BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy is still not completely clear at present, and the theory of ammonia poisoning may be the most powerful, the mechanism for lactulose in decreasing ammonia is clearer, and there are many studies on hepatic encephalopathy treated by lactulose at home and aboard, but the comparative studies on the long-term and short-term treatment of lactulose and placebo control treatment are still in lack. OBJECTIVE: To given long-term and short-term treatment of lactulose to patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy, and compare the effect on the quality of life (QOL) of the patients with minimal hepatic encephalopa thy. DESIGN: A case-control observation. SETTING: Department of Geriatrics, Guangzhou First People's Hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy, who were abnormal in the number connection test (NCT), digital symbol test (DST) and/or evoked potential examination and cooperated with the treatment, were selected from the patients with cirrhosis treated in the De partment of Geriatrics of Guangzhou First People's Hospital between June 1998 and March 2002, and they were randomly divided into control group (n=20), short-term lactulose group (n=20) and long-term lactulose group (n=20). METHODS: All the patients were given vitamin B for 24 weeks, two tablets for each time, three times a day; besides, the patients in the short term lactulose group and long-term lactulose group were orally adminis tered with lactulose (15-90 mL per day) for 8 and 24 weeks respectively. They were assessed with WHOQOL-BREF at the end of 0, 8, 16 and 24 weeks respectively, the incidence rate of hepatic encephalopathy was observed, and the ammonia conc entration in blood was detected at the same period.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The changes of QOL and ammonia concentration in blood during the treatment were observed.RESULTS: During the treatment, one case in the control group lost to the follow-up, one case in the short-term lactulose group died from traffic accident, and two cases in the long -term group quitted because they could not endure the side effect of diarrhea, and totally 56 cases finished the treatment and entered the analysis of results. ① The incidence rate of hepatic encephalopathy at 6 months was 40%(8/20), 30%(6/20), 5%(1/20) in the control group, short-term lactulose group and long-term lactulose group respectively, and it was significantly lower in the long-term lactulose group than in the control group and short-term lactulose group (P ＜ 0.05), but there was no significant difference between the short-term lactulose group and control group (P ＞ 0.05). ② At 8, 16 and 24 weeks after treatment,the score of environment in QOL had no significant difference among the control group, short-term lactulose group and long-term lactulose group (P ＞ 0.05), but there were significant differences in the scores of physiology,psychology and social relationship (P ＜ 0.05); At 8 weeks, there were more obvious differences in the long-term lactulose group and short-term lactulose group than in the control group, but no significant difference between the long and short-term lactulose groups; At 16 weeks, there were more obvious differences in the long-term lactulose group than in the short-term lactulose group and control group, but no significant difference between the short-term lactulose group and control group; At 24 weeks, the long-term lactulose group had more improvements than in the control group and short-term lactulose group. ③ At 16 and 24 weeks after treatment, the ammonia concentrations in blood were significantly decreased in the long-term lactulose group as compared with the control group and short-term lactulose group.CONCLUSION: The long-term treatment of lactulose can improve the QOL of patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy, eventually reduce the incidence of hepatic encephalopathy and decrease the ammonia concentration in blood; However, the short-term treatment of lactulose could not.

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect of dauricine on the growth of human bladder cancer T-24 cell and its mechanism.Methods The T-24 cells were treated with dauricine(Dau) at different concentrations.The proliferation of T-24 cells was assayed with MTT colorimetric method.The apoptosis of T-24 cells induced by Dau was studied by fluorescent staining,flow cytometry(FCM) and DNA agarose gel electrophoresis.Results Dau effectively inhibited the proliferation of T-24 cells in a concentration dependent manner.A characteristic DNA ladder was observed in Dau treated groups.Dau at the concentration of 5-30 ?g/ml induced the apoptosis of T-24 cells and the apoptosis rate increased in a time-dependeut manner.Cell cycle was arrested at G_0/G_1 phase.The expression of bcl-2 was inhibited and the expression of bax was up-regulated.Conclusion Dauricine significantly inhibits the growth of bladder cancer cells.Cell cycle arrest and apoptosis might be the functional mechanisms.

Objective To carry out further analysis and assessment of the radiation risk from DSA examinations and related factors.Methods All the online radiation dose values and associated parameters of the 107 patients examined were collected for purpose of statistical analyses according to their classification.Results The analyses of DSA examinations indicated:for coronary angiography,DAP was (22 285.5±18 682.7)μGy·m2,ESD was (2 942.1 ±2 557.3) mGy;for head angiography,DAP (25 929.6±8 302.7) μGy·m2,ESD (1 288.8 ±682.3) mGy;for abdominal angiography,DAP (12 129.7 ± 10 646.1) μGy· m2,ESD (730.1 ± 584.7) mGy.Conclusions Among total accumulated radiation dose,the dose arising form coronary angiography is the highest,followed by the head angiography,and the dose from abdominal angiography is the lowest.

Clinical teaching plays an important role in the education of medical graduate students.In the clinical teaching of the graduate students of burn and plastic surgery,we based it on clinical practice and guided the students in changing their modes of learning and thinking from examination-orientedness to problem solving,from simple vertical to clinical lateral thinking.We made sure that they all acquired innovative ideas and correct methods of clinical research by various academic activities,and cultivated their practical abilities and medical virtues by strict training and moral education.

AIM:To optimize formulation of Xiao'er Magan Orally Disintegrating Tablet by central composite design-response surface methodology. METHODS:By two factors and five levels central composite design,independent variables were the proportion of optimized microcrystalline cellulose 50 and mannitol and the pressure,while disintegrating time and tensile strength were dependent variables. Binary linear and quadratic models were used to estimate the relationship between the dependent and the indepedent variables,and to delineate response surface method and overlay contour plots in order to select the optimal formulations. RESULTS:The binomial regression equation were TS =0. 096 88X1 + 0. 027 6X1X2(r = 0. 759),DT = 9. 845 4X1 -63. 196X2 + 40. 092 9X22 (r = 0. 838) which indicated the quantitative relationship between the factors and the evaluation indexes was characterized. The optimal formulation were the ratio of microcrystalline cellulose 50 and mannitol in the range of 0. 35 and 0. 6,and the pressure was in the range of 6 and 8 KN. CONCLUSION:The optimized formulation validation is close to the estimated value,indicating that the method has a good predictability and reliability.

Objective To develope energic spectrum of super-large solar particle events (SPE),human body model and a Monte Carlo method for estimating the organ dose of astronauts in SPE without the shielding of geomagnetic field. Methods A voxel-based human phantom and shielding model of spacecraft were developed and the Monte Carlo program was compiled and applied to calculate the doses of astronaut's organs with the transport protons of the spectra of super-large SPEs in 1956 and 1972, normalized by the proton fluence for energy greater than 30 MeV. Results The Monte Carlo program was developed successfully and the organ dose under different shielding thickness were also calculated with the program in the normalized spectra of SPEs in 1956 and 1972 without the effects of geomagnetic field. They were similar with prior studies. Conclusion The results are reliable by the comparison with other calculations of prior researchers. Exposure to super-large SPE without the shielding of geomagnetic field would result in a very large organ absorbed dose and may be very danger for manned spaceflight.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the protein kinase C (PKC) activity in peripheral blood T lymphocytes and its significance in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and the relationship between PKC activity and Th2 cytokines, interleukin 4 (IL-4) and interleukin 5 (IL-5) . METHODS Twenty seasona allergic rhinitis patients and 20 normal control persons participated in the study. T lymphocytes isolated and purified from blood of each person were divided into 2 groups:stimulated with and without phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) . The total PKC activity was detected by non-radioactive assay. The expression of IL-4 and IL-5 protein in supernatants was measured with ELISA RESULTS PKC activity, the expression of IL-4 and IL-5 protein in supernatants in AR T lymphocyte stimulated with PMA were significantly higher than those of AR T lymphocyte stimulated without PMA and those of norma (P

