Objective To investigate the effect of safranal on neurologic functions and histopathologic changes after spinal cord injury (SCI)and the related molecular mechanisms.Methods We randomly assigned 36 rats into six groups:control group,injury group and four treatment groups (namely,A,B,C,and D).The Basso Beattie Bresnahan locomotor rating scale (BBB)and HE staining were applied to evaluate the neuroprotective effect and determine the most effective dosage.Another 60 rats were randomly and evenly assigned to three groups:control group,injury group and treatment group.Nissl staining,TUNEL staining and electron microscopy were used to analyze histopathological changes;RT-PCR,immunohistopathological staining,ELISA,and Western blot were used to detect the expressions of apoptosis-related proteins (Bax and Bcl-2 ),inflammation-related factors (IL-1β, IL-10,TNF-αand P38MAPK),and edema-related factor (APQ-4).Results The optimal dosage for safranal was 100 mg/kg.Neurocyte structure was found more distinct in treatment group than in injury group.In addition,we detected a smaller number of apoptotic neurocyte (26.37±1.54 vs.35.94±1.62,P=0.000),decreased Bax (P=0.000)and APQ-4[(359.55±16.12)% vs.(124.53±20.35)%,P=0.000]expressions,increased Bcl-2 (P=0.036)expression,and obviously lowered P38MAPK [(300.30±33.26)% vs.(132.54±10.21)%,P=0.000]expression. Conclusion Safranal exerts its neuroprotective function through anti-apoptosis,anti-inflammation and anti-edema in the rat model of spinal cord injury.

Aim To investigate the influence of down-regulating adenosine A1 receptor and adenosine A2 A receptor gene expression on proliferation and activation of acetaldehyde-induced hepatic stellate cell-T6 cells through siRNA. Methods Alcoholic liver fibrosis in vitro model was constructed by inducing HSC-T6 cells with acetaldehyde. siRNA targeting A1R and A2AR were designed and synthesized according to its mRNA. The siRNA was transfected into rat HSC-T6 cells by li-posome LipofectamineTM 2000. HSC cell proliferation was measured by MTT. The mRNA levels of A1R, A2AR, α-SMA, Collagen I in the supernatant of the cell culture were measured by Quantitative Real-Time PCR. The protein levels of A1R, A2AR, α-SMA, Collagen I were measured by Western blot. Results A1 R and A2 AR siRNA effectively inhibited the cell proliferation, and they also significantly decreased the levels of A1R, A2AR,α-SMA, Collagen I, suggesting that A1 R and A2 AR might be potential target genes in the alcoholic liver fibrosis. Conclusions Silencing A1 R or A2 AR by RNAi can significantly inhibit the HSC proliferation, A1R and A2AR may be potential therapeutic target genes for alcoholic liver fibrosis.

Objective To discuss the clinical application of percutaneous transhepatic removal of gall-stone technique in treating common bile duct (CBD) stones.Methods Between January 2013 and January 2015,a total of 25 patients with CBD stones underwent lithotomy procedure via percutaneous transhepatic route.First,under ultrasound or fluoroscopy guidance percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) was performed with subsequent placement of an 8 F rsheath;then,a balloon of 8-12 mm diameter was employed to dilate the papilla;mechanical lithotripsy was adopted when the stone size exceeded 12 mm;finally,through guide-wire exchange technique the stone-retrieval balloon was used to push the stones into the intestinal tract through the sphincter of duodenal papilla.Results The reasons to receive percutaneous transhepatic removal of gall-stone technique in the 25 patients included previous gastrointestinal surgery (n=18),endoscopic treatment failure (n=3),unwilling to receive endoscopic treatment (n=3),and other reasons (n=1).Successful removal of stones was accomplished in all 25 patients.After the treatment,complications occurred in 3 patients (12％),including fever (n=2) and liver abscess formation (n=1).The patients were followed up for 0.5-3 years;two patients died of tumor recurrence and metastasis,and one patient developed recurrence of common bile duct stones.No reflux cholangitis occurred.Conclusion For the treatment of CBD stones,percutaneous transhepatic removal of gall-stone technique carries higher technical success rate with lower incidence of complications,therefore,this technique can be used for the patients who are not suitable for endoscopic treatment or in whom endoscopic treatment failed.

AIMTo study the effects of 1-(2,6-dimethylphenoxy)-2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenylethylamino) propane hydrochloride(DDPH) on brain ischemia injury in rats.

METHODSBy using the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) induced by nylon surgical thread inserted through the internal carotid artery into the anterior cerebral artery in rats, the effects of DDPH on neuron defects(ND) and infarct size(IS) were investigated. Using incomplete cerebral ischemia in rats, the effects of DDPH on superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in brain tissue and pathological changes in rats were studied.

RESULTSDDPH at the dose of 10 mg.kg-1 i.p. 30 min before ischemia decreased the ND 3 h after ischemia. The IS declined 24 h after ischemia as well. Meanwhile, DDPH was found to increase SOD activity and reduce the MDA content, as well as mitigate pathological damage, of neuron after brain ischemia in rats.

CONCLUSIONDDPH showed protective effects on brain ischemia, probably related to its properties of calcium antagonistic effect and increasing the activity of superoxide dismutases.

Animals ; Brain ; metabolism ; pathology ; Brain Ischemia ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; pathology ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Phenethylamines ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reperfusion Injury ; metabolism ; pathology ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo assess the clinical efficacy and the safety for periarthritis of shoulder treated with deep puncture by elongated needle combined with spike-hooked needle and cupping.

METHODSA multicentral randomized controlled study was adopted. One hundred and twenty cases were divided into an observation group and a control group, 60 cases in each one. In observation group, elongated needle, spike-hooked needle and cupping were used to stimulate Jianyu (LI 15), Naoshu (SI 10), Naohui (TE 13) and Jianqian (Extra). In control group, a conventional needling and cupping were applied to the same points as observation group. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Melle evaluation for the function activity of shoulder joint were adopted to assess and compare the efficacy on analgesia and the effect on shoulder joint range of motion before and after treatment in two groups.

RESULTSIn observation group, the cured and markedly effective rate of analgesia was 91.7% (55/60), which was obviously better than 20.4% (12/59) in control group (P < 0.001). Concerning to the improvements of the range of motion in shoulder joint, the cured and markedly effective rate in observation group was 91.7% (55/60), which was better than 18. 6% (11/59) in control group (P < 0.001). VAS score and Melle score after treatment were apparently improved as compared with those before treatment in two groups (all P < 0.001). The improvements in observation group were superior to those in control group (both P < 0.001). There was no adverse event reported during the treatment in two groups.

CONCLUSIONThe deep puncture by elongated needle combined with spike-hooked needle and cupping achieves a significant clinical efficacy on periarthritis of shoulder and has no adverse reaction reported.

Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Periarthritis ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Shoulder Joint ; physiopathology ; Shoulder Pain ; physiopathology ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the time trends of cancer mortality among residents in Kaifeng county, Henan province.

METHODSData on cancer mortality from the vital registration system in Kaifeng county from 1988 to 2005 was analyzed. A total of 9543 death records (5974 males and 3567 females) due to malignant tumors were studied. A two-year-period age-specified standardized mortality rates were directly adjusted by the world standard population, and the annual percentage change (APC) of mortality were estimated by a linear logarithm regression.

RESULTSThe crude cancer death rate for male was 95.09/100,000 and its age-standardized death rate was 117.41/100,000. While, the crude cancer death rate for female was 59.13/100,000 and the age-standardized death rate was 57.15/100,000. There was a significant growth tread for lung cancer (APC: 6.54%), liver cancer (5.07%) in males and breast cancer (7.04%) in females in the groups aged over 18. On the contrary, the decreasing treads for esophageal cancer in both of sexes (-7.09%, -13.53%) were also observed in this study. Meanwhile, there was no other significant changes in the trend, either in the tumor sites or mortality, was observed.

CONCLUSIONIn the past two decades, there has been a significant increasing trend for cancer mortality in Kaifeng county, of Henan Province. Hence, it is necessary to enhance epidemiological survey to identify risk factors at the earlier stages.

China ; epidemiology ; Death Certificates ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mortality ; trends ; Neoplasms ; mortality ; Rural Population

AIMTo study the protective effects of phenolic alkaloids from Menispermum dauricum (PAMd) on inflammatory injury following focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion in rats.

METHODSThe right middle cerebral artery of the rat was occluded by inserting a nylon suture through the internal carotid artery for 2 h, followed by reperfusion by withdrawing the suture. The expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) was observed by immunohistochemistry staining. The adhesiveness and infiltration of leucocytes were observed by HE staining. The activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and the content of nitric oxide (NO) in the cortex and hippocampus were measured.

RESULTSPAMd was shown to markedly inhibit ICAM-1 expression, alleviate the adhesiveness and infiltration of leucocytes, and decrease the MPO activity and the NO content in ischemic cortex and hippocampus.

CONCLUSIONPAMd has protective effects on inflammatory injury following focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion by inhibiting ICAM-1 expression, alleviating the adhesiveness and infiltration of leucocytes and decreasing the generation of NO.

