Adult ; Animals ; Ear Auricle ; parasitology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Tick Infestations ; Ticks

Objective To analyze the ophthalmologic characteristics and examinations which caused by vertebral-basilar insuffi- ciency.Design Retrospective case series.Participants 469 eases of vertebral-basilar insufficiency.Methods Retrospective analysis of 469 cases of vertebral-basilar insufficiency patients with ophthalmologic signs' features,incidence,the main cause,color Doppler flow imaging and(or)digital subtraction angiography clearly stenosis location,the degree of stenosis from July 1st 2005 to July ist 2007 in PLA General Hospital.Main Outcome Measures Ophthalmologic signs' related reasons and supplementary examination.Results 96 cases were with the corresponding eye symptoms(20.4%).Vision decreased in 83 cases,diplopia was in 56 cases,ipsilateral hemiopia quadrant blind in 12 cases and depending on deformation in 10 cases,fundus arteriosclerosis in 72 cases,nystagmus in 39 cases,the eye movement disorder in 16 cases.Among 96 patients with associated ocular symptoms,75 patients with color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI)showed unilateral vertebral artery abnormal in 66 cases(88%),among those blood flow velocity decreased in 26 cases,17 cases with vascular plaque stenosis,thinning in 20 cases,3 cases with complete occlusion;different bilateral vertebral artery abnormal in 9 cases(12%),among those velocity dropped in 4 cases,two cases with vascular plaque stenosis and thinning in 3 cases.Forty-five cases with the digital subtraction angiography(DSA),left vertebral artery was abnormal in 24 cases,18 cases with stenosis,occlusion in 5 cas- es,abnormal bending in 1 case.Right vertebral artery was abnormal in 16 cases,13 cases with stenosis,occlusion in 3 cases.Bilateral vertebral artery stenosis was found in 2 cases;vertebral artery stenosis was in 3 patients.Conclusion Vertebral-basilar insufficiency may cause eye-related symptoms,therefore,vision acuity decrease,fundus 'arteriosclerosis,diplopia and nystagmus symptoms are more likely for patients with vertebral-patients with basilar artery insufficiency performance of the eye.(Ophthalmol CHN,2002,16:406-410)

BACKGROUND: Earthquakes, floods, droughts, storms, mudslides, landslides, and forest wild fires are serious threats to human lives and properties. The present study aimed to study the environmental characteristics and pathogenic traits, recapitulate experiences, and augment applications of medical reliefs in tropical regions. METHODS: Analysis was made on work and projects of emergency medical rescue, based on information and data collected from 3 emergency medical rescue missions of China International Search and Rescue Team to overseas earthquakes and tsunamis aftermaths in tropical disaster regions Indonesia-Aceh, Indonesia-Yogyakarta, and Haiti-Port au Prince. RESULTS: Shock, infection and heat stroke were frequently encountered in addition to outbreaks of infectious diseases, skin diseases, and diarrhea during post-disaster emergency medical rescue in tropical regions. CONCLUSIONS: High temperature, high humidity, and proliferation of microorganisms and parasites are the characteristics of tropical climate that impose strict requirements on the preparation of rescue work including selective team members suitable for a particular rescue mission and the provisioning of medical equipment and life support materials. The overseas rescue mission itself needs a scientific, efficient, simple workflow for providing efficient emergency medical assistance. Since shock and infection are major tasks in post-disaster treatment of severely injured victims in tropical regions, the prevention and diagnosis of hyperthermia, insect-borne infectious diseases, tropic skin diseases, infectious diarrhea, and pest harms of disaster victims and rescue team staff should be emphasized during the rescue operations.

