Objective To investigate the effect,security and tolerance of pregabalin combined with sertraline hydrochloride for refractory neuropathic pain.Methods Forty-six patients with refractory neuropathic pain were divided into two groups by random digits table.The patients in pregabalin group (24 patients) were treated by pregabalin combined with sertraline hydrochloride,and the patients in carbamazepine group (22 patients) were treated by carbamazepine combined with sertraline hydrochloride.They were treated for 4 weeks.The scores of visual analogue scales (VAS),Hamilton rating scale of depression (HAMD),Hamilton rating scale for anxiety (HAMA) and the dose,adverse reaction were compared between two groups.Results The total effective rate of pregabalin group was 83.3％(20/24) and carbamazepine group was 86.4％ (19/22),there was no significant difference (P＞ 0.05).After treatment of 1,2,4 weeks,the scores of VAS in two groups were significantly decreased compared with those before treatment[pregabalin group:(5.90 ± 1.11),(4.59 ± 1.33),(3.59 ± 1.94) scores vs.(6.50 ± 0.85) scores; carbamazepine group:(5.50 ± 1.06),(4.18 ± 1.71),(3.73 ± 1.88) scores vs.(6.50 ± 0.80) scores] (P ＜0.05).After treatment of 2 weeks,the scores of VAS in carbamazepine group was significantly lower than that in pregabalin group (P ＜ 0.05).In pregabalin group,the scores of HAMD/HAMA after treatment of 1 week had no significant difference compared with before treatment (P ＞ 0.05),and the scores of HAMD/HAMA after treatment of 2,4 weeks were significantly increased [(15.25 ± 4.15),(11.29 ± 4.16)scores vs.(16.08 ± 3.56) scores and (14.21 ± 4.72),(11.63 ± 4.50) scores vs.(15.25 ± 4.05) scores] (P ＜0.05).In carbamazepine group,the scores of HAMD/HAMA after treatment of 1,2 weeks was decreased compared with those before treatment,but there was no significant difference (P ＞ 0.05).The scores of HAMD/HAMA after treatment of 4 weeks was significantly decreased [(13.18 ± 2.42) scores vs.(15.20 ±1.05) scores,(12.32 ± 2.64) scores vs.(14.55 ± 4.43) scores] (P ＜ 0.05).The scores of HAMD/HAMA in pregabalin group after treatment of 4 weeks was significantly lower than that in carbamazepine group (P ＜0.05).There was no severe adverse reaction.Conclusion Pregabalin combined with sertraline hydrochloride is worth to recommend for refractory neuropathic pain,and has no serious adverse reaction.

Humans ; Microcirculation ; Sepsis ; physiopathology

Objective To assess the potential of whole blood IFN-γassay for diagnosing mycobacterium in rhesus macaques.Methods Firstly, basic serum IFN-γconcentrations of TST-negative and -positive rhesus macaques were detected.Then, heparinized whole blood from TST-negative and-positive rhesus macaques was incubated with PBS and 200 IU bovine-PPD ( tuberculin purified protein derivative ) for about 24 h, respectively.The supernatant plasma were harvested and used to determine the concentrations of IFN-γ.The results of plasma IFN-γconcentrations and stimulation index ( SI) were used to analyze the diagnostic potential of the whole blood IFN-γassay.Results The basic serum concentrations of IFN-γfor the TST-positive monkeys were significantly higher than that of the TST-negative macaques, showing a high coefficient of variation.There was no significant effect on the production of IFN-γin the TST-negative macaques.While significantly elevation of IFN-γconcentrations was found in stimulated plasma of TST-positive macaques (P<0.01).The SI of TST-positive macaques was significantly higher than the TST-negative ones.ROC curve analysis revealed that IFN-γconcentrations and SI could be used as evaluation index of whole blood IFN-γassay.Conclusions Based on a small sample experiment we have demonstrated that whole blood IFN-γassay may be one possible auxiliary diagnostic method for tuberculin skin test.

Periventricular white matter damage is one of the characteristics of brain damage in preterm infants, and it is the most important type of encephalopathy. The pathological changes including the white matter of coagulation necrosis, oligodendrocyte damage, myelin damage, axonal injury and reactive gliosis and microglia infiltration in necrotic areas. All of these lesions are closely related to the nervous system sequelae in later-neonatal period. The pathogenesis of periventricular leukomalacia in premature infants are mainly cause by its immature brain vascular, and precursor oligodendrocytes of the attack of hypoxia, ischemia, infection, oxygen free radicals, inflammatory cytokines, increasing glutamate, and other high-risk factors. In this paper, an overview of progress in the study of the pathogenesis of periventricular white matter damage in premature infants through literature review to provide a theoretical support for clinical prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Apoptosis ; Cerebrovascular Circulation ; Cytokines ; physiology ; Excitatory Amino Acids ; toxicity ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Leukomalacia, Periventricular ; classification ; etiology ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo investigate the potential protective effect of the mitochondria-targeted antioxidant Mitoquinone (MitoQ) on post-thaw human sperm.

METHODSSemen samples were collected from 60 normal fertile men, each divided into six parts of equal volume to be incubated at 37 °C in normal saline (G0, control) or in the extender with 2 nmol/L (G1), 20 nmol/L (G2), 200 nmol/L (G3), 2 µmol/L (G4), and 20 µmol/L of MitoQ (G5). After one hour of incubation, the samples were subjected to computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) for sperm motility, flow cytometry for reactive oxygen species (ROS), thiobarbituric acid assay for the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA), and MitoTracker fluorescent staining and flow cytometry for the sperm mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). Then, the semen were cryopreserved with none (B0), 200 nmol/L (B1), and 2 µmol/L of MitoQ (B2), followed by detection of the changes in the ROS, MDA, and MMP of the post-thaw sperm.

RESULTSThe percentage of progressively motile sperm and total rate of sperm motility were significantly higher in G3 ([30.8 ± 10.2]% and [70.6 ± 9.0]%) and G4 ([32.7 ± 13.5]% and [70.3 ± 11.9]%) than in G0 ([17.6 ± 5.0]% and [54.9 ± 11.5]%) (P < 0.05). The level of ROS dropped markedly with the increased concentration of MitoQ, 86.5 ± 31.6 in G3, 93.6 ± 42.0 in G4, and 45.1 ± 15.0 in G5, as compared with 160.8 ± 39.7 in G0 (P < 0.05). The content of MDA was remarkably lower in G3 ([0.9 ± 0.5] µmol/mg) and G4 ([0.9 ± 0.5] µmol/mg) than in G0 ([1.9 ± 1.1] µmol/mg) (P < 0.05), but not in G5 ([1.7 ± 0.7] µmol/mg), which was even higher than in G3 and G4 (P < 0.05). The MMP showed a significant reduction in G5 (1156 ± 216) in comparison with G0 (1701 ± 251) (P < 0.05) but exhibited no remarkable difference between G0 and G1 (1810 ± 298), G2 (1995 ± 437), G3 (1950 ± 334), or G4 (1582 ± 314). The percentage of progressively motile sperm and total rate of sperm motility after freezing-thawing were significantly decreased as compared with those of the fresh semen (P < 0.01), but both were remarkably higher in B1 ([3.2 ± 2.3]% and [ 43.0 ± 9.5]%) than in B0 ([0.8 ± 0.6]% and [26.5 ± 11.4]%) (P < 0.05). The ROS level was significantly lower in B1 and B2 than in B0 (34.6 ± 12. 3 and 37.0 ± 10.5 vs 56.9 ± 14.3, P < 0.05), and so was the MDA content ([1.4 ± 0.5] and [1.4 ± 0.6] µmol/mg vs [2.6 ± 1.0] µmol/mg, P < 0.05), but the MMP was markedly higher in B1 and B2 than in B0 (1010.0 ± 130.5 and 880.6 ± 128.6 vs 721.1 ± 24.8, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONAddition of MitoQ to the freezing extender at 200 nmol/L may effectively improve the quality of human sperm and MitoQ is a good protective addictive for human sperm cryopreservation.

