OBJECTIVE:To explore ways to resolve the quality problems of Chinese herbal slice so as to provide reference for producers,processors and users.METHODS:The records of check and accept prepared slice into storeroom in our hospital during 2008 were summed up and sorted out.The number of total batches,the number and proportion of unqualified batches were calculated to analyze the causes of unqualified slice after checking.RESULTS:In 2008 there were 4 519 batches of herbal slice while 94 batches were unqualified and accounted for 2.1% in total.53 batches were refused because of their quality problem,accounting for 56.4% of unqualified batches.CONCLUSION:It is urgent to improve the quality of prepared slice and standardize the processing of herbal slice.

Objective To study the effect of camphor oil in killing Demodex in vitro and to further analyze the killing mechanism.Methods The mites were collected with adhesive cellophane tape and randomly divided into six groups.The killing effect of camphor oil was investigated with different concentrations against Demodex in vitro.The reaction progress was pictured using Motic Images software.Results Camphor oil had better killing effect on Demodex folliculorum than on D.brevis in vitro.The death rate increased with the drug concentration and time.The most suitable and effective concentration of killing both Demodex folliculorum and D.brevis in vitro was 12.5%.After the drug was given,the mites contracted and twisted,and then relaxed and died.Conclusion Camphor oil has strong killing effect on Demodex in vitro.The main mechanism of camphor oil may be related to direct contact and neuromuscular toxicity.

Background Cataract phacoemulsification combined with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation is a primary treatment for cataract.However,tear film stability and ocular surface structure are affected after surgery,especially some cataract patients with diabetes.Researches determined that tear film dysfunction is an important causative factor of dry eye.Objective This study was to investigate the change of tear film after phacoemulsification in cataract patient with diabetes.Methods A non-randomized cases-controlled study was designed.Thirty-six cataract patients with diabetes (54 eyes)and matched 32 patients (40 eyes)with age-related cataract were included in this study in Tianjin First Center Hospital from October,2010 to May,2011.Phacoemulsification and IOL implantation was performed on the all patients with the same topical eyedrops in both groups.Dry eye-related symptom was surveyed and scored by questionnaire,and tear film break-up time (BUT),Schirmer Ⅰ test(S Ⅰ t)and corneal fluorescein(FL) were examined 3 days before operation and 1 day,1 week,1month,3 months after operation.Written informed consent was obtained from each patient before entering this trial.Results The percentage with preoperative symptoms of dry eye was 36.2％ and postoperative dry eye symptoms accounted for 75.8％.Significant differences were seen in dry eye symptom score,FL score,BUT value and S Ⅰ t value between the diabetic cataract group and only cataract group as well as among 4 time points(dry eye symptom score:Fgroup =139.347,P =0.000 ; Ftime =342.741,P =0.000 ; FL score: Fgroup =14.073,P =0.000 ; Ftime =332.697,P =0.000 ; BUT value: Fgroup =28.198,P =0.000 ; Ftime =868.364,P =0.000 ; S Ⅰ t value: Fgroup =2.848,P =0.095 ; Ftime =564.017,P=0.000).FL scores of 2 groups were significantly higher in postoperation than those in preoperation (P＜0.05),and those of diabetic cataract group were significantly higher than only cataract group(P＜0.05),but no significant difference was found between postoperation 3 months and preoperation (P＞0.05).BUT was shorter in postoperation than that in preoperation in the diabetic cataract group(P＜0.05).S Ⅰ t values in postoperative 1 day and 1 week were significantly lower than in preoperation in both groups(P＜0.05).However,S Ⅰ t values returned to normal from 1 month through 3 months in both groups(P＞0.05).Conclusions Tear film dysfunction occurs after operationin cataract patient with type 2 diabetes.It is thought that cataract patient with diabetes is susceptible population of dry eye.Dry eye appears more early and severer in diabetes patients after phacoemulsification combined with IOL implantation.

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of nano-SiO2 on spatial learning and memory.

METHODSTwenty-four male rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group (C group), low dose group (L group) and high dose group (H group). The rats were intragastrically administrated with nanometer particles at 25 and 100 mg/kg body weight every day for 4 weeks. After exposure, the ability of learning and memory of rats was tested by Morris water maze, and electrophysiological brain stereotactic method was used to test long-tear potentiation (LTP) in dentate gyrus (DG) of the rats.

RESULTSThe increase rate of body weight in H group was reduced significantly compared with C group ( P < 0.05). In the space exploration experiment of Morris water maze test, the escape latency of H group was longer than that of C group (P < 0.05). The rats of H group spent less time in finding the target quadrant (P < 0.05) . The rate of LP induction of H group was significantly lower than that of C group (P < 0.05). After high fre quency stimulation (HFS), The changes of amplitude of population spike (PS) of L group and H group were lower than those of C group significantly (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONNano-SiO₂may result in impairment of spatial learning and memory ability by reducing the rate of LTP induction and the increase of PS in hippocampus.

Animals ; Dentate Gyrus ; drug effects ; Long-Term Potentiation ; drug effects ; Male ; Maze Learning ; drug effects ; Memory ; drug effects ; Nanoparticles ; adverse effects ; Rats ; Silicon Dioxide ; adverse effects ; Spatial Learning ; drug effects

Cervical nodal metastases are common in patients with head and neck cancers. Early assessment is important for treatment planning and prognosis. Ultrasound has been widely used in the evaluation of neck lymph nodes, with common parameters including location, size, shape, boundary, hilus, echogenicity, vascular pattern, and resistance index. The diagnostic accuracy has been dramatically improved along with the introduction of new techniques including contrast-enhanced ultrasound, elastography, and ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy. Neck ultrasound has became an important tool in preoperative assessment and postoperative follow-up for patients with head and neck cancers.
Head and Neck Neoplasms ; pathology ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Neck ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVEThis study aims to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of patients who underwent resection of oral cancer and reconstruction by free anierolateral thigh perforator flaps (ALTF).

METHODSA total of 32 patients with oral and maxillofacial malignancies who had undergone the resection of oral cancer and reconstruction by ALTF were retrospectively analyzed. At 12 months postoperatively, the QOL of these patients was assessed by using the 14-item oral health impact profile (OHIP-14) and the medical outcome study short form-36 (SF-36) questionnaires.

RESULTSA total of 32 questionnaires were collected. In SF-36, the highest scoring domains were bodily pain (78.58 ± 14.82), physical functioning (72.08 ± 27.86), and the role of physical (60.00 ± 42.63), whereas the lowest scoring domains were role-emotional (41.67 ± 39.62), followed by mental health (50.75 ± 13.07) and health transition (54.17 ± 21.75). In OHIP-14, the lowest scoring domains were social disability (34.50 ± 11.32) and handicap (36.04 ± 12.05), indicating the functional recovery was better; and the highest scoring domains were physical pain (73.50 ± 18.96) and psychological discomfort (60.17 ± 20.66), indicating the functional recovery was worse.

CONCLUSIONThe ALTF is an ideal selection for the reconstruction of oral defects after cancer resection. In using this flap, the basic social need of patients after surgery can be satisfied. Moreover, the appearance and the functions of chewing, deglutition, and speech can be restored in varying degrees. Thus, ALTF can improve the patients' QOL.

Emotions ; Free Tissue Flaps ; Humans ; Mastication ; Mouth Neoplasms ; physiopathology ; psychology ; surgery ; Pain ; Perforator Flap ; Postoperative Period ; Quality of Life ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; Retrospective Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Thigh

