Objective To evaluate MRI in the diagnosis of the bone contusion of the knee joint and its clinical significance.Methods Using special coil for knee joint,coronal,sagittal,axial and oblique sagittal plane scanning with fast spin-echo sequence(T_1WI,T_2WI,PDWI+FS)was performed on knee joint in 205 patients in three days after injury.According the distributing bone marrow edema and injury mechanism,bone contusion were classified five types as pivot shift injury,clip injury,dashboard injury, hyperextension injury and lateral patellar dislocation.Results One hundred and forty-five cases of the 205 patients were found bone marrow edema without fracture on X-ray films.Among them,pivot shift injury was found in 43 cases accompanied with anterior cruciate ligament rupture in 30 cases,tear of the posterior horn of the lateral or medial meniscus in 12 and tears of the medial collateral ligament in 8 cases;clip injury in 53 cases accompanied with anterior cruciate ligament rupture in 10 cases,tear of the posterior horn of the lateral or medial meniscus in 15 and tears of the medial collateral ligament in 38 cases;dashboard injury 40 cases accompanied with posterior cruciate ligament rupture in 16 cases,hyperextension injury 9 cases accompanied with anterior cruciate ligament rupture in 2 cases,posterior cruciate ligament rupture in 5 cases.No lateral patellar dislocation was found.Forty-eight of 145 patients had undergone arthroscopy, 43 cases(89.6%)of them were in accordance with MRI diagnosis.Bone contusion were defined as geographic regions of abnormal signal intensity,that is,low signal intensity in T_1-weighted images and high signal intensity in PD-weighted or T_2-weigeted images with fat saturation.Conclusion MRI can accurately display the location and area of bone contusion of the knee joint as well as its adjunctive structure injury and deduce their injury mechanism.MRI should be used routinely for knee trauma.

OBJECTIVETo investigate moisture content and hygroscopicity of spray dry powder of Gubi compound's water extract obtained at different spray drying conditions and laying a foundation for spray drying process of Chinese herbal compound preparation.

METHODIn the paper, on the basis of single-factor experiments, the author choose inlet temperature, liquid density, feed rate, air flow rate as investigated factors.

RESULTThe experimental absorption rate-time curve and scanning electron microscopy results showed that under different spray drying conditions the spray-dried powders have different morphology and different adsorption process.

CONCLUSIONAt different spray-dried conditions, the morphology and water content of the powder is different, these differences lead to differences in the adsorption process, at the appropriate inlet temperature and feed rate with a higher sample density and lower air flow rate, in the experimental system the optimum conditions is inlet temperature of 150 degrees C, feed density of 1.05 g x mL(-1), feed rate of 20 mL x min(-1) air flow rate of 30 m3 x h(-1).

Desiccation ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions ; Particle Size ; Powders ; chemistry ; Temperature ; Water ; analysis ; Wettability

Objective To investigate the changes in lung resistance-related protein (LRP) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expressions and micro-vessel density (MVD) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and to elucidate their possible relationship and mechanism. Methods Immunohistochemistry was used to detect changes in LRP and VEGF expressions, and MVD level in lung tissues of 56 NSCLC cases and 27 normal controls. Results ① LRP expression (66.1%) was concentrated in the cytoplasm of cancer cells, which was significantly higher than that in lung tissues of control group (P<0.01); the significance was not related to the pathological type. There was no significant difference in LRP expression among gender, TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, and two-year survival in NSCLC (P>0.05). ② In comparison to the control group, NSCLC group had significantly increased VEGF expression (P<0.01), which was not related to the pathological type. VEGF expression in NSCLC group had a significant association with TNM stage and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). ③ The NSCLC group had a significantly higher MVD than the control group (P<0.01), which was not affected by the pathological type or degree. MVD value (18.5±5.8) of stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ in NSCLC group was significantly higher than that (13.8±5.1) of stage Ⅰ (P<0.05); MVD value for patients with lymph node metastasis was higher than that without lymph node metastasis (P<0.05); MVD value for patients with two-year survival was less than those who died within two years (P<0.01). ④ NSCLC group with high VEGF and LRP expressions had a consistently increased MVD value (P<0.05). Conclusion There is a certain relationship between tumor angiogenesis and LRP expression in NSCLC. VEGF is responsible for the high expression of LRP through up-regulating LRP gene and augmenting tumor MVD. Inhibition of angiogenesis in tumor is expected to reduce or inhibit drug resistance to NSCLC.

