Air ; analysis ; Cyclohexanones ; analysis ; Electrophoresis, Capillary ; Reproducibility of Results ; Workplace

Objective To investigate the effects of Houpupaiqi mixture on the recovery of gastrointestinal function after open gastrointestinal surgery,and evaluate the efficacy and safety of Houpupaiqi mixture.Methods A total of 144 selected patients who underwent open gastrointestinal surgery were enrolled into the multi-center prospective randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial from October 2010 to September 2011.Of the 144 patients,66 were from People's Hospital of Peking University,72 were from Beijing Friendship Hospital of Capital University of Medical Sciences,and 6 were from People's Hospital of Guangdong Province.All the patients were randomly divided into 2 groups (test group:96 patients,control group:48 patients) at the ratio of 2∶1 according to the random number table.Five patients who did not meet the criteria were excluded from the study,and then there were 92 patients in the test group and 47 patients in the control group.The study was assessed by the ethics committees,and all the patients signed the informed consent form.Houpupaiqi mixture (50 ml) or placebo (50 ml) were administered in the test group and control group at postoperative 16 and 20 hours,respectively.Parenteral and enteral nutritional support were given after pulling out of gastric tube.A standard intravenous analgesia was applied in the 2 groups,and agents which stimulate or suppress gastrointestinal motility were prohibited.The time for the recovery of regular bowel sounds,the first exhaust and first defecation time,and the time of first solid food intake of the 2 groups were recorded.Vital signs were recored before operation and after drug administration.Blood and urinary routine test,hepatic and renal function test,electrocardiogram examination,record of adverse drug event were carried out at postoperative day 6.The time for the indexes above and relevant frequencies were calculated,and the survival curve were drawn by Kaplan-Meier method.All the time points were analyzed using the Log-rank test.The measurement data were analyzed using the t test or rank-sum test,and the enumeration data were analyzed using the chi-square test or Fisher exact probability.Results The median time for the recovery of regular bowel sounds,median time for first exhaust and defecation were 21.4 (20.0,23.7)hours,45.0 (40.0,54.0) hours and 65.5 (54.7,74.0) hours in the test group,and 47.5 (44.0,56.5) hours,91.0 (87.0,93.8)hours,98.0 (94.0,113.5)hours in the control group,there were significant differences between the 2 groups (Log-rank values =21.67,53.15,11.81,P＜0.05).The median time of first solid food intake were 72.5 (66.2,110.5) hours of the test group and 116.3 (114.8,117.3) hours of the control group,with no significant difference between the 2 groups (Log-rank value =13.70,P ＞ 0.05).There were no significant differences in the body temperature,respiration,heart rate,systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure before and after medication between the 2 groups (Z =0.03,0.68,0.97,0.22,0.72,P ＞ 0.05).There were no significant differences in the number of patients with abnormal results of blood test,hepatic function,renal function and electrocardiogram between the 2 groups (P ＞ 0.05).No severe adverse event was observed in the clinical trial.Conclusion Houpupaiqi mixture significantly promotes the recovery of gastrointestinal function of the patients who underwent open gastrointestinal surgery with relatively low adverse events.

Humans ; Enhanced Recovery After Surgery ; Stomach Neoplasms/surgery* ; Length of Stay ; Laparoscopy ; Postoperative Complications ; Gastrectomy

This study was conducted to investigate the paclitaxel loaded by hydrazone bonds in poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(caprolactone) micelles (mPEG-PCL-PTX) on proliferation and apoptosis of human lung cancer A549 cells and its possible mechanisms of anti-tumor activity. The cell proliferation was measured with MTT assay. Flow cytometry were used to analyze the cell cycle. The cell apoptosis was analyzed using Hoechst/P staining. The expression levels of apoptotic genes expression in the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway were detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The mPEG-PCL-PTX could inhibit the proliferation of A549 cells and promote the apoptosis. The Bax, caspase-3 protein expression were increased while Bcl-2 protein expression was decreased in A549 cells. Results showed that the polymer containing hydrazone bond is non-toxic in vitro, the mPEG-PCL-PTX micelles can inhibit the proliferation and induce the apoptosis of A549 cells. Key words: paclitaxel; micelle; A549 cell; proliferation; cell cycle; apoptosis
Apoptosis ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Micelles ; Paclitaxel ; pharmacology ; Polyesters ; Polyethylene Glycols ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism

Paraganglioma is a rare neuroendocrine tumor arising from the undifferentiated cells of the primitive neural crest. We report a case of malignant paraganglioma originating from the left kidney. The 55-year-old female patient was admitted for intractable cough for a month and the presence of a solid mass in the left lung detected by computer tomography (CT). Sonography revealed a mass in the left kidney after admission. Complete surgical resection of the tumor was performed and the diagnosis of malignant paraganglioma originating from the left kidney was established pathologically. During the follow-up for 12 months, the patient showed a good general condition and sonography revealed no evidence of recurrence. Based on these findings, we discussed the diagnosis of this disease using medical imaging modalities.
Female ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; secondary ; Middle Aged ; Paraganglioma ; pathology ; secondary ; surgery ; Radiography

OBJECTIVETo study the combination of Mandibular distraction and orthognathic techniques for the reconstruction of adult hemifacial microsomia.

METHODSThe three-dimensional CT reconstruction data was used with Mimics for preoperation design. The osteotomy location, distraction vector, distraction distance were decided before operation with a surgical guider. At the first stage, internal distractor was implanted after ostetomy through an extra-oral approach. The distraction begun 5-7 days after operation with a frequency of 1 mm/day. After distraction, the distractor was maintained for 3-6 months. At the second stage, the distractor was removed. Le Fort I osteotomy was performed in order to correct the cross-bite and improve the facial contour. Usually, bone graft was inserted into the gap after Le Fort I osteotomy. The genioplasty was also performed if necessary.

RESULTS9 cases of adult hemifacial microsomia with severe mandibular deviation were treated. The facial asymmetry were improved greatly. 1 patient suffered an wound infection in the maxillary region after Le Fort I osteotomy and healed uneventfully with wound irrigation.

CONCLUSIONSMandibular distraction combined with orthognathic surgery is an effective procedure for adult hemifacial microsomia with complicated mandibular hypoplasia.

Adult ; Aged ; Bone Transplantation ; Facial Asymmetry ; surgery ; Goldenhar Syndrome ; surgery ; Humans ; Mandible ; surgery ; Osteogenesis, Distraction ; methods ; Osteotomy, Le Fort ; methods

Depression is a serious mental illness with a high incidence. At present, we do not fully understand the specific pathological mechanisms of depression, and the efficacy of drug treatments is very limited. Recent studies have shown that epigenetic changes that occur in specific brain regions may be a key mechanism by which environmental factors to interact with individuals to influence the risk of depression. Therefore, drugs that target epigenetic regulation may become a new direction for the development of antidepressants. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) are a class of compounds that inhibit histone deacetylase activity, which has been reported to be associated with depression; this article addresses the use of HDACi in preclinical studies, and their potential therapeutic role and limitations of use in depression.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of androgen on microstructure and mechanics nature of bone in orchiechtomied (ORX) male rats and reveal its mechanism by using the Micro CT analysis, bone biomechanics test, bone histomorphometric parameter test, and total body bone mineral density (BMD) measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiomery (DXA).

METHODSThirty 12-month-old male Wister rats were randomly divided into three groups including ORX, sham-operated (Sham) and androgen (AD) group, ten rats in every group. Total body BMD was measured by DXA. Femurs and vertebrae were then harvested at the 12 th week after ORX for micro-computed tomography (Micro CT), histology and biomechanical were tested.

RESULTSThe administration of testosterone may reverse the decreasing BMD of total body and may prevent the decreasing weight. The biomechanical values of Maximum load, Enery, Maximum stress, Elastic Modulus of AD group significantly enhanced compared with ORX group (P < 0.05). The results of histomorphometric parameters showed that cancellous bone volume, osteoblast-osteoid interface, linear extent of bone formation, mineralizing surfaces, mineral apposition rate increased in the therapy group.

CONCLUSIONAndrogen can accelerate cancellous bone formation and bone turnover, improve bone microstructure and enhance bone intensity and BMD.

Androgens ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Bone Density ; drug effects ; Bone and Bones ; drug effects ; ultrastructure ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Male ; Orchiectomy ; Osteoporosis ; etiology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of low-dose simvastatin on the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in the renal tubulointerstitium of rats with diabetic nephropathy.

METHODSSixty male SD rats were randomly divided into three groups: Group C (control group), Group D, in which diabetes was induced by stroptozotocin (STZ) and Group DS, in which STZ-induced diabetic rats were treated with low-dose (no cholesterol-lowering effect) simvastatin. The following parameters were measured after 6 weeks and 12 weeks in each groups, respectively: body weight and kidney weight, 24-h urinary albumin excretion (UAE), biochemical indexes including blood glucose (GLU), low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides (TG) and serum creatinine (SCr). The expression of CTGF and α-SMA in renal tubulointerstitium was assessed by immunohistochemical method.

RESULTAfter 6 and 12 weeks, there were no significant differences in SCr, LDL, HDL and TG levels among all three groups. The expression levels of CTGF and α-SMA in the tubulointerstitium of Group DS were significantly decreased compared with those of Group D at week 6 (P<0.05); there were no significant differences compared with Group C (P>0.05). After 12 weeks, CTGF and α-SMA expressions in Group DS were also lower than those in Group D (P<0.05); while higher than those in Group C (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSimvastatin with a under cholesterol-lowering dose, can decrease the expression levels of CTGF and α-SMA in renal tubulointerstitium of rats with diabetic nephropathy, by which the progression of the tubulointerstitial fibrosis would be delayed.

Actins ; metabolism ; Animals ; Connective Tissue Growth Factor ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Kidney ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Simvastatin ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use

Objective　To establish animal model for hypertrophic scar and study the characters of its morphology and collagen metabolism. Methods　A total of 64 round wounds (diameter of 6 mm each) with total skin loss were made on the ventral side of rabbit ear using a trephine. Morphology and collagen metabolism of scar wounds were studied at 14,21,35,70 and 98 days after operation, respectively. Results　There were 76% elevated scars developed (45/59 wounds) on the ventral side of rabbit ear at 21 days and 46% elevated scars disappeared (11/24) at 98 days after operation. There were numerous fibroblast proliferation and whorl-arranged collagen fibers at 21 and 35 days. The number of fibroblast decreased, but irregular-arranged fibers still presented in the elevated scars at 70 and 98 days after operation. Hydroxyproline content in elevated scars at 21 days was higher than that in normal skin (P<0.05), and at 35 days was 3 times as that in normal skin and at 98 days was also markedly higher than that in normal skin (P<0.05). Conclusion　Excessive deposition of collagen is a characteristic of hypertrophic scar in rabbits. The conversion of normal scarring to hypertrophic scarring in rabbits occurs at 14～21 days after operation. Both development and regression of hypertrophic scar in rabbit are quicker than that in human.