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 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.

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

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

Objective To investigate the positive rates of food allergen (fx5),mixed molds (mx1),phadiatop and house dust mites (d1) allergen-specific serum immunoglobulin E(sIgE) in children with asthma or cough variant asthma (CVA).Their age distribution characte-ristics were also compared and analysed.Methods Blood samples of 597 asthmatic children aging from 6 months to 16 years old were applied to fx5,mx1,pha-diatop and d1 test by using fluoroenzyme-immunometricassay,UniCAP100.The positive rate of fx5,mx1,phadiatop and d1 were compared.Age distribution characteristics of children with positive sIgE were analysed.Results 1.The positive rate of fx5,mx1,pha-diatop and d1 were 34.6%,30.0%,35.2% and 23.5%,respectively.2.The highest positive rate of phadiatop and d1 were highest in children of 6-16 age group(67.8% and 46.3%);The positive rate of fx5,mx1 peaked in children of 2 years and 5 years separately(44.1% and 53.6%);3.Among 181 children with mx1 positivity 90 cases manifested phadiatop negativity.4.Sixty-five percent of children with clinically diagnosed asthma or CVA presented positivity in test in fx5,mx1 or phadiatop at least.Conclusions Two thirds asthma and CVA patients exist sIgE.Asthmatic infants mainly manifest food allergen sensitization.The positive of phadiatop increased with age.Positivity of mx1 increased with age ≤5 years old in children,and it decreases in older children(≥6 years old).Mx1 is one of the main allergens in asthmatic children.

Background A main cause of visual impairment in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is vitreous hemorrhage and retinal detachment due to contraction of fibrovascular membrane.To explore the pathogenic mechanism of fibrovascular membrane is a new target for the prevention and management of PDR.Objective This study was to determine the change in expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF),connective tissue growth factor(CTGF) and pigment epithelium derived factor(PEDF) in the proliferative membranes of patients with PDR after intravitreal injection of avastin,an anti-VEGF agent.Methods This study was approved by the Medical Ethic Committee of Tianjin Medical College,and written informed consent was obtained from each patient before enrollment.A prospective randomized-controlled study was designed.Twenty-six eyes of 24 patients with PDR scheduled for surgery were enrolled from January to June,2008 in Tianjin Medical College Eye Hospital.The patients were randomized into the simple vitrectomy group and avastin injection combined with vitrectomy group,with matched gender,age and disease duration.1.25 mg (0.05 ml) of avastin was intravitreally injected prior to surgery,and vitrectomy was performed 10 days after injection in the avastin injection combined with vitrectomy group,and only vitrectomy was given in the simple vitrectomy group.Preretinal membrane was collected during the surgery.Expression of VEGF,CTGF and PEDF in the preretinal membranes was assayed by immunochemistry.Results VEGF,CTGF and PEDF were expressed in the cytoplasm.The rate of VEGF expression in the preretinal membranes was 30.77％ in the avastin injection combined with vitrectomy group,showing a significant reduction in comparison with the simple vitrectomy group(100.00％)(U =4.000,P＜0.01).The rate of expression CTGF was remarkable elevated in the avastin injection combined with vitrectomy group compared with the simple vitrectomy group (92.31％ vs.62.54％)(U=7.500,P=0.048).However,no significant difference was found in the expression rate of PEDF between the two groups(100.00％ vs.92.31％) (U =65.500,P =0.299).Conclusions The results suggest that intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF drugs resulted in the decrease of VEGF expression and increased CTGF expression in proliferative membranes from patients with PDR.

Calcium hydroxide (CH) is applied to improve disinfection of root canals in most root canal retreatment. This study aimed to analyze the CH removal efficacy using 7 different root preparing files (K file, pre-curved K file, EndoActivator, Ultrasonic file, pre-curved ultrasonic file, F file and needle irrigation alone) with apical transportation. Standardized models of curved canal with such apical transportation or not were set up before applying CH to root canal for 7 days. Seven techniques described above were used for its removal. Then the roots were disassembled and digital photos were taken. The ratio of residual CH in the overall canal surface was calculated using the image analyzer image pro plus 6.0. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey test. Results revealed that CH was effectively removed (P<0.05) by using all 6 mechanical methods except irrigation alone. In curved root canals with apical transportation, EndoActivator, pre-curved ultrasonic file and F file were found to be more effective in removing CH than the other four file (P<0.001), while there was no significant difference among EndoActivator, pre-curved ultrasonic file and F file groups (P>0.05). The percentage of residual CH in the canal with apical transportation was higher than that in the canal without apical transportation (P<0.05). In conclusion, CH can be hardly removed completely. Canal with apical transportation will result in insufficient CH removal. EndoActivator, pre-curved ultrasonic file and F file are more effective in the curved root canal with apical transportation.

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.