Atherosclerosis ; Humans ; Urotensins

The Ca²⁺-activated monovalent cation selective transient receptor potential melastatin 4 (TRPM4) channel expressed in pancreatic β-cells is implicated in the β-cell function and insulin secretion, but how pharmacological function of TRPM4 channel affects membrane excitability of β-cells remains largely unknown. Here, we report that pharmacological inhibition of TRPM4 by specific inhibitor 9-phenanthrol attenuates electrical activities of pancreatic β-cells. In whole-cell current clamp recordings, 9-phenanthrol results in inhibition of action potential frequency induced by tolbutamide of the INS-1 pancreatic β-cells in a dose-dependent manner with an IC₅₀ value of 14.99 ± 7.93 μmol·L^-1. Similarly, 9-phenanthrol also inhibited action potential firing in INS-1 cells stimulated by current injection. Further recordings of β-cells demonstrate the significant inhibitory effects on action potential peak and action potential amplitude by 9-phenanthrol. Taken together, our results show the involvement of TRPM4 channel function in pancreatic β-cells depolarization and action potential, it provides pharmacological experimental methods and theoretical support for the study of TRPM4 channel in pancreatic β-cells.

BACKGROUND: Serum creatinine (SCr) is the most commonly used parameter to estimate renal function impairement, but there are some shortcomings. Many factors including age, gender, drug, diet, muscle mass and metabolic rate can influence SCr, leading to an inaccurate estimation of kidney impairment. Studies have shown that cystatin C (CysC) is not affected by factors such as muscle mass, age, gender, diet, inflammation or tumor. The present study was undertaken to compare the sensitivity of CysC and SCr in evaluating renal function impairment at early stage of shock. METHODS: Seventy-one patients aged 38.3±21.4 years, who had been treated at the Emergency Medicine Department of the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University between February 2006 and June 2007, were studied. They were divided into groups A, B, C, and D according to the shock time. Serum sample was drawn from each patient at 1, 2, 3, 4 hours after shock to determine SCr and CysC. CysC and SCr were determined again at 72 hours and 7 days after shock. RESULTS: CysC increased earlier than SCr in the 71 patients, and CysC decreased slower than SCr when shock was corrected. CysC increased at 1 hour after shock. There was a negative correlationship between CysC, SCr and glomerular filtration rate (GFR), especially at early stage of shock. CONCLUSIONS: There is renal injury at early stage of shock. CysC is more sensitive than SCr in assessing renal function at the early stage of shock.

In order to reaction the quality present situation, problems on the current quality of animal sources of drugs are summed up by using test data analysis, literature search and marketing research. This paper can also help the improvement of the quality management, the revision of the relevant department policy system and the improvement of standards.
Animals ; China ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; standards ; Pharmaceutical Preparations ; analysis ; standards ; Quality Control

Adult ; Chondrosarcoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Collagen Type II ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Femoral Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Giant Cells ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Osteoclasts ; pathology ; Osteosarcoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; S100 Proteins ; metabolism ; Vimentin ; metabolism

Objective To study effects of early non-invasive ventilation (NIV) application in treating elderly patients with acute left ventricular failure induced respiratory failure. Method Totally 32 elderly patients with acute left ventrieular failure induced respiratory failure, admitted from August 1997 to February 2007, received NIV treatment, and were retrospectively studied. There were 22 male and 10 female, aged (81.5?8.6) yearsdd. The changes of rahs, respiration rate, heart rate, arterial blood gas, cardiac function before and after NIV application were compared. According to the application time of NIV, 32 patients were divided into two groups: group A (early NIV application group, n=17) and group B (non-early NIV application group, n= 15). The time to improve the symptoms, the application time of NIV, cure rates, tracheal intubation rates and mortality were compared between the two groups. Results Thirty of the 32 patients survived, cardiac function was improved from New York classⅣtoⅠ～Ⅱ, respiratory rate, heart rate and blood pressure significantly decreased, PaO_2 and SaO_2 significantly increased and PaCO_2 significantly decreased. The tracheal intubation was performed in 4 patients. The time needed to improve the symptoms and the application time of NIV were significantly different between group A and group B (P

. Conclusions Two multiplex RT-PCR assays show high consistency with common RT-PCR. The multiplex RT-PCR assays were initially established.

To study preliminarily the effect of Jiawei Bazhen decoction combined with oxytocin in promoting cervical ripening of full-term pregnancy women who were in the deficiency of qi and blood type through the syndrome differentiation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). 180 patients that met the inclusion criteria of the study were randomly divided into three groups: the control group(oxytocin group), the treatment group (Jiawei Bazhen decoction combined with oxytocin group), the blank control group (expected and observation group). Cervical maturity score (Bishop score), vaginal and cervical secretions fetal fibronectin (FFN), the result of induced labor, the result of mother and baby were observed in each group before and after treatment. The result comes out that the cervical Bishop score of pregnant women for treatment group were significantly higher than the control group and blank control group after treatment (P < 0.05). The FFN of pregnant women for the treatment group were significantly different from the control group and blank control group after treatment (P < 0.05). The pregnancy outcome of the three groups: the labor rate and rate of vaginal delivery of the treatment group were higher than the other two groups, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The cesarean section rate of the treatment group was significantly lower than the other two groups, the difference was also statistically significant (P < 0.05). The three groups did not appear the phenomenon of neonatal asphyxia. Jiawei Bazhen decoction combined with oxytocin is effective in producing cervical ripening and induce labor. It is convenient, safe and reliable, for it is no obvious adverse effects on mother and fetus, but effective in reducing the rate of cesarean section, and playing a positive role in promoting natural delivery.
Adult ; Cervical Ripening ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Fibronectins ; secretion ; Humans ; Labor, Induced ; Oxytocin ; administration & dosage ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Qi ; Vagina ; drug effects ; secretion ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo compare effects of resveratrol, puerarin and the compounds on peak bone mass in rats.

METHODSForty SPF Wistar rats weighed 109.45 g to 119.44 g with an average of 115.87 g were selected. After 3 days' adaption, rats were divided into control group (the same volume of distilled water per day), puerarin group(15.4 mg/kg puerarin daily), resveratrol group (8.4 mg/kg resveratrol daily), compound drug group (daily dose of 8.4 resveratrol added 15.4 mg/kg of puerarin) and 10 in each group. The body weight of the rats was monitored at every 7 days and body bone density was measured at every month. All rats were sacrificed after 3 months. The bone mineral density of femur and vertebrae was detected by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; bone biomechanics, VG staining was used to analyze bone histomorphometry;ELISA was used to detect serum bone metabolic index and microstructure of femur were scanned with Micro-CT scanner.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences in body weight among groups during exoeriment. Bone mineral density results showed BMD of femur and vertebrae in the other three groups were significantly increased, and R+P group was significantly higher than PR group and RES group(<0.05) by compared with CON group;three-point bending and compression test results showed compared with CON group, other three groups of femoral and vertebral maximum load values were significantly increased, and P+R group was higher than PR group and RES group, but elastic modulus was not statistically significant. Bone histomorphometry showed that number of trabecular bone in other three groups were significantly increased compared with CON group, separation of trabecular bone were significantly reduced, continuity was improved, and R+P group was significantly better than RES and PR group. The results of Micro-CT scan showed that separation of trabecular bone were significantly reduced, continuity were improved in other three groups, and R+P group was significantly better than RES and PR group. The numbers of trabecular bone (Tb.N), trabecular bone thickness (Tb.Th), volume of trabecular bone (BV/TV) in PR group, RES group and R+P group were significantly higher than CON group, but trabecular bone separation (Tb.Sp) was significantly reduced. Serum levels results showed, level of OC in the other three groups were higher than control group(<0.05), content of TRACP 5b decreased, and level of OC in P+R group was significantly higher than PR group and RES group, content of TRACP 5b was no significant change.

CONCLUSIONSCompound of puerarin and resveratrol assigned in a 1:1 ratio could improve bone mineral density and bone mass in young rats, enhance biomechanical properties of bone, promote mineralization and maturation of osteoblasts, inhibit osteoblastic bone resorption, and is better than the role of their respective monomers. The paper showed that traditional Chinese medicine compound medicine will be used as a new way to prevent and treat osteoporosis.

OBJECTIVETo introduce practical diagnostic criterion of blood stasis syndrome (BSS), and to evaluate its reliability and validity.

METHODSBy referring to three diagnostic criteria of BSS [practical diagnostic criterion of BSS (criterion A), diagnostic criterion of BSS in 1986 (criterion B), Consensus of Integrative Medicine on BSS Diagnosis in 2011 (criterion C)], 712 patients from different departments of Xiyuan Hospital were recruited. The reliability of criterion A and its consistency with the other two criteria were assessed using Kappa coefficient. A Bayesian approach was also employed to assess the sensitivity and specificity of criterion A.

RESULTSAccording to the consistency check, criterion A presented good consistency when used by different researchers (the diagnostic accordance rate was 91. 96%, Kappa =0. 82, P <0.001). Meanwhile, there was an acceptable diagnostic consistency among the three diagnostic criteria. Bayesian estimation suggested that criterion A had higher sensitivity but similar specificity, as compared with criterion B or criterion C. Compared with criterion B [the median of sensitivity and specificity were 0. 762 (95% Cl: 0. 731 -0. 790) and 0. 902 (95% Cl: 0. 858 -0. 936) respectively, the median of sensitivity and specificity of criterion A were 0. 911 (95% CI: 0. 888 - 0. 930) and 0. 875 (95% CI: 0. 826 - 0. 915) respectively. Estimating the difference between criterion A and B, the median of sensitivity and specificity were 0. 149 (95% CI: 0. 112 -0.184) and -0. 026 (95% CI:-0. 085 -0. 033) respectively. Compared with criterion C [the median of sensitivity and specificity were 0. 831 (95% Cl: 0. 804 -0. 857) and 0. 892 (95% CI: 0. 848 - 0. 926) respectively], the median of sensitivity and specificity of criterion A were 0. 912 (95% CI: 0. 889 -0. 932) and 0. 880 (95%CI: 0. 833 - 0.919) respectively. Estimating the difference between criterion A and C, the median of sensitivity and specificity were 0. 081 (95% CI: 0.047 - 0.114) and -0.011 (95%CI: -0.070 -0.046) respectively.

CONCLUSIONCompared with criterion B and C, criterion A not only had better reliability, but also could significantly improve the sensitivity without obviously lowering the specificity.