OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effects of Qingre Liqi Granule (QLG) on clinical therapeutic efficacy, electrogastrogram (EGG) and gastric emptying in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD).

METHODSThirty-two FD patients of dyskinesis type enrolled were treated with QLG by oral taking for 6 days. Scoring on 8 kinds of symptoms, including abdominal distension, abdominal pain, morning gastric fullness, belching, regurgitation, nausea, vomiting, and anorexia, fasting EGG and the gastric emptying determination were performed using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) before and after treatment.

RESULTSThe total and individual scores of clinical symptoms, expect that of vomiting, significantly decreased after treatment (P < 0.05), and the percentage of patients with tachygastria and bradygastria significantly decreased (P<0.01) at the same time. EGG after treatment showed significantly elevated rates of normal slow wave dominant power, and nearly normalized dominant frequency. An increased gastric emptying rate at different phases after 75 min (P < 0.05), and significantly shortened gastric emptying half-time (P < 0.01) were shown meanwhile in gastric emptying detection. The improvement of symptom score and gastric emptying half-time showed significant positive linear correlation (r =0.8929, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONQLG can improve symptoms of FD patients by regulating the rhythm and power of gastric electro-wave, increasing gastric motility and enhancing gastric emptying function.

Adult ; Aged ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Dyspepsia ; drug therapy ; Electromyography ; drug effects ; Female ; Gastric Emptying ; drug effects ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myoelectric Complex, Migrating ; drug effects ; Phytotherapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo understand the changing trend on the way of delivery since 1970s and its related factors that influencing the attitude of choice on Cesarean section (C-section) in women at child-bearing age.

METHODSA face-to-face interview was conducted anonymously in pregnant and lying-in women visited at the out-patient department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tiantan Hospital of Beijing. Totally, 415 women at child-bearing age, with a history of previous birth were interviewed on date, place and way of delivery of last birth, as well as on information that could have had impact on the choice of C-section.

RESULTSThe average rate of C-section in Tiantan Hospital had been 29% since the year of 2000, much higher than that during 1970s, 1980s and 1990s (chi(2) = 22.81, P = 0.001) which showed an increasing trend. Rate of C-section among lying-in women with native Beijing origin was 25.0%, significantly higher than 9.6% (chi(2) = 21.96, P = 0.000 002) that in the migrants. Lying-in women with education level of high school or above had higher chance to choose C-section than those with lower level of education (chi(2) = 43.64, P < 0.000 01). Workers, managerial staff or clerks had more chance to choose C-section than those with other occupations (chi(2) = 20.07, P = 0.01). As reported by the interviewees, 93% (70/75) of C-section in the hospital were performed and recommended by obstetricians.

CONCLUSIONRate of C-section in the hospital showed an increasing trend which suggested that intervention with health education be carried out for both pregnant women and obstetricians.

Adult ; Cesarean Section ; statistics & numerical data ; China ; epidemiology ; Delivery, Obstetric ; statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Aluminum ; toxicity ; Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Cerebral Cortex ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Female ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

