Most epidemiological investigations and basic studies have demonstrated that estrogen has neuroprotective effects,and the application of estrogen in cerebrovascular disease has a positive attitude.However,large clinical trials of the application of estrogen have indicated that harms outweigh benefits,and even have the risks of stroke.This article reviews the related studies about the neuroprotective effects of estrogen from the positive and negative aspects.

In recent years,with the increasing of immunocompromised patients in clinical practice,invasive candidiasis has been increased accordingly. Although several antifungal drugs,including polyenes,azoles,5-flucytosine,and echinocandins,have been used widely to treat invasive candidiasis,the treatment failure that caused by the resistance of Candida albicans to these antifungal drugs have been reported widely. Here,we reviewed the molecular mechanisms of resistance to azoles,polyenes,5-flucytosine,and echinocandins,such that to provide an update on these issues.

Objective To establish a paraspinal neural pathway of quadriceps femoris by end-to-end anastomoses between the spinal ventral root after spinal cord injury(SCI) in rats. Methods Twenty-fourweek old SD rats, with the weight of 120 g to 150 g, were included. The left side was the experimental side, while the right side served as a control. Electrostimulating of L1-L5 ventral root was done respectively to decide the predominant nerve of quadriceps femoris. The lumbar 1 ventral root was reveal to little innervation of quadriceps femoris, and the lumbar 3 ventral root was predominant innervation. End-to-end anastomosis between the left L1 and L3 ventral root was done. After axona regeneration, the new paraspinal neural pathway of quadriceps femoris was established. At 6 months postoperatively, the early function of the new pathway was observed by electrophysiological examinations, hindlimb locomotion and BBB (basso, beattie and bresnahan)scale at 1,3,7, 14,21,28 d after SCI. Results Sixteen rats survived for 6 months after operation and only ten rats got good results because of tissue adhesion postoperatively. Single stimuli (2.5 mA,0.2 ms, 1 Hz) of the left anastomoses nerve resulted in action potential recorded from the left quadriceps femoris before and after the spinal cord hemisection horizontally between L2 segmental levels. The amplitudes of the action potentials were (7.63 ± 1.86) mV and (6.00 ± 1.92)mV, respectively, and there was no significant difference (P ＞ 0.05). The left quadriceps femoris contraction was initiated by single stimuli (2.5mA, 0.2 ms, 1 Hz) of the left anastomoses nerve. After paraplegia, when the right L3 ventral root was stimulated, the amplitude of the action potential was (15.87 ± 1.16) mV. Locomotion of the left hindlimb was partially restored after spinal cord hemisection while creeping and climbing. According to BBB scale, there was significant difference at 1, 3, 7 d, and little difference at 14, 21, 28 d after SCI. Conclusion Spinal ventral roots cross-ananstomosis to reconstruct the paraspinal pathway of quadriceps femoris after SCI is efficient reinnervation of hindlamb muscles in a rat model and may have potential in clinical application.

Objective To evaluate the influence of aging on left ventricular systolic and diastolic function by quantitative tissue velocity image(QTVI) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP). Methods Sixty healthy participants aged from 36 to 82 years old were divided into age <60 years group (32 cases) and age≥60 years old group (28 cases). Compared traditional echocardiography,QTVI and BNP between the two groups, and analysised the correlation between age and the abovementioned measurements. Results Compared age ≥60 years group with age <60 years group, the ratio of early to late mitral annulus flow velocity(E/A) (0. 92 ±0. 18 vs. 1. 28 ± 0. 18), mean of systolic mitral annulus velocity (Sm) ([6. 04 ± 0.77] cm/s vs.[6. 89 ± 1. 03] cm/s) ,mean of early diastolic mitral annulus velocity (Em) ([5. 67 ±0.99]cm/s vs. [7.29 ± 1. 11]cm/s),the ratio of Em to Am(Em/Am) (0. 79 ± 0. 13 vs. 1.18 ± 0. 33) were significantly decreased (t =5. 396,2.478,4.075,3. 535, respectively, Ps < 0. 05), whereas mean of late diastolic mitral annulus velocity (Am) ([7. 67 ±0. 80]cm/s vs. [6. 80 ± 1. 16] cm/s),the ratio of E to Em(E/Em) (14. 83 ±4.43 vs. 10. 68 ±2. 85), BNP ([51. 25 ± 12. 21] ng/L vs. [14. 15 ± 6. 68] ng/L) were significantly increased (t =-2. 268,-2.995 and-3. 523, Ps < 0.05) . Age was negatively correlated with Sm, Em, Em/Am, E/A (r =-0.411,-0. 631,-0.622,-0. 614,Ps<0.05),and age was positively correlated with Am,E/Em and BNP (r = 0.481,0.614 and 0. 684,Ps <0. 05). Conclusion Left ventricular systolic and diastolic function decreased with aging. QTVI and BNP could evaluate left ventricular function sensitively and easily.

