OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BHD), Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction (XZD), and Sijunzi Decoction (SD) contained serums on expressions of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor (NF)-κB signals, lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and to explore possible anti-atherosclerotic mechanisms.

METHODSTwenty New Zealand rabbits were divided into 4 groups at random, i.e., the normal control group, the BHD group (6.7 g/kg), the XZD group (3.6 g/kg), and the SD group (1.6 g/kg), 5 in each group. All medication lasted for 7 successive days. Two h after the final medication, about 50 mL blood was withdrawn from rabbit heart for preparing serums. Human umbilical vein endothelial cell ECV304 were cultured in vitro for 18 h and randomly divided into the blank control group, the model group, the Western medicine (WM) control group, the BHD group, the XZD group, and the SD group at random. ECV304, except in the blank control group, were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 2 h. Those in the WM control group and CM groups were treated respectively with corresponding CM contained serum for 24 h. Finally gene and protein expressions of TLR4, myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor-6 (TRAF-6), NF-κB, LOX-1, TNF-α, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1 were detected by fluorescent quantitative PCR and Western blot.

RESULTSCompared with the blank control group, mRNA expressions of TLR4, MyD88, TRAF-6, NF-KB, LOX-1 , TNF-cx, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1 increased significantly; protein expressions of TLR4, NF-κB, LOX-1, TNF-α, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1 also increased significantly in the model group (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, mRNA and protein expressions of each index could be significantly inhibited in the BHD group, the XZD group, and the WM control group (P < 0.05). Besides, mRNA and protein expressions of each index could be significantly elevated more in the BHD group and the XZD group than in the WM control group (P < 0.05). No statistical difference existed in each index between the SD group and the rest groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe mechanism of BHD and XZD for fighting against atherosclerosis might be associated with inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB signal transduction pathway and expressions of its downstream inflammatory factors such as LOX-1, TNF-α, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1. But SD showed no associated effect on atherosclerosis.

Animals ; Atherosclerosis ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Endothelial Cells ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88 ; metabolism ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Rabbits ; Scavenger Receptors, Class E ; Signal Transduction ; TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 6 ; metabolism ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism ; Umbilical Veins ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism

Objective To study the application of magnetic resonance T2 -mapping and diffusion weighted imaging(DWI)in diagnosis of early cartilage degeneration of the knee joint.Methods 56 patients with clinical intends to diagnosis of early osteoarthritis of the knee were set as observation group,another 56 healthy volunteers were selected as healthy control group.The subjects of the two groups were given knee MRI T2 mapping and DWI,the T2 acquisition value and ADC value of the two groups were analyzed and compared.Results In the observation group, the side of the femoral (37.18 ±4.09),lateral tibial (32.16 ±2.75)and hip (34.56 ±4.21)were significantly lower than those in the healthy control group[femoral side (49.87 ±5.02),tibial side (47.34 ±5.01),hip surface (51.23 ±5.19)](t =20.16,18.36,23.65,all P <0.05).Conclusion Magnetic resonance T2 -mapping and DWI imaging can be found in the early knee cartilage degeneration,can lead to the rise of T2 and ADC value,so there is no cartilage damage to the cartilage damage.

Objective To study the different effects between intermittent eliminating white blood cells and immunosuppressive agents pulse therapy in children′s anaphylatoid purpura nephritis on the base of hormone′s treatment.Methods Twelve cases of anaphylatoid purpura nephritis were enrolled in the study and divided into 2 groups.After failure in the hormone′s treatment,the observation group was applied with intermittent eliminating white blood cells(5 mL/kg,1-2 times/week),and the control group was treated with immunosuppressive agents[cyclophosphamide(CTX) 0.8-1.0 g/m~2,or methotrexate(MTX) 8-10 g/m~2].Results There were no significant differences between the 2 groups.The observation group had no obvious side effects,but the control group all had different side effects.Conclusion The treatment of intermittent eliminating white blood cells can have better effects without the side effect resulting from immunosuppressive agents.

Objective To explore the clinical features, treatment and prognosis of intrabepatic biliary cystadenocarcinoma (IBC). Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 17 patients with pathologically confirmed IBC, treated between January 2002 and September 2007. Results Of the 17 patients, 4 were men and 13 were women, with a mean age of 49.3 years (range 45 -68). Serum level of AFP was normal in all patients. CA19-9 was abnormally elevated in only two patients and the other two had abnormal serum level of CEA. Seven cases underwent radical resection, 7 underwent complete tumor resection combined with removal of tumor thrombi in the bile duct, 3 received palliative surgery. On histopathological examination, 10 were biliary cystadenocarcinoma,2 were biliary cystadenoma with partial eanceration,2 were papillary cystadenocarcinoma,2 were mutinous papillary cystadenocarcinoma and 1 was of mixed cystadenocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. According to tumor differentiation, the number of well, moderate and poor-differentiated group was 7, 3 and 7 cases respectively. The medality of surgery (β= - 0.692, P = 0.01) and tumor differentiation (β = - 2.041, P = 0.007) effected the prognosis significantly. Conclusions IBC occurs mainly in elderly women. CA19-9 examination does not help in the establishment of diagnosis of IBC. The occurrence of tumor thrombosis in common bile duct doesn't necessarily indicate poor prognosis, hence a IBC patient will still have a satisfactory prognosis should the primary tumor be completely resected and tumor thrombi removed.

Wound secretion from 20 patients with gaseous gangrene was collected for Gram staining,bacterial culture and drug sensitivity tests.The results indicated that gaseous gangrene was caused by the co-infection of both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.Gram-negative bacilli were slishtly more common than other aerobic bacteria in gageous gangrene wound,which was different from the findings of ordinary gaseous gangrene.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphocyte Count ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; blood ; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer ; Young Adult

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Needles ; Periarthritis ; therapy ; Punctures ; Treatment Outcome

Adult ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; pathology ; Cisplatin ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Keratin-20 ; metabolism ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Teratoma ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery

Objective To investigate the effect of resistance nodulation division (RND) efflux pumps on reduced susceptibility to tigecycline in carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumanii.Methods Totally 631 isolates of Acinetobacter baumanii were collected from 16 hospitals in 7 provinces in 2010.Genes oxa-51 and oxa-23 were detected by PCR method,and the ST profiles were determined by multilocus sequence typing (MLST).The disk susceptibility assay was used to determine the inhibition zone diameters of β-lactams,aminoglycosides,macrolides,tetracyclines,carbapenems,tigecycline and polymyxin.The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of tigecycline was determined by E-test in strains with inhibition zone diameters ≤ 12 mm on tigecycline.The expression of operon genes adeB,adeG and adeJ was determined with efflux pump inhibitor NMP (N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone) for detection of efflux pump inhibitor phenotype.The isolates of Acinetobacter baumanii which were resistant both to tigecycline and carbapenems and with the inhibited phenotype of efflux pump inhibitor were collected as the experiment group,the isolates which were susceptible to tigecycline but resistant to carbapenems were collected as the control group,and ATCC 19606 was used as the reference strain.The expressions of adeABC,adeFGH and adeIJK were quantified by q-PCR at the transcriptional level.Genes adeR,adeS and adeL were amplified and sequenced using PCR method to find polymorphic locus and insertion sequences.Results There were 32 isolates of Acinetobacter baumanii with reduced susceptibility to tigecycline and carbapenem-resistant.Eight isolates were with the inhibited phenotype by efflux pump inhibitor.And 4 strains which were susceptible to tigecycline but resistant to carbapenems were selected as the control.The expressions of adeABC in A518,Z1219 and A527 of experiment group were 13-fold,5-fold and 7-fold higher than reference strain ATCC19606,respectively.The expressions of adeFGH and adeIJK were up-regulated slightly in some isolates.Transcript of adeABC was not found in control group strains A207 and A1731,and the expressions of adeABC,adeFGH and adeIJK were not up-regulated in other isolates.The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was detected in adeR (E220K) and adeS (A130D),respectively.ISAab1 insertion sequence was identified in adeS of adeABC-over expressed isolates.No mutation was found in adeL.Conclusion High expression of adeABC pump may play an important role in tigecycline resistance in carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii,mainly due to the insertion of ISAba1 sequence in its regulator gene adeS,but other mechanism of tigecycline resistance may not be excluded.

Complement Factor H ; genetics ; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome ; genetics ; Humans