Flavonoids baicalin is the main bioactive component extracted from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. Baicalin has high medicinal value and shows extensive pharmacological effects including antitumor, antibiosis, anti-inflammatory, antioxidation, neuro-protection, and significant potential in tumor treatment. Recent studies have shown that baicalin suppresses the growth of many kinds of human cancer. The underlying mechanisms include induction of apoptosis, induction of cell cycle arrest, inhibition of tumor metastasis, suppression of angiogenesis, and so on. This article reviewed the research progress of baicalin on its antitumor pharmacology and possible mechanisms at home and abroad, and provided the basis for its further research.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the diagnostic value of MRI in radial head fracture with forearm interosseous membrane injuries.

METHODSFrom December 2011 to December 2012,26 patients with fractures of capitulum radial in our hospital were collected. There were 15 males and 11 females, ranging in age from 21 to 53 years old,with an average of 37.6 years old. All the patients visited hospital within 72 hours after injuries. X-ray radiography of full ulnar radial length in injured side, CT in injured side (three-dimensional reconstruction if necessary) and MRI (including the elbow and wrist joints) were performed within a week after the injury. The MRI manifestations of the forearm interosseous membrane (with or without damage, the injured location and the injury degree ) and the fractures degree of radial head were observed and compared for the relativity.

RESULTSRadial head fracture from Mason type I to III was associated with the forearm interosseous membrane injury. Radial head fracture degree was positive correlated with forearm interosseous membrane injury degree (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONRadial head fracture with suspicious forearm interosseous membrane injury is necessary to take MRI for checking for any interosseous membrane injury and injury degree, then choose the right treatment for radial capitulum fracture, only in this way can be helpful for the functional recovery of elbow and forearm.

Adult ; Female ; Forearm ; pathology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Membranes ; injuries ; Middle Aged ; Radius Fractures ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Young Adult

Utilizing the enrichment substrate,an aerobic denitrifying bacterial strain with the capability of phosphorus removal was screened from the activated sludge which had been domesticated by actual living sewage.By the morphological observing and identification of the physiological and biochemical indexes,the strain was identified to belong to Pseudomonas.The aerobic denitrifying bacterial strain was applied to deal with the simulated and actual living wastewater.By inspecting the changes of total nitrogen,inorganic phosphorus and CODcr in the wastewater,it was ascertained that the optimal wastewater treatment condi-tions of the bacterial strain were C/N= 3,inoculated ratio= 10%,pH 6.8,30?C,treatment time= 2 d.After the activated sludge was strengthened by the aerobic denitrifying bacterial strain,its treatment capability for ac-tual living sewage was improved,evidently.

OBJECTIVETo establish the visual patch clamp whole-cell recording technique and study the properties and functional significance of muscarinic receptor-mediated currents in rat medial vestibular nucleus neurons (MVNn).

METHODSBrain slices containing the MVN were prepared from fifteen Wistar rats. By combining infrared differential interference contrast (IR-DIC) technique and CCD-Camera system with visual patch clamp whole-cell recording technique, twenty healthy neurons were located and muscarinic receptor-mediated currents in rat MVNn were observed and analyzed.

RESULTSVisual patch clamp technique can be used to make direct localization and to make sure of active neuron. In MVNn, a comparison of the current-voltage relationships before and during the application of muscarine, which revealed an increase in the slope of the I-V curve and the reversal potential for this response lay at (-88.4 +/- 4.9) mV (x +/- s), indicates that the activation of muscarinic cholinergic receptors leads to a decrease in potassium current. The test in the voltage sensitivity of the muscarine-induced response, which showed that the effect had a linear current-voltage relationship and reversed at (-86.7 +/- 3.5) mV, indicates that the potassium current blocked by muscarine corresponds to the voltage-insensitive leak potassium current.

CONCLUSIONSVisual patch clamp technique, which was considered better than blind patch clamp technique, can improve the success of sealing process. By the analysis of muscarinic receptor-mediated currents, the data provide support that muscarinic cholinergic mechanisms play a prominent role in the modulation of the excitability of MVNn and also offer a new idea for the efficacy of anticholinergic drugs.

Animals ; Electrophysiological Phenomena ; Neurons ; physiology ; Patch-Clamp Techniques ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptors, Muscarinic ; physiology ; Vestibular Nuclei ; physiology

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; Curcuma ; Extracellular Matrix ; metabolism ; Hepatic Stellate Cells ; drug effects ; pathology ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Plant Oils ; pharmacology ; Rats

Objective To find out the distribution pattern of environmental fluoride in the coal-burning endemic fluorosis areas to provide scientific evidence for establishing prevention and remedial measures in Chongqing. Methods According to historical data in Chongqing In 2008, 4 endemic villages(Lingyun and Lizi Villages of Wushan County, and Taiping and Daqing Villages of Pengshui County) and 2 non-endemic villages (ShuangLou and XianLong Villages of Yongchuan County) were investigated. Dental fluorosis of children in 8 to 12 year old and residents over 16 years of age for clinical skeletal fluorosis were examined in four endemic villages. Five households from each of 6 villages were taken, where 500 g of coal, mixed clay with coal, mixed coal of soil, coal cinder, soil were sampled; 15 people were taken in each village, each household gathering 500 g of corn, rice, potatoes, vegetables, grain and vegetable, 100 g of dried pepper and 250 ml of drinking water were sampled from 15 families of each village. Household drinking water samples were collected 1, each 250 ml. For those having tea-drinking habit, each household was collected 50 g of tea and 600 ml of drinking tea, the amount of fluoride were determined. Indoor and outdoor air was collected and measured in 5 households in each village. Results The detected rate of dental fluorosis of children in endemic areas was 74.65% (736/986). The detected rate of skeletal fluorosis of adult was 7.20%(736/986). The average fluoride content of coal, mixed clay with coal, mixed coal of soil, cinder coal, soil in the endemic villages was (310.56±209.46), (360.51±224.96), (293.62±65.15), (186.59±133.66), (497.54±294.70)mg/kg. The average fluoride content in non-endemic villages was (48.68±10.62), (275.66±62.69), (152.20±34.43), (209.14±188.66),269.98±58.21)mg/kg. The fluoride content level of endemic villages was significantly higher than that of non-endemic villages(t=7.67,31.54,5.82, 5.82, all P<0.05). The average fluoride content of drinking water, corn, pepper, flee, potato and vegetable in the endemic villages was (0.30±0.14)mg/L, (1.83±2.67), (23.50±91.80), (0.77±0.25), (0.44±0.11), (0.48±0.18)mg/kg, The average fluoride content in non-endemic village was (0.18±0.06)mg/L, (2.21±0.46), (2.82±2.51), (1.31±0.21), (0.64±0.41), (1.10±0.77)mg/kg. The fluoride content in drinking water and pepper in the endemic villages was significantly higher than that of the non-endemic villages(t=7.79, 2.33, all P<0.05). The fluoride content of rice, potato and vegetable in the non-endemic villages was significantly higher than that of the endemic villages(t=39.29,4.69,4.01, all P<0.05). There was no significant difference of fluoride content of tea and drinking tea between endemic villages[(99.41±55.83)mg/kg, (1.59±0.91)mg/L] and non-endemic villages[(79.95±43.78)mg/kg, (1.80±1.16)mg/L, t=1.01, 0.27, all P>0.05]. The amount of drinking tea in the endemic village[(1.45±0.68)L/d] was higher than that in non-endemic village[(1.00±0.47)L/d, t=4.27, P<0.05]. The average fluoride content of indoor air in the endemic village[(12.77±8.08)μg/m3] was higher than that in non-endemic village [(1.16±1.08)μg/m3, t=9.49, P<0.01]. There was no significant difference of fluoride content of outdoor air between endemic village and non-endemic village[(1.10±1.57), (0.39±0.31)μg/m3, t=2.01, P>0.05)]. Conclusions The fluoride source of coal-burning endemic fluorosis areas are coal and mixed coal of soil in Chongqing. Fluoride enters into human bodies mainly via respiratory, not from food. Although fluoride is rich in pepper, people don't eat it, so reducing the fluoride content in indoor air is the principle measure. Drinking tea may be was one factor of endemic fluorosis, which needs to be further studied.

Ultramicroelectrode was usually used in scanning electrochemical microscope(SECM) as a probe. The redox reaction on the probe is a diffusion process. But the fast moving of probe in SECM will affect the diffusion process, resulting in unclear obtained images. A new SECM image-processing technique was proposed in this paper involving combination of LoG algorithm and New edge-directed interpolation (NEDI) interpolation algorithm. LoG algorithm is helpful for the clarity of SECM images, but leading to some loss of edge information. Fortunately, NEDI algorithm based on edge directed interpolation can solve this problem well. Two substrates with gold interdigitated electrode and gold electrode array were prepared by ion sputtering method. The SECM images were obtained of the gold interdigitated electrode, gold electrode array and ITO substrate printed with fingerprints. The corresponding images treated by LoG filter and these for NEDI interpolation were compared and analyzed. The image-processing technique combining the LoG algorithm with the NEDI interpolation algorithm can significantly improve the clarity and resolution of SECM image.

Nasal polyp (NP) is a common chronic inflammatory disease of the nasal cavity and sinuses.Although some authors have suggested that NP is related to inflammatory factors such as interleukin (IL)-1β,IL-5,IL-8,granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF),tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α,and IL-17,the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis and progression of NP remain obscure.This study investigated the expression and distribution of IL-17 and syndecan-1 in NP,and explored the roles of these two molecules in the pathogenesis of eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (Eos CRSwNP) and non-Eos CRSwNP.Real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of IL-17 and syndecan-1 in samples [NP,unciform process (UP) from patients with CRS,and middle turbinate (MT) from healthy controls undergoing pituitary tumor surgery].The results showed that the expression levels of IL-17 and syndecan-1 were upregulated in both NP and UP tissues,but both factors were higher in NP tissues than in UP tissues.There was no significant difference in IL-17 levels between the Eos CRSwNP and non-Eos CRSwNP samples,and syndecan-1 levels were increased in the non-Eos CRSwNP tissues as compared with those in Eos CRSwNP tissues.In all of the groups,there was a close correlation between the expression of IL-17 and syndecan-1 in nasal mucosa epithelial cells,glandular epithelial cells,and inflammatory cells,suggesting that IL-17 and syndecan-1 may play a role,and interact with each other,in the pathogenesis ofnon-Eos CRSwNP.

OBJECTIVETo investigate whether initial bone mineral status acts as a predictor factor in evaluating the early outcome of brace treatment in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) girls.

METHODSSeventy-seven girls with AIS, aged 10 - 15 years old, were included in this study. A standardized bracing protocol was performed in these girls, and the early outcomes of brace treatment were evaluated at over-1-year follow-up. Girls with a progressed scoliosis and those with a non-progressed scoliosis were identified. The associations between the outcome and the indices before bracing, including age, menstrual status, Risser grade, bone mineral density (BMD) status, curve magnitude and curve pattern were assessed using univariate analysis. A multiple Logistic stepwise regression was used to determine the risk factors in curve progression in AIS girls treated with brace treatment.

RESULTSThere were 16 girls (21%) with a progressed scoliosis and 61 girls (79%) with a non-progressed scoliosis, respectively. In the girls with a progressed scoliosis, higher ratios of subjects were found with pre-menarchal status (chi(2) = 9.628, P = 0.004), lower Risser grade (chi(2) = 4.565, P = 0.037), main thoracic scoliosis (chi(2) = 4.009, P = 0.045), a larger curve (chi(2) = 1.685, P = 0.194), as well as osteopenia (chi(2) = 3.828, P = 0.050), as compared with those with a non-progressed scoliosis. During brace treatment, besides pre-menarchal status, a larger Cobb angle, and a main thoracic scoliosis, osteopenia (OR = 5.362, P = 0.022) was identified as the risk factor in curve progression in AIS girls, as revealed by the multiple Logistic regression analysis.

CONCLUSIONSOsteopenia might be an independent risk factor in the curve progression during brace treatment. The analysis of initial BMD status before bracing may help to predict the outcome of brace treatment.

Adolescent ; Bone Density ; Braces ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Scoliosis ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo observe the anti-renal fibrosis effect of Paidu Baoshen Pill (PBP) on 5/6 nephrectomized rats and to explore its mechanism.

METHODSTotally 50 SD male healthy rats were randomly divided into the normal control group (n = 10), the sham-operation group (n = 10), and the nephrectomy model group (n = 30) according to the proportion of 1:1:3. Rats in the sham-operation group had their renal capsule isolated without nephrectomy. Rats in the nephrectomy model group had their kidneys 5/6 nephrectomized. Then 24 h urine was collected and 24 h urinary protein (24 h UP) detected. Serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatitine (SCr) were also tested. According to the SCr level 30 rats of the model group were further randomly divided into the model group, the PBP group, and the Niaoduqing Granule (NG) group, 10 in each group. Rats in the PBP group and the NG group were respectively administered with PBP (at the daily dose of 1.0 g/kg) and NG (at the daily dose of 3.33 g/kg) by gastrogavage (they were dissolved in distilled water). At the same time, 2 mL distilled water was administered by gastrogavage to rats in the normal control group, the sham-operation group, and the nephrectomy model group, once daily for 4 successive weeks. Mental conditions, activities, hair color, shape of stool, and the body weight were observed during administration. After 4 weeks, urine was collected to detect 24 h UP. Blood was sampled to detect SCr, BUN, transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), type III procollagen (PC III), collagen type IV (Col IV), laminin (LN), and fibronectin (FN). After rats were killed, their left remnant renal tissues were collected for pathological examinations. The protein expression quantity of TGF-β1 and FN was detected by immunohistochemical method. mRNA expression levels of TGF-β1 and FN were detected using real time fluorescent quantitative PCR.

RESULTSThere was no statistical difference in the above indices between the normal control group and the sham-operation group (P > 0.05). Compared with the sham-operation group, rats' general condition was poorer in the model group, their body weight grew slower, and 24 h UP increased; serum levels of BUN, SCr, TGF-β1, PC III, Col IV, LN, and FN increased; the residual renal pathological lesion was serious; expression levels of TGF-β1, TGF-β1, mRNA, FN, and FN mRNA increased in the renal tissue (all P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, rats' general condition was better, their body weight grew faster, 24 h UP reduced (P < 0.05), blood levels of BUN and SCr decreased significantly (P < 0.01), serum levels of TGF-β1, PC III, CoL IV, LN, and FN decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); the residual renal pathological lesion was attenuated in the PBP group and the NG group; expression levels of TGF-β1, TGF-β1, mRNA, FN, and FN mRNA decreased (P < 0.01). Compared with the NG group, blood levels of SCr and FN, and expression levels of FN and FN mRNA decreased more in the PBP group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPBP had the effect of anti-renal fibro- sis in 5/6 nephrectomized rats. Down-regulating expression levels of TGF-β1, and FN from gene transcription and protein translation levels might be one of its mechanisms.

Animals ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Collagen Type IV ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Fibronectins ; Kidney ; Kidney Diseases ; drug therapy ; Laminin ; Male ; Nephrectomy ; Rats ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1