Objective To investigate lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced injury of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and effect of LPS on animals behavior in vitro and in vivo. Methods Pheochromocytoma(PC12)cell viability was estimated by MTT assay after cells had been differently incubated in medium containing LPS, 6-OHDA and culture supernatant of LPS-treated microglia. LPS was stereotactically injected into left substantia nigra of rats. 14,21 and 28 days after injection, the circling behavior was observed by intraperitoneal injection of apomorphine. Midbrain dopaminergic neurons were identified by using tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry. The contents of dopamine and its metabolites in the striatum and substantia nigra were measured by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). Results LPS alone had no influence on cell viability. However, the 26% and 30% reduction of cell viability was found when cells were exposed to culture supernatant of LPS-treated microglia and 6-OHDA. The circling behavior ipsilateral to LPS-treated side was induced in some rats 21 and 28 days following injection, but not 14 days. Compared with the PBS-treated rats, the marked (35%~60%) loss of TH-positive cells in left substantia nigra was identified 21 and 28 days after LPS treatment, but not 14 days. The 30%~70% reduction of dopamine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) in left striatum and substantia nigra was found at 21 and 28 days following injection, whereas no significant change was observed at 14 days. Conclusions LPS could indirectly injury the dopaminergic neurons and induce behavioral asymmetry of rats.

AlM:To evaluate the efficacy of retrobulbar injection of triamcinolone acetonide ( TA ) combined with 577nm laser macular grid photocoagulation for the treatment of cystoid macular edema.
METHODS: Fifty-eight cases ( 66 eyes ) with cystoid macular edema caused by different diseases were recruited in this study. The included patients were treated with both retrobulbar injection of triamcinolone acetonide and 577nm laser macular grid photocoagulation. The best corrected visual acuity, macular thickness, fundus and intraocular pressure were observed in the 1wk, 1 and 3mo after the treatment in all of the included cases.
RESULTS: After treatment, all of the 66 eyes showed cystoid macular edema partially or completely subsided according to optical coherence tomography and fluorescence fundus angiography; 54 eyes ( 82%) visual acuity improved, 12 vision remained the same.
CONCLUSlON: Retrobulbar injection of triamcinolone acetonide combined with 577nm laser macular grid photocoagulation has good curative effect, simple operation procedure and rare complications in the management of cystoid macular edema.

Objective To observe the effect of inferior epigastric artery angiography applied in the transplantation with the deep inferior epigastric perforator free flap.Methods Seven patients who had undergone the deep inferior epigastric perforator free flap transplantation,received angiography of the inferior epigastric artery.The value of the angiography was discussed.Results All patients were successful in angiography without any adverse reaction.Mll patients were successful in transplantation except one because of personal reason.Conclusion Inferior epigastric artery angiography facilitates the transplantation with the deep inferior epigastrie perforator free flap.

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), calcium phosphate (DCP)/MCC (4:1, w/w) and lactose (Lac)/MCC (4:1) pellets with different intragranular porosity were prepared in an extrusion-spheronizator and three volume ratios of ethanol/water were used as binder agents to prepare pellets. The compression behaviors of these pellets with different intragranular pore volume were evaluated with the parameters of Kawakita model. The results showed that high pore volume of pellets made up of MCC had the best compressibility and low pore volume of pellets had a poor compactibility. However, the compressibility of different porosity of pellets made up of DCP/MCC (4:1) or Lac/MCC (4:1) was good, but they were not significantly different. The reason might be the main compression mechanism of high porosity of MCC pellets was plastic deformation and that of DCP/MCC pellets or Lac/MCC pellets was not plastic deformation but fragmentation. These results can be observed directly by the SEM photographs. According to these results, the conclusion could be drawn that high porosity MCC pellets and different porosity DCP/MCC pellets and Lac/MCC pellets can be used as cushion granules to maintain the original shape and release characteristics of drug pellets when pellets were tabletted.
Calcium Phosphates ; chemistry ; Cellulose ; chemistry ; Drug Compounding ; methods ; Excipients ; Lactose ; chemistry ; Microspheres ; Porosity ; Pressure ; Tablets

Fluidized-bed manufactured enteric-coated diclofenac sodium pellets were compressed into tablets. The blend of two aqueous acrylic resins dispersion in different ratios, Eudragit NE30D and Eudragit L30D-55, were used to prepare enteric-coated diclofenac sodium pellets of different particle sizes and coating level. The cushioning pellets with different properties and these enteric-coated pellets were compressed into tablets in different proportions. The drug release of the tablets containing these pellets would be lower than 10% in 2 h in simulated gastric fluid, but reach (83 +/- 2.42)% in 1 h in simulated enteric fluid. The mixture of Eudragit NE30D and Eudragit L30D-55 could be used to prepare enteric pellets which are suitable for compression. The cushioning pellets which were composed of stearic acid/microcrystalline cellulose (4:1, w/w) could avoid rupture of the coating of pellets during the compression.
Acrylic Resins ; chemistry ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; chemical synthesis ; Cellulose ; chemistry ; Diclofenac ; chemical synthesis ; Drug Carriers ; Drug Compounding ; methods ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Methacrylates ; chemistry ; Particle Size ; Polymers ; chemistry ; Solubility ; Tablets, Enteric-Coated ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic angiogenesis effect of naotai recipe (NR) on local ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury of rats by observing signaling pathway of hypoxia-inducible factor-lα (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

METHODSTotally 120 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 4 groups, namely, the normal control group (n =12), the sham-operation group (n =12), the I/R model group (n =48), and the NR group (n =48). Cerebral I/R injury models were established using thread suture method. Rats in the I/R model group and the NR group were sub-divided into 4 sub-groups according to the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th I/R day (n =12). The phenomenon of neovasculization was observed by immunofluorescence staining. The protein and mRNA expression levels of HIF-la, VEGF-A, and VEGFR II receptor were detected by RT-PCR.

RESULTSThere were a large amount of labels for neovasculization in the ischemic area of the NR group. Double-immunofluorescence labeling [vWF (red) and BrdU (green)] was observed in the NR group. Compared with the model group, the HIF-1α protein expression was obviously enhanced on the 1 st day of I/R (P <0.01), and the VEGF protein expression started to enhance on the 3rd day in the NR group (P <0.01). The VEGFR protein expression level was the highest in the NR group on the 5th day of I/R (P <0.01). The protein expression of VEGF and HIF-1α started to decrease on the 7th day of I/R.

CONCLUSIONNR could strengthen angiogenesis after I/R by elevating the expression of HIF-lα and activating HIF-lα/VEGF signaling pathway.

Animals ; Brain Ischemia ; metabolism ; Cerebral Infarction ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; genetics ; metabolism ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; metabolism ; Ischemia ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; Signal Transduction ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; biosynthesis

A new mathematical equation characterizing the compression of pharmaceutical materials is presented. This equation presumed that the rate of change of the compressible volume of powder with respect to the pressure is proportional to the compressible volume. The new model provided a good fit to several model substances employing non-linear regression techniques. The validity of the model had been verified with experimental results of various pharmaceutical powders according to the Akaikes informatics criterion (AIC) and the sum of squared deviations (SS). The parameter of the new model might reflect quantitatively the fundamental compression behaviors of the powders. It had demonstrated that the proposed model could well predict the compaction characteristics of solid particles like the Kawakita model.
Compressive Strength ; Nonlinear Dynamics ; Powders ; chemistry ; Pressure

The dissolution of Panacis Quinquefolii Radix ultrafine granular powder and common powder, traditional pieces in water and simulated gastric juice in vitro was compared, and the effect of particles size of Panacis Quinquefolii Radix on the dissolution was studied. HPLC method was used for determination of five ginsenosides including Rg1, Re, Rb1, Rc and Rd from ultrafine granular powder and common powder, traditional pieces of Panacis Quinquefolii Radix at different points in time, furthermore, the dissolution curves of Panacis Quinquefolii Radix ultrafine granular powder and common powder, traditional pieces were obtained. The dissolution characteristics of the three Panacis Quinquefolii Radix forms were also compared in this study. According to the results, the dissolution rates of ginsenosides from ultrafine granular powder exceeded 90% of the total content with 5 min, significantly higher than that of the other two forms in water in vitro. At the same time, the dissolved amount of the ultrafine granular powder was fourteen percent higher than that of the traditional pieces and eight percent higher than that of the common powder. Under the condition of simulated gastric juice in vitro, the dissolution rates of ginsenosides from ultrafine granular powder were little lower than that of the other two, but the maximum dissolved amount of the former was fourteen percent higher than that of the common powder and five percent higher than that of the extracts. Therefore the conclusion is that micronization of Panacis Quinquefolii Radix contributed to dissolution of effective components.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Ginsenosides ; chemistry ; Panax ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Powders ; Solubility

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the possibility of applying oligonucleotide microarrays for detection of the fusion genes in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

METHODSTo detect five types of fusion genes emerging frequently in childhood ALL including TEL/AML1, E2A/PBX1, BCR/ABLp190, BCR/ABLp210, MLL/AF4, probes were designed, synthesized and spotted on the chemical-material-coated-glass plates in array. The total RNAs were extracted from patients' bone marrow or peripheral blood cells at the beginning of diagnosis, analyzed by multiplex nested reverse-transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and labeled by fluorescein. The products of RT-PCR were hybridized with microarray in order to detect specific types of fusion genes in leukemia cells.

RESULTSDistinctive hybridization signals were obtained for internal positive control and specific types of fusion genes. TEL/AML1 gene was found positive in 2 of the 36 cases, E2A/PBX1 gene in 3, BCR/ABLp190 gene in 2, BCR/ ABLp210 gene in one, and MLL/ AF4 gene in one. The results of the microarray and RT-PCR were consistent.

CONCLUSIONThe microarray-based assay could screen 5 types of chromosome structural aberrations and the splice variants at the same time. It can provide reliable and helpful information for patient stratification, evaluation of therapeutic effects and prediction of prognosis in childhood ALL, although there are both advantages and disadvantages in applying this new method.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion ; genetics ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction