Objective To explore the effect of Valpar occupational assessment training system on cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. Methods Sixty patients with schizophrenia were randomly assigned into Valpar therapy group ( experiment group, n=30) and traditional rehabilitation therapy group ( control group, n=30) according to the order number. The duration of the treatment was six weeks. The brief assess?ment of cognition in schizophrenia ( BACS) and Wisconsin card sorting test ( WCST) were conducted as pre?and post?treatment assessment. Results There were significant differences between scores of BASC in pre?and post?treatment assessment in experiment group. More specifically, the BASC scores in symbol coding (37.50±6.50, t=-4.60, P<0.01),token movement(60.80±8.72, t=-2.54, P=0.017),verbal memory (44.40±11.29, t=-2.19, P=0.037)),and word fluency(14.23±4.35, t=-3.39, P=0.002) were signifi?cantly different when comparing pre?and post?treatment assessment outcomes. In control group,the only sig?nificant difference was found in word fluency (14.23±4.35, t=-3.39, P=0.002).In addition,response errors (57.80±10.35, t=-3.06, P=0.005) and repeat errors (34.67±6.96, t=3.41, P=0.002) in WCST in exper?iment group were significantly different in pre?and post?treatment assessment while only repeat errors (34.30 ±7.01, t=4.36, P=0.000) was different in control group. It was further discovered that scores in in symbol cod?ing( t=2.010, P=0.048),token movement ( t=2.124, P=0.038),response errors ( t=2.413, P=0.020) and repeat errors( t=2.009, P=0.047) in WCST were different between two groups. Conclusion Valpar professional evaluation train?ing system can significantly improve the cognitive function of people with schizophrenia.

Objective To study the relationship between lymph node micrometastasis in early gastric cancer and clinicopathology of tumor,and explore an appropriate operative procedure.Methods A total of 1 004 lymph nodes from 50 patients with early gastric cancer(EGC)were sliced and restained with H.E and immunohistochemical technique,respectively.Immunohistochemical staining was performed by the streptavidin-biotin immunoperoxidase method with cytokeratin-specific monoclonal antibody CAM5.2.The relationship between lymph node micrometastasis and clinicopathological characteristics of primary tumors and prognosis of EGC was analysed.Results The incidence of nodal micro-involvement was significantly increased in diffuse type cancerous lesions(n=11,32.35%)as compared with intestinal type cancerous lesions(n=1,6.25%)(P

Objective:To observe the lipid-lowering effect of different transdermal absorption enhancers applied to the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion in hyperlipidemia model rabbits, and to explore the possible mechanism. Methods:Forty New-Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into 5 groups using the random number table method, with 8 rats in each group. Rabbits in the blank group were fed routinely with normal diet; rabbits in the other groups were fed with high-fat diet for 12 weeks to establish the hyperlipidemia model. Rabbits in the blank and the model groups were not treated. After the model was prepared, rabbits in the non-transdermal absorption enhancer group received herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion without transdermal absorption enhancer; rabbits in the laurocapram group and the borneol group received herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion with laurocapram or borneol respectively. After 4 weeks of treatment, serum was collected for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the liver tissues were isolated for immunohistochemistry, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western-blotting (WB) detection. Results: Serum ELISA results showed that leptin was significantly decreased in the model group compared with the blank group (P＜0.05); compared with the model group, leptin was significantly increased in the non-transdermal absorption enhancer, the laurocapram and the borneol groups (all P＜0.05); compared with the non-transdermal absorption enhancer group, leptin was significantly increased in the laurocapram group and the borneol group (both P＜0.05); there was no significant difference in leptin between the laurocapram and the borneol groups (P＞0.05). The qPCR results of rabbit liver tissues showed that the mRNA expressions of leptin, Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in the model group were significantly lower than those in the blank group (all P＜0.05); compared with the model group, the mRNA expressions of leptin, leptin receptor (LR), JAK2 and STAT3 in the non-transdermal absorption enhancer, the laurocapram and the borneol groups were significantly increased (all P＜0.05); compared with the non-transdermal absorption enhancer group, the mRNA expressions of leptin, LR, JAK2 and STAT3 in the laurocapram and the borneol groups were significantly increased (all P＜0.05); compared with the laurocapram group, the mRNA expressions of leptin, LR, JAK2 and STAT3 in the borneol group were significantly increased (P＜0.05). The trend of immunohistochemistry and WB detection results was basically consistent with the qPCR assay results. The immunohistochemistry and WB detection results of phosphorylated JAK2 (phospho-JAK2) and phosphorylated STAT3 (phospho-STAT3) were basically consistent with those of JAK2 and STAT3. Conclusion: The molecular expression of Leptin/JAK2/STAT3 pathway in the hyperlipidemia model rabbits was decreased. The molecular expression of Leptin/JAK2/STAT3 pathway was significantly increased after the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion. The application of laurocapram and borneol, as transdermal absorption enhancers, in the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion could more obviously up-regulate the factors of the Leptin/JAK2/STAT3 lipid-regulating pathway than the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion alone.

