OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effects of Xinfeng Capsules (XFC), a traditional Chinese medicine for invigorating the spleen to resolve dampness and dredging collaterals, on patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and anemia, and to investigate its mechanism. METHODS: Forty patients with RA and anemia were divided into three groups: XFC-treated group (n=20), Tripterygium glycosides Tablets (TGT)-treated group (n=10) and methotrexate (MTX)-treated group (n=10). The patients in each group took corresponding medicine for three months. The response rates of the three groups were evaluated after treatment. The general symptoms and specific signs and symptoms of RA were observed before and after the treatment. The indexes of blood routine examination and some other laboratory indexes such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and blood levels of rheumatoid factor (RF), iron, C-reaction protein (CRP), immunoglobins (Ig), complements 3 and 4, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and erythropoietin (EPO) were all examined and compared before and after treatment. RESULTS: The total response rate in the XFC-treated group was similar to those both in the TGT-treated and MTX-treated groups. The effects on relieving specific symptoms of RA in the three groups were also similar. The ESR and serum levels of RF, CRP, IgG, IgA and IgM were all decreased after treatment as compared with those before treatment in the three groups, and there were no significant differences among those laboratory indexes in the three groups after treatment. The XFC displayed more obvious effects on improving the general symptoms of patients with RA and anemia, increasing the blood levels of hemoglobin, iron and IL-10, while decreasing the serum level of TNF-alpha and regulating the serum EPO level, as compared with those in the TGT-treated and MTX-treated groups. CONCLUSION: The XFC for invigorating the spleen to resolve dampness and dredging collaterals was developed on the basic principle of regulating spleen. It can obviously improve the symptoms and laboratory indicators of RA. Such effects may be related to maintaining the balance of cytokines, regulating the serum level of EPO and increasing the serum iron level in patients with RA and anemia.

OBJECTIVE:To provide reference for prescriptions audit before payment in hospital pharmacy. METHODS:The management measures of prescriptions audit and intervention before payment in our hospital were introduced. 1 200 outpatient pre-scriptions within 1 year before and after management were subjected to a statistical analysis. The effects of prescriptions audit be-fore payment were evaluated through analyzing and comparing qualification rate of prescription and unqualified prescriptions. RE-SULTS:Our hospital adopted a series of measure to realize prescriptions audit and intervention before payment by clinical pharma-cists,such as using information audit system,formulating audit standard,educating pharmacists,establishing audit job system, prescriptions review and feedback system,setting up communication system,etc. Of the total audited 189 665 prescriptions, 14 581(7.69%)failed to audit and 606 prescriptions hadn’t been revised after 1 year management,with effective intervention rate of 95.84%. Compared with before management,the prescription qualification rate increased from 88.83% to 98.67% after manage-ment(P<0.01). The quantity of overdose,inconformity with medical insurance,overload and other conditions reduced to 0. CON-CLUSIONS:It is feasible for pharmacists to audit and intervent prescriptions before payment in hospital pharmacy to improve pre-scription qualification and promote rational drug use in the clinic.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Altitude ; Extremities ; physiology ; Humans ; Male ; Memory ; physiology ; Motor Activity ; physiology ; Movement ; physiology ; Young Adult

Altitude ; Humans ; Oximetry ; Oxygen ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy ; instrumentation

Acclimatization ; physiology ; Adolescent ; Altitude ; Humans ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; blood ; Oxygen ; physiology ; Pulmonary Gas Exchange ; Young Adult

RT-PCR amplification of ginseng ?-amyrin synthase gene was successfully performed based on the total RNAs extracted from ginseng hairy roots induced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes A4 using a modified guanidine isothiocyanate-method. Sequence analysis of this gene revealed that its sequence was consistent with the sequence of a previously reported ginseng ?-amyrin synthase gene (GenBank No. AB009030). This gene was inserted into pMD-119T simple vector and transformed into E.coli DH5?. Furthermore antisense plant expression vector of this gene was constructed using the pBI121 vector, laying foundation for studies on antisense regulation of ginseng ?-amyrin synthase gene.

OBJECTIVETo verify the pharmacological hypothesis of prescriptions by studying the targeted distribution of major components in stewed rhubarb in the rat model with acute pancreatitis (AP).

METHODNormal SD rats (control group, n = 5) and the AP model induced with intraperitoneal cerulein (model group, n = 5) were taken as the experimental objects. Rats of the two groups were orally administered with stewed rhubarb granules (20 g x kg(-1)). Their heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney and pancreas were collected two hours after the administration. Such constituents as emodin, chrysophanol, physcion, rhein and aloe-emodin and their concentrations in each tissue homogenate were detected by high performance liquid chromatography-mass-mass.

RESULTAloe-emodin and physcion in stewed rhubarb whose concentrations in liver and kidney of normal rats were higher than that in pancreatic tissues, while the distribution spectrums and concentrations of the remaining components in pancreatic tissues had no significant difference with that of other organs. The concentrations of emodin, aloe-emodin, rhein and chrysophanol in stewed rhubarb in pancreatic tissues of the AP model group were higher than that in other tissues and organs, while their concentrations in pancreatic, renal and splenic tissues were notably higher than that in the normal group.

CONCLUSIONIn the conditions of AP, effective components in stewed rhubarb show a targeted distribution feature in pancreas, which provides experimental basis for the pharmacological hypothesis of prescriptions.

Acute Disease ; Animals ; Anthraquinones ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Organ Specificity ; Pancreatitis ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rheum ; chemistry

Objective:To evaluate the benefit of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) as a consolidation therapy in the survival of multiple myeloma (MM) patients at different risks. Methods:A total of 67 MM patients who received ASCT as consolida-tion therapy between August 2006 and July 2011 were enrolled in the retrospective study. The cases were divided into three risk groups on the basis of the International Staging System and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Another 67 patients who accepted consolidation chemotherapy at the same period were selected as case-paired controls matched in terms of age, sex, optimal response after induction, and risk stratifications. All the patients received bortezomib-and/or thalidomide-based induction therapies. Results:No statistical differ-ences in non-complete remission (nCR)/complete remission (CR) rate were observed between the ASCT and chemotherapy groups (44.8%vs. 37.3%, P=0.380) after the induction therapy. The progression-free survival (PFS) was longer in the ASCT group than in the chemotherapy group (32.4 months vs. 15.1 months, P<0.001). The overall survival (OS) was longer in the ASCT group than in the che-motherapy group (58.8 months vs. 42.1 months, P=0.009). both the PFS (median:30.5 months vs. 11.2 months, P<0.001) and the OS (median:85.5 months vs. 34 months, P=0.015) rates were significantly prolonged in the high-risk subgroup after ASCT. In the interme-diate-risk subgroup, neither PFS nor OS showed any significance after ASCT (P>0.05). In the low-risk subgroup, only PFS was extend-ed (median: 34.8 months vs. 17.6 months, P=0.012) after ASCT, without significant improvements in the OS (P>0.05). Conclusion:The MM patients obtained cytogenetic high-risk benefits mostly from ASCT consolidation after inductions based on novel agents.

Head ; surgery ; Humans ; Neck ; surgery ; United States

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of domestic Sirolimus-eluting stents (Firebird) and imported Zotalimus-eluting stents ( Resolute) in the treatment of patients with unprotected left main coronary artery disease ( ULMCA) . Methods We retrospectively enrolled 76 patients with ULMCA treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) under the guidance of IVUS in our hospital. According to the different stents used in the procedure, the patients were divided into two groups: Domestic Sirolimus-Eluting Stents group (Firebird group, n = 42) and Imported Zotarolimus-Eluting Stents group (Resolute group, n = 34) . We analyzed the baseline characteristics, coronary artery lesion characteristics, stenting strategies and any changes in left ventricular ejection fraction ( LVEF) in both groups and investigated the long-term clinical outcomes. Results There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics, the SYNTAX scores of the coronary artery lesion and the rate of complete revascularization between the two groups. Compared with that in Firebird group, there were more cases involving the distal left main (79. 4% vs. 45. 2% , P ﹤ 0. 05) and more patients using two stents strategies (29. 4% vs. 7. 1% , P ﹤ 0. 05) in the Resolute group. The change in LVEF post-PCI had no difference between the two groups. The patients were followed up for a mean of (23. 3 ± 10. 7) months. During the follow-up period, the occurrence of MACCE had no significant difference between the two groups. In the Firebird group, there were one sudden cardiac death, one nonfatal myocardial infarction, one stroke and five patients with recurrence of angina pectoris. In the Resolute group there were one sudden cardiac death, one target lesion revascularization and four patients with recurrence of angina pectoris. Conclusions Compared with the imported Zotalimus-Eluting Stents, the domestic Sirolimus-Eluting Stents are safe and effective in the treatment of patients with unprotected left main lesions under the guidance of IVUS. The two kinds of stent showed similar long-term clinical outcomes.