Objective To compare the various surgical procedures commonly used to treat ampullary neoplasms.Methods The clinical data of 238 patients with ampullary tumor who were admitted to the Peking Union Hospital from January 1995 to June 2012 were retrospectively analyzed.There were 51 patients with benign ampullary adenomas (34 patients treated with local tumor resection,17 patients treated with pancreaticoduodenectomy) and 187 patients with ampullary cancer (25 patients treated with ampulla local excision,162 patients treated with pancreaticoduodenectomy).Results For both ampullary cancer and benign tumor,the group of patients who received local excision was superior to the group of patients who received pancreaticoduodenectomy in operative time,blood loss,hospital stay,and incidence of postoperative complications (all P＜0.05).For benign ampullary adenomas,there were no significant differences in postoperative median survival time between local resection and pancreaticoduodenectomy (P=0.071,x2 =2.003).For stage T1 or T2 ampullary cancer,there was also no significant difference in the postoperative median survival time (P=0.054,x2=3.163).However,the postoperative median survival time of the pancreaticoduodenectomy group was significantly longer than that of the local resection group for patients with stage T3 or T4 ampullary cancer (P=0.041,x2 =6.309).Conclusions Ampullary tumors are characterized by relatively good response to treatment.The results suggested that for patients with benign ampullary adenomas and stage T1 or T2 of ampullary cancer,local resection is a good surgical procedure.For patients with ampullary cancer at more advanced stages (T3 or T4),pancreaticoduodenectomy is the first choice of therapy.

Objective To examine the association between the polymorphisms of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)gene with heroin dependence.Methods Genomic DNA was isolated from the venous blood leukocytes of 308 unrelated patients with heroin dependence and 31 7 healthy individuals.Seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)were genotyped using MassARRAY system.Data were analyzed using HaploView 4.0 and SPSS 20.0 software.Results There was a significant difference in the genotype frequency of rs6265 between heroin dependence group and healthy control group (χ2 =1 5.1 5 1,P =0.001).The rs6265 G allele was significantly higher than in controls (χ2 =9.864,P =0.002,OR =1.429,95% CI =1.143 -1.786).Furthermore,there was also a significant difference in the genotype frequency of rs13306221 between heroin dependence group and control group (χ2 =7.699,P =0.006).The rs13306221 G allele was significantly higher than in controls (χ2 =7.137,P =0.008,OR =0.539,95% CI =0.340-0.853).Strong linkage disequilibrium (LD)was observed in one block (D’> 0.9;r 2 >0.8),and significantly less G-G haplotype frequency of block 1 (χ2 =4.546;P =0.033)was found in heroin dependence group. Conclusion Our findings support the role of BDNF rs6265 and rs13306221 polymorphisms in heroin dependence and may guide future studies to identify other genetic risk factors for heroin dependence.

The modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is urgent need of the modern theory of TCM, is a consensus. But, How to establish and what kind of modern TCM theory, is far from a consensus. Based on the summarization of the common law in the construction of scientific theory, we are trying to give a answer that are expected to form a consensus. Firstly, we have illustrated the trend that the development of TCM theory should learn from the life and medical sciences theory function and value; Secondly, we have proven that TCM and TCM theory belongs to the traditional medicine and theory and pointed out the limitation of the traditional medicine, TCM and its theory. And then we have revealed the inevitable trend of traditional medicine, TCM and its theory development at home and abroad, logically obtained the inevitable choice of constructing the modern TCM basic theory; Lastly, we have analyzed the different discipline new theory construction process and method at home and abroad and discovered the common five steps rule, put forward three principles and five steps of constructing modern TCM basic theory, demonstrated its important role during the theoretical revolution promoting Chinese Medicine theory from phenomenon description to mechanism clarification and the scientific value of Chinese Medicine theory in the domestic and foreign development trend.

