Acute Disease ; Child ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; complications ; Male ; Pancreatitis ; etiology

Objective To study P300 of the first episode depression and mismatch negativity(MMN) changes after antidepressant treatment. Methods Sixty-four patients with first episode depression were evaluated by HAMD 17, and P300 and MMN tests were performed at the baseline and week 12. The cognitive potentials were compared with those of control group(N=36). Results Compared with the control group, depressive patients had longer latency of P300 and MMN,lower amplitude of P300 and MMN before treatment (P

OBJECTIVE: To observe the expression pattern of caspase-3 and HCLS1-associated protein X-1 (HAX-1) at different time after cerebral contusion in rat, and explore the new method for estimating the injury interval. METHODS: The cerebral contusion model was established using adult SD male rats. Then the rats were randomly allocated into 8 groups: 2 h, 6 h, 12 h, 1 d, 3 d, and 7 d after cerebral contusion, sham-operation and normal control. Expression of caspase-3 and HAX-1 protein after cerebral contusion in rat was detected by Western blotting. Laser scanning confocal microscope was used to observe the number of HAX-1 positive cells and TUNEL-stained cells after cerebral contusion. RESULTS: The expression of caspase-3 increased parallelly with the time after cerebral contusion and reached the peak value on 3 d. The expression of caspase-3 decreased gradually and still maintained a high level expression on 7 d (P < 0.05). The expression of HAX-1 positive cell went up after injury, and reached the peak value at 6 h (P < 0.05), then turned down gradually after 12 h and went out of detection after 3 d. The number of TUNEL-stained cells increased obviously at 2 h and reached the peak value on 3 d. The number of TUNEL-stained apoptotic cells decreased gradually and still maintained a high level expression on 7 d (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION The expression of caspase-3 and HAX-1 after cerebral contusion has time sequential regularity, which may provide new evidence for forensic diagnosis of cerebral contusion interval.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Brain Injuries/pathology* ; Carrier Proteins/metabolism* ; Caspase 3/metabolism* ; Cerebellum/pathology* ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of tendon-regulating and bone-setting manipulation combined with endurance resistance exercises in treating female with chronic neck pain, and explore the mechanism. Methods: A total of 57 female patients with chronic neck pain who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into a manipulation group (29 cases) and a medium-frequency electrotherapy group (28 cases). Patients in both groups received the same endurance exercise therapy, while those in the manipulation group received additional tendon-regulating and bone-setting manipulation, and those in the medium-frequency electrotherapy group received additional medium-frequency electrotherapy. Both groups were treated for 5 weeks. Before and after treatment, the neck function of patients was evaluated by visual analog scale (VAS), Analgesy-Meter, Northwick Park questionnaire (NPQ), root mean square (RMS) and median frequency (MF) of surface electromyography of sternocleidomastoid muscle and posterior cervical extensor muscle, and the patients were followed up at a month after treatment. Results: All patients completed the treatment and were followed up. Compared with the same group before treatment, the VAS scores of both groups decreased, the tenderness values increased, the RMS and MF values increased, and the NPQ scores decreased after treatment (all P<0.05). The improvement of manipulation group was more notable than that of medium-frequency electrotherapy group (all P<0.05). At one-month follow-up, the VAS and NPQ scores of the manipulation group were lower than those before and after treatment, and the VAS and NPQ scores of the medium-frequency electrotherapy group were only lower than those before treatment; the two scores of the manipulation group were lower than those of the medium-frequency electrotherapy group (both P<0.05). Conclusion: Tendon-regulating and bone-setting manipulation combined with endurance resistance exercises can relieve neck pain and cervical dysfunction in female patients with chronic neck pain. The efficacy of this method is more durable and better than that of medium-frequency electrotherapy combined with endurance exercises.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that regulates gene expression in a range of cells, including immune and epithelial cells. AhR signaling plays important roles in the immune system in both health and disease states. Tapinarof is a first-in-class small-molecule topical therapeutic AhR modulating agent launched for the treatment of psoriasis. To improve the activity and chemical stability of Tapinarof, a series of 2-phenylchromen-4-one derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated as novel AhR agonists. Compounds 5a, 5c, 5e and 5f potently activated AhR with an EC₅₀ value of 7, 9, 6 and 6 nmol·L^-1, respectively, which are 10-14 fold more potent than Tapinarof. Compounds 5a and 5e exhibit comparable inhibitory effects on IFN-γ production as Tapinarof. Furthermore, compounds 5a-5f exhibited favorable photochemical stability compared to Tapinarof. The compounds may eventually serve as lead compounds for the development of new AhR agonists.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the mechanism of thyroid cytotoxicity mechanism of ammonium perchlorate (AP).

METHODSThyroid cells were cultured in vitro to a certain stage and then exposed to AP (0, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 60 mmol/L) in culture solution; the cultured cells and supernatant were collected. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay; cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry; the concentration of thyroglobulin was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) level, and so on were measured by colorimetry.

RESULTSThe cells exposed to 60 mmol/L AP for 12, 24, 48, and 72 h had cell viabilities of 74.93%, 42.26%, 2.66%, and 0.99%, respectively, and the cells exposed to 40 mmol/L AP for 24, 48, and 72 h had cell viabilities of 73.15%, 30.91%, and 3.03%, respectively, all significantly lower than that of the control group (100%)(P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The overall apoptosis rate of all AP-exposed cells was significantly higher than that of the control group; the cells exposed to 20, 40, and 60 mmol/L AP had early apoptosis rates of 15.70%, 15.84%, and 16.96%, respectively, significantly higher than that of the control group (9.54%)(P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); the cells exposed to 60 mmol/L AP had a late apoptosis rate of 16.54%, significantly higher than that of the control group (6.11%)(P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The cells exposed to 40 mmol/L AP had a significantly higher LDH activity than the control group (0.70 U/ml vs 0.55 U/ml, P < 0.01). The cells exposed to 5 mmol/L AP had a significantly higher MDA level than the control group (1.08 mmol/L vs 2.36 mmol/L, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAP can markedly change the cell morphology and decrease the cell viability of thyroid cells, which may be because AP inhibits cell proliferation, induces cell apoptosis, and destroys cell membranes. However, AP does not result in significant oxidative damage to thyroid cells.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Humans ; Oxidative Stress ; Perchlorates ; toxicity ; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds ; toxicity ; Thyroglobulin ; metabolism ; Thyroid Gland ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the value of magnetic resonance dynamic contrast-enhanced (MR-DCE) and magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging (MR-DWI) in the differentiation of benign and malignant musculoskeletal tumors.

METHODSSixty-three patients with pathologically confirmed musculoskeletal tumors were examined with MR-DCE and MR-DWI. Using single shot spin echo planar imaging sequence and different b values of 400, 600, 800 and 1000 s/mm(2), we obtained the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of the lesions. ADC values were measured before and after MR-DCE, with a b value of 600 s/mm(2). The 3D fast acquired multiple phase enhanced fast spoiled gradient recalled echo sequence was obtained for multi-slice of the entire lesion. The time-signal intensity curve (TIC), dynamic contrast-enhanced parameters, maximum slope of increase (MSI), positive enhancement integral, signal enhancement ratio, and time to peak (T(peak)) were also recorded.

RESULTSADC showed no significant difference between benign and malignant tumors when the b value was 400, 600, 800, or 1000 s/mm(2), and it was not significantly different between benign and malignant tumors in both pre-MR-DCE and post-MR-DCE with b value of 600 s/mm(2). TIC were classified into four types type1 showed rapid progression and gradual drainage; type2 showed rapid progression but had no or slight progression; type 3 showed gradual progression; and type 4 had no or slight progression. Most lesions of type1 or type2 were malignant, whereas most lesions of type 3 or type 4 were benign. When using type1 and type 2 as the standards of malignancy, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity was 87.23% and 50.00%, respectively. The types of TIC showed significant difference between benign and malignant musculoskeletal tumors(χ(2)=17.009,P=0.001). When using MSI 366.62 ± 174.84 as the standard of malignancy, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity was 86.78% and 78.67%, respectively. When using T(peak)≤70s as the standard of malignancy, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity was 82.89%and 85.78%, respectively. Positive enhancement integral and signal enhancement ratio showed no significant difference between benign and malignant musculoskeletal tumors.

CONCLUSIONSTIC, MSI and T(peak) of MR-DCE are valuable in differentiating benign from malignant musculoskeletal tumors. T(peak) has the highest diagnostic specificity, and TIC has the highest diagnostic sensitivity. The mean ADC value are no significant difference between benign and malignant tumors.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Bone Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Muscle Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate therapeutic effects of stiletto needle and Dichofenac Diethylammon in treating knee osteoarthritis pain at early and medium-term.

METHODSSixty-seven patients with early and medium-term knee osteoarthritis were randomly divided into two groups, 34 cases in stiletto needle group (treatment group) and 33 cases in Dichofenac Diethylammon (control group). Among them, 60 patients finished treatment and followed-up for 1 months (7 cases fall off totally, 4 cases in treatment group and 3 cases in control group). In treatment group, there were 5 males and 25 females with a mean age of (55.90 +/- 9.34) years (ranged, 40 to 68 years), the course of disease for 0.25 to 1 year, mean (0.87 +/- 0.34) years, treated by stiletto needle once a week, and 3 weeks were a course. In control group, there were 6 males and 24 females with a mean age of (58.67 +/- 7.39) years (ranged, 40 to 70 years), the course of disease for 0.25 to 2 years, mean (0.93 +/- 0.60) years, treated by Dichofenac Diethylammon, three times a day for 3 weeks. Soft tissue displacement and banana area were tested by soft tissue tension tester, pressure value were measured by pressure measuring instrument, VAS score were recorded by pain visual analog scale record, HSS scoring and effects were used to evaluated and statistical analyzed.

RESULTSThere were significant differences in tissue displacement, banana area, pressure value, VAS scoring and HSS scoring between two groups before and after treatment, and tissue displacement, pressure value, HSS scoring in treatment group were higher than control group, while banana area and VAS scoring were lower than control group. According to HSS scoring and VAS scoring, 3 cases were healed, 8 cases were markedly improved, 18 cases were effective and 1 case was effectiveless in treatment group;while 1 case was healed, 4 cases were markedly improved, 20 cases were effective and 5 cases were effectiveless in control group. There was no significant meaning in therapeutic effects.

CONCLUSIONStiletto needle for knee osteoarthritis pain can effectively reduce high tension of local soft tissue ,alleviate symptom of pain, and improve knee function.

Adult ; Aged ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Case-Control Studies ; Diclofenac ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Needles ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; complications ; Pain ; complications ; drug therapy ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Pain Management ; methods ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of testosterone propionate (TP) on the distribution pattern of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in two types of motoneuron (Mn) pools in rats.

METHODThe double labeling of cholera toxin B subunit coupled with colloidal gold (CB-Au) retrograde identification combining with immunocytochemistry was mainly used to reveal the distribution pattern of CGRP-like immunoreactivity (CGRP-LI) and its changes in the motoneuron pools labeled by CB-Au.

RESULTTP injected intramuscularly 28 days later significantly decreased CGRP expression in Mn pool innervating extensor digitorum longus (EDL, fast-twitch), comparing with corresponding control and castration group respectively (P < 0.001), while no significant effect on Mn pools innervating soleus (SOL, slow-twitch, P > 0.05) was observed.

CONCLUSIONEDL-Mn pool is more sensitive to testosterone propionate than SOL-Mn pool in regulating CGRP expression.

Animals ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Motor Neurons ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Muscle Fibers, Fast-Twitch ; cytology ; drug effects ; Muscle Fibers, Slow-Twitch ; cytology ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Testosterone Propionate ; pharmacology