OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical effect of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) for the treatment of neonatal pneumothorax.

METHODSRetrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 23 neonates with pneumothorax who received HFOV from January 2007 to June 2011. Of the 23 cases, 19 cases were treated by HFOV as soon as they were diagnosed with pneumothorax, and 4 cases were treated by HFOV after the occurrence of pneumothorax during conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) ventilation. Another 23 neonates with pneumothorax who received CMV in the same period were selected as controls. The HFOV group and control group were compared with respect to oxygenation index (OI) and arterial/alveolar oxygen tension ratio (a/APO(2)) before and after 1, 12, 24, and 48 hours of ventilation as well as mechanical ventilation time, gas absorption time, complication, and prognosis.

RESULTSBoth groups showed significantly decreased OI and significantly increased a/APO(2) after ventilation (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the HFOV group had significantly lower OI and significantly higher a/APO(2) after 1, 12, 24, and 48 hours of ventilation (P<0.05). Mechanical ventilation and gas absorption times were significantly shorter in the HFOV group than in the control group (P<0.05). Twenty-two cases were cured in the HFOV group and 21 in the control group. Each group included one case of ventilator-associated pneumonia that was later cured with antibiotics.

CONCLUSIONSCompared with CMV, HFOV performs better in improving the pulmonary oxygenation function of neonates with pneumothorax and can shorten both mechanical ventilation time and gas absorption time without increasing the incidence of adverse effects.

Female ; High-Frequency Ventilation ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Oxygen ; blood ; Pneumothorax ; blood ; therapy ; Retrospective Studies

This study aimed to explore the effects of Gynostemma pentaphyllum saponins(GPs) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) induced by high-fat diet in rats and reveal the underlying mechanism. The NAFLD model rats were prepared with high-fat diet. Forty male Sprague Dawley(SD) rats were randomly assigned into the control group, model group, and low-, moderate-, and high-dose GPs(50, 100, and 150 mg·kg~(-1), respectively) groups. After intragastric administration for 8 continuous weeks, we determined the body weight, liver weight, the levels of total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-c), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-c), alanine aminotransferase(ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase(AST) in serum, and the levels of TC, TG, malondialdehyde(MDA), superoxide dismutase(SOD), catalase(CAT), and interleukin 6(IL-6) in the liver. Furthermore, we observed the pathological changes of liver tissue by oil red O staining and hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining, sequenced the 16 S rRNA of the intestinal flora in rat feces, and determined the content of short-chain fatty acids in rat feces. The results showed that GPs inhibited the excessive weight gain of high-fat diet-induced NAFLD in rats, reduced the liver weight, lowered the TC, TG, LDL-c, AST, and ALT levels in serum(P<0.05), and rose the HDL-c level in serum(P<0.01). GPs relieved the liver damage caused by high-fat diet, mainly manifested by the lowered levels of TC, TG, MDA, and IL-6 in the liver(P<0.01) and elevated levels of CAT and SOD in the liver. Furthermore, GPs reversed the intestinal flora disorder caused by high-fat diet, restored the diversity of intestinal flora, increased the relative abundance of Bacteroides, and reduced the relative abundance of Firmicutes and the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroides. Moreover, GPs promoted the proliferation of beneficial bacteria such as Akkermansia, Bacteroides, and Parabacteroides, and inhibited the growth of harmful bacteria such as Desulfovibrio, Escherichia-Shigella, and Helicobacter. GPs increased the content of short-chain fatty acids(acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid)(P<0.01). These findings indicate that GPs can alleviate the high-fat diet-induced NAFLD in rats via regulating the intestinal flora and short-chain fatty acid metabolism.
Alanine Transaminase/metabolism* ; Animals ; Cholesterol, LDL/pharmacology* ; Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Gynostemma ; Interleukin-6/metabolism* ; Liver ; Male ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/metabolism* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Saponins/pharmacology* ; Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism*

Objective: To investigate the protective effects of Polygonatum odoratum polysaccharides (POP) on alcohol-induced injury of HepG2 cells and its potential molecular mechanisms. Methods: After screening the appropriate concentration of alcohol-treated HepG2 cells and the intervention concentration of POP by MTT method, HepG2 cells were divided into three groups according to different intervention concentrations (200 μg/L, 400 μg/L and 600 μg/L) of POP, and the blank group without POP. After pretreated for 1 h, HepG2 cells were treated with 4% alcohol for 24 h. The activities of intracellular alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were measured, and the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF- α) were measured. The protein expressions of Kelch-like epichlorohydrin-associated protein-1 (Keap1), phosphorylated nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (p-Nrf2), phosphoamide adenine dinucleotide quinone oxidoreductase -1 (NQO1), B lymphocyte tumor-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and caspase 3 were detected. Results: Compared with the HepG2 cells treated with 4% alcohol, POP at the various concentrations could effectively down-regulate the activities of ALT and AST in HepG2 cells induced by alcohol (P＜0.05). The levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in the 200 μg/L POP treated group were decreased significantly (P＜0.05), while the level of GSH was increased significantly (P＜0.01). The levels of ROS, MDA, IL-1β and TNF-α in the 400 μg/L and 600 μg/L POP treated groups were decreased significantly (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01), while the GSH level was increased significantly (P＜0.01). POP effectively up-regulated the expressions of p-Nrf2 and NQO1 protein in HepG2 cells induced by alcohol, and also down-regulated the Bax/Bcl-2 index (P＜0.05), and inhibited the protein expressions of Keap1 and cleaved-caspase-3 (P＜0.05). Conclusion: POP can improve alcohol-induced oxidative stress injury in HepG2 cells by regulating the Nrf2/Keap1 pathway, thereby reducing the inflammatory index and apoptosis level of HepG2 cells. Among them, 400 μg/L and 600 μg/L POP have better intervention effects.
Ethanol ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Kelch-Like ECH-Associated Protein 1/metabolism* ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism* ; Polygonatum/metabolism* ; Polysaccharides/pharmacology* ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein/metabolism*

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of intubation-surfactant-extubation (INSURE) method in the treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS), and to investigate its possible mechanisms.

METHODSSixty-four premature infants, who were admitted for NRDS and treated with pulmonary surfactant from March 2010 to March 2012, were enrolled in the study. They were randomly divided into INSURE (n=32) and conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) groups (n=32). The two groups were compared in terms of respiratory function, ventilation time, duration of oxygen therapy, complications, and prognosis, as well as expression of interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and serum ferritin (SF).

RESULTSOxygenation index in the INSURE group was significantly higher than in the CMV group at 48 hours after treatment (P<0.05). Compared with the CMV group, the INSURE group showed significantly lower incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and significantly shorter duration of oxygen therapy (P<0.05 for all comparisons). There were no significant differences in ventilation time and the incidence of pneumothorax, intracranial hemorrhage, necrotizing enteroolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and pneumorrhagia between the two groups (P>0.05). The levels of TNF-α and SF were significantly lower in the INSURE group than in the CMV group at 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours after treatment (P<0.05), while the level of IL-10 was significantly higher in the INSURE group than in the CMV group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSINSURE method can improve the oxygenation function of the lung, decrease the incidence of VAP and shorten the duration of oxygen therapy in neonates with NRDS, which is probably due to the fact that this method can reduce the production of TNF-α and SF and inhibit the decrease of IL-10.

Carbon Dioxide ; blood ; Female ; Ferritins ; blood ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Interleukin-10 ; blood ; Male ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn ; blood ; therapy ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

Objective To predict the potential suitable growth areas of Epimedium brevicornu Maxim.under current climate conditions in China;To provide basis for the sustainable utilization of Epimedium brevicornu Maxim.resources and production planning.Methods Based on 267 screened species distribution data of Epimedium brevicornu Maxim.and 8 environmental factors,the MaxEnt parameters were optimized by the R language kuenm package.The main environmental factors that affect the distribution of Epimedium brevicornu Maxim.was analyzed and its potential distribution range was predicted.Results The omission rate of the optimal model operation results was 0.044 8,AICc=6 409.884 5,AUC=0.986,indicating a high accuracy of the model.Based on the contribution rate of environmental factors and the knife cut method,it was indicated that the key environmental factors affecting the current distribution of Epimedium brevicornu Maxim.were mainly the average precipitation in July,the average highest temperature in February,the average precipitation in September,the coldest season precipitation,the coefficient of variation of precipitation,the standard deviation of seasonal temperature changes,and the warmest season precipitation.The simulation results showed that the total suitable area for Epimedium brevicornu Maxim.in China under current climate conditions was approximately 221.14×104 km2,concentrated in the central and central southern regions of China.The area of the high suitability zone was approximately 23.13×104 km2;the area of the suitable growth zone was approximately 73.78×104 km2;the area of low suitability zone was approximately 124.22×104 km2.Conclusion This study provides a basis and reference for the artificial cultivation planning and sustainable utilization of Epimedium brevicornu Maxim.resources.

