Sepsis is a severe systemic inflammatory response syndrome, and is common in the patients with infection, extensive burn injury and major surgery. As it may cause multiple organ dysfunction and septic shock, it is always accompanied with high mortality and poor prognosis. Currently there's no effective medication available for treatment of sepsis. During the process of killing bacteria, the classical antibiotics lead to release of a large quantity of proinflammatory cytokines, such as lipopolysaccharide, which exacerbates the malfunction of immune system. Furthermore, the growing number of multiresistant bacteria present a new challenge to the management of sepsis. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small, cationic, and amphipathic peptides with broad-spectrum microbicidal activity against bacteria, fungi and viruses. In addition, they also can neutralize endotoxin and suppress inflammatory cascade through multiple immunomodulation, which potentially serves as a promising alternative approach for sepsis treatment. This review briefly summarizes the progress of AMPs in the treatment of sepsis as well as the relevant mechanisms.

Objective To investigate the effect of pretreatment with U75302,antagonist of leukotriene B4 receptor 1 (BLT1),on cisplatin induced acute kidney injury in mice and its immunoregulatory mechanism.Methods Healthy C57BL/6 mice were randomized into four subgroups:1.healthy control group;2.cisplatin group;3.U75302 control group;4.cisplatin + U75302 group,n=6.Group 2 and 4 received intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin (20 mg/kg) on day 0,group 3 and 4received intraperitoneal injection of U75302 (5 μg/mouse) on day 0 and day 2.Mice were sacrificed on the 3rd day and blood and kidney were collected.Renal function and histological changes were estimated,the infiltration of immune cells were determined by flow cytometry,the level of peroxidase (MPO) in kidney were determined by colorimetry,relative expression of TNF-α,IL-1β,CXCL1,CXCL2 were detected by Real-time PCR.Results Compared with healthy control group,levels of BUN,Scr were higher in cisplatin group with serious tubular structural damage.There were more neutrophils,macrophages,CD4+ T lymphocytes,CD8+ T lymphocytes in kidneys of cisplatin group,the level of MPO and relative expression of TNF-α,IL-1β,CXCL1,CXCL2 were also higher in cisplatin group.Compared with cisplatin group,lower BUN [(17.75±1.80) mmol/L vs (42.6±6.66) mmol/L,P ＜0.05],Scr were found in cisplatin+ U75302 group with less tubular structural damage.Meanwhile,U75302 reduced infiltration of neutrophils [(146±13)×103/g vs (296±66) ×103/g,P ＜ 0.05],macrophages [(245± 13)× 103/g vs (420±78)× 103/g,P ＜ 0.05] in the kidney.Levels of MPO [(1.756±0.283) U/g vs (3.308±0.577) U/g,P＜0.05] and relative expression of TNF-α,IL-1β,CXCL1,CXCL2 were also lower.Conclusions BLT1 antagonist U75302 protects mice against AKI induced by cisplatin,and the mechanism is associated with reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells in kidney and the inhibition of kidney inflammation.

Objective To establish blood purification system for rats and provide a safe and reliable experimental platform for further research of blood purification. Methods The right carotid artery and the contralateral jugular vein of adult male Sprague?Dawley rats were cannulated to creat vascular access for blood purification, by which continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration blood purification system was established. Blood flow, substitution fluid flow and ultrafiltration rate were regulated by rotary mini?pumps. Blood purification therapy continued for 4 hours on the basis of maintained anesthesia and effective anticoagulation. The safety of continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration blood purification systems was evaluated by comparing the arterial blood gas, electrolyte indexes and blood glucose during the blood purification therapy. Closely monitoring the vital signs of rats, such as blood pressure and heart rate, and observing whether there were any side effects, such as massive haemorrhage, thrombogenesis and gas embolism in the therapeutic process. Results There were no obvious changes of arterial blood gas, electrolyte indexes and blood glucose during the blood purification therapy (P>0.05). The vital signs did not fluctuate acutely before and after the blood purification therapy (P>0.05). The incidence rate of side effects was very low. Conclusions
Continuous arteriovenous hemofiltration blood purification system had no obvious adverse effects on healthy rats. Our blood purification system for rats appears to be safe and reliable.

ObjectiveTo reproduce a clinically relevant two-hit model of sepsis complicated by pneumonia and to explore the correlation between two-hit and immune state.Methods Eighty-one male Sprague-Dawley ( SD ) rats were divided into groups according to the random number table. Forty-five male rats were assigned respectively to sepsis-alone group, pneumonia 4 days and 7 days after sepsis groups, respectively. Survival rate of each group was observed. Another group of 36 male rats were divided into normal control group, sepsis-alone for 1, 4 and 7 days groups, and sepsis complicated by pneumonia for 4 days and 7 days after sepsis groups, each group consisted of 6 rats. Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) was done in rats, andStreptococcus pneumoniae suspension (bacteria count 1×1010 cfu/mL) was injected via the nose on the 4th day or 7th day after CLP. Rats were sacrificed at corresponding time points, and 1 day after challenge ofStreptococcus pneumoniae on the 4 days or 7 days post CLP for the collection of blood and tissue samples to make bacterial count of the blood, splenocyte count, biochemical indices, cytokines concentration, pathological changes in spleen and apoptotic cells.Results① Compared with the rats of sepsis-alone group, the rats in pneumonia 4 days after CLP group had poor survival rate (4 vs. 11,χ2 = 6.533,P = 0.011), while no difference was found between pneumonia 7 days after CLP group and sepsis-alone group (9 vs. 11,χ2 = 0.600,P = 0.439).② The blood bacterial count and all the biochemical indexes were sharply increased on 1 day post-CLP in the rats of sepsis-alone group, and then they gradually lowered. Compared with the rats of 1 day post-CLP, the proportion of splenocytes were decreased on the 4th day post-CLP [dendritic cells (DC): (0.69±0.09)% vs. (0.87±0.31)%, CD4+T cells: (21.05±2.89)% vs. (24.84±4.59)%, CD8+ T cells: (10.62±1.79)% vs. (13.40±1.31)%, allP< 0.05], but T-regulatory cell (Treg) count was higher on the 4th day after CLP compared with sepsis-alone rats [(3.14±0.74 )% vs. (2.87±1.08)%,P< 0.05]. The biochemical indices, including alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and serum creatinine (SCr) were obviously lowered on 7 days post-CLP compared with 1 day after CLP [ALT (U/L): 35.33±11.52 vs. 81.00±38.40, AST (U/L): 70.33±42.16 vs. 156.00±28.11, BUN (mmol/L): 5.30±2.27 vs. 9.13±4.04, SCr (μmol/L): 55.33±10.67 vs. 96.67±45.79, allP< 0.05]. The serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukins (IL-6, IL-1β) peaked on the 1st day after CLP [TNF-α:(18.03±2.88) ng/L, IL-6: (10.37±4.20) ng/L, IL-1β: (102.44±51.46) ng/L], and high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) peaked on the 4th day after CLP [(1.76±0.71)μg/L]. The levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1 ) and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-Ⅰ (sTNFR-Ⅰ) maintained at high levels [7 days post-CLP: TGF-β1 was (0.90±0.56) ng/L, sTNFR-Ⅰ was (1.56±0.39) ng/L]. The spleen pathology became more marked with the time in the group of sepsis-alone, meanwhile the number of apoptotic spleencytes increased 4 days post-CLP as compared with that of the 1st day post-CLP (cells/HP: 52.99±20.79 vs. 16.05±3.28,P< 0.05).③ Compared with the same period of sepsis-alone group, the rats with pneumonia 4 days post-CLP group showed a higher blood bacterial count (log cfu/mL: 1.78±0.54 vs. 0.25±0.18,P< 0.05), while no difference was found between 7-day of post-CLP pneumonia group and sepsis-alone group (log cfu/mL: 0.57±0.46 vs. 0.13±0.12,P> 0.05). The same trend of changes, with slight reduction in splenocytes and biochemical indices were found between the groups of sepsis followed by pneumonia and sepsis-alone, but no significant difference was found. The level of HMGB1 in the 4-day group of sepsis with complication of pneumonia was further decreased compared with sepsis-alone group (μg/L:1.17±0.74 vs. 1.76±0.71,P< 0.05), and IL-1β in the 7-day group of sepsis complicated pneumonia was further higher than those of sepsis-alone group in the same period (ng/L: 105.73±25.06 vs. 61.04±31.29,P< 0.05), while there were no differences in levels of other cytokines between two-hit group and sepsis-alone group. Apoptosis of spleencytes in the 4-day group of sepsis complicated pneumonia was more marked than that of sepsis-alone group at the same period (cells/HP: 74.48±22.47 vs. 52.99±20.79,P< 0.05), while no difference was found between the 7-day groups of sepsis complicated pneumonia and the sepsis-alone group (cells/HP: 28.70±4.13 vs. 30.43±14.55, P> 0.05).Conclusions The mortality of this two-hit model with complication of pneumonia 4 days after CLP was significantly higher than that of single sepsis model. The ability of bacteria clearance was decreased, and immunocyte apoptosis was exacerbated. These findings may be with the result of the occurrence of immunoparalysis in the mid stage of sepsis. The two-hit model reproduced on 7 days after CLP might suggest reconstruction of host immune function, and maybe associated with the recovery of immune response.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the instructional effect of Multi-slice (MSCT) in the cochlear implantation pre- and post-operatively, and to contrast the image feature between the X-ray and the MSCT three-dimensional reconstruction of inner ear with implanted electrode. METHOD: Twenty-four cochlear implant (MEDEL Combi 40+) recipients,in No. 1 Hospital of China Medical University from January to October 2014, were involved in this study. Among them, 18 were male and 6 female,with an average age of 4 years. MSCT and three dimensional reconstruction of inner ear were performed in all of the 24 implanted inner ears pre- and post-operatively. And X-ray plain film were examined by using 60° lateral oblique position postoperatively. All data of the spiral CT scan with axial 1 mm image slices were transferred to workstation for three-dimensional reconstruction (direct volume rendering) of the inner ear. RESULT: In 1 of the 24 cases, preoperative three-dimensional reconstruction CT scan reveal that the length of the cochlear was shorter than the electrode. And this was confirmed by MSCT postoperatively that the electrode couldn't be inserted by full length. The insertion depth of the electrode can be evaluated directly by MSCT. Moreover, each of the electrode pairs can be identified clearly. CONCLUSION MSCT plays an indispensable role in the preoperative evaluation of cochlear implantation. Postoperative evaluation by three-dimensional reconstruction of inner ear provide more accurate image to show the electrode insertion depth in the cochlea. MSCT combined with curved planar reformation to measure cochlear length could provide guidance in choosing the more adaptive electrode. And MSCT is superior to DR in demonstration of electrode postoperatively.
Child, Preschool ; China ; Cochlea ; anatomy & histology ; Cochlear Implantation ; methods ; Cochlear Implants ; Electrodes, Implanted ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Postoperative Period ; Preoperative Care ; Tomography, Spiral Computed ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of short segment fixation with percutaneous pedicle screws or traditional open surgery for the type A1-A3 thoracolumbar compression fracture.Methods A retrospective case control study was conducted on the clinical data of 64 patients with thoracolumbar compression fracture admitted to Shanxi Dayi Hospital between January 2012 and February 2017.There were 44 males and 20 females,aged 21-65 years [(45.4 ± 11.1) years].There was one patient with injured segment at T11,29 at T12,27 at L1 and seven at L2.According to AO typing,there were 39 patients classified as Type A1,two as Type A2 and 23 as Type A3.The patients were divided into minimally invasive surgery group (n =37) and open surgery group (n =27).Minimally invasive surgery group was treated with minimally invasive percutaneous pedicle screw fixation and open reduction.The open surgery group was treated with traditional open pedicle screw short segment fixation and open reduction.The operation time,intraoperative blood loss,total hospitalization time,postoperative hospitalization time,visual analogue scale (VAS) before and after operation,local kyphosis of the fractured vertebra,segmental kyphosis and complications in two groups were recorded.Results All patients were followed up for 12-29 months,with an average of 13.2 months.Between the minimally invasive surgery group and open surgery group,no significant difference was found in the operation time [(106.4± 37.3) minutes vs.(131.3 ± 33.6) minutes] (P ＞ 0.05),and significant differences were found in intraoperative blood loss [(71.2 ± 34.9) ml vs.(409.3 ± 267.5) ml],total hospitalization time [(11.7 ± 7.2) days vs.(21.6 ± 12.8) days] and postoperative hospitalization time [(8.1 ± 7.4) days vs.(16.6 ± 10.6) days] (P ＜ 0.05).In the minimally invasive surgery group,VAS was (6.5 ±1.1) points preoperatively and was (2.3 ± 0.7) points and (1.0 ± 0.3) points immediately after operation and at final follow-up.In the open surgery group,VAS was (6.9 ± 1.0)points preoperatively and was (4.2 ± 1.0) points and (0.9 ± 0.4) points immediately after operation and at final follow-up (P ＜0.05).Compared with the preoperative VAS,those immediately after operation and at final follow-up were significantly decreased within the two groups (P ＜ 0.05).There were no significant differences in the preoperative VAS and VAS at final follow-up between the two groups (P ＞ 0.05),but significant difference was found in VAS immediately after operation between the two groups (P ＜ 0.05).In the minimally invasive surgery group,the local kyphosis of the fractured vertebra was (19.3 ± 3.8) °preoperatively,(3.4 ± 1.7) ° immediately after operation,and (4.6 ± 1.9) ° at final follow-up.In the open surgery group,the local kyphosis of the fractured vertebra was (19.6 ± 6.8) ° before operation,(1.6 ± 0.8) ° immediately after operation,and (2.4 ± 1.1) ° at final follow-up.The kyphosis of fractured vertebra immediately after operation and at final follow-up were significantly decreased within the two groups compared with the preoperative kyphosis(P ＜0.05),but no significant differences were found between the two groups (P ＞ 0.05).In the minimally invasive surgery group,the segmental kyphosis Cobb angle was (16.1 ± 9.1) ° before operation,(3.0-± 1.8) ° immediately after operation,and (5.9 ±1.8) ° at final follow-up.In the open surgery group,the segmental kyphosis Cobb angle was (15.2±12.0) ° before operation,(3.1 ± 1.4) ° immediately after operation,and (5.6 ± 2.1) ° at final follow-up.The segmental kyphosis Cobb angle immediately after operation and at final follow-up were significantly decreased within the two groups compared with the preoperative Cobb angle (P ＜ 0.05),but no significant differences were found between the two groups (P ＞ 0.05).No spinal cord injuries because of pedicle screws were observed after operation in either group.In the open surgery group,there was one patient with wound infection who recovered after dressing change,and no infection case was found in the minimally invasive surgery group.Conclusion For type A1-A3 thoracolumbar compression fractures,both the minimally invasive posterior pedicle screw fixation and the traditional open pedicle screw fixation can achieve satisfactory near-term results,and the former is better in intraoperative blood loss,immediate relief of pain after operation and shorter hospital stay than the latter.

Objective To elucidate the malnutrition in patients with hospital-acquired acute kidney injury(AKI), and to examine the association betweensubjective global assessment (SGA) and prognosis.Methods Adult patients with hospital-acquired AKI were prospectively enrolled in this cohort study.Nutritional evaluations, including SGA, anthropometric and serum nutritional markers were conducted at enrollment.Overall survival at 90 days among different SGA scores was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier methods, and differences were tested using the log-rank test.The Cox model was used to analyze the relationship between SGA scores and all-cause mortality after adjusting for confounders.Results A total of 170 patients were enrolled.The prevalence of moderate malnutrition(SGA B) and severe malnutrition(SGA C) was 51.8％ and 22.9％ respectively, while patients with normal nutrition(SGA A) accounted for 25.3％.After 90 days follow-up, all-cause mortality was 9.8％ in SGA A group, 34.9％ in SGA B group and 56.8％inSGACgrouprespectively. Afteradjustingforage,sex,dialysis,ventilation, hemoglobin, platelets and bilirubin, the hazard ratio(HR) of 90 days all-cause mortality was 4.0(95％ CI 1.42-11.22, P=0.008) in malnutrition group (SGA B group and SGA C group) compared with SGA A group.The Kaplan-Meier curve also revealed that the worse the SGA score was, the lower the cumulative survival became (P＜0.01).Conclusion SGA score is an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality within 90 days in patients with hospital-acquired acute kidney injury.

Objective To evaluate the role of nutritional parameters in prognosis,especially in the early and late mortality of hospital-acquired acute kidney injury (AKI) patients.Methods This study was a prospective cohort study conducted in a hospital comprising 1500 beds in Shanghai, China. One hundred ninety-four patients with hospital-acquired AKI, as determined using the RIFLE staging criteria,were enrolled as subjects after obtaining informed consent.Patients with AKI caused by postrenal obstruction,glomerulonephritis,interstitial nephritis or vasculitis were excluded.Nutritional evaluation,including subjective global assessment (SGA),anthropometric and laboratory examination,was conducted. Other laboratory measurements and clinical data were recorded.The primary outcome was early mortality (≤ 7 days) and late mortality (8-28 days) after enrolling into the study. Results AKI patients at enrollment were characterized by a high prevalence of malnutrition as determined by SGA, anthropometric and laboratory examination.Univariate analysis showed that the SGA,the serum levels of prealbumin,cholesterol and total lymphatic cells, and the Maastricht index were significantly different among early mortality,late mortality and survival groups.The serum prealbumin and cholesterol levels in the early death group were significantly lower than those in the survival and late death groups (P＜0.05).Multivariate analysis revealed that SGA,albumin,prealbumin and cholesterol remained independently and significantly associated with early mortality after adjusting for age,sex,dialysis,ventilation,hemoglobin,platelets,bilirubin,and Glasgow coma score.The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve to predict early mortality for albumin,prealbumin and cholesterol were 0.591,0.736 and 0.603,respectively,with that of prealbumin significantly higher than others (P＜0.05). Conclusion Low levels of serum prealbumin,albumin and cholesterol at enrollment are independtly associated with increased early mortality in hospital-acquired AKI patients.

The morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular diseases are very high, which has attracted more and more attention all over the world. Common treatment methods for clinical treatment of acute myocardial infarction include direct percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary artery bypass grafting, which can quickly restore blocked coronary blood flow and reduce the infarct size. However, the inevitable ischemia/reperfusion injury will occur during the recovery of coronary blood flow, its pathological mechanism is complicated, and the Western medicine countermeasures are very limited. Among the current drugs for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, traditional Chinese medicine has become a research hotspot due to its multiple targets, safety, and low side effects. Ginger is the fresh rhizome of Zingiber offici?nale Rosc., a perennial herbaceous plant in the ginger family. It is a dual-purpose resource of medicine and food. Ginger has the functions of relieving the appearance and dispelling cold, warming up and relieving vomiting, resolving phlegm and relieving cough, and relieving fish and crab poison. The chemical components of ginger mainly include volatile oil, gingerol, diphenylheptane, etc.. Among them, 6-gingerol, as the main active component of gingerols, has obvious phar?macological effects in myocardial protection, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, etc.. Studies have shown that 6-gingerol protects myocardium mainly through anti-oxidative stress, anti-inflammatory, inhibiting cell apoptosis, and preventing cal?cium influx. ① Anti-oxidative stress: oxidative stress is a state where oxidation and anti-oxidation in the body are out of balance, and it is also an important factor leading to myocardial damage. Many studies have confirmed that 6-gingerol has an antioxidant effect, and it is considered a natural antioxidant. 6-gingerol can significantly reduce the degree of oxi?dative stress and the level of reactive oxygen species caused by cardiomyocyte damage, and has a significant cardiopro?tective effect. ② Anti-inflammatory: inflammation can cause substantial cell damage and organ dysfunction, which is another important cause of myocardial damage. 6-gingerol can reduce the levels of inflammatory factors such as inter?leukin-6, interleukin-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-αin cardiomyocytes, and at the same time inhibit the TLR4/NF-κB sig?naling pathway, an important regulatory pathway of inflammation, showing that it may improve myocardial damage through anti-inflammatory effects. ③ Inhibition of apoptosis: apoptosis is a complex and orderly process in the autono?mous biochemical process of cells, and one of the main mechanisms of myocardial injury. This process can be roughly divided into three pathways: mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and death receptors. Among them, the mitochondrial pathway plays an important role, and Bcl-2 and Bax located upstream of this pathway can regulate the entire process of cell apoptosis by regulating the permeability of the mitochondrial membrane. Studies have found that the preventive application of 6-gingerol can reduce cell damage, reduce the number of apoptotic cells, reduce the activity of Bax and caspase-3, and increase the expression of Bcl-2. Therefore, 6-gingerol pretreatment can reduce the damage of cardio?myocytes, and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of apoptosis.④Prevent calcium influx:calcium overload is involved in the pathogenesis of myocardial ischemic injury, which may be related to excessive contracture, arrhythmia, and mitochondrial Ca2+accumulation that impairs myocardial function. 6-gingerol inhibits the increase of intracellular Ca2+concentration by inhibiting L-type calcium current, thereby reducing extracellular Ca2+ influx, thereby avoiding calcium overload and playing a cardioprotective effect. In summary, 6-gingerol can effectively treat and improve myocardial isch?emia/reperfusion injury, and it has great development potential in the fields of medicine and health products.

Betel nut is the dry and mature seed of Areca catechu L., which is originated in Malaysia and cultivated in Yunnan, Hainan and Taiwan and other tropical areas of China. It is also known as big belly, binmen, olive seed, green seed and so on. Betel nut is a dual-use resource for medicine and food, which was first contained in LI Dang's Pharma?ceutical Record. Betel nut tastes bitter, pungent, warm in nature, and belongs to the stomach and large intestine meridian. It contains a variety of chemical components such as alkaloids, phenolic compounds, polysaccharides, fatty acids, amino acids, flavonoids, minerals, terpenoids, and steroids. It has the advantages of promoting digestion, lowering blood pres?sure, anti-depression, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, and anti-parasites, antibacterial and other activities. The content of total phenols in fresh fruits of areca nut was 31.1％, mainly including catechin, isorhamnetin, chrysopanthoxanthin, luteolin, tannin and other polyphenols. The commonly used methods for determination of polyphenols in areca are vanil?lin titration potassium permanganate titration and potassium ferricyanide spectrophotometry. The main activities and mechanisms of areca polyphenols include: ① Antidepressant effect: polyphenols bind to monoamine oxidase type A (MAO-A) receptors that inhibit the production of neurotransmitters, thereby increasing the content of amine transmitters in the brain and playing a therapeutic effect on depression. ② Antioxidant effect: polyphenols contain multiple adjacent hydroxyl groups, which are easily oxidized and can effectively remove superoxide anion free radical, hydroxyl free radi?cal, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical, showing good antioxidant activity.③Bacteriostatic effect:polyphenols can spe?cifically bind to the surface of bacteria, thus achieving bacteriostatic effect. Studies have found that betel nut polyphenols have varying degrees of inhibitory effects on a variety of bacteria. ④ Inducing apoptosis of lymphocytes: polyphenols deplete the mercaptan in lymphocytes and make them unable to survive, thus inducing apoptosis of lymphocytes.⑤Anti-aging effect: polyphenols have the effect of anti-hyaluronidase and anti-elastase, so as to protect elastin fiber and pro?mote collagen synthesis.⑥Anti-allergic effect:studies have found that polyphenols can reduce ovalbumin induced aller?gic reactions.⑦Other functions:betel nut can freshen breath, eliminate bad breath, and resist the activity of cobra venom. At present, domestic and foreign scholars' research on betel nut mainly focuses on arecoline and its carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, effects on reproductive function, addiction and toxicity to the nervous system, and there are few studies on the positive effects of betel nut, especially on it. There is less research on phenolic ingredients. Therefore, this article reviews the polyphenolic chemical constituents of betel nut, and fully excavates its pharmacological activity to provide a reasonable basis for the scientific use of betel nut.