Objective To investigate the effect of anterior percutaneous endoscopic discectomy (APECD) and open-door laminoplasty (ODLP) through hybrid surgery in the treatment of multisegmental cervical stenosis and giant disc herniation. Methods This study involved 3 patients with multisegmental cervical stenosis and giant disc herniation confirmed by MRI. Among them, there were 2 males and 1 female, with ages from 56-61. All patients showed significant paresthesia or weakness, and were treated between September and November 2016. The surgery was performed by first the ODLP that made spinal cord back shift, and then APECD for the second step. The visual analog scale (VAS) and neck disability index (NDI) were assessed before and after operation. Results The VAS and NDI scores were improved two weeks after operation. No adverse events like spinal cord injury and vascular injury were found during the operation. After operation, no patients were found incision infection, hematoma formation, cerebrospinal fluid leakage, dysphagia, trachyphonia and so on. Conclusion The hybrid surgery of APECD and ODLP for the treatment of the multisegmental cervical stenosis and giant disc herniation can not only decompress the nerve safely and improve the function, but also preserve cervical intervertebral disc and motion segments, therefore delaying the degeneration of adjacent segments with clinical significance.

Objective:To investigate the effects of a stannous-containing sodium fluoride dentifrice and crisscross bristle manual tooth-brush in the management of dental plaque and gingivitis.Methods:249 cases with gingivitis were enrolled in an office-based study. The study was unsupervised and single-centered with open-label and self-control.At baseline,gingival health and plaque coverage were assessed by dentists using categorical scales.Participants were given stannous containing sodium fluoride dentifrice and crisscross bristle design manual brush,and were instructed to use the products by manufacturer's usage instructions twice daily for 30 days.At the end of 30 days,plaque and gingivitis were reassessed using the same categorical scales.Results:232 participants(1 78 females and 54 males) completed the study.Gingivitis data of 5 cases and dental plaque data of 3 cases were not judgable.After 30 days of product use,226 cases(99%)showed noticeable improvement in their gingival health;227(96%)cases showed improvement in overnight plaque cover-age.Conclusion:Stannous-containing sodium fluoride dentifrice in combination with crisscross bristle toothbrush is effective in the management of gingivitis and dental plaque.

OBJECTIVETo investigate in vitro and in vivo anti-human herpes simplex virus effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT) using 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA).

METHODSGuinea pigs model of cutaneous herpes virus infection was applied, and Vero cells infected by HSV-I and HSV-II were used as experimental systems to observe the antiherpes effect of ALA-PDT.

RESULTSThe in vitro experiments showed that ALA-PDT has antiherpes effect on HSV-I and HSV-II, its effect was similar to that of acyclovir. The results of animal experiments showed that ALA-PDT had significant therapeutic effect on guinea pigs model of cutaneous herpes virus infection, the effect was dose-related.

CONCLUSIONALA-PDT could be effective in treating HSV infections, which may provide a new approach to the treatment of viral infections.

Aminolevulinic Acid ; therapeutic use ; Animals ; Cercopithecus aethiops ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Guinea Pigs ; Herpes Simplex ; drug therapy ; virology ; Male ; Photochemotherapy ; Random Allocation ; Simplexvirus ; drug effects ; Skin Diseases, Viral ; drug therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Vero Cells

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

OBJECTIVETo study the principle of clearing Fei (), cooling blood, and detoxification as well as nourishing yin and moisening Fei (abbr. as CCD-NM) in regulating the levels of peripheral T-lymphocyte subsets Th and Tc cells to explore its mechanism for lowering the incidence of infection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

METHODSSixty SLE patients without complicated infection were assigned to the treatment group and the control group, 30 in each group. The control group was treated with Western medicine alone, while the treatment group was treated with the same program of Western medicine, but additionally administered with either Langchuang No.1 (I) or 2 (II), serial concerted Chinese recipes, applied respectively in patients in the active stage or in the resting stage. The total time of treatment for both groups was 1 year. Further, a healthy control group was set up with 20 healthy subjects. The expressions of Th1, Th2, and Tc1 and Tc2 cells in peripheral blood were detected and compared with those in the healthy control group.