Vincristine (VCR) is mainly used to treat acute lymphocytic leukemia, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in clinic with definite therapeutic effect. But the obvious neurotoxicity and local stimulation of which limit its clinic use. In order to increase the lymph targeting to enhance the curative effect and to lower the adverse reaction of VCR, the VCR loaded transfersomes (VCR-T) were prepared with dry-film and ultrasonic dispersing methods, and the corresponding pharmaceutical properties, pharmacokinetical characteristics and the targeting ability were studied. The average particle size of VCR-T prepared was 63 nm with an entrapment ratio of 59%. The in vitro transdermal research with modified Franz cell showed that VCR-T permeated through the skin in accordance with polynomial equation, and with an accumulation permeation percentage of 67.4% up to 12 h. An HPLC method was utilized to determine the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of VCR. Compared with the iv injection of VCR solution, the retention time of VCR in blood was extended by 12 times with VCR-T, and the targeting index in rat lymph was increased by 2.75 times. As a result, transfersomes could penetrate the skin and enter into the systemic circulation carrying VCR with good lymph targeting ability, which makes it probably a new lymphtic targeting drug delivery system.
Administration, Cutaneous ; Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Area Under Curve ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Liposomes ; chemistry ; Lymph Nodes ; metabolism ; Male ; Particle Size ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Skin Absorption ; Spleen ; metabolism ; Surface-Active Agents ; chemistry ; Tissue Distribution ; Vincristine ; administration & dosage ; blood ; pharmacokinetics

OBJECTIVETo study the preparation of liposomes surface-modified with glycyrrhetinic acid targeting to hepatocytes.

METHOD3-succinic-30-stearyl glycyrrhetinic acid(Suc-GAOSt), one of the amphiphilic glycyrrhetinic acid derivatives, was synthesized as targeting molecules, liposomes surface-modified with glycyrrhetinic acid has been produced with ethanol injection method.

RESULTTargeting molecules can be mixed into the liposomal membrane. It was confirmed that the targeting molecules is 9% of the total lipids at the most in the liposomes.

CONCLUSIONLiposomes surface-modified with glycyrrhetinic acid was successfully prepared, which is considered to be a potential approach targeting to hepatocytes.

Drug Carriers ; Drug Delivery Systems ; methods ; Glycyrrhetinic Acid ; administration & dosage ; Hepatocytes ; Liposomes ; Particle Size ; Phospholipids ; Succinic Anhydrides

AIMTo study the preparation of bovine serum albumin nanoparticles surface-modified with glycyrrhizin(BSA-NP-GL) targeting to hepatocytes.

METHODSThe bovine serum albumin nanoparticles (BSA-NP) were prepared by desolvation process. Glycyrrhizin (GL) was oxidized by sodium periodate to be conjugated to surface reactive amino groups (SRAG) of the BSA-NP. The SRAG were quantified by spectrophotometric method using 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid(TNBS). Glycyrrhetinic acid(GA) hydrolyzed from GL, which was on the surface of BSA-NP-GL was assayed by HPLC after isolation by sephadex G-50. Both methods were used to verify the conjugation achieved. HPLC was used to determine surface density of GL on BSA-NP-GL.

RESULTSThe amount of SRAG of the BSA-NP-GL decreased by 19.6% compared with normal BSA-NP. The amount of GL molecule was 9.2% of the total determined SRAG of BSA-NP. The mean diameter of the BSA-NP-GL was 73 nm with round shape. The stability of BSA-NP-GL was constant when it was stored at 25 degrees C and 37 degrees C during 10 days.

CONCLUSIONBSA-NP-GL was successfully prepared, which is considered to establish an experimental foundation for further research on its ability for targeting to hepatocytes.

Cross-Linking Reagents ; chemistry ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Glycyrrhizic Acid ; chemistry ; Nanotechnology ; Particle Size ; Serum Albumin, Bovine ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; ultrastructure ; Surface Properties ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

OBJECTIVEThe aim of the present study is to compare the effects of two alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonist terazosin and alfuzosin together with one alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist phenoxybenzamine on androgen-independent prostate cancer cell lines PC-3 and DU145.

METHODSTwo androgen- independent cell lines, PC-3 and DU145, were used to determine the cell viability, colony-forming ability as well as cell cycle characteristics after exposure to these three drugs.

RESULTSThis study showed that terazosin inhibited not only prostate cancer cell growth but also colony-forming ability, which is the main target of clinical treatment. On the other hand, alfuzosin and phenoxybenzamine have no effect on cell viability and colony forming ability of PC-3 and DU145. In addition, the terazosin inhibits cell growth through G(1) phase cell cycle arrest.