Antioxidants ; Cryopreservation ; Humans ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; analysis ; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial ; Mitochondria ; Organophosphorus Compounds ; pharmacology ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Semen ; Semen Analysis ; Semen Preservation ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; drug effects ; Ubiquinone ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology

To investigate the anticancer effects of ring C in 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), a series of GA derivatives featured with 9(11)-ene moiety in ring C were designed and synthesized. The structures were confirmed by IR, LC-MS and 1H NMR. Their inhibitory effects towards human prostate cancer PC-3 and leukemia HL-60 cell lines were determined. Most of the derivatives displayed stronger antiproliferative activities than GA. Particularly, compound 14 showed promising anticancer activity with the GI50 values of 4.48 µmol · L(-1) and 1.2 µmol · L(-1) against PC-3 and HL-60 cells respectively, which is worth further study.
Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Drug Design ; Glycyrrhetinic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; HL-60 Cells ; drug effects ; Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; pathology

Harmful substances are produced during the metabolism of alcohol in the human body, which causes liver disease.The mechanism of oxidative stress is the main pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease, which plays a major role in the occurrence and development of alcoholic liver disease.Alcohol-induced oxidative stress mediated by reactive oxygen species(ROS)/reactive nitrogen species(RNS) brings about liver disease via apoptotic signaling pathway and MAPK signaling pathway, and alleviates liver disease through Nrf2 signaling pathway.In this paper, the studies on the mechanism of oxidative stress in alcoholic liver disease are reviewed.

Objective To investigate the role of transcriptional-coactivator with PDZ-binding motif( TAZ) in genistein-induced osteoblastogenic differentiation of mouse bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells ( BMSCs) .Methods Mouse BMSCs were cultured in phenol red-freeα-MEM containing osteogenic supplements for inducing osteogenic differentiation.BMSCs were transfected with siRNA-TAZ and treated with genistein.The temporal sequence of osteoblastic differentiation in BMSCs cultures was assayed by measuring alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) and calcium deposition.The mRNA expression of bone sialoprotein ( BSP) and osteocalcin ( OC) were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).The binding interaction between TAZ and cbfa1 was identified by co-immunoprecipitation.Results TAZ expression was detected during the induction of osteogenic differentiation, the ALP activity and calcium deposition were significantly decreased in BMSCs which were transfected with siRNA-TAZ.Genistein(0.01-1 μmol/L) exhibited a dose-dependent effect on TAZ expression in mouse BMSCs cultures.Treatment with genistein ( 1 μmol/L ) resulted in increased ALP avtivity and calcium deposition of BMSC cultures as function of time.Genistein(1μmol/L) also promoted the nuclear localization of TAZ and augmented the interaction between TAZ and cbfa1, and by which upregulated cbfa1-mediated gene expression such as BSP and OC.However, the ALP avtivity and calcium deposition, as well as the expression of BSP and OC were not promoted by genistein in BMSCs transfected with siRNA-TAZ.Conclusion These data suggest that the TAZ plays an important role in genistein-induced osteoblastic differentiation of mouse BMSCs cultures.

This study aimed to identify the related substances of phloroglucinol injection by two-dimensional liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (2D-LC-Q-TOF/MS). The first-dimensional separation was carried out on an HSS T3 (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) column by gradient elution using 1.36 g·L^-1 potassium dihydrogen phosphate buffer solution (pH adjusted to 3.0 with diluted phosphoric acid) and acetonitrile as the mobile phases. The separated components were then trapped in switch valve tube lines respectively and delivered to the second-dimensional desalting gradient elution which was performed with a BDS C18 (100 mm × 4.6 mm, 2.4 μm) column using 0.1% formic acid and methanol as the mobile phases. After rapid desalting, electrospray-ionization quadrupole time-of-flight high resolution mass spectrometry was used for determining the accurate masses and elemental compositions of the parents and their product ions for both phloroglucinol and its related substance. Structures of the related substances were then figured out by mass spectrometry elucidation, organic reaction mechanism analysis, and/or comparison with reference substances. Under the established analytical conditions, phloroglucinol and its related substances were adequately separated, 17 main related substances were detected and identified in the injection and its stressed samples for the first time. The identification results can provide reference for the quality control of phloroglucinol injection.

ObjectiveTo study how to diagnose thrombosis of intracranial venous sinus and cerebral venous thrombosis(CVT). Methods6 cases with intracranial venous sinus and CVT were analysed by clinical features and imaging signs. ResultsMost patients had symptoms and signs of intracranial hypertension. Some patients manifested symptoms of whole brain or focal neurological deficits. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance venography (MRV) play important roles for the diagnosis of intracranial venous sinus and CVT, however, digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is one of the most reliable method for early diagnosis of the above diseases.Conclusions According to clinical features and imaging signs, intracranial venous sinus and CVT could be diagnosed accurately .