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There is an increasing interest and popularity of Chinese herbal medicine worldwide, which is accompanied by increasing concerns about its effectiveness and potential toxicity. Several ingredients, such as polyphenolic compounds berberine, flavonoids, and curcumin, have been studied extensively by using various animal models. Effectiveness of treatment and amelioration of metabolic syndromes, including insulin resistance and dyslipidemia, has been demonstrated. This review summarizes the major checkpoints and contributing factors in regulation of exogenous and endogenous lipid metabolism, with particular emphasis centered on triglyceride-rich and cholesterol-rich lipoproteins. Available experimental evidence demonstrating the lipid-lowering effect of berberine, flavonoids and curcumin in cell culture and animal models is compiled, and the strengths and shortcomings of experimental designs in these studies are discussed.

Objective To evaluate the effect of endemic disease prevention in Shaanxi province caused by earthquake and supply a scientific basis for making decision regarding restoration and reconstruction after the earthquake.Methods Forty different drinking water samples were collected respectively from Mianxian county and Chencang district the earthquakes'most severely hit areas in Shaanxi province with drinking-water-borne fluorosis.The contents of fluorine and arsenic in the water was detected by Fluoride ion-selective electrode and hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry,respectively.Two hundreds iodized salt and urine samples were collected from affected household women aged 18-45 in severely hit Ningqiang and Lveyang countie with iodine deficiency disorders.The contents of iodine in the salt was detected by semi-quantitative and of urinary iodine of household women was determined by AsⅢ-Ce4+ catalytic spectrophotometry.Two hundred children aged 7-12 were detected by clinical and X-ray examination from Ningqiang and Lveyang counties of Kashin-Beck disease prevailing areas.Hair and food samples from 20 children were collected.The contents of selenium were determined by 2,3-Diamino naphthalene fluorescence spectrophotometry and of T-2 toxin in the food was detected by ELISA.Results No incidents of serious hydrologieM or geological damage were found.Fluoride content in one of eighty water samples was beyond 1.5 mg/L,accounting for 1.25%;five samples were between 1.0 mg/L and 1.5 mg/L,accounting for 6.25%:the arsenic content of all samples were below 0.01 mg/L;all the salt samples from the home of household aged 18-45 were iodine salt,the median of urine iodine of household wonlen Was 303.03μg/L (21.40-1133.54 μg/L) and 325.21 μg/L(27.61 - 1191.46 μg,/L) in Ningqiang and Lveyang counties, respectively.No clinical and X-ray patients were found in the children aged 7 - 12, the average content of selenium in hair was (0.2638 ± 0.0875)mg/kg; the content of T-2 toxin in the forty food samples was below 100 μg/kg. Conclusions The prevention of the endemic disease in the four counties has been moderately affected by the earthquake, but the situation of endemic disease is stable and there is no evidence of the endemic disease.

Objective To evaluate the impact of respiratory motion on lung dosimetry using 4D-CT during lung cancer radiotherapy.Methods Ten cases were randomly selected from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated in our department.The 4D-CT machine was adopted for simulation before treatment and 10 respiratory phases were obtained for each patient.Target volumes were delineated on the maximum intensity projection (MIP) images,and plans were generated on average intensity projection (ALP) images.Plans were transferred to CT images of each respiratory phase,and we calculated the dosage on lungs and subsequently evaluated the volume dosage to lungs and the entire body.Results The mean dosage to lungs are greatly affected by the respiratory phase.This difference also depended on tumor location.When it was inside the lung,the average dosage shows the same trend as the respiratory motion,with the change rate of 2.18％,which was less than the change of lung volume 4.49％ (t =4.189,P ＜ 0.05).When the tumor was located nearby the lung,the mean dosage showed the opposite trend with respiratory motion,with the change rate of 3.76％,which was also less than the change of lung volume 4.49％ (t =25.007,P ＜ 0.05).The effect of respiratory motion on V5,V10,V20 of body was small,and the magnitude of change for whole body dosages were 0.47％,0.28％,0.17％ respectively,which was smaller than the change of lung volume 4.49％ (t =11.371,11.188,11.377,P ＜ 0.05).Volume dose of lung V5,V10,V20 and lung volume change trends were the same,and the magnitude of change for lung volume dosages were 2.39％,1.91％,1.80％ respectively,and were smaller than the change of lung volume 4.49％ (t =2.279,2.298,2.485,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions The mean dosage to lungs shows a great difference between different respiratory phases.More attention should be paid when evaluating the lung volume during treatment planning.