RESULTS(1) As compared with the healthy control group, ratios of Th1/Th2 and Tc1/Tc2 in SLE patients, whether complicated with infection or not, were significantly lower (P<0.05 or P<0.01). (2) Comparison between patients with complications and those uncomplicated with infection showed that the two ratios and Th1 expression were lower and Tc2 was higher in the former than those in the latter (all P<0.05). (3) Ratios of Th1/Th2 and Tc1/Tc2 increased after treatment in patients of both the treatment group and the control group (P<0.05 and P<0.01), but the changes in the treatment group were more significant (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe principle of CCD-NM could regulate the Th and Tc subsets toward equilibrium in SLE patients, which might be one of the mechanisms of action for alleviating complicated infection.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; drug effects ; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury on leptin and orexin-A levels in peripheral blood and central secretory tissues, and investigate the roles of leptin and orexin-A in acute inflammatory responses.

METHODSAn intestinal I/R injury rat model was established, and the rats were grouped according to duration of the reperfusion time following a 60-min ischemia. Radioimmunoassay was used to examine the protein levels of leptin in the serum and adipose tissue, and the protein levels of orexin-A in the plasma and hypothalamus. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was also performed to detect the mRNA expressions of adipose leptin and hypothalamus orexin-A.

RESULTSCompared with that before injury, serum leptin level of 60-min ischemia with 30-min reperfusion (I60'R30') group decreased significantly and that of I60'R360' increased significantly. Compared with the sham-operation group (sham) after injury, serum leptin level of I60'R360' group increased significantly, and adipose leptin protein levels of I60'R30' and I60'R90' groups decreased significantly, whereas that of I60'R360' group increased obviously. Compared with sham group after injury, adipose leptin mRNA expressions of I60'R30', I60'R240' and I60'R360' groups all increased significantly, while that of I60'R150' showed significant decrease. No significant changes were noted in the protein levels of orexin-A either in the plasma or hypothalamus after I/R injury. In comparison with sham group after injury, hypothalamus orexin-A mRNA expressions of I60'R30' and I60'R90' groups showed gradual but significant decrease, and till 150 min of reperfusion, the expression reached its lowest, followed then by slow recovery at 240 and 360 min, though still remaining significantly lower than that of sham group.

CONCLUSIONLeptin and orexin-A have a time-dependent response to intestinal I/R injury, but the former appears to exhibit a faster response, and they may play a certain role in the metabolic disorders of acute inflammation.

Animals ; Female ; Inflammation ; blood ; genetics ; physiopathology ; Intestine, Small ; blood supply ; metabolism ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; blood ; genetics ; Leptin ; blood ; genetics ; Male ; Neuropeptides ; blood ; genetics ; Orexins ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Rabbits ; Radioimmunoassay ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; blood ; genetics ; physiopathology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc), the pathogenic agent of black rot disease in cruciferous plants, produces large amount of extracellular polysaccharide (EPS), which has found wide applications in industry. For the great commercial value of the xanthan gum, many of the genes involved in EPS biosynthesis have been cloned and the mechanism of EPS biosynthesis also has been studied. In order to clone genes involved in EPS biosynthesis, Xcc wild-type strain 8004 was mutagenized with transposon Tn5 gusA5, and a number of EPS-defective mutants were isolated in our previous work. The Tn5 gusA5 inserted sites of these mutants were located by using thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR, and results showed that two EPS-defective mutants were insertion mutants of the gene wxcA which involved in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis. The gene wxcA involved in lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis but dose not extracellular polysaccharide in others' report. wxcA::Tn5 gusA5 mutant 021C12, the polar mutant, was complemented with recombinant plasmid pLATC8570 harboring an intact wxcA gene in this work, but the yield of EPS of the wxcA::Tn5 gusA5 mutant was not restored. In order to identify the function of wxcA gene of Xcc 8004 strain, the gene wxcA was deleted by gene replacement strategy, and the no-polar mutant of wxcA was obtained. DeltawxcA mutant strain, named Xcc 8570, was confirmed by using both PCR and southern analysis. Beside the LPS biosynthesis of deltawxcA mutant was affected, The EPS yield of deltawxcA mutant strain reduced by 50% as compared with the wild-type strain 8004. DeltawxcA mutant could be complemented in trans with the intact wxcA gene, and the EPS yield of the mutant was restored. The combined data showed that wxcA gene not only involved in LPS biosynthesis but also EPS yield in Xcc 8004 strain.
Cell Proliferation ; Genes, Bacterial ; physiology ; Lipopolysaccharides ; biosynthesis ; Mutation ; Polysaccharides, Bacterial ; biosynthesis ; Xanthomonas campestris ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical manifestations of laryngeal tuberculosis and its laryngoscopic characteristics.