CONCLUSIONThis study provided the evidence that alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonist terazosin may have a therapeutic potential in the treatment of advanced androgen-independent prostate cancer.

Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Humans ; Male ; Phenoxybenzamine ; pharmacology ; Prazosin ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; pathology ; Quinazolines ; pharmacology

ObjectiveTo investigate the influencing factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis within 3 years. MethodsA total of 376 patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis who attended Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, from January 2014 to July 2017 were enrolled and followed up for 3 years, and according to the presence or absence of CKD, they were divided into CKD group with 23 patients and non-CKD group with 353 patients. Related general information and laboratory markers were collected. The t-test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups, and the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups; a stepwise forward Cox regression analysis was used to screen out the independent influencing factors for CKD within 3 years in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to investigate the value of the influencing factors in predicting CKD in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis; the Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis, and the log-rank test was used for comparison of the cumulative incidence rate of CKD between the patients with different risks. ResultsThe multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that age (hazard ratio ［HR］=1.078, 95% confidence interval ［CI］: 1.007-1.114, P=0.026), albumin (Alb) (HR=0.923, 95% CI: 0.860-0.989, P=0.024), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (HR=0.977, 95% CI: 0.955-0.999, P=0.037) were independent influencing factors for CKD within 3 years in patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis. Age, Alb, and eGFR had a relatively good value in predicting CKD, with AUCs of 0.701, 0.710, and 0.706, respectively. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that the patients with baseline age ≥55 years, Alb ＜32 g/L, and eGFR ≥60 ml·min-1·1.73 m-2 and ＜76 ml·min-1·1.73 m-2 had a higher risk of CKD (χ2=9647, 13621, and 30.940, all P＜0.05). ConclusionRenal function should be closely monitored for patients with old age and low Alb and eGFR levels.

OBJECTIVETo analyze the characteristics of CDR3 of TCRbeta on CD8+ T cells in chronic hepatitis B patients.

METHODSEight patients with chronic hepatitis B (ALT more than 2 ULN) were enrolled in this study. CD8+ T cells were isolated from peripheral blood. RT-PCR was proformed to amplify the CDR3 of TCRbeta, and the PCR products were sequenced and analyzed.

RESULTSThe chronic hepatitis B patients showed obvious clonal expansion of T cell, and three perturbation patterns of T cell expansion were showed in the CDR3 of TCRbeta, including monoclonicity, oligoclonicity and skewed peak patterns. The number of perturbation families of CD8+ subpopulation was significantly higher than that of CD8- subpopulation (10.6+/-4.7 vs. 4.1+/-3.1, t = 6.619, P less than 0.01). In 3 out of 8 patients, the number of perturbation families of CD8+ subpopulation was also higher than that of PBMCs without depleting CD8+ subpopulation.

CONCLUSIONSThe characteristics of CDR3 of TCRbeta may help to understand the inflammatory response in CHB patients.

Adult ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; immunology ; Complementarity Determining Regions ; genetics ; Genes, T-Cell Receptor beta ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; immunology ; Humans ; Male ; Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell ; immunology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the efficiency of multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) combined with short tandem repeat (STR) linkage analysis for the prenatal diagnosis for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

METHODSGender of the fetus was first determined by the presence of Y chromosome sex-determining gene (SRY). Subsequently, combined MLPA and STR linkage analysis were applied for the probands, pregnant women and fetuses in 45 affected families.

RESULTSAmong the 45 families, 31 SRY-positive fetuses were identified, among whom six were diagnosed with DMD. For 14 SRY-negative fetuses, four were diagnosed as carriers. The remainders were normal.

CONCLUSIONMLPA can detect mutations in the exons of dystrophin gene, whilst STR linkage analysis can determine whether the fetus has inherited the maternal X chromosome bearing the mutant gene. As the result, the method can detect affected fetuses in which no exonic mutations are detected with MLPA. By combining the two methods, the diagnostic rate for DMD can be greatly improved.

Dystrophin ; genetics ; Exons ; Female ; Genetic Linkage ; Heterozygote ; Humans ; Male ; Microsatellite Repeats ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Mutation ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis