OBJECTIVE:To prepare chloramphenicol and ephedrine nasal gel and establish its quality control method.METHODS:Gel was prepared with chloramphenicol and ephedrine hydrochloride as principal agents and with carbomer-940 as base.The contents of the principal agents were determined by HPLC and the stability of the gel was investigated as well.RESULTS:The preparation was transparent colloid.The linear ranges of chloramphenicol and ephedrine hydrochloride were 62.5～1 000 and 31.25～500 ?g?L-1(r=0.999 9),respectively,with average recovery rates at 99.64%(RSD=0.5%)and 99.57%(RSD=0.7%),respectively.Storing under room temperature,no obvious change was noted for the property of the sample at 12 months.CONCLUSION:The preparation technique of the gel is simple and feasible,and its quality is stable and controllable.

Objective To demonstrate the superiority and feasibility of using bioluminescent image to monitor the islet graft after islet transplantation.Methods Diabetic models were established by intraperitoneal injection of streptomycin into mature male C57BL/6 mice.Islets were harvested from the pancreas of C57BL/6 and Bclb/c mice by digestion and purification,and transfected with Lueiferase gene.The mouse diabetic models were divided into iso-transplantaion group (n=20) and allo-transplantation group (n=7).The islets of C57BL/6 were transplanted into iso-transplantaion mice with different doses (10,50,110 and 200,n=5 in every dose),and Bclb/c mouse islets were transplanted into allo-transplantation group.The islets were transplanted into the subcutaneous fat tis- sue near left scapula.The receptor mice were scanned with CCD camera to get bioluminescent images at different scheduled time points,and the changes in random blood glucose of allo-transplantation group were observed.Results On day 6 after transplantation,the scanning image showed that the pi- xel intensity from the region of interest (ROI) was increased with the increased number of islet grafts and they had a positive correlation.The random blood glucose was reduced to the normal level in the first 2 days,and then increased again to the diabetic level on 11 days averagely,while pixel intensity from the ROI reached the peak on day 6-7,and then reduced rapidly after islet transplantation in allo- transplantation group.The beginning of pixel intensity reduction occurred on day (6.14?0.90), while that of the random blood glucose raise occurred on day (10.00?0.82) after transplantation,and the former alteration occurred obviously earlier than the latter (P

· AIM: To explore the dynamic expression and correlation among telomerase catalytic subunit (TERT), proliferating cell nuclear antigen ( PCNA) and antiapoptosis protein Bd-2 which relate to cell proliferation in epiretinal membrane of rat traumatic proliferative vitreoretinopathy(PVR).· METHODS: S-P technique was applied for immunohistochemical staining of epiretinal membrane of traumatic PVR with TERT, PCNA and Bcl-2 antibody. HE staining was also carried out. The staining results were analyzed with image analysis system.· RESULTS: The positive rate and average A of PCNA protein were upregulated at first and then down-regulated, with the peak value in 14d Group, which was significantly different from those in 7d Group and 28d Group.The positive rate and average A of TERT and Bcl-2 were also upregulated at first and then down-regulated, with the peak value in 14d Group and 21d Group, which were significantly different from those in 7d Group. There was significant correlation among PCNA, Bcl-2 and TERT protein expression (P≤0.01).· CONCLUSTON: TERT and Bcl-2 take part in the regulation of proliferative cells in epiretinal membrane of traumatic proliferative PVR, with high correlation with the dynamic changes of cell proliferation.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of musicotherapy on agitation behaviors in patients with aged dementia (AD).Methods22 AD patients were treated with different musicotherapies, and examined with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) and self made sociality psychological inventory before and after treatment.ResultsAfter musicotherapy, the incidence rate of agitation behaviors of AD patients decreased significantly ( P<0.001). The incidence rates of agitation behaviors among patients with low, middle and high MMSE scores were significantly different ( P<0.001). After musicotherapy, both depressions of patients' cognitive function and scores of agitation behaviors were significant different compared with that before treatment (P<0.01). Effectual rates of musicotherapy on sociality psychological emotion, communication, language and intercourse of this group patients were 86.36%, 90.91%, 72.73% and 77.27%, respectively.ConclusionMusicotherapy can effectively alleviate the symptoms of agitation behaviors in AD patients.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tim e-of-flight im aging m ass spectrom etry (MALDI-TOF-IMS ) has been a classical technique for studying proteom ics in present and a tool for analyzing the distribution of proteins and sm all m olecules w ithin biological tissue sections. MALDI-TOF-IMS can analyze m ultiple unknow n com pounds in biological tissue sections sim ultaneously through a single m ea-surem ent w hich can obtain m olecule im aging of the tissue w hile m aintaining the integrity of cellular and m olecules in tissue. In recent years, im aging m ass spectrom etry technique develops relatively quickly in all biom edical dom ain. T his paper based on the relevant data and review s the present developing level of MALDI-TOF-IMS, the principle of im aging m ass spectrom etry, m ethology and the prospect in foren-sic pathology.

Postm ortem chem istry is becom ing m ore and m ore essential in routine forensic pathology and has m ade considerable progress over the past years. B iochem ical analyses of vitreous hum or, blood, urine and cerebrospinal fluid m ay provide im portant inform ation in determ ining the cause of death or in elucidating forensic issues. Postm ortem chem istry m ay be essential for the determ ination of cause of death w hen m orphological m ethods (diabetes m ellitus, alcoholic ketoacidosis and electrolytic disorders) cannot detect the pathophysiological changes involved in the death process. It can also provide m any in-form ation in other forensic situations, including m yocardial ischem ia, sepsis, inflam m ation, infection, ana-phylaxis and horm onal disturbances. T he m ost recent relevant research advances on glucose m etabolism , liver function, cardiac function, renal function, sepsis, inflam m ation, infection, anaphylaxis and horm onal aspect are hereby review ed.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the changes and rules of biochemical markers in serum of guinea pigs after death caused by hypothermia and to provide references for fatal hypothermia diagnosis by serum biochemical markers. METHODS: Twenty guinea pigs were randomly divided into experimental group and control group. The guinea pigs in the experimental group were kept at -30 °C until death, while the ones in control group were decapitated after same survival intervals at 25 °C. The serum was extracted from the whole blood of right ventricular immediately. Subsequently, a series of serum biochemical markers were analyzed by auto bio-chemical analyzer. RESULTS: The levels of glucose, uric acid, creatinine and urea nitrogen in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in control group, respectively (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the levels of total protein and albumin were significantly lower in the experimental group (P<0.05). There were no significantly differences of the levels of other markers such as serum enzymes and ions observed between the two groups. CONCLUSION There are characteristic changes of some specific serum biochemical markers in fatal hypothermia, which may be potentially useful for auxiliary diagnosis of fatal hypothermia.
Animals ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Cause of Death ; Guinea Pigs ; Hypothermia

OBJECTIVETo measure the effect of atorvastatin on COX-2 expression in monocytes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

METHODSForty patients with AMI (AMI group) and 18 patients with stable coronary heart disease (control group) were enrolled, and patients with AMI were randomly given routine therapy (n = 20) and routine therapy plus atorvastatin (20 mg/day, n = 20) for a week. Peripheral blood monocytes for each participant including patients with AMI were isolated and cultured for 24 hours. During the culture, monocytes in patients with pretreatment AMI were incubated with celecoxib in different concentration (0, 0.1, 1 and 10 micromol/L). COX-2 mRNA expression in monocytes was measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR); concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in supernatant from monocytes and plasma hs-CRP levels were measured by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSCOX-2 expression in monocytes in patients with AMI (0.92 +/- 0.13) was significantly higher than that in the control subjects (0.19 +/- 0.08), and decreased by 66% after atorvastatin (compared with that on routine therapy, P < 0.05); IL-6 secretions of monocytes in the AMI group (204.8 +/- 45.6 ng/L) increased dramatically compared with those in the control group (40.9 +/- 1.2 ng/L, P < 0.05), and reduced dramatically by 58% when incubated with 10 micromol/L celecoxib (P < 0.05) in a concentration-dependent manner; plasma levels of CRP in the AMI group (43.3 +/- 14.9 mg/L) significantly increased compared with those in the control group (1.7 +/- 0.8 mg/L), and reduced by 62% after atorvastatin (compared with those in the routine therapy group, P < 0.05). COX-2 expression in monocytes in the AMI group was positively correlated with both secretions of IL-6 and plasma level of CRP (r = 0.636 and 0.662, respectively, both P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThere is an inflammatory activation in peripheral blood monocytes in patients with early AMI, and the monocytes-derived COX-2 may play an important role in promoting early inflammatory process. Atorvastatin may decrease COX-2 expression in peripheral blood monocytes in patients with AMI and cyclooxygenase-dependent pathway might be correlated with the anti-inflammation mechanism of statin.

Aged ; Atorvastatin Calcium ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; metabolism ; Female ; Heptanoic Acids ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-6 ; metabolism ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Pyrroles ; therapeutic use ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics

Objective To assess the value of Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MoCA)in screening mild cognitive impairment(MCI)in elderly patients.Methods Thirty-two elderly patients with MCI and 50 healthy elderly subjects were examined with neuropsychological tests using Mini-mental State Examination(MMSE)and the MoCA. Results With a cut-off score of 26,the MoCA had a sensitivity of 96.87%and specificity of 76%for detecting MCI,and the sensitivity and specificity of MMSE were 56.25%and 96%,respectively.For the MoCA sub-items,the elderly patients with MCI had significantly lower scores than the healthy elderly in all the cognitive function measures (P＜0.05)except for abstraction and fixed orientation.In MMSE sub-items,significant differgnces were found between the two groups in only calculation/attention and delayed recall(P＜0.05).Conclusions The MoCA is a highiy sensitive scale for screening MCI in elderly patients,which allows comprehensive assessment of the cognitive function of MCI patients and is applicable in detecting MCI in patients with normal MMSE results.

BACKGROUNDConventional computed tomography angiography (CTA) is time consuming, user-dependent and has poor image quality in skull base region. This study assessed the feasibility of a new method, dual energy CTA for depicting the cerebral artery.

METHODSPhantom scan was done with head CTA sequences on dual source CT and 64 spiral CT for radiation dose calculation. Dual energy CTA was done with dual source CT on 36 patients who were suspected of having cerebral vascular disease. Three series axial images in 0.75 mm thick, 0.4 mm increment were acquired, which were named with 80 kV, 140 kV and merged images; 80 kV and 140 kV images were transferred into dual energy software, and maximum intensity projection (MIP) image was generated quickly by dual energy bone remove (DEBR group); merged images were transferred into In Space software to acquire MIP image through manual conventional bone remove (CoBR group). Post processing time and reading time were compared. Image qualities of the two groups were compared, mainly focusing on skull base segments of internal carotid artery and bone subtraction. ANOVA and SNK tests were applied for radiation dose comparison. Student's t test and Wilcoxon rank sum test were applied for assessing differences between data for significance. Cohen's kappa was used for interobserver agreement.

RESULTSRadiation dose of phantom scan showed dual energy CTA was between digital bone subtraction and conventional CTA. The post processing time and reading time were much shorter in DEBR than CoBR, and image quality in skull base was much higher in DEBR than CoBR (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference for suprasellar vessels between two groups (P > 0.5). Interobserver agreement for all vessel segments was excellent (kappa = 0.97).

CONCLUSIONSDual energy CTA is a reliable, new modality for depicting cerebral artery, overcoming the limitation of conventional CTA in the skull base region. It can save much time in post processing and reading than conventional CTA.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Angiography ; methods ; Cerebral Arteries ; diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods ; Young Adult