OBJECTIVEGram-negative bacteria-induced multiple organ failure/dysfunction syndrome (MOF/MODS) is one of the leading causes of death through the world. The member of immunoglobulin family programmed death-1 (PD-1) is a negative immune regulator. This study investigated the protective effect of PD-1 as well as the underlying mechanism in LPS-induced endotoxemia.

METHODSTen PD-1(+/+) and ten PD-1 knockout (PD-1(-/-)) mice were injected peritoneally with LPS (10 mg/kg), and the survival was observed within 72 hrs after LPS injection. The other 40 PD-1(+/+) and 40 PD-1(-/-) mice were injected peritoneally with LPS (5 mg/kg). Blood samples were collected before injection and 1.5, 3 and 6 hrs after LPS injection (n=10 each time point). Serum levels of various inflammatory mediators were measured using ELISA.

RESULTSThe survival rate in PD-1(-/-) mice was noticeably lower than that in PD-1(+/+) mice after 10 mg/kg LPS injection. Serum levels of inflammatory mediators TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-12 and IL-17 in PD-1/mice were higher than those in PD-1(+/+) mice after 5 mg/kg LPS injection.

CONCLUSIONSPD-1 can protect mice from LPS-induced endotoxemia probably through its regulation on inflammatory mediator production.

Animals ; Antigens, Surface ; physiology ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; physiology ; Endotoxemia ; prevention & control ; Female ; Interleukin-12 ; blood ; Interleukin-17 ; blood ; Interleukin-1beta ; blood ; Lipopolysaccharides ; toxicity ; Mice ; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

OBJECTIVETo explore the correlation of nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) with insulin resistance and the intervention of it by Gankangyin(GKY).

METHODSNinety-six patients with NAFL were randomly assigned into the treated group and the control group. They were treated with GKY and Silymarin for 3 months respectively. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin release test (IRT) were conducted and insulin sensitivity indexes were determined before and after treatment. And 32 healthy nonalcoholic persons were enrolled and used as the healthy control group.

RESULTSBefore treatment, the levels of blood glucose and insulin at different time points in OGTT test, and the insulin resistance index (IRI) were significantly higher (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) while insulin sensitivity index (ISI) and insulin active index (IAI) were lower (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) in the NAFL patients than those in the healthy persons. After treatment, the above-mentioned raised criteria were significantly lowered (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) and the lowered criteria were significantly increased (P < 0.01) in the treated group, while in the control group all the criteria were insignificantly changed (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONEvident insulin resistance exists in NAFL patients. GKY could increase the insulin sensitivity, thus improving the state of insulin resistance in NAFL patients.

Adipose Tissue ; metabolism ; Adult ; Aged ; Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Antioxidants ; administration & dosage ; Blood Glucose ; drug effects ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Fatty Liver ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Female ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Humans ; Insulin ; blood ; Insulin Resistance ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Silymarin ; administration & dosage ; Triglycerides ; blood

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between phlegm-stasis syndrome (PSS) and the fibrinolytic status in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL).

METHODSSeventy patients with NAFL were divided into the PSS group and non-PSS group according to TCM Syndrome typing, and a control group consisted of 28 healthy subjects was set up. Levels of plasminogen (PLG), tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and D-dimer were determined and compared.

RESULTSThe activity of t-PA in NAFL patients was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05), and PLG and PAI-1 were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). In respect to the TCM Syndrome typing, in patients of PSS, t-PA was significantly lower and PLG, PAI-1 were significantly higher than those in patients of non-PSS (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while D-dimer was insignificantly different between patients of the two Syndrome types (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONNAFL patients of PSS type shows significant lower of fibrinolytic activity, indicating that there is certain degree of microcirculatory disturbance and hyper viscosity state, so the application of dissolving phlegm and dispelling stasis principle in treating NAFL is significant.

Adult ; Aged ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fatty Liver ; blood ; diagnosis ; Female ; Fibrinolysis ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Plasminogen ; metabolism ; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 ; blood ; Tissue Plasminogen Activator ; blood

OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic efficacy of dietary boron supplement on retinoic acid-induced osteoporosis in rats, so as to provide experimental evidence for clinical management of osteoporosis with boron.

METHODSThirty-two SD rats were randomized into normal control group (8 rats) and osteoporotic group (24 rats), and osteoporosis was induced in rats of the latter group by intragastric retinoic acid administration at the daily dose of 80 mg/kg for 15 consecutive days. The osteoporotic rats were subdivided into control group (8 rats) without treatment, boron treatment group (8 rats) and estradiol treatment group (8 rats). After 30 days of treatment, the serum contents of Ca, P, boron and the activities of alkaline phosphatase (AKP) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) in the rats were assayed, the bone mineral density (BMD) of the whole body, lumbar vertebrae and tibia were determined, and the morphological changes of the femurs were observed.

RESULTSThe serum contents of Ca and P in the rats of the 4 groups differed scarcely, but the content of boron in boron treatment group was markedly higher than that in the other three groups. In the osteoporotic control group, the activities of serum AKP and TRAP, the masses of spongy bone and cortical bone of the femurs, and the quantity of the osteoclasts were increased, with the BMD of the lumbar vertebrae and tibia decreased, suggesting osteoporotic conditions. The mean trabecular plate density and thickness, trabecular bone volume and cortical bone volume of the femurs in the osteoporotic rats treated with boron or estradiol were significantly increased, but the active osteoclast quantity in the spongy bone and serum TRAP activities were obviously decreased, and the bone quality was comparable with that of the normal group. In addition, the serum AKP activity and the active osteoblast quantity in the spongy bone were obviously increased in boron treatment group.

CONCLUSIONThe dietary boron supplement can increase the serum content of boron of osteoporotic rats to stimulate bone formation and inhibit bone resorption, producing therefore obvious therapeutical effect against osteoporosis.

Acid Phosphatase ; blood ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; blood ; Animals ; Bone Density ; drug effects ; Boron ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Dietary Supplements ; Female ; Femur ; drug effects ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Isoenzymes ; blood ; Osteoporosis ; blood ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase ; Time Factors ; Tretinoin

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of Erlong Zuoci Pill (, ELZCP) and its disassembled: prescriptions on gentamicin (GM)-induced ototoxicity model in vitro.

METHODSAfter the spiral organ of cochleae: of newborn mice (postnatal days: 2-3) cultured for 24 h, GM alone or combined with water extracting-alcohol precipitating solution of ELZCP or with its disassembled prescriptions was added. Hair cells were observed under a fluorescence microscope after TRITC-phalloidin staining, and the cochlear hair cell loss rate was calculated by counting the whole cochlear hair cells and analyzed by whole cochlear hair cells analyzing software.

RESULTSGM induced cochlear outer hair cells (OHCs) and inner hair cells (IHCs) injuries in a dose-dependent manner, and they were significantly different as compared with those in the normal control group (P<0.05, P<0.01). ELZCP at the concentration of 0.003-3 mg/mL could decrease the hair cells loss induced by the 0.3 mmol/L GM (P<0.05, P<0.01), the effects was in a dose-dependent manner, and the concentration of 0.3 mg/mL showed the optimal protective effect. For the ELZCP disassembled prescriptions, Liuwei-Dihuang could decrease OHC loss rate than that in the 0.3 mmol/L GM model group (P<0.05), but the OHC loss rate was still higher than that in the ELZCP group (P<0.01), which indicated that the protective effect of hair cells by Liuwei-Dihuang was not better than that of ELZCP. Poria decreased OHC loss rate from 72.1 % +/-3.7 % to 58.8 %+/- 8.2 % (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSELZCP could play a role in antagonizing the injury of cochlear hair cells induced by GM ototoxicity,: and its disassembled prescriptions, Liuwei-Dihuang was the main component to protect the cochlear hair cells from GM-induced ototoxicity, and Magnetitum combined with Radix Bupleurui could strengthen the action of the whole prescription; Poria could reduce GM-induced OHC loss.

Animals ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Gentamicins ; toxicity ; Hair Cells, Auditory, Inner ; drug effects ; pathology ; Hair Cells, Auditory, Outer ; drug effects ; pathology ; Mice ; Organ of Corti ; drug effects ; pathology ; Prescriptions ; Tablets

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of SS8, a monomer extracted from Spatholobus suberectus Dunn used for invigorating the circulation of blood, on proliferation of hematopoietic progenitor cells in mice with bone marrow depression.

METHODThe method of semi-solid culture with methylcellulose of CFU-GM, CFU-E, BFU-E, CFU-Meg was adopted in bone marrow depressed mice which were treated with SS8 for a long time.

RESULTThe experimental data demonstrated that the numbers of CFU-GM, CFU-E, BFU-E, CFU-Meg in bone marrow depressed mice were raised distinctly under the control of SS8 as compared with those of contrast group. The effect of SS8 became stronger as time went on and the dosage rose.

CONCLUSIONSS8 can distinctly stimulate the proliferation of hematopoietec progenitor cells in mice with bone marrow depression in a time-and-dosagedependent manner.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; radiation effects ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Erythroid Precursor Cells ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Fabaceae ; chemistry ; Female ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Male ; Mice ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Whole-Body Irradiation

OBJECTIVETo study the physiopathologic basis of Weikangfu Granule (WKFG) in treating precancerosis of gastric mucosa in patients of chronic gastritis with Pi-deficiency syndrome (CG-PDS).

METHODSOne hundred and fifteen patients of CG-PDS who suffered from intestinal metaplasia (IM) and atypical hyperplasia (ATHP) of gastric mucosa, were divided into two groups. The treated group (n = 61) was treated by WKFG with its ingredients modified according to the syndrome type of patients. The control group (n = 54) was treated with Weishu granule. The histopathological and subcellular ultrastructural changes were detected by optical microscope, screening electronic microscope, transmission electronic microscope and histochemical staining; the nuclear and mitochondrial ultrastructure of gastric mucosa were analyzed with energy dispersion X-ray analyser and image analysis system. And the changes of cAMP, lipid peroxide (LPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD) before and after treatment in the treated group were measured and compared with those of the health control group consisting of 15 volunteers.

RESULTSThe symptomatic and pathological therapeutic effect in the treated group were significantly superior to those in the control group (P < 0.05). The contents of Zn, Cu, cAMP, SOD and (3)H-TdR LCT in gastric mucosa of the treated group before treatment were all lower than those of the healthy control group, yet all these indexes markedly increased after treatment, while serum LPO level, which increased before treatment was lowered after treatment. All the changes showed statistical significance (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONWKFG can reverse IM and ATHP in patients of CG-PDS, and the effect may be realized by way of increasing the level of Zn, Cu, cAMP and SOD in gastric mucosa, promoting cell differentiation, enhancing cellular immunity and reducing oxygen free radicals and lipid peroxidation.

Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Chronic Disease ; Copper ; analysis ; Cyclic AMP ; analysis ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Gastric Mucosa ; chemistry ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Gastritis, Atrophic ; pathology ; Humans ; Lipid Peroxides ; analysis ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Precancerous Conditions ; pathology ; Stomach Neoplasms ; pathology ; Superoxide Dismutase ; analysis ; Syndrome ; Yang Deficiency ; complications ; Zinc ; analysis

In order to evaluate the diagnostic value of the PACS, the PACS has been applied to Dept.of Radiology in Renji Hospital in Shanghai for nearly two and a half years. Clinical practice shows that the doctors can work more efficiently and accurately by using the diagnostic workstation of PACS. PACS is an inevitable development trend of image diagnosis and is playing a more and more important role in clinical applications.
Database Management Systems ; Diagnostic Imaging ; methods ; Hospital Information Systems ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Information Storage and Retrieval ; methods ; Radiology Department, Hospital ; organization & administration ; Radiology Information Systems ; Software

Objective To investigate the expressions of human telomerase reverse transcriptase(hTERT) mRNA and protein in pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma and their significance as diagnostic markers in predicting the biological behaviour of these tumours.Methods Expression of hTERT mRNA was determined by in situ hybridization in 45 pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas(31 benign,7 suspected malignant and 7 malignant) and 9 normal adrenal medulla samples,hTERT protein was determined by immunohistoebemistry.Results hTERT mRNA was expressed in 5/7 malignant turnouts and 5/7 suspected malignant tumours as compared with 3/31 benign tumours(P

Objective To evaluate clinical significance of monitoring noninvasive intracranial pressure (NICP) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) in treatment of patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage. Methods This clinical randomized controlled trial enrolled 120 patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage who had sought medical treatment in our department from June 2008 through May 2010. They were randomized equally into a monitoring group where NICP and CPP were continuously monitored before and after operation and a non-monitoring group where no monitoring of NICP and CPP was performed. Results In the monitoring group,increased NICP and decreased CPP were shown in 50 patients and only 10 patients were shown with normal NICP (＜26.6mmHg) and CPP (＞ 124.3 mm Hg). The abnormal NICP and CPP continuously monitored were treated with specific interventions like further operation or medication. In the non-monitoring group,patients received only conventional treatments.According to the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), 31 patients (51.7％) had good recovery,20 (33.3％) were moderately disabled,5 (8.3％) severely disabled and 4 (6.7％) dead in the monitoring group while 23 (38.3％) patients had good recovery,18 (30.0％)were moderately disabled,10 (16.7％) severely disabled and 9 (15.0％) dead in the non-monitoring group.The outcomes of the monitoring group were significantly better than those of the non-monitoring group (P＜0.05). Conclusion Continuous monitoring of NICP and CPP before and after operation should be performed in the treatment of patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage because it is helpful for clinical medication and reducing complications and mortality as well.