This study was aimed to solve the problem of overall syndrome differentiation information collection on patient’s main complain of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) four diagnostic methods, in order to make syndrome differentiation standard of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) with liver-qi invasion pattern. The method of cluster sampling was applied in the investigation. The appropriate structural equation modeling (SEM) was established according to multi-dimension indexes of case features and TCM theories. The results of the “information acquisition form for doctor” structural equation showed that emotion dimension, body-symptom dimension, organism condition dimension load coefficients were 0.715, 0.574 and 0.904, respectively. The results of the “information acquisition form for patient” structural equation showed that emotion dimension, body-symptom dimension, organism condition dimension load coefficients were 0.705, 0.945 and 0.848, respectively. There were strong relativities among all dimensions. Combined with TCM theories, the main symptom of identified PMS with liver-qi invasion pattern was “irritable and angry”. And the secondary symptoms contained headache, breast tenderness, distention and pain of lower abdomen and stomach. The combining symptoms were insomnia, dreaminess, swelling of extremities, fatigue, inefficiency for work and housework, hard to focus the attention. It was concluded that the combination of information acquisition method from both the doctor and patient established a relative comprehensive information acquisition system. It established the syndrome differentiation standard of PMS with liver-qi invasion pattern for the first time based on epidemiologic investigation. It provided important reference for the study of PMS subtype.

Objective To explore the protective effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) on diabetic myocardium and anoxic pre-conditioning (AP).Methods Eight-week-- old male Sprague-Dawley rats were given with a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) (60 mg/kg)to induce diabetes mellitus (DM).Donor rats were 8-week-old male Sprague - Dawley rats.Before transplantation,MSC were incubated in CM-DiI at a concentration of 2 μg/mL for 20 min.AP-MSC were exposed to 3 hours of anoxia.At 4 months after STZ injection,diabetic rats were randomly given with an intramyocardial injection of one of the followings:150 μL of Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium ( DMEM),5 ×106 MSC/150 μL,or 5 × 106 AP - MSC/150 μL (n =10 for each group).Three months after STZ injection and 2 weeks after transplantation,we evaluated the cardiac function by echocardiography,and also evaluated the cardiac conditions by alkaline phosphatase staining,western blot analysis for apoptosis related proteins and signal pathways.Results MSC,especially AP- MSC increased fractional shortening (FS) of diabetic heart (P ＜0.01 vs DMEM respectively).AP-MSC greatly increased the capillary density of diabetic myocardium (P ＜0.01 vs DMEM and MSC group respectively).AP-MSC are anti-apoptotic in the rat DCM model,possibly mediated through cardiac upregulation of Bcl-2/Bax ratio ( P ＜ 0.05 ) and inhibiting the expression and activation of caspase - 3 ( P ＜ 0.01 ).Conclusions Intramyocardial transplantation of APMSC has a protective effect on diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Objective To investigate ultrasonographic features,clinical and histopathologic characteristics of hydrometra in the elderly women.Methods Hysteroscopy endometrial biopsy,dilation and curettage (D&C) and Tao Brush were selectively performed for the endometrial cytologic and histopathologic diagnosis according to the depth of the hydrometra investigated by transvaginal sonography,endometrial thickness and high-risk factors of carcinoma of endometrium in 72 elderly women with hydrometra.Results Among 72 elderly women with hydrometra,9 cases (12.5％) were examined by hysteroscopy,51 cases (70.8％) by D&C and 12 cases (16.7％) by endometrial cytology along with D&C.Histopathologic examination revealed that there were 7 (9.72％) cases with endometrial carcinoma,2 cases (2.8％) with atypical endometrial hyperplasia,6 cases (5.6％) with endometrial benign lesion,14 cases(19.4％)with pyometra and the other 43 cases (59.7％) with normal and simple hydrometra.Conclusions Transvaginal sonography in combination with endometrial cytology are beneficial for screening of endometrial disorders or for drainage of hydrometra in elderly women,decreasing invasive examinations such as D&C.