BACKGROUND:Topping-off technique can be used for fixation treatment through the combination of fusion and interspinous dynamic device, in order to prevent or slow down the adjacent lumbar segment degeneration.
OBJECTIVE:To obverse the protective effect of Topping-off technique (posterior lumbar interbody fusion
procedure combined with the fixation of dynamic interspinous device Coflex) for the degenerative intervertebral disc. METHODS:A total of 32 patients with degenerative lumbar diseases who had been treated with Topping-off technique were included in this study. The Oswestry disability index, the Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores, range of motion for Coflex implanted segment and during the relative signal intensity of the Coflex implanted segment in MRI image were recorded and calculated preoperatively and the entire fol ow-up period.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Al patients were fol owed-up for 20.6 months averagely. Up to the last fol ow-up, the Oswestry disability index and Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores were significantly improved when compared with those before treatment (P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the range of motion for Coflex implanted segment before and after treatment (P=0.19). The relative signal intensity of the Coflex implanted segment was significantly improved when compared with that before treatment (P<0.01). The clinical application of the Topping-off technique showed a protective effect on the intervertebral disc.

HER2, a member of epidermal growth factor receptor family proteins, is overexpressed in about 30% of human breast cancer. Increased levels of HER2 are associated with poor patient prognosis and enhanced metastasis. RNA interference (RNAi) is developed recently as a new technique which can inhibit gene expression specifically in mammalian cells. On the basis of previous study,in which two target sequences with favorable RNAi effect on HER2 were identified, a series of dual promoter siRNA-expressing vectors containing two opposing U6 and H1 promoters were constructed. After transfection of HER2-overexpressing SKBR3 breast cancer cells with the siRNA-expressing vectors, downregulation of HER2 was identified quantitatively. Subsequently, the siRNA-expressing cassettes were subcloned into lentiviral vectors by LR recombination reaction and lentivirus was prepared successfully. The results from infection of SKBR3 cells with siRNA-expressing lentivirus demonstrated that lentiviral-mediated RNAi could downregulate HER2 expression efficiently through fluorescent quantitative PCR (FQ-PCR), western blot, and FACS analysis. Furthermore, cell growth was inhibited in cell proliferation assay after treatment with siRNA lentivirus.A new tool for clarifying the function of HER2 in cancer metastasis and developing the gene therapy drug was offered.

Twenty-three patients with uniloculated deep neck abscesses (UDNA),in whom the antibiotic therapy failed and CT-guided percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) was performed from January 2005 to June 2015,were included in the study.Catheter placement was carried out using Trocar technique in all cases.Open surgical drainage was performed when PCD procedures failed.The abscess was completely drained and open surgical drainage was avoided in 19 cases (83％);the surgical drainage was performed because of muhiple internal septation in 3 (13％) case,and 1 (4％) case died from uremia.In this series the technical success rate and clinical success rate of PCD were 96％ (22/23) and 83％ (19/23),respectively.All patients were followed-up by CT scan.No other complications and no mortality occurred during the procedure,while postoperative pneumatosis developed in 1 case.CT-guided PDC is a safe and highly effective low-cost procedure for the treatment of patients with UDNA who failed medical therapy,it may be considered as an alternative to open surgery.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the affection of crushing technology on quality. The dissolution of Pills of Six Herbs with Rehmunnia prepared by different crushing technology was determined by taking the dissolution of Paeonol as test marker.

METHODThe Pills was prepared with the fine powder which was crushed by normal crusher or super fine crusher. The rotatory-basket method was used, and the cumulative dissolution percentage was determined by UV.

RESULTStatistics indicated there was a significant difference in dissolution parameter (T50) between super fine crushing powder Pills and normal fine-crushing powder Pills (P < 0.01), and there was a difference in dissolution of different batches of Pills of Six Herbs with Rehmunnia prepared by the normal crush technique (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe determination of dissolution of Pills of Six Herbs with Rehmunnia is necessary. In order to improve the quality of drugs, we should adopt the technique of super fine crushing in the preparation procedure.

Acetophenones ; analysis ; chemistry ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; Particle Size ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Rehmannia ; chemistry ; Solubility ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

0.05).However,the shorter the history of the disease,the better the efficacy of the treatment.The younger the patient was,the better the efficacy of the treatment.Conclusions Vulva dystrophy can be treated with focused ultrasound effectively and safely.This approach appears to be a new promising treatment method.

Animals ; Coxsackievirus Infections ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Enterovirus B, Human ; Female ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Myocarditis ; virology ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Selenium ; pharmacology ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

Objective To explore achieving the consistent method of blood lipid examination by comparing the results of 5 dif-ferent blood lipid detection system commonly used in the use of refernce method to assign freach blood serum before and af-ter calibration.Methods Used the indoor quality control total variation (CV%)to evaluate the 5 blood lipid examination system of the imprecision.Referenced the United States Clinical and Laboratory Standardization Institution (CLSI)9A2 EP program,compared with 54 fresh blood serum in 5 commonly used examination system of Total Cholesterol (TC)and Tri-glyceride (TG),and then estimated the bias between the different detection systems and mean value.8 of the samples were determined by the reference method and estimate the bias of different system.The fresh frozen serum samples assigned by reference method were used to evaluate the above examination system,then compare and estimate the bias again with the same 54 fresh serum samples.Compared the variation of 54 samples in different detection system before and after calibra-tion.Results The TG imprecision of 5 examination system were between 3.76%~23.65%,the TC imprecision between 2.19%~23.43%,that mean the results were good,the r value of TG were between 0.996 7~0.999 6 and the TC were 0.956 2~0.996 7.But there were obvious differences between the results of the systems,and the biggest difference were 14.72%~34.21% in TG and 3.11%~14.57% in TC.After use the serum assignment by reference method,the variation of the systems has been significantly decreased.Conclusion Using the reference method to assign the fresh serum of different blood lipid detection system can effectively improve the consistency of the results.

AIM: To assess the degree of oxidative damage during acute myocardial infarction and reperfusion, and to clarify the protective effect of Tongxinluo in mini-swine model. METHODS: Thirty mini-swines were randomized into 5 study groups: sham group, model group, low dose (0.05 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), medium dose (0.2 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) and high dose (0.5 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) of Tongxinluo groups (pretreated with Tongxinluo for 3 d). Animals except in sham group were subjected to 3 h of coronary occlusion followed by 1 h of reperfusion. Concentrations of total antioxidative capability (T-AOC), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in blood sample and the myocardium were measured. RESULTS: (1) T-AOC, T-SOD and GSH in serum significantly decreased (all P<0.05), while MDA significantly increased (P<0.01) at 3 h after AMI in comparison with those at baseline. Compared to those at 3 h after AMI, the contents of T-AOC, T-SOD and GSH at 1 h after reperfusion significantly decreased (all P<0.01), accompanied by increase of MDA (P<0.01). (2) Compared to those in normal area, levels of T-AOC, T-SOD and GSH in reperfusion myocardium decreased significantly (all P<0.01) and MDA increased significantly (P<0.01). T-AOC, T-SOD and GSH in no-reflow myocardium further decreased (all P<0.01) and MDA increased (P<0.01) as compared to those in reperfusion myocardium. (3) Compared to model group, medium dose of Tongxinluo increased the contents of T-AOC and T-SOD and reduced MDA production in serum at 3 h after AMI (all P<0.05), while medium dose of Tongxinluo increased T-SOD level at 1 h after reperfusion (P<0.05). High dose of Tongxinluo increased the levels of T-AOC and T-SOD and decreased MDA content in serum at 3 h after AMI and 1 h after reperfusion (all P<0.05). (4) The medium dose of Tongxinluo increased T-AOC content (P<0.05) and reduced MDA (P<0.05) in reperfusion myocardium, while high dose of Tongxinluo increased T-AOC, T-SOD and GSH (all P<0.05), reduced MDA (P<0.01) in reperfusion myocardium, and also increased T-AOC, T-SOD (all P<0.05), reduced MDA (P<0.01) in no-reflow area as compared to those in model group. CONCLUSION: Impairment of antioxidant defense system in vivo and imbalance of redox homeostasis in myocardium region might play an important role in the pathogenesis of no-reflow after myocardial acute infarction following reperfusion. Tongxinluo protects myocardium from reperfusion injury by improving antioxidant defense and attenuating oxidative damage.

OBJECTIVETuberculosis remains a severe public health issue, and the Beijing family of mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) is widespread in East Asia, especially in some areas in China, like Beijing and Tianjin. This study aimed at determining the mutation patterns of drug-resistant Beijing strains of M. tuberculosis isolated from Tianjin, China.

METHODSA total of 822 M. tuberculosis isolates were screened for drug resistance by an absolute concentration method and the genotype was identified by PCR. 169 drug-resistant isolates of the Beijing family were analyzed for the potential mutations in the rpoB, katG, inhA promoter region and in rpsL, rrs and embB genes, which are associated with resistance to rifampin (RFP), isoniazid (INH), streptomycin (SM) and ethambutol (EMB) respectively by PCR and DNA sequencing.

RESULTSFifty-eight out of 63 RFP-resistant isolates were found to carry the mutations within the 81-bp RFP resistance determining region (RRDR) of the rpoB gene and the most frequent mutations occurred at codon 531 (44.4%), 526 (28.6%), and 516 (7.9%) respectively. 16 mutation patterns affecting 12 different codons around the RRDR of rpoB were found. Of 116 INH-resistant isolates, 56 (48.3%) had the mutation of katG 315 (AGC-->ACC) (Ser-->Thr), 3 (2.6%) carried S315N (AGC-->AAC) and 27 (16.0%) had the mutation of inhA-15A-->T. 84 out of 122 SM-resistant isolates (68.9%) displayed mutations at the codons 43 or 88 with AAG-->AGG (Lys-->Arg) of the rpsL gene and 22 (18.0%) with the mutations at positions 513A-->C, 516C-->T or 905 A-->G in the rrs gene. Of 34 EMB-resistant isolates, 6 had mutation with M306V (ATG-->GTG), 3 with M306I (ATG-->ATT), 1 with M306I (ATG-->ATA), 1 with D328Y (GAT-->TAT), 1 with V348L (GTC-->CTC), and 1 with G406S (GGC-->AGC) in the embB gene.

CONCLUSIONThese novel findings extended our understanding of resistance-related mutations in the Beijing strains of M. tuberculosis and may provide a scientific basis for development of new strategies for diagnosis and control of tuberculosis in China and other countries where Beijing strains are prevalent.

Base Sequence ; China ; DNA Primers ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVETo study the inter-population and inter-individual effect of education attainment on men's behavior of smoking in China.

METHODA cross-sectional study of 7,415 men, aged 35-59 years, from 15 population samples was carried out in 1998. Information on education attainment and smoking was collected by standardized questionnaires. The population samples were divided into 2 groups according to the proportion of men with college or above education attainment: group I had an average 25.8% of men with college or above education attainment, and group II had an average 2.0% of men with college or above education attainment.

RESULTS(1) In group I, the percent of ever smokers, current smokers, deeper smoker, and ever smokers with cessation due to disease and the average number of cigarettes per day for the smokers were significantly lower than in group II (66.2%, 56.4%, 34.4%, 47.8%, 17.2 cigarettes/day vs 75.8%, 64.4%, 40.3%, 58.4%, 20.4 cigarettes/day, respectively). (2) The percent of current smokers and the number of cigarettes decreased with increased education attainment in both groups. Taking the men with college or above education attainment in group I as reference, the odd ratio of smoking for those with high school education in group I was 1.8 (95% CI: 1.5-2.1), for those with middle school or lower education in group I was 2.0(95% CI: 1.7-2.5), for those with college or above education in group II was 1.4(95% CI: 0.9-2.1), for those with high school education in group II was 1.7(95% CI: 1.4-2.1), and for those with middle school or lower education in group II was 2.4 (95% CI: 2.1-2.8).

CONCLUSIONSmoking behavior was affected by both individual education attainment and population education level. Smoking cessation measures should be focused on the development of better anti-smoking environment, such as education development, health promotion, etc.

Adult ; Behavior, Addictive ; China ; epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Educational Status ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sampling Studies ; Smoking ; epidemiology ; psychology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; standards