Objective To evaluate the performance of serum small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(sdLDL-C)kit using enzymic method and evaluate the relationship with the severity of coronary heart disease.Methods Performance verification methodology. The analytical performance consisted of accuracy, precision and linearity of serum sdLDL-C kit using enzymic method was assessed. One hundred and twenty healthy persons were recruited to establish serum sdLDL-C reference interval. Two hundred and twelve patients underwent coronary angiography were enrolled in the study.Among them 110 cases were positive for coronary angiography, where as 102 cases were negative. We examined serum levels of sdLDL-C in 110 patients with positive angiography, 102 patients with negative angiography and 120 healthy volunteers. Positive group was classfied into severe group(Gensini score>30) and mild group (Gensini score≤30).Results The accuracy and precision of sdLDL-C examination were in compliance with manufacturer′s statement and there was a good linear correlation(Y=0.9937X-0.1063,R2=0.99) in range of 0.06-2.45 mmol/L. The reference interval of sdLDL-C was 0.15-0.97 mmol/L and without gender and age specificity. The level of sdLDL-C was higher in positive angiography group than in negative angiography group and healthy control group(P<0.01). The level of sdLDL-C was higher in severe group than in mild group(P<0.05). Binary stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that sdLDL-C was independently associated with the severity of coronary heart disease(OR=3.101,P<0.05).ConclusionsExperiment data demonstrated that serum sdLDL-C kit using enzymic method has good performance in the accuracy, precision and linearity. SdLDL-C that plays an important role in the occurrence and progression of coronary heart disease, is an independent important risk of the severity of coronary heart disease.

OBJECTIVEIn this study, we aimed to investigate the expressions of adhesion molecules on human bronchial epithelial cells and neutrophils in co-culture system, assess the effects of puerarin on suppressing these adhesion molecules expressions, and explore the roles of two crucial signal-transduction elements p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) in modulating adhesion molecules expressions.

METHODSNeutrophils and BEAS-2B cells (one human bronchial epithelial cell line) were co-cultured, and adhesion molecules expressions on cell surface were detected using flow cytometry. The mRNA levels of adhesion molecules were assessed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (real-time qPCR). Phosphorylated p38 MAPK and inhibitor κB were analyzed by Western blot.

RESULTSIn co-culture system, adhesion molecules expressions on BEAS-2B cells and neutrophils were enhanced significantly (P<0.05). Correspondingly, the mRNA levels of adhesion molecules were also increased greatly. Moreover, the pretreatment of peurarin obviously suppressed adhesion molecules expressions on cell surface. Furthermore, phosphorylated p38 MAPK and inhibitor κB in BEAS-2B cells and neutrophils were elevated in co-culture system, but decreased significantly after upon the treatment of peurarin (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSCoculture boosted the interactions between human bronchial epithelial cells and neutrophils mimicking airway inflflammation, whereas peurarin decreased the expression of adhesion molecules on cell surface by suppressing the activities of p38 MAPK and NF-κB pathways, and exhibiting its anti-inflflammation activity.

Animals ; Base Sequence ; Bronchi ; cytology ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Cattle ; Cell Adhesion Molecules ; metabolism ; Cell Line ; Coculture Techniques ; DNA Primers ; Down-Regulation ; drug effects ; Epithelial Cells ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Isoflavones ; pharmacology ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Neutrophils ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of intervention therapy with Shentao Ruangan pill (SRP) and hydroxycamptothecine (HCPT) in treating 85 patients with middle-advanced large hepatocarcinoma, and to analyze the factors that could affect the prognosis.

METHODSEighty-five patients were randomly divided into the treated group (n = 52) and the control group (n = 33). The treated group was treated by oral taking of SRP combined with local perfusion of HCPT through hepatic artery catheterization, while to the control group, the conventional therapy, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) was conducted for control. The clinical efficacy of treatment in the two groups was evaluated by the change of tumor size, the factors related with prognosis were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards model and the analysis of survival conducted by Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS(1) The tumor size reducing rate in the treated group was 19.2% and the tumor size stabilizing rate was 82.7%, while those in the control group was 21.2% and 81.8% respectively, comparison of the criteria between the two groups showed insignificant difference (P > 0.05); (2) The median survival time, 0.5- year, 1- year and 2- year survival rate in the treated group was 326 days, 80.95%, 41.39% and 12.42% respectively, those in the control group was 262 days, 64.29%, 25.00% and 8.33% respectively, comparison between the two groups showed significant difference (P < 0.05); (3) Among the 3 TCM types in patients, the survival time and rates in patients of Gan-excess with Pi-deficiency type was similar to those in patients of Gan-heat with blood stasis type showing insignificant difference (P > 0.05), but as compared with those in patients of Gan-Shen Yin-deficiency type, the difference was significant (P < 0.05) ; (4) Beneficial factor to the prognosis were therapeutic method, that used in the treated group was superior to that used in the control group. The risk factors to the prognosis were TCM type, clinical stage and liver function. Patients of Gan-excess with Pi-deficiency type had the optimal prognosis, those of Gan-heat with blood stasis type the next and of Gan-Shen Yin-deficiency the worst. The later the clinical stage and the worse the Child-Pugh grade of liver function was, the worse the prognosis would be.

CONCLUSION(1) SRP combined with HCPT intervention treatment is superior to the simple TACE treatment in elevating patients' survival rate and time; (2) There are some relations between TCM types and prognosis; (3) Local Chinese drug therapy combined with systemic therapy could be one of the effective measures of non-operational therapy in treating large hepatocarcinoma.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; drug therapy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Enbucrilate ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; Female ; Hepatic Artery ; Humans ; Injections, Intra-Arterial ; Liver Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Treatment Outcome

The xylanolytic enzymes found in Thermotoga maritima showed extremely high thermostability and considerable potential in industrial application. Yet expression level of the genes encoding these enzymes was very low. The alpha-glucuronidase gene aguA from T. maritima ATCC 43589 was cloned and expressed in several E. coli strains with different vector. The alpha-glucuronidase was overexpressed in E. coli BL21-CodonPlus(DE3)-RIL with plasmid pET-28a(+), and made up about 20% of the total proteins present in the intracellular soluble fraction. The results proved the assumption that rare codons for arginine (AGA/AGG) and isoleucine (AUA) affect the expression of aguA gene from hyperthermophilic bacterium T. maritima in E. coli. Purification procedure included two steps, heat treatment and immobilized metal affinity chromatography, and over 13.5mg of pure enzyme was obrained from 1L of induced culture. The purified enzyme showed a single band on SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with a purification of 5.1 fold, and a yield of 55.1%. The optimum activity of recombinant alpha-glucuronidase was found at pH 6.0 and 85 degrees C, the enzyme retained 70% of its activity after 1 h of incubation at 85 degrees C. The induction conditions for expression of recombinant strain BL21-CodonPlus(DE3)-RIL/pET-28a-aguA were studied on induction time and duration by IPTG. The results showed that the activity of thermostable alpha-glucuronidase reach the maximum in 5-hour after inducted at the exponential phase (OD600 of 0.7 - 0.8).
Escherichia coli ; genetics ; Glycoside Hydrolases ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Plasmids ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; isolation & purification ; Thermotoga maritima ; enzymology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of whole lung lavage (WLL) on the pulmonary function and exercise capacity in patients with pneumoconiosis.

METHODSForty-one patients with pneumoconiosis who quit dust-exposed work not more than 6 months before underwent WLL. Clinical symptom assessment, pulmonary function test, and cardiopulmonary exercise test were performed before and one week after WLL, and the results were compared.

RESULTSThe patients with pneumoconiosis showed no significant changes in clinical symptoms after WLL. At one week after WLL, the patients with pneumoconiosis showed nonsignificant increases in forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1.0), and percent predicted FEV1 (P > 0.05); peak oxygen uptake (peak VO₂) increased from 2140.6 ± 353.2 ml/min before WLL to 2374.6 ± 362.4 ml/min after WLL, percent predicted peak VO₂ increased from 82.2 ± 13.7% before WLL to 91.0 ± 14.0% after WLL, peak VO₂/kg increased from 30.6 ± 3.5 ml/min×kg before WLL to 34.2 ± 3.7 ml/min×kg after WLL, and ventilatory equivalent for carbon dioxide decreased from 30.6 ± 3.1 before WLL to 26.1 ± 2.7 after WLL (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONWLL can remarkably improve the oxygen uptake and ventilatory efficiency in patients with pneumoconiosis during exercise, so it can improve the exercise capacity of these patients.

Adult ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage ; Exercise Tolerance ; Humans ; Lung ; physiopathology ; Middle Aged ; Pneumoconiosis ; physiopathology ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the apoptosis and proliferation activity of Tca8113 cells.

METHODSThe vector that involves short hairpin RNA of iNOS was transfected to Tca8113 cells. The change of iNOS expression was observed using immunohistochemistry technique, the apoptosis rate examined by flow cytometry, and the proliferation Tca8113 cells examined by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT).

RESULTSThe expression of iNOS in Psilencer-iNOS group was lower than that in control groups (P < 0.01), the apoptosis rate was higher than that in control groups (P < 0.01); whereas the proliferation activity of Tca8113 cells in Psilencer-iNOS group was lower than that in control groups.

CONCLUSIONSDown expression of iNOS by RNAi can promotes apoptosis of Tca8113 cells and has an anti-proliferation activity effect.

Apoptosis ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; genetics ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; genetics ; metabolism ; Plasmids ; genetics ; RNA Interference ; Tongue Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; Transfection

OBJECTIVESTo observe the effects of chlorotriptolide (T4) and triptonide (T7) on the chromosome aberration and micronuclei rates of bone marrow cell in male SD rats.

METHODSAntifertility doses of T4[80 micrograms/(kg.d)] or T7[317 micrograms/(kg.d)] were given to male rats per OS for 10 weeks. Bone marrow slides were then prepared and compared with the controls.

RESULTSThe chromosome aberration and micronuclei rates were not significantly different from those of the controls (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe results were in accordance with our previous reports about the effects of T4 and T7 on the chromosome aberration and micronuclei rates of rat spermatogenic cells. At the antifertility doses, T4 and T7 did not show a mutagenic effect.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Chromosome Aberrations ; chemically induced ; Diterpenes ; pharmacology ; Epoxy Compounds ; Infertility, Male ; chemically induced ; genetics ; Male ; Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective ; drug effects ; Phenanthrenes ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tripterygium ; chemistry ; Triterpenes ; pharmacology