Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiculopathy ; etiology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Spondylosis ; complications ; Upper Extremity ; physiopathology

AIM: To estahlish a RP-HPLC method of determining two caffeic acid derivatives in Echinacea extract and to determine 5 Echinacea purpurea root extracts. METHODS: RP-HPLC was applied to determine 2 caffeic acid derivatives in E.purpurea extract:caftaric acid and chicoric acid.HPLC conditions were as follows: Agilent ZORBAX StableBond C_(18) column(5 ?m,4.6 mm?250 mm) was used,with A(acetonitrile) —B(0.1% H_3PO_4) gradient elution as a mobile phase.The flow rate was 1.2 mL/min.The detection wavelenth was set at 330 nm. RESULTS: 2 caffeic acid derivatives were separated well.The linear range for caftaric acid and chicoric acid were 0.064-0.416 ?g and 0.1-0.7 ?g,respectively.Its average recoveries were 99.37% with RSD of(1.50%) and 100.44% with RSD of 1.71%,respectively. CONCLUSION: The method is simple,accurate,strong specificity and can be used to control the quality of E.purpurea extract and new medicine development.

BACKGROUND:Previous studies have shown that calcitonin gene-related peptide can be released from cardiac sensory afferent terminals fol owing coronary artery occlusion in rats, indicating the involvement of calcitonin gene-related peptide during pathological process of acute myocardial ischemia.
OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of calcitonin gene-related peptide on neonatal rat cardiomyocytes apoptosis induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein and hypoxia/reoxygenation.
METHODS:Twenty wel s of primary cultured neonatal rat myocardial cel s were randomly divided into five groups:normal control group, oxidized low-density lipoprotein group, oxidized low-density lipoprotein hypoxia/reoxygenation group, calcitonin gene-related peptide group and calcitonin gene-related peptide 8-37 group. The cel s in the last four groups were incubated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein for 24 hours before establishing the myocardial hypoxia/reoxygenation model. At 30 minutes prior to hypoxia/reoxygenation, 10-8 mol/L calcitonin gene-related peptide were added into the culture fluid in calcitonin gene-related peptide group;10-7 mol/L competitive antagonist calcitonin gene-related peptide 8-37 of calcitonin gene-related peptide-1 receptor were added at 30 minutes before calcitonin gene-related peptide administration in calcitonin gene-related peptide 8-37 group. Myocardial apoptotic rate and caspase-3 activity were detected respectively.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Calcitonin gene-related peptide could significantly attenuate apoptosis of neonatal rat myocardial cel s through inhibiting the caspase-3 activation induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein and hypoxia/reoxygenation. And this effect could be partial y reversed by competitive antagonist calcitonin gene-related peptide 8-37 of calcitonin gene-related peptide 1 receptor, indicating that calcitonin gene-related peptide has anti-apoptotic effect in combination with the calcitonin gene-related peptide 1 receptor to inhibit cardiomyocyte apoptosis in neonatal rats induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein and hypoxia/reoxygenation.

Objective:To study the bioactivity of thymosin ?16 (T?16) in vitro and in vivo.Methods:Recombinant His-SUMO-T?16 was constructed and transformed into E.coli BL21(DE3) for induced expression.The product was treated by ultrasonication,ion-exchange chromatography and metal chelation chromatography respectively for purification.The fusion protein was cut by His-SUMO protease and then further purified by metal chelation chromatography and Superdex 30 gel chromatography.Results:Recombinant fusion protein His-SUMO-T?16 was soluble,whose specific activity was 5.3?105 U/mg.It could promote the proliferation of BALB/c 3T3 cells,rabbit corneal cells,and chicken embryo chorion vessels in vitro,and both the proliferation and migration of vascular endothelial cells in vitro were enhanced,and rabbit skin healing of alkali burns in vivo was accelerated.Conclusion:E.coli expressing vector of recombinant His-SUMO-T?16 fusion protein is constructed successfully,and recombinant protein T?16 has significant repairing effects.The study established a good foundation for further industrialization of T?16.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the role of TLR4 signaling pathway in secretory otitis media of rats.METHODS Rats SOM models were made by infusing FS and LPS to the middle otocysts. The rats were killed separately at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th,11th and13th day(5 rats each time). And then the expressions of TLR4, iNOS, IL-8mRNA of middle ear mucosae were detected. NF-?B was also detected through the method of immunohistochemistry. RESULTS The expressions of TLR4mRNA, iNOS and IL-8mRNA in middle ear mucosae of SOM group were significantly higher than that of control group. Immunohistochemistry method showed that the activation of NF-?B in middle ear mucosae was obviously increased in SOM. CONCLUSION The expression of TLR4 was obviously increased in SOM and it activates the NF-?B, promotes the expression of downstream IL-8. That maybe the mechanism which cause SOM.

Objective To investigate the association betw een systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)and polymorphismof Fc gamma receptor ty peⅢin Han patients fromHunan province.Methods Genotypes of Fc?RⅢa-158V/F were determined by polymerase chain reaction(PCR)and restriction fragment length polymorphism(RFLP)analysis in 65patients with SLE and 60normal controls.Results①It was found that the frequency of homozygous Fc?RⅢa-158F /F genotype was significantly h igher in patients with SLE than that i n controls(OR=2.23,? 2 =4.69,P=0.03).②The frequencies of both homozygous Fc?RⅢa-158F /F genotype and Fc?RⅢa-158F allele were significantly high er in patients with lupus nephritis c ompared with those in controls(OR=2.67,? 2 =5.36,P=0.02;OR=2.00,? 2 =4.91,P=0.03).Conclusions These results suggest that an abnorm al distribution of Fc?RⅢa-158V/F polymorphism is associated with SLE in the Hans of Hunan province,and the presence of Fc?RⅢa-158F allele is a risk factor for lupus nephritis.These findings support t he hypothesis of a genetic mechanism in the pathogenesis of SLE.[

Objective To explore the epidemiology, clinical and pathological characteristics,treatment and prognosis of Richter's syndrome (RS). Methods The clinical and laboratory feature,treatment, prognosis of two cases were reported, and the related literature was reviewed. Results The major symptom of two cases suffered with enlarged lymph nodes, and pathological examination indicated a diffuse large B cell lymphoma. A large number of mature small lymphocytes were found in peripheral blood and bone marrow, and the immune phenotype was consistent with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. CHOP regiment was used on two cases. One obtained complete remission, and the other cases partial remission. Conclusion RS may occur at early stage after CLL diagnosis. In some cases, the diagnosis of RS and CLL are concomitant.Prognosis of some patients of RS is unfavourable. It was important to take biopsy at early stage.

This study explored a novel systemic community-based model for detecting and managing people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in this study. A quantitative questionnaire investigation was conducted in a sample of 1192 subjects which were randomly selected from two areas with high HIV prevalence, Xiangfan City and Shiyan City of Hubei Province, China. Twenty-two medical and health service staffs were interviewed by semi-structured questionnaire focusing on awareness, status, problems, and suggestions about community-based Voluntary Counseling and Testing and Provider Initiated Testing and Counseling (VCT/PITC). And they were organized to discuss about the aforementioned issues in Xiangfan City and Shiyan City, respectively. Our results showed that the accessibility and availability of the general VCT/PITC were bad. About 28.3% had known and only 4.9% had made use of VCT/PITC. Developing community-based VCT/PITC had some special advantages that can overcome some existing problems to remedy the aforementioned defects. We are led to conclude that, to maximize the availability and uptake rate of the VCT/PITC, we plan to detect PLWHA by developing the community-based VCT/PITC through 4 paths. Then we establish the community HIV health care center constituted of 8 sectors to provide an overall management. Thus, we can effectively detect and manage the PLWHA with a new systemic community-based model.

Background In patients with syphilis,one of the common manifestations is uveitis.However,the lack of understanding on syphilic posterior uveitis may result in misdiagnosis and delayed treatment.Objective This study was to assess ocular clinical features,treatment and prognosis in patients who had latent syphilis and presented with posterior uveitis as the initial symptom.Methods A serial cases-observational study was designed.Twelve patients(19 eyes)who were diagnosed as syphilis from September 2011 to January 2013 were retrospectively analyzed.All patients were characterized by initial posterior uveitis before the final diagnosis.The clinical manifestation,management and prognosis were evaluated and analyzed.All patients were informed of this study and consented with the use of their data for this retrospective study.Results The patients presented with initial clinical signs of acute or chronic posterior uveitis and lacked systemic syphilis symptom.Bilateral posterior uveitis were found in 7 patients and unilateral in 5 patients.The dust-like and grey-white opacification in vitreous was seen by threemirror contact lens in all the patients.Mild hyperemia of the optical disc was found in 10 eyes with the unclear peripapillary boundary.Yellow-white lesions were observed in retinas of 7 eyes and retinal punctuate hemorrhage was in 1 eye.Fundus fluorescein angiography demonstrated fluorescine staining or hyperfluorescence of optic disc in all of the 19 eyes,and fluorescein leakage from vein in 18 eyes,retinal pigment epithelium dye pooling in 6 eyes and cystoid macular edema in 11 eyes.Rapid plasma reagin (RPR) test and treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay (TPHA) were performed and presented positive results in all patients.The visual acuity improved in 19 eyes and partly elevated in 2 eyes following a standard therapy for neurosyphilis was used,including penicillin and/or small doses of glucocorticoid.Conclusions The serological examination for syphilis should be considered for patients with unexplained uveitis.Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are important for the improvement of prognosis in syphilitic posterior uveitis.

This study aimed to elucidate the effects of different soil water contents on the yield and quality of R.glutinosa.Different soil water contents were adjusted in different periods of growth of R.glutinosa.The yield,content of water extract,catalpol,verbascoside and polysaccharide were determined and analysed by the grey pattern recognition after harvests.The impacts of soil water content from the most important to the least important were medium moisture content (M2),high moisture content (M3),low moisture content (M1) and blank (M4).In the cultivation of R.glutinosa,the soil water content should be remained in the range of 40％-50％ at seedling stage,while 50％-60％ at the stage of root formation and tuber enlargement,and 20％-30％ during harvesting,which can significantly improve the yield and quality of R.glutinosa.