METHODClinical analysis of 36 laryngeal tuberculosis cases confirmed pathologically was carried out retrospectively.

RESULTSThe patients' ages ranged from 19 to 78 years old (median 39.5 years old). The male to female ratio was 1.8 to 1. The most frequent chief complaint was hoarseness (83.3%). The true vocal cord and the false vocal cord were usually found involved by fibrolaryngoscope observations. The lesions appearances were mainly the proliferation such as nodules or granules. The laryngostroboscopy demonstrated that the wave of the mucosa and vibration of the involved vocal cords were markedly reduced or disappeared. Among 24 patients with multiple lesions in the larynx, 19 (79.2%) had active pulmonary tuberculosis,while 9 (75.0%) had normal lung status among 12 patients with single lesions in the throat. All the patients received a full course of antituberculosis treatment. The results of the antituberculous medication was satisfactory in all 26 cases patients who can be followed up, while 10 cases were lost for the follow-up.

CONCLUSIONSThe local clinical manifestations of laryngeal tuberculosis is nonspecific, while the whole manifestation is not apparent. The lesions commonly involve the true vocal cord and the false vocal cord. It can even occur without pulmonary tuberculosis.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Laryngoscopy ; Larynx ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Tuberculosis, Laryngeal ; diagnosis ; pathology ; therapy ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To explore the degradation mechanism of losartan on extracellular matrix in rats with diabetic nephropathy. METHODS: The rat model of diabetic nephropathy was established by streptozotozin(STZ) injection, and the rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: (a normal group, a model group and a losartan group). For 16 weeks, the serum creatinine and urea nitrogen were measured, and glomerular sclerosis index(GSI) were caculated. The expression of collagen Type IV,connective tissue growth factor and transforming growth factor-beta1 were examined by Western blot and real time-PCR respectively. RESULTS: Blood urea nitrogen, GSI and the expressions of collagen Type IV and CTGF protein in the losartan group were lower than those in the model group(all P<0.05), and the expressions of collagen Type IV mRNA,TGF-beta1 mRNA and CTGF mRNA were lower than those in the model group (all P<0.05). CONCLUSION Losartan modulates glomerular sclerosis and decreases the accumulation of collagen Type IV by inhibiting TGF-beta1 and CTGF.
Animals ; Collagen Type IV ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Connective Tissue Growth Factor ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; pathology ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; metabolism ; pathology ; Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Losartan ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; biosynthesis ; genetics

Objective To observe the healing and bone formation of the autogenous particulate bone graft and osseointegration of the implants in shaped titanium mesh with autogenous particulate bone graft and simultaneous implant for reconstructing segmental mandibular defect in dogs. Methods Five Beagle dogs were prepared with unilateral 40 mm segmental mandibular defect. Titanium mesh was shaped according to the mandibular defect and was fixed with titanium screws. The ablated mandibular bone and iliac bone were crashed to approximately 2 mm particulates which then filled the titanium mesh graft. The dogs were sacrificed after six months. X-ray films, histological sections, Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy disperse analysis of the reconstructed mandibles were examined to evaluate the bone formation of the bone graft and osseointegration of the implants. Results The outline of the reconstructed mandible was satisfactory and its function was excellent. The ossific fusion among the particulate bone grafts was fine and no resorption was found. All implants showed excellent osseointegration with the bone graft. The bone near the implant was more compact than the bone away from it. The structure of the bone near implant was optimized because of simultaneous implant in shaped titanium mesh.Conclusions The shaped titanium mesh with autogenous particulate bone graft is a good method for reconstructing segmental mandibular defect, and simultaneous implant is feasible in the reconstructed mandible in dogs.