OBJECTIVETo study the effects of Annao tablet (main component is beta-asarone) on S100B and NPY of cortex in chronic epilepsy rats.

METHODThe remedy was administered orally. The effects were observed in convulsion model induced by PG, then S100B protein and NPY of cortex were determined.

RESULTAnnao tablet could depress the epileptic degree, postpone spasm latent period and reduce the wet dog sample (WDS) times. The remedy could decline S100B and NPY of cortex in chronic epilepsy rats.

CONCLUSIONAnnao tablet has obvious antiepileptic effects and can reduce the nerve cell damage induced by epilepsy.

Acorus ; chemistry ; Animals ; Anisoles ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Anticonvulsants ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Cerebral Cortex ; metabolism ; Drug Carriers ; Epilepsy ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Female ; Male ; Neuropeptide Y ; metabolism ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; S100 Proteins ; metabolism ; Tablets ; beta-Cyclodextrins

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the objectivity and comprehensiveness of Response Evaluation Criteria of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Solid Tumor (Draft, REC-TCM-ST) in application of Chinese medicine therapeutic effect in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODSA retrospective clinical research was used in 104 NSCLC patients in stages of III-IV, 53 cases were in Chinese medicine (CM) group and 51 cases were in Western medicine (WM) group. The therapeutic effect of the two groups was evaluated with both REC-TCM-ST and Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumor (RECIST). Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the survival time. Kappa test method was used to test the consistency of the two kinds of evaluation results.

RESULTSAccording to REC-TCM-ST, the effective rate on relieving tumor mass in the CM group was significantly lower than that in the WM group (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in tumor-mass stable rate (P>0.05); the symptom of weakness in the CM group was improved significantly, indicating better therapeutic effect than that in the WM group (P<0.01). Karnofsky score in the CM group was significantly better than that in the WM group (P<0.01). In terms of survival conditions, the median survival time and the survival rate of 6 months, 1 year and 2 years of the CM group were higher than the WM group. The total effective rate was 9.62%, and the total stable rate was 72.12% for 104 cases according to RECIST; while the total effective rate was 34.62%, and the total stable rate was 84.62% according to REC-TCM-ST, thus there were significant differences between the results of the two criteria (P<0.01), and there was also some consistency between them, but not satisfactory.

CONCLUSIONSREC-TCM-ST was used to evaluate the therapeutic effect of CM in the treatment of advanced NSCLC, which shows that its evaluation results can better reflect the advantages and disadvantages of CM, and the effectiveness of CM is more objective and comprehensive than RECIST, so REC-TCM-ST is worthy of further improvement and clinical expansion.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Karnofsky Performance Status ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors ; Survival Analysis

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of beta-asarone on expression of immediately early gene c-fos in kindling epilepsy rat brain.

METHODThe rats were randomly divided in to beta-asarone groups (200, 100, 50 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)), difetoin control group (36 mg x kg(-1)) and model group. The remedy was administered orally. The effects were observed in kindling epilepsy model induced by penicillin, then the expression of c-fos were determined by western blot (hippocampus) and immunohistochemical techniques (cortex).

RESULTBeta-asarone could significantly increase the expression of c-fos in kindling epilepsy rat brain, and show its quantity-effect relation. The expression of c-fos in hippocampus was (1139.45 +/- 155.56), (1109.56 +/- 134.03), (1103.73 +/- 235.82) CNT x mm2 in beta-asarone groups, 920.54 +/- 203.20 in model control group, and 1106.26 +/- 186.24 in difetoin group, respectively. The number of c-fos positive cell was 87.1 +/- 2.2, 76.3 +/- 1.3 and 59.9 +/- 1.3 in beta-asarone groups, 39.3 +/- 2.6 in model control group, and 95.2 +/- 1.1 in difetoin group, respectively.

CONCLUSIONBeta-asarone can obviously increase the expression of c-fos in epilepsy rat brain. It is one of important response to epilepsy.

Animals ; Anisoles ; pharmacology ; Blotting, Western ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Epilepsy ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Female ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo explore early diagnosis, treatment and prevention of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding after cardiac surgery.

METHODSIn the last 13 years, cases complicated with GI bleeding after cardiac surgeries were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTSFourty-four GI bleeding occurred post-operatively in (6 +/- 3) d. The mortality was 23% (10/44). Thirty-eight were located in upper GI tract, of them 26 underwent conservative therapy while 4 died of other than GI bleeding cause; six underwent laparotomy while 1 and 3 died of septicemia and multi-organ failure respectively; six underwent gastric endoscopic hemostasis by electrocautery or clipping the bleeding vessel while all survived. Six were located in lower GI tract, and 2 of them underwent laparotomy without finding bleeding section and died of multi-organ failure. By multivariable logistic regression analysis, deaths were highly related to the post-operative ventilator-dependence, acute renal insufficiency, intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) assisting and laparotomy.

CONCLUSIONThe mortality of GI bleeding after cardiac surgeries is very high, early gastrointestinal endoscopic examination and minimally invasive intervention can treat this complication more effectively. GI bleeding must be prevented whenever complicating post-operative ventilator-dependence, acute renal insufficiency, and IABP assisting after cardiac surgery.

Adult ; Aged ; Cardiac Surgical Procedures ; adverse effects ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; diagnosis ; etiology ; mortality ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical effects of the minimal invasive osteotomy treatment for hallux valgus combined with tailor's bunion deformity.

METHODSFrom May 2007 to May 2009, Forty-nine feet of 32 patients (a mean age of 57 years old) of hallux valgus combined with tailor's bunion deformity were reviewed retrospectively, including 2 males(2 feet) and 30 females (47 feet). All patients were treated by the minimal invasive osteotomy. The axial and lateral films of all feet with loading were taken before and after operation. The hallux abducto valgus angle(HAV),intermetatarsal angle(IM), fourth-fifth intermetatarsal angle (IM 4 to 5), modified fourth-fifth intermetatarsal angle (MIM 4 to 5), Metatarsophalangeal-fifth angle (MPA) and lateral deviation of the fifth matatarsal angle (LDA) were compared before and after operation. Therapeutic effects of all the patients were observed after operation, the item including AFAS score and WEN Jian-min's therapeutic effects standard.

RESULTSThe average operating time was 40 minutes. All the patients were followed up,and the duration ranged from 6 to 24 months. The HAV angle, IM angle, IM 4 to 5 angle, MIM 4 to 5 angle,MPA angle and LDA angle significantly decreased after operation. The AFAS score significantly raised after operation. According to the criteria, 33 feet got an excellent result, 15 good and 1 fair.

CONCLUSIONThe minimal invasive osteotomy treatment for hallux valgus combined with tailor's bunion is effective and safe. This method is mini-trauma,less pain and it can make a very soon rehabilitation. This method has widely clinical value.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bunion, Tailor's ; surgery ; Female ; Hallux Valgus ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Osteotomy ; methods

OBJECTIVETo explore the characteristics of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) transmission in the population base on analyzing the first imported case and the chains of transmission.

METHODSFor the first imported SARS case and cases who were transmitted by the index case, epidemiological investigations were conducted using the guidelines for surveillance and case investigation issued by the Ministry of Health. Data as the date of onset of symptoms, date of hospitalization, contact history etc. for each of the cases and their close contacts were collected and analyzed.

RESULTSThe first imported SARS case introduced to Beijing had infected 9 people within the family and at the hospital, with two of whom died of the same disease. The incubation period for that index case was 4 days, and that for the cases considered to be the secondary and tertiary generations were 7 and 8 days, respectively. The shorter the incubation period, the longer the fever would last and clinically more severe.

CONCLUSIONOne of the epidemiological characteristics of SARS in Beijing was noticed that the disease clustered in families and hospitals. Infection through droplets and close contact has been viewed as the primary mode of transmission.

Adult ; China ; epidemiology ; Contact Tracing ; Cross Infection ; transmission ; Family Health ; Female ; Humans ; Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; epidemiology ; transmission

OBJECTIVESTo study the quantitative relationship between the levels of serum liver fibrosis markers and fibrosis stages of liver tissues in patients with chronic hepatic diseases.

METHODSIn 118 patients with chronic hepatitis, fatty liver or cirrhosis, their Serum levels of LN, HA, PCIII and CIV were investigated by EIA and their liver histological changes were studied. The relationship between the levels of serum LN, HA, PCIII and CIV and the degrees of liver tissue fibrosis was analyzed quantitatively by using the SPSS11.0.

RESULTSA correlation between the levels of serum LN, HA, PCIII and CIV and the histologically assessed grades of inflammatory activity was found (r = 0.394, 0.449, 0.443, 0.351, respectively, P <0.01). The correlation between the levels of serum LN, HA, PCIII and CIV and the histological assessed stages of liver fibrosis was strong (r = 0.456, 0.564, 0.476, 0.421 respectively, P <0.01). The levels of serum LN, HA, PCIII and CIV of the patients with a stage 2 liver fibrosis were 110 ng/ml, 110 ng/ml, 100 ng/ml and 70 ng/ml respectively, with sensibilities of diagnosing stage 2 liver fibrosis at 70%, 79%, 79% and 74% respectively. Their specificities in diagnosing stage 2 liver fibrosis were 68%, 72%, 64% and 73% respectively. The levels of LN, HA, PCIII and CIV in serum of these patients diagnosing cut-off value in stage 4 liver fibrosis (early cirrhosis) were 130 ng/ml, 140 ng/ml, 120 ng/ml and 70 ng/ml respectively. Their sensibility of diagnosing liver cirrhosis was 79%, 93%, 79% and 86% respectively. Their specificity of diagnosing liver cirrhosis was 66%, 82%, 72% and 61% respectively. As shown by the ROC curves in these patients, differentiating patients with cirrhosis or without cirrhosis, serum HA level was more valuable than LN, PCIII, CIV (the areas under the curves = 0.938 vs 0.775, 0.787, 0.791 ) When serum HA was higher than 190 ng/ml, the veracity of diagnosing liver cirrhosis was 93%.

CONCLUSIONSThere is a certain quantitative relationship between the levels of LN, HA, PCIII and CIV in serum and the degrees of liver tissue fibrosis. The level of HA in serum is an important reference datum for early diagnosing liver cirrhosis.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Fatty Liver ; blood ; complications ; Female ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; blood ; complications ; Humans ; Hyaluronic Acid ; blood ; Laminin ; blood ; Liver ; pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; blood ; etiology ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Procollagen ; blood

Objective Studies are rarely reported on how to avoid complement system attack during the transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs).We explored the effect of the overexpression of CD59 on complement membrane attack-induced damage to rat BMSCs (rBMSCs) during autologous transplantation.Methods BMSCs from SD rats were cultured and treated with CD59 overexpression plasmid or rBMSC empty vector or left untreated,followed by detection of the expression of CD59 in the rBMSCs by flow cytometry.Then the rBMSCs were incubated with autologous rat serum (ARS),inactivated ARS (iARS),CD59+ARS,or CD59+iARS or not incubated.The cytotoxicity of the serum complement on the rBMSCs was observed by PI staining and the apoptosis of the rBMSCs determined by flow cytometry.Results The expression of CD59 was significantly higher in the rBMSCs treated with CD59 than in those untreated (7,4.9％ vs 50.5％,P＜0.05).The apop tosis rate was remarkably lower in the rBMSCs not incubated ([8.4± 1.1] ％) and those incubated with CD59+ARS ([19.1 ±3.1] ％) than in those incubated with ARS ([40.3±4.3] ％) (P＜0.05).The deposition of the complement membrane attack complex was significantly decreased in the rBMSCs not incubated (50.1％) and those incubated with CD59+ARS (71.0％) as compared with those incubated with ARS (99.7％) (P＜0.05).The apoptosis rate of the rBMSCs treated with CD59 was markedly lower than that of those left untreated (P＜0.05).Conclusion The overexpression of CD59 inhibits the damage induced by complement to rBMSCs by reducing the formation of the complement membrane attack complex during autologous transplantation.

OBJECTIVETo study the prevalence of different types of neural tube defects (NTDs) in Luliang Prefecture, Shanxi province, where the prevalence of NTDs is unusually high and the correlation between NTDs prevalence and patterns.

METHODSA surveillance population-based birth defects was performed in Luliang Prefecture, Shanxi province.

RESULTSThe results of our study showed that the prevalence of NTDs was 2-fold higher in Luliang Prefecture than in other areas of Shanxi province. Unusual patterns of NTDs were found, however, multiple NTDs were relatively common in Luliang Prefecture, accounting for over 13% of all NTDs cases in China.

CONCLUSIONThe prevalence of NTDs is associated with its patterns.

Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Neural Tube Defects ; classification ; epidemiology ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association between birth defects and dietary nutrient intake in a high risk area of China.

METHODSA dietary survey was performed and serum folic acid was measured in women whose pregnancy was affected by neural tube defects (NTDs) or unaffected by any birth defects (BDs) in Zhongyang and Jiaokou Counties in Shanxi Province of China.

RESULTSThe local average consumption of foods including dark green vegetables, fruits, fat and meat, and nutrient intake (e.g., energy, protein, retinol, riboflavin, vitamin E, and selenium) were lower than the national average level. In women of childbearing age, these regions, the intake of nutrients was much lower than the recommended nutrient intake (9%-77%). The case-control dietary nutrition study of women whose pregnancy was affected by BDs (including NTDs and congenital heart defects) demonstrated that, in early pregnancy, adequate nutrition (i.e., eating meat, fresh vegetables, fruit more than once a week) was a protective factor, while eating germinated potatoes was a risk factor. The geometrical mean (p5-p95) of serum folic acid in women with NTD birth defects was 9.6 nmol/L (3.6, 23.03), which was significantly lower than that in normal women (14.03 nmol/L).

CONCLUSIONWomen of childbearing age in the two counties of Shanxi Province, China, have a marked insufficient intake of some nutrients, especially folic acid, zinc, vitamins A and B12. This nutrient deficiency may be an important risk factor for the high prevalence of birth defects in these regions. Therefore, adequate dietary nutrition in early pregnancy can prevent BDs.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Folic Acid ; blood ; Humans ; Incidence ; Middle Aged ; Neural Tube Defects ; epidemiology ; Nutritional Status ; Surveys and Questionnaires