BACKGROUND: It is a hot investigation to many scholars that how to cure and prevent renal ischemic reperfusion injury in a utility way, but the mechanism is unclear at present. The investigation indicates that aquaporiin-1 plays an important role during this process. OBJECTIVE: To research the correlation between aquaporin-1 expression and renal function change following renal ischemic reperfusion injury. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: A randomized controlled animal experiment was performed at Histology and Embryology Laboratory of Dalian Medical University from June 2007 to December 2008. MATERIALS: A total of 80 healthy female adult Wister rats were randomly divided into control group and ischemia-reperfusion group. Rats in each group were observed at days 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 after operation, with 8 rats for each group. The ischemia-reperfusion injury was established on the left kidney. METHODS: Right kidney was removed. The left renal pedicle was freed and occlused to establish ischemia-reperfusion injury model. After 40 minutes, the blood was re-flowed. If the kidney colored from dark red to bright red within 2-5 minutes, the ischemia-reperfusion injury models were successfully established, and the thrombus was not formed in the kidney vessels. If the kidney was still dark red after 5 minutes, the thrombus was formed, and the rats were excluded from the ischemia-reperfusion group. The abdomen was sutured after 40 minutes.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rats were sacrificed at days 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 after ischemia-reperfusion injury. Samples of urine, serum, and kidney were performed with the examinations of urine, renal function, renal pathology and morphology, immunohistological assay of aquaporiin-1, and RT-PCR assay. RESULTS: After ischemia-reperfusion injury, the rats had hydrouria, urine osmotic pressure depress, symptoms of carnine and urea nitrogen increasing. HE staining demonstrated that renal tubular epithelial cells were swelling, necrosis, and desquamate. Aquaporin-1 expression and its mRNA level was decreased; in particular, the expression and level were the lowest at day 1 after ischemia-reperfusion injury and recovered to normal value at day 5 after ischemia-reperfusion injury. CONCLUNSION: The down expression of aquaporin-1 maybe one of the important indicators to reflect renal functional changes of acute renal failure following renal ischemia-reperfusion injury.

BACKGROUND:Animal experimental studies have confirmed that cell transplantation,neurotrophic factor infusion or transplantation as well as other methods can alter the local environment of injured spinal cord and promote its partial function recovery. OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to assess the clinical efficacy of olfactory ensheathing cell transplantation for the treatment of the sequel of myelitis,and to explore whether it would promote the recovery of the spinal cord function. DESIGN:A non-randomized self-control study. SETTING:Ward of Second Department of Surgery of Taian Disabled Soldiers Hospital of Shandong Province. PARTICIPANTS:Thirty-two patients with obsolete myelitis,who come from all over China and suffered from disease for 0.5 to 7 years,admitted to our hospital between June 2004 and July 2007 were recruited in this study.The involved patients,including 21 males and 11 females,were aged 5-48 years.Their neurological functions were not obviously improved after various conventional treatments and limb function exercise.Meanwhile,various sensorimotors and autonomic nerve functional impairments were left.Among the patients,18 suffered from acute viral myelitis,8 from acute purulent myelitis and 6 from tuberculous myelitis.After onset,they were all given large doses of radiosonde, dexamethasone,anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory drugs and various neurotrophic drugs.Twenty-six patients presented complete injury and six patients incomplete injury.Informed consent of treatment was obtained from each patient.The therapeutic protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the hospital.Embryonic olfactory bulbs were harvested from aborted embryo,which was donated voluntarily by the patients or their relatives. METHODS:Cells were isolated from embryonic olfactory bulbs,cultured and purified for 7 to 14 days,and finally they were digested into single-cell suspension.Under the surgical miscroscope,the cells were transplanted onto the regions which were above or below the spinal cord injury site.Two weeks to 2 months postoperatively,neurological function of spinal cord was assessed by using the American Spinal Injury Association(ASIA)Scoring Standard formulated in 2000,and was compared to pre-operation function. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:①Sensory function change.②Motor function change. RESULTS:Half a year to 2 years after olfactory ensheathing cell transplantation,the sensory and motor functions of 32 patients were all obviously improved(motor function:55.72?10.50 vs.51.53?13.41;light touch:69.53?11.68 vs. 63.06?15.98;pain sense:69.50?12.20 vs.64.03?15.0,all P

Objective To investigate the effects of cognitive interventions (CIs) in the context of communi- ty based rehabilitation (CBR) on cognitive deficits (CDs) in stroke patients.Methods Ninety-two stoke patients with CDs were randomly divided into a CI group and a control group.All patients were treated with conventional CBR.In addition,the patients in the CI group were also treated with special intervention therapy.The patients in both groups were assessed with the neurological and cognitive status examination (NCSE) for cognitive functioning, the FCA for motor function and the BI for their ability in the activities of daily living.Results The NCSE,FCA and BI scores in the cognitive intervention group after treatment were significantly higher than those before treatment and also significantly higher than those in the control group after treatment.Conclusion CIs can not only improve CDs,but also enhance recovery of motor function and ADL.