Alkaloids ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; pharmacology ; Benzylisoquinolines ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Brain Ischemia ; complications ; metabolism ; Cell Adhesion ; drug effects ; Cerebral Cortex ; metabolism ; Female ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism ; Leukocytes ; pathology ; Male ; Menispermum ; chemistry ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; Neutrophil Infiltration ; drug effects ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Peroxidase ; metabolism ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reperfusion Injury ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Tetrahydroisoquinolines ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology

Comparative pharmacokinetic (PK) analysis is often carried out throughout the entire period of drug development, the common approach for the assessment of pharmacokinetics between different treatments requires that the individual PK parameters, which employs estimation of 90% confidence intervals for the ratio of average parameters, such as AUC and Cmax, these 90% confidence intervals then need to be compared with the pre-specified equivalent interval, and last we determine whether the two treatments are equivalent. Unfortunately in many clinical circumstances, some or even all of the individuals can only be sparsely sampled, making the individual evaluation difficult by the conventional non-compartmental analysis. In such cases, nonlinear mixed effect model (NONMEM) could be applied to analyze the sparse data. In this article, we simulated a sparsely sampling design trial based on the dense sampling data from a truly comparative PK study. The sparse data were analyzed with NONMEM method, and the original dense data were analyzed with non-compartment analysis. Although the trial design and analysis methods are different, the 90% confidence intervals for the ratio of PK parameters based on 1000 Bootstrap are very similar, indicated that the analysis based on NONMEM is a reliable method to treat with the sparse data in the comparative pharmacokinetic study.
Area Under Curve ; Confidence Intervals ; Humans ; Nonlinear Dynamics ; Pharmacokinetics ; Sampling Studies

OBJECTIVETo study the morphological features of secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) in adult and the implications for transcatheter closure.

METHODSTranscatheter closure using Amplatzer duct occluder was performed in 272 adult patients with ASD from September 1997 to December 2005. The morphological features were evaluated by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). The size, length and thickness of rims, occluder diameter, the complete closure rate, residual shunt rate and complications were compared in patients with deficient and/or thin rims (Group A, n = 135) and patients with well-developed rims (Group B, n = 137).

RESULTSThe complete closure rate was 97.8% (132/135) in group A and 99.3% (136/137) in group B. There were 74 cases with deficient rims, 39 cases with thin rims and 22 cases with both deficient and thin rims in group A. Gender distribution, age, operation successful rate, residual shunt rate and complication rate were similar between the 2 groups. The defect diameters measured by TTE (18.9 +/- 5.5 mm vs. 16.5 +/- 4.8 mm, P < 0.01), TEE (22.7 +/- 5.0 mm vs. 20.0 +/- 5.5 mm, P < 0.01) and occluder diameters used (29.1 +/- 5.7 mm vs. 26.0 +/- 5.9 mm, P < 0.01) were significantly larger in groups A than that in group B. The systolic pulmonary artery pressure was also significantly higher in groups A than that in groups B (36.9 +/- 11.9 mm Hg vs. 32.6 +/- 9.1 mm Hg, P < 0.01). There are significant correlations between occluder diameters and defects measured by either TTE or TEE in both groups (group A, TTE: r = 0.709, TEE: r = 0.850; group B, TTE: r = 0.716, TEE: r = 0.915, P all < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSPoor residual rims were found in around 50% of adult patients with ASD. Transcatheter closure of these defects could be successfully performed with larger occluders. The defect diameters measured by TTE and TEE, especially the latter, could guide the occluder selection.

Adult ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; etiology ; pathology ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

BACKGROUNDCyanotic congenital heart defects with decreased pulmonary blood flow due to lung ischemia, hypoxia, and others lead to infant morbidity and mortality more than acyanotic heart disease does. Despite the great effort of medical research, their genetic link and underlying microRNAs molecular mechanisms remain obscure. In this study, we aimed to investigate microRNAs regulation during cyanotic defects in lung of immature piglets.

METHODSCyanotic piglet model was induced by main pulmonary artery-left atrium shunt with distal pulmonary artery banding. Four weeks later, hemodynamic parameters confirmed the development of cyanotic defects and pulmonary lobe RNA was extracted from all animals. We studied the repertoire of porcine lung microRNAs by Solexa deep sequencing technology and quantified highly expressed microRNAs by microarray hybridization. Furthermore, we quantitated selected microRNAs from cyanotic and control piglets by quantitative RT-PCR.

RESULTSAfter surgical procedure 4 weeks later, the cyanotic model produced lower arterial oxygen tension, arterial oxygen saturation, and higher arterial carbon dioxide tension, hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration than controls (all P < 0.05). In 1273 miRNAs expressed in the immature piglets lungs, 2 most abundant microRNAs (miR-370 and miR-320) demonstrated significant difference between cyanotic and control group (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONOur results extended lung microRNA profile in immature piglets and suggested that miR-370 and miR-320 are significantly up-regulated in cyanotic lung tissues.

Animals ; Chronic Disease ; Cyanosis ; genetics ; physiopathology ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Heart Atria ; surgery ; MicroRNAs ; analysis ; physiology ; Pulmonary Artery ; surgery ; Pulmonary Circulation ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Swine ; Swine, Miniature