Objective To compare the impact of anterior and inferior-posterior regional wall motion abnormalities on the vortex in systolic phase by vector flow map(VFM) technique.Methods Sixty patients with myocardial infarction were divided into 2 groups:the left anterior descending artery single branch lesion group (LAD group) and the left circumflex artery and/or right coronary artery lesion group (LCX/RCA group).By VFM technique,left ventricular systolic blood flow field was observed.Parameters such as the vortex duration were calculated and compared between two patient groups and also with healthy control group.Results LAD group did not show significant difference from the control group in isovolumic systolic vortex,this group was characterized with large size of vortex and usually forming local vortex at the apex in early ejection.On the contrary,LCX/RCA group had small isovolumic systolic vortex,the early ejection vortex of this group was significantly smaller than that of LAD group and larger than that of control group.The phenomenon was usually observed in the center of the lumen.Both LAD and LCX/RCA group had longer total vortex duration and vortex collapse time than the healthy control group,these differences were not significant between LAD and LCX/RCA group.There were no significant differences in isovolumic vortex duration among the three groups.Conclusions Anterior wall infarction had more impact on systolic blood flow field than inferior-posterior wall infarction.The VFM technique could be applied for observation and evaluation of the changes in vortex characteristics.

Herpetin (HPT) is an active monomer constituent isolated from lignanoid in seeds of Herpetospermum caudigerum. HPT shows inhibitory effects in hepatic injury and HBV-DNA and the replication. In the study, we successfully prepare herpetin liposomes by film dispersion method for the first time. The prescription process was optimized, with the entrapment efficiency as the index. According to the optimized prescription, the mass ratio of HPT: phospholipids: cholesterol was 2.44:78.05: 19.51, the hydration and de-molding process was performed with 0.5% F68 solution at 50 degrees C, and the water-bath ultrasonic time was 20 min. The HPT liposomes prepared by this method showed an average entrapment efficiency of (94.50 +/- 2.15)% and a particle size of (119.2 +/- 10.7) nm, which was consistent with the trial expectations and will lay a solid foundation for the hepatic targeting delivery system in future.
Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Cholesterol ; chemistry ; Drug Compounding ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Lignans ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Liposomes ; chemistry ; Phospholipids ; chemistry ; Ultrasonics

Objective To evaluate the dynamic changes of left ventricular systolic blood flow hemodynamics in patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI) before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and short-term after PCI by vector flow mapping (VFM).MethodsTwenty-five patients with AMI were examined by color Doppler two-dimensional echocardiography respectively before PCI and three days and one month after PCI.The standard apical three-chamber color images in three sequent cardiac cycles were acquired and analyzed on off-line by VFM.In systole,the parameters of vortex including horizontal length,longitudinal length,transverse position,vertical position,and maximum vector velocity were measured respectively,and all parameters three days and one month after PCI were compared with those before PCI respectively.Results In systole,there were not statistically significant differences between parameters three days after PCI and those before PCI( P ＞0.05).Compared parameters one month after PCI with those before PCI,horizontal length was longer( P ＜0.05),longitudinal length was shorter (P ＜0.05),the transverse position was closer to anterior ventricular septum( P ＜0.05),and the maximum vector velocity of vortex was increased ( P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions VFM may serve as an ideal tool to quantitatively evaluate the blood flow hemodynamics of left ventricle in patients with AMI after short-term therapy by PCI.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the sensitivity of cetuximab induced apoptosis in laryngeal squamous carcinoma cells Hep-2, and to evaluate the synergistic killing effects and regulation mechanism of cetuximab alone or cetuximab in combination with chemotherapeutic agents (cisplatin) or radiation means on Hep-2 cells. METHOD: To investigate the cytotoxicities of cetuximab, cisplatin and radiation, cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was used for the detection of cell growth inhibition ratio, and fluorescence activated cell sorter FACS for the apoptotic rate and cell cycle distribution. RESULT: Cetuximab had inhibitive effect on Hep-2 cells within a certain range of concentration in a time- and dose-dependence manner. The inhibition concentration 50% (IC50) of cetuximab on Hep-2 cells for 24 h was 1 036.84 microg/ml. For application of cisplatin and radiation, the apoptotic rate of Hep-2 cell was higher by combining with cetuximab than their single or combined administration. Moreover, the cell cycle arrested at G0/G1 phase. CONCLUSION Laryngeal cancer Hep-2 cells was sensitive to the cetuximab induced apoptosis. Cetuximab combined with cisplatin and/or radiation can increase the antiproliferative effects on Hep-2 cells. These findings suggest the synergistic combination of cetuximab and cytotoxic agents was sequence depended.
Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cetuximab ; Cisplatin ; pharmacology ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Humans