Objective To investigate the role of andrographolide (AP) in protection of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced acute liver injury in mice and the possible mechanisms. Methods The mice were randomly divided into five groups, including two groups with different doses of AP (50 mg/kg and100 mg/kg), a control group, a CCl4 model group, and a silymarin group. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartateminotransferase (AST), hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH) were examined. Pathological changes in the liver were observed. RT-PCR was used to detect the expressions of tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-α) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) mRNA. Results As compared with CCl4 model group, serum levels of ALT and AST and hepatic MDA activity were significantly decreased in AP group (100 mg·kg-1), along with a remarkable increase in hepatic GSH content. Pretreatment with AP at a high dose alleviated histopathological changes induced by CCl4. A markedly increased level of TNF-a induced by CCl4 was reduced by AP, while HO-1at transcriptional level was dramatically elevated following AP pretreatment. Conclusions AP plays a role in protection of CCl4-induced acute liver injury by inhibiting lipid peroxidation and reducing formation of free radicals, the mechanism may be involved in inhibition of TNF-αand activation of HO-1.

Objective To approach the efficiency and feasibility of preserving the fertility for patients with placental site trophoblastic tumor ( PSTT ).Methods Totally 2 086 cases of gestational trophoblastic neoplasm ( GTN) patients registered in Peking Union Medical College Hospital between 1998 and 2013.Fifty-seven of them were PSTT patients , 40 cases of which suffered hysterectomy , the rest 17 PSTT patients who preserved their fertility were analyzed retrospectively.The computerized database of clinical and pathological reports was reviewed in this cohort.Results The clinical manifestation of PSTT was not specific compared to other types of GTN.The average age of the 17 patients was 29.5 years old (range 22-39 years).The most common antecedent pregnancy was term birth (8 cases), the others were spontaneous abortion in 4 case, artificial abortion in 3 cases and molar pregnancy in 2 cases.The baseline serum β-hCG was slightly elevated and 12 patients (12/15) were less than 1 000 U/L.In this cohort, nine of the patients were in stage Ⅰ, while the other eight cases were in stage Ⅲ .The patients suffered conservative surgery, including dilation and curettage of uterus in 7 cases, open abdomen uterine lesion excision in 4 cases, laparoscopic uterine lesion excision in 3 cases, hysteroscopic uterine lesion excision in 1 case, and pulmonary lobectomy in 2 cases.Two of the patients didn′t received chemotherapy , while the other 15 cases suffered combination chemotherapy.Compared with 40 patients who suffered hysterectomy during the same interval , fertility preservation group did not result in poor outcomes or high risk of relapse rate.Six subsequent pregnancies happened after the therapy , two of them were during their second-trimester, while four patients had healthy babies by vaginal delivery in two and cesarean section in two .The scar of the uterus was fairly well during the cesarean sections.Conclusions Reservation of fertility therapy could be considered in highly-selected patients for young women who strongly desired to preserve their fertility and with localized lesion.Exactitude follow-up after therapy should be recommended.Contraception should also be recommended for at least one year after the chemotherapy.Vaginal delivery could be an option for the future pregnancies.

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Danshensu on the lipid metabolism of hyperlipidemic rats.

METHODSixty clean male SD rats were selected. Twelve of them were selected in the basic control group and fed with common foods, and the remaining rats were fed with the high-fat feeds. After the successful modeling, they were randomly divided into the high-fat control group and low dose (10 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)), medium dose (20 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) and high dose (40 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) Danshensu (dissolved in saline) groups. Both of the two groups were abdominally injected with the same volume of normal saline once a day for consecutively 30 days. The serum TG, TC, HDL-C and liver ACC1, FAS, HMGR, CPT-I mRNA expressions were detected.

RESULT AND CONCLUSIONDanshensu could inhibit the LDL-C level, timely clear redundant cholesterol and effectively regulate the lipid metablism of hyperlipidemic rats by reducing the TC content, decrease the fatty acid by reducing the FAS mRNA expression, and reduce the synthesis levels of endogenous cholesterol by inhibit the HMGR mRNA expression.

Animals ; Hyperlipidemias ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Lactates ; pharmacology ; Lipid Metabolism ; drug effects ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective To explore the etiology,clinical manifestations of infantal viral pneumonia in Luzhou area.Methods Five viral specific serum IgM antibodies were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) in acute period of viral pneumonia.Five kinds of virus were separated,as respiratory syncytial virue(RSV),influenza virus(IFV),adenovirus(ADV),cytonegalo virus(CMV),and parainfluenza virus(PIV).Serum specific IgM was positive,C-reactive protein(CRP) was less than 8 mg/L,and there was no(clini-)cal and laboratory proof of other pathogenic infection detected in 221 infants with pneumonia.Results 1.One hundred and four cases of viral infection were detected from 221 infants with pneumonia.The viral positive detected rate was 47.1%,and there were 75 cases of single viral infection(72.1%) and 29 cases of mixed viral infection(27.9%) among them.2.In the single viral infection,RSV was the first,IFV,ADV,PIV and CMV being the second,the third,the fourth,and the fifth respectively.3.The types of likely infection virus were different in different age-stage and seasons in infants.Conclusions The etiology of infantal pneumonia is complicated.The types of viral infection are various besides germ infection and the epidemic season peak;clinical manifestations are different.Earlier detection of(etiology) in infection will make clear the etiology and then take appropriate treatment measures to improve curative effect.

Objective To explore the efficacy and tolerability of sorafenib in combination with interferon-α-2b for Chinese patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Methods Seventeen pa-tients with unreseetable metastatic renal cell carcinoma were enrolled and received sorafenib in combi-nation with interferon-α-2b. Sorafenib was continuously given at the dose of 400 mg twice per day, in-terferon-α-2b 300 MIU subscutaneously once per day for 5 d each week, until disease progression or intolerable toxieities occurred. Tumor responses were evaluated every two months by response evalua-tion criteria in solid tumor. Results The median treatment duration was 120(51-442)d. All 17 pa-tients were evaluable for efficacy and safety. Five patients achieved partial responses (PR), 1 uncon-firmed PR,9 stable diseases. Two patients had progressed diseases. The overall response rate was 29%(5/17)with the disease control rate of 88%(15/17). Due to short-time follow up, the median progression free and overall survival time were not yet available. The common side effects included: fever 82%(14/17), diarrhea 82%(14/17), hand-foot syndrome 71%(12/17), asthenia 65%(11/17), rash 53%(9/17), alopecia 41% (7/17), mucosities 41% (7/17), hypertension 29% (5/17), anorexia 24% (4/17), hoarseness 24% (4/17), myalgia 24 % (4/17), nausea/vomiting 12 % (2/17) and headach/ dizzle 12%(2/17). Eleven (65%) out of 17 patients developed neutropenia, 5(29%) thrombocytope-nia and 5 (29%)anemia. Four(24%) out of 17 patients had abnormally elevated ALT/AST. Conclu-sion Sorafenib in combination with interferon-α-2b for metastatic renal cell carcinoma improves re-sponse rate with manageable toxicity.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the operative strategy and clinical outcome of the thoracolumbar fracture dislocation. METHODS: Forty-two patients with the thoracolumbar fracture dislocation were treated with anterior approach (10 patients), posterior approach (28 patients), and anterior combined with posterior approach (4 patients) in order to construct the stabilities of the spine. The ASIA grades were used to evaluate the recovery of the neurological function, and the improvement of the kyphosis deformities was evaluated by the cobb's angle post-operation. RESULTS: All the patients had no complications of injury in the vascular and neurological system. The ASIA grades after the operation were superior to those of pre-operation, and the cobb's angle was rectified distinctly. CONCLUSION When appropriate operative strategies are adopted, thoracolumbar fracture dislocation can be treated with satisfactory outcome.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; methods ; Humans ; Joint Dislocations ; etiology ; surgery ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; injuries ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Fractures ; complications ; surgery ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; injuries ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo explore the features of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) of the hippocampus in schizophrenia patients before and after stereotactic neurosurgery.

METHODS1H-MRS was performed to determine NAA/Cr and CHO/Cr ratios on the bilateral hippocampal regions before and after stereotactic neurosurgery in 20 schizophrenia patients, with 20 healthy individuals as the controls.

RESULTSThe NAA/Cr ratio in the hippocampal regions was significantly lower and the CHO/Cr ratio significantly higher in schizophrenia patients before the surgery than in the healthy controls (P<0.01). The NAA/Cr and CHO/Cr ratios in the hippocampal regions underwent no significant changes in the patients after the surgeries (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONNeuronal and cell membrane metabolism impairment is present in the hippocampus of schizophrenia patients, and stereotactic neurosurgery does not produce obvious adverse effects on the cell membrane metabolism in the hippocampus of the patients.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aspartic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Choline ; metabolism ; Creatine ; metabolism ; Female ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; methods ; Male ; Protons ; Schizophrenia ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Stereotaxic Techniques ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical characteristics and management of non-traumatic epidural sequestered cervical disc extrusion.

METHODSFrom January 2002 to July 2011, the clinical data of 10 patients with non-traumatic epidural sequestered cervical disc extrusion were treated by anterior cervical mostly vertebraectomy and nucleus pulposus removal after decompression and internal fixation through longitudinal ligament resection. Of them,there were 6 males and 4 females with an average age of 48.2 years old (ranged from 42 to 65), the course of disease ranged from 1 month to 4 years (mean, 15 months). All patients manifested numbness and weakness of four limbs, unstable walking and sphincter of oddi dysfunction. Preoperative MRI showed segmental cervical spinal cord compression. JOA scoring criteria was applied to evaluate preoperative and follow-up neurologic function.

RESULTSTen patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 15 to 32 months, with an average of 21 months. No complications related to opreation occurred. Preoperative MRI showed nucelus puplposus sequestered longitudinal ligament were on equal signal on T1-weighted and corresponding pathological,while it showed equal and high signal on T2-weighted. JOA score were increased from 7.20 +/- 1.55 preoperative to 13.60 +/- 1.90 postoperative (t = -11.8, P < 0.001), and excellent in 3 cases, good in 6 cases and moderate in 1 case.

CONCLUSIONAnterior cervical mostly vertebraectomy and nucleus pulposus removal after decompression and internal fixation through longitudinal ligament resection after early diagnosis is the key to success of treating non-traumatic epidural sequestered cervical disc extrusion.

Adult ; Aged ; Cervical Vertebrae ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Epidural Space ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiography

Bacterial Infections ; diagnosis ; urine ; Colorimetry ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peritonitis ; diagnosis ; urine ; Urinalysis ; methods