MRI scanning is an important technique to evaluate the olfactory system, special scanning parameters could reveal the fine structures of the olfactory pathway. Olfactory cleft, olfactory bulb/tract, olfactory sulcus and olfactory center are the main targets of the scanning. Chronic rhino-sinusitis, head trauma, congenital dysplasia and neural degenerative diseases are the primary causes of the olfactory dysfunction and have particular imaging presentations respectively. Besides indicating the olfactory pathway lesions, MRI could also present the etiology and the prognosis of the olfactory disorder.
Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Olfaction Disorders ; diagnosis ; Olfactory Bulb ; Olfactory Pathways

Objective To investigate the association between bone mineral density (BMD) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in elderly men in Beijing.Methods Totally 370 elderly men with an average age of (76.6±9.3) years from the departments of gerontology were included.BMD,echocardiography measurements as well as blood chemistry were analyzed.LVMI was obtained by echocardiography.All the subjects were divided into two groups:non-LVH group (n=231) and LVH group (n =139).Differences in quantitative variables were tested by independent-sample t test.Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis were performed to identify determinants of LVMI.Results The serum creatinine concentration was significantly higher in LVH group than in non-LVH group [(97.1±43.0) μmol/L,(88.2±21.1) μmol/L (P＜0.05)].Compared with non-LVH group,LVH group showed that the lumbar spine BMD (L1-L4) were significantly lower[L1:(0.90±0.16) g/cm2 vs.(0.95±0.21) g/cm2,P=0.05; L2:(0.95±0.17) g/cm2 vs.(1.01±0.20) g/cm2,P＜0.01 ; L3:(0.99±0.19) g/cm2 vs.(1.06±0.28) g/cm2,P＜0.01] as well as the lumbar spine totalBMD [(0.97±0.18) g/cm2 vs.(1.03-1-0.26) g/cm2,P＜0.05].The femur BMD was lower in theLVH group than in non-LVH group [trochiter:(0.64±0.11) g/cm2 vs.(0.67±0.17) g/cm2,P＜0.05; inter area:(1.00±0.17) g/cm2 vs.(1.05±0.22) g/cm2,P＜0.05].Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis demonstrated that BMI (r=0.27,P＜0.01),the lumbar spine BMD (r=-0.20,P＜0.01),age (r=0.16,P＜0.05),serum creatinine (r=0.15,P＜0.05) were independently correlated with LVMI.Conclusions In elderly men in Beijing,the lumbar spine BMD is an independent correlative factor for LVMI.

Objective To investigate the biological activity of cytokine-induced killer(CIK)cells in vitro.Methods Lymphocytes isolated from peripheral blood in leukemic children were induced with interferon-?(IFN-?),anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody(CD3McAb)and interleukin-2(IL-2)and co-cultured with dendritic cells(DC)to generate DC-CIK cells.The morphology and immunophenotype of these cells were determined by electron microscopy and flow cytometry,respectively.Cytotoxicity of DC-CIK cells against leukemia cell lines was measured by the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay.Interleukin-12(IL-12),tumor necrosis factor-?(TNF-?)levels released by DC-CIK cells were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.Results Induced DC-CIK cells were regular,round and transparent with variable cell volume and cellular aggregation.At the 0th-4th day,its amplification was very slow,and it increased quickly at the 5th-8th day,it reached its peak amplification at the 9th-10th day,at approximately 100-fold.The main effector cells in this population were CD3+CD8+ cells and CD3+CD56+ cells.DC-CIK cells were cytotoxic to B95 cells,K562 cells and HL-60 cells,with the highest cytotoxicity towards B95 cells.The expression levels of IL-12 and TNF-? in supernatant were very high.Conclusions DC-CIK cells induced with cytokines displayed powerful amplification and strongly killing activities in vitro.It suggested that DC-CIK cells induced with cytokines may play killing activities through Th1 pathway in vitro,as a result of high secretion of Th1 cytokines,such as IL-12 and TNF-?.

Objective To investigate the relationship between interleukin-17 (IL-17) and vitiligo.Methods Totally,32 vitiligo patients and 30 healthy human controls were enrolled in this study.Blood samples were collected from all the subjects,and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to determine the plasma levels of IL-17.The relationship of plasma IL-17 levels with disease stage,clinical course and lesion area was assessed.Results The plasma levels of IL-17 were significantly higher in the patients with progressive and stable vitiligo than in the healthy controls (both P ＜ 0.05),and higher in the patients with progressive vitiligo than in those with stable vitiligo (P ＜ 0.05).Moreover,the plasma levels of IL-17 were positively correlated with the area of vitiligo lesions (r =0.456,P ＜ 0.05),but unrelated to the clinical course of vitiligo (r =0.239,P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion IL-17 may play a certain role in the occurrence and development of vitiligo.

Objective To evaluate the relationship between insulin resistance and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).Methods Totally 150 male patient from the Department of Geriatrics in Peking University Hospital were included in this study.Blood pressure,body weight,body height,body mass index (BMI) were measured and calculated.Biochemical analyses including serum fasting levels of insulin(FINS),glucose,total cholesterol,triglycerides,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,high density lipoprotein cholesterol,and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) were performed.Total prostate volume (PV) were measured by ultrasound.Results PV and annual prostate growth rate were more increased in insulin resistance group(40 cases) compared with insulin sensitivity group(110 cases) (t=2.91,3.71 respectively,both P＜0.01).Along with the levels of FINS,HOMA-IR and PSA were increased,the prostate volume was enhanced (t=-3.02,-2.88,-2.84 respectively;all P ＜0.05).PV was positively correlated with insulin resistance,serum fasting insulin and PSA (r=0.16,0.16,0.35;all P＜0.05),while annual prostate growth rate was positively related with insulin resistance,serum fasting insulin,PSA and BMI (r =0.22,0.21,0.24,0.19 ; all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Insulin resistance and fasting insulin plays roles in the pathogenesis of prostatic hyperplasia.

BACKGROUND: As a primary clinical predictor of fracture risk, bone mineral density (BMD) is partly genetically determined. Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is one important candidate gene in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between T245G polymorphisms in the OPG gene and BMD. METHODS: A total of 281 elderly men and postmenopausal women, 182 males and 99 females, who received routine examinations at Peking University People's Hospital between September 2008 and April 2010 were included in this study. T245G polymorphisms in the OPG gene was detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism together with DNA sequencing. The BMD of the lumbar spine, Ward's triangle, and forearrm was determined by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Clinical variables and biochemical measurements were collected simultaneously. The association between T245G polymorphisms and each detection index was analyzed using analysis of variance. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The distribution of T245G genotype (alleles T, G) had no difference in elderly men or postmenopausal women (P > 0.05). The GG genotype and TG genotype had higher lumbar spine BMD and TT genotype had lower lumbar spine BMD (P < 0.05). There was no difference in BMD of the Ward's triangle or forearm among different genotypes (P > 0.05). Association between T245G polymorphism and BMD was not found in postmenopausal women. These findings indicate that OPG gene is related to lumbar spine BMD in elderly men.

To detect the effects of pioglitazone on adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) in adipose,liver,and muscle of high-fat diet-induced obese rats.Insulin resistance aud decreased expression of adipose triglyceride lipase were found in the adipose,liver,and muscle tissues.Pioglitazone may improve insulin sensitivity and ameliorate ATGL expression in tissues of high-fat diet-induced obese rats.

Objective To explore the relationship between serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D level and prostatic hyperplasia in elderly men.Methods Totally 95 male patients aged over 60 years were included.Blood pressure,body weight,body height,body mass index (BMI) were measured and calculated.Venous blood samples were obtained to determine fasting serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and blood glucose (FBG),total cholesterol (TC),triglycerides (TG),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C),calcium and prostate specific antigen (PSA),total prostate volume(PV) and annual prostate growth rate were measured and calculated by ultrasound.Results The serum 25 (OH) D3 levels were varied from 12.1 nmol/L to 83.9 nmol/L,with an average of (35.5±15.2) nmol/L in elderly male patients.PV growth rate were significantly lower in elderly men with 25 (OH) D3 ＞ 50 nmol/L than in elderly men with 25 (OH) D3≤50nmol/L[(31.5± 6.0) mlvs.(39.9 ± 14.5) ml,(0.4± 0.2) ml/yvs.(0.5 ± 0.4) ml/y,P＜0.001 or 0.01].PV was negatively correlated with serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 level (r=-0.207,P＜0.05),and positively correlated with BMI and PSA (r=0.297,0.958,P＜0.05 or and P＜0.001).While annual prostate growth rate was positively correlated with BMI and PSA (r=0.316,0.464,P＜0.01 or ＜0.001),and positively correlated with serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 level,but the difference was not statistically significant (P＞0.05).Conclusions Low serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 level may play a role in the pathogenesis of prostatic hyperplasia.

Realgar-containing Niuhuang Jiedu tablet (NHJD) has been applied in clinic for more than 800 years. However, because realgar contains arsenic (As), it has aroused wide concerns and controversies both at home and abroad. Currently, there are two misunderstandings about realgar-containing Chinese patent medicines. First, some people exaggerated realgar's toxicity as that of arsenic. Second, they recommended to remove realgar from traditional Chinese medicine compounds. In this paper, the authors summarized the advance in studies on NHJD, and proposed different opinions: (1) It is inappropriate to take total As as the index in safety evaluation of NHJD. (2) The toxicity of NHJD is dependent on the dose and duration of administration. (3) Realgar is an active ingredient of NHJD, and shall be deeply studied. Classic realgar-containing traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions, such as Niuhuang Jiedu tablet, shall be evaluated with rigorous modern scientific basis, with the aim to guide rational and safe application.
Animals ; Arsenicals ; adverse effects ; chemistry ; therapeutic use ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; chemistry ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; adverse effects ; methods ; Sulfides ; adverse effects ; chemistry ; therapeutic use ; Tablets ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome

China Food and Drug Administration didn't issue any guideline on the pre-clinical study of drug-eluting coronary stent system, the basic requirement of the authorized administration was summarized to help manufacture prepare the document during the registration process.
China ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; methods ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; Guidelines as Topic