Peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor-gamma(PPAR?),one of members of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily of ligand-activated transcription factors,may affect the ocurrence and development of atherosclerosis(AS) through effective modulate lipocyte differentiation,improve glucose and lipoprotein decompensation and control inflammation reaction and so on.This review will focus on the recently development that relation on PPAR? and AS.

Objective To investigate the relationship between carotid artery calcification and ischemic stroke.Methods The demographic data,vascular risk factors and clinical features of patients with acute ischemic stroke and non-acute stroke patients admitted in the same period were collected retrospectively.All the patients received 64-slice spiral CT examination,and the scan data were transmitted to a GE workstation.A smart score software was used to evaluate carotid artery calcification.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent risk factors for ischemic stroke.Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze and determine the predictive value of carotid artery calcification in acute ischemic stroke.Results A total of 86 patients with acute ischemic stroke and 89 with non-acute stroke (control group) were enrolled.In addition to the previous stroke history,there were no significant differences in age,gender,and vascular risk factors between the ischemic stroke group and the control group.The calcium score (338.57 ± 77.35 vs.147.79 ± 64.52; t =4.065,P =0.045),total calcified volume (372.22 ± 78.73 mm3 vs.197.27 ±61.12 mm3; t =4.740,P =0.031),and calcification quality (70.33 ± 13.83 mg vs.32.44 ± 12.27 mg; t =6.673,P =0.011) of the ischemic stroke group were significantly higher than those of the control group.In patients with ischemic stroke,there were no significant differences in the carotid artery calcification score (335.50 ± 85.95 vs.312.73 ± 90.61; t =0.052,P =0.820),total calcified volume (357.91 ± 88.93 mm3 vs.311.71 ± 81.43 mm3; t=0.071,P=0.791),and calcium quality (59.68± 17.36 mg vs.51.29 ± 18.69 mg; t =0.071,P =0.791) between the symptomatic sides and non-symptomatic sides.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the carotid artery calcification score (odds ratio [OR] 4.963,95％ confidence interval [CI] 5.932-18.994; P=0.019),total calcified volume (OR 5.967,95％ CI 3.940-14.993; P =0.015),and calcium quality (OR 6.815,95％ CI 4.703-21.946; P =0.007) were the independent risk factors for ischemic stroke.The ROC curve analysis of carotid artery calcification score showed that when it was 231.25,it had a predictive value for acute ischemic stroke.The sensitivity was 85.4％,specificity was 89.9％,positive predictive value was 87.1％,and negative predictive value was 89.1％.The area under the ROC curve was 0.891 (95％ CI 0.808-0.913; P =0.027).Conclusions Carotid artery calcification is one of the independent risk factors for ischemic stroke.Carotid artery calcification score has some predictive value for acute ischemic stroke.

Objective To report a retroperitoneal laparoscopic surgery for ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) by double renal veins.Methods A 28-year-old male patient with left low back pain for 6 months was diagnosed as left hydronephrosis and UPJO.A ureteral stent had been placed 3 months before and failed to improve hydronephrosis,so the ureteral stent was pulled out.CT scan showed that left UPJ went through the two renal veins,suggesting UPJO.Nephrogram showed that left GFR and right GFR were 35 ml/min and 34 ml/min,respectively.These results indicated mechanical obstruction of left upper urinary tract.The patient underwent retroperitoneal laparoscopic Anderson-Hynes dismembered pyeloplasty.Results The surgical procedure was successful.Two left renal veins were found,and the ventral one was in front of ureter,compressing the ureter.An aberrant renal artery went into left kidney with the ureter.0.5 cm stenosis of ureteropelvic junction was excised,and pyeloplasty was performed.A ureteral stent was placed into the ureter,then the pelvis and the ureter were sew up in front of the ventral renal vein.The surgical time was 240 min,and blood loss was 50 ml.Postoperative hospital stay time was 4 d.During 4 months' follow up,hydronephrosis was attenuated significantly.Conclusion Retroperitoneal laparoscopic surgery for UPJO with aberrant two renal vein might be a minimally-invasive and effective procedure.

