Actins ; analysis ; Animals ; Dimethylnitrosamine ; Immunohistochemistry ; Liver ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Necrosis ; chemically induced ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reticulin ; analysis ; Silver Staining

OBJECTIVETo study the biologic process of energy metabolism in brain during acupuncture using positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-2-desoxyglucose (18FDG) for further elucidation of the relationship between acupunctural signal and nerve system.

METHODSElectroacupuncture (EA) was applied on right lateral of a healthy volunteer and paralytic limbs of 4 patients with cerebral infarction at acupoints L14, LI11, ST36 and SP6 using Hans acupoint-nerve stimulator. PET imaging was conducted on the healthy subject or patients with the same posture before and during EA with GE Advance II PET system.

RESULTSPET showed that in the healthy subject, before EA, the glucose metabolism (GM) in bilateral cerebral cortex, bilateral thalamus, basal nuclei and cerebellum was almost symmetrical, but during EA, the GM in contralateral thalamus, contralateral frontal lobe and parietal lobe (motor and sensory area) increased obviously. While in the patients before EA, the GM in the infarcted area was significantly lower than that in the non-infarcted area, as compared with that observed with CT and MRI, it showed a similar figure but with bigger abnormal area. During EA, GM in the infarcted area increased with apparent reduction of size. Increased GM of focal area, widened cerebral cortex and decreased edematous area were shown in patients with larger infarction area. Quantitative analysis revealed evident change in local/total ratio of glucose and increase of GM change rate.

CONCLUSION(1) EA on limb acupoints of healthy subject could induce obvious increase of regional GM in brain and contralateral thalamus, contralateral frontal lobe and parietal lobe (motor and sensory area). (2) EA on acupoints of paralytic limbs could cause increase of GM in contralateral thalamus, contralateral frontal lobe and parietal lobe. Besides, GM also increased in the area with lowered GM before EA, accompanied with shrinkage or disappearance of lesion. (3) Acupuncture could evoke the function of brain cells and raise the GM in them.

Aged ; Brain ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; Cerebral Infarction ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; Electroacupuncture ; Energy Metabolism ; Female ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Glucose ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Random Allocation ; Tomography, Emission-Computed

ITS2 sequence was used as a barcode to identify herbal tea ingredient Plumeria rubra and its adulterants. Genomic DNAs from forty eight samples were extracted, the ITS2 sequences were amplified and sequenced bi-direstionlly, and then assembled and obtained using CodonCode Aligner. The sequences were aligned using ClustalW, the genetic distances were computed by kimura 2-parameter (K2P) model and the Neighbor-joining (NJ) phylogenetic trees were constructed using MEGA5.0. Results showed that the length of ITS2 sequence of P. rubra were 244 bp. The intra-specific genetic distances (0-0. 016 6) were much smaller than inter-specific ones between P. rubra and its adulterants(0.320 8-0.650 4). The NJ tree indicated that P. rubra and its adulterants could be distinguished clearly. Therefore, Using ITS2 barcode can accurately andeffectively distinguish herbal tea ingredient P. rubra from its adulterants, which providesa new molecular method to identify P. rubra and ensure its safety in use.
Apocynaceae ; classification ; genetics ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; methods ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; genetics ; Drug Contamination ; prevention & control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; classification ; Flowers ; chemistry ; classification ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Quality Control

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy of free-radical scavenger in the treatment of chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP).

METHODSFifty-eight healthy male rats were randomly divided into a control group and four model groups (Groups A, B, C and D). The chronic prostatitis model was established in the latter groups through injecting E. coli into the ventral robe of the prostate according to document. Group A was untreated, Group B treated with free-radical scavenger vitamin C, Group C with salicylazosulfapyridine (SASP), Group D with SASP and vitamin C. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) examinations were conducted in each group 2 months later.

RESULTSVitamin C could significantly increase the level of SOD and decrease the level of MDA. There was significant difference between the model groups and the control one, as well as between the treated groups and the untreated one, but none among the treated groups.

CONCLUSIONFree-radical scavenger may be useful for the treatment of chronic bacterial prostatitis.

Animals ; Ascorbic Acid ; therapeutic use ; Chronic Disease ; Free Radical Scavengers ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Prostatitis ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sulfasalazine ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the efficacy of anticoagulation and thrombolysis for deep venous thrombosis via local vein approach and peripheral vein approach to guide clinical treatment.

METHODSThere were 225 patients with deep venous thrombosis admitted from January 2001 to May 2008. The cases were divided into two groups by therapy procedures. The patients in group A were treated by deep femoral vein catheter-directed anticoagulation and thrombolysis, including a total number of 71 patients, with right lower extremity in 20 patients, left lower extremity in 47 patients and bilateral lower extremities in 4 patients. One hundred and fifty-four patients were included in group B with anticoagulation and thrombolysis through peripheral vein, among them right lower extremity in 27 patients, left lower extremity in 121 patients and bilateral lower extremities in 6 patients. The efficacy was evaluated and compared by observing clinical symptoms and measuring of changes in limb circumference.

RESULTSSymptoms were alleviated in all patients in 3 d after the treatment, but the efficacy of group A was better than group B (94.4% vs.69.5%, P < 0.01). The efficacy of group A was also better than group B in 7 days after treatment, but with no significant difference (85.9% vs. 75.3%, P > 0.05). A mean follow-up period was (43 ± 18) months. There was no significant difference in incidence of complication and recurrence between two groups.

CONCLUSIONSThe earlier efficacy of anticoagulation and thrombolysis via femoral vein approach is better than via peripheral vein approach in earlier period of deep venous thrombosis. While peripheral intravenous therapy has also good results after long-term treatment.

Adult ; Aged ; Anticoagulants ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Fibrinolytic Agents ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Lower Extremity ; blood supply ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Thrombolytic Therapy ; methods ; Vena Cava Filters ; Venous Thrombosis ; drug therapy

Tuberculous aortic aneurysm (TBAA) is an extremely rare clinical event with life-threatening implication. Management for this condition is challenging and its therapeutic option has not been yet established. A few recent reports described endovascular repair rather than open surgery as the method for treatment. Although this remains controversial, endovascular exclusion has been gaining acceptance for some surgeons. We present a case of TBAA who was treated by endovascular stent grafting for a descending thoracic aortic aneurysm with simultaneous anti-tuberculous medication. The outcome was favorable.
Adult ; Aneurysm, Infected ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; surgery ; Antitubercular Agents ; therapeutic use ; Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; surgery ; Humans ; Male

OBJECTIVETo investigate the apoptotic situation of CD(34) positive cells in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

METHODIn 36 MDS patients, immunocytochemical technique was used for the detection of the expression of CD(34) antigen and DNA in situ end labelling (ISEL) (fluorescein) for the apoptotic signals. Fourteen cases of iron deficiency anemias (IDA) were used as controls.

RESULTS(1) CD(34) expression in MDS group was much higher than that in controls (49.2 +/- 38.5 vs 10.2 +/- 9.7, P < 0.01), and MDS cases had an obviously higher apoptotic rate than control did (69.1 +/- 28.2 vs 17.8 +/- 11.2, P < 0.01). (2) Expression of CD(34) was higher in transforming group (P < 0.05) than in non-transforming and post-transforming groups. Apoptotic rates in both non-transforming/transforming group were higher than in post-transforming group (P < 0.02 and < 0.05 respectively). (3) No apoptosis was found in CD(34) positive cells in MDS; (4) Both CD(34) positive cells and apoptotic cells formed into small or large clusters but did not co-distributed in a given area.

CONCLUSIONThere is overexpression of CD(34) antigen on hematopoietic cells in MDS. High CD(34) expression accompanied high apoptosis coexisted in the process of transformation from MDS to AML. Apoptosis-resistance of these CD(34) positive cells suggested that they came from malignant hematopoietic cell clones.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antigens, CD34 ; metabolism ; Apoptosis ; Bone Marrow Cells ; immunology ; pathology ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; immunology ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the morphological changes and regeneration mechanism of sinusoidal endothelial cell.

METHODSSixty male Wistar rats (bought from SLC company limited of Japan) were divided into three groups. Fifty of them belonged to experiment group, five rats belonged to untreated group, and the rest five ones belonged to normal saline treated group. The experiment group was then divided into ten subgroups. All the rats of the experiment group were killed under anaesthesia using aether at 12, 24, 36 hrs, and 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 14 days subsequently after an one-off injection of dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) (50 mg/kg). The liver tissues, bone marrows and peripheral blood of the rats were taken out rapidly. All the tissues received with HE staining, immunohistochemistry staining and double immunofluorescence labelings, and they were observed under a light microscope and electron microscope. The livers, bone marrows and peripheral blood from the rats at 24 hrs to 14 days after an injection of DMN were examined by light microscopic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural methods.

RESULTSSmall focal necrosis of the liver tissues was found at 12 hrs after the DMN injection, and gradually becomes more obvious from the 24 hrs. The most obvious necrosis, with lots of ED-1 (monocyte/phagocyte marker of rats) positive cells infiltration, was observed at 36 hrs. On the 2nd day and 3rd day after injection, the necrotic fragments and red cells were phagocyted by ED-1 positive macrophages. On the 5th day, some of the ED-1-positive cells were transformed from round to spindle in shape. On the 7th day, these cells contacted with residual reticulin fibers and became positive for SE-1, a marker of hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells and Tie-1, an endothelial cell-specific surface receptor, associated with frequent occurrence of ED-1/SE-1 and ED-1/Tie-1 double positive spindle cells. On the 8th day, the histomorphology of liver tissue was similar with that on day 7, except that the range of the lesions had become smaller. On the 10th day, the regeneration of liver tissue increased, filling in the necrosis. On the 14th day, the necrotic tissues were almost replaced by regenerated liver tissues and thin bundles of central-to-central bridging fibrosis. 12 hrs after the DMN injection, bone marrow studies showed an increase in the number of ED-1 positive mononuclear cells, some of which were both BrdU/ED-1 positive. The number of ED-1 positive mononuclear cells reach their highest level at 36 hrs. These cells are morphologically similar to round mononuclear cells in bone marrows and could be found in the peripheral blood from 24 hrs to the 10 days. They reached their highest level in peripheral blood at the same time as in the bone marrow. These cells morphologically resembled ED-1 positive cells in necrotic tissues of the liver.

CONCLUSIONSThese findings suggest that round mononuclear ED-1-positive cells proliferate first in the bone marrow after DMN treatment, reach necrotic areas of livers through circulation, and differentiate to sinusoidal endothelial cells. Namely, hepatic sinusoids in DMN-induced necrotic areas may partly be reorganized possibly by vasculogenesis.

Animals ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; pathology ; Dimethylnitrosamine ; Endothelial Cells ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Liver ; blood supply ; metabolism ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Liver Regeneration ; Male ; Necrosis ; chemically induced ; pathology ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

BACKGROUNDInflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysms (IAAAs) are rare but distinct clinical entities of atherosclerotic abdominal aortic aneurysms (aAAAs). In this study we report a 20-year single institution experience for IAAA and analyze their clinical features and long term outcome in comparison with aAAA.

METHODSBetween 1988 and 2008, 412 cases of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) underwent elective surgical operations, 11 (2.7%) of whom were diagnosed as IAAAs and 389 (94.4%) were diagnosed as aAAAs. The former group was matched in a case control fashion to a group of 33 patients with aAAAs having similar characteristics of age, gender, and preoperative risk factors. All available clinical, pathologic, and postoperative variables were retrospectively reviewed, and the two groups were compared.

RESULTSThe two groups did not differ significantly in clinical characteristics and preoperative risk factors, although patients with IAAAs were significantly more symptomatic (100% vs. 42.4%, P = 0.001) and had larger aneurysms on admission ((7.4 +/- 0.7) cm vs. (6.3 +/- 0.9) cm, P = 0.006). In IAAAs, the preoperative erythrocyte sedimentation rate was found to be significantly elevated compared to aAAA group ((44.5 +/- 9.1) mm/h vs. (11.4 +/- 5.4) mm/h, P < 0.05). Surgical morbidity and mortality rates did not differ between the two groups. The operation time for patients with IAAAs was significantly longer than that for patients with aAAAs ((308 +/- 36) minutes vs. (224 +/- 46) minutes, P < 0.05), but the cross-clamp time was similar in both groups ((41.5 +/- 6.2) minutes vs. (41.8 +/- 6.2) minutes, P = 0.92). A five-year survival rate analysis showed no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.711).

CONCLUSIONSDespite having more symptoms, larger size and longer operation time, patients with IAAA can now be treated with approaches that cause low morbidity and mortality, similar to patients with aAAA. Long term outcome of IAAA patients is of no difference from aAAA patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; Atherosclerosis ; complications ; pathology ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; complications ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

The researches on chlamydia in recent years show that chlamydia bacteriophage may be a potential and effective means to solve the clinical infection of chlamydia trachomatis (Ct).We investigated the biological effect of chlamydiaphage phiCPG1 capsid protein Vp1 on Ct both in McCoy cells and genital tract of mice.Different concentrations of Vp1 were co-incubated with Ct E serotype strain in McCoy cells.Female BALB/c mice were used to establish Ct E strain-induced urogenital infection model.They were randomly divided into five groups and given different treatments on the fifth day after Ct inoculation.Animals in groups 1 and 2 were given 30 μL different concentrations of Vp1 in the genital tract respectively,those in group 3 were intramuscularly injected with 30 μL Vp1,those in the infected group did not receive any intervention,and those in the control group received 30 μL PBS in the genital tract.The vaginal discharge was collected to identify the live chlamydia by cell culture and gene fragment by real time PCR different days after infection.Inhibition rate of 100 μg/mL and 50 μg/mL Vpl proteins against Ct E strain in the McCoy cell cultures was 91％ and 79％ respectively,The number of intracellular Ct inclusion in the McCoy cells co-cultured with vaginal discharge of group 1 and group 2 was less than in the infected group,and that in group 1 was less than in group 2,on the 7th day after Ct inoculation.Real-time PCR showed that chlamydia concentration of the vaginal discharge in group 2 was lower than in the infected group,and that in group 1 was lower than in group 2 on the 10th day.It was suggested that Vp1 capsid proteins had inhibitory effect on the proliferation of Ct serovar E strain in cell culture and mouse genital tract.