The continuous cultivation of Rehmannia glutinosa causes the accumulation of phenolic acids in soil. It is supposed to be the reason of the so called "continuously cropping obstacle". In this study, phenolic acids (hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, eugenol, vanillin and ferulic acid) were degraded by the extracta of all the tested spent mushroom substrate (SMS) and the maximal degradation rate was 75.3%, contributed by extraction of SMS of Pleurotus eryngii. Pot experiment indicated that hydroxybenzoic acid and vanillin in soil were also degraded effectively by SMS of P. eryngii. The employment of SMS enhanced ecophysiology index to near the normal levels, such as crown width, leaves number, leaf length, leaf width and height. At the same time, the fresh and dry weight and total catalpol concentration of tuberous root weight of R. glutinosa was increased to 2.70, 3.66, 2.25 times by employment of SMS, respectively. The increase of bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes numbers in rhizosphere soil were observed after the employment of SMS by microbial counts. The employment of SMS also enhanced the enzyme activity in soils, such as sucrase, cellulase, phosphalase, urease and catelase. These results indicated that the employment of SMS alleviated the continuously cropping obstacle of R. glutinosa in some extent.
Agaricales ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Agriculture ; methods ; Biodegradation, Environmental ; Hydroxybenzoates ; analysis ; metabolism ; Rehmannia ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Soil ; chemistry ; Soil Microbiology

In this study, we use pot experiment to evaluate the effect of plant growth regulator on plant morphology and biomass allocation of Salvia miltiorrhiza. Different concentrations of uniconazole were supplied to S. miltioohiza by means of foliar spray. Height, breadth and stem diameter were measured dynamically, the biomass of leaf, stem, flower and fruit, root biomass and biomass ratio were also examined at the harvest time. Owing to the treatment, plant morphology showed significant changes, the height had been greatly reduced and the breadth decreased largely. Meanwhile, the biomass allocation changed too. The biomass ratio of leaf and stem had been notably reduced while the biomass ratio of root had been increased remarkably. It appears that foliar application of uniconazole during vigorous growth period in S. miltioohiza has dramatic effect on dwarfing plant and improving resistant to lodging. This measure could also be applied to condensed cultivation of S. miltioohiza to increase production.
Biomass ; Plant Growth Regulators ; pharmacology ; Plant Leaves ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Plant Roots ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Plant Stems ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Triazoles ; pharmacology

Female ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tissue Array Analysis ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the functional brain localization with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after acupuncturing the Yuan-Source and He-Sea acupoints of Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming (ST).

METHODSThe study was performed in 30 healthy volunteers who underwent acupuncture at Yuan-Source acupoint (Chongyang, ST42) and He-Sea acupoint (Zusanli, ST36) (ST group). Ten of these were also underwent acupuncture at the non-acupoints as the control group. Blood oxygenation level dependent functional MRI was performed.

RESULTSIn the ST group, signal increasing areas were demonstrated in bilateral superior temporal gyri (Broadmann 22), bilateral supramarginal gyri (Broadmann 40), bilateral cerebellar hemispheres, bilateral cingulate gyri and isthmus of cingulate gyri (Broadmann 32, 30), bilateral superior parietal lobules (Broadmann 7); signal decreasing areas were shown in bilateral orbital gyri (Broadmann 11), bilateral temporal pole (Broadmann 38), right inferior frontal gyrus (Broadmann 47) and right medial occipitotemporal gyrus (Broadmann 36). In the control group, signal increases areas were demonstrated in superior temporal gyri, precentral gyri, cingulate gyri, thalamus, insula and cerebellum. The size, signal intensity and number of increasing areas in control group are less than in ST group.

CONCLUSIONCombined acupuncture of Yuan-Source and He-Sea acupoints of ST can activate and decrease the multiple brain regions of "splanchnic brain" and thus reach a new functional balance to relieve pain.

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Brain ; physiology ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Meridians ; Young Adult