This study was aimed to compare the function of dendritic cells (DCs) in patients of Y in-Huang syn-drome and Y ang-Huang syndrome from the peripheral blood of HBV related hepatic failure. Jaundice patients of HBV related hepatic failure were divided into two groups, which were the Y ang-Huang syndrome group and Y in-Huang syndrome group. And a healthy control group was also established. The DCs were separated and cultured in vitro from PBMCs in the peripheral blood. Surface molecules such as HLA-DR, CD80, CD86, CD83 and CD1αwere detected by the flow cytometry. And the level of IFN- α and IL-4 in the supernatant of DCs were also de-tected. The expression difference of inflammatory cytokines and immune cells between Y in-Huang and Y ang-Huang syndrome in patients of HBV related hepatic failure were compared. The results showed that compared with healthy people, the expression rate of DCs phenotype such as HLA-DR, CD1α, CD83, CD80, CD86 in patients of HBV related hepatic failure was significantly decreased (P < 0.01); the excreted factor IFN-α had a significant rising (P < 0.01). Compared to Y ang-Huang syndrome group, the expression rate of CD83 and CD86 in the Y in-Huang syndrome group of HBV related hepatic failure patients was significantly reduced (P < 0.01). And the ex-creted factor of IL-4 had a significant rising in Y in-Huang syndrome group (P < 0.01). Compared to the Y in-Huang syndrome group, the excreted factor IFN-α in the Yang-Huang syndrome group had a significant rising (P< 0.01). It was concluded that DCs function of patients with HBV related hepatic failure in both Y in-Huang syn-drome and Y ang-Huang syndrome group showed low immune function. And the immune function of the Y in-Huang syndrome group was lower. There was excessive releasing of inflammatory factors in the Y ang-Huang syn-drome group. And there was enhanced anti-inflammatory cytokine expression in the Y in-Huang group.

Objective To investigate the effectiveness of disodium Aidi injection for cancer-related fatigue in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients of Ⅲ-Ⅳ B stage undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy.Methods Eighty nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients of Ⅲ-Ⅳ B stage with fatigue symptoms from December 2011 to May 2012 in our hospital were divided into two groups.All patients received treatment of sequential 3 cycles with platinum-based chemotherapy after concurrent chemoradiation.One group of 40 patients also received intravenous infusion of disodium Aidi injection (experimental group),the other group of 40 patients only received conventional therapy (control group).Brief fatigue inventory (BFI) questionnaires data were collected at baseline,the eighth week and the twentieth week after treatment.The changes of fatigue severity and the occurrence of Ⅲ-Ⅳ degree adverse reactions in the two groups were compared.Results At the eighth week,the improvement in fatigue severity was not significantly different between two groups (x2 =1.758,P =0.32).However,significant improvement in cancer-related fatigue of experimental group was found than that of control group at the twentieth week(x2 =8.12,P =0.005).The Ⅲ-Ⅳ degree adverse reactions of experimental group were significantly lower than that of control group.Conclusion Disodium Aidi injection combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy can improve the cancer-related fatigue of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients of Ⅲ-ⅣB stage and it can also reduce the incidence rate of Ⅲ-Ⅳ degree adverse reactions.

OBJECTIVETo study the different effect of needling at different meridian points (MP) on different cerebral functional regions by using positron emission tomography and cerebral function tracer 18F-fluorodeoxy glucose to observe the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) stimulation at Yin MP or Yang MP on local cerebral glucose metabolism in 30 healthy volunteers.

METHODSThe thirty subjects were randomly divided into 2 groups, the 12 subjects in the Yang MP group treated by needling at Hegu (LI4), Quchi (LI11), Zusanli (St36) and Shangjuxu (St37), the 18 subjects in the Yin MP group treated by needling at Neiguan (Pc6), Chize (Lu5), Sanyinjiao (Sp6) and Yinlingquan (Sp9). All the needling was conducted at one side of body.

RESULTSAfter needling at Yang MP, the cerebral glucose metabolism was elevated in bilateral cross region of frontal lobe and temporal lobe, parietal lobe, thalamus and basal ganglia, and in contralateral cerebellum and hippocampus. After needling at Yin MP, the cerebral glucose metabolism was lowered in bilateral cross region of frontal and temporal lobe, contralateral temporal lobe, cerebellum and thalamus, and was elevated in homolateral hippocampus and caudate nucleus.

CONCLUSIONUnder physiological condition, the regulatory effects of acupuncture on central nervous system would be different when needling at different MP.

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Brain ; metabolism ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Glucose ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Meridians ; Middle Aged ; Random Allocation ; Tomography, Emission-Computed

Hyperkalemia is the most common complication of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is more common in hemodialysis ( HD) patients.The reason of hyperkalemia in HD patients are related to excessive intake of K +,insufficient clearance of K +and K+transferring from intracellular to extracellualr .Clinically, most of the patients don't have any obvious symptoms ,a few of patients appear heart and neuromuscular symptoms .To prevent hyperkalemia ,the patients should control the daily potassium intake strictly ,and take adequate dialysis and drug therapy .

Background Dyslipidemia caused by liver injury is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular complications.Previous studies have shown that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) protects against multiple cardiovascular disease states in a similar manner as nitric oxide (NO),and NO/endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) pathway is the key route of NO production.The purpose of this study was to investigate whether H2S can ameliorate the high blood pressure and plasma lipid profile in Nw-nitro-L-argininemethyl ester (L-NAME)-induced hypertensive rats by NO/eNOS pathway.Methods Thirty-six 4-week old Sprague-Dawley (SD) male rats were randomly assigned to 6 groups (n=6):control group,L-NAME group,control + glibenclamide group,control + NaHS group,L-NAME + NaHS group,and L-NAME + NaHS + glibenclamide group.Measurements were made of plasma triglycerides (TG),low-density lipoprotein (LDL),high-density lipoprotein (HDL),total cholesterol (CHO),glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (ALT) levels after 5 weeks.Then measurements of NO level and proteins expression of eNOS,P-eNOS,AKT,P-AKT were made in liver tissue.Results After 5 weeks of L-NAME treatment,the blood pressure,plasma TG ((1.22±0.12) mmol/L in L-NAME group vs.(0.68±0.09) mmol/L in control group; P ＜0.05) and LDL ((0.54±0.04) mmol/L in L-NAME group vs.(0.28±0.02) mmol/L in control group; P ＜0.05) concentration were significantly increased,and the plasma HDL ((0.26±0.02) mmol/L in L-NAME group vs.(0.69±0.07) mmol/L in control group; P ＜0.05) concentration significantly decreased.Meanwhile the rats treated with L-NAME exhibit dysfunctional eNOS,diminished NO levels ((1.36±0.09) mmol/g protein in L-NAME group vs.(2.34±0.06) mmol/g protein in control group; P ＜0.05) and pathological changes of the liver.H2S therapy can markedly decrease the blood pressure ((37.25±4.46) mmHg at the fifth week; P ＜0.05),and ameliorate the plasma TG ((0.59±0.06) mmHg),LDL ((0.32±0.04) mmHg),and HDL ((0.46±0.03) mmHg) concentration in L-NAME + NaHS group (all P ＜0.05).H2S therapy can also restore eNOS function and NO bioavailability and attenuate the pathological changes in the liver in L-NAME-induced hypertensive rats.Conclusion H2S protects the L-NAME-induced hypertensive rats against liver injury via NO/eNOS pathway,therefore de.creases the cardiovascular risk.

Aim at the two problems in the field of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) mechanism elucidation, one is the lack of detailed biological processes information, next is the low efficient in constructing network models, we constructed an auxiliary elucidation system for the TCM mechanism and realize the automatic establishment of biological network model. This study used the Entity Grammar Systems (EGS) as the theoretical framework, integrated the data of formulae, herbs, chemical components, targets of component, biological reactions, signaling pathways and disease related proteins, established the formal models, wrote the reasoning engine, constructed the auxiliary elucidation system for the TCM mechanism elucidation. The platform provides an automatic modeling method for biological network model of TCM mechanism. It would be benefit to perform the in-depth research on TCM theory of natures and combination and provides the scientific references for R&D of TCM.
Animals ; Automation ; instrumentation ; methods ; Databases, Factual ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Gene Regulatory Networks ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

Objective To study the influence of fluoride on the expression of osteoprotegerin(OPG) mRNA and protein in suckling rat osteoblasts. Methods Osteoblasts obtained from calvarial of suckling Wistar rats were cultured in vitro in the media supplemented with NaF at a series of doses[O(control), 1,2 and 4 mg/L groups], and OPG mRNA expression and protein were evaluated by RT-PCR and ELISA methods, respectively. Results OPG mRNA expression in suckling rat osteoblasts cultured in vitro significantly increased after exposure to NaF for 48 h and 72 h(F=333.48,808.34,P<0.05). OPG mRNA expression in suckling rat osteoblasts cultured in vitro after exposure to NaF for 48 h at different doses(0.810±0.003, 0.819±0.031 and 0.870±0.044 for 1,2 and 4 mg/L groups, respectively) compared with that of control (0.800±0.040, all P<0.05). OPG mRNA expression further increased for 72 h exposure to NaF(0.933±0.047,1.031±0.051,1.240±0.062 for 1,2 and 4 mg/L, respectively), significantly higher than that of the control (0.805±0.020,all P<0.05) and corresponding groups at 48 h. NaF doses and time exposure exhibited a significant synergistic effect on OPG mRNA expression(F=2004.16, P<0.05). NaF also enhanced OPG protein expression in suckling rat osteoblasts cultured in vitro. Significant differences were observed only in 4 mg/L group(0.228±0.014,0.277±0.048) and control(0.205±0.012,0.229±0.010) at 48 h and 72 h (P<0.05). In addition, OPG protein expression at 72 h post-exposure was higher than that at 48 h,but there was no synergistic effect between concentration and time(F=1.21,P>0.05). Conclusions The results suggested that NaF could increase OPG mRNA and protein expression in suckling rat osteoblasts with a synergistic effect between the doses and exposure time.

Objective To discuss the feasibility and application value of probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy(pCLE)for differential diagnosis of maligant biliary stricture. Methods The pCLE images of 10 patients with definite biliary structure were retrospectively analyzed to establish pCLE classification of biliary lesions, and then the patients, who accepted pCLE examination and traditional brush cytology successively,were selected for further prospective research. Each patient was scored in terms of sign of malignant lesion to analyze diagnostic efficacy of combinations of different signs using classification standard of pCLE image. The results were compared with cell brushing test. The diagnostic consistency of observers using pCLE was also evaluated. Results A total of 25 patients completed the prospective research. When patients presented with any two or more malignant signs,diagnostic efficacy of pCLE was best with accuracy rate of 84.0%(95%CI:64.7%-94.2%),and sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value and negative predictive value was 87.5%(95% CI: 62.7%-97.8%), 77.8%(95% CI: 44.3%-94.7%), 87.5% (95%CI: 62.7%-97.8%), and 77.8%(95% CI: 44.3%-94.7%), respectively. The corresponding indicators of brush cytology was 56.0%(95% CI: 37.1%-73.4%), 31.3%(95% CI: 13.9%-55.9%), 100.0%(95%CI:65.5%-100.0%),100.0%(95%CI:51.1%-100.0%),and 45.0%(95%CI:25.8%-65.8%),respectively,and the sensitivity(P=0.001)and accuracy(P=0.03)were significantly lower than that of pCLE. The κ value of interobserver agreement level was 0.73, which revealed a significant consistency. Conclusion pCLE provides a new approach for the differential diagnosis of biliary stricture, and shows a potential clinical application value.

Objective To study the characteristics of brain electrical signals in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients and healthy elderly volunteers in rest and task loading state.Methods Twenty MCI patients served as a MIC group and 22 sex-,age-and education-matched healthy volunteers served as a control group in this study.The patients were scored according to the MoCA,HADS,MMSE and CMS,their brain electrical signals in a different state were recorded with a digital EEG recording device,and their Lemple-Zie complexity (LZC) was computed on the MATLAB 7.04 platform and comparatively analyzed.Results The MQ value and MoCA,HADS,MMSE,CMS scores were significantly higher in control group than in MCI group (P＜0.01).The LZC value in left frontal region and left temporal region was significantly higher in control group than in MCI group in rest state (0.577±0.059 vs 0.545±0.067,0.576±0.061 vs 0.548±0.059,P＜0.05).The LZC value in right frontal region and right hemisphere was significantly lower in MCI group than in control group in brain electrical activity state (0.535±0.065 vs 0.559±0.033,0.541±0.064 vs 0.551±0.047,P＜0.05).The LZC value in left frontal region,left temporal region,left hemisphere was lower in control group than in MCI group (0.523±0.040 vs 0.547±0.070,0.547±0.048 vs 0.561±0.092,0.542±0.044 vs 0.557±0.067,P＜0.05).Conclusion The LZC value is lost in the left hemisphere but its functional compensation is present in the right and Left parietal lobe,left frontal lobe and right brain areas in MCI patients in a non-linear manner.

Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Solitary Fibrous Tumors ; diagnosis