OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic effect of Yangxue Tongluo Recipe (YTR) combined with immunosuppressive agents in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODSTotally 88 RA patients were randomly assigned to the treatment group [47 cases, YTR combined Methotrexate (MTX) + Leflunomide (LEF) treatment] and the control group (41 cases, MTX + LEF therapy). All patients received 12-week treatment. Clinical symptoms and signs, laboratory tests [erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), rheumatoid factor (RF), and C reactive protein (CRP)], and adverse reactions were observed before and after treatment.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 91.5% (43/47 cases) in the treatment group, and the total effective rate was 75.6% (31/41 cases) in the control group. There was statistical difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). The morning stiffness, the rest pain, the number of tender joints, the number of swollen joints, tender joint index, swollen joint index, ESR, RF, and CRP were significantly improved in the two groups after treatment (P < 0.01). Besides, clinical symptoms and signs, ESR, RF, and CRP were more improved in the treatment group after treatment, when compared with those in the control group (P < 0.05). Gastrointestinal discomfort was the main adverse reaction in the two groups, but the occurrence was lower in the treatment group than in the control group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe clinical efficacy of YTR combined MTX + LEF in the treatment of RA was better than using Western medicine alone. It was more safe with less adverse reactions.

Adult ; Antirheumatic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; drug therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Methotrexate ; therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Treatment Outcome

Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; therapy ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; standards

Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase ; Histones ; Humans ; Leukemia ; pathology

Background Oxidative damage may cause the functional dysfunction and death of retinal vascular endothelial cells(RVECs),and further leads to the development of retinal vascular diseases.Fufang xueshuantong has a therapeutic effect on retinal vascular diseases,but little is known about its molecular mechanism.Objective The goal of this study was to investigate the protective effects and mechanism of fufang xueshuantong on injury of human RVECs induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide(t-BHP).Methods Human RVECs were isolated from healthy donor eyes and primarily cultured and then identified by flow cytometry.The third to fifth generations of cells were used in this experiments.The fufang xueshuantong solution of 0.0625,0.1250,0.2500,0.5000 and 1.0000 g/L were added in the cuhure plate with 5 × 104/L cells respectively in the experimental groups,and t-BHP of 75,100,200 and 300 μ.mol/L were added in the model control groups.MTT was used to detect the A490and survival rate of RVECs.The apoptotic rate and death rate of the cells were evaluated by double staining of Annexin V-FITC/PI.Morphology of human RVECs were examined using invert microscopy and Hoechst33258 staining.The expressions of nitro tyrosine (a marker of oxidative damage of protein)and 8-OHdG(a marker of oxidative damage of DNA)in human RVECs were assessed by the immunofluorescence staining.Western blot was used to detect the expressions of nuclear factorkappa B(NF-KB),p53,bcl-2 and bax after 6,12,24 hours t-BHP action.This study was approved by the Ethic Committee of Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center.Results No significant difference was found in A490value among the normal control group,0.0625,0.1250,0.2500,0.5000 and 1.0000 g/L fufang xueshuantong groups(F =1.989,P＞0.05).The survival rates of the cells were lower in 75,100,200 and 300 μmol/L t-BHP groups compared with corresponding fufang xueshuantong groups(t =14.57,13.82,21.51,32.64,P＜ 0.01).The percentages of normal cells were evidently lower in 75,100,200 and 300 μmol/L t-BHP compared with corresponding fufang xueshuantong groups(t=14.908,5.495,17.165,26.330,P＜0.01).The numbers of deformation and death of the human RVECs increased as the elevated concentration of t-BHP,but those in fufang xueshuantong groups were less than the t-BHP groups under the invert microscopy.Compared with t-BHP groups,the expressions of nitro tyrosine,8-OHdG,NF-KB,p53 and bax were lower but the expression of bcl-2 was higher in human RVECs with the statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).Fufang xueshuantong at the concentration of 0.2500 g/L showed maximally protective effect on human RVECs.Conclusions Fufang xueshuantong protects human RVECs against the t-BHP-induced injury through downregulating the expression of NF-kB,p53,bax and up-regulating the express of the bcl-2 protein.

Objective To determine the serum levels of macrophage migration inhibition factor (MIF) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in patients with vitiligo,and to investigate their clinical significance.Methods The serum concentrations of MIF and TNF-α were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and radioimmunoassay respectively in 66 patients with vitiligo and 30 healthy controls.Results The patients with vitiligo vulgaris showed a significant higher serum level of MIF and TNF-α compared with the healthy controls ((9.56 ± 1.65) vs.(5.18 ± 0.81 ) μg/L,(2.38 ± 0.37) vs.(1.78 ± 0.21 ) μg/L,both P ＜ 0.01 ).There was a positive correlation between the serum level of MIF and TNF-α (r =0.89,P ＜ 0.05).No statistical difference was observed in the serum levels of MIF or TNF-α between the healthy controls and patients with segmental vitiligo (both P ＞ 0.05).The serum level of MIF was significantly higher in patients with progressive vitiligo than in those with stable vitiligo (P ＜ 0.01 ).Conclusions MIF and TNF-α might play a certain role in the pathogenesis of vitiligo,and MIF may be related to the activity of vitiligo vulgaris.

OBJECTIVETo explore the underwater decompression schedule for 100 m Trimix conventional diving operations and evaluate its safety through a simulated rabbits Trimix conventional diving.

METHODSAccording to the Haldane theory, the assumed time units, the classification of tissue compartments, the nitrogen super-saturation safety coefficient and the selection of methods used for the calculation of the simulated 100 m Trimix conventional diving schedule were properly selected, and the calculating method for the dive decompression schedule was thus firmly established. In our experiments, five tissue compartments were selected during the calculation of decompression schedule: 5 min, 10 min, 20 min, 40 min and 75 min, and the nitrogen super-saturation safety coefficient was calculated by 1.6. Eight New Zealand rabbits were performed a simulated 100 m Trimix dive program which was established according to the Haldane theory, and eight rabbits for intact group. The tissues wet/dry ratio and ethology were detected and observed before and after the simulated diving to evaluate the safety of decompression schedule.

RESULTSBy using the developed underwater decompression schedule, abnormal ethology changes in rabbits could not be observed after compression and decompression to the surface; and the tissues wet/dry ratio of simulated diving rabbits had no significant changes compared with the intact group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe decompression schedule calculated by Haldane theory seemed to be safe and reliable, the diving breathing gas concentration did not cause oxygen toxicity and nitrogen narcosis among the dive rabbits, and dive efficiency was greatly improved by using enriched oxygen gas in UPTD safety range during decompression.

Animal Experimentation ; Animals ; Decompression ; Diving ; Helium ; Nitrogen ; Oxygen ; Rabbits

Human trophoblast cells were isolated and cultured in vitro in order to investigate possible pathogenesis of intrauterine infection caused by HCMV. Trophoblast cells were obtained by compound enzymes digestion and discontinuous percoll gradient. Cells and purity were identified by using immunocytochemistry assay with anti-CK7, Vim and beta-hCG antibodies. HCMV AD169 strain replication in isolated trophoblast cells and cell apoptosis were detected at different time points post infection (p.i.). The results showed that highly purified trophoblast cells were obtained. Specific virus replication was increased dramatically at the 24th h p.i., and then increased slowly during 48 h and 72 h. Apoptosis rate of trophoblast cells infected with HCMV was (34.68+/-3.14)% at 24th h p.i., while that in control group was (15.32+/-2.34)% (P<0.05). It was suggested that highly purified trophoblast cells can be isolated by the simplified cell purification method. HCMV can infect human trophoblast cells, and be quickly replicated, resulting in the accelerated apoptosis of human trophoblast cells during early time.

This study examined the impacts of intrauterine murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection on the long-term learning and memory of offspring. Sexually matured male and female BALB/C mice without MCMV infection were identified by ELISA and then mated. Seventy pregnant mice were randomly divided into the virus group (n=40) and the control group (n=30), in which the pregnant mice were subjected to placenta inoculation of MCMV suspension (1 μL, 1×106 PFU) or the same amount of cell culture medium, respectively, at gestational age of 12.5 days. Some pregnant mice [virus group (n=20), control group (n=15)] were sacrificed by cervical dislocation at gestational age of 18.5 days, and the head circumference and brain weight of the mouse fetuses were measured, and the MCMV infection in their brain tissues was detected by PCR. The other pregnant mice [virus group (n=20), control group (n=15)] delivered naturally, and the learning and memory capability of the offspring at 70-day-old was analyzed by Morris water maze test. The results showed that 28.57% mouse fetuses in the virus group developed viral infection in the brain. Their head circumference and brain weight were significantly reduced as compared with those in the control group (P<0.01). The Morris water maze test revealed that the mouse offspring in the control group found the platform with straight-line trajectories after training. In contrast, the counterparts in the virus group intended to enter the central area, but looked for the platform with a circular trajectory. And the infected mice exhibited prolonged swimming distance and swimming latency (P<0.01). It was concluded that: (1) placenta inoculation of MCMV can cause fetal brain infection and intrauterine development retardation; (2) the offspring of MCMV placenta inoculation mice showed a long-term decline in learning and memory capability.

?AlM:To study the relationship between blood lead level and abnormal eye blinking in children.
? METHODS: The patients with chief complaint of frequent eye blinking, whose diagnosis of abnormal eye blinking, were randomized to experimental group. The patients in this group carried out vision and the slit-lamp examination, detected corneal fluorescein staining and tear break-up time, and improved the level of blood lead and trace elements examination. The patients in control group with chief complaint of health physical examination in our hospital, excepted of blood lead level, the other body check results were normal and were divided into boys group and girls group according to the gender. The changes of the experimental group and control group in blood lead level were compared.
?RESULTS: Totally 371 cases ( male:295 cases; female:76 cases) with mean age was 6. 56±2. 41 years and 6. 08±2. 82 years respectively were in experimental groupe. ln control group, there were 300 cases ( male: 186 cases;female:114 cases) with mean age was 6. 99±3. 01 years and 6. 56±2. 80 years respectively. The average of blood lead level of boys in experimental group was 63. 82 ±24. 56μg/L and 53. 98±15. 42μg/L in control group. The average of blood lead level in experimental group was higher than that in control group. The difference between of the two group was statistically significant (χ2=16. 96, P<0. 01 ). The average of blood lead level of girls in experimental group was 56. 96±16. 69μg/L and 48. 18±12. 35μg/L in control group. There was no difference between of the two group (χ2=5. 77, P=0. 56). ln control group, the average of blood lead level with <3 years, 3~6 years and >6 years children were 48. 73±11. 67μg/L, 51. 39 ± 14. 87μg/L, 52. 98 ± 14. 45μg/L respectively. ln expirement group, the results were 56. 57±17. 89μg/L, 59. 92±18. 46μg/L and 67. 00±32. 55μg/L in <3, 3~6 and >6 children, respectively. There was no significant difference with <3 years (χ2=3. 54, P=0. 17). The difference with 3~6 years and >6 years children were statistically significant (χ2 = 9. 62, P = 0. 008 ) and (χ2 = 19. 22, P = 0. 000 ) respectively. The blood lead level were divided into three grades: <50μg/L, 50 ~100μg/L, >100μg/L, and relative risk (RR) were 0. 65, 1. 22, and 10. 11 respectively.
?CONCLUSlON: Blood lead level of experimental group is higher than that of control group. The relationship between blood lead level and abnormal eye blinking in children is positive correlation.

Objective To study the significance of the sample S/Co ratio when using a domestic reagent for anti-hepatitis C virus(HCV)antibody detection and to explore the procedure and standard of anti-HCV antibody diagnosis by using this domestic reagent.Methods Anti-HCV antibody was detected in 295 000 blood donors by a domestic anti-HCV reagent with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)method and the reactive samples were tested again by ortho anti-HCV antibody reagent.The samples which anti-HCV antibodies were determined as positive by ortho anti-HCV rea- gent were examined by recombinant immunoblot assay(RIBA)reagent and 106 samples of them were also tested for HCV RNA.Results Six hundred and eighty-one samples were reactive in 295 000 samples screened by the domestic ELISA reagent,the reactive ratio was 0.23 %.Among the reactive samples screened by the domestic ELISA reagent,367 samples were determined as positive by ortho anti-HCV reagent while 66.2% of them showed a S/Co ratio≥3.8.The consistency rate between positive results determined by the domestic reagent and RIBA reagent respectively was 53.8%.For the samples showing S/Co ratio≥3.8 by ortho anti-HCV reagent,94.2% had a S/Co ratio≥8.0 when using the domestic ELISA reagent,while the percentage of samples showing S/Co ratio