Objective To study the mechanism of enhanced HaCaT cellular uptake of tetrahydropalmatine (THP) by asarum essential oil (AEO) and sinapine thiocyanate (SPT) in Sanfu Patch. Methods Effect of SPT, AEO, and THP on cell viability of HaCaT were determined by MTT. HaCaT cellular uptake of THP and the enhancing effects of AEO and SPT on THP uptake were visualized with confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) based on the green autofluorescence of THP, and the THP uptake content by HaCaT was further determined with HPLC. Moreover, HaCaT cells were labeled with diphenylhexatriene (DPH). After the labeled cells were treated with AEO, SPT, and THP, respectively, the cellular membrane fluidity was determined with fluorescence polarization technology. Results THP fluorescence intensity within HaCaT cells was significantly increased when THP was co-delivered with AEO or SPT respectively, and the THP content with each group within the cells was also significantly higher than that of THP delivered alone. In addition, AEO was superior to SPT in enhancing THP uptake by HaCaT cells. The fluorescence polarization and membrane micro-viscosity of HaCaT cells were significantly decreased after AEO treatment, which indicated that membrane fluidity was increased by the treatment with AEO. However, SPT or THP did not present the character of increasing the membrane fluidity.Conclusion HaCaT cellular uptake of THP can be enhanced by AEO and SPT of Sanfu Patch, in which AEO enhances the cellular uptake of THP through increasing the cellular membrane fluidity, while the mechanism of SPT in enhancing THP cellular uptake remains further clarification.

Objective To evaluate the effect of exogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) on myocardial damage induced by renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in rats.Methods Thirty pathogen-free male Wistar rats,weighing 250-300 g,were randomized into 3 groups (n =10 each) using a random number table:sham operation group (S group); myocardial damage induced by renal I/R group (I/R group); NaHS group.Renal I/R was induced by occlusion of the left kidney for 120 min followed by 60 min reperfusion in anesthetized rats.In NaHS group,NaHS 100 μg/kg was injected intraperitoneally at 20 min before reperfusion.At the end of reperfusion,the rats were sacrificed and the hearts were obtained for determination of malondialdehyde (MDA) content and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in myocardial tissues and for microscopic examination.Results Compared with S group,MDA content was significantly increased,and GSH-Px activity was decreased in I/R and NaHS groups.Compared with I/R group,MDA content was significantly decreased,and GSH-Px activity was increased in NaHS group.The pathological changes of myocardium were significantly attenuated in NaHS group as compared with I/R group.Conclusion Exogenous H2 S can alleviate myocardial damage induced by renal I/R in rats.

Objective:To study the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at the Pericardium Meridian on the heart function of volunteers with acute hypoxia, and to provide scientific evidence for the acupoints selection along the affected meridian in acupuncture-moxibustion therapy. Methods:Based on a self-control design, eighteen healthy volunteers were recruited in the study. Points from the Pericardium Meridian [Neiguan (PC 6), Ximen (PC 4), Quze (PC 3) and Tianquan (PC 2)], non-Pericardium Meridian point [Shousanli (LI 10)], non-meridian and non-acupoint points [1.0-1.5 cm lateral to Neiguan (PC 6) and Ximen (PC 4), respectively on both sides], and a blank control (only inhaling low-oxygen gas without EA stimulation) were selected to observe, once every week, 10 sessions in total, and only 1 acupoint was observed once. The volunteers inhaled low-oxygen gas mixture (10.8% O2 and 89.2% N2) for 30 min to imitate acute hypoxia. EA was conducted when the gas mixture was inhaled for 10 min and then lasted for 20 min; meanwhile, hemodynamic indexes such as cardiac output (CO), cardiac index (CI), systemic vascular resistance (SVR), systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI), left cardiac work (LCW), left cardiac work index (LCWI) and heart rate (HR) were recorded on a hemodynamic monitor. Results:EA at the acupoints of Pericardium Meridian significantly down-regulated the increased CO/CI, LCW/LCWI, and HR (P<0.05), and significantly up-regulated the decreased SVR/SVRI in hypoxia (P<0.05); EA at other meridian acupoints or at non-meridian and non-acupoint points didn't produce such effects. Conclusion: EA at the Pericardium Meridian can obviously improve the cardiac hyper-activation caused by acute hypoxia in healthy volunteers.

Lipids of Thamnidium elegans,Mortierella ramanninace,Rhizopus arrhizus,Pythium irregulare and Rhodotorulla aurantiaca were extracted by Soxhlet extraction,supercritical-CO 2 fluid extraction,acid-heating extraction and organic solvent extraction,respectively.Four extraction methods were evaluated on sample treatment,minimum sample quantity,requirements of apparatus,ability of treating sample and content of lipid.The components of fatty acids were analysed by gas chromatography.Soxhlet extraction can acquired maximum lipid content,but it took the most time.Supercritical-CO 2 fluid extraction and acid-heating extraction has a same lipid content which was lower than that of Soxhlet extraction.Acid-heating extraction was the most handy,and its ability to treat sample in a hour was the most powerful.Organic solvent extraction was less efficient.Acid-heating extraction was a simple and efficient method of fungi lipid extraction fitting to breed mutant strains that highly producting lipid and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Objective: To investigate the incidence and impact factors of adverse events (AE) in ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave ablation (MWA) for treatment of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). Methods: Clinical data of 427 CRLM patients who underwent ultrasound-guided percutaneous MWA were retrospectively analyzed. Totally 614 MWA sessions were performed and 1 334 lesions were ablated. The incidence and impact factors of AE were analyzed. Results: The overall incidence of AE was 4.89% (30/614), and no ablation-related death occurred. The risk factors affecting AE included number of insertions (OR=1.301, P=0.005), lesions at high-risk areas (OR=2.829, P=0.025), more than 5 lesions (OR=4.655, P=0.010), history of abdominal surgery (OR=7.716, P=0.047) and clonorchiasis (OR=17.683, P=0.005). Conclusion: The incidence of AE in ultrasound-guided percutaneous MWA for CRLM is low. The number of lesions and insertions, lesions at high-risk areas, history of abdominal surgery, and clonorchiasis are associated with the incidence of AE.

Castleman disease is a rare and complicated disease. A case of Castleman disease (CD) in a 40-year-old woman on the neck was reported and literature review was made to understand the occurrence, clinical characteristics, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of Castleman disease. Because of the rarity of CD, its occurrence in the general population and the typical clinical manifestations are still lacked. There are two types of CD, namely localized CD and multicentric CD, both of them are not easy to be diagnosised. CT scans in preoperative is helpful for the clinical diagnosis, while histopathological examination and lymph node biopsy are beneficial for the early diagnosis. The treatment result is based on the histopathological examination and lymph node biopsy. The prognosis is different with the type of CD. For the localized CD, the prognosis is usually good, while for the multicentric CD is bad. Both of localized CD and multicentric CD have a certain reoccurrence rate.

OBJECTIVEUsing the health economics methodology to assess the screening program on gastric cancer in Zhuanghe high risk area for gastric cancer, from 2001 to 2003 and to assess the feasibility on cost of the screening program and to provide a basis for the popularization of the two-time gastric cancer screening methodology.

METHODSThree major techniques of medical economics namely cost-effective analysis (CEA), cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and cost-utility analysis (CUA) were used to assess the screening program. The screening program was composed of two steps: (1) epidemiological survey and detection of blood pepsinogen; (2) gastroscopy and biopsy of membrane. 'Number of deaths reduced' was used to evaluate the effect during cost-effective analysis while cost-benefit analysis would include the evaluation on the direct cost and indirect cost, direct benefit and indirect benefit as well as the cost-benefit ratio (CBR). During CUA, a questionnaire of WHOQOL-BREF was used to assess the value of the utility while the number of quality adjusted life year (QALY) saved by the screening program was also computed. The direct cost of per saved QALY was also calculated.

