Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Cyclophosphamide ; administration & dosage ; Doxorubicin ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Granuloma ; drug therapy ; immunology ; pathology ; Humans ; Ki-1 Antigen ; analysis ; Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Anaplastic ; drug therapy ; immunology ; pathology ; Vincristine ; administration & dosage

Carcinoid Tumor ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase ; metabolism ; Synaptophysin ; metabolism ; Thymectomy ; Thymus Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery

Brain ; pathology ; Central Nervous System Diseases ; congenital ; diagnosis ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Mobius Syndrome ; diagnosis ; pathology ; physiopathology

Female ; Granulosa Cell Tumor ; Humans ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Thyroid Neoplasms

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has its own system of diagnosis and treatment theory, and its methods for evaluating clinical efficacy are different from those of Western medicine. Applying evaluation techniques and methods that are used in Western medicine mechanically to TCM will not work. So building evaluation techniques, which adhere to regulations and characteristics of TCM, is necessary and imperative. As the quality of life and patient-reported outcome instruments were brought into practice and developed, clinical evaluation ideas and methods for TCM are provided with an opportunity for development. This article puts forward the concept of subjective complex outcomes (SCOs), which constitutes subjective feelings gained from the patient, doctor and caregiver, different from laboratory parameters. SCOs provide a multidimensional and complex health-related quality of life (HRQL) assessment and focus on the source of assessment information of diseases. This article also introduces a case study building SCO methods of TCM treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, in order to promote discussion and provide a platform for future research.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Respiration Disorders ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Yawning ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Several studies have confirmed that activation of intervertebral disc enzymes is closely related to matrix degradation. Matrix metalloproteinase and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase have been shown to exert important roles in the process of extracellular matrix degeneration in intervertebrel disk. Besides these two enzyme systems, whether other proteeses that exhibit degrading effects on extracellular matrix are involved in the intervertebral disk degeneration remains poorly understood.OBJECTIVE: To detect the cathepsin K expression in normal and degenerated human intervertebrel disc cells and investigate the correlation between cathepsin K and intervertebral disc degeneration.METHODS: Cathepsin K expression was detected in intervertebral disc tissue from 30 patients with lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion using immunohistochemistry SP method and ELISA. At the same time, the intervertebral disc tissue from 15 healthy adult cadavers and/or spine fracture patients was taken as control, Cathepsin K protein expression in normal and degenerated human intervertebral disc tissues were compared.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Cathepsin K expression was observed in normal and degenerated intervertebral disc tissues.The expression level was significantly higher in degenerated tissue than normal tissue (P ＜ 0.05). These findings demonstrate that Cathepsin K possibly participates in the intervertebral disc degeneration.

Objective To investigate the mechanisms of the inhibitory effects of peripheral electrical stimu- lation(PES)on chronic central pain(CCP)after spinal cord injury(SCI).Methods Twenty-four male Sprague- Dawley rats with CCP following SCI were randomly divided into three groups:a group without stainless steel needles implanted (NSSN group,n=8),a group with a stainless steel needle implanted but no peripheral electrical stimula- tion applied(NPES group,n=8)and a PES group(PES group,n=8).The rats' CCP was evaluated through ob- serving their response to nociceptive stimulation by means of the paw withdrawal pressure threshold(PWPT)and the paw withdrawal latency(PWL).Spontaneous pain behaviors including autophagia and scratching were observed at the same time.PES was applied via stainless steel needles inserted into standard acupoints on the hind limps and the back.The expression of the NMDA receptor 1(NR-1)subunit in the spinal cord horn was measured using immuno- chemical methods.Results Compared with the NSSN and NPES groups,CCP in the PES group was alleviated, PWPT and PWL were dramatically increased(P＜0.01)and the expression of NR-1 was obviously decreased (P＜0.01).Conclusion Peripheral electrical stimulation may alleviate chronic central pain after spinal cord injury in rats.

Objective: To investigate the anticancer action of taurine and its potential mechanisms. Methods: 101 weanling female SD rats were randomly divided into four groups. They were:(1)control group (CL):fed a basic diet;(2)high fat group(HF):fed a high fat diet (10% lard);(3)taurine group (Tau):fed a taurine diet (5% taurine);(4)taurine and high fat group(TH):fed a mixed diet (5%taurine and 10% lard). 10mg DMBA were given to each rat by gavage at age of 6 weeks. Then the rats were fed assigned diet for 26 weeks. By 5 weeks after DMBA administration the rats were palpated once weekly and the time, size, location of each tumor were recorded. The examinations made at the end of experiment were listed below: CI, LTT, serum antibody, SOD, MDA, GSH Px, TC, TG, LDL C. Results: The tumor incidence in group HF rats was higher than that in group CL, Tau and TH rats (P

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Electric Stimulation ; Neurons ; metabolism ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; metabolism ; Parkinson Disease ; metabolism ; Rats ; Subthalamic Nucleus ; metabolism