Anthracosis ; complications ; Cerebrovascular Disorders ; complications ; Cohort Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To investigate the intermediary effect of depression between housebound and cognition in community-dwelling older adults and to provide intervention for the improvement of the life quality.Methods A total of 720 senior adults were selected to fill out demographic questionnaire,including Rasch-Derived Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-R),housebound scale and the minimental state examination (MMES).Results The depression score of the elderly in community was (3.95±4.12),housebound score was (4.26±1.23),cognition score was (21.52±4.04) and the incidence rate of the cognitive disorder was 37.1%.Cognition was significantly negatively related to housebound and depression (r=-0.409,P<0.01;r=-0.485,P<0.01).Housebound was significantly positively related to depression (r=0.555,P<0.01).The community elderly age,sex,marital status,degree of education,self-assessment of health,living space,depression and the housebound could be used to predict the cognitive function,and all of them could explain the variance of cognitive function of 50.8%(P<0.05).Housebound had a direct effect of-0.02 on cognitive function(P>0.05).The indirect effect of housebound on cognitive function through depressive mood was-0.45(P<0.05).Conclusions The elderly housebound has an intermediary effect on the cognitive function through the depression.

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of combined acupuncture and scraping therapy for simple obesity and its effects on phlegm-dampness constitution.Methods:Seventy subjects with phlegm-dampness constitution were divided into treatment group and control group with a randomized digital table.Control group was given health education and dietary instructions,and treatment group was given acupuncture and scraping therapy besides health education and dietary instructions.After four-week treatments,the scores of obesity and phlegm-dampness constitution were recorded to assess the clinical efficacy.Results:There was a striking difierence in the total effective rate in treating obesity between the two groups (P＜0.01);combined acupuncture and scraping therapy can relieve the phlegm-dampness symptoms(P＜0.01);but the phlegm-dampness symptoms were not improved in the control group(P＞0.05).Conclusion:Combined acupuncture and scraping therapy is quite effective for simple obesity and in improving phlegm-dampness constitution of simple obesity people.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the impact of 1, 25-(OH)2D3 on left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in type 2 diabetic rats.

METHODSType 2 diabetic mellitus (DM) model rats were established by intraperitoneally injecting with 30 mg/kg streptozotocin. After 8 weeks, 19 male rats were identified as diabetic with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) by ultrasound examination, and randomly assigned into three groups: untreated (DM-LVH, n=7), treated with insulin (DM-LVH+INS, n=6), and treated with 1, 25-(OH)2D3 (DM-LVH+VD, n=6). Healthy male rats were used as the controls group (n=6). The fasting blood glucose and the insulin level were determined weekly. The left ventricular mass index, myocardial collagen content, collagen volume fraction, and 1, 25-(OH)2D3-receptor level were determined by 4 weeks later.

RESULTSIn the DM-LVH model group, the insulin level was significantly decreased compared with the non-diabetic control group (P<0.05), whereas the blood glucose, left ventricular mass index, myocardial collagen content, collagen volume fraction, and 1, 25-(OH)2D3-receptor expression were significantly increased (all P<0.05). In the DM-LVH+INS and DM-LVH+VD groups, the insulin levels were significantly increased compared with the DM-LVH model group (P<0.05), whereas the other parameters were significantly decreased (all P<0.05).

CONCLUSION1, 25-(OH)2D3 could reverse LVH in diabetic rats and that the mechanism may involve stimulating insulin secretion and reducing blood glucose via direct up-regulation of 1, 25-(OH)2D3-receptor expression.

Animals ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Calcitriol ; therapeutic use ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; blood ; complications ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; blood ; complications ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; prevention & control ; Insulin ; blood ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptors, Calcitriol ; analysis ; Streptozocin

Using the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus as the indictor bacterium,fourteen antibacterial strains were initially obtained by the bilayer-media screening method from the raw milk samples,and one isolate was found to exhibit the higher antibacterial activity against the indicator. This isolate was further studied on its individual and cultural morphology features,partial physiological and biochemical reaction activities,G+C content,the sequence features of the 16S rDNA and the species-specific N-acetylmuraminidase gene(acmA) ,consequently,it was identified as the Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis strain,named as MB191. An evaluation of the antimicrobial spectra of MB191 was subsequently performed,it showed the remarkable activities against not only the tested Gram-positive bacteria,but also several Gram-negative bacteria including Pseudomonas syringae and P. fluorescens,as well as the yeast Debaryomyces hansenii,which was a distinctive feature that was not reported prior to this study.

Objective To investigate the impact of 1, 25-(OH)2D3 on left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in type 2 diabetic rats.
Methods Type 2 diabetic mellitus (DM) model rats were established by intraperitoneally injecting with 30 mg/kg streptozotocin. After 8 weeks, 19 male rats were identified as diabetic with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) by ultrasound examination, and randomly assigned into three groups:untreated (DM-LVH, n=7), treated with insulin (DM-LVH+INS, n=6), and treated with 1, 25-(OH)2D3 (DM-LVH+VD, n=6). Healthy male rats were used as the controls group (n=6). The fasting blood glucose and the insulin level were determined weekly. The left ventricular mass index, myocardial collagen content, collagen volume fraction, and 1, 25-(OH)2D3-receptor level were determined by 4 weeks later.
Results In the DM-LVH model group, the insulin level was significantly decreased compared with the non-diabetic control group (P<0.05), whereas the blood glucose, left ventricular mass index, myocardial collagen content, collagen volume fraction, and 1, 25-(OH)2D3-receptor expression were significantly increased (all P<0.05). In the DM-LVH+INS and DM-LVH+VD groups, the insulin levels were significantly increased compared with the DM-LVH model group (P<0.05), whereas the other parameters were significantly decreased (all P<0.05).
Conclusion 1, 25-(OH)2D3 could reverse LVH in diabetic rats and that the mechanism may involve stimulating insulin secretion and reducing blood glucose via direct up-regulation of 1, 25-(OH)2D3-receptor expression.

The theoretical basis of the alcohol precipitation process control was provided, the alcohol precipitation was optimized and the relationship equation was got. The monod glycoside, loganin and paeoniflorin were used as the evaluation indexes to determine the impact factors of alcohol precipitation techniques of Liuwei Dihuang decoction by the Plackett-Burman experimental design and the levels of non-significant factors were identified. Then, Box-Behnken response surface methodology was used to research and discuss the critical process parameters influence the effect of alcohol precipitation and draw interaction between key process parameters and the correlation equation with index components. Through the establishment and solving the quadratic regression model of composite score, the optimum preparation conditions of alcohol precipitation techniques of liuwei were as follows: stirring speed was 580 r x min(-1), standing time was 17 hours, alcohol concentration was 34%, the density of Liuwei Dihuang decoction was 1.13. The response surface methodology for optimized alcohol precipitation techniques of Liuwei Dihuang decoction is. reasonable and feasible.
Chemical Precipitation ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Ethanol ; chemistry

Objective To observe whether appropriate intermittent exercise at the ischemic threshold can safely promote collateral circulation in an ischemic area of the myocardium through the increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)and its receptor fetal liver kinase-1(Fik-1). Methods A balloon constrictor was surgically implanted in the first obtuse marginal coronary artery(OM1)of miniature pigs.The subjects were divided into 3 groups:a sham-operation group,a pure ischemia group,and an exercise training group.Subjects in the exercise training group performed individualized treadmill programs 30 min daily,5 d per week,for 8 weeks,including 2 two-minute episodes of exercise-induced ischemia.Two pre-exercise episodes of pure ischemia induced by brief OM1 occlusion were also conducted.Only pure ischemia was induced in the pure ischemia group,and the sham-operation group remained sedentary for the experimental period.Relative myocardial blood flow(RMBF)was measured using microspheres.VEGF and Flk-1 expression levels were measured by Western blotting and real time RT-PCR analyses.Cardiac troponin I(ctnI)levels were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Light and electron microscopy were employed to examine myocardia damage in the ischemic area.Results RMBFs in the exercise training group were significantly higher than those in the pure ischemia and sham-operation groups. RMBFs in the pure ischemia group were significantly higher than those in the sham-operation group.The expression of VEGF and Flk-1 proteins and mRNAs in the exercise training group were significantly higher than those in the pure ischemia and sham-operation groups,and the levels in the pure ischemia group were also significantly higher than those in the sham-operation group.After training,no myocardial damage and no ctnI increase was observed in the pure ischemia group.Microscopy revealed no obvious structural changes. Conclusion Intermittent exercise at the isehemia threshold intension can safely promote coronary collateral formation through upregulation of VEGF and Flk-1 expression in the ischemic myocardial area of a porcine model.

Objective To investigate the function of soluble stem cell factor receptor(s-kit)and stem cell factor(SCF) in chronic aplastic anemia(CAA).Methods ELISA assay was employed to determine the levels of s-kit and SCF in peripheral blood of CAA patients and umbilical cord blood.Results The levels of s-kit and SCF in peripheral blood of CAA patients are lower than those of normal group and umbilical cord blood group.Conclusions The decreased levels of s-kit and SCF show that s-kit and SCF may play a role in CAA mechanism.The raised levels of s-kit and SCF show that s-kit and SCF may be applied in the field of cord blood transplantation.

Paraquat (PQ) can cause acute lung injury and irreversible pulmonary fibrosis, without specific antidotes. Respiratory failure is the main cause of death among patients with PQ poisoning. Currently, the treatment involves the use of adsorbents, intensive hemoperfusion, antioxidants, immunosuppressive therapy, respiratory support by mechanical ventilation, and other symptomatic and supportive treatments.