We investigated health condition and evaluate the viability of Barthel's measuring scale for 1297 elder patients at 17 nursing homes.We nursed all patients by standards and performed a comparison study.The nursing percentages of highest and lowest levels were higher than the previous ones ( P ＜ 0.01 ),while the nursing percentage of normal level was lower than the previous one ( P ＜ 0.01 ).The cooperation between doctors and nurses became optimized through progressive patient care.Ideal nursing standard should be based upon the doctors' judgment and nurses' evaluation.The new standard will be more suitable for patients and easier to control for nurses.

Objective To evaluate the impact on long-term survival using elective transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) before liver transplantation (LT) to treat patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods A medical literature search was conducted up to October 2011 to identify comparative studies which evaluated survival rates,recurrence rates,and disease free survival.Pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95 ％ confidence intervals (95 ％ CI) were calculated using either the fixed or random effect model.Results 571 patients were included into this meta-analysis:326 patients were treated with elective TACE before LT and 245 patients were not treated before LT.A comparison between the elective pretransplantation TACE group and the LT only group showed the odds risks (95％CI) of 1-,3-,5-years overall survival rate were 1.90 (0.09-3.33),1.19 (0.67-2.14),1.23(0.63-2.39),respectively.The odds risks (95％CI) of 1,3,5-years disease free survival rates were 1.36 (0.65-2.83),0.91 (0.48-1.75),1.16 (0.76-1.79),respectively.The odds risk (95％CI of recurrence was 1.60 (0.65-3.89).Conclusion Pretransplatation TACE improved 1-year overall survival,but it did not improve the 3 and 5 years overall survival,disease-free survival and recurrence rates.

Objective To study the inhibition effects of various gastrin-shNAs on gastrin expression in gastric cancer cell line BGC-823. Methods Four nucleotide sequences of shRNA were designed corresponding to various sites of gastrin gene.Four shRNAs were synthesized by in vitro transcription and transfected into gastric cancer cell line BGC-823 at the final concentration of 10nmol/L,20nmol/L,40nmol/L and 80nmol/L respectively.In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry techniques were applied to investigate the inhibition of gastrin expression and screen the most effective shRNA.The inhibitory effect on gastrin mRNA of screened shRNA was further identified by RT-PCR.MTT assay was used to determine the inhibitory effect of 4 shRNAs at various final concentrations on the growth of BGC-823 cells. Results The gastrin mRNA and protein exression were suppressed distinctly 24,48,and 72hours after transfection,and exhibited time-and concentration-dependent tendency.The highest suppression efficiency on both mRNA(54.27?0.042)% and protein(41.69?0.038)% level occurred 72 hours later in the cells transfected with shRNAs.The RT-PCR result showed that the inhibitory ratio of shRNA3 on gastrin mRNA of BGC-823 was 48.1%.MTT displayed a proliferative inhibition of the BGC-823 cells after transfection of shRNAs with a concentration-denpendent tendency except the shRNA4 treated cells.Conclusion Four gastrin-shRNAs showed a significant inhibition effect on gastrin expression of gastric cancer cell BGC-823 on mRNA and protein level.shRNAs might be the most effective gastrin-shRNA.Inhibited gastrin expression by shRNAs resulted in a significant decrease of proliferative ability of BGC-823 cells.

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of BiPAP non-invasive ventilation on COPD patients during acute exacerbation(AECOPD).Methods 20 COPD patients were ventilated using BiPAP non-inva- sive ventilation through a nose or mouth-nose mask.Their vital signs(RR,HR and BP)and arterial blood gases indi- cators(pH,PaCO_2,PaO_2 and SaO_2)before and after ventilation were monitored and the clinical effectiveness was ob- served.Results The vital signs and arterial blood gases indicators of 17 of the 20 AECOPD patients were improved. PaCO_2 was lowered,pH,PaO_2 and SaO_2 were elevated,and the difference before and after ventilation was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion BiPAP non-invasive ventilation can improve the vital signs and physiological in- dicators of AECOPD patients,relieve their respiratory muscle fatigue and prevent them from exacerbation of respira- tory failure,thereby lower the need for endotracheal inrubation.

How to identify active constituents of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) and study their interactions are key problems in the development of TCMs. The inhibitory effect of six alkaloids from Rhizoma Coptidis (RC) on Shigella dysenteriae (S. dysenteria) growth had been investigated by microcalorimetry in this study. Main active constituents of RC were confirmed by comparing their contributions to the bacteriostatic effect, and the interactions among active constituents were further researched. According to the result, in 0.8 mg-mL-1 extract of RC, the contributions of six active alkaloids including berberine, coptisine, epiberberine, palmatine and the combination of jatrorrhizine and columbamine were 52.83%, 36.31%, 2.49%, 4.27% and 3.21%, respectively. Therefore, berberine and coptisine were the main active constituents of RC that inhibited the growth of S. dysenteria. The study of interactions among the six alkaloids indicated that, 1 there were some contstituents antagonizing the inhibitory effect of RC, 2 there was a synergy effect between berberine and coptisine, 3 there were additive effects between other four alkaloids and the main active constituents. These results may provide some useful references for the establishment of the quality standard for RC and the development of multi-component TCMs.
Alkaloids ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Berberine ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Berberine Alkaloids ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Coptis ; chemistry ; Drug Interactions ; Drug Synergism ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Rhizome ; chemistry ; Shigella dysenteriae ; drug effects ; growth & development

Objective To investigate the effects of lipopolysaccharide(LPS) on myelin phagocytosis during Wallerian degeneration after early peripheral nerve injury in rats.Methods Fifty male Wistar rats were recruited and randomly divided into LPS group(n=20),model group(n=20) and sham group(n=10).The right sciatic nerves of rats in the LPS and model groups were cut and sutured end-to-end,while the sciatic nerve of sham group rats were only exposed.Immediately after surgery,the rats in LPS group were given microinjections of LPS(2 g/L) into the surgical site in a final volume of 1 μL,and the rats in other two groups were injected with the same volume of saline.The sciatic nerves were taken at 1.5 h,24 h and 7d after surgery.Real-time quantitative PCR(qRT-PCR) was applied to detect the dynamic expressions of IL-1β mRNA and MCP-1 mRNA.Immunofluorescence staining was used to test the expression of CD68+ macrophages in sciatic nerves.HE staining was used to observe the pathological alterations of sciatic nerves tissue.ORO staining was used to observe sciatic nerves demyelination.LFB staining was used to detect the sciatic nerves myelin.Sciatic function index was used to evaluate the recovery of motor function in rats.Results Compared with the model group,qRT-PCR indicated that the expression of IL-1β and MCP-1 from LPS group were increased at 1.5 h and 24 h after surgery(P<0.001, P<0.001),respectively.Compared with the model group,the expression of CD68+ cells was increased significantly at 7th day after surgery(P<0.05).Histological examination showed that compared with the model group,a lot of inflammatory cells and Schwann cells were found at sciatic nerve stump in the LPS group at 7th day after operation.ORO staining showed that the degree of demyelination in the LPS group was higher than that in the model group.LFB staining showed that the sciatic nerve stump demyelination appeared in both model group and the LPS group at 7th day after operation,but compared with the model group,myelin debris clearance in the LPS group was significantly accelerated(P<0.05).Finally,compared with the model group,the SFI in the LPS group was increased significantly at 20 d after surgery(P<0.05).Conclusions The results confirm that LPS is possible to manipulate the innate immune response to accelerate myelin clearance during Wallerian degeneration after early peripheral nerve injury in rats.

Previous studies have shown that paeonol can antagonize acute myocardial ischemia and infarction in rat. This study further researched the effects of paeonol on blood pressure and blood flow in the artery of spontaneously hypertensive rats and its mechanisms related on vasomotion. Firstly, thirty spontaneously hypertensive rats were randomly divided into spontaneously hypertensive control group and paeonol-treating groups of high dose and low dose, and also, the other ten Wistar rats as healthy control group. Before and after the intraduodenal administration of the drug, arterial blood pressure was measured by carotid artery and blood flow through the renal artery and carotid artery in vivo were measured by animal flowmeter. The same volume of solvent was given to the spontaneously hypertensive control group and the healthy control group, and the other operations were same. In order to further study the effect of paeonol on vasomotor function, the superior mesenteric artery, renal artery and coronary artery of the spontaneously hypertensive rat were removed and separated, precontracted by a certain concentration of potassium chloride (KCl) and 5-serotonin (5-HT) respectively, and dilatory responses were assessed by cumulative addition of paeonol. Results showed that after duodenal one-time delivery of paeonol, the blood pressure significantly lowered, the renal arterial blood flow and the carotid arterial blood flow significantly increased in spontaneously hypertensive rat. And also, paeonol relaxed the mesenteric artery, renal artery and the coronary artery of spontaneously hypertensive rat in a concentration-dependent manner. These results indicated that the effect of paeonol on decreasing arterial blood pressure and increasing the arterial blood flow was related to its vasodilative effect.
Acetophenones ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Regional Blood Flow ; drug effects ; Vasodilator Agents ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of Shendan Jianyi Capsule (SDJYC) on aldose reductase (AR) activity of the kidney in diabetic rats and the significance of prevention and treatment of diabetic nephropathy with Chinese natural herbs. METHODS: Diabetic Wistar rats were treated with SDJYC and sorbinil respectively, and the AR activity in kidney, urine protein and the activity of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase were tested. RESULTS: The AR activity in diabetic rats was decreased obviously after being treated with sorbinil or SDJYC. The activity of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase in diabetic rats decreased obviously at the end of the eighth week, and increased after being treated with sorbinil and SDJYC. There was no difference between two treated groups after the treatment. It demonstrated that the inhibition of AR activity could improve the activity of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and SDJYC had the same effect. CONCLUSIONS: SDJYC exerts effects by inhibiting the activity of AR.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation of the deleted azoospermia (DAZ) gene copy related to gr/gr and b2/b3 deletions in the AZFc region with male spermatogenic impairment.

METHODSThis study included 121 infertile men with different de- grees of spermatogenic impairment and 95 healthy donors from the sperm bank. Using PCR, PCR-RFLP, and Y chromosome specific sequence tagged sites (STS) , we analyzed the association of DAZ gene copy deletions related to gr/gr and b2/b3 deletions in the AZFc region with spermatogenic impairment.

RESULTSThere were 15 cases of gr/gr deletion (12. 40% ) and 6 cases of b2/b3 deletion (4.96%) in the infertility group as compared with 13 cases of gr/gr deletion (13.68%) and 1 case of b2/b3 deletion (1.05%) in the control. Analysis of the DAZ-specific single nucleotide variant (SNV) loci revealed 11 gr/gr-DAZI/DAZ2 deletions (9.09%), 4 gr/gr-DAZ3/DAZ4 deletions (3.31%), and 6 b2/b3-DAZ1/DAZ2 deletions (4.96%) in the infertile men in comparison with 3 gr/ gr-DAZ1/DAZ2 deletions (3.16%), 10 gr/gr-DAZ3/DAZ4 deletions (10.53%), and 1 b2/b3- DAZ3/DAZ4 deletion (1.05%) in the control.

CONCLUSIONPartial deletions of gr/gr and b2/b3 exist in both healthy men and male patients with different degrees of spermatogenic impairment and cannot be considered as a risk factor for spermatogenesis impairment. However, deletions of different DAZ duplicons in gr/gr and b2/b3 deletions have different effects on spermatogenesis. DAZ1/DAZ2 instead of DAZ3/DAZ4 deletions might be associated with spermatogenesis impairment.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignant tumors as well as a frequent cause of cancer-related mortality in men worldwide. The test of serum markers has dramatically improved the early diagnosis of PCa, but its underlying molecular mechanisms are not yet completely identified. Long noncoding RNA (IncRNA) is emerging as a new player in the PCa paradigm demonstrating its potential roles in both oncogenic and tumor suppressive pathways. LncRNA is frequently aberrantly expressed in the majority of PCa cases. This review highlights recent findings of the aberrant expression of lncRNA in PCa and discusses its novel roles in the diagnosis, prediction, prognosis, metastasis, and potential clinical treatment of PCa.
Humans ; Male ; Prognosis ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; RNA, Long Noncoding ; metabolism