OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Yigan Fupi Decoction (YFD) in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) patients.

METHODSA randomized controlled clinical trail was carried out in patients with IBS-D. All patients were randomly assigned to the treatment group (58 cases, treated with YFD) and the control group (58 cases, treated with Pinaverium Bromide Tablet). The treatment course was 4 weeks for all patients. The total effective rate, the stool property and state, the quality of life (QOL), and TCM syndrome efficacy were assessed by IBS bowel symptom severity scale (IBS-BSS), IBS defecation state questionnaire (IBS-DSQ), IBS quality of life questionnaire (IBS-QOL), and traditional Chinese medicine pattern curative effect scoring system (TCM-PES) before and after treatment.

RESULTSThere was no statistical difference in the total effective rate between the two groups (82.76% vs. 77.59%, P > 0.05). The treatment group was superior in the total IBS-BSS integral to the control group (P < 0.05). The total effective rate of improving the stool property was better in the treatment group than in the control group (81.03% vs. 72.41%, P < 0.05). Besides, the number of days for emergent defecation among 10 days was less in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The improvement of the total IBS-QOL integral and the total integral of TCM syndrome were better in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.01). The total effective rate of TCM-PES was better in the treatment group than in the control group (84.48% vs. 70.69%, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONYFD was effective in the treatment of IBS-D patients of Gan-qi invading Pi syndrome, and could effectively relieve bowel symptoms, improve the stool property and the defecation frequency, elevate their QOL, and attenuate Gan-qi invading Pi syndrome with favorable safety and compliance.

Adult ; Diarrhea ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Morpholines ; therapeutic use ; Quality of Life ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND: von Willebrand factor (vWF) is only released from endothelial cells and platelets and is an in vivo and in vitro marker of endothelial injury in septic patients with acute lung injury (ALI). Interleukin-8 (IL-8), as a proinflammatory mediator causing recruitment of inflammatory cells, induces an increase in oxidant stress mediators and makes it as a key parameter for localized inflammation. However, it has not been well established whether the level of serum IL-8 is associated with the severity of lung injury and whether it is a prognosis marker for severe lung contusion. This study was to investigate the expression of plasma vWF and IL-8 and their association with the severity and outcomes of severe pulmonary contusion. METHODS: A total of 63 patients were divided into a severe pulmonary contusion with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) group and a non-ARDS group, or a survivor group and a non-survivor group, or an injury severity score (ISS) <20 group and an ISS ≥20 group. Another 20 healthy volunteers served as controls. The levels of plasma vWF and serum IL-8 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) at 1, 3, 5 and 7 days after injury. The expression patterns of the plasma vWF and serum IL-8 were compared between different groups. RESULTS: The concentrations of plasma vWF and serum IL-8 were significantly increased in all severe pulmonary contusion patients at all time points in comparison with the control group. The concentrations of plasma vWF in patients with ARDS increased during the whole study period, but vWF in patients with non-ARDS increased gradually until day 5 and then decreased at day 7. The concentration of serum IL-8 showed a similar expression pattern in both groups, but the expression increased more significantly in the ARDS group than in the non-ARDS group. Interestingly, both plasma vWF and serum IL-8 levels steadily increased in the non-survivor group. Furthermore, the level of plasma vWF was higher in the ISS≥20 group than in the ISS<20 group. The level of serum IL-8 in the ISS≥20 group was consistently high, while that in the ISS<20 group peaked at day 3 and decreased at day 5. In addition, the level of plasma vWF was positively correlated with platelet count, but negatively correlated with oxygen index. The level of serum IL-8 was positively correlated with white blood cell count and ISS score, and inversely correlated with oxygen index. CONCLUSION: The elevated levels of plasma vWF and serum IL-8 in severe pulmonary contusion patients reflect the severity of pulmonary injury and patients outcomes, suggesting that the plasma vWF and serum IL-8 are sensitive markers for clinical evaluation of the severity of pulmonary injury and predication of patient prognosis.

