Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of acupoint sticking with Chinese herbs for edema due to chronic cardiac failure.
Methods: One hundred and seventy patients in conformity with the diagnostic criteria of edema due to chronic cardiac failure were randomly divided into two groups, 85 cases in each group. The observation group was treated by oral administration of diuretics plus acupoint sticking with Chinese herbs. The control group was treated just by oral administration of diuretics same as the observation group. The therapeutic effects were evaluated after continuous intervention for 14 d.
Results: The total effective rate was 90.6% in the observation group, remarkably higher than 67.1% in the control group. The difference of overall therapeutic effect between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.01).
Conclusion: The therapeutic effect of acupoint sticking with Chinese herbs plus oral administration of diuretics is better than simple oral administration of diuretics in treatment of edema due to chronic cardiac failure.

The blood brain barrier(BBB) is a barrier system between the blood and brain tissue,which can maintain relatively stable of internal environment in the central nervous system (CNS).Cerebral hypoxiaischemia and other conditions can lead to the change of the permeability of BBB.This paper reviews the latest research for the structural basis and function of BBB,and for the scope,time and mechanism of the change of BBB structure and function during hypoxic-ischemic brain injury.This theory in the regulation of BBB may play an important role in the treatment of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and underlying diseases of CNS.

Cocaine-and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART), an endogenous neuropeptide, is widely distributed in human organs and tissues, such as brain, gastrointestinal tract and pancreas. It has a variety of important physiological functions, including eating and obesity, stress, mental anxiety, drug addition, and endocrine regulation. Previous studies have suggested that CART is widely distributed in the central nervous system, and it involves in the regulation of a variety of physiological processes and has some central protective effects. It is a potential neuroprotective agent. This article reviews the recent progress in research on the neuroprotective effect of CART on stroke and neurodegenerative disease and its mechanisms, as well as its therapeutic effect in central nervous system diseases.

Objective To investigate the protective role of losartan,an angiotensin Ⅱ receptor(AT1 type)blocker,in the mechanical ventilation-induced lung injury(VILI).Methods Forty Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 300-350 g were randomly divided into the following four experimental groups(10 rats in each group):control group(group A),normal tidal volume venti-lation group(group B),large tidal volume mechanical ventilation group(group C),large tidal volume mechanical ventilation plus Losartan pretreatment group(group D).The pulmonary tissues were removed for pathological examination and detection of NF-κB activity,and the lung lavage fluid was collected for analysis of white blood cell count,total protein concentration and the level of MIP-2,after the rats were sacrificed.Results The pathology of lung tissues was normal in groups A and B.There was obvi-ous inflammatory damage in lung tissues in group C.The pathological inj uries of lung tissue were significantly reduced in group D compared with group C.The NF-κB activity and the level of p65 were significantly higher in group C than in groups A and B (P<0.01);they were significantly reduced in group D compared with group C(P<0.05).Total protein concentration,the MIP-2 level and the white blood cell count were significantly higher in group C than in groups A and B(P<0.01).They were significantly reduced in group D compared with group C(P<0.05 or 0.01).Conclusion Losartan,a selective inhibitor of sub-type AT1 receptors for angiotensin Ⅱ,can relieve VILI by inhibiting the activity of NF-κB.

Objective To study the influences of endogenous testosterone on vascular endothelial cell function and structure in rabbits of balloon injury. Methods Twenty male rabbits were randomly divided into two groups: castrated group and control group.The former group animals were castrated and the later group animals received sham operation. All animals were performed with deendothelializing balloon injury in the right iliac artery. Nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were measured at different intervals during the experiment. After 2 weaks of endothelial denudation all animals were killed, and endothelin structure and morphological changes were observed with electron microscope and HE staining. Results There weren′t siginificant differences of plasma NO and ET-1 levels between the two groups, but plasma NO and ET-1 levels of the castrated group 2 weaks after endothelial denudation recovered to the levels before castration, while they didn′t in the control group. The extent of reendothelialization and intimal area of the harvested segments were similar between the two groups. Conclusion The decrease of endogenous testosterone level did not affect endothelial cell structure, but tended to protect function of injured endothelium.

Objective:To investigate the clinical application and adverse events of vinpocetine injection. Methods:The application of vinpocetine injection in the patients in neurology department during December 2013 and December 2014 in a hospital was statistically analyzed. The adverse reactions of the injection reported in the professional literatures and relevant documents were also retrieved and statistically analyzed. Results:The infusion concentration of vinpocetine injection for 363 patients was more than 0. 06 mg·ml -1 ,and 3 cases of adverse reactions appeared with the main symptoms of rash and drug fever. Among 28 published literatures,19 articles were with the infusion concentration of vinpocetine injection above 0. 06 mg·ml-1 and 8 articles reported adverse reactions in varying degrees. Conclusion:Clinicians should pay attention to the instructions in the clinical course of medication in order to improve the safe and rational use of drugs.

OBJECTIVE: To establish headspace capillary gas chromatography for the content determination of 3 kinds of residual organic solvent (furanidine,methanol and ethanol) in betamethasone sodium phosphate raw material.METHODS: The sample was dissolved in water and n-propanol was used as internal standard.The residual solvent in betamethasone sodium phosphate was separated on HP-INNOWAX (PEG) capillary column with column temperature set at 60 ℃.The injector temperature and FID detector temperature were controlled at 180 ℃ and 250 ℃,respectively.The carried gas was nitrogen at flow rate of 1.0 mL?min-1.The splitting-ratio was 10 ∶ 1.The containers of head-space injector were in equilibrium at 80 ℃ for 30 min.Injection time was 1 min.RESULTS: With this chromatographic condition,those solvents could be separated completely.The linear range were 0.014 4～0.071 8 mg?mL-1 for furanidine,0.060～0.300 mg?mL-1 for methanol and 0.099 3～0.497 mg?mL-1 for ethanol.The average recovery were 103.7% (RSD=0.53%,n=6),95.8% (RSD=0.30%,n=6) and 95.0% (RSD=0.48%,n=6) respectively.The minimum quantitation limit were 0.057 3 ?g?mL-1,0.486 ?g?mL-1,0.145 ?g?mL-1,respectively.3 kinds of residual organic solvents were all in line with the standard stated in Chinese Pharmacopeia.CONCLUSION: The established method is simple,sensitive and accurate for the content determination of residual solvents in betamethasone sodium phosphate raw material.

Objective To study the relationship between essential hypertension(EH)with serum homocysteine(HCY),uroten-sinⅡ(UⅡ),angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE)and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP).Methods By collec-ting the clinical cases,UⅡwas determined by ELISA and HCY,ACE and NT-proBNP were simultaneously detected by ELISA.The detection results were analyzed and compared between the patients with essential hypertension(EH group)and the healthy con-trols.Results The levels of serum HCY,UⅡ,ACE and NT-proBNP in the EH group were significantly increased compared with the healthy control group;the area under curve (AUC)of serum HCY,UⅡ,ACE and NT-proBNP in the ROC curve in the EH group were 0.93,0.765,0.792 and 0.972 respectively,which showed clinical diagnostic significance.Conclusion The levels of HCY,UⅡ,ACE and NT-proBNP are highly expressed in EH and have significant differences compared with the healthy popula-tion,which has the diagnostic value to EH.

Objective To observe the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated infection during pregnancy on the expression of mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and density of dendritic spines in CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus of rat offspring,so as to explore the mechanisms for learning and memory injury of rat offspring which were infected during prenatal period,then to provide scientific experimental evidence for the prevention of prenatal infection-induced delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae which contributed to learning and memory dysfunction.Methods Ten-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats (n =30) were matched with male rats (1 ∶ 1).Pregnant rats were randomly divided into a control group (n =10) and an experimental group (n =20).The pregnant rats in experimental group were treated with LPS (66 μg/kg,intraperitoneally),and the pregnant rats in control group were intraperitoneally injected with same volume of saline on gestational day 10.On postnatal day 48,Morris water maze was used to estimate the ability of learning and memory;the brain tissues of offspring were taken and paraffin sections were stained with hematoxylin eosin (HE) for histological observation of CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus;frozen sections were treated with indirect immunofluorescence to observe the expression of MR in CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus;Golgi-Cox method was used to observe the density of dendritic spines of CA1 region.Results In Morris water maze test,from the third day the time of escape latency in experimental group [the 3rd day:(42.603 ± 9.837) s;the 4th day:(30.222 ± 9.789) s;the 5th day:(28.808 ± 12.526) s] was significantly higher than that of the control group [the 3rd day:(28.078±14.088) s;the 4th day:(20.692±13.099) s;the 5th day:(14.632 ±11.624) s] (the 3rd day:t =-3.274,P＜0.01;the 4th day:t =-2.257,P ＜0.05;the 5th day:t =-3.213,P＜0.01);the swimming time in the target quadrant [(14.660 ± 7.337) times] and the number of crossing platform [(0.933 ± 0.704) times] in experi mental group were significantly decreased compared with those of the control group [time:(23.820 ± 6.321) s;num bers:(2.000 ± 0.756) times] (t =3.663,4.000,all P ＜ 0.01).Hematoxylin eosin staining showed that the nerve cells of the hippocampus in the control group distributed in order,nucleuses were round or oval,nucleoli were obvious,and chromatins were homogeneous;but the cells in the experimental group distributed in disorder and pathological changes were detected,such as cellular swelling,necrosis and obvious nuclear pyknosis.By immunofluorescence staining,the average optical density (AOD) of MR in CA1 region decreased significantly in the experimental group (0.067 ± 0.017) compared with that of the control group (0.083 ± 0.009) (t =2.644,P ＜ 0.05).In Golgi-Cox method,the density of dendritic spines in experimental group [(7.705 ± 0.791)/10 μm] was below that of the control group [(9.655 ± 1.391)/10 μm] (t =3.852,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions LPS-mediated infection during pregnancy might lead to hippocampus-dependent learning and memory dysfunction which might be associated with the reduced expression of MR and the low density of dendritic spines in CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus.

Objective To investigate the effect of propofol on ketamine-induced cognitive dysfunction and neuronal apoptosis in hippocampus in aged rats. Methods Thirty-two male SD rats aged 18-24 months weighing 380-470 g were randomly divided into 4 groups ( n = 8 each) :control group (group C);propofol group (group P);ketamine group (group K) and propofol + ketamine group (group PK). Propofol 30 mg·kg-1·h-1 or/and ketamine 40 mg· kg-1·h-1 were infused for 2 h once a day for 7 consecutive days. After the last day of drug administration cognitive function was assessed using Morris water maze (escape latency and the number of animals' swimming across the platform). The animals were sncrificed after water naze test and their hippocampi were removed for determination of neuronal apoptosis (by TUNEL) and caspase-3 expression (by immuno-histochemistry) in hippocampal CA1 region. Results There was no significant difference in escape latency and the number of the animals,swimming across the platform, the neuronal apoptotic rate (the number of apoptotic neurons/the number of total neurons) and caspase-3 expression between group C and P. In group K and PK the escape latency was prolonged,the number of animals' swimming across the platform was decreased, neuronal apoptotic rate increased and the caspase-3 expression up-regulated as compared with group C. The ketamine-induced changes were significantly attenuated by coadministration of propofol in group PK. Conclusion Coadministration of propofol can ameliorate ketamine-induced cognitive dysfunction and hippocampal neuronal apoptosis.