Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Carbon-Nitrogen Ligases ; genetics ; Female ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; Nasopharynx ; pathology ; Young Adult

Calcinosis ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Globus Pallidus ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Osteogenesis Imperfecta ; complications ; genetics ; Skull ; diagnostic imaging ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of unilateral pedicle screw fixation in treating thoracolumbar fractures through paraspinal approach.

METHODSFrom January 2006 to January 2009,21 patients with single level thoracolumbar fracture without neurological symptoms were treated with unilateral pedicle screw fixation through paraspinal approach. There were 14 males and 7 females,aged from 21 to 65 years old with a mean of 36.4 years. The duration from injury to operation ranged from 6 h to 5 d with an average of 3 d. According to the classification of Denis fracture, compression fractures happedned in 12 cases and burst fractures happened in 9 cases,including 1 case with T5 fracture, 2 cases with T7 fracture, 2 cases with T10 fracture, 3 cases with T11 fracture, 8 cases with T12 fracture, and 5 cases with L1 fracture. Based on the Flankel grade, all patients were classified as grade E. Anterior vertebral body height ratio, sagittal Cobb angle, condition of internal fixation failure, visual analogue score (VAS) were evaluated.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up from 12 to 36 months with an average of 20.5 months. No internal fixation failure was found. Anterior vertebral body height ratios at preoperative 3 days after operation and last follow-up were 54.3 +/- 2.8, 92.9 +/- 1.5, 93.8 +/- 1.7, respectively;sagittal Cobb angle at the three timepoints were (27.8 +/- 2.5) degrees, (5.3 +/- 0.8) degrees, (6.3 +/- 1.4) degrees, respectively; the difference was statistical significant (P < 0.05). VAS was (1.2 +/- 0.4) points at last follow-up and had obviously improved (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONTreatment of thoracolumbar fractures with unilateral pedicle screw fixation through paraspinal approach is safe with the advantages of micro-trauma and less blood loss,which can not only completely retain the posterior spinal complex structure, reinforce the spinal stability, raise the reductional quality, but also improve the strength of fixation and the distribution of stress force.

Adult ; Bone Screws ; Feasibility Studies ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Fractures ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; diagnostic imaging ; injuries ; surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Young Adult

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of suberselective uterine arterial embolization for uterine fibroids.Methods Uterine arterial embolization with golyvimylalcohol(PVA) particles or Iodized oil and Gelfoam or Pingyangmycin lipiodol and Gelfoam was performed in 182 patients with uterine fibroids.Results Bilateral and unilateral superselective uterine arterial embolization were performed in 173 cases and 9 cases respectively. 6～28 months (mean 11 months) after the procedure, complete disappearance of tumor(16 cases), an average shinkage of 67% in tumor volume(152 cases) and a mean 42% reduction of uterine volume were obtained in 168 followed-up cases. The clinical symptoms were relieved significantly.The main side effets were hypogastic pain(135/182).Conclusion Superselection uterine arterial embolization is an effective and microinvasive method in treating uterine fibroids.

To understand Lophatherum gracile plant community's structural characteristics, a survey of community structure and species diversity was conducted through quadrat sampling in Yongchuan district of Chongqing. The results showed that there were 386 species vascular plants, belonging to 117 families and 229 genera. Based on habitat, community structure and species composition, L. gracile were found in three community types: Pinus massoniana community, banboo community, shurb community. Vertical structure was composed of three layers, including tree layer, shrub layer and herb layer. Species in shrub layer was the richness. P. massoniana is the only dominant species of the community, it can not regenerate naturally, the shrub layer has a greater effect on the community of L. gracile in the future. In addition, the banboo community and shurb community is not stable because of human's activity. Therefore, the community characters of L. gracile should be taken care of conservation when the resources are utilized.
China ; Ecosystem ; Pinus ; physiology ; Plants ; Poaceae ; physiology

Animals ; Antioxidants ; therapeutic use ; Catalase ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Liver ; chemistry ; pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Serum ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Swine

OBJECTIVETo research the constituents in needles of Pinus sylvestris.

METHODRepeated column chromatography and preparation HPLC are used for compound isolation, and their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectral data analysis.

RESULTSix compounds, pinifolic acid (1), 15-oxo-8 (17) -labden-18-oic acid (2) , 15-acetoxy-labd-8 ( 17)-en-18-oic acid (3), dehydroabietic acid (4), 7alpha-hydroxydehydroabietic acid (5), 7beta-hydroxydehydroabietic acid (6) were isolated from the needles of P. sylvestris.

CONCLUSIONCompound 3-6 were isolated from the needles of P. sylvestris for the first time, and compound 3 is a new natural product. The petroleum ether and EtOAc extracts showed significant cytotoxic effects to Hela and A549. Compounds 2, 4-6 revealed a positive distinction compared to the control group.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Diterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Diterpenes, Abietane ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Molecular Structure ; Pinus sylvestris ; chemistry ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Structure-Activity Relationship

"Wise men could recognize similarities, but the fool only recognizes differences" in Su-wen, which expounded clinical thinking methods of Chinese medicine (CM). "To recognize similarities and differences simultaneously" is of important clinical significance in understanding the laws of diseases. CM pays much attention to recognize similarities, while modern medicine emphasizes the differences observed. In order to develop integrative medicine (IM), similarities recognition and differences identification must be combined together to innovate new thinking methods of IM.
Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; standards ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

BACKGROUND: The effect of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) during traumatic brain injury (TBI) and whether it can modulate secondary injury has not been reported previously. The present study evaluated the potential protective effects of ventricular infusion of PACAP in a rat model of TBI. METHODS: Male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 treatment groups (n=6, each): sham-operated, vehicle (normal saline)+TBI, and PACAP+TBI. Normal saline or PACAP (1g/5L) was administered intracerebroventricularly 20 minutes before TBI. Right parietal cortical contusion was produced via a weight-dropping method. Brains were extracted 24 hours after trauma. Histological changes in brains were examined by HE staining. The numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in blood and the spleen were detected via flow cytometry. RESULTS: In injured brain regions, edema, hemorrhage, inflammatory cell infiltration, and swollen and degenerated neurons were observed under a light microscope, and the neurons were disorderly arrayed in the hippocampi. Compared to the sham group, average CD4+ CD8– lymphocyte counts in blood and the spleen were significantly decreased in rats that received TBI+vehicle, and CD4– CD8+ were increased. In rats administered PACAP prior to TBI, damage was attenuated as evidenced by significantly increased CD4+, and decreased CD8+, T lymphocytes in blood and the spleen. CONCLUSION: Pretreatment with PACAP may protect against TBI by influencing periphery T cellular immune function.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of telomerase in various lesions of adrenal cortex.

METHODSBy autoradiography-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol, telomerase expression was detected in 36 samples of adrenocortical lesions, including 29 cases adrenocortical adenoma (8 Cushing's syndrome, 17 aldosteronism and 4 nonfunctional adenomas), 5 cases of hyperplasia of adrenal cortex (presented with Chushing' syndrome), 2 cases adrenocortical carcinoma, and 4 samples of normal adrenal cortex.

RESULTSOf the 40 samples, 2 cases of adrenocortical carcinomas had telomerase expression, and the others had no telomerase expression detected.

CONCLUSIONSNo significant telomerase expression was found among different endocrine functional benign adrenocortical lesions. Telomerase expression may be used as an important marker of malignant adrenocortical tumor.

Adrenal Cortex ; enzymology ; Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms ; enzymology ; Adrenocortical Adenoma ; enzymology ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; analysis ; Cushing Syndrome ; enzymology ; Humans ; Telomerase ; analysis ; biosynthesis ; genetics