Objective To investigate the effect of different temperature moxibustion on serum IL-1β, IL-2 and TNF-αcontents in acute adjuvant arthritis rats and provide a basis for the mechanism of local anti-inflammatory and immune action of moxibustion. Methods A rat model of adjuvant arthritis (AA) was made by Freund’s complete adjuvant (FCA) modeling method. Of 32 SD rats, 8 were randomly selected as a normal group and the other 24 for model making. After successful model making, the rats were randomly allocated to model, treatment 1 and treatment 2 groups, 8 rats each. Treatment 1 and 2 groups received moxibustion. Local temperature at moxibustion point was controlled at (38±1)℃in treatment 1 group and at (45±1)℃in treatment 2 group. Rat serum IL-1β, IL-2 and TNF-αcontents were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results There were statistically significant differences in serum IL-1β, IL-2 and TNF-αcontents between the model, treatment 1 or treatment 2 group and the normal group (P<0.01). There was a statistically significant difference in serum IL-2 content between treatment 1 and the model groups (P<0.01). There were statistically significant differences in serum IL-1β, IL-2 and TNF-αcontents between treatment 2 group and the model or treatment 1 group (P<0.01). Conclusions Moxibustion has a reducing effect on serum IL-1βand TNF-αcontents and a raising effect on IL-2 content. 45℃moxibustion temperature can improve the effect of moxi bustion. The anti-inflammatory action of moxibustion may be through the mechanism of reducing serum IL-1βand TNF-αcontents and raising IL-2 content, which relieve body inflammatory reaction. The action of moxibustion needs proper moxibustion temperature.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of allergen specific immunotherapy (SIT) in patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma. METHOD A total of 68 patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma sensitized to dust mite were recruited into the study. They were randomly divided into two groups: SIT group n = 34 and symptomatic therapy (ST) group: n = 34. Patients in ST group received medication to treat, the symptoms, patients in SIT group received medication and 3 years of standardized allergen vaccine therapy. Evaluation index of therapy includes: rhinitis symptoms score, asthma symptoms score, drug score, skin prick test, serum specificity IgE (sIgE) , peripheral eosinophil (Eos) counting, lung function. The new sensitinogen rate was also assessed. RESULT: Clinical symptom scores, drug scores, lung function, blood eosinophil numbers and skin test result were all improved significantly after 3-year treatment in SIT group compared to those in ST group (P < 0.01). Although the level of serum slgE was decreased,there exited no statistic diferences between two groups. Only 8.8% patients have the new sensitization in SIT group, and 52.9% in ST group. There were no serious adverse reactions in treatment process. CONCLUSION SIT for patients with AR and asthma can obtain excellent clinical efficacy.
Animals ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; Desensitization, Immunologic ; Eosinophils ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; blood ; Leukocyte Count ; Pyroglyphidae ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; drug therapy ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin Tests

Objective: To investgate the role of Toll-like receptor(TLR) 2 and TLR4 in pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis(AD) and the effect of topical tacrolimus ointment on expression of TLR2 and TLR4 in lesional AD skin.Methods: Immunohistochemistry was employed to study the expression of TLR2 and TLR4 in normal skin and lesional AD skin before and after using topical tacrolimus ointment.Results: The basal keratinocytes in normal skin constitutively expressed TLR2 and TLR4. In contrast,lesional epidermis from 9 patients with acute AD overexpressed TLR2 and TLR4 on the whole epidermis keratinocytes with membranous and cytoplasmic staining pattern.After using topical tacrolimus ointment for three weeks,TLR2 and TLR4 were expressed on basal and suprabasal keratinocytes with membranous and cytoplasmic staining pattern.Conclusion: These data suggest that TLR2 and TLR4 expressed by epidermal keratinocytes constitute part of the innate immune system of the skin,and increased TLR2 and TLR4 expression may be related to the skin innate immuno-inflammatory response in atopic dermatitis.Topical tacrolimus may directly or indirectly inhibit or downregulate TLR2 and TLR4 expression in KC and inhibit skin innate immuno-inflammatory response related to TLR-NF?B signal transduction and regulation in atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been considered as an effective therapy for prevention and cure of cerebral infarction traditionally.However, some scholars suggested that hyperbaric oxygen therapy could also result in cerebral infarction, although the mechanism is unclear.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the cause of cerebral infarction due to hyperbaric oxygen therapy.DESIGN: Case-control trial with patients as subjects.SETTING: Department of Hyperbaric Oxygen, Guangzhou General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Area Command of Chinese PLA.PARTICIPANTS: From December 1996 to March 1998, 192 inpatients receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy were recruited into the trial from the Department of Hyperbaric Oxygen, Guangzhou General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Area Command of Chinese PLA. There were 127 males and 65 females aged 9-78 years. Patients admitted to the department of hyperbaric oxygen were eligible if they had hypoxia or ischemia induced disease and had no contraindication to hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Patients were recruited into the study regardless of the gender, and all patients and their family gave informed consent before enrollment. Patients were excluded if they did not receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy. According to the Diagnosis and Curing Criteria of Clinical Diseases, 6 patients developed into cerebral infarction during hyperbaric oxygen therapy, 3 males and 3 females, at the age of 51-76 years.METHODS: Patients were exposed to oxygen at 0.2 MPa in hyperbaric chamber used for many persons, and inhaled oxygen with a facemask once a day for 80 minutes with an interval of 10 minutes at the 40th minute. Ten days was considered as one course. Background and risk factors were analyzed in 6patients with cerebral infarction and 186 patients without cerebral infarction.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Analysis of distribution of risk factors among cerebral infarction patients, and risk factor levels in patients without cerebral infarction.RESULTS: Among the 6 patients with cerebral infarction, hyperlipidemia was in all 6 cases, hypertension in 5 cases, primary cerebral infarction or hemorrhage in 5 cases, ≥ 60 years old or hyperviscosity in 4 cases, and diabetes mellitus in 1 case. Risk factor aggregation existed in the patients with over four risk factors. Of the 6 patients with cerebral infarction due to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, 5 cases had 4 risk factors and 1 had 5 risk factors. Of the 186 patients without cerebral infarction, 25 cases had 4 risk factors, and no case had 5 risk factors. The risk factor aggregation was relatively impossible (x2 = 54. 37, P ＜ 0. 05 ).CONCLUSION: Risk factor aggregation was found in all cerebral infarction patients, which is closely associated with the probability of cerebral infarction resulting from hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

This study was aimed to analyze the major protein composition of centipedes (Scolopendra subspinipes mutilans L.Koch.), and the ACE inhibitory activity of its hydrolysis. Albumins, gulbulins, coixins and glutelins were sequentially extracted from centipedes flour with corresponding buffer and then quantified by Kjeldahl method and Brandford. Hydrolysation of four kinds of proteins of centipedes and the residues were conducted with pepsin. The hydrolysis was ultrafiltrated (MWCO=3 000) and lyophilized. The peptides (≤3 kD) were obtained to evalu-ate the ACE inhibitory activity by RP-HPLC. The results showed that the total protein content of centipedes was (62.69±1.41)%. Among which the contents of albumins, globulins, coixins, glutelins and residual were account-ing for (6.42±0.31)%, (7.94±0.24)%, (4.31±0.34)%, (40.66±0.56)% and (25.78±0.60)%, respectively. The inhibition rate of hydrolysis of four kinds of protein and residual were 50.28%, 57.37%, 31.15%, 58.99%, 80.81%, respectively. It was concluded that centipedes were rich in protein and the hydrolyzate of all proteins manifested ACE inhibitory activity at different extent. The residual and glutelins indicated strong ACE inhibitory potential by hydrolysis. This research provided valuable sights for exploring hypotensive activity and functional food from centi-pedes.

ABSTRACT:Objective To study the effects of propofol on the metastasis of tumor cells related PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.Methods The breast cancer model was established by transplanting human derived breast cancer cell lines into immunodeficient mice with naked gene.The mice,inoculated successfully,were randomly divided into 4 groups:control group (C group,n =6),propofol group (P group,n =6),propofol+PI3K inhibitor (BYL71 9)group (P+B group,n =6),and PI3K inhibitor group (BYL71 9)(B group,n =6).The expressions of PI3K,p-Akt and Akt were examined by Western blot at week 4 after administration;the gene levels of PI3KR1, Akt1 and Akt2 were detected by RT-PCR at week 4 after administration;the number of metastatic lung nodules from both lungs was also observed at week 4 after administration.Results Compared with those in C group,the expressions of PI3K and p-Akt were significantly higher in P group (P <0.05),the level of PI3KR1 mRNA but not Akt1 and Akt2 mRNA was significantly increased(P < 0.05 ),and metastatic lung nodules significantly decreased (P <0.05).In B group,the expressions of PI3K and p-Akt were significantly decreased (P <0.05 ),the levels of PI3KR1,Akt1 and Akt2 mRNA were not significantly increased (P >0.05),but metastatic lung nodules significantly increased (P < 0.05 ).Compared with those in B group,in P+ B group the expressions of PI3K and p-Akt were markedly higher (P <0.05),the level of PI3KR1 mRNA but not Akt1 and Akt2 mRNA was significantly increased (P <0.05),and metastatic lung nodules significantly decreased (P <0.05).Conclusion Propofol can inhibit the metastasis of tumor cells through the upregulated and activated PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Objective:To evaluate the effects of vitamin K 2 on sevoflurane-induced cognitive decline in aged mice. Methods:A total of 72 SPF healthy female C57BL/6J mice, aged 12 months, weighing 20-25 g, were divided into 4 groups ( n=18 each) using a random number table method: control+ corn oil group (group Con+ Oil), sevoflurane+ corn oil group (group Sevo+ Oil), control+ vitamin K 2 group (group Con+ K 2) and sevoflurane+ vitamin K 2 group (group Sevo+ K 2). The mice in Sevo+ Oil and Sevo+ K 2 groups were anesthetized with 2.5% sevoflurane+ 33% oxygen for 2 h. The mice in Con+ Oil and Con+ K 2 groups were treated with 33% oxygen only.The animals in Con+ Oil and Sevo+ Oil groups were intraperitoneally injected with corn oil 100 μl at 30 min before oxygen or sevoflurane inhalation.Vitamin K 2 (dissolved in corn oil, concentration 1 mg/ml) 100 mg/kg was injected intraperitoneally in Con+ K 2 and Sevo+ K 2 groups.At 24 h after sevoflurane inhalation, 8 mice from each group were randomly selected and sacrificed, and the hippocampal tissues were removed for determination of activity of ATPase, contents of interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and the expression of AT8 and PHF1 (by Western blot). The remaining 10 mice in each group received standardized feeding, and the cognitive function was assessed using Y-maze at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 14 days after sevoflurane inhalation. Results:Compared with group Con+ Oil, the contents of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly increased, expression of AT8 and PHF1 were up-regulated, activity of ATPase was decreased, and spontaneous alternation percentage was decreased at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 14 days after sevoflurane inhalation in group Sevo+ Oil ( P<0.05). Compared with group Sevo+ Oil, the contents of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly decreased, expression of AT8 and PHF1 were down-regulated, activity of ATPase was increased, and spontaneous alternation percentage was increased at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 14 days in group Sevo+ K 2 ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the above indicators between group Con+ K 2 and group Sevo+ K 2 ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Vitamin K 2 can improve sevoflurane-induced cognitive decline in aged mice, the mechanism is related to increasing activity of ATPase and inhibiting the up-regulation of AT8 and PHF1 expression in hippocampus.

Objective To develop a real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR method for detection of Legionella pneumophila as a tool for environmental and clinical examination. Methods A pair of degen-erated primers and one TaqMan-MGB probe were designed to test the conserved region at the macrophage in-fective potentiation (mip) gene of Legionella pneumophila. TaqMan MGB real-time quantitative PCR assay was developed with pMD-19T plasmid including mip gene of Legionella pneumophila as standard sample. The sensitivity and specificity of the real-time quantitative PCR was evaluated using the standard sample and dif-ferent strains. Results The detection limit of 0.71 copy/μl was obtained for the standard sample in a reac-tion system of 0.6μl of sense and antisense primers (20μmol/L), respectively, 0.4μl of probe (20μmol/L) and 6.0μl of DNA temple. Conditions for the PCR reactions were as follows. After an initial de-naturation at 95℃ for 20s, 40 amplification cycles were performed. Each cycle consisted of denaturation at 95℃ for 10 s, primer annealing at 50℃ for45s. The PCR Ct value of a standard strain and 12 isolates was in a scale of 13.23 and 16.04. However, the Ct values of the strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Shigella sonnei were greater than 30. Conclusion The real-time quantitative PCR method has good sensitivity and specificity and the result has potentiality of applying for detecting Legionella pneumophila.

Objective To assess the clinical value of systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI) combined with serum procalcitonin (PCT) and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score in the early diagnosis of sepsis. Methods A retrospective study was conducted. The data of critical patients admitted to Department of Critical Care Medicine of the Third People's Hospital of Hechi from November 2013 to April 2016 were enrolled. The clinical data were recorded as follows: gender, age, infection site, SOFA score, serum PCT level (enzyme linked fluorescence analysis) within 1 hour after intensive care unit (ICU) admission, hemodynamics parameters, including mean arterial pressure (MAP), central venous pressure (CVP), cardiac index (CI), SVRI, global end diastolic volume index (GEDVI), extravascular lung water index (EVLWI), which were monitored by pulse indicator continuous cardiac output (PiCCO) after ICU admission. The patients were divided into sepsis and non-sepsis groups according to the diagnostic criteria of sepsis. Septic patients were divided into low SVRI group, normal SVRI group, and high SVRI group according to SVRI normal value (170-240 kPa·s·L-1·m-2), and the differences in parameters among the three groups were compared. The correlations between SVRI and various parameters were analyzed by using Pearson correlation analysis. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was plotted to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of each parameter. Results Totally 103 critical patients were enrolled, 55 in sepsis group, and 48 in non-sepsis group. Compared with non-sepsis group, SVRI in septic group was significantly lowered (kPa·s·L-1·m-2: 146.56±45.17 vs. 188.04±56.27), and serum PCT was significantly increased (μg/L: 10.43±6.17比0.32±0.11) with statistically significant differences (both P < 0.05). In 55 sepsis patients, there were 21 in low SVRI group, 19 in normal SVRI group, and 15 in high SVRI group. There were no statistically significant differences in gender, age and infection site among the three groups, indicating that the baseline data among all groups was balanced with comparability. SOFA score, PCT, and CI in the low SVRI group were significantly higher than those of normal SVRI and high SVRI groups [SOFA: 10.57±2.89 vs. 5.73±2.28, 5.73±2.15, PCT (μg/L): 24.15±12.43 vs. 7.18±5.05, 7.39±4.38, CI (mL·s-1·m-2): 71.01±9.67 vs. 62.01±8.34, 62.51±8.67, all P < 0.05], but no significant difference was found between the normal SVRI group and high SVRI group. There was no statistically significant difference in MAP, CVP, EVLWI, and GEDVI among the three groups. It was shown by Pearson correlation analysis that SVRI was negatively correlated with PCT, SOFA score, and CI (r value was -0.622, -0.598, -0.398, all P = 0.000). It was shown by ROC curve that area under ROC curve (AUC) of PCT combined with SVRI for diagnosis of sepsis was higher than that of PCT or SVRI alone (0.943 vs. 0.911, 0.884). When the cut-off value of PCT was 3.79 μg/L, and cut-off value of SVRI was 156.81 kPa·s·L-1·m-2, the sensitivity and specificity were 94.6% and 92.3% respectively. Conclusions For sepsis patients, SVRI is related to PCT and SOFA score. Combined monitoring of PCT, SVRI, SOFA score can accurately reflect the severity of sepsis patients, guide diagnosis and treatment, and estimate prognosis. The efficacy of PCT combined with SVRI in the early diagnosis of sepsis is better than that of the two alone.

【Objective】To investigate the therapeutic effect of Qiangxin Prescription(QP)on rabbits with heart failure induced by volume overload.【Methods】Twenty New Zealand male rabbits were randomized into four groups:the control group,QP group(QP 2.6?g/kg),western medicine group(Digoxin 20??g/kg and furosemide 1mg/kg)and QP+western medicine group(QP 2.6?g/kg,Digoxin 20??g/kg and furosemide 1?mg/kg).Rabbit models with heart failure induced by volume overload were established.Six hours after the modeling,the treatment groups were given the corresponding drugs according to the experimental design,the treatment lasting 7 days.Four-channel physiologic instrument was used to examine the heart rate(HR),aortic systolic blood pressure(SBP),aortic diastolic blood pressure(DBP),left ventricular systolic pressure(LVSP),left ventricular diastolic pressure(LVDP),the maximum rate of left ventricular pressure rise(+dp/dt_(max)),the maximum rate of left ventricular pressure decrease(-dp/dt_(max))and the maximum rate of left ventricular pressure change(?dp/dt_(max)).Meanwhile,the serum contents of superoxide dismustase(SOD)and malondialdehyde(MDA)were detected.【Results】The difference was insignificant in the body weight in different groups after the modeling but the body weight in western medicine group was decreased one week after medication(P