univariate analysis showed that clinical stage, serum level of squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) > 4 microg/L before treatment, depth of cervical invasion > or =2/3 and positive parametrial margin were associated with common iliac lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). Patients with > or =3 pelvic lymph node metastasis (excluding common iliac lymph node) or recurrence had poor prognosis (P < 0.05). Factors predictive of common iliac lymph node metastasis on Logistic forward regression were SCC-Ag > 4 microg/L (P = 0.026, OR = 2.303) before treatment and positive parametrial margin (P = 0.045, OR = 2.634).

CONCLUSIONSCervical cancer patients with common iliac lymph node metastasis had poorer prognosis compared with patients with other pelvic lymph node metastasis. SCC-Ag >4 microg/L before treatment and positive parametrial margin were the independent predictive factors for common iliac lymph node metastasis of cervical carcinoma. Pelvic lymph node metastasis (excluding common iliac lymph node) > or = 3 or recurrence was prognostic factors for patients with common iliac lymph node metastasis.

Adenocarcinoma ; blood ; pathology ; surgery ; Adult ; Antigens, Neoplasm ; blood ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; blood ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; methods ; Iliac Artery ; Iliac Vein ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Neoplasm Staging ; Pelvis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Serpins ; blood ; Survival Rate ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; blood ; pathology ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of nerve growth factor (NGF) and Schwann cells on axon regeneration of the inferior alveolar nerve following mandibular lengthening with distraction osteogenesis.

METHODSUnilateral mandibular osteodistraction was performed in 9 healthy adult male goats with a distraction rate of 1 mm/d. Every 3 goats were killed on days 7, 14 and 28 after mandibular lengthening, respectively. The inferior alveolar nerves in the distraction callus were harvested and processed for ultrastructural and NGF immunohistochemical study. The inferior alveolar nerves from the contralateral side were used as controls.

RESULTSOn day 7 after distraction, axon degeneration and Schwann cell proliferation were observed, and very strong staining of NGF in the distracted nerve was detected. On day 14 after distraction, axon regeneration and remyelination were easily observed, and NGF expression started to decline. On day 28 after distraction, the gray scale of NGF immunoreactivity recovered to the normal value and the Schwann cells almost recovered to their normal state.

CONCLUSIONSGradual mandibular osteodistraction can result in mild or moderate axon degeneration of the inferior alveolar nerve. Nerve trauma may stimulate the proliferation of Schwann cells and promote the synthesis and secretion of NGF in the Schwann cells. Schwann cells and NGF might play important roles in axon regeneration of the injured inferior alveolar nerve following mandibular lengthening.

Animals ; Axons ; pathology ; physiology ; Goats ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Mandible ; surgery ; Mandibular Nerve ; physiology ; Nerve Growth Factor ; physiology ; Nerve Regeneration ; physiology ; Osteogenesis, Distraction ; Schwann Cells ; physiology