Objective To investigate the clinical experience and scientific theory for treating hypertension by Zhou Yixuan. Methods The clinical records of 149 patients with hypertension treated by Zhou Yixuan were input into the database, and the terms were standardized. The Chinese medical diagnosis , therapeutic principles, prescriptions and Chinese herbs were analyzed. Results The syndromes of 149 patients with hypertension appeared frequently in the phlegm dampness, qi deficiency and blood stasis, qi and yin deficiency, hyperactivity of liver-yang, liver and kidney yin deficiency. The prescriptions appeared frequently in Shenling-Baizhu powder, Buyang-Huanwu decoction Shengmai powder, Tianma-Gouteng Yin, Liuwei-Dihuang pill. The Chinese herbs appeared frequently in honey-fried milkvetch root, finger citron, Szechwan lovage rhizome, danshen root, Chinese angelica, fructus corni, white peony alba, red peony root, prepared largehead atractylodes rhizome, spine date seed, orange fruit, coix seed, tangshen, silktree albizia bark, and leech. Conclusions The syndromes of hypertension appeared in deficiency complicated with excess. Qi deficiency, qi and yin deficiency, liver and kidney yin deficiency were deficiency syndromes. Hyperactivity of liver-yang, blood stasis and phlegm were empirical syndromes. Zhou Yixuan was good at treating hypertension with the methods of benefiting vital energy, nourishing yin, regulating vital energy, promoting blood circulation, reducing phlegm and calming the nerves.

Animals ; Cell Cycle Proteins ; genetics ; Cell Proliferation ; Gene Expression ; Hepatocytes ; cytology ; Liver Regeneration ; Male ; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases ; genetics ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

A 24-year-old man presented with a 6-year history of pustules,atrophic scars,and alopecia of the scalp.Dermatological examinations showed generalized alopecia and atrophic scarring of the scalp.A few hairs remained at the vertex region with keratotic papules,pustules,or black sears around the hair follicles.There were also residual hairs at the forehead,temples,and occipital region near the hairline.Clusters of hairs were noted in the occipital region,and keratotic papules were observed around the hair follicles.Erythema,scales,and follicular keratotic papules were found in the superciliary arch.The eyebrows and axillary hairs partially shed and were sparse.Follicular keratotic papules were also found on both cheeks,axillae,chest,abdomen,back and limbs.Stomatological examinations revealed a large space between the upper and lower anterior teeth,anteverted upper anterior teeth,congenital absence of (+1) tooth,deep overbite and deep overjet of anterior teeth.He had a fissured tongue which lacked filiform papillae.Pathological examinations of the skin lesionsshowedathickenedspinouslayer andmassiveinfiltrationsof plasmacytes, neutrophils, and multinucleated giant cells around hair follicles.A diagnosis of folliculitis spinulosa decalvans was made based on the clinical manifestations and histopathological findings.

Response Surface Methodology was applied to optimize the culture components for lipopeptide production by Bacillus natto TK-1. In the first step, two level factorial design of Plackett-Burman was used to evaluate the influence of six related factors. It showed that three factors playing the important roles in the medium, including peptone, yeast extract powder and CaCl_2. The path of steepest ascent was used to approach the optimal region of the fermentation conditions subsequently. In the third step, the concentrations of those three main factors were further optimized by using Box-Behnken and Response Surface Analysis. By solving the quadratic regression model equation, the optimal concentrations of the variables were determined as: peptone 1.73%, yeast extract powder 0.063 %, CaCl_2 1.385?10-4mol/L. Under the optimal culture conditions, the diameter of haemolysis zone increased 29.3 % than before. HPLC analysis showed the precise production of lipopeptide was 30.2% higher than preliminary culture. Furthermore, at three batches cultivation, the experiment values under the optimal conditions agreed with the predictive values. It showed that Response Surface Methodology was proper and a good choice for optimization.

Fibrotic disease is a type of disease in which the body is affected by various stimulating factors, which causes the activation or phenotypic transformation of myofibroblasts, increases the expression of collagen and excessive deposition of extracellular matrix, resulting in damage to the structure and function of organs. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is currently recognized as a signal transduction pathway involved in the occurrence of fibrotic diseases, and plays an important role in regulating the occurrence and development of fibrotic diseases such as lung, liver, myocardium, kidney and pancreas. In recent years, many studies have explored the role of TGF-β signaling pathway in the occurrence and development of fibrotic diseases, while to inhibit the activation of TGF-β signaling pathway might have anti-fibrosis effects, but the mechanism has not been fully understood. Therefore, the research progress of the role of TGF-β signaling pathway in such fibrotic diseases as lung, liver, myocardium, kidney and pancreas, and so on, has mainly been reviewed in present paper, so as to provide new strategies for the selection of therapeutic targets for fibrotic diseases.

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Chinese herbs (CH) for cool-moistening and freeing collaterals on gastro-dynamic disturbance in patients of diabetes mellitus type 2 with gastroparesis (DM-GP).

METHODSFifty-three patients of DM-GP were enrolled and treated with CH (n = 28) and Cisapride (n = 25) respectively for 4 weeks, the changes of gastrin and electro-gastrogram (EGG) before and after treatment were observed.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the EGG improved significantly, showing the rhythm significantly improved, and level of serum gastrin lowered significantly, as compared with those before treatment, the difference was significant (P<0.01), but insignificant difference was found between the two groups. Fifteen patients in each group were followed-up afar stopping medication for 3 months, recurrence occurred in 1 patient of CH treated group, and 2 patients of Cisapride treated group. No adverse reaction was found in the rest patients.

CONCLUSIONCH could obviously improve the gastro-intestinal motility and hormones abnormality.

Adult ; Aged ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; blood ; complications ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Electromyography ; Electrophysiology ; Female ; Gastric Emptying ; drug effects ; Gastrins ; blood ; Gastrointestinal Agents ; therapeutic use ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; drug effects ; Gastroparesis ; drug therapy ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy

By using Zinc nitrate as precursor and hydraZine hydrate as reducing agent, polydiallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride modified reduced graphene oxide/Zinc oxide composite materials ( PDDA-rGO/ZnO) were prepared by simultaneous reduction of graphene oxide ( GO) and Zinc nitrate.The composite materials were characteriZed by Fourier transform infrared ( FTIR ) spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometer ( XRD ) and transmission electron microscopy ( TEM) , and their electrochemical catalytic activity for uric acid was studied by cyclic voltammetry ( CV ) and linear sweep voltammetry ( LSV ) measurements.The result showed that PDDA-rGO/ZnO modified glassy carbon electrode prepared here was sensitive, reproducible and stable, and had significant electrocatalytic activity for UA.When using linear sweep voltammetry for detection of UA, the responses of modified electrode were linear with UA concentration in the ranges of 0.02-0.1 mmol/L and 0.1-1.0 mmol/L respectively, with detection limit of 15.9 nmol/L (S/N=3).

Objective To evaluate therapeutic effects of wedge resection on male paraurethral duct dilatation following gonococcal paraurethral duct infection. Methods With the aid of high-frequency ultrasound images, 11 male patients with paraurethral duct dilatation following gonococcal paraurethral duct infection were treated with wedge resection. The data were collected, including the surgical duration, amount of bleeding during the surgery, period of wound healing and complications. If the ostium beside the external urethral orifice disappeared within 4 weeks after the surgery, there was no discharge from the ostium with pressure, and no tubular echoic area was observed by high-frequency ultrasound imaging, the patient was considered to be recovered. If none of the above three conditions could be met, the surgical treatment was considered to be ineffective. Results The average surgical duration was 19.19 ± 2.71 minutes(range, 14-23 minutes), the average amount of bleeding during the surgery was 11.09 ± 2.07 ml (range, 8-14 ml), and the average period of wound healing was 14.91 ± 1.45 days(range, 13-17 days). Of the 11 patients, 10 were cured, and 1 showed no response. No complications were observed in any of the 11 patients, and no defects formed in the glans penis. Conclusion Wedge resection is a kind of effective therapy for paraurethral duct dilatation following gonococcal paraurethral duct infection in males.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the management of heart failure, the timing of delivery in pregnancy, and the influence on pregnant prognosis. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the incidence of heart failure, treatment results, pattern of termination, and time of termination in 356 cases of pregnancy with heart disease. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-six (38.20%) cases were diagnosed as heart failure and 76 (55.88%) were moderate or severe heart failure. Heart failure tends to occur more easily in rheumatic heart diseases than in congenital heart diseases. Heart failure occurred more frequently in pregnancy with rheumatic heart diseases without the heart operation before pregnancy than that of pregnancy with congenital heart diseases. The occurence of the moderate and severe heart failure in pregnancy decreased in rheumatic heart diseases with surgical therapies compared with those without surgical therapies (P <0.05). Compared with pregnancy with heart failure controlled inadequately, pregnancy with effectively controlled heart failure had better tolerance during delivery and through the pregnancy, and puerperium. CONCLUSION Congenital heart diseases and rheumatic heart diseases are the chief causes of heart failure during the gestation. Therapy before pregnancy, especially surgery to the rheumatic heart diseases, may improve the cardiac function during pregnancy. Monitoring heart function and selecting the proper timing to terminate pregnancy after controlling the heart failure in late pregnant period will be helpful to improve the prognosis of pregnant and perineonate.
Adult ; Delivery, Obstetric ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; complications ; Heart Failure ; etiology ; therapy ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular ; therapy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Retrospective Studies ; Rheumatic Heart Disease ; complications ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo investigate the biological function of the hepatitis C virus (HCV)-encoded F protein in hepatocytes.

METHODSThe full-length F gene was amplified by PCR from HCV genotype 1a and cloned into plasmid pSEB-3Flag by restriction enzyme digestion and ligation. Hepatoma cell lines, Huh7 and SMMC7721, were transfected with the resultant recombinant pSEB-3Flag-F or the original pSEB-3Flag (negative control) and screened with the selective antibiotic, blasticidin. Stable F gene and protein expression was verified by RT-PCR analysis. Analysis of cell growth and cell cycle was carried out by MTS assay, crystal violet staining and flow cytometry.

RESULTSHuh7 and SMMC7721 cells transfected with pSEB-3Flag-F plasmid (Huh7-F and SMMC7721-F, respectively) uniquely expressed the F gene and protein. The Huh7-F and SMMC7721-F cells showed significantly decreased proliferation rates, compared to the respective control groups. A similar HCV F-mediated growth-inhibiting activity was observed by the cell viability assay. Furthermore, cell cycle analysis revealed that the S-phase distribution was much lower in Huh7-F (47.12%) and SMMC7721-F (30.75%) cells than in the respective controls (55.35% and 33.23%, respectively) (P less than 0.05).

CONCLUSIONStable expression of the HCV F gene reduced the in vitro proliferation rate of hepatoma cell lines, indicating that the F protein may function as a growth inhibitor of infected cells.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Hepacivirus ; genetics ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Viral Core Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism