Objective To evaluate the significance of serum matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) and joint ultrasonography in assessing the activity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by comparing MMP-3 level and the ultrasonic 7 joints (US7) score in RA patients.Methods Serum MMP-3 level and US7 score were measured in 133 RA patients by immune turbidity and Doppler ultrasound.Synchronous 53 healthy subjects were recruited as controls.Clinical data were collected.Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR),serum level of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibody,health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) and disease activity score 28 (DAS28) were measured.The level of disease activity is interpreted as remission(DAS28 ＜2.6),low(DAS 28≥2.6-＜3.2),moderate(DAS 28≥3.2-＜5.1),high(DAS28≥5.1).The discriminating validity of MMP-3 and US7 score in disease was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis with DAS28 as the reference standard.Results Compared with that in healthy controls [35.20(25.90,48.90) μg/L] and remission patients[33.40(22.60,678.40) μg/L],the MMP-3 level in moderate [105.1 (61.70,172.70) μg/L] and high [363.1 (161.50,475.90) μg/L]groups increased dramatically.US7 score in patients with high disease activity was significantly higher than that in other groups.The level of MMP-3 was significantly correlated with DAS28,HAQ,US7 score,yet did not have correlation with anti-CCP antibody.Serum level of MMP-3 was positively correlated with US7 score (r =0.566,P ＜ 0.001).In evaluating the disease activity,US7 score combined with MMP-3 (AUC 0.863 2) was not superior to MMP-3 alone (AUC 0.854 3),but significantly better than single US7 score (AUC 0.7643,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions MMP-3 is an effective and simple index in evaluating RA disease activity.The combination of MMP-3 and US7 score does not further improve the efficacy to evaluate disease activity than MMP-3 alone in patients with RA.

Objective To establish fingerprint and mutual mode of aqueous extracts of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.from different regions by high performance liquid chromatography ( HPLC). Methods The column of SinoChrom ODS￣BP (250 mm×4.6 mm, 5 μm) was used.The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile￣0.1% phosphoric acid with gradient elution.The flow rate was 1.0 mL.min-1 , the detective wavelength was 230 nm, and the column temperature was 25 ℃ . Results The fingerprint consisted of 14 common peaks.The overall similarity for ten batches of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.from different regions was 0.592-0.986.The standard fingerprint of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.was established by HPLC. Conclusion This fingerprint method is simple and repeatable, and it provides a scientific basis for the quality control of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv.

Objective To investigate the correlation of ankle-brachial index( ABI)., color doppler ultrasound spectrum and toe-brachial index (TBI) of lower extremity artery in diabetic patients. Methods ABI, TBI and color doppler ultrasound spectrum measurement were carried out on 109 lower extremity artery of 55 diabetic patients. Croups were assigned according to ABI and TBI values and the correlation of ABI and color doppler ultrasound spectrum as well as ABI and TBI. Results The changes of ABI and of color doppler ultrasound spectrum in Group A1(0.9

Objective To observe the preventive and therapeutic effects of L-carnitine on the metabolic disorder and cardiac remodeling in alcoholic cardiomyopathy. Methods Experimental animals were divided into three groups: alcohol-fed group(A), an alcohol/L-carnitine fed group(B) and a control group(C). Free fatty acid(FFA) and earnitine were detected in the blood serum at different time. mRNA and protein expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARα and PPARγ), retinoic acid receptor retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRα), earnitine palmitoyl transferase isoform and medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) were observed with RT-PCR and Western blotting methods. Results (1) When group A and B were compared with group C, FFA was increased and carnitine was decreased;mRNA and protein expressions of PPARα, RXRα, CPT-Ⅰ and MCAD were decreased with the development of alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM), being more significantly in group A than group B (P < 0.05). (2) mRNA and protein expressions of PPARγ had no statistical significance between these three groups at the end of 2 and 4 months(P>0.05), but after 6 months, they were increased in group B and decreased in group A (A vs. C,P<0.01;B vs. C,P<0.05). Conclusion Metabolic disorder and cardiac remodeling occur in the development process of ACM; they are partly prevented by L-carnitine through downregulating mRNA and protein expressions of PPARct, RXRα, CPT-Ⅰ, MCAD and PPARγ.

Objective To explore influences of improved intramuscular injection on quality of benzathine benzylpenicillin medication.Methods The cluster random sampling was adopted to select 178 patients who needed injection of 240U benzathine benzylpenicillin.A self-control study design was used,and benzathine benzylpenicillin was injected in both sides with each of 1 200 000 units.The left side was injected via routine method,while the right side was injected by an improved intramuscular injection.One-time success rate,degree and duration of pain during and after injection were recorded.Results The differences of one-time success rate,pain during injection,pain after injection,duration of pain after injection and incidence of induration after injection between two groups were statistically significant(P＜0.01).Conclusion The improved intramuscular injection can improve one-time success rate of benzathine benzylpenicillin,reduce pain during injection and local pain after injection,shorten duration of pain and decrease incidence of induration after injection.

Amygdala ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Animals ; Conditioning (Psychology) ; Morphine ; adverse effects ; Rats ; Receptors, Opioid, kappa ; metabolism

Objective To explore the relationship between glycosylated hemoglobin and pulse wave velocity in non-diabetic elderly people.Methods Totally 163 subjects were included after exclusion of liver or kidney disfunction,diabetes mellitus or malignant tumor.They were divided into two groups:group A (HbA1c＜5.7％) (n＝54) and group B (HbA1c 5.7％-6.4％)(n＝109).The age,pulse wave velocity,systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure,blood chemistry and hypertension were compared between the two groups.Multi factor analyse was conducted to analyze the relative factors for pulse wave velocity.Results Systolic blood pressure was higher in group B than in group A (P ＜ 0.05).Multi-linear stepwise regression analyses suggested that age,hypertension,glycosylated hemoglobin were positively related to pulse wave velocity in non-diabetic elderly people (β values were 20.382,144.061,93.195,all P＜0.10).Conclusions Glycosylated hemoglobin is related to arterial stiffness in non-diabetic elderly people,it can be used as a predictive and control target of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease in old people.

Aimed at feasibility of microbiological control of Chironomidae larvae in sourcewater, Shenzhen, China, the functional characters of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. Iaraelensis to Chironomus kiiensis tokunaga were studied for the first time. In this study, bioassays were carried out with third-instar larvae, results showed that the LC 50 s(24h) were 24.2 and 32.6 mg/L for Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. Iaraelensis IPS82 and 187 respectively. Tests in fermentation of IPS82 show good correlations between toxicity, cell density, dissolved oxygen and spore-forming phase. The tests on environmental factors influencing toxicity to Chironomus kiiensis tokunaga showed that sunlight is the most important factor, shortening the half life of Bti from 21 days in dark to 10 days; temperature variations(15～30℃) caused no impact on toxicity, but 35℃ increases 16% of larvae mortality. The toxicity of IPS82 is relatively insensitive to change pH deviated from 7 to 11, due to drop of larvae mortality from 66.7 to 40%, at pH of 3, to 16%; its toxicity is stable in low larva density (

Objective:To assess the efficacy of acupuncture plus Methadone in treating heroin withdrawal syndrome.Methods:According to the requirements of evidence-based medicine, the inclusion criteria, exclusion criteria and retrieval strategy were set for original documents. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving acupuncture plus Methadone in treating heroin withdrawal syndrome were retrieved from China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), Wanfang Academic Journal Full-text Database (Wanfang), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), Chongqing VIP Database (CQVIP), PubMed, Cochrane Library and EMBASE. According to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, each included trial was assessed strictly including risk of bias and quality evaluation. Meta-analysis and descriptive-analysis were conducted using the RevMan 5.3 software.Results:A total of 8 trials involving 931 patients were included. Meta-analysis showed that there was no statistical significance [RR=1.05; 95%CI (0.99, 1.11);P=0.11] in comparing total effective rate between the acupuncture plus Methadone and Methadone alone; the cure rate of acupuncture plus Methadone was higher than that of Methadone alone [RR=1.45; 95%CI (1.19, 1.78);P=0.0003]; the relapse rate of the acupuncture plus Methadone was lower [RR=0.691; 95%CI (0.60, 0.80);P<0.00001]. On the basis of these results, the method recommended by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) was taken to evaluate the quality of the evidence. It showed that the level of the evidence was low and it was weakly recommended.Conclusion:According to the included trials, acupuncture plus Methadone in treating heroin withdrawal syndrome is more effective and better than Methadone alone, but it still needs more high-quality, large sample, and polycentric researches to confirm it.

Objective To evaluate ketamine-induced cerebral protection in mice with traumatic brain injury (TBI) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Methods Thirty-two pathogen-free healthy male C57BL/6 mice,aged 8 weeks,weighing 26-30 g,were divided into 4 groups using a random number table:control group (group C,n=7),ketanine group (group K,n=7),TBI group (n=9) and TBI plus ketamine group (group TBI+K,n =9).TBI was produced with a pneumatically driven controlled cortical impact device.Ketamine 150 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected at l h after operation in TBI+K and K groups,while the equal volume of normal saline was given instead in TBI and C groups.Open field test was conducted at 24 h,72 h and 7 days after operation.The animals in TBI and TBI+K groups were scanned by T1-weighted MRI at 6,24 and 72 h after operation,the animals in C and K groups were scanned by MRI at 24 h after operation,and the development of cerebral edema was observed.Results MRI scan showed no cerebral edema in C and K groups,and different degrees of cerebral edema were found in TBI and TBI+K groups.Compared with group C,the locomotor distance was significantly shortened at 24 and 72 h after operation in group TBI (P＜0.05).Compared with group TBI,the size of cerebral edema was significantly decreased,and the locomotor distance was prolonged at 24 and 72 h after operation in group TBI+K (P＜0.05 or 0.01).Conclusion MRI method further clarifies that ketamine can produce cerebral protection to some extent in mice with TBI.