Objective To know the blood level and the influencing factors for the children living in the area near highway in the mountain region. Methods From December,2006 to April,2007,one hundred and eighteen children aged 8-12 years (exposed group) living in the area near highway in the mountain region and fifty-one children aged 8-12 years (control group) living in the area far away from the highway were selected by random cluster sampling. Lead level of the soil and crops on the highway-sides (pollution area)and the area far away from the highway (control area) was determined. The basic situation was investigated by the questionnaire, the blood lead level was determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The influence of lead on children's intelligence, physical growth and the influencing factors for blood lead level were analyzed. Results The average lead level of the soil [(96.89?15.05) mg/kg] and crops [(0.86?0.29) mg/kg] in the polluted area was significantly higher compared with the control [soil lead: (29.83?1.41)mg/kg,crops lead:(0.17?0.03) mg/kg], and revealed statistical significance respectively (P

Objective To investigate the body burden of lead and the related health effects in the residents living on the highway-sides of the mountain areas in Fujian province,China.Methods Eighty-nine subjects living nearby the highway-sides(exposed group) and 69 subjects far away from the highway(control group) were recruited by stratified random sampling method.Their basic situation and relevant index were investigated with questionnaire;The lead levels of blood and urine were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometric method and compared;The temperature,pulse rate and blood pressure were taken to analyze the related health effects;and the influence factors of blood lead levels were analyzed by single factor analysis method,rank correlation analysis method and multiple regression analysis method.Results The blood and urine lead level of exposure group([94.19 26.51),(15.36?7.67)?g/L ]were significantly higher than that of the control group[(62.83?13.33),(7.24?4.62) ?g/L;t=8.981 0、7.766 2,P

Objective To explore the clinical features of adrenocortical oncocytoma for better understanding. Methods A total of 586 patients with adrenal cortical adenoma were retrospectively analyzed in our hospital from January 1993 to November 2009, in which 18 were diagnosed as adrenal cortical oncocytoma pathologically, with 7 male and 11 female, aged ( 45.5 ± 15.9 ) years, and the disease course of( 13.3 ± 13.1 )months. Results 6 patients suffered from Cushing's syndrome, 2 primary hyperaldosteronism, 1 had clinical features of both Cushing's syndrome and primary hyperaldosteronism, and 9 were nonfunctional. 4 cases were misdiagnosed as pheochromocytoma preoperatively. All 18 patients were diagnosed by B-mode ultrasound and operation ( 13 by laparoscopy, 5 by laparotomy). 11 tumors were located in the left adrenal while 7 in the right, with the average tumor size of 5.6 cm in diameter. Histopathologically, 1 was oncocytic adrenocortical carcinoma, while 17 were adrenocortical oncocytoma, in which 5 were potentially malignant and 12 were benign. 11 patients were followed up for 20.5±20.1 months. 2 patients were dead, and 9 were alive with tumor recurrence in 1 case.ConclusionsAdrenocortical oncocytoma is a pathological diagnosis and the clinical manifestations are various. The tumors are usually large in size, and can easily be found by ultrasound, but may be wrongly diagnosed as pheochromocytoma.Being different from previous reports, the majority of these patients present with endocrine dysfunction. Most of these cases are benign, but malignant potential is obvious. Therefore,follow-up is very important.

BACKGROUND:Autologous peroneus brevis and alogeneic tendon are often used for reconstruction of lateral colateral ligament of the ankle joint, but these two kinds of materials have different histological and biomechanical properties. OBJECTIVE:To compare the clinical effects of autologous peroneus brevis and alogeneic tendon to reconstruct lateral colateral ligament of the ankle joint. METHODS: Sixty-six patients with chronic external ankle instability caused by old injury to lateral colateral ligament of the ankle joint were enroled, aged 15-63 years. The 34 of 66 patients underwent lateral ligament reconstruction using autologous peroneus brevis and the rest 32 patients received lateral ligament reconstruction using alogeneic tendon. After reconstruction, reaction time of the peroneous brevis, talar tilt angle and anterior talar translation, visual analog scale score and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score were compared between the two groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:At the last folow-up, the visual analog scale score, tilt angle and anterior talar translation were lowered in the two groups compared with the previous (P < 0.05), and the AOFAS scores were increased significantly in the two groups (P < 0.05); the reaction time of the peroneous brevis was increased inthe autologous peroneus brevis group (P < 0.05) and decreased in the alogeneic tendon group (P < 0.05); the above-mentioned indexes had no difference between the two groups. These findings indicate that autologous peroneus brevis and alogeneic tendon have similar effects on the lateral ligament reconstruction in terms of postoperative ankle function, stability and activity levels, but the alogeneic tendon shows advantages on less trauma and shorter operation time.

A method was developed for simultaneous determination of pyrrolizidine alkaloids and isoquinoline alkaloids in honey by dispersive solid phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry ( QuEChERS-HPLC-MS/MS) . The honey samples were extracted with acetonitrile solution and cleaned up with PSA absorbent. Agilent Poroshell 120 SB-C18 chromatographic column was used to separate alkaloids with high sensitivity and satisfactory resolution. The identification and quantification were achieved by using electrospray ionization in positive ion mode ( ESI+) with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Matrix-matched calibration curves with good correlation coefficients (R2>0. 99) were obtained in the concentration range of 0. 1-100 μg/L. The recoveries of the spiked samples at 1-100 μg/kg were in the range of 70% to 110% with the RSD of intra-day and inter-day lower than 15% and 20%, respectively. The limits of detection ( LOD) and limits of quantification ( LOQ) for all alkaloids were 0. 3 and 1. 0 μg/kg, respectively. This method was successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of pyrrolizidine alkaloids and isoquinoline alkaloids for quantification and confirmation in honey samples.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety ofGuipi Decoction vs. antidepressants for depression. Methods Articles about the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) ofGuipi Decoction for depression were searched in the databases of CNKI, VIP, Wanfang Data, CMB, Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library. Two researchers independently screened the articles, extracted the data, and evaluated the methodological quality. Meta-analyses were performed by using RevMan 5.2 software.Results A total of 9 RCTs articles involving 893 cases were included. Meta-analysis results suggested that as compared with antidepressants only,Guipi Decoction together with antidepressants was associated with a significantly greater reduction in HAMD scores (MD=-4.63, 95%CI [-5.95, -3.32];P<0.001). There was no significant difference in HAMD scores betweenGuipi Decoction used alone and antidepressants (MD=-0.30, 95%CI [-4.22, 3.62];P=0.88). As compared with antidepressants,Guipi Decoction together with antidepressants increased in the rates of total effective events (RR=1.26, 95%CI [1.14, 1.38];P<0.001). No serious adverse reactions were reported. Meta-analysis results suggested that the incidence of adverse reactions of Guipi Decoction(RR=0.48, 95%CI [0.40, 0.58];P<0.001) andGuipi Decoction together with antidepressants (RR=0.51, 95%CI [0.30, 0.85];P=0.010) were lower than that of antidepressants alone.Conclusion The present evidence suggests thatGuipi Decoction is effective and relatively safe for patients with depression. However, because the quality of included research was low, more large-scale RCTs with multicenter and high quality are needed for further verification.

BACKGROUND:Mycobacterium tuberculosis heat shock protein 10 (r-Mt cpn10) is one of the main factors that cause bone tuberculosis dissolution and absorption as wel as inhibits the proliferation of osteoblasts. Receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand and osteoprotegerin are the important factors influencing bone metabolism.
OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of r-Mt cpn10 on human osteoblast proliferation, alkaline phosphatase secretion, expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand mRNA and osteoprotegerin mRNA. METHODS:Human bone marrow stromal cel s were induced to differentiate into osteoblasts, and osteoblasts at passage 3 were cultured with various concentrations of r-Mt cpn10 (0.1, 1, 10 mg/L). Osteoblasts cultured without r-Mt CPN10 were assigned as controls.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:MTT assay results showed that, compared with control group, r-Mt cpn10 at different concentrations inhibited osteoblast proliferation and alkaline phosphatase secretion (P<0.05). RT-PCR analysis showed that, r-Mt cpn10 at different concentrations increased receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand mRNA expression (P<0.01), and inhibited osteoprotegerin mRNA expression in a concentration-dependent manner (P<0.01). 10 mg/L r-Mt cpn10 exhibited the strongest effect (P<0.01). The r-Mt cpn10 can inhibit osteoblast proliferation and alkaline phosphatase activity, and it may influence bone metabolism by regulating the expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand mRNA and osteoprotegerin mRNA.

