Objective To assess the application value of color Doppler ultrasound (CDU) in the diagnosis of osteofascial copmarttnent syndrome (OCS) of forearm.Methods A total of 19 patients highly suspected of or diagnosed as acute OCS of forearm underwent CDU in comparison with clinical diagnosis and therapy.The echoes of muscles,the diameter and change of flow Doppler spectra of radial artery and ulnar artery were observed.Results In 16 patients of OCS,most of the forearm muscle swelled (enlarged more than 1/2-2/3 area) with the muscle echo enhanced unevenly:the textures were unclear or disappeared;and fluid or hematom appeared in muscles;and the diameter of radial artery and ulnar artery diminished.The flow Doppler spectra of radial artery and ulnar artery appeared as bid-diastolic whole inverse wave,bip-,unid-,uniph-wave,unip-,unid-uniph-wave and venous like Doppler wave.Resistance index increased.Conclusion The acute OCS of forearm has some sonographic characteristics.CDU can be used to diagnose the acute OCS of forearm.

Objective • To discuss the effects of citalopram on miRNA-16/serotonin transporter (SERT) pathway in peripheral blood of the patients with depression. Methods • Forty-five patients with depression without medication (untreated group), 32 patients with depression treated with medicine(drug treated group) and 32 healthy people (control group) were enrolled in the study. Hamilton Depression Scale-17 items were used to evaluate the depressive symptoms. The expression level of plasma miRNA-16 was detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR, and the level of SERT protein in platelets was detected by Western blotting. Fourteen of the baseline patients who were treated with citalopram were followed up for 2 months. After the follow-up, the evaluation of HAMD-17, the detection of miRNA-16 and SERT protein were conducted. Results • There was no significant difference in the expression level of plasma miRNA-16 among the three groups (F=0.421, P=0.657). There was no significant difference of SERT protein expression in the platelets among the three groups (F=0.112, P=0.894). The follow-up study showed that the HAMD-17 score decreased after 2 months (Z=.3.187, P=0.001), the average expression level of plasma miRNA-16 increased (t=2.455, P=0.032), and the expression of SERT protein in the platelets did not change (t=.0.750, P=0.470) in 14 patients who were treated with citalopram. Conclusion • Citalopram, a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, can down-regulate the expression of plasma miRNA-16 in patients with depression, and the decrease of the platelet serotonin is not caused by the decrease of SERT protein on platelet membrane, but may be related to the decrease of the SERT function.

Objective To summarize our experience with endovascular treatment of vertibrobasilar aneurysms. Methods The clinical data of 21 patients with vertibrobasilar aneurysms admitted between October, 2003 and July, 2007 were retrospectively analyzed. All the 21 patients received endovascular embolization, of whom 11 patients had embolization with Guglielmi detachable coils (GDC), 9 had GDC embolization with Neuroform stent placement, and 1 patient was managed with covered stent placement in the parent artery. Results After the operations, 19 patients were clinically cured with good prognosis, 1 patient was severely disabled, and 1 died due to heart failure. Four patients underwent ventriculo-peritoneal shunting for postoperative hydrocephalus. Conclusions Endovascular embolization with GDC and placement of Neuroform stent and covered stent are effective options for management of vertibrobasilar aneurysms, and most of the vertibrobasilar aneurysms can be treated effectively by these approaches.

AIMObserve the effects of er-long-zuo-ci-wan (EIZCW, a compound of Chinese Traditional Medicine) on the spontaneous discharge of external cortex of inferior colliculus (ICx) and secondary auditory cortex (AII) of chronic tinnitus model rats induced by salicylate acid, to explore the neural mechanisms underlying ELZCW preventing tinnitus.

METHODS30 adult SD rats were involved and divided into three groups, normal control group, chronic tinnitus model group and ELZCW prevention group. Extracellular recording techniques and stereotaxic method were used. The spontaneous spikes were recorded and analyzed from ICx and all in different group rats. The average rate of spontaneous discharge and the interspike interval histogram of spontaneous activities were used as indexes.

RESULTS(1) Compared with normal control group, the average rate of spontaneous discharge recorded from the ICx in the chronic tinnitus model group increased significantly (4.57 +/- 0.54 Hz vs. 3.14 +/- 0.40 Hz, P < 0.05). Furthermore analysis showed that the discharge rate of short spike interval from the ICx in the chronic tinnitus model group increased than that of the normal group (0-40 ms: 58% vs. 40%; 0-4 ms: 9% vs. 5%). And there was an increasing tendency of the average rate of spontaneous discharge recorded from the AII in the chronic tinnitus model group compared with that in the normal group. (2) Compared with the chronic tinnitus model group, the average rate of spontaneous discharge recorded from the ICx and AII in the ELZCW prevention group significantly decreased than that in the chronic tinnitus model group (ICx: 2.41 +/- 0.21 Hz vs. 4.57 +/- 0.54 Hz, P < 0.01. AII: 2.24 +/- 0.24 Hz vs. 4.57 +/- 0.54 Hz , P < 0.01). And the discharge rate of short spike interval from the ICx and AII in the chronic tinnitus model group decreased than that in the normal control group (ICx: 0-40 ms 50% vs. 58%, 0-4 ms 4% vs. 9%. All: 0-22 ms: 24% vs. 31%, 0-8 ms 19% vs. 16%).

