objective To evaluate the relationship between the pulse pressure and the cardiac geometric structure in patients with essential hypertension. Methods Three hundred and ninety-five patients,age ranging from 20 to 77 years,were enrolled into the study. Their clinical systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP) were all above 140/90mmHg. All the patients either were initially diagnosed as having essential hypertension,or confirmed after taking a the placebo for 2 weeks after stopping anti-hypertensive drugs. The cardiac geometric structure was determined by the echocardiography at the same time when the patients untook the 24 hours ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Results The clinical pulse pressure was significantly different among the groups as divided by the age ( P

OBJECTIVE To study the drug resistance genes in imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.METHODS Five main drug resistance genes:IMP,VIM,SPM and GIM which are pertinent with metal ?-lactamase and outer membrane protein oprD2 gene were analyzed using PCR method.RESULTS The oprD2 genes in 48 strains of imipenem-resistant P.aeruginosa were negative,and in 14 strains were positive from all 62 strains tested.There were 16 strains with positive IMP type and 5 strains with positive VIM type metal enzyme genes positive,7 metal enzymes producing strains were with negative oprD2 gene.The SPM and GIM metal enzyme genes detected were all negative.CONCLUSIONS The loss of outer membrane protein oprD2 gene is the main mechanism of imipenem resistance in P.aeruginosa in Tai′an area.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of gelatin sponge particles(GSP)or polyvinyl alcohol particles (PVA) for hemoptysis secondary to bronchiectasis or pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods The clinical data on 271 patients with bronchiectasis- or tuberculosis-induced hemoptysis were retrospectively analyzed. The efficacy and rates of recurrence and complications were analyzed. Results A total 271 patients were included in this study, 176 of whom suffered from bronchiectasis and the rest 95 had tuberculosis. One-week cure rate was signifi-cantly higher in bronchiectasis group than in tuberculosis group(73.3%vs. 46.3%,P<0.05),and one-year recur-rence rate was significantly lower in bronchiectasis group(17.6%vs. 26.3%,P<0.05). One-year recurrence rate was slightly higher in patients receiving GSP than in those undergoing PVA(bronchiectasis group:22.2%vs. 10.3%, P<0.05;tuberculosis group:28.8%vs. 22.2%,P>0.05). No severe complications occurred. Conclusions In-terventional artery embolization therapy for hemoptysis secondary to bronchiectasis is better than tuberculosis-induced hemoptysis,and PVA is more effective than GSP. Recurrence of massive hemoptysis mostly occurrs within one month ,and most of the patients are complicated with blood supply and have a history of hemoptysis.

Aim To investgate the mechnism through which ginkgolides affect learning and memory capabilities of the Alzheimers disease-like rats. Methods Okadaic acid(OA)was injected into the CA1 region of the rat hippocampus and the rats were gavaged with ginkgolides. The learning and memory abilities of the rats were assessed through Morris water maze behavioral test, and the expressions of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and ChAT were observed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry, respectively.Results Compared with the control rats, the capabilities of learning and memory were lowered significantly(P

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.

OBJECTIVETo explore the current application and features of Aconite prescriptions with incompatible herbs in grade A class three hospitals in east China and central China through a clinical study and comparative analysis.

METHODClinical prescriptions containing Aconite with incompatible herbs were collected. Association rules were utilized to analyze the compatible features of these herbs.

RESULTThis analysis found that the frequently used incompatible herba; pairs are Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Pinelliae Rhizoma, with the support rate of 44.45%, occupying nearly half of the surveyed prescriptions; Pinelliae Rhizoma is the most frequently used herb in the two areas, with support rate up to 76.24%. Among the top 10 herbal pairs in the support rate, except for Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata and Pinelliae Rhizoma, the top 10 herbs in Central China were mostly for warming the middle jiao and tonifying qi, such as Zingiberis Rhizoma, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Codonopsis Radix; Whereas those in east China were mostly for activating and nourishing blood, such as Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Chuanxiong Rhizoma, and Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma. Among the top 10 herbal pairs in the support rate, except for Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Pinelliae Rhizoma, the core herbal pairs applied in central China were mainly for resolving phlegm and warming the middle jiao, such as Pinelliae Rhizoma-Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Pinelliae Rhizoma-Zingiberis Rhizoma; Whereas those in east China were principally for activating blood and tonifying qi, like Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Pinelliae Rhizoma, Angelicae Sinensis Radix and Pinelliae Rhizoma. Among the core herbal groups in the two areas, the most frequently used herbal groups in the two areas are Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Pinelliae Rhizoma with the support rate of 59.73%, accounting for the highest proportion among all of herbal groups.

CONCLUSIONThere are the combined clinical application of Aconite with incompatible herbs, mostly with Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Pinelliae Rhizoma, but with differences in the combined application in east China and central China.

Aconitum ; chemistry ; Drug Incompatibility ; Drug Prescriptions ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Pinellia ; chemistry ; Sophora ; chemistry

To reveal the colonization characteristics in host of endophytic biocontrol bacteria NJ13 isolated from Panax ginseng, this study obtained the marked strain NJ13-R which was double antibiotic resistant to rifampicin and streptomycin through enhancing the method of inducing antibiotic. The colonization characteristics in ginseng and its biocontrol efficiency against Alternaria spot of ginseng in the field were studied. The results showed that the strain could colonize in root, stem and leaf of ginseng and the colonization amount was positive correlated with inoculation concentration. Meanwhile, the strain could infect and then transfer in different tissues of ginseng The colonization amount of strain in roots and leaves of ginseng increased first and then decreased. However, the tendency of colonization amount of strain in stems was ascend at first and then descend slowly, and was more than that in roots and leaves along with time, which had a preference to specific tissue of its host. In field experiment, the endophytic bacteria NJ13 was proved to be effective in controlling Alternaria leaf spot of ginseng. The biocontrol efficiency of fermentation broth at the concentration of 0.76 x 10(8) cfu x mL(-1) reached 75.62%, which was close to the controlling level (73.06%) of 0.67 mg x L(-1) 50% cyprodinil WG.
Alternaria ; physiology ; Antibiosis ; Bacillus ; growth & development ; isolation & purification ; physiology ; Endophytes ; growth & development ; isolation & purification ; physiology ; Panax ; growth & development ; microbiology ; Plant Diseases ; microbiology

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical effect of Huikangling Tablet (HT, extracted from Scabrous Patrinia root) on peripheral blood micrometastasis of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) patients.

METHODSTotally 87 DTC patients with positive micrometastasis were randomly assigned to the treatment group (45 cases) and the control group (42 cases). DTC endocrine inhibition treatment standards were executed in all patients. They all took levothyroxine sodium (50 microg/tablet, from low dose, 25 microg each time, once per day, 0.5 h before breakfast), and its dosage was gradually added one week later. The dosage was adjusted according to tested results of TSH combined recurrence risk stratification and endocrine suppression induced adverse reactions risk stratification. Patients in the treatment group took HT (0.4 g per tablet, 3 tablets each time, three times per day for a total of 12 weeks) combined TSH suppression therapy, while those in the control group only received TSH suppression therapy. Peripheral micrometastatic cytokeratin 19 (CK19) and polymorphic epithelial mucin1 (MUC1) were detected by FCM at week 4 and 12. Meanwhile, distant metastasis and adverse reactions were observed.

RESULTSAfter 4-week treatment positive micrometastasis was shown in 18 cases (40%) of the treatment group and 29 cases (69%) in the control group with statistical difference (chi2 = 5.68, P < 0.05). After 12-week treatment positive micrometastasis was shown in 7 cases (15.6%) of the treatment group and 17 cases (44.7%) in the control group with statistical difference (chi2 = 8.49, P < 0.01). Pulmonary metastasis occurred in 2 cases and bone metastasis in 1 case of the control group at follow-ups. Cervical lymph node metastasis without accompanied recurrence of thyroid cancer occurred in one case of the treatment group. No obvious liver or renal abnormalities occurred.

CONCLUSIONHT inhibited peripheral blood micrometastasis of DTC patients and its mechanism needed to be further studied.

Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Neoplasm Micrometastasis ; drug therapy ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Tablets ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; drug therapy

Objective To explore the role of p16 gene methylation in fibroblasts in the occurrence and development of keloid.Methods Skin tissue specimens were resected from the lesions of patients with keloid and normal skin of healthy human controls.Fibroblasts were isolated from these tissue specimens and subjected a primary culture.An immunohistochemical analysis was performed to measure the expression of p16 protein in tissue specimens,real-time fluorescence-based quantitative PCR to determine the mRNA expression level (expressed as 2-△△Ct) of p 16 and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) in fibmblasts,and bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP) to estimate the methylation status of p16 gene in the tissue specimens and primary fibroblasts.Results The keloid fibroblasts (KFbs) showed significandy lower mRNA expression of p16 gene (0.64 ± 0.18 vs.1.92 ± 0.23,t =10.54,P＜ 0.05),but significantly higher mRNA expressions of 3 DNMTs (DNMT1:2.58 ± 0.23 vs.1.13 ± 0.21,t =11.22,P ＜ 0.05; DNMT3A:4.87 ± 0.46 vs.2.38 ± 0.32,t =10.81,P＜ 0.05; DNMT3B:1.57 ± 0.12 vs.0.57 ± 0.16,t =12.45,P＜ 0.05) compared with the normal fibmblasts (NFbs).The DNA methylation rate in the p16 gene promoter region was significantly increased in keloid tissue (1.81％ ± 0.46％) and KFbs (3.15％ ± 0.94％) compared with normal skin tissue (0.90％ ± 0.35％,F =14.23,P＜ 0.01) and NFbs (0.17％ ± 0.29％,F=37.62,P＜ 0.01).Conclusions The methylation and low expression of p16 gene in KFbs may be associated with the uncontrolled growth of keloid,and DNMTs may play a role in the pathogenesis of keloid.

Objective To study the proliferation,collagen production and related gene expression in keloids and normal skin fibroblast.Methods Isolated primary cells of keloid fibroblasts (KFb,n=12) and normal human dermal fibroblasts (NFb,n=12) were identified,the cell viability and proliferating potential and the cell cycle were detected,and the difference on the collagen synthesis between KFb and NFb were compared.The expression of cell cycle-associated genes such as p21,p16,and p27 was dectected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR.Results The phase contrast optical microscopy imaging showed that both KFb isolated from keloid tissues and NFb from normal skin tissues possessed classic and similar fibroblast morphology.But there was a significant difference between cell proliferation,Hyp [(2.30±0.10) μg/ml vs.(1.66±0.13) μg/ml,P＜0.05] and collagen levels [(17.19±0.75) μg/ml vs.(12.37±0.94) μg/ml,P＜0.05].Compared with NFb,KFb exhibited more percentage of G2/M phase cells [(5.90±0.62)％ vs.(16.94 ％±1.93)％,P＜0.05]and less percentage of G0/G1 phase cells [(90.24 ±2.27)％ vs.(75.65±1.92)％,P＜0.05].Cell cycle related genes p16,p21 and p27 were low expressed.Collagen type Ⅰ was highly expressed at mRNA levels in KFb than that in NFb [0.84±0.11,1.32±0.2,1.69±0.12,4.33±0.27 in KFb vs.1.43±0.13,2.56±0.26,2.89±0.37,1.40±0.12 in NFb,P＜0.05].Conclusions There are cell dysfunction and abnormal cellular dynamics in keloid fibroblasts.The formation of keloid likely involves aberrant interactions of some genes that affected its development at different extents.