Objective To establish a quantitative analysis of multi-components by single-marker (QAMS) for determination of four components (adenosine, uridine, guanosine, (R, S)-goitrin) in Isatidis Radix granules.Method The QAMS for Isatidis Radix granules was established and validated and adenosine was selected as the internal reference substance.The relative correction factor (RCF) of other three components were calculated.The contents of four components were determined by both external standard method and QAMS.The QAMS method was validated through comparison of the results obtained by the two different methods.Results The RCFs of uridine, guanosine and (R, S)-goitrin all showed good reproducibility within certain ranges.For Isatidis Radix granules, uridine, guanosine and (R, S)-goitrin, there was no significant difference between the quantitative results of the two methods.Conclusions The QAMS method is simple, feasible and credible to be used for comprehensive quality control of Isatidis Radix granules.

PURPOSE: Augmentation enterocystoplasty (AE) has been shown to improve clinical symptoms in patients with end-stage bladder disease (ESBD). Herein, we report the long-term outcomes of a series of patients with different etiologies of ESBD who received AE. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 102 patients with ESBD who received AE at the Hualien Tzu Chi General Hospital from 1992 to 2014. ESBD in this study was defined as including neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) due to spinal cord injury (SCI) or myelomeningocele, inflammatory bladder disease (IBD), ESBD occurring after pelvic cancer surgery, and other etiologies. Complications including active lower urinary tract problems and urinary tract infection (UTI), as well as patients’ self-reported satisfaction with the procedure, were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 102 patients were included in the study. A majority of patients received AE for NLUTD (n=43), followed by IBD (n=38), ESBD after pelvic cancer surgery (n=15), and the other etiologies (n=6). Patients had a mean age of 39.4±18.7 years and were followed for a mean of 78 months. All patients had significantly increased cystometric bladder capacity and compliance at the time of follow-up. Fifty-four patients (52.9%) reported moderate to excellent satisfaction with the outcome, and there were no significant differences among the groups (P=0.430). The most common reason for dissatisfaction was the need for clean intermittent catheterization (CIC; 41.7%), followed by urinary incontinence (25.0%) and recurrent UTI (16.7%). CONCLUSIONS: AE is a safe and effective procedure for patients with ESBD. Postoperative urinary incontinence and UTI as well as the need for CIC may affect quality of life and decrease patient satisfaction.
Compliance ; Cystitis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Intermittent Urethral Catheterization ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms ; Meningomyelocele ; Patient Satisfaction ; Pelvic Neoplasms ; Quality of Life ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Urinary Bladder Diseases* ; Urinary Bladder* ; Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic ; Urinary Incontinence ; Urinary Tract ; Urinary Tract Infections

PURPOSE: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in men is a complication secondary to prostatectomy or resulting from neurological lesions. This study presents our experiences with male suburethral slings over the past decade. METHODS: In this study, we considered patients who presented with SUI and were diagnosed with an intrinsic sphincteric deficiency due to postprostatectomy incontinence (PPI) or other causes (non-PPI). Patients who underwent the suburethral sling procedure using a polypropylene mesh and a cardiovascular patch were retrospectively included. An urodynamic study was performed before and after the operation. Global response assessment (GRA) and SUI grading were used for surgical outcome. The revision rate and the infection rate were also evaluated. RESULTS: A total 31 patients were enrolled in this study; the mean patient age was 59.5±18.9 years, and the mean follow-up period was 36.9±29.4 months. Fourteen patients comprised the non-PPI group and 17 were in the PPI group. The preoperative SUI of all patients were categorized as a moderate to severe problem according to the SUI grade, with a mean score of 2.32±0.48 before the operation and 0.48±0.57 after the operation. With a mean score of 2.35±0.71, GRA showed that the patients were satisfied with the treatment. After the sling procedure, 4 patients (13%) reported a mild improvement, 12 (38.7%) a moderate improvement, while 15 (48.4%) reported an excellent improvement. Six patients (19.4%), including 5 from the non-PPI group (35.7%) and 1 (5.9%) from the PPI group (P=0.037), underwent sling removal because of infection. CONCLUSIONS: The male suburethral sling procedure using a polypropylene mesh and a cardiovascular patch is a safe, efficacious, and inexpensive surgical procedure for PPI. In cases of neurological incontinence, however, the higher infection rate in non-PPI patients means that they should be carefully managed.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male* ; Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 ; Polypropylenes* ; Prostatectomy ; Retrospective Studies ; Suburethral Slings ; Urinary Incontinence* ; Urodynamics