Objective To study the role of CT in the evaluation after patellar dislocation triple surgeries.Methods Retrospectively analysed the CT measurements of 60 recurrent patellar dislocation patients (61 knees),who had undergone patellar dislocation triple surgeries,within one month before and after procedures.The measurements included patellar tilt angle,lateral patellar displacement,trochlear con-gruence angle,Tibial Tuberosity-Trochlear Groove distance,Insall-Salvati Ratio and Caton-Deschamps Index.Moreover,the troch-lear dysplasia classifications of all patients were evaluated.In addtion,an analysis has also been completed for 40 (41 knees)of 60 patients who had second postoperative CT examinations as follow-up assessment 3 to 6 months after surgeries.Results All one-month postoperative measurements decreased obviously with statistical significance(P <0.05 ).Furthermore,one case of subluxa-tion,1 1 cases of abnormal Tibial Tuberosity-Trochlear Groove distance,13 cases of abnormal Insall-Salvati Ratio and 14 cases of Ca-ton-Deschamps Index abnormities were also observed.Besides that,it was also found that all patients had trochlear dysplasia and 5 cases were diagnosed with patellar subluxation or dislocation at the second postoperative follow-up assessment.Conclusion The patients with redislocation or risks for patellar instability can be detectecd by CT which provides objective evidence for postoperative evaluation and further treatments.

Objectives To investigate the effect and mechanism of terbutaline sulfate on pulmonary fluid transport in pre-mature rats. Methods Pregnant rats were randomly divided into 5 groups (control group, premature group, low-dose terbutaline group, high-dose terbutaline group and dexamethasone group). Drugs were administered by gavage after rats were fertilized for 16 days and continued for 3 days. Premature rats were taken out from the 19 days pregnant rats, and mature rats were delivered on the due day. Lungs were collected, and the ratio of pulmonary wet weight to dry weight (W/D), Na+, K+-ATP ase activity and concentration of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) were measured in lungs. Results The W/D rate, Na+,K+-ATPase acti-vity and cAMP concentration in lungs had significant difference among different groups (P<0.01). The W/D rate was highest in premature group and lowest in the control group. It was lower in the high-dose terbutaline group than in the low-dose terbutaline group and the dexamethasone group (P<0.05). The Na+,K+-ATPase activity was lowest in premature group and highest in high-dose terbutaline group. It was higher in dexamethasone group, low-dose terbutaline group, and high-dose terbutaline group than in premature group, and it was higher in high-dsoe terbutaline group than in low-dose terbutaline group and dexamethasone group (P<0.05). The cAMP levle was lowest in premature group and highest in high-dose terbutaline group. It was higher in dexamethasone group, low-dose terbutaline group, high-dose terbutaline group than in premature group, and it was higher in high-dose terbutaline group than in low-dose terbutaline group and dexamethasone group (P<0.05). Conclusions Terbutaline sulfate facilitates lung fluid transport in premature rats, leading to reduce the W/D rate in terbutaline-treated group. We speculate that this effect is related to the increased cAMP level and Na+, K+-ATPase activity in lung tissue.

Objective To investigate the different distribution and expression of mammalian target of rapamycin complex (mTORC) in the kidney of diabetic nephropathy (DN) mice.Methods Fourteen eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were assigned to 2 groups: the control group ( n=7 ) and the streptozotocin ( STZ )-induced DN group ( n=7 ) . Blood and urinary variables including glucose , albumin, creatinine and albumin/creatinine ratio were assessed 2 weeks after STZ injection.Hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed for renal pathological analyses .The distributions of mTOR , phosph-ser2448-mTOR(p-mTOR), mTORC1(Raptor), mTORC2(Rictor) and phosph-ser240/244-S6K1 (p-S6K1) were determined by immunofluorescence.The expression levels of mTOR, p-mTOR, mTORC1(Raptor), mTORC2(Rictor), S6K1 and p-S6K1 were detected by Western blotting .Results Two weeks after STZ injection , the diabetic mice developed albuminuria (P<0.01) and renal hypertrophy (P<0.05).The immunofluorescence positive staining for mTOR , Raptor, and Rictor was distributed in the epithelial cells of proximal tubules , glomerular mesangium and capillary loops as well as the medullary collecting ducts of the control mouse kidney .These positive signals increased in the DN mouse kidney ( P<0.05).However, pS6K1 was not detected in the inner medulla of control mouse and p-mTOR was not found in the glomeruli of both control and DN mice .Conclusion mTORC is widely expessed in the mouse kidney and participates in the development of DN , whereas the 2448 serine phosphorylation of mTOR may be not implicated in the hyperglycemia mediated glomerular injury .

Objective:To investigate the changes and significances of serum cystatin C and transforming growth factor-β1 levels for the neonatal asphyxia.Methods:Forty-six asphyxia newborns were chosen as the asphyxia group,and thirty healthy newborns were selected as the control group.The TGF-β1,CysC,BUN,Scr,and GFR levels of both groups were detected on the 1st,3rd,7th day after hospitalization.According to the renal injury,the 46 newborns were divided into normal group and asphyxia group,and the serum indexes were detected and analyzed.Results:On the 1st,3rd,7th day after hospitalization,the TGF-β1,GFR of asphyxia group was obviously increased and was lower than those of the control group (P＜0.05);the level of CysC,BUN,Scr in both groups were decreased,and the change degree in asphyxia group were higher than that of the control group (P＜0.05);the CysC,BUN,Scr in renal injured group were higher than those of normal group,and TGF-β1,GFR were much lower (P＜0.05).Additionally,TGF-β1 level of renal injured group was negatively correlated to the BUN and Scr,and positively correlated with the GFR (P＜0.05).The level of serum CysC in renal injured group was positively correlated to BUN and Scr and negatively correlated to GFR (P＜0.05).Conclusion:The serum TGF-β1,CysC in asphyxia newborns had significant changes compared with the healthy newborns and was correlated to the renal injured indexes,which had clinical directive significance on the early diagnosis,condition judgment,and prognosis of neonatal asphyxia with renal injury.

Objective To study the effect of ischemia reperfusion(IR) on electrophysiological function of sinoatrial node(SAN) in rabbits. Methods Ninety healthy adult rabbits were divided randomly into control group, ischemia groups (I) 10(I10 min), 30(I30 min), 60(I60 min) and 120 min(I120 min) and IR groups (10, 30, 60 and 120 min ischemia followed by 4 h reperfusion respectively)(I10 minR4 h, I30 minR4 h, I60 minR4 h and I120 minR4 h). There were 10 rabbits in the control group and each subgroup. IR injury model of SAN was established by occluding and loosening the start section of right coronary artery(RCA). The changes of AA interval and arrhythmia were recorded by electrocardiography and cardiac chamber electrography synchronously. Results ① There was no significant difference in AA interval between different time points in the control group. ② Sinus arrest(SA), sinus bradycardia with arrhythmia(SB), or atrial tachyarrhythmia(AT) were found in 51 rabbits (63.75%) out of 80 rabbits in I and IR groups in ischemic period. The incidence rate of arrhythmia increased in a time dependent manner. The AA intervals also increased by at least 40 ms in 54 rabbits (67.5%). ③ Sinus or atrial arrhythmia during ischemic period was found in 26 out of the 40 rabbits in IR group, but 15 returned normal after reperfusion. ④ Increased AA intervals were found in 27 out of the 40 rabbits in IR group during ischemic period. Most of them recovered to pre occlusion level within 10 min after reperfusion, but the AA intervals prolonged again in I60 minR4 h and I120 minR4 h groups as the reperfusion elongated. Conclusion ① These findings suggest that about 2/3 of the rabbit sinus node arteries may stem from right coronary artery. ② Electrophysiological changes due to ischemia of SAN resemble the electrocardiogram of sick sinoatrial node syndrome. ③ Reperfusion arrhythmia can be induced by reperfusion after a long time of ischemia.

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is initiated intraoperatively and may display symptoms postopera- tively following total hip or total knee arthroplasties. Pulmonary embolism (PE) and DVT cause morbidity and mortality. It has been established that patients who undergo a major lower-extremity joint replacement should receive prophylaxis due to the increased risk of DVT. Despite use of thrombo-prophylaxis, elective replacement surgery carries a high risk of venous thromboembolic complications. The early detection of DVT and treatment with systemic anticoagulation to pre- vent DVT are essential in the management of patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty. Extended medical throm- bo-prophylaxis is indicated for some high-risk patients. Routine postoperative duplex surveillance for DVT may be clinically useful. In the early post-operative phase, combined prophylaxis such as low-molecular-weight heparins and mechanical methods may be more effective than single intervention measures. However, the efficacy and safety of an- ticoagulation therapy, using various medicines administered after total arthroplasty of large joints are still undetermined and controversial.We should also be alert to the frequency and extent of postoperative hematomas. There are still many uncertainties in treatments to prevent DVT in terms of safety and cost-effectiveness. Therefore, prospective, ran- domised, controlled and multicenter studies may be necessary to obtain valuable information according to evidence based medicine.