Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of Huxinkang Pills in treating patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP) and its effects on the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Methods Sixty patients with UAP were randomly divided into the treatment group and the control group, 30 cases in each group. Patients in the treatment group were treated with Huxinkang Pills based on the basic western medicine, while the patients in the control group were treated with Tongxinluo Capsules based on the basic western medicine. The treatment course was 4 weeks. Clinical efficacy and the change of the TNF-α and NT-proBNP levels before and after treatment were observed. Results The general efficacy, electrocardiograph efficacy, angina pectoris efficacy, TCM syndrome efficacy and glonoine reduction of the two groups had statistically difference (P<0.05) respectively, and the efficacy of the treatment group was superior to that of the control group (P<0.05). The TNF-α and NT-proBNP levels in both groups before and after treatment had statistically difference (P<0.05) respectively. The differences in TNF-α and NT-proBNP levels between both groups after treatment were all statistically significant (P<0.05), and these indexes of treatment group were superior to those of the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Huxinkang Pills are remarkable in treating patients with UAP, and able to restrain the levels of TNF-α and NT-proBNP.

Half of the heart failure patients are the diastolic heart failure (DHF) patients, and the occurrence of DHF increases as the patients’ age increases, which has seriously affected the quality of life of the elderly. However, there is presently no valid medication of DHF, thus the treatment of DHF is one of the hotspot of the medicine research. This article reviewsed the TCM in the cognition and treatment of DHF these years, in order to provide references for TCM in treating DHF.

To study the mechanism of proliferous vascular disease as well as its prevention and treatment, an organic model was established with cultured aortas of rats, and the mechanism there-in invloved was probed. Immunostaining histology showed that smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation was observed in the aorta segments of rats, after their endothelia being injured and cultured in vitro with 20% fetal bovine serum. After being cultured for 5 days, various degrees of proliferation of SMC on cultured artery segments were observed by HE staining, and conspicuous plaques were developed after being cultured for 13 days. The proliferous SMC was also observed by Brdu labeling. RT-PCR examination showed that the mRNA expression of hypertension-related gene-1 (Hrg-1) and smooth muscle 22 alpha (SM22a) in the aortas decreased with the prolongation of culture time, and completely disappeared after being cultured for 13 days . But when cultured in vitro for ten days, the ET-1 content of supernatant and the proliferous SMC labeled by Brdu increased obviously and the expressions of Hrg-1 and SM22a decreased after the endothelium was destroyed. Compared with the injured endothelium groups, the proliferous SMC of injured endothelium plus BQ123 groups decreased visibly. The same significant differences between serum groups and serum-free groups were also observed. These results suggest that the culturing of rat aorta segments in vitro can induce the proliferation of SMC and the transform of phenotype from contractile type to synthetic type. The ET-1 and serum are the main factors in the proliferation of SMC and in the transform of phenotype. This organic model could serve as a good experimental platform for the researches into the mechanism of proliferous vascular disease as well as its prevention and treatment.
Animals ; Aorta, Abdominal ; cytology ; Cell Proliferation ; Disease Models, Animal ; Endothelin-1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Male ; Microfilament Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Muscle Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; Organ Culture Techniques ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective:To compare the clinical outcomes between percutaneous Kirschner wire leverage plus plaster fixation and elastic intramedullary nailing in the treatment of radial neck fractures in children.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the 60 children with radial neck fracture who had been treated by percutaneous Kirschner wire leverage plus plaster fixation at Department of Pediatric Orthopedics, Children's Hospital of Soochow University from January 2016 to July 2023 (set as an internal fixation-free group). They were 30 males and 30 females (34 left and 26 right sides) with an age of (7.7±3.0) years. At the same time, another cohort of 60 patients were chosen as an intramedullary nailing group who had been treated by percutaneous Kirschner wire leverage plus elastic intramedullary nailing and matched in age and gender with those in the internal fixation-free group. The preoperative fracture angulation, operative time, hospitalization time, fracture angulation on the first postoperative day, fracture angulation at 1 month postoperatively, rate of angulation loss after reduction, Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS) at the last follow-up and complications were compared between the 2 groups.Results:There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in their preoperative general data, showing comparability ( P<0.05). The 120 pediatric patients were followed up for (7.5±3.2) months. The operative time [(27.4±15.0) min] and hospitalization time [(3.4±1.9) d] in the internal fixation-free group were significantly shorter than those in the intramedullary nailing group [(45.4±13.5) min and (4.4±1.3) d] ( P<0.05). The preoperative fracture angulation (50.8°±1.9°), fracture angulation on the first postoperative day (11.3°±1.2°), fracture angulation at 1 month postoperatively (12.1°±1.3°), rate of angulation loss after reduction (2.9%±0.5%), and MEPS at the last follow-up [(90.4±2.0) points] in the internal fixation-free group showed no significant differences from those in the intramedullary nailing group [49.5°±1.7°, 11.1°±1.2°, 13.3°±1.5°, 3.9%±1.4%, and (90.2±2.3) points] ( P>0.05). None of the patients in the internal fixation-free group developed pin-tail irritation sign or premature epiphyseal closure after surgery, whereas 3 patients in the intramedullary nailing group developed pin-tail irritation sign and 2 ones premature epiphyseal closure after surgery, showing a significant difference in the complication rate between the 2 groups [0 (0/60) versus 8.3% (5/60)] ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Percutaneous Kirschner wire leverage plus plaster fixation and close elastic intramedullary nailing can both achieve satisfactory outcomes in the treatment of radial neck fractures in children. However, percutaneous Kirschner wire leverage plus plaster fixation needs shorter operative time and hospitalization time, leads to fewer complications, and requires no reoperation to remove internal fixation.