AIM:To investigate the injurious effects of oxidized low-density(OLDL) on human endothelial cells(ECs) and protective effects of Angelica Sinensis in vitro. METHODS: The effect of OLDL on nitric oxide (NO) release from EC and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression on EC surface were studied, and the protective effects of Angelica Sinensis on normal and abnormal EC were investigated using cultured EC with or without OLDL and immunocytochemical staining technique. RESULTS: OLDL led to a decrease of NO release and an increase of ICAM-1 expression, which can be reversed by Angelica Sinensis and atropine can block this role of Angelica Sinensis. CONCLUSION: Angelica Sinensis has antagonistic effect on OLDL-induced decreasing of NO released from ECs and increasing of ICAM-1 expression on ECs surface . These effects of Angelica Sinensis may be exerted by the excitation of muscarinic receptor.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of Xanthium sibiricum Patrin ex Widder water extracts (CEW) on α-glucosidase activity (AG) and blood sugar in mice.

METHODSThe inhibition of AG by CEW was studied with enzyme-inhibitor screening external model with acarbose as control drug. The normal mice were administrated by gavage with 40.0g*kg(-1), or 10.0 g*kg(-1) of CEW, 0.375 g*kg(-1) of acarbose, and 0.3ml of normal saline, respectively in successive 5 days; then the animals were loaded with 2.0 g*kg(-1) of glucose, 4.0 g*kg(-1) of sucrose, and 2.0 g*kg(-1) of starch and blood sugar levels were measured within 15, 30, 60, and 120min. Diabetes was induced by injection of streptozotocin (STZ) in mice, then 40.0 g*kg(-1), or 10.0 g*kg(-1) of CEW was given to diabetic mice in successive 2 weeks and 4 weeks, then the blood sugar levels were measured.

RESULTSIn the enzyme inhibition test, when the concentration of CEW was between 0.3125 g*L(-1)-10.00 g*L(-1), the inhibition rate was 55.42%-92.73% when the concentration of acarbose was 1.5625 g*L(-1)-25.00 g*L(-1), the inhibition rate was 9.28%-64.87%. In the sugar tolerance test, the blood sugar value in starch-loaded mice decreased sharply (P<0.01), followed by sucrose-loaded group (P<0.05), and there was no change in glucose-loaded group (P>0.05). In diabetic mice CEW-40 and CEW-10 groups showed significant blood sugar lowering effect (P<0.01 or P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONCEW has stronger effect in inhibition of AG activity than acarbose. CEW can increase the sugar tolerance in normal mice and decrease the blood sugar level in diabetic mice..

Animals ; Blood Glucose ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; drug therapy ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Female ; Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors ; Male ; Mice ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Xanthium ; chemistry ; alpha-Glucosidases ; metabolism

Objective:To reveal the action mechanism and efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) plus external application of Wei Ling Xian (Radix Clematidis) extract in treating knee osteoarthritis (KOA), for providing theoretical evidence and novel plan for the treatment of KOA.Methods:Totally 284 inpatients were divided into an EA group and an observation group by the random number table, 142 cases in each group. The EA group was intervened by EA, ultrashort waves, and oral administration of Glucosamine Hydrochloride capsules; while the observation group was by external application of Wei Ling Xian (Radix Clematidis) extract at topical area in addition to the treatment given to the EA group. The intervention lasted 14 d in both groups. X-ray examination of knee joint was ordered before and after treatment, as well as the detection of positive expression of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) in cartilage of knee joint, hyaluronic acid (HA) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the inflammatory effusion; the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) and visual analogue scale (VAS) were adopted to evaluate the clinical efficacy.Results:In the observation group, the X-ray examination result of knee joint was significantly improved, the positive expressions of MMP-1 and IL-1β content were significantly decreased, the level of HA was increased, WOMAC and VAS scores dropped, and the total effective rate was 91.5%, which were significantly different from those in the EA group (P<0.05).Conclusion:EA plus external application of Wei Ling Xian (Radix Clematidis) extract can produce a more significant efficacy in treating KOA compared to ordinary EA treatment.