OBJECTIVETo review the clinical features of the thoracolumbar fracture with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in order to avoid delayed or missed diagnosis.

METHODSFive patients of thoracolumbar fracture with AS treated from April 2005 to June 2007 in our department were studied retrospectively, male 4 cases, female 1 case, the age from 26- to 72-years-old with an average of 44.8 years. Analysis including: case history, number of the ankylosed vertebras, characteristic of fracture, active state rheumatism.

RESULTSThe patients had the history of AS for average 22.6 years. The mean number of the ankylosed vertebras was 18.2. Of the 5 cases, 1 case encountered traffic accident, 1case was sprained, and 3 cases without trauma were diagnosed as stress fracture. Two cases were trans-vertebra fracture: the fracture line was through T6, T7, or L1 vertebral body respectively; 3 cases were through the disc space: 2 cases were through L1,2 disc space, 1 case was through L2,3. No compression fracture and neurological injury were found. The acute inflammatory index such as ESR and CRP in 4 cases didn't correlate with the degree of pain. The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) hadn't significant effectiveness in relieving pain. The patients were diagnosed as 'relapse' of AS in other hospital, and had been misdiagnosed for average 1.51 months.

CONCLUSION1) the fracture is prevalent at the middle or late period of AS when extensive ankylosis has been existed at the thoracolumbar region; 2) the fracture is common at the lower thoracal spine and the upper lumbar spine, and the majority is the stress fracture; 3) the fracture line may be through the vertebral body, but more often through the disc space; 4) it is like an exacerbation of AS and therefore to be missed diagnosis; 5) when the back pain exacerbated suddenly in the middle or late period of AS, the degree of pain not correlating with acute inflammatory index, and the NSAIDs ineffective, the thoracolumbar fracture should be considered.

Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; injuries ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fractures ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; complications ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; injuries

Objective To investigate the clinical,neuroimaging and myopathological features of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes(MELAS).Methods The clinical manifestations,neuroimaging and myopathological features of 31 patients with MELAS diagnosed in our Neuromuscular Center in the recent 7 years were retrospectively analyzed.A3243G point mutations were analyzed by RFLP method in 10 patients.Results ①Clinical features:There were 18 male patients and 13 female patients.The age of onset ranged from 3 to 43 years,averaging 21.9 years.The averaged duration was 4.9 years.Thirteen patients in this group had family history of maternal inheritance pattern.The main clinical manifestations included short stature(26 patients),recurrent headache and vomiting(24 patients), muscle weakness(22 patients),epileptic seizure(21 patients),cognitive decline(19 patients),visual disturbance(17 patients),sensorineural deafness(16 patients),ataxia(6 patients),psychiatric symptom (8 patients),external ophathalmoplegia(2 patients)and diabetes mellitus(9 patients).The serum CK level was slightly elevated in 6 patients,and the fasting blood lactic acid was increased in 15 of the 18 detected patients.②Neuroimaging features:The stroke-like lesions were mostly confined to cerebral cortex, including temporal lobe(24 patients),occipital lobe(21 patients),parietal lobe(12 patients)and frontal lobe(4 patients).Three patients had deep white matter involvement.Migrating stroke-like lesions were confirmed in 4 patients by repeated cranial CT/MRI examination.In addition,cerebral atrophy(17 patients)and bilateral basilar ganglion calcification(11 patients)were found.③Myopathological features: Scattered ragged red fibers(RRF)in various number were found in all the patients by MGT staining.Other founding included strongly SDH-reactive blood vessel(27 patients),COX enzyme deficiency(19 patients), and mild to moderate lipid storage in RRF(20 patients).④MtDNA analysis showed 9 patients with A3243G point mutation in all the detected 13 patients.Conclusion The clinical and neuroimaging features may offer important clue to the diagnosis of MELAS,but a definite diagnosis of MELAS relies on the myopathology and mtDNA mutation analysis.

Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP), an effective component of traditional Chinese medicine Chuanxiong, is commonly used to resolve embolism. Its possible therapeutic effect against atherosclerosis has received considerable attention recently. Angiotensin II (Ang II) is highly implicated in the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), resulting in atherosclerosis. The mechanisms of TMP in the proliferation of VSMCs induced by Ang II remain to be defined. The present study was aimed to study the effect of TMP on Ang II-induced VSMC proliferation through detection of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activity and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) expression. Primary cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells were divided into the control group, Ang II group, Ang II + TMP group and TMP group. Cells in each group were harvested at different time points (15, 30 and 60 min for detection of NF-kappaB activity; 6, 12 and 24 h for measurement of BMP-2 expression). NF-kappaB activation was identified as nuclear staining by immunohistochemistry. BMP-2 expression was observed through Western blot, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. The results showed that: (1) Ang II stimulated the activation of NF-kappaB. Translocation of NF-kappaB p65 subunit from cytoplasm to nucleus appeared as early as 15 min, peaked at 30 min (P<0.01) and declined after 1 h. (2) TMP inhibited Ang II-induced NF-kappaB activation (P<0.01). (3) Ang II increased BMP-2 expression at 6 h but declined it significantly at 12 and 24 h (P<0.01). (4) BMP-2 expression was also kept at high level at 6 h in Ang II + TMP group but maintained at the normal level at 12 and 24 h. (5) There was no significant difference in NF-kappaB activation and BMP-2 expression between the control group and TMP group. These results indicate that TMP inhibits Ang II-induced VSMC proliferation through repression of NF-kappaB activation and BMP-2 reduction, and BMP-2 expression is independent of the NF-kappaB pathway. In conclusion, TMP has therapeutic potential for the treatment of atherosclerosis.
Angiotensin II ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Animals ; Atherosclerosis ; drug therapy ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 ; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins ; analysis ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Immunohistochemistry ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; metabolism ; NF-kappa B ; analysis ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Pyrazines ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; analysis ; antagonists & inhibitors

Objective: To observe the effects of laurocapram and borneol as transdermal penetration enhancers applied to herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion on liver lipids, hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) and hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase in hyperlipidemia rabbits.Methods: Forty New-Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into 5 groups using the random number table method, with 8 rats in each group. Rabbits in the blank group were fed routinely with a normal diet; rabbits in the other groups were fed with high-fat diet for 12 weeks to establish the hyperlipidemia model. Rabbits in the blank and the model groups were not given any intervention. After the model was prepared successfully, rabbits in the non-transdermal penetration enhancer group received herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion without transdermal penetration enhancers; rabbits in the laurocapram group and the borneol group received herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion with laurocapram or borneol respectively. After 4 weeks of treatment, the serum was isolated and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was applied for the detection of HSL and HMG-CoA reductase. The liver tissues were isolated, and total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) were measured by enzymatic methods. One-step method was applied for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) detection, and transmission turbidimetry was for apolipoprotein A1 (Apo-A1) and apolipoprotein B (Apo-B) detection. Results: The serum concentrations of the drugs in the laurocapram and the borneol groups were significantly higher than those in the non-transdermal penetration enhancer group (both P<0.05); all drug penetrations in the borneol group were significantly higher than those in the laurocapram group (both P<0.05), except for tanshinone ⅡA. Compared with the non-transdermal penetration enhancer group, the HSL was significantly increased while the HMG-CoA reductase was significantly decreased in the laurocapram and the borneol groups (both P<0.05); between groups, the HSL in the borneol group was significantly higher than that in the laurocapram group (P<0.05). Compared with the blank group, the levels of LDL-C, TG, TC and Apo-B in rabbit liver were significantly increased in the model group (P<0.05); compared with the model group, the levels of LDL-C, TG, TC and Apo-B in the non-transdermal penetration enhancer, the laurocapram, and the borneol groups were significantly decreased (all P<0.05); between groups, the TG and TC in the laurocapram group and the LDL-C, TG, TC and Apo-B in the borneol group were significantly lower than those in the non-transdermal penetration enhancer group (all P<0.05), and the TG, LDL-C and Apo-B in the borneol group were significantly lower than those in the laurocapram group (all P<0.05). Compared with the blank group, the HDL-C and Apo-A1 were significantly decreased in the model group (both P<0.05), while compared with the model group, the HDL-C and Apo-A1 were significantly increased in the non-transdermal penetration enhancer, the laurocapram, and the borneol groups (all P<0.05). Between groups, the Apo-A1 in the laurocapram group, the HDL-C and Apo-A1 in the borneol group were significantly higher than those in the non-transdermal penetration enhancer group (all P<0.05).Conclusion: The application of laurocapram and borneol, as transdermal penetration enhancers, in herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion can promote the penetration of the drugs in the herbal cake, increase the levels of HDL-C and Apo-A1, improve the metabolism of HSL and HMG-CoA reductase, and also simultaneously reduce the levels of TC, TG, LDL-C and Apo-B in the liver. The transdermal penetration enhancement effect of borneol is slightly better than or equivalent to that of laurocapram.

BACKGROUNDMammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is involved in a caspase independent form of programmed cell death called autophagy. The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of rapamycin and 3-methyladenine (3-MA) on autophagy, proliferation, apoptosis, and cell-cycle parameters of rat bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs).

METHODSMononuclear cells isolated from rat bone marrow were treated with rapamycin (0.01, 0.1, 1, or 10 µg/L) or 3-MA (1.25, 2.5, 5, or 10 mmol/L) for 24 hours. Expression of the autophagy marker protein LC3-II was analyzed by Western blotting. Apoptosis and cell-cycle progression were analyzed by flow cytometry. Cell proliferation was measured using the MTT assay.

RESULTSRapamycin treatment of EPCs induced apoptosis and autophagy and inhibited proliferation and cell-cycle progression in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with 5 mmol/L 3-MA promoted cell proliferation; in contrast, treatment with 10 mmol/L 3-MA promoted apoptosis and induced S-phase arrest.

CONCLUSIONSRapamycin treatment of EPCs induced apoptosis and autophagy. Low concentrations of 3-MA had no significant effect on the proliferation and apoptosis of EPCs; The 5 mmol/L group promoted cell proliferation, but had no effect on the apoptosis; the 10 mmol/L group inhibited the proliferation and promoted apoptosis through the cell cycle.

Adenine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Autophagy ; drug effects ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Rats ; Sirolimus ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the feasibility of detecting cyclin D1 protein expression and t(11;14) chromosomal translocation in paraffin-embedded tissues and its diagnostic and differential diagnostic significance for mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

METHODSParaffin-embedded samples of 36 cases of MCL and a control group of 71 cases of small B-cell lymphomas were retrieved from archive materials. Immunohistochemical staining for cyclin D1 and semi-nested PCR for t(11;14) were detected in all samples. House-keeping gene beta-actin was used to detect the quality of DNA.

RESULTS(1) Cyclin D1 was expressed in 26 of the 36 MCL (72.2%). There was no cyclin D1 expression in the control group. (2) beta-actin DNA was detected in 101 of the 107 tumor cases (94.4%). t(11;14) was detected in 22 of the 36 MCL. Translocation was not found in control group. The positive rate for t(11;14) was 64.7% in MCL after exclusion of 2 cases which were negative for both t(11;14) and beta-actin. (3) 29 cases were positive for cyclin D1 and/or t(11;14), the positive rate reached 80.5%.

CONCLUSIONThe combined detection of cyclin D1 and t(11;14) in paraffin-embedded tissues is found to be a specific and feasible method for diagnosis and differential diagnosis of mantle cell lymphoma.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 11 ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14 ; Cyclin D1 ; analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell ; chemistry ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Paraffin Embedding ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Translocation, Genetic

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinicopathologic feature, immunophenotype and differential diagnosis of cutaneous Rosai-Dorfman disease (CRDD).

METHODSClinical manifestation, morphologic features and immunohistochemical staining were studied in 8 cases of CRDD.

RESULTSAll 8 patients presented with multiple papules, nodules and/or coalescent patches or plaques distributing over the extremities or trunk, without lymphadenopathy or other systemic abnormalities. Microscopically, the lesions were located intradermally and/or subcutaneously. CRDD was characterized by the presence of S-100 positive histiocytic cells exhibiting emperipolesis, accompanying with infiltration of mixed inflammatory cells. Fibrosis, somewhere in vague storiform pattern due to stromal responses, with distribution of individual neutrophil microabscess was seen in cases with a long course of illness. Dilated vascular spaces in dermis containing numerous large typical histiocytes were seen in 2 cases.

CONCLUSIONSCRDD is a benign, persistent proliferative disease of histiocytes. Systemic involvement is rare, outcome favorable. It should be differentiated from other types of histiocytosis, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, xanthoma and lymphoproliferative disorders. Immunohistochemical staining for S-100 protein and CD68 is helpful in making a correct diagnosis.

Aged ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Histiocytosis, Sinus ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; S100 Proteins ; metabolism ; Skin Diseases ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery