Objective To master of the characteristics of development and variation in plague natural foci of Marmota sibirica, and to analyze the plague monitoring results from 2004 to 2008. Methods From May to September every year, we monitored plague in Manzhouli, Chenbaerhuqi, Xinbaerhuzuoqi, Xinbaerhuyouqi,Ewenkeqi and Yakeshi city. The monitored area was 20 000 - 40 000 hm2 in every county. The density of Marmota,ground squirrel and moonlighting rats was surveyed by path method, one-day bow-clip method and a clamp was placed every five meters, respectively. The classification and identification of ectoparasite fleas were done by using low power lens. The fleas in the ground squirrel hole were collected by flannel rubber stick, then classified and identified. According to National Standard of Plague Diagnostic Criteria(GB 15991-1995), the collected rats and fleas were detected by isolation and cultured Yersinia pestis, the serums of collected rats were tested by indirect hemagglutination test. Results In five years, the density of Marmota and ground squirrel was 0.010/hm2 and 0.602/hm2, respectively. The capture rate of moonlighting rats was 2.69％ (258/9600). The flea infection rate of Marmota was 17.54％(10/57) and the fleas index was 2.54. The fleas infection rate of ground squirrel was 28.40％(213/750) and the fleas index was 1.01. Flea infection rat of ground squirrel hole was 5.60％(46/822) and the fleas index was 0.17. The total number of various hosts of Yersinia pestis detected was 1351, the groups number of the variety of cultured fleas was 127, and the pathogen test results were negative. The number of serum tested was 1064, positive number was 43, and the detection rate was 4.04％(43/1064). The highest positive titer was 1 : 1280. Other than 2006, the remaining four years were found positive for blood clotting material; positive serum was found in a total of three regions, they were Manzhouli, Xinbaerhuzuoqi, and Xinbaerhuyouqi; and 30, 12 and 1 copies of hemagglutination-positive sera were detected. Conclusions The epidemic of plague natural foci of Marmota sibirica is in a active state, and gradually expands the scope. We must continue to strengthen the inspection of the bacteria, bearing in mind the replacement of the region's main host, make every effort to prevent and control of human plague.

In this article we built formula database of health food containing Gardeniae Fructus with Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance Support System (V2.0). And on this basis, use data mining method such as association rules of the software, to analyze commonly used formula raw materials or materials combination of formula containing Gardeniae Fructus and raw material application having assisted function formula to protect chemical liver injury. The result shows that of the 71 health food formulas containing Gardeniae Fructus, most used materials are Gardeniae Fructus, Lycii Fructus, Angelica Sinensis Radix, Poria and so on. Commonly used materials combination mostly are Gardeniae Fructus and Lycii Fructus, Gardeniae Fructus and Angelica Sinensis Radix, Gardeniae Fructus and Poria, Gardeniae Fructus and Paeonia. There are nearly 18 healthcare functions of the health food containing Gardeniae Fructus, and most of these are assisted functions to protect chemical liver injury, and then immune modulating function. Of 23 formulas containing Gardeniae Fructus having assisted function formula to protect chemical liver injury, Gardeniae Fructus usually combined with traditional Chinese medicine which nourishs blood and liver such as Pueraria, Lycii Fructus, Hawthorn, Paeonia and Turnjujube. Analyzing formula raw materials application of health food containing Gardeniae Fructus contributes a lot to the further development and utilization.
Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; drug therapy ; Data Mining ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Food, Organic ; Fruit ; chemistry ; Gardenia ; chemistry ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture at Hegu (LI 4) on central facial nerve paralysis after ischemic stroke, and explore dose-effect relationship among different stimulation intensities of acupuncture at Hegu (LI 4) as well as its optimal treatment plan.

METHODSAccording to different acupuncture stimulation intensities which were based on treatment time and needle insertion direction, fifty patients were randomly divided into a Hegu 1 group, a Hegu 2 group, a Hegu 3 group, a Hegu 4 group and a control group, ten cases in each one. Different stimulation intensities of acupuncture at Hegu (LI 4) combined with facial paralysis acupoints, including Yingxiang (LI 20), Dicang (ST 4), Jiache (ST 6) and Quanliao (SI 18), were applied in Hegu 1 to 4 groups; meanwhile acupuncture at stroke acupoints, including Neiguan (PC 6), Shuigou (GV 26) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6), and medication treatment were adopted. Except acupuncture at Hegu (LI 4), the treatment of the control group was identical as Hegu groups. The treatment duration lasted for 14 days. The House-Brackmann facial never grading systems (H-B), Toronto facial grading system (TFGS), degrees of facial never paralysis (DFNP), facial disability index (FDI) and clinical efficacy were compared among groups.

RESULTS(1) Compared before the treatment, H-B, TFGS, DFNP and physical function score in FDI were all improved significantly in the Hegu 1 to 4 groups (all P < 0.05), but social function score in FDI was not obviously improved (all P > 0.05); all the scores in the control group were not evidently changed (all P > 0.05). (2) Compared with the control group, differences of H-B before and after treatment in the Hegu 1 to 4 groups, differences of TFGS in the Hegu 2 group and differences of DFNP in the Hegu 1 and Hegu 2 group were significantly improved (all P < 0.05). The differences of any scale among Hegu 1 to 4 groups were not significant (all P > 0.05), in which the most evident change was found in Hegu 2 group. (3) The total effective rate was 90.0% (9/10), 100.0% (10/10), 90.0% (9/10) and 80.0% (8/10) in Hegu 1 to 4 groups, which were significantly higher than 60.0% (6/10) in the control group (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture at Hegu (LI 4) has affirmative clinical efficacy on central facial nerve paralysis after ischemic stroke, in which oblique insertion along the opposite direction of meridian for 5 s of twirling manipulation has the best clinical effect.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Facial Paralysis ; etiology ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stroke ; complications

Yeast strains with improved ethanol yield are important for efficient bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass for fuel ethanol.Candida shehatae CICC1766 was adapted to 4%(v/v)ethanol,and then subjected to UV mutagenesis.One respiration deficient mutant Rd-5 with improved xylose fermentation capability was selected.Protoplasts of Rd-5 were inactivated by UV treatment,followed by the PEG-mediated protoplast fusion with a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain with good ethanol-fermenting capability.The xylose fermenting capability of the fusants was investigated,and the fusant F6 demonstrated good ethanol fermentation performance,producing 18.75g/L ethanol from 50g/L xylose with an ethanol yield of 0.375 or 73.4% of its theoretical value of 0.511.Comparing with its parent Candida shehatae strain,the ethanol yield of F6 was increased by 28%.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effectiveness of three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) guided radiofrequency trigeminal rhizotomy (RF-TR) in treatment of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN).

METHODSFrom 1999 to 2001, 18 patients with ITN were treated with percutaneous controlled RF-TR. Intraoperative 3D-CT scanning was performed to guide the trajectory of the puncture. After correction of the needle tip according to the CT scans and stimulation effects, 2 to 5 lesions were made for a duration of 60-90 seconds at a temperature of 60 degrees C to 75 degrees C depending on the pain distribution and the age of patient.

RESULTSThe needles located in foramen ovale. Pain alleviated immediately with no serious complication in all patients. The patients were followed up for an average of 31.5 months (range 24-41 months). Acute pain relief was experienced by 17 patients after the procedure, reaching an initial success rate of 94.4%. Early (< 6 months) pain recurrence was observed in 2 patients (11.1%), whereas late (> 6 months) recurrence was reported in 3 patients (16.7%). Thirteen patients had complete pain control, with no need for medication thereafter. Five cases experienced partial pain relief, but required medication at a lower dose than in the preoperative period.

CONCLUSION3D-CT foramen ovale locations can raise the successful rate of puncture, enhance the safety, and reduce the incidence rate of complication.

Adult ; Aged ; Catheter Ablation ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Recurrence ; Rhizotomy ; methods ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods ; Treatment Outcome ; Trigeminal Neuralgia ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo study the expression and distribution of KDR, VEGF and CD34 in yolk sac and liver of human embryo at different development stage.

METHODSYolk sacs and livers of 15 human embryos were analyzed by the immunohistochemical SP kits for the expression of KDR, VEGF and CD34.

RESULTSKDR, VEGF and CD34 were all expressed in yolk sacs and livers of the embryos. In the intermediate liver group, the grey value of KDR and VEGF were 103.8 +/- 6.1 and 96.4 +/- 6.3, respectively, stronger than that in the late liver group which were 90.4 +/- 6.0 and 87.4 +/- 6.3, respectively (P < 0.05). A positive correlation between the levels of KDR and VEGF was observed (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe expression of KDR and CD34 in yolk sac and liver of embryo suggests the presence of hemangioblast in these organs. Interaction of KDR and VEGF might relate to survival, proliferation, migration and differentiation of hemangioblasts.

Embryo, Mammalian ; metabolism ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Liver ; embryology ; metabolism ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; biosynthesis ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 ; biosynthesis ; Yolk Sac ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo demonstrate the vasodilatation activity of the coumarin-containing Angelica dahurica var. formosana and to further analyze active components in the herb extracts.

METHODS(1) The vasodilatation effects induced by different extracts (cyclohexane, ethyl acetate, acetone, methanol, 95 % ethanol and water) of Angelica dahurica var. formosana on mouse thoracic aorta pre-contracted with phenylephrine were investigated. (2) The amount of imperatorin and isoimperatorin in each extract was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. (3) The vasodilatation effects of imperatorin and isoimperatorin on mouse thoracic aorta were compared using the same in vitro method. (4) The vasodilatation mechanism of imperatorin in the mouse thoracic aorta pre-contracted with phenylephrine was studied using the methods of denuded endothelium, NG-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor), and propranolol.

RESULTS(1) The cyclohexane and ethyl acetate extracts of Angelica dahurica var. formosana decreased the maximal response of phenylephrine-induced mouse thoracic aorta contraction dose-dependently, with 50% inhibiting concentration (IC(50)) values of 35.3+/-12.4 mg/L and 40.5+/-12.0 mg/L, respectively. The vasodilatation effect of imperatorin and isoimperatorin was dose-dependent. (2) The cyclohexane extract, showing the strongest vasodilatation effect, possessed the highest contents of imperatorin (4.09%) and isoimperatorin (0.27%, w/w). There was a correlation between the vasodilatation activity and the contents of imperatorin and isoimperatorin in the extracts. (3) The vasodilatation effect of imperatorin was about 4-fold stronger than that of isoimperatorin. (4) The vasodilatation effect of imperatorin was signifificantly attenuated to 24.88%+/-4.06% in the denuded endothelium group compared with the intact endothelium group. And 1 mmol/L L-NAME reduced the imperatorin-induced vasorelaxation by 32.18 %+/-11.29 %.

CONCLUSIONSThe principal effective component of Angelica dahurica var. Formosana was found to be imperatorin. Imperatorin-induced vasodilatation is at least partially regulated by nitric oxide, and has no correlation to beta-receptor.

Angelica ; chemistry ; Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Endothelium, Vascular ; physiology ; Furocoumarins ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Male ; Mice ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; pharmacology ; Nitric Oxide ; physiology ; Phenylephrine ; pharmacology ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Propranolol ; pharmacology ; Vasodilation ; drug effects

The presence of large segmental defects of the diaphyseal bone is challenging for orthopedic surgeons. Free vascularized fibular grafting (FVFG) is considered to be a reliable reconstructive procedure. Stress fractures are a common complication following this surgery, and hypertrophy is the main physiological change of the grafted fibula. The exact mechanism of hypertrophy is not completely known. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have examined the possible relationship between stress fractures and hypertrophy. We herein report three cases of patients underwent FVFG. Two of them developed stress fractures and significant hypertrophy, while the remaining patient developed neither stress fractures nor significant hypertrophy. This phenomenon indicates that a relationship may exist between stress fractures and hypertrophy of the grafted fibula, specifically, that the presence of a stress fracture may initiate the process of hypertrophy.
Adult ; Female ; Fibula ; pathology ; transplantation ; Fractures, Stress ; pathology ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tibia ; surgery ; Tibial Fractures ; surgery

Methoxypoly (ethylene glycol)- block-poly (DL-lactide) (PELA) microcapsules containing bovine hemoglobin (BHb) were prepared by a W/O/W double emulsion-solvent diffusion process. The P50 and Hill coeffcient were 3466 Pa and 2.4 respectively, which were near to the natural bioactivity of bovine hemoglobin. The results suggested that polymer composition had significant influence on encapsulation efficiency and particle size of microcapsules. The encapsulation efficiency could reach 90% and the particle size 3 - 5 microm when the PELA copolymer containing MPEG 2000 block was used. The encapsulation efficiency and particle size increased with the concentration of PELA. Increasing the concentrations of NaCl in outer aqueous solution resulted in the increase of encapsulation efficiency and the decrease of particle size. As the concentration of stabilizer in outer aqueous solution increased in the range of 10 g/L to 20 g/L, the particle size reduced while encapsulation efficiency was increased, further increase of the stabilizer concentration would decrease encapsulation efficiency. Increasing of primary emulsion stirring rate was advantageous to the improvement of encapsulation efficiency though it had little influence on the particle size. The influence of re-emulsion stirring rate was complicated, which was not apparent in the case of large volume of re-emulsion solution. When the wall polymer and primary emulsion stirring rate were fixed, the encapsulation efficiency decreased as the particle size reduced.
Animals ; Biocompatible Materials ; chemistry ; Capsules ; Cattle ; Hemoglobins ; metabolism ; Lactates ; chemistry ; Particle Size ; Polyethylene Glycols ; chemistry ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

OBJECTIVETransplantation of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) is associated with potential risks of late complications including tumorigenesis due to the active proliferation of the cells. We aimed to test the effect of transplantation of ADSCs with suppressed proliferation by gamma irradiation in the treatment of thin endometrium in rats.

METHODSADSCs were isolated from female SD rats and identified by detecting the surface antigens with flow cytometry. After exposure to gamma irradiation at 0, 5 Gy and 10 Gy, the cells were examined for changes in colony-forming ability. Twenty-four female rats with chemically induced thin endometrium were randomized into 4 equal groups and at 6-8 h after modeling, the rats received intrauterine injection of non-irradiated ADSCs (group I), 5 Gy irradiated ADSCs (group II), 10 Gy irradiated ADSCs (group III), or PBS only (group IV). Endometrial pathology was analyzed with HE staining in these rats in the third estrus phase following the cell transplantation.

RESULTSThe ADSCs showed a complete loss of proliferative capacity after exposure to 10 Gy irradiation. After the cell transplantation, the endometrium thickness was thicker in group I and II than in group IV (P<0.01), but there was no significant difference between groups III and IV.

CONCLUSIONSGamma irradiation impairs the proliferative capacity of ADSCs in vitro. Exposure to 10 Gy irradiation causes a total loss of proliferation capacity of the ADSCs, which have no therapeutic potential; 5 Gy irradiation causes partial loss of proliferation capacity of the cells, which still retain the activity to promote endometrial cell regeneration.