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 learn the impacts of major diagnosis, other diagnoses, major surgery and other surgeries on the grouping of DRGs, and to optimize the DRGs data grouping quality by analyzing the main influencing factors of DRGs.Methods Based on regrouping results of the 1 940 questionable cases which have been corrected, using SPSS 13.0 to study the impacts of the questions found on the grouping of DRGs.Results 438 Patient records affecting DRGs grouping were regrouped according to major diagnosis, other diagnoses, major surgery and other surgeries.Influences of the above four groups on the grouping vary in general For comparison between two groups, P＞0.007 1 between main surgery and other surgeries;while P＜0.007 1 for comparison between other groups.Conclusion The highest influence of grouping was found in questionable major diagnosis, much higher than such other factors as other diagnoses, major surgery and other surgeries.This conclusion conforms to the steps of basic DRGs grouping logic-sorting the eases according to major diagnosis first of all Correct naming of surgery influences DRGs grouping, but the influence extent of major surgery and other surgeries is close.

Objective To understand the prevalence,drug resistance and clinical features of children with acute lower respiratory tract infection(ALRI) caused by escherichia coli.Methods From Oct. 2005 to Oct. 2006,659 patients with ALRI who were admitted to hospital were chosen and their nasopharyngeal secretions were obtained and cultured.K-B disc diffusion for antibiotic susceptibility were performed for these clinical isolates.Results Among 659 patients,118 cases were isolated escherichia coli,the rate was 17.99% which had 90 boys and 28 girls.Eighty-seven of 118 E.coli strains were with extended-spectrum ?-lactamase(ESBLs),the rate was 73.73%.All of strains were sensitive to imipenem.For ESBLs-producing strains,the ratio of resistance tocefotaxime,ceftriaxone,cefuroxime,ampicillin,piperacillin were 78.81%,73.73%,73.73%,76.27%,78.81%,respectively.Conclusions The positive rate of ESBLs producing E coli in Kunming area is high and drug resistance is severe gradually.Imipenem can be the first selection for treatment on these infections.

Objective: To investigate the effect of protein ki nase C on signal transduction such as tyrosine phosphorylation, c-fos and c-ju n mRNA expression in antigen activated mast cells. Methods: RBL-2H3 cells either untreated or treated with phorbol 12-myristate 13 -acetate (PMA) were sensitized with anti-DNP IgE, and activated with DNP-BSA, histamine release and tyrosine phosphorylation were quantitatively measured by ELISA and flow cytometry, respectively. The effect of PKC on the ex pression of c-fos and c-jun in serum-deprived RBL-2H3 cells activated by DNP-BSA detected by ethidium staining of PCR-amplified cDNA, the amplified cDNA products were subjected to Southern blot hybridization using specific prob es to determine the veracity of amplification. Results: Tyr osine phosphorylation and histamine release were significantly reduced from (4.4 7±0.03)% to (2.79±0.07)% and (104.47±1.31) nmol/L to (60.75±1.38) nm ol/L, respectively, 45 min after DNP-BSA stimulation in sensitized cells pre treated with PMA for 48 h. Bands of the size predicted for the amplified cDNA we re obtained: 299 bp for c-fos, and 651 bp for c-jun, a decrease of 91% and 82% , respectively, for c-fos and c-jun mRNAs was observed in antigen stimulated c ells pretreated with PMA for 48 h. Conclusion: PKC plays an impo rtant role in modulating the tyrosine phosphorylation and histamine release resp onses and may upregulate the expression of c-fos and c-jun in antigen activate d mast cell.

The shape and structure of granules are controlled by the granulation process, which is one of the main factors to determine the nature of the solid dosage forms. In this article, three kinds of granules of a traditional Chinese medicine for improving appetite and promoting digestion, namely, Jianwei Granules, were prepared using granulation technologies as pendular granulation, high speed stirring granulation, and fluidized bed granulation and the powder properties of them were investigated. Meanwhile, synchrotron radiation X-ray computed micro tomography (SR-µCT) was applied to quantitatively determine the irregular internal structures of the granules. The three-dimensional (3D) structure models were obtained by 3D reconstruction, which were more accurately to characterize the three-dimensional structures of the particles through the quantitative data. The models were also used to quantitatively compare the structural differences of granules prepared by different granulation processes with the same formula, so as to characterize how the production process plays a role in the pharmaceutical behaviors of the granules. To focus on the irregularity of the particle structure, the box counting method was used to calculate the fractal dimensions of the granules. The results showed that the fractal dimension is more sensitive to reflect the minor differences in the structure features than the conventional parameters, and capable to specifically distinct granules in structure. It is proved that the fractal dimension could quantitatively characterize the structural information of irregular granules. It is the first time suggested by our research that the fractal dimension difference (Df,c) between two fractal dimension parameters, namely, the volume matrix fractal dimension and the surface matrix fractal dimension, is a new index to characterize granules with irregular structures and evaluate the effects of production processes on the structures of granules as a new indicator for the granulating process control and optimization.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Fractals ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Powders ; Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship ; Synchrotrons ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo study the main factors influencing prognosis of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in children by summarizing the clinical features of HLH and investigating the relationship between relevant factors and prognosis.

METHODSThe medical data of 63 children with HLH were retrospectively reviewed. Kaplan-Meier method was employed to draw survival curves. Factors influencing prognosis were assessed with Cox univariate analysis, and Cox multivariate analysis was done on statistically significant factors.

RESULTSThe 3-year and 5-year survival rates were both 62.9%. The survival rate decreased from 98.4% at 1 day after definite diagnosis to 73.2% at 4 months. Univariate analysis demonstrated only one factor, which was that the condition of platelet recovery after treatment of 2 to 3 weeks was significantly related to prognosis (P=0.002). In children receiving etoposide therapy, temperature recovery after one day of treatment was significantly related to prognosis (P=0.016).

CONCLUSIONSChildren with HLH have a satisfactory prognosis, but the survival rate reduces rapidly in the first 4 months after definite diagnosis. Platelet recovery after treatment of 2 to 3 weeks and temperature recovery after one day of treatment are factors influencing prognosis of HLH in children.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic ; mortality ; Male ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

Pseudomonas sp. M18 is one of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria capable of producing two kinds of anti-fungal agents: phenazine-1-carboxilic acid (PCA) and pyoluteorin (Plt). The pqsR gene, which encodes a LysR family member PqsR, was amplified from chromosomal genome of strain M18. Using the homologous recombination technique, a chromosomal pqsR inactivated mutant strain M18PRG was constructed in Pseudomonas sp. M18. To study the effect of pqsR gene on Plt biosynthesis, the dynamic curves of Plt production by strains M18 and M18PRG was measured in KMB media. As a result, Plt production of the pqsR mutant was three to four folds higher than that of its parent strain M18. The Plt production was restored to the wild-type level when strain M18PRG was complemented with pqsR gene in trans. The regulation of pqsR gene on Plt production was further confirmed by the pltA′-′lacZ translational fusion analysis. These results indicate that pqsR gene negatively controls the Plt biosynthesis. Additionally, by analyzing the growth curves of wild type strain M18 and pqsR mutant, wecan readily find that PqsR has a negative influence on cell growth. It was also shown that the production of red pigments in strain M18 required the expression of pqsR gene. In conclusion, the data presented in this study clearly demonstrate that PqsR acts as a global regulator involved in many physiological activities in Pseudomonas sp. M18.

The efficient and safe delivery of drugs to the therapeutic site through the biofilm has traditionally been a difficult and hot topic in the field of drug delivery. In recent years, alkyl polyglycoside (APG) have become ideal penetration enhancers for drug delivery systems because of their high permeability, good safety and biodegradability, which has attracted wide attention of domestic and foreign researchers. In this paper, the physical and chemical properties, characteristics, action mechanism and application of APG in drug delivery system are reviewed, and its application prospect in drug delivery system is prospected.