0.01). The tumor volume and the tumor weight were also significantly decreased in the treated group (P

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of Qingkailing injection for cerebrovascular diseases by systematic review of clinical trials. Methods Meta-analysis was used to evaluate the efficacy of Qingkailing injection on cerebrovascular diseases from 38 articles on clinical trials published from 1994 to 2008 in Chinese journals with the software RevMan5.0. Sensitivity analysis was taken to analyze the results of trails with different inclusion criteria. Results 38 clinical control trails were included for efficacy analysis, a fixed effects model was chosen and the value of odds ratio (OR) was 3.26 with the 95% confidence interval from 2.71 to 3.92. Conclusions Qingkailing injection may have positive effect on cerebrovascular diseases, its efficacy need to be confirmed with high-quality randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVETo observe the intervention of Shenkangling Decoction (SD) on the renal injury of primary nephrotic syndrome (PNS) children patients of Shen deficiency blood stasis syndrome (SDBSS) and to explore its mechanism.

METHODSTotally 65 PNS children patients were randomly assigned to the combined group (33 cases, treated by SD +Western medicine) and the Western medicine group (32 cases, treated by Western medicine). Meanwhile, 30 healthy children were recruited as the healthy control group from the medical examination center. Those in the Western medicine group were treated with prednisone (5 mg per tablet) at the daily dose of 1.5 -2.0 mg/kg till two weeks after their urine protein turned to negative. Then the dosage was reduced once daily per every other day. The therapeutic course lasted for more than 1 year. For those with no effect of prednisone or partial effect, cyclophosphamide intravenous pulse therapy was additionally applied for 2 successive days per week, a total of 6 times, or they took cyclosporine A. Patients in the combined group additionally took SD while starting treatment of prednisone. SD was decocted in water for oral dose, once daily, taken in two portions until 2 months after prednisone was discontinued. Efficacy was evaluated based on serum levels of chemotactic factor CXCL16, disintegrin metalloproteinase 10 ( ADAM10 ), disintegrin metalloproteinase 17 (ADAM17), albumin (ALB), total cholesterol (TC), and 24-h urine protein excretion (UPE) detected by ELISA before and after treatment.

RESULTSCompared with before treatment in the same group, levels of CXCL16, ADAM10, ADAM17, TC, and 24-h UPE were significantly lower in the two treatment groups (P <0. 01). Compared with the control group, levels of CXCL16, ADAM10, ADAM17, TC, and 24-h UPE significantly increased, and the serum ALB level decreased in the two treatment groups (P <0.01). Compared with the Western medicine group at the same time point, levels of CXCL16, ADAM10, ADAM17, TC, and 24-h UPE significantly decreased in the combined group. The 1 -year recurrence rate and the recurrence times decreased in the combined group (P <0.01). The complete remission rate increased in the combined group (P <0.01).

CONCLUSIONSD could effectively improve the clinical prognosis of PNS children patients possibly by reducing the release of inflammatory mediators such as CXCL16, ADAM10, and ADAM17, decreasing UPE and the TC level, and elevating the serum ALB level.

There are 250 species of Zanthoxylum (Rutaceae) in the world. This genus distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. Alkaloids are the major and representative ingredients in these plants including quinolines, isoquinolines, and amide alkaloids, with such biological activities as anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-virus, anti-platelet aggregation, anti-bacteria and anti- oxidant. These species have been used for a long time to treat toothache, urinary and venereal diseases, lumbago and rheumatism. This review summarizes the chemical constituents and pharmacological activities from the Z. sppplants, in an effort to the systematic research and application of the alkaloids of this genus.
Alkaloids ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Molecular Structure ; Zanthoxylum ; chemistry

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous laser disk decompression(PLDD) is a new interventional therapy of lumbar disk herniation recently. Posterior lateral route is often employed. Puncture route was investigated by the application of anatomic methods previously. However, there are relative fewer reports regarding the observation of the route of lumbar nerve root in intervertebral plane and triangle working area from thin section anatomy and CT section anatomy.OBJECTIVE: To clarify the intervertebral route and its adjacent relationship of lumbar nerve root on thin section and CT section to provide a anatomic gist for puncture route in PLDD.DESIGN: An observational study based on corpus and normal individual.SETTING: Department of radiology of a military medical university of Chinese PLA affiliated hospital and the department of anatomy of a military medical university of Chinese PLA.PARTICIPANTS: The collection of the first Chinese visible human was completed in the Department of Anatomy(laboratory of computer medicine) the Faculty of Medicine, Third Military Medical University of Chinese PLA in October 2002. Totally 53 subjects without confirmed vertebral and intervertebral disc diseases and other diseases of the adjacent organs received CT examination and measurement in the Department of Radiology of the Third Military Medical University of Chinese PLA Affiliated Southwest Hospital between january and March 2000.INTERVENTIONS: The intervertebral route of lumbar nerve root in the first Chinese visible human was observed descriptively. The route, morphology, size, adjacent structure, and the distance between puncture line and lumbar nerve in 53 normal individuals were observed and measured by CT.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: To describe the intervertebral route of lumbar nerve root in the first CVH and normal individual, to measure the intervertebral length and width of lumbar nerve, and the distance between puncture line and lumbar nerve.RESULTS: The first Chinese visible human lumbar has 48 layers of intervertebral space with a thickness of each layer of 1.0 mm. The route and adjacent structure of lumbar nerve displayed in each section were clear. CT image clearly showed the intervertebral route, size and adjacent structure of lumbar nerve root.CONCLUSION: The first Chinese visible human lumbar nerve root intervertebral route is a continuous and intact thin section specimen. The intervertebral route and morphology of lumbar root nerve have great alterations. The relationship between puncture route and its adjacent lumbar nerve root, anterior articular process, ilium wing and vessels is very close.

Objective To study the effect of infrasound on the changes of expression of NMDAR1 in hipp- ocampal cells.Methods Eighty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into eleven groups:control group,90 dB/1 d,7 d,14 d,21 d and 28 d infrasound exposed groups;130 dB/1 d,7 d,14 d,21 d and 28 d infra- sound exposed groups.All the animals in the test groups were put in an infrasound field with 8 Hz,90 dB or 130 dB for 2 hours daily.Immunohistochemistry methods were used to detect the changes of intracellular expression of NMDARI in hippocampal cells.Methods The expression of NMDAR1 in hippocampus after the rats were exposed to infrasound of 8 Hz,90 dB SPL showed a procedure from reducing on the 1st day to rising on the 7th and peaked on the 14th day,then to descending on 21st day and returning to the standard level on the 28th day.Exposure to infra- sound of 8 Hz,130 dB SPL induced opposite effects on the expression of NMDAR1 compared with 90 dB SPL,which showed a process of increasing,descending,reaching to the lowest,then ascending and returning to the normal.The lowest expression of NMDAR1 occurred on the 14th day in every observed hippocampal area.Conclusion 8 Hz, 90 dB/130 dB infrasound induced certain reversible reaction in the expression of NMDAR1 of hippoeampal cells in rats,which may disturb their learning and memory function.

Objective To improve differential diagnosis between acute disseminated encephalomyelitis ( ADEM) and classical multiple sclerosis ( CMS).Methods All 20 cases of ADEM and 24 cases of CMS were examined.Their epidemiological and clinical findings,laboratory features and magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI) data were analyzed using x2 test for categorical variables,Wilcoxon Rank-Sum tests for continuous variables.Results ADEM and CMS showed no sex predominance.Patients with ADEM ((27 ±15) years) were younger than CMS ((37 ±13) years,Z= -2.218,P =0.027).The following findings were more commonly seen in ADEM compared with CMS:predemyelinating infectious disease (75% vs 4%,x2 =23.652,P = 0.000),fever (65% vs 4%,x2 =18.609,P = 0.000),meningeal irritation sign (40% vs 0,x2 = 9.189,P =0.002),seizure (25% vs 0,x2 =4.514,P = 0.034),and encephalopathy.ADEM patients were more likely to present with blood leucocytosis ( (11.9 ± 5.8) ×109/L vs (8.0±3.2) ×109/L,Z= -2.030,P=0.042),high C-reactive protein (2.74 mg/L vs 0.49 mg/L,Z = - 3.028,P = 0.002),increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (11.00 mm/h vs 7.00 mm/h,Z= -2.406,P =0.016),and cerebrospinal fluid leucocytosis (9 × 106/L vs 2×106/L,Z =- 2.781,P = 0.005).There were no differences in cerebrospinal fluid protein and oligoclonal band between the two groups.The following MRI lesions were more commonly seen in ADEM patients:cortical gray matter lesions (14/20,x2=15.213,P=0.000),basal ganglia gray matter lesions (14/20,x2 =8.910,P = 0.003),and brainstem lesions ( 14/20,x2 = 5.867,P = 0.015).In contrast,lesions in subcortical white matter (21/24,x2 = 17.628,P =0.000),periventricular area (21/24,x2 =15.213,P=0.000) and corpus callosum ( 14/24,x2 = 8.640,P = 0.003 ) were more common in the MRI image of CMS patients.The lesions in spinal cord were usually centrally distributed in ADEM (83% ),while peripherally in CMS (85%,x2 = 11.542,P = 0.001).The lesions had poorly defined margins in ADEM (95%),but well defined margins in CMS (75%,x2 =21.787,P = 0.000).Conclusion There are differences in epidemiological and clinical findings,laboratory features and MRI appearances between ADEM and CMS.