Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Benzopyrenes ; administration & dosage ; toxicity ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; pathology ; Injections, Intraventricular ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Background Our previous study demonstrated that kallikrein-kinin is a special protein in vitreous of the eye with proliferative vitreoretinopathy(PVR),and the expression intensity of kallikrein-kinin showed the positive correlation with the grade of PVR.Objective This study was to further explore whether kallikrein-kinin participate in the formation of PVR.Methods Rat retinal pigment epithelial cell line(RPE-J cells) was cultured in DMEM containing 4% fetal bovine serum and then prepared into suspension by PBS with the cells density of 2.5×108 cells/ml.Platelet-rich plasma was prepared by PBS with the platelet 2.5×108 /ml.RPE cell suspension(4μl) and platelet-rich plasma(6μl) was intravitreally injected in the left eyes of 30 clean Wistar rats to establish the PVR models,and 10μl sterile pyrogen-free normal saline solution was used in the same way in other matched rats as controls.The PVR was graded on Francine's criteria in 1 day,3,7,14,21,28 days after injection under the slit lamp.The serum,vitreous and retina were obtained in 28 days after injection to assess the expression of bradykinin using Western blot.The histopathology examination of rat retina was performed in the 28th day after injection.This experimental procedure followed the Regulations for the Administration of Affair Concerning Experimental Animals by State Science and Technology Commission.Results Typical PVR was seen in 25 models with the successful rate 89.3% at 28 days after injection.PVR 1,2,3 grades were respectively exhibited in 7,14,28 days under the slit lamp.Infiltration of inflammatory cells and migration of RPE cells were found in the 7th day.In the 14th day after injection,RPE cells transformed into fibroblasts and retinal detachment occurred after that.Western blot analysis revealed that bradykinin was detected in vitreous,serum and retinal samples of rats in experimental and control rats,but the expression intensity was higher in the rats of model groups.Conclusion Intravitreal co-injection of RPE cells and platelet-rich plasma can effectively induce a model of PVR in Wistar rat.The kallikrein-kinin system probably takes part in the onset of PVR.

Adult ; Arthritis ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Radiography ; Tuberculosis, Lymph Node ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Tuberculosis, Osteoarticular ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVETo study on relation of indications of Back-shu points of zang- and fu-organs with The Bladder Channel of Foot-Taiyang.

METHODSWith analysis of origin of Back-shu points of zang- and fu-organs and their indications, the relation of Back-shu points with the incidental and fundamental aspects, theory of qi-flow, and the characteristics of the parts of indications of acupoints reflected by Back-shu points, relations of indications of Back-shu points of zang- and fu-organs with The Bladder Channel of Foot-Taiyang were studied.

RESULTSIndications of Back-shu points, a group of acupoints on the circulation route of The Foot-Taiyang Channel, are not found in the channel, which is difficult to explain from twelve channel theory. However, the relation of the incidental and fundamental aspects, theory of qi-flow, and the characteristics of the parts of indications of acupoints with the indications, and the branches of channels presented due to channel tropism of acupoints, etc. contribute to explain the indications of Back-shu points for diseases and syndromes of five zang-organs and six fu-organs.

CONCLUSIONThe relation of indications of acupoints with disease groups and circulation route of channels can not be discussed simply by Miraculous Pivot . Channels.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Back ; Foot ; Humans ; Meridians ; Syndrome ; Urinary Bladder

Realgar-containing Niuhuang Jiedu tablet (NHJD) has been applied in clinic for more than 800 years. However, because realgar contains arsenic (As), it has aroused wide concerns and controversies both at home and abroad. Currently, there are two misunderstandings about realgar-containing Chinese patent medicines. First, some people exaggerated realgar's toxicity as that of arsenic. Second, they recommended to remove realgar from traditional Chinese medicine compounds. In this paper, the authors summarized the advance in studies on NHJD, and proposed different opinions: (1) It is inappropriate to take total As as the index in safety evaluation of NHJD. (2) The toxicity of NHJD is dependent on the dose and duration of administration. (3) Realgar is an active ingredient of NHJD, and shall be deeply studied. Classic realgar-containing traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions, such as Niuhuang Jiedu tablet, shall be evaluated with rigorous modern scientific basis, with the aim to guide rational and safe application.
Animals ; Arsenicals ; adverse effects ; chemistry ; therapeutic use ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; chemistry ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; adverse effects ; methods ; Sulfides ; adverse effects ; chemistry ; therapeutic use ; Tablets ; Time Factors ; Treatment Outcome

Objective Toinvestigate the role of dynamic dispersion of electrical recovery in ventricular fibrillation maintenance mechanism.Method Thirty-seren male Yorkshire pigs weighing (23?2.5) kg at 3 months age were randomly divided into Sham-operated group and myocardial infarction group in which the first branch of left anterior descending coronary artery of animals was hgated.After 4 weeks,according to VF occurrence by programmed electrical simulation,the myocardial infarction hearts were divided into two groups, twelve hearts in VF (+) group or six hearts in VF (-) group;and the normal hearts were divided into two groups,five hearts in VF (+) group or ten hearts in VF (-) group.Action potential duration (APD) of subendocardial,subepicardial and mid-layer myocardium of left ventricular anterior wall were recorded simultaneously.The relationship between APD and diastolic interval was quantified as an electrical restitution curve.A Student's-test was used to specify differences between groups.Results At the fourth week after coronary artery ligation,eighteen myocardial infarction hearts and fifteen normal hearts were investigated.When investigating transmural dispersion of reporlarization (TDR) of left ventricle,there was no difference between VF (+) group and VF (-) group [ (20.43?7.01) ms vs (22.32?7.53) ms,P=0.45],although there was statistically significant between normal hearts and myocardial infarction hearts [ (15.66?4.45) ms vs (25.72?6.70) ms,P =0.001].The percentage of APD restitution slope exceed 1 and APD restitution slope maximum were high in the VF (+) group with myocardial infarction hearts and in the VF (+) group with normal hearts, lower in the the VF (-) with normal hearts and lowest in the the VF (-) group with myocardial infarction hearts.Conclusion Dynamic APD restitution properties may play an important role in the ventricular fibrillation maintenance mechanism.The APD restitution slope and not static TDR have prognostic value regarding ventricular fibrillation events.The hearts with the steepest of APD restitution curves has the greatest liability of ventricular fibrillation to happen.

AIM: To evaluate cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration of human retinal pigment epithelial cells ( RPE) when co - cultured with human marrow mesenchymal stem cells ( hMSCs ) in condition of hypoxia and hyperglycemia so as to explore possible mechanisms of diabetes aggravating choroidal neovascularization ( CNV) preliminarily.
METHODS:Both hMSCs and RPE cells were co-cultured in a transwell system. The experiment was divided into four groups: 21% O2 with 5. 56mmol/L glucose ( control group, A ), 21% O2 with 30mmol/L glucose ( hyperglycemia and normoxia group, B ) , 5% O2 with 5.56mmol/L glucose ( normoglycemia and hypoxia group, C ) and 5% O2 with 30mmol/L glucose ( hyperglycemia and hypoxia group, D) . Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to detect the proliferation of RPE cells in each group at 12, 24 and 48h respectively. Flow cytometry was performed to observe apoptosis of RPE cells at 24h. Additionally, we assessed migration
capabilities of RPE via transwell assay under the condition of hyperglycemia and hypoxia by co-culturing of hMSCs.RESULTS:In this co-culturing system, at 12, 24 and 48h, group B (1. 61±0. 41, 1. 80±0. 34;1. 91±0. 35), C (1.34±0. 46, 1. 94±0. 40, 2. 14±0. 41) and D (1. 98±0. 47, 2.26±0.42, 2. 55±0. 40) showed significantly higher proliferation rate than group A (0. 92±0. 45, 1. 27±0. 32, 1.59±0. 41, P<0. 05). The migration capabilities of RPE in group B (149. 5±9. 19), C (140±9. 90) and D (170. 5±7. 78) increased dramatically compared with group A ( 114. 5±7.78, P<0.05) at 24h, whereas there was no significant difference of apoptosis ratio among four groups (P>0. 05).
CONCLUSION:By coexistence with hMSCs, the synergy of hyperglycemia and hypoxia can improve migration and proliferation of RPE cells, and have no effect on apoptosis of RPE cells within short period.

OBJECTIVETo observe changes in plasma motilin (MOT) level among preterm infants after birth, to investigate the relationship between plasma motilin level and feeding intolerance (FI), and to clarify the possible risk factors.

METHODSA total of 112 preterm infants were divided into feeding tolerance (FT) group (n=59) and FI group (n=53). Their plasma MOT levels were measured by radioimmunoassay on days 1, 4, 7 and 14 of life. The clinical data of FI group were collected and subjected to multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTSCompared with the FT group, the FI group showed significantly lower plasma MOT levels on days 1, 4, 7 and 14 of life (P<0.05), and there was a positive correlation between plasma MOT level and gestational age, age in days, and volume of enteral feeding in the FI group. The lower the gestational age, the longer the FI duration. There was a negative correlation between the plasma MOT level on day 1 of life and the FI duration (r=-0.913, P<0.001). Gestational age and prenatal use of glucocorticoid were protective factors for FI, while fetal distress, placental abnormality and perinatal infection were risk factors for FI.

CONCLUSIONSChange in plasma MOT level may be closely related to the development of FI in preterm infants. Early monitoring of plasma MOT level may be useful for predicting the occurrence of FI.

Enteral Nutrition ; adverse effects ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; blood ; Infant, Premature, Diseases ; blood ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Motilin ; blood

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between the second to the fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) and body mass index (BMI) in infertile men of the Han ethnic group in Ningxia.

METHODSUsing anthropometry, we calculated the mean ratio of 2D:4D and BMI of 197 infertile men and 148 normal healthy male controls, followed by analysis of their relationship.

RESULTSThe BMI was correlated positively with the 2D:4D ratio of the left hand in the infertile men (P < 0.05) and in the patients with a higher 2D:4D ratio of the left hand (P < 0.05), but negatively with the 2D:4D ratio of the righ/left (Dr-1) (left: P < 0.01; Dr-l: P < 0.05). The mean 2D: 4D ratio and BMI were both lower in the normal control than in the infertile men, with statistically significant differences in BMI (P < 0.05) and the 2D:4D ratio of the left hand (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThere is a correlation between the 2D:4D ratio and BMI in infertile men.

Body Mass Index ; Case-Control Studies ; Fingers ; anatomy & histology ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; diagnosis ; Male

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combined therapy with leflunomide and methotrexate in the patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA).

METHODSForty patients with active polyarthritis JRA were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 (n = 21) received leflunomide tablet (1 mg/(kg x day) on days 1 - 3; then [(0.2 - 0.4) mg/kg per day] plus methotrexate (0.3 mg/kg i.v. every two weeks till clinical remission, then oral tablet 0.2 mg/kg weekly). Group 2 received the same doses of methotrexate in the same way. Permitted concomitant drugs included stable doses of NSAIDs and a low dose of prednisone during the course of treatments. The clinical assessments included the number of tender and swollen joints, tender articular index, swollen articular index, general articular function score, parents and physician's evaluation score, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, serum C-reactive protein and rheumatoid factor. Drug safety was assessed by observing the reaction of mucous membrane, skin, gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, hematologic changes, liver and renal function. Statistical comparison between two groups was performed by using analysis of variance, t test and chi(2) test.

RESULTSEfficacy and safety was assessed at 12th and 26th week. Average improvement rate of leflunomide plus methotrexate group at 12th week and 26th week was respectively 39.6% and 71.9%; while that of control group was 27.5% and 49.5%, i.e., there was significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.01). Average remission rate of leflunomide plus methotrexate group at 12th week and 26th week was respectively 4.76% and 38.10%; while that of control group (methotrexate only) was respectively 0, 0. The clinical improvement in the group treated with leflunomide plus methotrexate was significantly greater than control group (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference (9.5% v 5.3%) in occurrence rate of side effects between the two groups. Side effects included leucocytopenia and raised aminotransferase. They were mostly mild and tolerable.

CONCLUSIONThe effect of the leflunomide and methotrexate therapy in patients with active JRA was better than methotrexate alone. The combination therapy with leflunomide and methotrexate was safe and well tolerated.

Adolescent ; Arthritis, Juvenile ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Infant ; Isoxazoles ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Methotrexate ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome