AIM: To observe the neovascularization process with no intervention in rat allogenic penetrating keratoplasty. METHODS: Allogenic penetrating keratoplasties were successfully performed in 34 female SPF SD rats with no intervention after operations. Corneal neovascularization(CNV) process was noted on day 4, 7, 15 and 30 with operating microscope. The vascular area surface was calculated using the formula C/12×3.14×[r2-(r-I)2].RESULTS: CNV was noted in 29 out of 34 rats (85%). Firstly, the new vessels distributed around the cornea like a brush then gradually extended towards the center. The vessels were distorted and massive with branched tails, they continued growing to reticulated veins in peak time then gradually atrophied. The average neovascularization area (SE) on day 4, 7, 15 and 30 was 11.8±3.5mm2, 18.5±4.0mm2,14.4±4.3mm2 and 6.0±1.8mm2 respectively and 12.7±1.9mm2 in total. The average percentage that new vessels accounting the whole cornea area(SE) was 30.8%±8.7%, 65.3%±12.8%, 59.4%±14.5%,36.2%±10.9% and 48.7%±6.4% in total.CONCLUSION: In rat allogenic penetrating keratoplasties without intervention, CNV presented on day 4 and reached the maximum area on day 7. Then the vessels gradually atrophied, about 50% of the maximum area still remained on day 30.

Objective To investigate the effect of chymase on the proliferation of rat cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) and the role of transforming growth factor-?1 (TGF-?_1).Methods Cultured CFs of neonatal SD rats were isolated by trypsinization.Cell number and DNA synthesis were evaluated by MTT assay (A_(490) value) and [~3H]-deoxythy- midine [~3H]-TdR incorporation.The mRNA expression of TGF-?_1 in CFs was determined by RT-PCR.Results Chymase increased CFs numbers and [~3H]-TdR incorporation in a dose-dependent manner.The A_(490) value of CFs stimulated by 15,30 and 60 ng/mL chymase was 0.263?0.033,0.348?0.031 and 0.387?0.026,respectively, which were all significantly higher than that of control (0.201?0.019,P

OBJECTIVETo investigate the dosage-efficacy/toxicity relationship of prepared rhubarb, in order to explore the bidirectional effects in hepatoprotection and hepatotoxicity of prepared rhubarb and the objective authenticity for attenuating toxicity by processing.

METHODNormal and pathological animals were adopted simultaneous to investigate the effect of total extracts from prepared rhubarb within a high dose range (2.0, 5.4, 14.7, 40.0 g x kg(-1) x d(-1)) on normal state, biochemical index and histopathology of experimental animals. The factor analytic approach was used to analyze the dosage-efficacy/toxicity relationship of prepared rhubarb.

RESULTThe factor analytic approach was used to extract two common factors from the nine biochemical indexes. The firs common factor was mainly dominated by HA, LN and TGF-β1, and could be explained as fibrotic factors. The second common factor was mainly dominated by ALT, AST and ALP, and could be explained as cellular factor. The results of the factor analysis suggested that prepared rhubarb showed significant bidirectional effects in hepatoprotection and hepatotoxicity, which could protect liver in CC14 injured chronic hepatic injury, but had a certain hepatotoxic effect to normal animals. The pathological examination showed consistent results with the factor analysis. Under comparable dosages, prepared rhubarb showed a stronger liver protecting effect than crude rhubarb, with a lower toxicity.

CONCLUSIONAlthough prepared rhubarb has a certain hepatotoxic effect to normal animals, it has also a significant therapeutic effect to animals with liver injury. The results proved the symptom-based prescription theory and the scientificity of the symptom-based medication. The symptom-based prescription theory is important to correctly realize the dosage-efficacy/toxicity relationship of traditional Chinese medicines and guide the symptom-based medication.

Animals ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Prescriptions ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; toxicity ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Liver ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rheum ; chemistry ; Toxicity Tests

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical effect of combination of acupressure and magnetic sticker on the quality of life (QOL) including appetite, defecation, and sleep in patients with advanced gastroenteric tumor.

METHODSTotally 147 patients with advanced gastroenteric tumor were assigned to 4 groups according to different treatment methods, i.e., the supportive treatment group (A, 20 cases), the acupressure treatment group (B, 41 cases), the magnetic sticker treatment group (C, 40 cases), and a combination of acupressure and magnetic sticker treatment group (D, 46 cases). They were respectively treated with different methods, supportive treatment for group A, acupressure for group B, magnetic sticker for group C, and a combination of acupressure and magnetic sticker for group D. The scores of food intake, defecation frequency, sleep time, Karnofsky, and QOL were compared before treatment and at day 14 after treatment.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the scores of food intake, defecation frequency, and sleep time were obviously improved in B, C and D groups (P < 0.01). There was statistical difference between group D and group A (P < 0.01). In addition, in comparison with A group, both Karnofsky score and QOL score increased in B, C and D groups (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe assisted therapy of the combination of acupressure and magnetic sticker could ameliorate QOL such as the digestive functions and sleep in patients with advanced gastroenteric tumor.

Acupressure ; methods ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; therapy ; Humans ; Magnetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Quality of Life ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND:It has been recently indicated that nervous factors are able to adjust and dominate bone fracture healing. Type Ⅰ collagen is a major factor to promote the differentiation of osteoblasts and enhance the adhesion of osteoblasts; while, it is also a matrix protein for composing bone framework. Type Ⅱ collagen is derived from chondrocytes. OBJECTIVE: To study changing law of type Ⅰ and Ⅱ collagen expression during denervated bone fracture healing. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: Randomized controlled anima study was performed at the Animal Laboratory and Cell Biology Laboratory, the Second Military Medical University of Chinese PLA between May and December 2005. MATERIALS: Forty 3-month-year healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into fracture group (tibial fracture alone) and combination group (spinal cord injury combined with tibial fracture), with 20 rats at each group. METHODS: A φ 0.8 mm Kirschner wire was inserted into anterior border of left tibial plateau to establish tibial fracture models in the fracture group. A 0.3-cm spinal cord transection was cut at T10 segment to establish tibial fracture models with entire spinal cord injury. MAIN OUTCOME MEASRUES: Type Ⅰ and Ⅱ collagen protein expressions of callus were detected using Western blot technique in week 1, 2, 4, and 5 post-injury. RESULTS: One week after injury, type Ⅰ and Ⅱ collagen was represented in callus in the two groups, while the expressions in the combination group were significantly higher than fracture group (P<0.05); two weeks after injury, type Ⅱ collagen expression reached at the peak in the combination group, and the expression was significantly higher than the fracture group (P<0.05); four weeks after injury, type Ⅰ collagen expression reached at the peak in the fracture group, and the expression was significantly higher than the combination group (P<0.05), while type Ⅱ collagen still highly expressed in the combination group; five weeks after injury, type Ⅰ and Ⅱ collagen expressions were decreased in the two groups. CONCLUSION: Secretory law of type Ⅰ and Ⅱ collagen during denervated bone fracture healing is similar to normal bone fracture healing; however, the differences at time points, in particular expression at peak, are remarkable between them.

We examined the effects of intracerebroventricular ( i. c. v) administration of adrenomedullin (ADM) on catecholaminergic neurons and the expression of c-fos gene in rat brain nuclei involved in cardiovascular regulation using double immunohistochemical method for Fos and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). The results showed that: ( 1 ) Following icy administration of ADM (3 nmol/kg) , double-labeled neurons for Fos and TH were significantly increased in the area postrema ( AP), the nucleus of the solitary tract ( NTS), the nucleus paragigantocelluaris laterialis (PGL) and the locus coeruleus (LC). (2) Pretreatment with calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonis CGRP8-37 (30 nmol/kg) significantly reduced the action of ADM (3 nmol/kg) in the brain. The present study suggested that ADM might activate the neurons of the brain nuclei involved in cardiovascular regulation, and supported the hypothesis that the central action of ADM were induced by activating the catecholaminergic neurons of brainstem nuclei involved in cardiovascular regulation, CGRP receptor might mediate the effects of ADM.

Objective To explore the effect of the simvastatin administration on the expression of connective tissue growth factor （CTGF） in fihrotic lungs of rats. Methods The cats were treated with single intratracheal instillation of bleomycin （BLM） or instillation of the same volume of normal saline （NS） as a control. The administration of simvastatin（20 mg/kg）began once a day immediately or 7 days later after intratracheal BLM instillation respectively with the same volume of NS was given as a vehicle control. The rats were killed on day 7,14 and 28 respectively. Pathological alteration of lung tissue was observed hy HE staining and Masson staining. Hydroxyproline（HYP）content in lung tissue was used to determine the severity of pulmonary fibrosis. The expression of CTGF in lung tissue was exanfined by immunohistochem- istry staining and photodeusitometry. Results Histopathological changes of pulmonary fibrosis emerged gradually after the instillation of BLM. The expression level of CTGF was increased in lungs of rats after intratracheal instillation of BLM, compared with the control. The administration of simvastatin immediately or 7 days after intratracheal instillation of BLM, attenuated the histopathological changes of bleomycin- induced puhnonary fibrosis and prevented the increased expression of CTGF in lung tissue on day 28. Conclusion The adntinistration of simvastatin, immediately or 7 days after intratracheal BLM instillation, prevented the up-regulation of CTGF in fibrotic lungs of rats, which ntight be one of the mechanisms of the anti-fihrosis of simvastatin in lungs.

Objective To analyze the nontubercutous mycobaeterium (NTM) identification data of two groups of sputum sam- ples during the periods of 1986 to 1997 and 2000 to 2005 so as to figure out the identification of NTM.Methods A total of 222 strains of non-tuberculosis mycobacteria were included for strain identification and sensitivity test with traditional methods.Re- suits According to Runyon classification, during the period of 1986-1997 there were 15 strains (15.5%) in GroupⅠ, 4 (4.2%) in GroupⅡ, 23 (24.0%)in GroupⅢand 54 (56.3%) in GroupⅣ;during the period of 2000—2005 there were 30 strains (16.1%) in GroupⅠ, 11(5.9%) in GroupⅡ, 51 (27.4%) in GroupⅢand 94 (50.6%) in GroupⅣ.The number of NTM types increased by 133.3%.The absolute number of NTM isolates in the first five years of this century increased by 93.89% compared with the numbers in the 11 years of last century.Conclusions The number of types and absolute number of i- solates of NTM have increased in the first live years of this century compared with the numbers in the 11 years of last century. We should enhance the epidemiological research on pulmonary NTM in order to provide scientific evidence for comprehensive prevention and treatment.

In the reform of medical microbiology education on medical students of 8-year-education pro-gram, we compared the traditional teaching methods with Problem Based Learning (PBL) method. Through our practice, we have found that the combination of traditional lecture-based learning and PBL seems to better match the students’ way of learning. The lack of basic knowledge of the students hindered their learn-ing effect during the bilateral discussion in the PBL education. We also found that the application of PBL in medical microbiology education is an iterative process and should be promoted step by step. The theoretical level and the innovative ideas of the teachers play a crucial role in the dynamic process of education reform.

Background The current epidemiology study had shown the prevalence of age and sex adjusted dry eye was higher in patients with diabetes than population without diabetes.Further researches demonstrated that the tear film disturbance is common after the phacoemulsification or photocoagulation in the eyes of diabetic patients.Objective The aim of this study was to characterize the clinical features of tear film instability in diabetes patients.Methods One hundred and sixty-two patients with tear-film abnormality referred to Tongren Eye Center from January 1,2010 to September 1,2010 underwent questionnaire about diabetes and other diseases,BUT,Schirmer test.Tear film instability was diagnosed as abnormality of either Schirmer test or BUT and showed as M ( Q25,Q75 ).The right eyes of 162 dry eye patients meeting with the including criteria were enrolled.The patients were assigned to two groups according to with ( 80 patients) or without ( 82 patients) diabetes mellitum.DEQ questionnaire were scored.The percentage of cases with meibomain gland abnormal score ＞ 1 was calculated.Mann-Whitney U analysis and Chisquare analysis were used to compare the difference between the two groups.Results The Schirmer test in diabetic group was 8 ( qualities:5,9 )mm and was longer than 6 ( qualities:5,7 ) mm in non-diabetic patients ( U =2452,P =0.00).The result of BUT test was 3 ( qualities:2,4 ) seconds in diabetic patients and was shorter than 4 (qualities:3,5) seconds in non-diabetic patients( U=2104,P＜0.01 ).The DEQ score of diabetic patients was 15 ( qualities:1 0,19,which was less than21 ( qualities:19,23.25 ) in non-diabetic patients.51.2 ％ ( 41/80 ) diabetic participants and 32.9％ (27/82) nondiabetic participants appeared meibography ( grade larger than 1 ) (x2 =16.07,P=0.00).The percentages of dry eyes were 51.2％ (41/80) and 93.9％ (77/82) respectively in diabetes and nondiabetes groups(x2 =37.24,P＜0.01 ).No significant correlation was found between the diabetes course and DEQ score or meibography( r =0.16,P =0.16 ; r =0.10,P =0.36 ).Conclusions Diabetes patients with tear film instability have longer Schirmer test results,shorter BUT,more severe meibomain glands damage and lower DEQ scores.The dry eye symptom is lack in the diabetic patients though appearing the tear film and meibomain glands damage.Therefore,more attention should be given to ocular surface health in diabetes patients.