OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and its treatment by integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine. METHODS: 16 PBC patients were observed. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) was used in the dose of 13 to 15 mg.kg(-1).d(-1), with some traditional Chinese herb prescription. Results (1) The proportion of women to men was 15:1, the mean age was 52.5 years. AMA-M2 was positive in 14 subjects (87.5%). Biliary tract enzymes and ESR were elevated in all subjects. The ratio of hypercholesterolemia (CHOL) and abnormality in IgM was high (62.5%). Fatigue, pruritus, arthralgia, jaundice, splenomegaly were noted in more than half cases. Every patient had one to four complications. (2) ALP, GGT and Glb declined evidently after 3 months' treatment by western medicine associated with traditional Chinese medicine, and declined markedly after 12 months' treatment (P<0.05 respectively). TBIL and CHOL declined gradually during the treatment course. Symptoms and signs were lightened. CONCLUSION: PBC has complicated and especial clinical features. UDCA therapy is effective in PBC, while traditional Chinese medicine has extraordinary effect in treating the symptoms and signs.

Objective To investigate the surgical methods for thyroid microcarcinoma (TMC) and prevention of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 238 TMC patients during the January 2006 to December 2013 in 309 Hospital of PLA. All the 238 patients had no clinical symptoms and the diagnosis was made by thyroid ultrasound. Thyroid ultrasound exhibited very small nodules (<1cm). At preoperation, 84 patients received fine needle aspiration (FNA). Among the 84 patients, 72 were diagnosed with TMC and 12 were false-negative for TMC by FNA. The remaining was proved by postoperative pathological examination. All of these 238 cases, 144 were of unilateral and solitary, 46 unilateral and multiple, and the remaining 48 multiple unilateral. Results Ninety-seven patients were operated for affected side and isthmus resection plus contralateral subtotal resection, 56 for affected side plus isthmus resection, 23 for bilateral thyroid resection, 62 for bilateral thyroid subtotal resection. 132 patients underwent cervical lymph node dissection and the remaining 106 did not. During operation, the recurrent laryngeal nerve was exposed in 122 patients, involving a total of 182 recurrent laryngeal nerves. In the postoperative period (1–7 years), 6 cases of recurrent and 6 cases of laryngeal nerve injury were found. Conclusions High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is an important method for diagnosis of TMC. FNA is the most reliable procedure for preoperative determination of the nature of thyroid nodule. Finally, the reasonable and effective surgery is the key to optimize the long-term therapeutic effect and reduce side-effects. During thyroid surgery, to expose and protect recurrent laryngeal nerve is the best means for preventing injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve.

Objective To compare the long term therapeutic effects of the preoperative regional arterial infusion chemotherapy and the preoperative systemic venous chemotherapy in advanced breast cancer. Methods One hundred and eighty-six patients with advanced breast cancer, admitted to the Department of General Surgery of PLA 309 Hospital from Jan. 2003 to Dec. 2008, were followed up for a long time. Of them 97 patients received preoperative regional arterial infusion chemotherapy (IAIC groups), and 89 patients received preoperative systemic vein chemotherapy (IVIC groups). The local recurrence rate, distant metastasis rate, overall survival rate (OS) and disease free survival rate (DFS) in the two groups were statistically analyzed, and the long term therapeutic effects of the two groups were compared. Results There were no statistically significant difference in distant metastasis rate (15.5% and14.6%), 1-year OS (99.0% and 96.6%) and DFS (81.8% and 68.5%), and 3-year OS (88.7% and 79.8%) between the two groups (P>0.05). While significant differences were found between the two groups (P<0.01) in post-operative local recurrence rate (7.2% and 18.0%), 3-year DFS (70.1% and 52.8%), and 5-year OS and DFS. Conclusion Compared with preoperative systemic venous chemotherapy, pre-operative regional arterial infusion chemotherapy can decrease the local recurrence rate, improve the 5-year total survival rate and disease free survival rate for advanced breast cancer.

Acute Disease ; Adult ; Cholecystitis, Acute ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Humans ; Myocarditis ; diagnosis ; pathology

Actins ; metabolism ; Adult ; Amputation ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; Bone Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Calmodulin-Binding Proteins ; metabolism ; Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Radiography ; Tibia ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery

Objective:To determine the effect of Chuju total flavonoids (CJTF) on the secreted frizzled-related protein 4 (SFRP4) expression in Wnt pathway in rheumatoid arthritis (AR) model rats. Methods:hTe role of CJTF in the treatment of AR model rats was evaluated by rat arthritis score and paw edema score. The expression regulation of the SFRP4,β-catenin and C-myc in Wnt pathway in AR model rats was detected by RT-PCR and Western blot atfer CJTF gavage treatment. Results:Atfer CJTF treatment, the rat arthritis score and paw edema score in AR model rats were signiifcantly decreased when the AR model rats were treated with CJTF, the SFRP4 expression was signiifcantly up-regulated, while theβ-catenin and C-myc gene expression were signiifcantly down-regulated in AR model rat synovial tissues. Conclusion:CJTF has significant therapeutic effect and inhibitory effect on Wnt pathway activation by targeting SFRP4 in AR model rat synovium.

Objective To study the expression of VEGF-C and its receptor in breast carcinoma tissue and in peritumoral tissue,as well as their clinic significance.Methods Immunohistochemistry SP method was used to examine the expression of VEGF-C and VEGFR3 in 70 cases of breast cancer and in its peritu- moral tissue.Results In all 70 cases of breast cancer,the positive expression rate of VEGF-C in breast car- cinoma tissue was 78.6 %,and its rate in peritumoral tissue was 54.3 %.There was a significant stastistic dif- ference between the two groups(P

Adult ; Aged ; Antigens, CD20 ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte, Heavy Chain ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Leukocyte Common Antigens ; metabolism ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Lymphoma, Extranodal NK-T-Cell ; pathology ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tonsillar Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Tonsillectomy ; Tonsillitis ; pathology ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND:Liquiritin has the protective and nutritive effects on neural stem cells. However, the effect of liquiritin on neural stem cells from the brain of mouse embryos remains unclear. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of different concentrations of liquiritin on the proliferation of neural stem cells from the brain of mouse embryos. METHODS:Neural stem cells were separated from the embryonic brain of Kunming white mice at the gestational age of 14 days. The identification of embryonic neural stem cells was performed by immunocytochemistry method. The expression of neural stem cells-special genes was determined by qRT-PCR. The cell growth curve was drawn and proliferation of embryonic neural stem cells treated with 0, 1, 2, 4 or 8 g/L liquiritin for 48 hours was measured by MTT assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) When cultured at day 5, al individual neural stem cells gathered together into neurospheres; with the extension of time, the neurospheres were enlarged, and gathered together into larger cell masses. (2) Results from immunocytochemistry showed that all the floating neurospheres was nestin-positive. Data from qRT-PCR revealed a higher expression of nestin mRNA, but there was no expression of neuron-specific enolase and glial fibrillary acidic protein in the neural stem cells. (4) The growth of neural stem cells was slow at the beginning. After 2-3 days, the cell proliferation quickly entered the exponential phase. After 4 days, the cell proliferation gradually slowed down, and the overall cell growth entered into the platform period. (5) The cell proliferation after treatment with 2, 4 or 8 g/L liquiritin was faster than that in the control group (0 g/L). To conclude, 2-8 g/L liquiritin could increase the proliferation of neural stem cells from the brain of mouse embryos.

BACKGROUND: Salvianolic acid B can ease nerve injury and promote neurogenesis, but its effects on proliferation,apoptosis and differentiation of neural stem cells in the hippocampus remain unclear.OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of salvianolic acid B on proliferation, apoptosis and differentiation of rat hippocampal neural stem cells following oxygen-glucose deprivation.METHODS: Hippocampal neural stem cells were isolated from newborn Sprague-Dawley rats, and divided into six groups, five of which were cultured in an incubator containing anaerobic mixtures (1% O2, 5% CO2 and 94% N2) for 150minutes followed by treatment with different concentrations of salvianolic acid B (0, 5, 10, 20, 40 mg/L), respectively.After 4 days of intervention, MTT was used to detect cell proliferation. After 48 hours of intervention, flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis in the hippocampus. After 5 days of culture, flow cytometry was performed to evaluate the percentage of cells positive for neuron-specific enolase and glial fibrillary acidic protein. Normally cultured cells acted as controls (normoxic group).RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the normoxic group, the proliferation of neural stem cells was decreased significantly (P < 0.01) and the rate of apoptosis was increased in the oxygen-glucose deprivation group (P <0.01). After treatment with different concentrations of salvianolic acid B, the cell viability and the ratio of neurons in total cells were increased, and the ratio of astrocytes was decreased, especially in 20 and 40 mg/L groups (P < 0.01). In conclusion, these results suggest that salvianolic acid B alleviates adverse effects of oxygen-glucose deprivation on neural stem cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis.