6.Effects of traditional Chinese medicine for invigorating spleen to resolve dampness and dredging collaterals on patients with rheumatoid arthritis and anemia
Journal of Integrative Medicine 2006;4(4):348-54
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.
7.Apoptosis of Neural Cell and Changes of Expressions of Bax,Bcl-2 Proteins after Frontal Lobe Sharp Injury in Infant Rats
jie, CHEN ; hua, XIAN ; heng-jian, NI
Journal of Applied Clinical Pediatrics 2006;0(23):-
Objective To investigate the alterations and molecular mechanism of neural cell apoptosis after frontal lobe sharp injury in infant rats.Methods Brain damage was induced by frontal lobe sharp injury.dUTP nick end labeling(TUNEL) method was used to detect cell apoptosis after brain injury,and immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of Bax,Bcl-2 proteins in and around the area of injury,respectively.Results The apoptosis cells were found as early as 1 hour and reached a peak at 24 hours post-injury,then gradually diminished until 120 hours when only few apoptosis cells presented.The expression of Bax and Bcl-2 proteins increased significantly 1 hour after frontal lobe injury.Bax protein reached its peak at 12 hours while Bcl-2 protein reached its peak at 1 hour post-injury.The ratio of Bax to Bcl-2 increased after lesion with peak at 24 hours,and then decreased thereafter.At 120 hours,very weak expression of Bax and Bcl-2 protein detected.There were few Bax and Bcl-2 positive cells in frontal lobe cortex in blank control and sham operation group.Conclusions Cell apoptosis exists after frontal lobe sharp injury in infant rats and the change of the number of apoptotic cells is correlated with time course of post-injury.The ratio of Bax to Bcl-2 may play a vital role in cell apoptosis.
10.The Clinico-pathological Features of Suspected Malignant Nodules Associated with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis-Diagnosis
Chen HUA ; Yongqing FU ; Jian ZHOU
Journal of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University 2013;(12):1382-1385,1386
[Objective]To analyze the clinical and biological characteristics of suspected malignant thyroid nodules associated with Hashimoto thyroiditis .To summarize different characteristics of benign and malignant nodules,diagnosis and treatment of suspected malignant nodules associated with Hashimoto's thy-roiditis. [Methods]Surgical y and pathological y confirmed, 58 cases of suspected malignant thyroid nodules associated with Hashimoto's thyroiditis were retro-spectively analyzed with clinical and pathological data. The differences of gender, age, number of nodules, calcification, and thyroid hormone and thyroid an-tibodies levels between malignant and benign nodules were compared from January 2009 to December 2011 .[Results] The average age of malignant thyroid nodules coexisting with HT group was significantly lower than that of benign nodules coexisting with HT group( P<0.05). The proportion of nodular calcifi-cation in malignant thyroid nodules coexisting with HT group was significantly higher than that in benign nodules coexisting with HT group( P<0.05). Pre-operative TSH and anti-TG levels in malignant thyroid nodules coexisting with HT group were significantly higher than that in benign nodules coexisting with HT group. Preoperative FT3, FT4, anti-TPO levels, sex ratio and number of lesions between the two groups were not statistical y significant. [Conclu-sions] The key point of preoperative diagnosis:patients of malignant thyroid nodules coexisting with HT are associated with youth, calcified nodules, elevated serum TSH and anti-TG levels.