Objective To study the effects of total saponins of Chaenomeles speciosa on release of β-hexosaminidase from rat basophilic leukemia-2H3 ( RBL-2H3 ) mast cells. Methods After rat RBL-2H3 mast cells were prepared, total saponins of Chaenomeles speciosa and the RBL-2H3 mast cells were co-cultured.The toxic effects of total saponins of Chaenomeles speciosa on mast cells were detected by MTT method, β-hexosaminidase release rate was measured by fluorescence quantitative spectrophotometric method, and cell supernatants of tumor necrosis factor-α( TNF-α) release were detected by ELISA. Results After total saponins of Chaenomeles speciosa were co-cultured with RBL-2H3 mast cells with different antigen stimulation, β-hexosaminidase release rates and the levels of TNF-α of mast cells significantly decreased compared with the control group. Conclusion Total saponins of Chaenomeles speciosa inhibit the degranulation of RBL-2H3 mast cells in a dose dependent manner, which provids basis for studying mechanism of inhibiting allergic reactions.

This study aims to explore the differences of event-related potential (ERP) between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and normal children, so that these differences provide scientific basis for the diagnosis of ADHD. Eight children were identified to be ADHD group by the diagnostic criteria of DSM-IV (diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders-IV), and the control group also consisted of 8 normal children. Modified visual-continuous performance test (CPT) was used as the experiment paradigm. The experiment included two major conditions, i. e. Go and NoGo. All the 16 subjects participated in the study. A high density EEG acquisition instrument was used to record the EEG signal and processed these EEG data by means of ERP and spectrum analysis. P2-N2 peak-peak value and spectral peak around 11 Hz were analyzed between ADHD subjects and those in the control group, and then statistical tests were applied to these two groups. Results showed that: (1) Under the condition of Go, ADHD group had a significant lower P2-N2 peak-peak value than the values in the control group (P < 0.05); but under the condition of NoGo there was no significant difference in between. (2) Compared with the control group, the ADHD group had significant lower spectral amplitude around 11 Hz under the condition of NoGo (P < 0.05). However, under the condition of Go the difference was insignificant. In conclusion, there is certain cognitive dysfunction in ADHD children. P2-N2 peak-peak value and spectral peak around 11 Hz could be considered as clinical evaluation indexes of ADHD children's cognitive function. These two objective indexes provide an early diagnosis and effective treatment of ADHD.
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Brain ; physiopathology ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Cognition Disorders ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Electroencephalography ; Evoked Potentials ; Humans

Objective To probe the biological degradation of composite bone cement of calcium phosphate and cancellous bone granules,as well as its biophysical and solidifying characteristics.Methods The specimens of composite bone cement were determined by its solidification,which were made of 2.5g calcium phosphate cement mixed either with10%,15%,20%,25%,30%or 35%bone granules of 0.5～1.0mm diameter.The cylindrical specimens of 10mm diameter and18mm length were used for biomechnical test.Furthermore,the bone defect of 5mm?5mm?6mm in12canines were made in L 3 and L 4 verte bral body through anterolateral lumbar vertebral body approach,and composite bone cement with20%bone granules and calcium phosphate cement were filled into the bone defects respectively.The bone formation was evaluated by X-ray and histological examination.Results The composite bone cement with less than20%cancellous bone granules displayed excellent solidifying character,while with the diameter of 0.5～1.0mm and the content of 15%to20%cancellous bone granules,the maximal load and com pressive strength of the composite bone cement were of no significant difference with calcium phosphate ce ment ;but the biomech nical characteristics would decrease if the diameter was1.0～2.0mm despite of the content 15%to20%gran ules.New bone formation were observed in the center of composite bone cement 2months later,and com posite bone cement were replaced mostly by new bone at4months;while in calcium phosphate cement group,only slight degradation occurred at the interface of implant material and host bone at2and4months.Conclusion The composite bone cement of calcium phosphate with20%content and0.5～1mm di am eter of can cellous bone granules can provide the ability of rapid degradation and bone formation.The re sults of study present the basic data of the reparative materials with the composite bone cement for verte-broplasty clinically.