Objective To investigate the expression of caspase-10 in differentiated thyroid carcinoma and association with its development and metastasis. Methods Thyroid samples from 37 patients in a period from January 2006 to December 2007, with differentiated thyroid carcinoma were retrospectively analyzed for caspase-10 by immunohistocbemistry(streptavidin-perosidase, S-P), compared to control group of 46 cases with nodtdar goiter. The relationship between the expression of caspase-10 and the clinical pathologic characteristics of thyroid carcinoma were also explored simultaneously. Results caspase-10 were observed as brown or yellow particles located in the cytoplasm or cell membrane of nodular goiter but there were no significant evidence for its positive expression in thyroid carcinoma, caspase-10 expression was markedly down-regulated in differentiated thyroid carcinoma(29.73%,11/37) compared with benign nodules(71.74%,33/46, χ2=14.528, P<0.01). The positive expression in 18 cases with lymph node metastasis(11.11%,2/18) was significantly lower than those in 19 patients without lymph node metastasis(47.37%,9/19; χ2=4.210, P<0.01). There was no significant correlation(P> 0.05) between the expression of caspase-10 and the clinical pathologic characteristics including male, age, TNM stage and pathologic type. Conclusion Down-regulation of caspase-10 may play a critical role in carcinogenesis and development of differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to explore the relationship between surgical methods, hemorrhage position, hemorrhage volume, surgical timing and treatment outcome of hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (HICH). METHODS: A total of 1310 patients, who had been admitted to six hospitals from January 2004 to January 2008, were divided into six groups according to different surgical methods: craniotomy through bone flap (group A), craniotomy through a small bone window (group B), stereotactic drilling drainage (group C1 and group C2), neuron-endoscopy operation (group D) and external ventricular drainage (group E) in consideration of hemorrhage position, hemorrhage volume and clinical practice. A retrospective analysis was made of surgical timing and curative effect of the surgical methods. RESULTS: The effectiveness rate of the methods was 74.12％ for 1310 patients after one-month follow-up. In this series, the disability rate was 44.82％ 3–6 months after the operation. Among the 1310 patients, 241 (18.40％) patients died after the operation. If hematoma volume was >80 mL and the operation was performed within 3 hours, the mortality rate of group A was significantly lower than that of groups B, C, D, and E (P<0.05). If hematoma volume was 50–80 mL and the operation was performed within 6–12 hours, the mortality rate of groups B and D was lower than that of groups A, C and E (P<0.05). If hematoma volume was 20–50 mL and the operation was performed within 6–24 hours, the mortality rate of group C was lower than that of groups A, B and D (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Craniotomy through a bone flap is suitable for patients with a large hematoma and hernia of the brain. Stereotactic drilling drainage is suggested for patients with hematoma volume less than 80 mL. The curative effect of HICH individualized treatment would be improved via the suitable selection of operation time and surgical method according to the position and volume of hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the immunocytodynamic changes in the livers of chronic hepatitis C patients treated with IFN alpha-2b and ribavirin and to find new bases for an effective immune regulation therapy.

METHODSForty-two chronic hepatitis C patients were treated with combined IFN alpha-2b and ribavirin and their peripheral blood and liver tissues were collected before the treatment for analyses. After the treatment, peripheral blood and liver tissue specimens were obtained from only 11 patients. All the specimens were exposed to three monoclonal antibody fluorescence dyes, and the CD45+ cells with triple colors were analyzed using flow cytometry.

RESULTSCompared to the control groups, the positive rates of CD56+, CD57+, CD161+ cells in the livers of those with chronic hepatitis C sharply decreased (Probability value less than 0.01), and CD56+T cells had decreased mildly; CD28 from the CD56+T cells decreased mildly, but the expression of CD152 increased (P<0.05); the positive rates of CD83+CD1a+ cells had decreased mildly, and the positive rates of CD80+CD11c+ and the CD86+CD11c+ cells significantly decreased (P<0.01). After the treatment, the CD56+, CD161+, CD56+T, CD161+T, CD80+CD11c+, CD86+CD11c+ cells in the responding group increased.

CONCLUSIONCombined interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin treatment can improve the suppressed cell immunity function.

Adult ; Aged ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; CTLA-4 Antigen ; Female ; Hepatitis C, Chronic ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Killer Cells, Natural ; immunology ; Liver ; immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Recombinant Proteins ; Ribavirin ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo observe plasma soluble Fas/APO-1 concentration in patients with reperfusion arrhythmia immediately after coronary reperfusion in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and to investigate the impact of reperfusion arrhythmia on left ventricular (LV) remodeling in AMI patients. To observe the relationship between cardiomyocytes apoptosis with reperfusion arrhythmia in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and investigate the impact of reperfusion arrhythmia on left ventricular (LV) remodeling in patients with AMI.

METHODSOne hundred and fifty-six patients with AMI who received reperfusion therapy were selected as subjects. Fifty-eight patients underwent reperfusion arrhythmia within 24 hour after coronary reperfusion treatment (RA group). Ninety-eight patients did not occurred reperfusion arrhythmia (Non-RA group). Strepavidin-biotin ELISA was used to determine the soluble Fas/APO-1 plasma concentration at baseline, 7 day (d) and 2 - 4 week (W). All patients were followed up with scheduled evaluations of LV function and morphology with left ventriculography for 1 year.

RESULTS1. It was later that the coronary reperfusion occurred in patients of RA group than that of Non-RA group, and the left anterior descending was more frequent infarct related artery (60.3%) than of Non-RA group (36.9%, P < 0.05). 2. The Fas/APO-1 levels in patients of RA group higher than those of Non-RA group at baseline [(13.82 +/- 4.36) microg/L vs (8.19 +/- 3.56) microg/L, P < 0.01]. 3. The highest level of Fas/APO-1 was on 7 d after AMI and the plasma levels of Fas/APO-1 in 2 - 4 W were slightly lower than those in 7 d in the two groups [RA group: (10.91 +/- 3.65) microg/L vs (14.26 +/- 4.98) microg/L, P < 0.05; Non-RA group: (4.69 +/- 1.87) microg/L vs (12.19 +/- 3.25) microg/L, P < 0.01]. However, the Fas/APO-1 level of 2 - 4 W in RA group was slightly higher than the level in Non-RA group [(10.91 +/- 3.65) microg/L vs (4.69 +/- 1.87) microg/L, P < 0.01]. 4. There was on difference between two groups in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and the left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) one week after AMI [LVEF: (47.7 +/- 9.6)% vs (49.2 +/- 8.9)%, P > 0.05; LVEDD: (59.7 +/- 10.3) mm vs (57.4 +/- 12.4) mm, P > 0.05]. 5. In the Non-RA group, the LVEF significantly increased from 1 W phase to the 1-year phase [from (49.2 +/- 8.9)% to (59.5 +/- 9.2)%, P < 0.05], but unchanged in the 58 patients without reperfusion arrhythmia [from (47.7 +/- 9.6)% to (49.9 +/- 10.1)%, P > 0.05]. The LVEF of Non-RA group was slightly higher than that of RA group at 1 year [(59.5 +/- 9.2)% vs (49.9 +/- 10.1)%, P < 0.05]. The LVEDD had no significant difference between two groups, but there was downtrend in the Non-RA group at 1 year after AMI.

CONCLUSIONReperfusion arrhythmia was related with cardiomyocytes apoptosis in patients with AMI, and might influence left ventricular function and promote LV remodeling.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Apoptosis ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction ; pathology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Myocardial Reperfusion ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; Ventricular Remodeling ; fas Receptor ; blood

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of "half-conditioning", a modified postconditioning process, on myocardial injury induced by severe myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in anesthetized dogs.

METHODSMongrel dogs of both sexes were subjected to 40 min ischemia (coronary blood flow reduced by 80% via controlled coronary stenosis). At the end of ischemia, dogs were randomly received one of the following treatments: (1) control, reperfusion for 3 h (n = 7); (2) post-conditioning, three cycles of ischemia 30 s followed by reperfusion for 30 s and then reperfusion for 3 h (n = 7); (3) half-conditioning, coronary blood flow recovered to 50% for 2 min, then 80% for 2 min, thereafter 100% for 3 h (n = 7). Electrocardiogram (ECG), arterial blood pressure and left ventricular pressure were monitored throughout the experiment. Plasma creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity were measured spectrophotometrically. Myocardial necrosis was defined by TTC-staining.

RESULTSCompared with control animals, arrhythmia incidence, LVEDP at 2 and 3 h reperfusion, CK and LDH were significantly reduced in animals received post-conditioning and half-conditioning treatments, infarct size as a percentage (%) of the area at risk was also significantly reduced by post-conditioning and half-conditioning treatments. No differences were observed in the post-conditioning and half-conditioning groups.

CONCLUSIONHalf-conditioning exerts the same cardioprotective effects on post-ischemic hearts as postconditioning.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Dogs ; Female ; Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial ; Male ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo find out the perceived stress in general public during prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and its impact on health behavior.

METHODSA retrospective survey was conducted in Guangzhou, Hangzhou, and Taiyuan according to the epidemic situations of SARS, and 2532 subjects were randomly selected from constructive industry, school, and commercial business and residents in urban and rural areas. The perceive stress was measured by Chinese perceived stress scale (CPSS), and health related behavior during SARS was tested by uniform and self-made questionnaire. EpiData 2.0 was used for data management and CPSS value was calculated according to answer to 14 questions contained in the scale. Health risk stress among different population group and health related behavior among low, medium and high stress state were analyzed by SPSS 11.5.

RESULTS2424 subjects were involved in the survey. The CPSS value was measured from 0 - 49 (22.7 +/- 6.8), M = 24.0. 39.3% (953/2379) subjects were under the health risk stress. The health related behaviors such as washing hands, opening the window for air, keeping away from others when cough and sneeze, doing exercises etc were reduced with the stress increased. Logistic regression indicated that compared with the persons with the thoughts of nothing serious of SARS, without any dread of SARS, and knowing nothing about prevention of SARS, the perceived stress was significantly related with perceiving of the thread to certain extent (beta = 0.41, Wald chi(2) = 4.84, P = 0.03), worrying little about the epidemic (beta = 0.50, Wald chi(2) = 6.69, P = 0.01), worrying about it to certain extent (beta = 1.39, Wald chi(2) = 48.59, P = 0.00) and scared so much (beta = 1.77, Wald chi(2) = 53.59, P = 0.00), and knowing little about the prevention (beta = 0.74, Wald chi(2) = 4.48, P = 0.03), knowing something about prevention (beta = -0.98, Wald chi(2) = 8.29, P = 0.00) and knowing the prevention very well (beta = -1.18, Wald chi(2) = 10.66, P = 0.00).

CONCLUSIONThe adoption of health related behaviors declined with increase of perceived stress. Opening connection to authority and government, enhancing the awareness of outburst affairs among general public and providing positive social support may be effective ways to reduce the population perceived stress.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Culture ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Occupations ; Retrospective Studies ; Rural Population ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; psychology ; Social Perception ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Urban Population ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the response of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to a single period of mechanical strain and expression patterns of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) after mechanical stretch.

METHODSBone marrow MSCs were isolated from SD rats and cultured in vitro. A four-point bending apparatus were used to perform a single period of mechanical strain (2000 microepsilon, 40 min) on MSCs. Cellular proliferation and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of MSCs were examined and gene expression patterns of TGF-beta and IGF-II were detected by SYBR green quantitative real-time RT-PCR.

RESULTSCell proliferation, ALP activity and expression of TGF-beta and IGF-II were all significantly up-regulated in stretched MSCs when compared with their controls. The mRNA levels of TGF-beta and IGF-II got top increase immediately after mechanical loading and increased about 51.44 and 8.92 folds, respectively, when compared with control cells. Expression of TGF-beta and IGF-II decreased with time and returned to control level at 12 h after mechanical stimulus, despite of a small increase at 6 h.

CONCLUSIONThe mechanical stretch can promote MSCs proliferation, up-regulate its ALP activity and induce a time-dependent expression increase of TGF-beta and IGF-II which in turn result in osteogenic differentiation of MSCs. Mechanical stimulus is a key stimulator for osteogenic differentiation of MSCs and vital for bone formation in distraction osteogenesis.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Proliferation ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor II ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Osteogenesis ; Osteogenesis, Distraction ; RNA, Messenger ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Somatomedins ; Transforming Growth Factor beta