Bronchi ; cytology ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cells, Cultured ; Humans ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; cytology

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical effect and mechanism of migraine treated with pine needle moxibustion.

METHODSForty-three patients were randomly divided into 2 groups of pine needle moxibustion group (group A, 21 cases) and medicated thread moxibustion of Zhuang medicine group (group B, 22 cases). Same acu-points were selected as the main points for both groups, namely Fengchi (GB 20), Baihui (GV 20), Taiyang (EX-HN 5), Shuaigu (GB 8), Cuanzhu (BL 2), Sizhukong (TE 23), Yanglingquan (GB 34), Waiguan (TE 5) and Ashi points. Pine needle moxibustion was applied for the group A. Processed lighted pine needles were banded together with one even head to do moxibustion on acupoints or pain points. While, lighted medicated thread was adopted for the group B to do moxibustion. Therapeutic effects, the content of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), Mg2+ in the serum and the degree of pain of the two groups were compared.

RESULTS(1) In the group A, the complete remission rate was 47.6% (10/21) and the effective rate was 90.5% (19/21). In the group B, the complete remission rate was 13.6% (3/22) and the effective rate was 50.0% (11/22). The two rates in the group A were superior to those in the group B (both P < 0.01); (2) In the group A, the content of hs-CRP was decreased from (4.29 +/- 0.98) mg/L to (2.11 +/- 0.87) mg/L, and Mg2+ was increased from (0.67 +/- 0.28) mmol/L to (1.07 +/- 0.16) mmol/L. In the group B, the contents of the above mentioned indices were respectively decreased from (4.30 +/- 1.07) mg/L to (3.38 +/- 1.15) mg/L and increased from (0.68 +/- 0.21) mmol/L to (0.88 +/- 0.25) mmol/L. There were significant differences between the two groups after treatment (both P < 0.05). (3) The degree of pain in the group A after treatment was much lower than that in the group B (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe clinical effect of migraine treated with pine needle moxibustion is better than that with the medicated thread moxibustion of Zhuang medicine. And it has obvious regulation effect on the levels of hs-CRP and Mg2+ in the serum of patients.

Acupuncture Points ; Adolescent ; Adult ; C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Magnesium ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Migraine Disorders ; metabolism ; therapy ; Moxibustion ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relation between the progressive effects of chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) on cognitive function and the change of cholinergic neuron.

METHODSForty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly averagely divided into four groups: control group, CIH 1 week group, CIH 3 week group and CIH 5 week group. The cognitive function was assessed by the Morris Water Maze. The necrosis neurons in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were observed and counted. The cholin acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunostained cells in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were identified and quantitated.

RESULTSThe spatial learning and memory impairments progressed from 1 to 5 5 weeks in rats. Compared with the control group, the cognitive impairments in CIH5w group were significant (P < 0.05). The degeneration or necrosis neurons in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were significantly increased in CIH rats, and worsen gradually along with the hypoxia. The ChAT immunostained cells in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were gradually reduced. The ChAT immunostained cells of prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in CIH3w group and CIH5w group were less than that in control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONChronic intermittent hypoxia induced slowly progressive spatial learning and memory impairments in rats, which maybe associated with the damage of neurons and the reduction of ChAT in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.

Animals ; Cholinergic Fibers ; pathology ; physiology ; Cholinergic Neurons ; pathology ; physiology ; Cognition ; physiology ; Hippocampus ; cytology ; physiopathology ; Hypoxia ; physiopathology ; Male ; Maze Learning ; physiology ; Memory Disorders ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Prefrontal Cortex ; cytology ; physiopathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical and pathological features of drug-induced liver injury (DILI).

METHODSLiver specimens were obtained through needle biopsies from 100 patients with DILI. The histological preparations of the specimens were stained with haematoxylin eosin, several histochemistry methods, and immunohistochemistry stains. The pathological changes of the livers were analyzed together with the patients's clinical data. The patients were divided into two groups, an acute DILI group (n=39) and a chronic DILI group (n=61), based on their clinical courses and histological changes in their livers. In the chronic DILI group, the clinical courses were longer than 6 months and/or fibrosis or cirrhosis occurred in their liver tissues.

RESULTSAmong our cases the leading cause of DILI was Chinese herb medicine, accounting for 21% of the 100 cases; steroids induced cases were 11% of the total. 78% of the patients presented elevated serum transaminases and/or jaundice. The degree of transaminases elevation and the frequency of jaundice happening in the acute group were significantly higher than those in the chronic group (P less than 0.05). The histopathological liver changes in these DILI cases included: (1) necrosis commonly occurred in acinar zone 3, (2) abundant neutrophil and/or eosinophil infiltrations, (3) hepatocytic and/or canalicular cholestasis with little or no inflammation, (4) microvesicular steatosis mixed with macrovesicular steatosis, and (5) presentation of epitheloid cell granuloma. There were no significant differences in liver histopathology between the acute and the chronic DILI groups, except that the fibrosis and the ductular proliferation were different.

CONCLUSIONDILI has become a notable liver disease in mainland China, and the use of Chinese herbal medicine must be improved, standardized and regulated more closely.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; pathology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Liver ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo estimate the impact of autologous transfusion on the status of perioperative immune activation in malignant tumor patients. The Serum Neopterin and Interleukin-2 (IL-2) were measured.

METHODSSixty patients undergoing elective radical resection for malignant stomach tumor were enrolled in the prospective study and assigned to the following groups: (1) Group A received autologous transfusion. (2) Group H received allogeneic transfusion. The perioperative course (Before induction of anesthesia, after operation and 5 d after operation) of Neopterin and IL-2 was compared.

RESULTSIn group A, Serum Neopterin was significantly lower than baseline after operation and IL-2 had no significant changes. In group H, both Serum Neopterin and IL-2 were significantly lower than baseline after operation and 5 d after operation. Compared with group A, Serum Neopterin was significantly lower than baseline after operation and 5 d after operation and IL-2 was significantly lower than baseline 5 d after operation.

CONCLUSIONAutologous transfusion decreased the perioperative immune suppression in malignant stomach tumor patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Blood Transfusion, Autologous ; adverse effects ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-2 ; blood ; immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neopterin ; blood ; immunology ; Perioperative Care ; adverse effects ; methods ; Postgastrectomy Syndromes ; blood ; etiology ; immunology ; Stomach Neoplasms ; blood ; immunology ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship of pre-pregnancy body weight, gestational weight gain and postpartum weight retention among women in Beijing.

METHODSUsing a cohort design, 600 pregnant women who went to district obstetrics and gynecology hospital in Beijing to establish preconception health care card from 5(th) February to 15(th) March 2009 were recruited. A total of 112 subjects (109 with valid data), 20% of that in baseline, were followed up at 6 months after delivery.70 subjects (66 with valid data) were followed up at one year after delivery. Weight, weight changes and postpartum weight retention were measured for low weight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m(2)), normal weight (18.5 kg/m(2) ≤ BMI ≤ 24.0 kg/m(2)) and overweight or obesity (BMI > 24.0 kg/m(2)) group.

RESULTSThe pre-pregnancy weight and antenatal weight were (54.8 ± 8.0) and (70.8 ± 9.3) kg respectively. Gestational weight gain was (16.0 ± 7.0) kg. The postpartum weight of 6 and 12 months were (60.5 ± 9.4) and (57.6 ± 8.6) kg respectively. Comparing to pre-pregnancy, postpartum weight retention in 6 months and 12 months were (5.7 ± 4.5) and (2.7 ± 4.5) kg, weight retention rates were (10.6 ± 8.6)% and (5.2 ± 9.3)%. Antenatal weight among low pre-pregnancy weight group, normal weight and overweight and obese women were (62.6 ± 5.7), (69.9 ± 6.6) and (84.2 ± 9.9) kg, and weight at postpartum 12 months among 3 groups were (49.3 ± 3.2), (56.5 ± 6.9) and (70.5 ± 6.0) kg respectively (F = 25.3, P < 0.01); At postpartum 12 months, low pre-pregnancy weight group ((5.6 ± 5.9) kg), overweight and obese women group ((4.7 ± 1.9) kg) postpartum weight retention was significantly higher than that of the normal weight group ((1.8 ± 4.3) kg) (F = 3.82, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe pre-pregnancy body weight is a key risk factor in weight gain during pregnancy and postpartum weight retention.

Adult ; Body Mass Index ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Overweight ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; Risk Factors ; Weight Gain ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of combining the injection of beta-sheet breaker H102 with human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (hUCMSC) on APP transgenic mice behavior, P-tau, apoptosis and the expression of relevant enzymes in the brain.

METHODSAPP transgenic mice were randomly divided into model group, hUCMSC group, H102 group, H102 with hUCMSC group and a group of C57BL/6J mice with the same age and background was set as normal. After two weeks and four weeks, the ability of spatial reference memory was tested by Morris Water Maze. After four weeks, immunohistochemical stain and Western blot were done to detect the content of Bad, Bax, Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, P-tau, GSK-3beta, PP-2A and PP-1 in mice brain.

RESULTSThe ability of memory of hUCMSC in 2 weeks group was slightly improved than that in the model group. hUCMSC in four weeks group, H102 group and H102 with hUCMSC group significantly improved the ability of and memory, and reduced the phosphorylation of tau and brain cell's apoptosis of the Alzheimer disease (AD) mice.

CONCLUSIONBeta-sheet breaker H102 together with transplanting hUCMSC is an effective therapeutic strategy for AD.

Alzheimer Disease ; therapy ; Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor ; genetics ; Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Maze Learning ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Transgenic ; Peptides ; therapeutic use ; Umbilical Cord ; cytology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of eosinophil major basic protein (MBP) mRNA in bronchial asthma and explore its significance.

METHODSPeripheral blood eosinophil MBP mRNA levels were measured in 40 patients with asthma and 20 normal controls by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The association of MBP mRNA levels with eosinophil count and pulmonary function was also analyzed.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, MBP mRNA level were significantly increased in asthma patients (0.37-/+0.11 vs 0.17-/+0.04, P<0.001), so was the eosinophil count (0.86-/+0.52 vs 0.21-/+0.10, P<0.001). MBP mRNA levels in patients with moderate persistent asthma (0.42-/+0.05) and those with severe persistent asthma (0.47-/+0.05) were significantly higher than those in patients with mild persistent asthma (0.25-/+0.06, P<0.001), and the difference in MBP mRNA levels between moderate persistent asthma patients and severe ones was also significant (P<0.05). Among the asthma patients, MBP mRNA levels showed an inverse correlation with pulmonary function (r=-0.7490, P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONIncreased MBP mRNA expression level may correlate with the severity of asthma. MBP may play an important role in the development of asthma.

Adult ; Asthma ; genetics ; pathology ; Blood Proteins ; genetics ; Eosinophil Major Basic Protein ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Proteoglycans ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of dexamethasone on intracellular expression of Th17 cytokine interleukin 17 and the mechanisms in asthmatic mice.

METHODSExperimental asthma was induced by ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization in 20 in female Balb/c mice with (dexamethasone group, n=10) or without dexamethasone treatment (model group, n=10), with another 10 serving as the control group. The levels of IL-17 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum of the mice were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the airway inflammation was evaluated by HE staining. The expressions of IL-17 and RORgammat mRNA were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the expression of RORgammat protein was measured by immunohistochemical staining.

RESULTSThe levels of RORgammat and IL-17 mRNA and protein in the asthmatic model group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.01), and the increased expressions of RORgammat and IL-17 mRNA and protein in the asthmatic mice were significantly reduced by dexamethasone treatment (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONDexamethasone can inhibit the release of IL-17 probably by inhibiting RORgammat expression and blocking Th17 differentiation in asthmatic mice.

Animals ; Asthma ; chemically induced ; immunology ; metabolism ; Dexamethasone ; pharmacology ; Female ; Interleukin-17 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3 ; metabolism ; Ovalbumin ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; immunology ; metabolism ; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer ; immunology ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association between the polymorphism of T(1) locus allele in ADAM33 gene and bronchial asthma in South China Han population.

METHODSPolymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and DNA sequencing were used to determine the polymorphism of T(1) locus allele in ADAM33 gene in 160 unrelated patients with asthma and 95 unrelated healthy controls from South China Han population.

RESULTSNo significant difference was found in T(1) locus allele distribution frequency in populations of UK, US, Germany, Korea, and South China (Chi(2)=9.085, P=0.109). The frequencies of the genotypes (TT, TC, CC) were 80.6% (n=129), 16.9% (n=27) and 2.5% (n=4) in the 160 asthmatic patients and 94.7% (n=90), 3.2% (n=3) and 2.1% (n= 2) in the 95 controls, respectively, showing a significant difference in the distribution of the genotypes (TT, TC, CC ) between asthmatic patients and healthy controls (Chi(2)=10.955, P<0.05). The frequencies of the alleles (T, C) were 0.891 and 0.109 in the asthmatic patients and 0.963 and 0.037 in the controls, respectively, showing also a significant difference in the allele frequency between them (Chi square =8.299, P<0.05). The presence of C allele of ADAM33 gene T1 locus was found to be a greater risk factor in asthmatic patients than in the healthy controls. The odds ratio (OR) of TC and TC+CC were 6.279 (1.849-21.328) and 4.326 (1.620-11.550), respectively, with P value of 0.001 and 0.002, respectively, in comparison with TT genotype.

CONCLUSIONThe polymorphism of T(1) locus allele in ADAM33 gene is associated with the susceptibility to asthma in South China Han population.

ADAM Proteins ; genetics ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Asthma ; genetics ; China ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Sequence Analysis, DNA