By consulting the ancient and modern literature， the textual research of Pharbitidis Semen has been conducted to clarify the name， origin， distribution of production areas， quality specification， harvesting， processing and so on， so as to provide reference for the development and utilization of the relevant famous classical formulas. Through textual research， it can be seen that Pharbitidis Semen was first published in Mingyi Bielu（《名医别录》）， and all dynasties have taken Qianniuzi as the correct name. Based on the original research， the main source of Pharbitidis Semen used in previous dynasties is the dried mature seeds of Pharbitis nil， which is consistent in ancient and modern times. The white Pharbitidis Semen appearing in Compendium of Materia Medica（《本草纲目》） from Ming dynasty is similar to the present P. purpurea. It is produced all over the country， and the quality is better if the particles are full and free of impurities. In ancient times， the harvesting time was mostly in the September. Now it is autumn. The fruits are ripe and harvested， dried to remove impurities for standby. In ancient times， the processing methods of Pharbitidis Semen were mainly wine steaming， steaming and frying until half cooked and grinding the head and end. In modern times， they have been simplified to stir-frying method. The nature， taste， meridian tropism and their effects also change supplements with the deepening of practice. Before the Ming dynasty， they were all bitter， cold and toxic. In the Ming dynasty， there appeared the characteristics of pungent， hot and small poisonous. The efficacy has evolved from controlling low Qi， curing foot edema， removing wind toxin， and facilitating urination to facilitating water and defecation， eliminating phlegm and drinking， and eliminating accumulated insects. The main clinical contraindications are those with weak spleen and kidney， those with weak spleen and stomach， pregnant women， and should not be used with croton and croton cream. Based on the textual research， it is suggested that when developing the classic famous formula with Pharbitidis Semen as the main raw material in the future， it is clear that the source should be the dried mature seeds of Pharbitis nil（black product is its black-brown seeds， white product is its beige seeds）. The processing requirements indicated in the original formula are all processed according to the requirements， and the raw product is recommended to be used as medicine if not specified.

ObjectiveTo clarify the spatial distribution characteristics of medicinal plant resources in Gansu province， analyze the causes， changing trends， and driving factors of the spatial differentiation， and thus lay a scientific basis for the rational development and sustainable development of medicinal plant resources in this province. MethodBased on the data of The Fourth National Survey of Chinese Medicine Resources， the richness and spatial distribution difference of medicinal plant resources in 87 counties （districts） of Gansu province were analyzed via the global spatial autocorrelation analysis， trend surface analysis， local spatial autocorrelation analysis， and hotspot analysis. Moreover， the correlation of vegetation type， soil texture， annual average temperature， annual average precipitation， and altitude with the spatial distribution pattern of the medicinal plant resources was discussed. ResultCounties （districts） with high or low richness of medicinal plant resources in Gansu province were respectively clustered together. To be specific， counties （districts） with high richness of the medicinal resources were mainly in southeastern Gansu， while those with low richness in northwestern Gansu. The leading driving factors affecting the cold and hot spots included vegetation type， soil texture， and average annual rainfall. ConclusionThe species richness of medicinal plant resources in Gansu province rises from west to east and from north to south. The natural driving factors are the key to the diversity and spatial distribution pattern of medicinal plant resources， which show significant influence on them.

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at investigating the carrier rate of, and molecular variation in, α- and β-globin gene mutations in Hunan Province. METHODS: We recruited 25,946 individuals attending premarital screening from 42 districts and counties in all 14 cities of Hunan Province. Hematological screening was performed, and molecular parameters were assessed. RESULTS: The overall carrier rate of thalassemia was 7.1%, including 4.83% for α-thalassemia, 2.15% for β-thalassemia, and 0.12% for both α- and β-thalassemia. The highest carrier rate of thalassemia was in Yongzhou (14.57%). The most abundant genotype of α-thalassemia and β-thalassemia was -α ^3.7/αα (50.23%) and β ^IVS-II-654/β ^N (28.23%), respectively. Four α-globin mutations [CD108 (ACC>AAC), CAP +29 (G>C), Hb Agrinio and Hb Cervantes] and six β-globin mutations [CAP +8 (C>T), IVS-II-848 (C>T), -56 (G>C), beta nt-77 (G>C), codon 20/21 (-TGGA) and Hb Knossos] had not previously been identified in China. Furthermore, this study provides the first report of the carrier rates of abnormal hemoglobin variants and α-globin triplication in Hunan Province, which were 0.49% and 1.99%, respectively. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates the high complexity and diversity of thalassemia gene mutations in the Hunan population. The results should facilitate genetic counselling and the prevention of severe thalassemia in this region.
Humans ; beta-Thalassemia/genetics* ; alpha-Thalassemia/genetics* ; Hemoglobinopathies/genetics* ; China/epidemiology* ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing