In recent years, with the constant increase in the population with hypoimmunity, bacterial and fungal infections have been increasing. Due to the drug resistance, clinically optional anti-bacterial and antifungal medicines become increasingly limited. Scutellaria baicalensis, a species of perennial herbaceous plant of scutellaria genus of lamiaceae family, and its effective components have multiple pharmacological effects such as anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, anti-tumor, anti-microbial. Especially, its remarkable antibacterial and antifungal activities are of great significance to treat the increasing number of cases with drug-fast bacterial and antifungal infections. In this paper, the authors summarized the advance in studies on antibacterial and antifungal effects and mechanisms in recent years on the basis of the domestic and foreign studies on S. baicalensis and its effective ingredients.
Animals ; Anti-Infective Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Bacterial Infections ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Humans ; Mycoses ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Scutellaria ; chemistry ; Scutellaria baicalensis ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of ethyl acetate extract of Huanglian Jiedu decoction (EAHD) on hyphae development of Candida albicans.

METHODInverted microscope, fluorescence microscope, SEM were applied to inspect the Morphological change of C. albicans treated by EAHD at different concentrations. Solid agar plate was utilized to evaluate the colony morphology. Quantitative Real-ime PCR(qRT-PCR) was adopted to observe the expression of hyphae-specific genes such as HWP1, ALS3, UME6, CSH1, SUN41, CaPDE2.

RESULTEAHD with concentration of 312 and 1 250 mg . L-1 could inhibit formation of hyphae and colony morphology. The expression of HWP1, ALS3, UME6, CSH1 were downregulated 4. 13, 3. 64, 2. 46, 2. 75 folds ,while the expression of SUN41 were upregulated 7. 26 folds, CaPDE2 keep unchanged.

CONCLUSIONEAHD could inhibit formation of hyphae and colony morphologies of C. albicans through downregulating HWP1, ALS3, UME6 and CSH1.

Acetates ; Biofilms ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Candida albicans ; cytology ; drug effects ; genetics ; growth & development ; Down-Regulation ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Fungal Proteins ; genetics ; Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal ; drug effects ; Hyphae ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Microscopy, Fluorescence ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the balance function of injured lower limb by dynamic posturography. METHODS: Using the dynamic posturography instrument, the postural evoked responses of sixty-two normal people and two hundred and fifty-eight people with injured lower limb bones and joints were detected. The test was included sensory organization test (SOT) and adaption test (ADT). The results of two groups were compared by t test. RESULTS: Compared with the normal people, the impaired people had significant statistical differences in balance scores of SOT3-SOT6 and proportion score of dynamic proprioception (P < 0.05). There was no obvious decrease in ADT. CONCLUSION The balance function of injured lower limb significantly decreases.
Case-Control Studies ; Humans ; Lower Extremity/physiopathology* ; Postural Balance/physiology* ; Posture/physiology* ; Proprioception/physiology*

A biosurfactant-producing strain(S_6)was isolated from oil-containing wastewater in oxidation ditch and identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa based on physiological and biochemical experiments and 16S rDNA sequence analysis.Infrared spectrum analysis revealed that S_6 produced glucolipid in the process of metabolism.It was observed that S_6 decreased the surface tension of water from 72 mN/m to 33.9 mN/m with the critical micelle concentration(CMC)of 50mg/L.The measurement of oil displacement and surface tension demonstrated that the fermented liquid had stable surface activity at varying range of salinity,pH,amount of dissolved oxygen.The optimal culture condition was obtained through orthogonal experiment:glucose 10g/L,urea 5g/L,KH_2PO_4 1g/L,liquor of microelement 2mL,pH 8.0,water 1000mL;and the biosurfactant production under optimal culture condition was 0.173g/L.

Objective To study the feasibility and safety of hand-assisted laparoscopic hepatectomy for huge left hepatoma.Methods Nine patients with huge left hepatoma underwent hand- assisted laparoscopic hepatectomy including hepatocellular carcinoma(4 cases),intrahepatic cholangioearcinoma(1 case),hepatic metastatic squamous carcinoma(1 case),hepatic cavernous hemangioma(2 cases),and hepatic spindle cell tumor(1 case).The mean age was 45.3 years.AFP was positive in 3 cases and CEA was positive in 1 case.The preoperative liver function was Child-Pugh A in all patients.The procedure included dissection of left hepatic ligaments and portal triad clamping with Pringle's maneuver and hepatectomy.Results The laparoscopic procedures were completed safely in all patients including 6 left lateral segmentectomies and 3 left hemihepatectomies.There was no conversion to laparotomy.Mean surgical time was 111.7 minutes.Mean blood loss was 97.8 ml.Portal triad clamping was used in 8 cases and mean clamping time was 13.4 minutes.Neither formidable bleeding nor gas embolism occurred.There were no serious postoperative complications such as postoperative bleeding or bile leak or liver failure.Liver function recovered within 7 to 10 days.Preoperatively positive AFP and CEA turned negative after operation.The mean postoperative hospital stay was 8.4 days.Four patients with HCC underwent postoperative prophylactic hepatic arterial chemoembolization within the first postoperative month. All patients were tumor-free as evaluated by postoperative follow-up of 4～11 months.Conclusions Hand-assisted laparoscopic hepatectomy for huge left hepatoma is feasible and safe in appropriately selected patients.

Objective:To validate the clinical value of CT-guided curve-needle percutaneous ethanol injection (CNPEI) for celiac plexus block analgesia. Methods: Thirty-two patients with end-stage cancer, including 13 complicated with extensive retroperitoneal lymph node enlargement and fusion, were enrolled in this study. All patients complained of refractory upper abdominal pain and had received narcotic analgesics and radiotherapy, but the analgesic effect was not good. CT-guided CNPEI was therefore prescribed. Results: The effective rates of CT-guided CNPEI were 100%, 100%, 96.9%, 90.6%, 87.5%, and 84.4% immediately,and at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks after treatment, respectively. All enlarged lymph nodes had obvious necrosis and became shrunk. Conclusion: Combined application of bilateral anterior and posterior diaphragmatic crura block and trans-lymph node block can produce good analgesic effects, and curve-needle puncture make the above technique simpler.

Objective:To validate the therapeutic value of CT-guided percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) in the treatment of metastatic adrenal tumors. Methods: Thirty-one foci (diameter ranging from 1.5 cm to 7.2 cm) in 25 patients with metastatic adrenal tumors were treated with CT-guided PEI for more than twice. Plain and enhanced CT scans were performed 1-2 months after PEI to observe the size and necrosis of the tumors. Results: Post-PEI enhanced CT scan showed that 18 of the 20 foci with diameters less than 3 cm completely necrotized; 11 foci with diameters between 3 cm and 7.2 cm necrotized partially, and 2 foci completely necrotized after another 2-3 courses of PEI treatment. Conclusion: CT-guided PEI is a simple and minimally invasive means for treatment of metastatic adrenal tumors, and the therapeutic effect is satisfactory.

Objective To improve the awareness of the CT and/or MRI appearances and clinical presentations of Kasabach-Merritt syndrome(KMS),6 cases were reported.Methods The CT and/or MRI and clinical characters of 6 cases of KMS were reviewed and analyzed.Results Thrombocytopenia,and consumption coagulopathy were presented in all 6 cases.The paravertebral mass of posterior mediastinum, right pericardial lesion,skin and soft tissue of left arm were shown as iso-,hypointensity on T1-weighted image,iso-,hyper-intensity on T_2-weighted image,and with heterogeneous enhancement after contrast administration in three cases.Splenomegaly was presented in one case,it showed homogenous hypoattenuation on unenhanced CT,and diffused heterogeneous enhancement after contrast administration. On MRI,spleen was shown as hypointensity on T_1-weighted image,hyperintensity on T_2-weighted image, and with heterogeneous enhancement after contrast administration.There were lesions in both bones and spleen in one case.Osteopenia and thinned cortex were shown on the metaphyses of upper and lower extremities.Spleen enlarged and showed multifocal hypoattenuation lesions,the peripheral region enhanced on the early phase,and some of the lesions filled on the delayed phase after the contrast administration.One case showed huge hypoattenuation lesion in the left lobe of liver with gradually filling of the mass after peripheral enhancement.Conclusion Thrombocytopenia and consumption coagulopathy suggest the entity of extensive hemangioma.Splenomegaly with diffuse or focal hypoattenation or hypointensity in MRI infers the diagnosis of hemangioma.

Objective:To investigate the effect of carvedilol on expression of cardiac matrix metalloproteinases(MMPs)and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases(TIMPs)after myocardial infarction in rats.Methods:An animal model of acute myocar- dial infarction(AMI)was established by descending left coronary artery ligation in 24 rats and they were divided into carvedilol (10 mg?kg~(-1)?d~(-1))group(n=12)and normal saline group(n=12).Sham operated group(n=9)received the same proce- dure but with no ligation.All animals were treated for 6 weeks via a gastric lavage.Heart function and hemodynamic parame- ters were determined after 6 weeks.The protein expression of cardiac MMP-2,MMP-9 and TIMP-2 was detected by immuno- histoehemical analysis in AMI groups,and the MMPs activities were assessed by zymography.Gene expression of myocardial MMPs/TIMPs(MMP-2,9 and TIMP-1,2)and cytokines(TNF-?,IL-1?)were measured by real-time quantitative PCR.Re- suits:Compared with Sham-operated group,earvedilol group had significantly higher left ventricular end-diastolic pressure(LV- EDP)and lower LV upstroke velocity(+dp/dt_(max))and LV descent velocity(-dp/dt_(max))(P

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of percutaneous drainage of solitary retroperitoneal abscess under CT guidance.Methods A retrospective analysis was made for percutaneous drainage of solitary retroperitoneal abscess with CT guidance in 13 patients including 4 at the tail of pancreas, 3 nearby the head of pancreas,3 in perirenal space,2 in posterior renal space and 1 case was by the side of psoas muscle.The maximum diameters of retroperitoneal abscess were between 3.5cm and 8cm.Results Out of 13 patients,8 with one time drainage,3 with twice drainages and 2 with thrice drainages.The mean duration of drainage was 16 days with no recurrence or residual lesions during clinical follow up.Conclusion CT guided percutaneous drainage of solitary retroperitoneal abscess is effective and minimally invasive.(J Intervent Radiol,2007,16:828-830)