ObjectiveTo investigate the capacity and diagnostic value of various MRI seguences in patients with trigeminal neuralgia.Methods MR images of 60 patients with trigeminal neuralgia were analyzed retrospectively.The sensitivity,specificity and diagnostic value of various MRI sequences were evaluated comparing with clinical data and operation results.All patients were scanned with conventional sequences including SE-T1WI,T2WI,FLAIR of head.Among them,9 cases were injected with contrast agent,49 cases were scanned with 3D-TOF and 3D-TSE sequences on cerebellopontine angle additinally.The sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of the 3D-TOF and 3D-TSE sequences were analyzed by using the x2 test.Results Six cases with tumor,3 cases with radiculitis and meningitis,1 case with multiple sclerosis and 1 case with pons infarction were diagnosed by conventional MR sequences.MRI of 49 cases with 3D-TOF and 3D-TSE showed neurovascular compress proved by operation.The sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of 3D-TOF and 3D-TSE were 95.3％ (41/43)vs.95.6％ (43/45),66.7％ (4/6)vs.50.0％(2/4) and 91.8％ (45/49)vs.91.8％ (45/49),and no significantly difference was found between the two sequences (x2 =0.13,0.19 and 0.17,P ＞0.5).ConclusionsMRI plays an important role in displaying the causes and diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia.The conventional head MR sequences should be recommended for diagnosis of secondary TN caused by tumor and inflammation et al,and further 3D-TOF and 3D-TSE with high sensitivity and accuracy should be applied in patients with primary TN to display the neurovascular relationship.

AIMTo present a theory bases for Chinese traditional medicine extraction process.

METHODSA kinetic equation for Chinese traditional medicine extraction process was presented based on Fick's second law of diffusion. Experiments for extracting tanshinone from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge with ethanol under different particle sizes and temperatures were studied. In addition, the data of extraction process of three kinds of herbs, including Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch, Schisandra chinesis and Ophiopogon japonicus (Thunb.) Ker-Gawl were introduced to evaluate the kinetic equation.

RESULTSThe kinetic of Chinese traditional medicine extraction process agreed with the first-order rate equation. Experiment data of active components extracted from the herbs above could perfectly match with the kinetic equation. The rate-determining step for extracting tanshinone from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge was the diffusion of tanshinone through the herb particles. The apparent activation energy for tanshinone diffusion process was 20.26 kJ.mol-1.

CONCLUSIONThe relation between the concentration of active component and extraction time, size of herb particles and temperature could be got from this kinetic equation. The extraction process of other herbs besides the above could be described by this equation.

Diterpenes, Abietane ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; Glycyrrhiza uralensis ; chemistry ; Kinetics ; Mathematics ; Models, Chemical ; Phenanthrenes ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry ; Schisandra ; chemistry ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

OBJECTIVETo analyze the embryo development potential after intracytoplasmic injection of sperm from azoospermia patients with different spermatogenic functions.

METHODSWe performed ICSI with sperm retrieved from azoospermia patients with different spermatogenic functions using percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) and testicular sperm aspiration (TESA). Then we recorded and analyzed the rates of normal fertilization, cleavages, excellent embryos and pregnancies.

RESULTSNo statistically significant differences were found between the PESA and TESA groups in the rates of normal fertilization ([74.9 +/- 19.6] vs [66.3 +/- 22.7]%, P > 0.05), cleavages ([96.7 +/- 8.6] vs [92.8 +/- 19.8]%, P > 0.05), excellent embryos ([43.5 +/- 26.2] vs [35.0 +/- 29.4]%, P > 0.05) and pregnancies (44.0 vs 52.0%, P > 0.05). The normal fertilization rates in the patients with normal spermatogenesis, mild spermatogenic dysfunction (SD), moderate SD and severe SD were (77.8 +/- 18.4), (68.4 +/- 18.5), (73.5 +/- 19.8) and (51.4 +/- 27.9)%, respectively, with significant difference between the normal spermatogenesis and mild SD groups (P < 0.05) as well as between the severe SD and the other groups (P < 0.05); the cleavage rates were (96.7 +/- 9.2), (96.5 +/- 15.0), (93.9 +/- 12.1) and (93.7 +/- 11.1)%, respectively, with no significant difference among the four groups; the excellent embryo rates were (47.1 +/- 25.8), (40.3 +/- 27.6), (36.2 +/- 23.1) and (15.0 +/- 24.6)%, respectively, with significant difference between the severe SD and the other groups; the pregnancy rates were 54.8, 50.0, 13.6 and 10.0%, respectively, with significant differences among the four groups (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONICSI by PESA or TESA is an effective approach to azoospermia. There are no significant differences between PESA and TESA in the rates of normal fertilization, cleavages, excellent embryos and pregnancies. The severity of spermatogenic dysfunction affects fertilization and initial development of embryos, which were shown in the rates of normal fertilization, excellent embryos and pregnancies but not that of cleavages.

Adult ; Azoospermia ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Embryonic Development ; Epididymis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Sperm Retrieval ; Spermatogenesis ; Young Adult

Toxoplasma gondii ME49 infections are typically diagnosed by serological tests. However, serological diagnosis of RH strain-induced toxoplasmosis remains unknown. In order to develop seradiagnosis of above 2 kinds of infections, we generated recombinant virus-like particles (VLPs) displaying the T. gondii rhoptry protein 4 (ROP4) and evaluated their potential in T. gondii ME49 or RH strain infection diagnostics. Mice were orally infected with either the tachyzoites of T. gondii (RH) or cysts of T. gondii (ME49) at various dosages, and sera were collected at regular intervals. ELISA-based serological tests were performed to assess IgG, IgM, and IgA antibody responses against ROP4 VLP antigen and tissue lysate antigen (TLA). Compared to TLA, IgG, IgM, and IgA levels to ROP4 VLP antigen were significantly higher in the sera of T. gondii RH-infected mice 1 and 2 week post-infection (PI). T. gondii-specific IgG antibody was detected at 1, 2, 4, and 8 week PI in the T. gondii ME49-infected mice with infection dose-dependent manner. These results indicated that the ROP4 VLP antigen was highly sensitive antigens detecting T. gondii RH and ME49 antibodies at an early stage.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of lamivudine, interferon alpha and oxymatrine treatment for surviving hepatic failure patients with hepatitis B.

METHODS200 hepatitis B patients, including 100 subacute or acute-on-chronic hepatic failure survivals (group A), and 100 chronic (group B, n=100) hepatic failure survivals, were enrolled in this study. Patients in group A received interferon alpha (n=35), lamivudine (n=33) , or combinational lamivudine and oxymatrine (n=32) therapy for six months; Patients in group B received lamivudine (n=49), or combinational lamivudine and oxymatrine (n=51) therapy for six months, respectively. After the treatment, all patients were followed-up for six months.

RESULTSAt the end of follow-up, all patients in group A survived, while in group B three patients (6.1%) receiving lamivudine, and four (7.8%, P>0.05) receiving combinational therapy died; more than 90% of all survivals had their HBV DNA loss. The HBeAg/anti-HBe seroconversion rate in patients of group A treated with interferon alpha (9/17, 52.9%) was higher than that in patients treated with combinational lamivudine and matrine (5/16, 31.3%, P<0.05), which was higher than that in the patients treated with lamivudine alone (1/17, 5.9%, P<0.01), and the Knodell histological activity index score in patients treated with lamivudine (7.2+/-0.8, P<0.05) was lower than that in patients treated with interferon alpha (8.2+/-1.3, P<0.05), and the best efficacy was found in receiving combinational therapy (6.9+/-0.7, P<0.01); Lamivudine or lamivudine in combination with matrine significantly inhibited the intrahepatic inflammatory activities, but had no effect on the existing fibrosis in group B patients.

CONCLUSIONLong term nucleotide analogues treatment may delay the progress of fibrosis in hepatitis B-induced hepatic failure survivals, and the administration of matrine in time may further enhance the anti-fibrotic effect of nucleotide analogues.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Alkaloids ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Antiviral Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatitis B ; complications ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; drug effects ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Lamivudine ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Liver Failure ; blood ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Liver Function Tests ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Quinolizines ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult