OBJECTIVETo compare the differences in the clinical efficacy on Alzheimer's disease between acupuncture and medicine.

METHODSOne hundred and forty-one patients were randomized into an acupuncture group (72 cases) and a medicine group (69 cases). In the acupuncture group, the needling technique for benefiting qi, promoting blood circulation, regulating mind and improving intelligence was used at Shenting (GV 24), Baihui (GV 20), Fengchi (GB 20), Wangu (GB 12), Danzhong (CV 17), Zhangwan (CV 12), Qihai (CV 6), Xuehai (SP 10) and Zusanli (ST 36). The supplementary acupoints were selected according to the symptoms and physical signs. Acupuncture was given once a day and 6 treatments were required for a week. In the medicine group, the choline sterase inhibitor, donepezil (aricept) was prescribed for oral administration, 1 tablet (5 mg) each time, once every night. Four weeks later, the dose was increased to 2 tablets (10 mg) each time. In the two groups, the treatment of 4 weeks made one session and 4 sessions were required. The changes of scores before and after treatment in the minimum mental state examination (MMSE), the activity of daily living scale (ADL), Alzheimer's disease assessment scale-cognition (ADAS-cog) and the digit span (DS) were observed.

RESULTSAfter treatment, scores of MMSE and DS were increased as compared with those before treatment (both P < 0.05) and scores of ADL and ADAS-cog were reduced as compared with those before treatment. The score differences in MMSE, ADL, ADAS-cog and DS before and after treatment were significant in the two groups (all P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe needling technique for benefiting qi, promoting blood circulation, regulating mind and improving intelligence significantly improves the overall function, cognition and activity of daily life in the patients of Alzheimer's disease and the efficacy is better than donepezil.

Activities of Daily Living ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Alzheimer Disease ; psychology ; therapy ; Cognition ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

Traditional mineral Chinese medicine is a characteristic part of Chinese medicine, in the development of traditional Chinese medicine has its unique role. With the development of science and technology and the increase of the medical level, traditional mineral medicine research is gradually thorough and wide-ranging. In recent years, traditional mineral Chinese medicine research mainly includes the physical properties of mineral medicine, structure, chemical composition, pharmacology and treatment mechanism research. The above several aspects of research in the mineral medicine has important practical and theoretical significance. The above several aspects of research status and the problems existing in the research were briefly summarized and reviewed in this paper, and its development were discussed, to provide reference for further studies in the future.
Animals ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Minerals ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; toxicity ; Physical Phenomena

Objective To compare the curative effect of high ligation+exfoliation and subfascial endoscopic perforator surgery(SEPS)for superficial varicose veins in calf+invagination spot-striping surgery in great venous varicosity.Methods Study group(42 patients)accepted SEPS+invagination spot-striping surgery and control group (42 patients)accepted traditional surgeries.Operation duration,bleeding volume in operation,the time of beginning movement away from bed after operation,hospitalization duration,the degree of pain,the scar,the recrudescence af- ter operation and the instance of the ulcer heals of two groups were compared.Results Operation duration,bleeding volume in operation,the time of begin movement away from bed after operation and hospitalization durations of study group were significantly lower than those of control group(P0.05).All of the patients in study group recovered without severe syndromes such as venous thrombosis,skin necrosis,lower limb functional disorder etc.They had no recrudesce after 4～16 months and were satisfied with the curative effect.Con- elusions The clinical curative effect of SEPS+invagination spot-striping surgery in great venous varicosity is superi- or to that of traditional operation and it has the advantages such as minor wound,few scars,light pains,short hospi- talization duration,without recrudescence,the ulcer heals quickly and so on.

Objective To investigate the effect of propofol on nNOS expression after focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion in rats and the possible mechanism of protective effect of propofol on brain. Method Seventy-eight male Wistar rats, weighting 250 ~ 300 g, were randomly divided into 3 groups:(1)Sham operation group (S group, n=6) was performed with scham operation; (2) Ischemia-reperfusion group (group I-R, n=36) was subjected to 2-hour right middle cerebral artery occlusion and then reperfusion was followed, saline (1 mg/kg) was injected into the right lateral cerebral ventricle using microsyringe before reperfusion;(3) Propefol group (group P, n=36) was injected with propofol (1mg/kg) into the right lateral cerebral ventricle using microsyringe right after ischemia. Group I-R and group P were divided into 3 subgroups according to the reperfusion time: 1 h, 3 h and 6 h. The neurological function of all rats were tested before reperfusion. The cerebral infarction area of the whole brain was calculated with TIC staining (n=6). The pathological change of brain was observed from HE staining (n=6) and the nNOS protein expression was obtained by immuno- histochemical method (n=6). Results Compared with I-R group, the neurological function was better in group P(P

Objective To explore carrying rates of class 1, class 2 integrons as well as ISCR1 in Shigella isolates and their connection with drug resistance. Methods Antibiotic sensitivities were detected by K-B disk diffusion in 159 clinical isolates. Total bacteria DNA was prepared through boiling the isolates and the DNA was then used as template for PCR am?plification. PCR, ZSCR1 and sequencing analyse of integrons were applied to all of them. Results were compared by Blast and GenBank. Results Antibiotic sensitivity results showed that in the S. flexneri strains the incidence of resistance to tet?racycline and streptomycin were 88.68%and 81.13%in the S. flexneri strains while the incidence of resistant to chloram?phenicol and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazol were both 56.60%, and the incidence of multidrug drug resistance was 77.36%. In the sonnei strains, the incidence of resistance to ampicillin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazo were 97.17% and 95.28%, 83.96%and 76.42%respectively, and the incidence of multidrug resistance was 98.11%. Among all isolates, 118 were class 1 integron positive , 70 were class 2 integron positive and 89 were double positives. For those 118 isolates that are positive of class 1 integron, 23 were typical while 95 weres atypical. The gene cassettes of typical class 1 integrons contains aadA2, aa?dA1, dfrⅠ, blaoxa-10 and blaoxa-1. IntI1, aadA, blaoxa-1 and IS1 were included in the gene cassetes of the atypical class 1 integrons. Class 2 integrons positive isolates carried gene cassttes which include dfrA1, satl and aadA1. No ISCR1 was found in any isolate. Integron carriage strains were closely associated with higher rate of multiple antibiobic resistance com?pared with the organisms without integrons (90.65%,50%, P<0.05). Conlusion Class 1 and class 2 integrons were widely existence in Shigella isolates and were related to the multidrug resistance.

Background Our previous study demonstrated that the aptamer S58 specifically targeted transforming growth factor-β receptor Ⅱ (TβRⅡ) and inhibited the transdifferentiation of human Tenon capsule fibroblasts (HTFs) mediated by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β).Chitosan-nanoparticles (CS-NP) are good drug carriers,but the efficacy and safety of CS-NP/aptamer complexes deserve attention.Objective The aim of this study was to synthesize a novel CS-NP/aptamer complex called CS (S58)-NP and investigate its properties and applicability.Methods Human Tenon capsule tissue was obtained from patients during strabismus surgery,and HTFs were cultured and passaged using the explant culture method.The fourth to tenth generations of cells were used in the experiment.Different concentrations of CS-NP were used to prepare the CS(S58)-NP by the ionic cross-linking method with a surface charge rate (N/P) for S58 of 10,20,30 or 40.The particle size and Zeta potential were measured by the Zeta analyzer.The shape and distribution of CS (S58)-NP particles were examined under the scanning electron microscope.The binding of CS-NP with S58 and resistance of CS (S58)-NP to DNase Ⅰ were examined by agarose gel eletrophoresis.The release rate of S58 from CS (S58)-NP in PBS was quantitatively analyzed by a ultraviolet spectrophotometer.The cytotoxicity of CS(S58)-NP to HTFs was evaluated by detecting the production of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH).Results The Zeta analyzer showed that the particle size of CS (S58)-NP was 130-270 nm and its electric potential ranged from + 16 to +28 mV.The CS (S58)-NP particles appeared spherical with an even distribution under the scanning electron microscope.The mean encapsulation efficiency of CS(S58)-NP was 88.9％,89.3％,91.7％ or 90.5％,respectively,when the N/P was 10,20,30 or 40.After being encapsuled by CS-NP,S58 could resist the degradation from DNase I.Its total releasing level in PBS increased with the lapse of time,with a maximum releasing speed at 24 to 36 hours.The total releasing level reached 100％ at 96 hours.With increaseing concentrations of CS(S58)-NP,the relative releasing level of LDH in HTFs suspension gradually elevated with a significant difference among the groups (F =588.018,P =0.000),with the highest released LDH level at 50 nmol/L of CS(S58)-NP (12.853％ ±0.375％).Conclusions CS-NP provides a protective and slow-releasing effect on the S58 aptamer.CS (S58)-NP shows a good biocompatibility with HTFs with a low cytotoxicity at a concentration of ＜50 nmol/L.CS(S58)-NP could be used to inhibit TGF-β induced transdifferentiation of HTFs in the future.

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) play a crucial role in T cell dysfunction, which is related to poor outcome in patients with severe trauma. Cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) contributes to immune disorder in trauma and infection via production of prostaglandin E2. However, the role of Cox-2 in the accumulation and function of MDSCs after traumatic stress has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we treated murine trauma model with NS398, a selective Cox-2 inhibitor. Then the percentages of CD11b+/Gr-1+ cells, proliferation and apoptosis of CD4+ T cells were determined. Arginase activity and arginase-1 (Arg-1) protein expression of splenic CD11b+/Gr-1+ cells, and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response were analyzed. The results showed that Cox-2 blockade significantly decreased the percentages of CD11b+/Gr-1+ cells in the spleen and bone marrow 48 and 72 h after traumatic stress. NS398 inhibited arginase activity and down-regulated the Arg-1 expression of splenic CD11b+/Gr-1+ cells. Moreover, NS398 could promote proliferation and inhibit apoptosis of CD4+ T cells. It also restored DTH response of traumatic mice. Taken together, our data revealed that Cox-2 might play a pivotal role in the accumulation and function of MDSC after traumatic stress.

Objective To study the early expression of ca]pain Ⅱ and microtubule associated protein 2 (MAP2) mRNA in the hippocampus of the lateral fluid percussion injury rats. Methods 18 Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups. The changes of Calpaln Ⅱ and MAP2 mRNA in hippocampus 3 h after injury were detected by real-time PCR. Results Compared to the control group (n = 6), the expression for Ca]pain Ⅱ mRNA increased obviously(P <0.01)in the lateral fluid percussion injury group(n=6) ,the expression for MAP2 mRNA degraded obviously(P <0.01). Compared with the lateral fluid percussion injury group(n =6) ,the expression for calpuin Ⅱ mRNA in the mild hypothermia group degraded obviously (n = 6), the expression for MAP2 mRNA increased obviously(P <0.01). Conclusion Mild hypothermia may act as neuroprotection by inhibiting the expression of Ca]pain Ⅱ and easing the degradation of cytoskeleton.

Altitude ; Animals ; CA1 Region, Hippocampal ; metabolism ; physiology ; Male ; Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Time Factors

The marine biological source of mineral drugs recorded in Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010 version) mainly including pearl, nacre, clam shell, common oyster shell, ark shell, cuttle bone, and sea-ear shell are widely used in clinical. Calcium carbonate and a small amount of protein are the main components in this type of drugs. In this paper, a systematical and comparable study were carried out by determination of calcium carbonate by EDTA titration method, the crystal of calcium carbonate by X-Ray powder diffraction and the total amino acids (TAAs) of the hydrolyzed samples by ultraviolet spectrophotometry method. As a result, the crystal structure is calcite for common oyster shell, mixture of calcite and aragonite for nacre and sea-ear shell, aragonite for the other drugs. The content of calcium carbonate ranged from 86% to 96%. Cuttle bone has the highest amount of TAAs among the seven drugs which reached 1.7% while clam shell has the lowest content of 0.16% on average. In conclusion, an effective method was developed for the quality control of marine mineral drugs by comprehensive analysis of calcium carbonate and TAAs in the seven marine mineral drugs.
Amino Acids ; analysis ; chemistry ; Animal Shells ; chemistry ; Animals ; Calcium Carbonate ; analysis ; chemistry ; Crystallization ; Edetic Acid ; chemistry ; Mollusca ; chemistry ; classification ; Pharmaceutical Preparations ; analysis ; chemistry ; standards ; Quality Control ; Reproducibility of Results ; Seawater ; Species Specificity ; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet ; X-Ray Diffraction