Objective: To observe morphological changes of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the early stage of mice renal interstitial fibrosis. Methods: Renal interstitial fibrosis was induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction(UUO) in mice. Histological and immunohistochemical methods were used to analyze pathological changes and α-SMA expression in renal tissue.Argentum hexamethylenamine staining and transmission electron microscopy were used to observe changes of the renal tubule basement membrane. Gelatin zymographic analysis was used to observe the expression of MMP2 and MMP9 in renal tissue.Results:The mice suffered from renal interstitial fibrosis were identified by histological analysis and α-SMA positive cells in renal tissue. Argentum hexamethylenamine staining and transmission electron-microscopy showed that the renal tubule basement membrane disrupted locally and renal tubule epithelial cells invaded into the renal interstitium in the early stage of renal interstitial fibrosis. Gelatin zymographic analysis showed that the expression of MMP2 and MMP9 was increased transitorily in the early stage of renal interstitial fibrosis. Conclusion: Renal tubule basement membrane disruption, renal tubule epithelial cells invasion into the renal interstitium, and the expression of MMP2 and MMP9 are involved in the development of renal interstitial fibrosis.

Objective To investigate the relation between the characteristics of body fat distribution and the cardiovascular risk factors in some patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)in Xinjiang region.Methods The percentage of body fat (PBF)and visceral fat area(VA)were determined in 155 cases of T2DM by using the Inbody 720 body composition analyzer.At the same time triglycerides(TG),total cholesterol(TC),high density lipoprotein(HDL-C),low density lipoprotein(LDL-C),blood pressure(BP), glycosylated hemoglobin HbA1c,body weight(W),body height,waist circumference ratio(WC)and hip circumference(HC)were also determined.The body mass index(BMI)and the waist to hip ratio was calculated.Results In both men and women,BMI in the subjects with visceral fat obesity(VFO)was higher than that with subcutaneous fat obesity(SFO).In males,TG in VFO was signif-icantly higher than that in SFO.PBF,TC and LDL-C in the female T2DM patients were significantly higher than those in the male T2DM patients.VA and PBF in the minority male patients were significantly higher than those in the Han nationality male patients (P <0.05).After correcting the age,course of disease and BMI,WHR in the female patients was positively correlated with DBP and PBF was positively correlated with LDL-C.In the male patients,there were correlations between BMI with SBP,between VA with DBP,and between VA with PBF and HDL-C;in the female patients,there were correlations between BMI with SBP and be-tween WHR with DBP.Conclusion The body fat distribution in the patients with T2DM in Xinjiang region is dominated by VFO. The cardiovascular risk factors are not only associated with the increase of body fat content,but more closely associated with VFO, moreover the differences in genders and nationalities exist.

Objective To evaluate the effect of electric vagal stimulation on postoperative cognitive dysfunction in aged rats.Methods Thirty healthy Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes,aged 18-20 months,weighing 390-550 g,were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=10 each) using a random number table:control group (group C),surgery group (group S),and electric vagal stimulation group (group V).Incision of the right carotid sheath was performed,and the vagal nerve was exposed after anesthesia in S and V groups.The right vagus nerve was stimulated for 30 min with continuous electric rectangular pulses (1 ms,10 Hz,1-2 V) after surgery in group V.The Morris water maze place navigation test was performed at 4,3,2 and 1 days before surgery and 2 days after surgery.The cognitive function was assessed using spatial probe and open field tests conducted at 2 days after surgery.The escape latency,the number of crossing the platform,the number of crossing the grid,the number of standing on the back legs,and the time animals spent in the central square were recorded.After the end of behavioral testing,venous blood samples were collected from the jugular vein for determination of concentrations of serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α),interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results Compared with group C,the number of crossing the platform,the number of crossing the grid,and the number of standing on the back legs were significantly decreased,the escape latency and the time animals spent in the central square were significantly prolonged,and the concentrations of serum TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 were significantly increased at 2 days after surgery in group S (P＜0.05).Compared with group S,the number of crossing the platform,the number of crossing the grid,and the number of standing on the back legs were significantly increased,the escape latency and the time animals spent in the central square were significantly shortened,and the concentrations of serum TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 were significantly decreased at 2 days after surgery in group V (P＜0.05).Conclusion Electric vagal stimulation can improve the postoperative cognitive dysfunction in aged rats.

The paper presented the implementation of the healthcare reform policy and initial success of Xinyu TCM Hospital in its reform pilot work of public hospital reform in Xinyu city ,Jiangxi province. The authors also analyzed problems and causes of the hospital in business development and cost control during the reform ,proposing to carry out TCM development policy ,enhance government investment ,streamline TCM service pricing ,and innovate TCM supporting model. In addition ,they also proposed TCM hospitals to enhance management ,and reform their mechanism to resolve such problems as high operating costs ,and poor talent development and lack of feature disciplines .

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Tongluo Xingnao effervescent tablets on learning and memory capacity and expression of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase in hippocampus of rats with chronic cerebral ischemia-induced learning and memory dysfunction model.

METHODThe 2-VO method was used to establish sd rat model learning and memory dysfunction induced by chronic cerebral ischemia. The 50 rats in the successfully established model were randomly divided into the model control group, the Dihydroergotoxine Mesylate tablets group (0.7 mg x kg(-1), Tongluo Xingnao effervescent tablets high dose (7.56 g x kg(-1)), middle dose (3.78 g x kg(-1)) and low dose (1.59 g x kg(-1)) groups and the sham operation group (n = 10) as the control group. The groups were orally given 10 ml x kg(-1) x d(-1) drugs for consecutively 90 days. On the 86th day, Morris water maze was adopted for them. On the 90th day, a leaning and memory capacity test was held. The brain tissues were fixed with 10% formaldehyde and observed for pathomorphism after routine slide preparation and staining. The expression of hippocampal Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase was detected with immunohistochemistry and image quantitative analysis.

RESULTCompared with the model group, all of Tongluo Xingnao effervescent tablets groups showed significant decrease in the escape latency at the 5th day in the Morris water maze, and notable increase in the frequency of the first quadrant dwell, the frequency passing the escape platform and the frequency entering effective area (p < 0.05). According to the pathomorphological detection, the control group showed a significantly higher pathological score than the sham operation group (p < 0.01), the middle dose group showed a significantly lower pathological score than the model group (p < 0.05). According to the immunohistochemistical detection, the model control group showed a remarkably lower mean OD value of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase than the sham operation group (p < 0.05), high and middle dose groups showed a significantly higher mean od value than the model control group (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONTongluo Xingnao effervescent tablets can improve the learning and memory capacity, reduce pathological changes of hippocampal tissues of rats with chronic cerebral ischemia-induced learning and memory dysfunction model, and promote the expression of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase in hippocampus.

Animals ; Brain Ischemia ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; genetics ; psychology ; Chronic Disease ; drug therapy ; psychology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; enzymology ; Humans ; Learning ; drug effects ; Male ; Memory ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Tablets ; administration & dosage

Adult ; Anastomosis, Surgical ; Esophagus ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Stents ; Stomach ; surgery ; Tracheoesophageal Fistula ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo prepare four breviscapine lipid carrier gels and general gel, and to study the transdermal promotive effects of them in vitro.

METHODImproved Franz-type diffusion cell and isolated rat skin were used as transdermal barrier, and the transdermal property was fitted by pharmacokinetics equations. The unit area cumulative permeation quantity of breviscapine was determined by HPLC method.

RESULTThe 24 hours' unit area cumulative permeation quantity of SLN gel was the highest, followed in descending order were transfersomal gel, liposomal gel, NLC gel and general gel. The transdermal property in vitro of SLN gel fitted in with Higuchi pharmacokinetics equation.

CONCLUSIONThe lipid carrier gels had different transdermal promotive effects to breviscapine, SLN gel was the best one as breviscapine transdermal carrier.

Administration, Cutaneous ; Animals ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Drug Carriers ; chemistry ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Flavonoids ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Lipids ; chemistry ; Male ; Mice ; Skin Absorption

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of a microencapsule scaffold capable of sustained release of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) in promoting the osteogenic differentiation of rat periosteum-derived stem cells (PDSCs) in vitro.

METHODSPDSCs from 4-week-old SD rats, after identification of the surface markers using flow cytometry, were induced to differentiate into osteoblast, chondroblast, and adipocyte lineages. The differentiated cells were verified by staining with Alizarin red, toluidine blue, alcian blue, oil red O and by immunofluorescence assay. FGF-2/PELA/BMP-2, FGF-2/PELA, PELA/BMP-2 and PELA microcapsules were prepared, examined for surface morphologies using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and tested for controlled release of FGF-2 and BMP-2 using ELISA. The third passage of PDSCs were cultured in the presence of the aqueous extracts of one of the 4 materials, and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activity in the culture media was detected at 7 and 14 days of culture; the expression levels of osteogenesis-related genes were quantified with quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The osteogenic differentiation ability of the PDSCs cultured with the extracts was compared.

RESULTSThe PDSCs, which expressed mesenchymal stem cell surface markers, were shown to have osteogenic, chondrogenic and adipogenic differentiation potentials. The cells cultured with the extract of FGF-2/PELA/BMP-2 microcapsules showed the highest AKP activity at 7 and 14 days of culture, and their expression levels of OCN and RunX-2 mRNA were the highest among the 4 groups; RunX-2 expression reached its peak level on day 14, and OCN mRNA expression level increased progressively as the culture time extended.

CONCLUSIONFGF-2/PELA/BMP-2 biomimetic controlled release microcapsules preserve the cytokine activities and are capable of promoting the osteogenic differentiation of rat PDSCs.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effects of acupuncture on post-stroke spastic paralysis.

METHODSA systematic evaluation including all the relavant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-RCTs of acupuncture and moxibustion for treatment of post-stroke spastic paralysis were carried out according to the method recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration.

RESULTSNine hundred and seventy-eight patients being included in fourteen papers met the enrolled criteria. However, their methodological quality was relatively poor. Meta-analysis of nine trials indicated that there was no significant difference between the treatment groups and the control groups in Ashworth scores, Carr-Shepherd scores, nerve defect scores and hip adductor tension scores. Whereas the Fugel-Meyer scores in one trial and the Barthel scores in three trials were better in the treatment groups than those of the control group.

CONCLUSIONA reliable conclusion can not be drawn from the present data because of the defects in methodological quality and insufficient numbers of trials, especially lack the long-term terminal outcomes, although it appears a tedency that acupuncture can improve the conditions of post-stroke spastic paralysis. Therefore, it is necessary to perform more multi-central RCTs of high quality in future.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Cerebral Palsy ; etiology ; therapy ; Humans ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Stroke ; complications ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect platelet antigen modification by mPEG-SPA with different molecular masses.

METHODSPlatelet CD42a was modified by 5 kD and 20 kD mPEG-SPA, respectively, and the fluorescence intensity of CD42a was detect by flow cytometry and the three-dimensional structure of CD42a simulated to analyze the distribution of lysine in CD42a molecule.

RESULTSAfter platelet CD42a modification by 5 kD and 20 kD mPEG-SPA, the fluorescence intensity of CD42a decreased sharply by 85.54% and 88.65%, respectively, and multiple lysine regions were identified on the surface of CD42a molecule.

CONCLUSIONBoth 5 kD and 20 kD mPEG-SPA allow useful modification of platelet CD42a, but 20 kD mPEG-SPA is more advantageous than 5 kD mPEG-SPA.

Blood Platelets ; chemistry ; Humans ; Molecular Weight ; Platelet Glycoprotein GPIb-IX Complex ; chemistry ; Polyethylene Glycols ; chemistry ; Succinimides ; chemistry