RESULTSDada from CEA showed that: investing every 8448 Yuan on screening program and treatment in Zhuanghe high risk area of gastric cancer, one gastric cancer patient could be avoided. Results from CBA showed that: direct cost was 1,260,000 Yuan while indirect cost was 40 621 Yuan with direct benefit as 101 500 Yuan and indirect benefit as 1 540 979 Yuan. The total cost however, was 1,300,621 Yuan with total benefit as 2,555,979 Yuan and CBR was 1:1.97. Data from CUA showed that: a total number of 331.44 QALY was saved, 11.43 QALY was saved by reducing one death, 3802 Yuan per QALY was saved in high risk area of gastric cancer, through this screening program.

CONCLUSIONThe screening program of gastric cancer appeared to be an economic and society-beneficial measure regarding primary prevention in high risk area of gastric cancer. We also suggested that in the future, evaluations through health economics methodologies on different screening programs be carried out in the same population to solve the problem of comparability.

Adult ; China ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Feasibility Studies ; Female ; Health ; Humans ; Male ; Quality-Adjusted Life Years ; Risk ; Stomach Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; economics

Objective To observe and study the late effects of intrauterine exposure to irradiation.Methods A 16-year-old girl,borne by a woman exposed to 60Co irradiation during the Xinzhou radiation accident 16 years ago underwent inquiry,general medical examination.Conventional chromosome aberration analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were used to examine non-stability and stability chromosome aberrations,and China revised Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (C_WISC)was used to detect IQ level.Results Inquiry revealed no history of carcinoma and no family history of hereditary diseases.The girl often caught cold when she was a child,but she hadn' t any other diseases.Menarche occurred when she was 12 years old,and she had not suffered from dysmenorrhea.Her development of body frame constitution was normal.She could not carry out addition and subtraction,but she could make simple verbal communication,writing and even reciting text.The results of the routine lab examination were within the normal range.Unstable chromosome aberrations were not shown,and the chromosome translocation rate was 2.3%.The dose that induced the chromosome injury was deduced as 0.81 Gy.The biological dose of the radiation that she was exposed to was inferred to be 1.85 Gy when she was in ther mother's uterus.Ultrasonic sound showed nodular goiter and no malignant change.China's revised Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (C_WISC) test results showed that speech,operation and full-scale IQ was 51,50,and 46 respectively.The total intelligence was better than 0.01% ,and worse than 99.90% of the population.Conclusions Exposure in utero does not affect the body frame constitution development after birth of the fetus,but mental retardation is clear.No evidence of any tumor can be found for the children exposed to radiation before their birth.

Objective To investigate the late effect of radiation on child-bearing women,through observing "Fang",a 19-week-pregnant woman at age of 23,who was exposed to 60Co radiation in Shanxi Xinzhou radiation accident in November,1992 and diagnosed as moderate bone marrow type acute radiation sickness and recovered after 16 year of follow-up treatment.Methods Clinical data including medical history,physical examination,laboratory data,imaging findings and consulting relevant departments were reviewed.Results The followed-up woman "Fang" often felt weak and caught cold after recovery.When she was 32 years old (9 years after radiation),her hair turned grey,but without hair loss.Her menstrual quantity was lessened since 31 years old (8 years after radiation).She was remarried and pregnant twice in the same year.At the first time she underwent artificial abortion and the second child suffered from intrauterine death after 6 months of pregnancy.The physical examination found bilateral degree Ⅰ thyroid enlargement and sparse armpit hair.The laboratory test showed the increased levels of triiodothyronine,thyroxine and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (TMAb) and the decreased thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH).Unstable chromosome aberrations were totally lost and stable aberrations in chromosomes were detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).The dose estimated with the residue chromosome aberration was 0.76 Gy.Other laboratory results were normal.Ultrasonic test showed diffuse lesion in bilateral thyroid and multiple cystic nodules in right lobe of thyroid,which was considered to be nodular goiter.The examination of bone mineral density (BMD) showed osteoporosis from the second to the fourth lumber vertebra.There were no diseases associated with radiation based on the consultation from related departments.Conclusions Intrauterine death after 6 months of pregnancy might be associated with the previous exposure.There is no evidence of malignant tumor,but non-cancerous diseases are obvious.