CONCLUSIONIf the increasing of the spontaneous activities of ICx and AII in chronic tinnitus rats means tinnitus, the use of ELZCW could decrease this kind of changes.

Animals ; Auditory Cortex ; physiopathology ; Auditory Pathways ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Salicylic Acid ; Tinnitus ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the therapeutic effect and toxicity of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) or three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy (3-DCRT) with docetaxel and cisplatin in the treatment of locally advanced esophageal carcinoma.

METHODSSixty patients with locally advanced esophageal carcinoma were randomly assigned in two equal groups to receive IMRT or 3-DCRT, both combined with the chemotherapy with docetaxel and cisplatin. The total dose of radiotherapy was 64 Gy, administered in 30 fractions in 6 weeks.

RESULTSThe complete response rate (complete and partial remissions) of IMRT group was 90.0%, significantly higher than the rate of 80.0% in 3-DCRT group (P>0.05). The 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates of IMRT group were 86.7%, 70.0%, and 66.7%, as compared to 70.0%, 63.3%, and 63.3% in 3-DCRT group, respectively, showing no significant differences between the two groups (P>0.05). IMRT showed advantages over 3-DCRT in terms of the V20 and V30 parameters of the lung (P<0.05), and the incidences of radiation-induced esophagitis were comparable between the two groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONWhen combined with the chemotherapy with docetaxel and cisplatin, IMRT appears to be a more effective treatment than 3-DCRT for locally advanced esophageal cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; therapy ; Cisplatin ; administration & dosage ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiotherapy, Conformal ; methods ; Taxoids ; administration & dosage

Catheterization ; adverse effects ; methods ; Catheterization, Central Venous ; adverse effects ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Subclavian Artery ; surgery

Adult ; Aged ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Bone Screws ; Female ; Humans ; Joint Instability ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Diseases ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Spinal Fusion ; instrumentation

OBJECTIVETo identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of the angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AGTR2) gene, and to determine whether the AGTR2 polymorphisms are associated with essential hypertension in a male Chinese population.

METHODSDirect DNA sequencing was performed in 20 subjects. 96 male hypertensive patients and 107 normal controls were included to assess the contribution of the SNP of AGTR2 gene to hypertension.

RESULTSSeven SNP of the AGTR2 gene were identified, of which 4 were reported for the first time. A case-control study including two polymorphisms (A1675G and T1334C) showed a significant increase in the A1675 allele frequency among male hypertensive subjects as compared with normotensive subjects (49.0% vs 34.6%, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe AGTR2 A1675G polymorphism might be involved in the development of essential hypertension in male Chinese.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Gene Frequency ; Humans ; Hypertension ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Receptor, Angiotensin, Type 2 ; genetics

To investigate the role and mechanism of ceramide (Cer) regulation in alcohol-induced neuronal proliferation and the newborn neurons formation, we used sphingomyelin synthase 2 (predominant enzyme of Cer metabolism) knockout (SMS2(-/-)) and wild type (WT) female mice to establish the model of prenatal alcohol exposure. In 24 h after being given birth (postnatal day 0, P0), the offspring of model mice received blood sphingomyelin (SM) measurement with enzymatic method. On P0, P7, P14 and P30, the proliferation of granule cells in the dentate gyrus and newborn neurons were investigated with immunofluorescent labeling. The expression of protein kinase Cα (PKCα) in the hippocampus was tested with Western blot analysis. The results showed that the SM level of blood in SMS2(-/-) pups was significantly lower than that in WT pups. No matter in SMS2(-/-) or WT mice, the prenatal alcohol exposure down-regulated the SM levels in pups with dose-dependency. In both SMS2(-/-) and WT pups, the number of proliferative neurons and newborn neurons in the dentate gyrus gradually decreased with the growing age. Compared with the WT pups, SMS2(-/-) pups showed significantly more proliferative neurons and newborn neurons in the dentate gyrus. Notably, prenatal alcohol exposure dose-dependently increased proliferative neurons and newborn neurons in the dentate gyrus in both WT and SMS2(-/-) pups. The hippocampal expression of PKCα protein in SMS2(-/-) mice was lower than that in WT mice, and prenatal alcohol exposure could up-regulate the PKCα protein expression in both WT and SMS2(-/-) mice with dose dependency. These results suggest that alcohol exposure during pregnancy can induce the compensatory neural cell proliferation and the production of newborn neurons in offspring, and the Cer-ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P) pathway is involved in alcohol-induced neural cell proliferation. The activation of PKCα may be a key step to start the Cer-C1P pathway and up-regulate the alcohol-induced neural cell proliferation and the newborn neurons formation.
Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Ceramides ; metabolism ; Dentate Gyrus ; cytology ; Ethanol ; toxicity ; Female ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Neurons ; cytology ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; physiopathology ; Protein Kinase C-alpha ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Transferases (Other Substituted Phosphate Groups) ; genetics

Antigens, CD34 ; metabolism ; Biomarkers ; metabolism ; Cell Differentiation ; physiology ; Hair Follicle ; cytology ; Humans ; Intramolecular Oxidoreductases ; metabolism ; Keratinocytes ; metabolism ; Melanins ; metabolism ; Melanocytes ; metabolism ; PAX3 Transcription Factor ; metabolism ; Stem Cells ; metabolism