Endoscopy ; methods ; Humans ; Intestinal Diseases ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Intestine, Small ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods

Chinese medicine pairs (CMP) are specific compatibility with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory as principle, which was formed on basis of effect and treatment theory of TCM. The compatibility of CMP can enhance the effect, or reduce the toxicity. So, compatibility effects of CMP were studied from different pharmacology levels including animals, tissues and organs, cell and molecular levels, their synergy and compatibility attenuation were also evaluated with monomer component-component (group) compatibility-single herb-CMP-formulae as the main line, and the action mechanisms were investigated, all of which can provide scientific basis for the clinical applications of CMP and creation of TCM new drugs.
Animals ; Drug Interactions ; Drug Synergism ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; adverse effects ; methods

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical effect of arthroscopic excision of popliteal cysts through a combined anterior and posterior approach.

METHODSFrom January 2010 to December 2012,20 patients with popliteal cysts were treated with arthroscopic excision. There were 14 males and 6 females, with an average age of 49.5 years old, ranging from 45 to 65 years old. The lump has been found for 4 to 18 months,with a mean time of 12 months. Their mean sagittal diameter was 4.5 cm (ranged from 3 to 7 cm). There were 12 popliteal cysts in the left and 8 popliteal cysts in the right. The main clinical manifestation included lump at popliteal fossa, swelling and pain at knee joint and some extent of dysfunction. All diagnoses were determined according to MRI, which clearly showed the communication of cyst and articular cavity. The cyst was removed under arthroscopy, through the posterior approach and then the intra-articular lesion was treated via the anterior approach. According to Rauschning and Lindgren classification, 2 patients were grade I, 6 patients were grade II, and 12 patients were grade III. The guidelines of Rauschning and Lindgren were used to evaluate the clinical effects.

RESULTSNo complications such as the injury of blood vessel and nerve, or incision infection occurred in all patients. All the patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 8 to 24 months, with a mean time of 16 months. According to the criteria of Rauschning and Lindgren, there were 14 cases of grade 0, and 6 cases of grade I after operation, which was improved obviously compared with that pre-operation. No cyst reoccurred and the knee joint pain was relieved.

CONCLUSIONTreatment of popliteal cysts with arthroscopic excision through a combined anterior and posterior approach is effective to remove the cyst sac and treat intra-articular diseases simultaneously, resulting in the decrease recurrence rate of cyst.

Aged ; Arthroscopy ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Popliteal Cyst ; surgery

BACKGROUNDTumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) is important in promoting relative adrenal insufficiency (RAI) due to systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). We identified the TNF-α receptor involved in the inhibition of adrenal corticotrophin (ACTH)-stimulated hydrocortisone release by studying the expression of TNF-α receptors in adrenal cortex Y1 cells and the effect of downregulating TNF receptors on ACTH-stimulated hydrocortisone release.

METHODSWe used real-time PCR and immunocytochemistry to evaluate the expression of TNF receptors on Y1 cells. TNF-receptor 1 (TNF-R1) DNA fragments corresponding to the short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-sequences were synthesized and cloned into pcDNA(TM) 6.2-GW/EmGFP expression vector. Knockdown efficiency of TNF-R1 expression was evaluated in miRNA transfected and mock-miRNA transfected Y1 cells by quantitative real-time PCR (Q-PCR). Hydro-cortisone expression levels were determined in TNF-R1-knockdown and control Y1 cells treated with TNF-α and ACTH.

RESULTSMouse adrenal cortex Y1 cells were positive for type I TNF-R1, but not type II TNF-receptor (TNF-R2). Blocking TNF-R1 expression resulted in loss of TNF-α-mediated inhibition of ACTH-stimulated hydrocortisone expression, suggesting a role for the TNF-R1 related signaling pathway in ACTH-stimulated hydrocortisone synthesis.

CONCLUSIONThe inhibitory effect of TNF-α on ACTH-stimulated hydrocortisone synthesis was mediated via TNF-R1 in adrenal cortex.

Adrenal Cortex ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Animals ; Cell Line ; Hydrocortisone ; metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Mice ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; pharmacology

Adolescent ; Child ; Collagen Type I ; metabolism ; Extracellular Matrix ; metabolism ; Female ; Fibrillin-1 ; Fibrillins ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Microfilament Proteins ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the efficacy of warm needling moxibustion plus medication for rheumatoid arthritis.Methods One hundred patients with rheumatoid arthritis were randomly allocated to two groups (treatment and control) by using random number table method, 50 cases each. The treatment group received warm needling moxibustion plus medication as combined therapy and the control group, oral administration of drugs alone. In both groups, treatment was given 10 times as a course, for a total of two courses. The DAS 28 score was recorded and rheumatoid factor (RF) was determined in the two groups before and after treatment. The clinical therapeutic effects were compared between the two groups.Results The total efficacy rate was 100％ in the treatment group and 86.0％ in the control group; there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). There were no statistically significant post-treatment differences in DAS 28 score and RF between the two groups (P>0.05). There were statistically significant differences in pre-/post-treatment DAS 28 score difference value and RF difference value in the two groups (P<0.05).Conclusion Warm needling moxibustion plus medication is clinically more effective than oral administration of drugs alone in treating rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVETo establish a HPLC method for determining acetoside in rat plasma and to investigate the pharmacokinetic characteristics of acetoside in rats.

METHODSix rats were orally administered with 150 mg x kg(-1) acetoside and their blood samples were collected at different time points. The plasma concentration of acetoside was determined by reserved HPLC, and the pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by DAS 2.0 software.

RESULTThe regression equation of acetoside in rats plasma was Y = 3.509 8X-0.096 8 (r = 0.996 8), which showed a good linear relation at 0.125-2.5 mg x L(-1). The method showed a recovery of more than 85%, and both inter-day and intra-day RSDs were less than 15%. After the oral administration of 150 mg x kg(-1) acetoside, the concentration-time curves of acetoside were expressed in a open two-compartment model. The main pharmacokinetics parameters of T(max), C(max), t(1/2alpha), t(1/2beta), AUC(0-t), AUC(0-infinity), CL/F, V/F and K(a) were respectively 0.36 h, 1.126 mg x L(-1), 0.759, 4.842 h, 3.134, 3.766 mg x h x L(-), 87.089 L x h(t) x kg(-1), 207.704 L x kg(-1) and 6.345 h(-1) respectively.

CONCLUSIONIt is first time to establish such a HPLC method to determine the concentration of acetoside in plasma. The method is so highly specified and sensitive that it can ble used in quantitative analysis in vivo on acetoside.

Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Female ; Glucosides ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Phenols ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo study on the effect of acteoside on learning and memory of dementia mice.

METHODMice were orally administered with acteoside for 10 days. Scopolamine was used to establish the acquired learning disability in mice. Their learning and memory were detected with a behavioral experiment (step-down test). After the behavior test, corticocerebral and hippocampus tissues of mice were detected with biochemical indexes, including GSH-Px, T-SOD, MDA, TChE and contents of protein in brain tissues.

RESULTMice were administered with acteoside for 10 d in advance to alleviate the acquired learning disability induced by scopolamine. Compared with the model group, acteoside increased the latency period in the step-down test and reduced error times. Besides, acteoside increased the activity of GSH-Px, T-SOD, TChE and protein content in their brain tissues, but decreased MDA content.

CONCLUSIONActeoside can significantly alleviate the acquired learning disability in mice induced by scopolamine. Its mechanism may be related with its effect of inhibiting the generation of free radicals in mice and improving the function of the central cholinergic system.

Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Glucosides ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; metabolism ; Learning ; drug effects ; Male ; Memory Disorders ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Mice ; Phenols ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Scopolamine Hydrobromide ; adverse effects ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

Along with progress of modern science and technology, human is utilizing natural resources and their inherent law more effectively and more efficiently according to their own purposes. Chinese medicine pair (CMP) is relatively fixed combination of two TCMs which was proven to be effective in clinical application. CMP has its inner specification, and it is an intermediate point between single herb and many TCM formulae. With the aid of modern science and technology, and by means of choosing appropriate strategies and approaches, the compatibility rules of CMP might be revealed, which will be significant to develop the compatibility theory of TCM formulae and create modern TCM new drugs.
Animals ; Clinical Trials as Topic ; Drug Interactions ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Research Design ; Systems Biology

Criminal responsibility is divided into three types: full criminal responsibility, diminished criminal responsibility and criminal irresponsibility in China. In forensic psychiatric expertise, doctors often have different opinions about the responsibility in a given case because of lacking objective criteria. The evaluation of criminal responsibility is always unresolved problem in forensic psychiatric expertise. Application of these evaluation tools in forensic psychiatric expertise were reviewed in this article. The value of the tools were still controversial in the reliability and validity, but it is clear that these tools have the positive roles in ensuring the standardization and the uniformity of the forensic investigation.
Crime/psychology* ; Expert Testimony/legislation & jurisprudence* ; Forensic Psychiatry ; Humans ; Liability, Legal ; Mental Competency ; Mental Disorders/psychology* ; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales ; Social Responsibility