Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Foodborne Diseases ; diagnosis ; etiology ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Meat ; poisoning ; Middle Aged ; Pesticides ; poisoning ; Swine ; Treatment Outcome

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa ; microbiology ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; diagnosis ; microbiology ; Helicobacter Infections ; diagnosis ; microbiology ; Helicobacter pylori ; growth & development ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Mouth Mucosa ; microbiology

AIM:To investigate the clinical effect of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs combined with laser photocoagulation for diabetic macular edema (DME).METHODS: Totally 94 patients (141 eyes) with DME from June to December 2015 in our hospital were selected and randomly divided into combined group of 47 cases (68 eyes, ranibizumab combined with laser therapy) and the control group of 47 cases (73 eyes, laser treatment).The levels of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), macular central retinal thickness (CRT), total macular volume (TMV) and macular edema level were compared between the two groups at different time after treatment.RESULTS: The mean values of BCVA in the combined group were higher than those in the control group at 2, 6 and 12wk, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).At 2, 6 and 12wk after treatment, the CRT and TMV values of the combined group were lower than those of the control group, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).After treated for 12wk, patients with macular edema of combined group was 80.9% in mild level, 17.7% in moderate level, 1.5% in severe level, those of the control group was 60.0%, 31.5%, 5.5%, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The effect of anti-VEGF drugs combined with laser therapy for DME patients is better than that of single laser therapy alone.

OBJECTIVETo investigate morphological change of osteoblasts cultured on titanium plates with different microarchitecture structure when exposured to fluid shear stress.

METHODS14 dynes x cm(-2) fluid shear stress was applied on osteoblasts cultured on 3 different commercially pure titanium plates: Polished treatment (PT), sandblast (SB), sandblasting and acid-base (SB-AB) surfaces. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was adopted to observe the morphological changes after 0.5, 4, 7.5 h time point respectively.

RESULTSMorphologically, no significant changes were observed after 0.5 h and few osteoblasts were seen after 7.5 h on all 3 type of different surfaces, and significant changes could only be observed after 4 h. Osteoblasts were elongated and rearranged along the flow way on different levels on PT surface. Shape of cells was altered, from long fusiform suspending over depressed areas into polygon stretching out many synapsises tightly attached to pits on SB-AB surface. Osteoblasts on SB surface displayed similar change as SB-AB surface, besides, some cells were elongated along the way of flow, stretching out threadlike synapsises attached to edges of pits.

CONCLUSIONMorphological change of osteoblast responding to fluid shear stress in physiological range depends on substrate microarchitecture and varies with the time of fluid shear stress application.

Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Osteoblasts ; Stress, Mechanical ; Titanium

Acute Disease ; Animals ; Ginkgo biloba ; Glutathione ; analysis ; Lung ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Malondialdehyde ; analysis ; Paraquat ; toxicity ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Extracts ; therapeutic use ; Poisoning ; drug therapy ; Rats ; Superoxide Dismutase ; analysis ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo study the relationships between intrahepatic HBV DNA level and serum HBV DNA level, between intrahepatic HBV DNA level and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) level in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and assess the valuation of pretreatment liver HBV DNA level in antivirus therapy.

METHODSLiver specimens taken from 41 HBeAg-positive CHB patients before antivirus treatment were divided into two parts, one for histological examination, and the other for intrahepatic HBV DNA quantified detection by PCR-fluorescence. At the same time, serum levels of HBV DNA and HBeAg were detected. The patients were classified into two groups according to the pretreatment intrahepatic HBV DNA level (< or = 10(4)fg/cm(3) in group A, >10(4)fg/cm(3) in group B) and accepted interferon alpha-1b (3MU every day for 26 weeks) in combination with lamivudine (100mg per day for 52 weeks). During the treatment, the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), HBV DNA and HBeAg seroconversion rate were monitored.

RESULTS(1) The level of liver HBV DNA was much higher than that of serum HBV DNA (4.081 +/-1.127 vs 3.163 +/-1.010, t = 2.218, P < 0.05). Liver HBV DNA level had positive correlation to serum HBV DNA level (r = 0.840, t = 4.322, P < 0.001) and serum HBeAg level (r = 0.459, t = 3.056, P < 0.005). (2) Intrahepatic HBV DNA level was negative correlation to the severity of liver damage (chi(2) = 3.874, P < 0.05). (3) Serum HBV DNA level in all the patients reduced remarkedly after therapy, especially in group A. At the end of 52 weeks, the rates of HBeAg and anti-HBe seroconversion in group A were higher than those in group B (68.4% vs 36.4%, chi(2) = 4.194, P < 0.05; 73.7% vs 40.9%, chi(2) = 4.447, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSIntrahepatic HBV DNA is a more valuable marker than serum HBV DNA or HBeAg to assess HBV replication, and can reflect the status of body immunity indirectly. It may be a useful indicator for the efficacy of antivirus treatment.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; DNA, Viral ; analysis ; blood ; Female ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; virology ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Lamivudine ; therapeutic use ; Liver ; virology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Viral Load ; Virus Replication ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of surface modification of titanium on OPG/RANKL mRNA expression in human osteoblast-like cells.

METHODSMG-63 osteoblast-like cells were seeded on the titanium plates with surface polishing and with surface modification by sandblasting plus acid-base treatment, with the cells on glass slides as the control. On days 2, 4, 6, and 8 following cell seeding, the cells were harvested for examination of OPG/RANKL mRNA expression using RT-PCR and real-time PCR.

RESULTSThe expression of OPG/RANKL mRNA was sensitive to the surface microphotography. Compared with the other groups, the cells on the titanium plates with sandblasting plus acid-base treatment, which resulted in a porous micro-structure and high roughness, showed significantly up-regulated expression of OPG mRNA. OPG mRNA expression also showed a time-dependent up-regulation, and was the highest on day 8. The expression of the RANKL mRNA in cells on both of the titanium plates was higher than that in the control cells. The peak level of RANKL mRNA expression occurred on day 6 followed by a gradual decrease.

CONCLUSIONA rough and porous surface of the culture plates and prolonged culture time can synergistically up-regulate the ratio of OPG/RANKL mRNA.

Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Line ; Humans ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; metabolism ; Osteoprotegerin ; genetics ; metabolism ; Porosity ; RANK Ligand ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Surface Properties ; Tissue Scaffolds ; Titanium ; chemistry ; pharmacology

Background::In recent years, norepinephrine has attracted increasing attention for the management of maternal hypotension during elective cesarean section with spinal anesthesia. Intermittent bolus is a widely used administration paradigm for vasopressors in obstetric anesthesia in China. Thus, in this randomized, double-blinded study, we compared the efficacy and safety of equivalent bolus norepinephrine and phenylephrine for rescuing maternal post-spinal hypotension.Methods::In a tertiary women’s hospital in Nanjing, China, 102 women were allocated with computer derived randomized number to receive prophylactic 8 μg norepinephrine (group N; n = 52) or 100 μg phenylephrine (group P; n = 50) immediately post-spinal anesthesia, followed by an extra bolus of the same dosage until delivery whenever maternal systolic blood pressure became lower than 80% of the baseline. Our primary outcome was standardized maternal cardiac output (CO) reading from spinal anesthesia until delivery analyzed by a two-step method. Other hemodynamic parameters related to vasopressor efficacy and safety were considered as secondary outcomes. Maternal side effects and neonatal outcomes were collected as well. Results::Compared to group P, women in group N had a higher CO (standardized CO 5.8 ± 0.9 vs. 5.3 ± 1.0 L/min, t = 2.37, P = 0.02) and stroke volume (SV, standardized SV 73.6 ± 17.2 vs. 60.0 ± 13.3 mL, t = 4.52, P < 0.001), and a lower total peripheral resistance (875 ± 174 vs. 996 ± 182 dyne·s/cm 5, t = 3.44, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the incidence of bradycardia was lower in group N than in group P (2% vs. 14%, P= 0.023), along with an overall higher standardized heart rate (78.8 ± 11.6 vs. 75.0 ± 7.3 beats/min, P = 0.049). Other hemodynamics, as well as maternal side effects and neonatal outcomes, were similar in two groups ( P > 0.05). Conclusions::Compared to equivalent phenylephrine, intermittent bolus norepinephrine provides a greater CO for management of maternal hypotension during elective cesarean section with spinal anesthesia; however, no obvious maternal or neonatal clinical advantages were observed for norepinephrine.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expressions of E-cadherin (E-cd) and alpha-catenin (alpha-cat) proteins in benign and malignant prostate tumors, and determine whether they could be used as molecular markers for the prognosis of prostate cancer (PCa).

METHODSWe detected the expressions of E-cd and alpha-cat in the prostatic tissues from 45 cases of PCa and 10 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by immunohistochemical Elivision staining, and analyzed the relationships of E-cd and alpha-cat expressions with the PCa stage, PCa grade, preoperative PSA, results of endocrine therapy and prognosis.

RESULTSThe E-cd protein was abnormally expressed in 86.7% of the PCa and 10.0% of the PSA patients, and the E-cd expression was significantly lower in the former than in the latter (P < 0.05). The abnormal expressions of E-cd in the PCa patients with metastasis, non-metastasis, Gleason score < or = 7 and > 7 were 85.0, 87.5, 100.0 and 86.7%, respectively, with no significant between-group differences (P > 0.05), those in the PCa patients with PSA < or = 10 and > 10 microg/L were 40.0 and 97.1%, respectively, significantly higher in the former than in the latter (P < 0.05), and those in the PCa patients with and without response to endocrine therapy were 93.8 and 72.7%, respectively, with no significant differences between the two groups (P > 0.05). The alpha-cat protein was abnormally expressed in 93.3% of the PCa and 30.0% of the BPH patients, respectively, and the alpha-cat expression was significantly lower in the former than in the latter (P < 0.05). The abnormal alpha-cat expressions in the PCa patients with metastasis, non-metastasis, Gleason score > 7 and < or = 7 were 90.0, 100.0, 90.0 and 100.0%, respectively, with no significant between-group differences (P > 0.05), those in the PCa patients with PSA < or = 10 and > 10 microg/L were 40.0 and 94.3%, respectively, significantly higher in the former than in the latter (P < 0.05), and those in the PCa patients with and without response to endocrine therapy were 100.0 and 81.8%, respectively, with no significant differences between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe expressions of E-cd and alpha-cat are significantly lower in PCa than in BPH, and they are not associated with cancerous metastasis, but negatively correlated with the PSA level in PCa patients.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cadherins ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Prostate ; metabolism ; pathology ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; metabolism ; pathology ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; alpha Catenin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the impact of inflammation, water metabolism and immune function on the establishment of a mouse model of damp-heat syndrome with MHV-A59 infection.

METHODSTwenty-four mice were randomly divided into control group, virus group, damp-heat group and model group. The peripheral blood CD4(+) and CD8(+) lymphocytes were detected by flow cytometry, and the serum levels of IFN-γ and IL-4 were assayed by ELISA. The expressions of NF-κB and AQP4 in the liver and stomach were determined using immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThe expression of NF-κB and CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio in the virus and model groups were significantly higher than those in the damp-heat and control groups, while the expression of AQP4 was significantly higher in the model and damp-heat groups than in the other groups. Compared with the control group, the model group showed a significantly higher ratio of IFN-γ/IL-4.

CONCLUSIONSMHV-A59 virus is the main cause of elevated NF-κB expression and CD4(+)/CD8(+)/ ratio, while damp-heat syndrome is responsible for increased AQP4 expression, and their synergistic effect results in increased IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio. The mouse model established using MHV-A59 virus and the damp-heat factors can mimic damp-heat syndrome described in traditional Chinese medicine theory.

Animals ; Aquaporin 4 ; metabolism ; CD4-CD8 Ratio ; Disease Models, Animal ; Hepatitis, Viral, Animal ; diagnosis ; virology ; Interferon-gamma ; blood ; Interleukin-4 ; blood ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Murine hepatitis virus ; NF-kappa B p50 Subunit ; metabolism