OBJECTIVETo dynamically assess drug targeting of Yougui Pill (YP) and Zuogui Pill (ZP) using infrared thermography.

METHODSIn this self-control experiment, five healthy volunteers were recruited. By using infrared thermography 10 to 11 thermal images of different body locations were taken from each participant after they took warm water, YP, ZP, and their dissembled prescriptions at 30, 70, 100, 130, and 160 min, respectively. The heat values in the lower quadrant abdomen, uterus, Du channel, and Shenque (CV8) were statistically analyzed after scanning for 125 times.

RESULTSAdministration of YP and its disassembled prescriptions enhanced the heat value of the locations of the Du channel and Shenque (CV8), but did no enhance the heat value of the lower quadrant abdomen at 30 min. Administration of ZP and its disassembled prescriptions reduced the heat value in the locations of the lower quadrant abdomen, uterus, Du channel, and Shenque (CV8) at each time point.

CONCLUSIONThe drug targeting of ZP and YP focused on the locations of the Du channel and Shenque (CV8), not on the locations of the lower quadrant abdomen or uterus.

Adult ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Infrared Rays ; Thermography ; methods ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical effects of single posterior debridement, bone grafting, internal fixation and local chemotherapy in treating thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis.

METHODSFrom February 2009 to September 2012,11 patients with thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis were treated by single posterior debridement, bone grafting, internal fixation and local chemotherapy. There were 7 males and 4 females, aged from 27 to 65 years old with an average of 53.7 years. The courses of disease was from 3 months to 2 years with the mean of 9 months. According to ASIA standard of spinal cord injury, 3 cases were grade C and 8 cases D. After treatment, clinical effects were evaluated by ASIA grade, visual analogue score (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI); kyphosis Cobb angle change was observed by X-rays.

RESULTSEleven patients were followed up from 12 to 29 months with an average of 18 months. ASIA grade of spinal cord injury, 3 patients with grade C improved to grade D in 2 cases and grade E in 1 case 8 patients with grade D improved to grade E in 7 cases and unchanged in 1 case. VAS decreased from preoperative 6.10 ± 1.30 to 1.70 ± 0.80 at 3 d after operation (P < 0.05). ODI improved from preoperative (68.36 ± 10.41)% to (14.55 ± 8.99)% (P < 0.05) at 3 d after operation. Kyphotic Cobb angle was corrected from preoperative (22.64 ± 4.84)° to (4.27 ± 1.49)° (P < 0.05) on the 3rd day after operation, and angle loss was mild at final follow-up, there was no significant difference between postoperative at 3 d and final follow-up.

CONCLUSIONSingle posterior debridement, bone grafting, internal fixation and local chemotherapy for the treatment of thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis can effectively remove the lesion, improve nerve function and correct deformity, has advantage of single incision, little trauma, and low recurrence rate. But it still need long-term and systemic treatment with anti-TB drugs.

Adult ; Aged ; Bone Transplantation ; Debridement ; Female ; Humans ; Internal Fixators ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; surgery ; Tuberculosis, Spinal ; therapy

Objective To compare the saccharometabolism with the pancreatic islets functions and insulin resistance index in children with severe stress. Methods Thirty children with severe stress and 30 healthy children in control group were tested. The levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin (FINS) and fasting C - peptide (FCP) were detected by radioimmunoassay respectively and insulin sensitivity index (ISI), insulin resistance index (IR) and fasting blood cell function index (FBCI) were calculated statistically. Results There were significant differences between the children with severe stress and the normal controls in the levels of FINS, FCP and FBG,(all P0.05). Conclusion There is insulin resistance with the significant decrease in the insulin sensitivity index and significant increase in insulin resistance index in the children with severe stress, which may cause the disorder in glucose metabolism in children with severe stress.

ObjectiveBy analyzing the epidemiological characteristics and trends of brucellosis in Hebei province,provide a scientific basis for the formulation of strategies for effective prevention and control of the disease.MethodsUsing the descriptive epidemiological method,data of the “China information system for disease control and prevention” from 2006 to 2010 were statistically analyzed.ResultsThere were 13 632 reported cases from 2006 to 2010 in Hebei province,no death,the annual incidence rates reported were 3.4068/10 million,3.4851/10 million,4.5701/10 million,4.6045/10 million,and 3.5582/10 million,respectively.Eleven counties throughout the province had reported cases.The cases were found intensively in Zhangjiakou,Chengde,Baoding,Handan and Shijiazhuang,which accounting for 90.02％ (12 271/13 632) of the total cases.The disease was found each month throughout the year,and showed a seasonal cycle with peak period in spring and summer.The disease was most commonly found in 25 - 65 age people,which accounting for 84.57％(11 529/13 632).The incidence in male was higher than that of female,and male to female ratio was about 3.56:1.00.Vocational high risk population was farmers,accounting for 91.15％ of the total cases(12 425/13 632).ConclusionsBrucellosis epidemic in Hebei province is relatively serious,and the epidemic range has expand each year,even highly active in some particular areas.To control the outbreak of brucellosis,departments cooperation between health and animal husbandry should be strengthened; management of source of infection should be strengthened; health education and behavior intervention should be carried out thoroughly and deeply for high-risk groups.

Objective To obtain monoclonal antibodies ( mAbs ) against neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin ( NGAL ) and a chemiluminescense immune quantification assay based one paired mAbs.Methods Six-to-eight weeks old female BALB/c mice were immunized with the purified recombinant human NGAL antigen( rhNGAL) that was produced by the Escherichia coil expression system.The spleen was fused with hybridoma for screening anti-NGAL monoclonal antibodies by indirect ELISA.Western blot was implemented to identify the reactivity with native NGAL. Results The rhNGAL antigen was found to form disulfide cross-linked dimers and present excellent immunogenicity.The reaction titer of the immune serum of NGAL immunized mice was about 106.Thirty mAbs were screened by indirect ELISA, hereinto;the EC50 values of mAb23C12 and 38D10 were 0.034 g/mL, 0.022 g/mL respectively.The antibodies pair, 38D10/23C12-SAE labeled with AcridiniumEster(AE), were shown to work well in chemiluminescense immune response quantitative detection which was screened by NGAL standardand clinical urine samples.This detection can resolve positive and negative samples with a statistically significant difference (P<0.0001).And the correlation coefficient R2between NGAL quantitative results and that of the Abbott's NGAL chemiluminescence immune assay kit was greater than 0.97.The detection linear range was 10-1500 ng/mL, analytical sensitivity of the method was 0.63 ng/mL.Conclusion Highly purified rhNGAL antigen and specific anti-NGAL monoclonal antibodies are generated in this study.The detection capability of method is comparable with that of the international commercial kit.

ObjectiveTo investigate the diagnostic value of EUS-FNA for pancreatic masses and correlated influential factors. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 101 patients with pancreatic lesions who underwent EUS-FNA from January 2008 to January 2010. The clinical data enrolled 10 factors including patient gender, patient age, lesion location, lesion size, lesion characteristics, negative suction pressure, times of access, real-time cytological diagnosis, type of EUS and operators' experiences.ResultsThe overall diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of EUS-FNA were 85. 1％, 81.1％, 96. 3％, 98. 4％ and 65.0％, respectively. Univariable logistic regression analysis indicated that lesion size, lesion characteristics, negative suction pressure, operators' experience were correlated factors of EUS-FNA positive rate, while lesion size was the only correlated factor of EUS-FNA diagnostic accuracy ( OR =1. 984,95 ％ CI: 1. 141 ～ 3. 451, P =0. 015 ). Every 1 cm the lesion increased, by 1.67 times of opportunity the positive rate became, by 1.83 times of opportunity the accuracy was. The lesion size and lesion characteristics were independent correlated factors of EUS-FNA positive rate (OR=2.012, P=0.000; OR =10.218, P=0. 002). The positive rate of EUS-FNA in solid lesions was 10. 2 times of that in cystic lesions. Lesion size was the independent correlated factors of EUS-FNA diagnostic accuracy (OR =1. 984, P =0. 015 ). ConclusionEUS-FNA can effectively make a pathological diagnosis of pancreatic masses with high diagnostic accuracy and specificity. EUS-FNA diagnostic positive rate and accuracy were both positively correlated with pancreatic lesion size. EUS-FNA positive rate of solid pancreatic lesions is significantly higher than that of cystic lesions.

Objective To provide an objective basis for differential diagnosis of pancreatic diseases through quantitative analysis of the different features of contrast-enhanced endoscopic ultrasonography (CE-EUS). Methods A total of 32 patients with suspected or confirmed pancreatic neoplasms or chronic pancreatitis and 19 patients who underwent EUS due to other digestive problems other than pancreatic disease were enrolled. Features of blood perfusion of the regions of interest during CE-EUS were analyzed quantitatively. The findings were compared with cytological and/or histopathological results of EUS-FNA and/or surgery.Results Quantitative analysis of CE-EUS showed peak intensity (PI) value of 19 normal pancreas was 0.648 ±0. 174, which was statistically different from that of pancreatic cancer and pancreatic cystic lesions. Based on ROC, the cutoff of differential diagnosis was 0. 505, and the sensitivity and specificity were 100. 0% and 84. 2%, respectively. PI value of 6 chronic pancreatitis was the highest (0. 772 ±0. 106). In pancreatic neoplams, PI values of pancreatic carcinoma, pancreatic cyst and pancreatic endocrine tumors were significantly different. Based on a cutoff of 0. 195, the sensitivity and specificity of differentiation of pancreatic carcinoma and pancreatic cyst were 85.7% and 87.5%, respectively. PI value of 14 pancreatic carcinoma and that of 4 pancreatic endocrine tumors were 0. 321 ± 0. 119 and 0. 763 ± 0. 115, respectively. Through the comparison between the AT and TTP of the focal lesions and surrounding pancreatic parenchyma, 78.6% pancreatic carcinoma showed slow falling-in and rapid wash-out and all the endocrine tumors showed rapid falling-in and rapid wash-out. The PI value of 8 patients with pancreatic cyst was 0. 181 ±0. 036, with no enhanced blood flow in the cyst. The TIC was a straight line. Conclusion CE-EUS with quantitative analysis is a promising method that can be a more objective basis in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic diseases.

AIM: To study the possibility and conditions of transplacental infection of coxsackievirus B3(CVB 3) from pregnant mice to their fetuses and newborns. METHODS: Coxsackievirus B 3 strain causing balb/c mice myocardial injury(CVB 3m )was inoculated with 10 5 TCID 50 in dose into the mother mice at 6-7 days (early gestation),9-10 days (middle gestation) and 17-18 days (late gestation) of gestation, in contrast with non pregnant mice. Some placentas and fetuses were removed by caesarean section before mothers partusing; some mothers and their babies were sacrificed after parturition, and virus isolation, serological and pathological tests were performed. RESULTS: Viramiae was observed in mother mice of late gestation inoculated with CVB 3m at a fit amount on the second day after inoculation, while no newtralizing antibody to CVB 3m was detected in blood. The virus was isolated from cardiac muscles of inoculated mother mice in different gestation and the controls. The virus was also isolated from some placentas and fetuses, and both sera and cardiac muscles of infants in the late gestation (virus titer were all 10 -2 -10 -3 ). On d 7 of inoculating virus, pregnant and non pregnant mice titers of neutralizing antibody to CVB 3m in sera were all between 1160 and 1320. Under the electromicroscopy, some cardiac muscle cells of mother or infant mice appeared with morphological changes and little hollow bubbles occured in cytoplasm. The fibers broke off, and the bright and dark belts became indistinct. CONCLUSION: The amimal model, intraplacental passage of CVB 3 from pregnant mother in late gestation to fetus in mice, is a benefitial tool to study enterovirus diseases in human perinatal period.

Differences between Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) patients in China and Western countries are known to exist, but data on Chinese patients with HL are limited. It is not clear whether there are clinical and histological differences in patients with HL involving different extranodal sites. This is the first study to analyze Chinese patients with HL involving different extranodal sites. We selected 22 HL patients with extranodal involvement from more than 250 previously untreated HL patients. Most patients were young males, and 20 of the 22 patients had stage IV disease. The major pathologic types were nodular sclerosis classical HL (NSCHL) and mixed cellularity classical HL(MCCHL). At diagnosis, the most commonly involved extranodal sites were the liver and lung, followed by the bones. There was no significant association between the international prognostic score(IPS) and survival in patients with different extranodal sites. Our data showed the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates of low-risk group (IPS = 0-2) were relatively higher than those of high-risk group (IPS ≥ 3), but the IPS did not show predictive power for survival. Although HL with extranodal involvement is rare, it should be considered as a unique form of HL.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Bleomycin ; therapeutic use ; Bone Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; Cyclophosphamide ; therapeutic use ; Dacarbazine ; therapeutic use ; Disease-Free Survival ; Doxorubicin ; therapeutic use ; Etoposide ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hodgkin Disease ; drug therapy ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prednisone ; therapeutic use ; Procarbazine ; therapeutic use ; Remission Induction ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Vinblastine ; therapeutic use ; Vincristine ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVEPrevious research suggests that dexamethasone (Dex) pretreatment protects neonatal rats against hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD). Some of the pharmacological effects of baicalin (a traditional Chinese medicine extracted from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi) are similar to Dex. This study was designed to explore the effect of baicalin on the neuronal apoptosis following HIBD in neonatal rats.

METHODSSix-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into Control (without HI), HIBD, Dex-pretreatment and post-treatment, Baicalin-pretreatment and -post-treatment groups. HIBD was induced by ligating the left common carotid artery, followed by exposure to hypoxia. In the pretreatment groups either baicalin (16 mg/kg) or Dex (0.1 mg/kg) was administered to the rats 24 hrs before HIBD; in the post-treatment groups baicalin or Dex was given 30 minutes after HIBD. The rat pups were sacrificed on postnatal day 10, and brain tissues were harvested. Brain water content was determined, morphological changes were observed under a light microscope, and neuronal apoptosis was measured by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining.

RESULTSThe brain water content and the number of apoptotic cells were significantly higher in the HIBD group than those of the Control group (P < 0.05). Both baicalin and Dex pretreatment decreased the brain water content from 88.9 +/- 1.7 % (HIBD group) to 87.4 +/- 0.7% (baicalin) or 87.3 +/- 0.6% (Dex) (P < 0.05) and the number of apoptotic cells were reduced from 251 +/- 28 (HIBD group) to 102 +/- 47 (baicalin) or 75 +/- 26 (Dex) (P < 0.05). Baicalin and Dex post-treatment had no effects on the brain water content and the number of apoptotic cells. Loss and degeneration of neurons could be observed in the HIBD group. Baicalin and Dex pretreatment significantly alleviated neuronal injury, but post-treatment did not.

CONCLUSIONSPretreatment with baicalin, as with Dex, has a protective effect against HIBD in neonatal rats, but baicalin or Dex post-treatment do not reverse the neuronal injuries.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Body Water ; metabolism ; Brain ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Flavonoids ; therapeutic use ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Male ; Neuroprotective Agents ; therapeutic use ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley