ABSTRACT:OBJECTIVE Toxicity model of zebrafish was used to evaluate safety of 26 kinds of common orthopedic herbal medicine.METHODS Zebrafish embryo at 1 day post fertilization(dpf)were exposed with various concentration of water de-coction;the death number of the embryos or larvals was counted from 1dpf to 6 dpf;embryonic micro-morphology of zebrafish (3dpf) was observed and pictures were taken that compared with 0.4% DMSO;LC50 value at 6dpf was calculated by SPSS1 6. 0.RESULTS The results indicated that 13 kinds of water decoction of herbal medicines(Dipsaci Radix,Anemarrhena Rhizo-ma,Olibanum and Myrrha,Psoraleae Fructus,Angelicae Pubescentis Radix,Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix,Polygoni multi-flori Radix,Cnidii Fructus,Aucklandiae Radix,Eupolyphaga Steleophaga,Epimedii Folium and Acanthopanacis Cortex) can cause obvious organ toxicity to juvenile zebrafish,such as yolk sac swelling,deformation,black,pericardial edema and bleed-ing,and their LC50 values were low(1 6.9 ~ 689.7 μg∕mL),while the other 13 herbal medicines are relatively safe (Pyrolae Herba,Homalomena Rhizoma,Sappan Lignum,Morindae Officinalis Radix,Testudinis Carapax Et Plastrum,Drynariae Rhi-zoma,Salviae miltiorrhizae Radix Et Rhizoma,Cibotii Rhizoma,Taxilli Herba,spatholobi CauLis,Rehmanniae Radix Pra-eparata,Ligustri Lucidi Fructus and Eucommiae Cortex),no fish organ toxicity was observed,and their concentration caused zebrafish death was usually at high levels (above 2 000 μg∕mL).CONCLUSION Zebrafish model was successfully used for screening toxicity of 26 common orthopedic herbal medicine,which may provide useful information for reasonable application of them.Zebrafish model has advantages of simplicity,high efficiency and real-time observation,which made large scale toxicity screening of herbal medicine in vivo style possible.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate trends of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor profiles over 17 years in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients at the Mayo Clinic. METHODS: We performed a time-trend analysis within the Mayo Clinic PCI Registry from 1994 to 2010. Results were the incidence and prevalence of CVD risk factors as estimate by the Framingham risk score. RESULTS: Between 1994 and 2010, 25 519 patients underwent a PCI. During the time assessed, the mean age at PCI became older, but the gender distribution did not change. A significant trend towards higher body mass index and more prevalent hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and diabetes was found over time. The prevalence of current smokers remained unchanged. The prevalence of ever-smokers decreased among males, but increased among females. However, overall CVD risk according to the Framingham risk score (FRS) and 10-year CVD risk significantly decreased. The use of most of medications elevated from 1994 to 2010, except for beta-blockers and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors decreased after 2007 and 2006 in both baseline and discharge, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the major risk factors improved and the FRS and 10-year CVD risk declined in this population of PCI patients. However, obesity, history of hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes, and medication use increased substantially. Improvements to blood pressure and lipid profile management because of medication use may have influenced the positive trends.
Adrenergic beta-Antagonists/therapeutic use ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors/therapeutic use ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases/complications/drug therapy/*epidemiology ; Diabetes Complications ; Diabetes Mellitus/diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia/complications/diagnosis ; Hypertension/complications/diagnosis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/*statistics & numerical data/trends ; Prevalence ; Registries/statistics & numerical data ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic compression anastomosis clip (LapCAC) for laparoscopic gastrointestinal anastomosis.

METHODSIn March, 2007, three gastric cancer patients undergone total gastrectomy (1 case) and distal gastrectomy (2 cases) received laparoscopic gastrointestinal anastomosis with LapCAC. The gastrointestinal anastomotic complications, first post-operational flatus, bowel movement and extrusion of clip device were observed.

RESULTSNo anastomotic complications such as leakage or obstruction were found. The clip was expelled with stool within 12-18 days. All the patients had good results in recovery of bowel function.

CONCLUSIONLapCAC is safe and simple for laparoscopic gastrointestinal anastomosis.

Adult ; Aged ; Chromium Alloys ; Female ; Gastrectomy ; instrumentation ; methods ; Gastroenterostomy ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Jejunum ; surgery ; Laparoscopy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stomach ; surgery ; Stomach Neoplasms ; surgery

Clinical research methods have been rapidly developing, and the design of clinical trials including traditional Chinese medicine is advancing. To a certain extent, all of these ensure that the results of clinical research are objective and scientific, but whether these results and the resulting guidelines or consensus have much practical significance on clinical practice is still controversial. The authors engage in both clinical practice and clinical research; they strongly feel that it is necessary to discuss the relationship between clinical trials and clinical practice. This essay discusses this relationship in four parts.
Biomedical Research ; Clinical Trials as Topic ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the feasibility of mandibular "V-Line" osteotomy combined with mandibular outer cortex osteotomy for correction of low angle-square jaw.

METHODSFrom Jul. 2005 to Nov. 2007, 31 patients with low angle-square jaw were corrected with mandibular "V-Line" osteotomy combined with mandibular outer cortex osteotomy. The patients were followed up for 6-24 months. Pre- and Post-operative standard images and X-ray cephalometric examination were used to assess the therapeutic effect.

RESULTSThe wounds were healed primarily in all the 31 cases with no severe complication. The lower labial numbness was happened in 13 cases, which was recovered within 4 months. All the patients achieved esthetic improvement at the frontal and lateral view. The mandibular angle and the mandibular plane angle reached 110 degrees - 120 degrees and 25 degrees - 30 degrees after operation. The distance between the angles was decreased.

CONCLUSIONSThe low angle-square jaw can be corrected satisfactorily with mandibular "V-Line" osteotomy combined with mandibular outer cortex osteotomy.

Adult ; Feasibility Studies ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Jaw Abnormalities ; surgery ; Mandible ; surgery ; Osteotomy ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Oral mucositis, a severe oral ulceration, is a common toxic effect of radio- or chemoradio-therapy and a limiting factor to using the maximum dose of radiation for effective cancer treatment. Among cancer patients, at least 40% and up to 70%, of individuals treated with standard chemotherapy regimens or upper-body radiation, develop oral mucositis. To date, there is no FDA approved drug to treat oral mucositis in cancer patients. The key challenges for oral mucositis treatment are to repair and protect ulcerated oral mucosa without promoting cancer cell growth. Oral mucositis is the result of complex, multifaceted pathobiology, involving a series of signaling pathways and a chain of interactions between the epithelium and submucosa. Among those pathways and interactions, the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) is critical to the inflammation process of oral mucositis. We recently found that activation of TGFβ (transforming growth factor β) signaling is associated with the development of oral mucositis. Smad7, the negative regulator of TGFβ signaling, inhibits both NF-κB and TGFβ activation and thus plays a pivotal role in the prevention and treatment of oral mucositis by attenuating growth inhibition, apoptosis, and inflammation while promoting epithelial migration. The major objective of this review is to evaluate the known functions of Smad7, with a particular focus on its molecular mechanisms and its function in blocking multiple pathological processes in oral mucositis.
Animals ; Humans ; Mouth Diseases ; metabolism ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Smad7 Protein ; metabolism ; Stomatitis ; metabolism ; pathology ; prevention & control

OBJECTIVE To observe the inhibitory effects of Liuwei Dihuang Pills(LWDHP) on macrophages activation in CCl4-induced liver fibrosis in mice.METHODS C57BL/6 mice were induced liver fibrosis by CCl4 exposure and administered with LWDHP for 6 weeks simultaneously.Liver tissue was investigated by HE and Sirius red staining.α-SMA was analyzed by immunofluorescence,qPCR and Western blot.Liver macrophages were observed by immunohistochemistry of CD68.The pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokine such as TNF-α,IL-1β,CXCR3 and MCP1 were detected by qPCR or Western blot analysis.RESULTS After 6 weeks of CCl4 administration,the expression ofα-SMA significantly increased,and LWDHP po-tently inhibited the α-SMA expression.Immunohistochemistry showed that the expression of CD68 was very weak in normal group,CD68 was distributed mainly between fibrotic septa with strong positive expression in CCl4 model group;Real-time quantitative PCR showed that TNF-α,IL-1β,MCP1 and CXCR3 expression significantly increased in model group compared with normal group.Compared with the model group,LWDHP significantly reduced the expression of CD68,inflammatory fac-tors and chemotactic factors.CONCLUSION LWDHP shows a potent inhibition of macrophage activation in CCl4-induced liv-er fibrosis.

Purpose: There has been limited work assessing the use of re-irradiation (re-RT) for local failure following stereotactic spinal radiosurgery (SSRS). We reviewed our institutional experience of conventionally-fractionated external beam radiation (cEBRT) for salvage therapy following SSRS local failure. Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 54 patients that underwent salvage conventional re-RT at previously SSRS-treated sites. Local control following re-RT was defined as the absence of progression at the treated site as determined by magnetic resonance imaging. Results: Competing risk analysis for local failure was performed using a Fine-Gray model. The median follow-up time was 25 months and median overall survival (OS) was 16 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 10.8–24.9 months) following cEBRT re-RT. Multivariable Cox proportional-hazards analysis revealed Karnofsky performance score prior to re-RT (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.93–0.98; p = 0.003) and time to local failure (HR = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.94–1.00; p = 0.04) were associated with longer OS, while male sex (HR = 3.92; 95% CI, 1.64–9.33; p = 0.002) was associated with shorter OS. Local control at 12 months was 81% (95% CI, 69.3–94.0). Competing risk multivariable regression revealed radioresistant tumors (subhazard ratio [subHR] = 0.36; 95% CI, 0.15–0.90; p = 0.028) and epidural disease (subHR = 0.31; 95% CI, 0.12–0.78; p =0.013) were associated with increased risk of local failure. At 12 months, 91% of patients maintained ambulatory function. Conclusion Our data suggest that cEBRT following SSRS local failure can be used safely and effectively. Further investigation is needed into optimal patient selection for cEBRT in the retreatment setting.

OBJECTIVETo establish baseline patterns of rotavirus diarrhea and to describe its epidemiologic features in Changchun city, prior to rotavirus vaccine immunization.

METHODSHospital-based surveillance was conducted among children under 5 years old with acute diarrhea in Changchun Children's Hospital. Fecal samples were determined to identify rotavirus by PAGE and/or ELISA. G serotypes of rotavirus were identified by ELISA and/or nested RT-PCR. P genotyping were carried out by RT-PCR. All data were computerized and analysed by "Generic Manual on Rotavirus Surveillance" set by CDC in the USA.

RESULTSIn total, 2 343 diarrhea cases were screened and 1 211 fecal samples were collected. Rotavirus was detected in 31.0% among outpatients and 52.9% in inpatients. During the peak of the season (November through March), 58.6% of diarrhea was caused by rotavirus among inpatients. 95.0% of rotavirus diarrhea cases occurred among children aged < 2 years. The predominant strain was serotype G1 (82.4%), followed by G2 (5.0%), G3 (3.3%), G4 (0.9%). P genotyping showed that P[8] and P[4] were the most common ones. Nine different P-G combinations were identified, four strains (P[8]G1, P[4]G2, P[8]G3, and P[8]G4) commonly seen worldwide accounted for 75.6% of the total. Taken together with uncommon strains, including the novel types P[4]G4 and P[8]G2, it highlights the extraordinary diversity of rotaviruses circulating in China.

CONCLUSIONRotavirus is the major cause of severe child diarrhea in Changchun. Developing a rotavirus vaccine for prevention of severe disease and reduction of treatment costs seemed to be necessary.

Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Diarrhea ; etiology ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Feces ; virology ; Female ; Genotype ; Hospitals, Pediatric ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rotavirus ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Rotavirus Infections ; complications ; epidemiology ; virology ; Sentinel Surveillance ; Serotyping

Sepsis is a common disease in critical patients, which may lead to myocardial damage, thereby aggravating the severity of the patients' condition, and causing adverse prognosis. How to detect sepsis with myocardial injury as early as possible, and use corresponding treatment measures on time are essential. Cardiac troponin I (cTnI), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), myoglobin (Mb), MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase (CK-MB) and other traditional cardiac markers are easily affected by the complications of other critical diseases, thus the diagnostic value of those markers for myocardial injury of sepsis is reduced. In recent years, there have been some studies on heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP), microRNA (miRNA), soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cell-1 (sTREM-1), high mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), histone and other new biomarkers of myocardial injury in septic patients. This article reviewed the value of these unconventional cardiac markers in the diagnosis of sepsis-induced myocardial injury, with the hope to provide some help for clinic.
Biomarkers ; Creatine Kinase, MB Form ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myoglobin ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; Sepsis ; Troponin I