Objective To study common Gram negative bacterial pathogens and their drug resistant pattern in sputum isolates from patients in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of Chengdu children' s hospital. Methods Comparing to the period of 2004-2006 with 2007-2009, we retrospectively reviewed eligible sputum isolates of common Gram negative bacilli and their drug resistance pattern. All specimens were processed according to standard microbiological methods for both quantitative and qualitative cultures. Pathogen was the single predominant growth after two consecutive cultures. Strict quality control was used in all test agents and paper disk for drug resistance analysis. Results Total of 598 Gram negative bacterial isolates were identified in patients over 6 years. The first 5 bacteria respectively were Escherichia coli 167 samples(27.93%), Klebsiella pneumoniae 109 samples ( 18.23% ), Enterobacter cloacae 93 samples ( 15.55% ),Acinetobacter baumannii 64 samples ( 10. 7% ), Pseudomonas aeroginosa 43 samples (7. 19% ). They were mostly sensitive to Imipenam, Amikacin, Piperacillin/Tazobactam. Most drug resistance rate was found in Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, Cephalosporin. Apart from Pseudomonas aeroginosa and Acinetobacter Baumannii,no Gram negative bacteria was found to be resistant to Imipenam. Klebsiella pneumoniae and ESBL secreting Escherichia coli isolates were obviously increasing when compared to 3 years ago. Conclusion Comparing the period of 2004-2006, the Gram negative bacterial isolates were increasing in our PICU patients during 2007 to 2009. Close monitoring of drug resistance pattern changes in PICU would guide rational use of antibiotics in these critically ill children.

Objective To review the clinical and histopathological features,management and outcomes in 67 patients with seba- ceous carcinoma of the eyelid.Design Retrospective case series.Participants Sixty-seven cases of the sebaceous gland carcinoma were retrieved from the ophthalmology archives of Tongren Hospital between 1996 and 2005.Methods Clinical data of all patients were re- viewed from the charts.Pathology specimens were reviewed in all cases.Main Outcome Measure Presenting features,sites of origin, location,differentiation,management,histopathologic findings,and incidence of recurrence in 67 patients.Results A total of 36 female and 31 male patients were identified.The mean age at diagnosis was 59 years (range from 35 to 84).Initial clinical diagnoses elsewhere were sebaceous carcinoma (43.28%),chalazion (25.37%),basal cell carcinoma(7.46%).Initial histopathologic diagnoses were sebaceous carcinoma(79.10%),basal cell carcinoma(5.97%),squamous cell carcinoma(1.49%) and other or not available(4.48%).The initial treat- ment involved excisional techniques with reconstruction in 42 cases,anti-inflammatory in 12 cases,without any treatment in 10 cases. 61.19% cases presented the pagetoid invasion.Local recurrence developed in 58.21% and two died from metastatic sebaceous carcino- ma (8.70%).Regional lymph node excision was performed in 13.04% because of local metastases.Five year survival rate was 94.87%. Conclusions About 1/3 cases had not receive the right treatment at initial diagnosis eyelid.The recurrence rate of patients was still high.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy,indications and complications of transcatheter arterial embolization for the treatment of traumatic hemorrhage of liver.Methods Retrospectively analyzed 33 cases of traumatic hemorrhage of liver admitted to West China Hospital from May 1996 to May 2006.Twenty-four cases underwent hepatic arterial angiography and were diagnosed as hepatic arterial pseudoaneurysms and followed by superselective embolization of the feeding vessel with gelatin sponge and/or spring coils.Results Embolization was succeeded technically in 28 pseudoaneurysms of 24 cases.Rebleeding occurred in 2 cases and a second embolization was performed with one recovered uneventfully.The other died of rebleeding and severe abdominal infection one week after the second embolization.Fever unrelated to embolization occurred in 9 cases.Conclusion Transcatheter arterial embolization is safe,prompt and effective for the treatment of hemorrhage due to hepatic injury.(J Intervent Radiol,2007,16:226-228)

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 isolate exosomes from rabbit aqueous humor and to investigate their immunosuppression function.

METHODSAqueous humor was collected from 40 New Zealand rabbits and exosomes were isolated by fractional separation and ultracentrifugation methods; the morphology was studied with electron microscopy. The immunosuppressive-related proteins of exosomes were detected with Western blotting; their inhibitory effect on ConA-induced proliferation of T lymphocyte was estimation with CCK-8 cells proliferation assay.

RESULTSEight milliliters of aqueous humor were collected from 40 New Zealand rabbits and 200 μg exosomes was yielded. Under electron microscope, the exosomes had typical structure of lipid bi-layer with a diameter of 50-100 nm. The results of Western blotting showed that these exosomes expressed Hsp70, CD9 and Alix but not Grp94, presenting a typical exosomes protein profile. Moreover, exosomes expressed high level of TGF-β and significantly inhibited the proliferation of T lymphocytes.

CONCLUSIONImmunosuppressive exosomes can be isolated from rabbit aqueous humor, which may be involved in immunotolerance of the eye.

Animals ; Aqueous Humor ; immunology ; Cells, Cultured ; Exosomes ; immunology ; metabolism ; ultrastructure ; Female ; Immune Tolerance ; Male ; Rabbits ; T-Lymphocytes ; immunology

The study aimed to clone the open reading frame of cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H) from Aquilaria sinensis and analyze the bioinformatics and expression of the gene. One unique sequence containing C4H domain was discovered in our previous reported wound transcriptome dataset of A. sinensis. The open reading frame of C4H was cloned by RT-PCR strategy with the template of mixed RNA extracted from A. sinensis stem which treated by different wound time. The bioinformatic analysis of this gene and its corresponding protein was performed. C4H expression profiles in responds to MeJA (methyl jasmonate) application were analyzed by real-time PCR. The length of C4H open reading frame (ORF) was 1 515 bp, encoding 514 amino acids. The GenBank accession number is KF134783. Inducible-experiments showed that the genes were induced by mechanical wound as well as MeJA induction, and reached the highest expression level at 8 h and 20 h, respectively. The full-length cDNA of C4H and its expression patterns will provide a foundation for further research on its function in the molecular mechanisms of aromatic compounds and flavonoids biosynthesis.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; Models, Molecular ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Open Reading Frames ; Oxidoreductases ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism ; Thymelaeaceae ; chemistry ; enzymology ; genetics ; Trans-Cinnamate 4-Monooxygenase ; chemistry ; genetics ; metabolism

Objective To explore the clinical applicating and efficacy of free fibula osteomyocutane- ous flap in mandible defect reconstruction in osteoradionecrosis patients.Methods The mandible defects were reconstructed by free fibula flaps with or without muscle cuff.The soft tissue defects were repaired by skin paddles.Status of osteotomy in fibula and flap survival was recorded.The complication in recipient site and donor site,as well as mouth opening and occlusion were reviewed.Facial contour and chewing function after reconstruction were evaluated.Results Patients were followed up 3-16 months.4 free fibula flaps with muscle cuff and 5 without muscle cuff survived well.The size of mandible defects covered from 6cm to 17cm. And the harvested fibula flaps with length of 8.6-17cm were cut into 3 segments in 2 cases,and 2 segments in 5 cases.Fibula flap was divided into 2 segments and overlapped in 2 cases.No serious complication was oh- served in recipient site and donor site.Satisfying esthetic result and normal occlusiong of heath mandible were obtained in all cases.The degree of mouth opening was 2.5-3.3cm.Fair chewing function was revealed in re- constructive region after prosthesia repaired.Conclusion Free fibula osteomyocutaneous flap is relatively ideal reconstruction material of mandible defect in osteoradionecrosis patients for its high survival rate and well esthetic results.

AIMTo determine whether low dose of estrogen in combination with ginsenosides can completely prevent bone loss in ovariectomized rats.

METHODSFour-month-old ovariectomized rats were treated either with 100 and 300 mg.kg-1 of ginsenosides or 30 and 100 micrograms.kg-1 of 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol alone, or ginsenosides 100 mg.kg-1 in combination with 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol 30 micrograms.kg-1 for 10 weeks. Double in vivo fluorochrome labeling was made. The undecalcified longitudinal proximal tibial metaphyseal sections were processed and stained with Goldner's trichrome for histomorphometric analysis of the bone.

RESULTSBody weights and serum cholesterol were increased in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. The rats lost 74% of bone volume and high bone turnover was induced after OVX compared with the sham group. Bone volume increased by 205% in the high dose estrogen treated group while it was increased by 105% in the low dose group. The two doses of estrogen were shown to inhibit osteoclasts surface (by -65% and -55%, P < 0.01) and decrease bone turnover rate (by -85% and -83%, P < 0.01). High dose of estrogen was found to inhibit growth and stimulate uterine weight gain in rats while low dose did not. High dose of ginsenosides increased bone volume by 84% (P < 0.01) and decreased bone turnover rate by -64% (P < 0.05) while lower dose of ginsenosides did not. However, low dose ginsenosides combined with low dose estrogen achieved well preventive effects: increase of 202% in bone volume, decrease of 66% in bone turnover rate and 72% in osteoclasts surface. The combined effect in preventing bone loss equals to that the high dose of estrogen alone did.

CONCLUSIONUse of low dose of estrogen plus ginsenosides showed synergistic effect on prevention of osteoporosis induced by ovariectomy.

Animals ; Bone Density ; Bone Resorption ; prevention & control ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drug Synergism ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Ethinyl Estradiol ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Ginsenosides ; isolation & purification ; therapeutic use ; Osteoporosis ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Ovariectomy ; Panax ; chemistry ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Tibia ; pathology

Objective To investigate the effects of smad7 on transdifferentiation and collagenⅠsynthesis in advanced glyeosylation end-products(AGE)-stimulated NRK52E cells.Methods NRK52E cells were transferred by pTet-on plasmid system and the cell lines of doxycycline(Dox)-regulated Smad7 expression were selected for the study.Transnuclear location of p-Smad2/3 was examined with immunocytochemistry.The mRNA and protein expressions of Smad7,?-SMA,E-cadherin,collagenⅠwere detected with RT-PCR and Western blot. Results AGE-induced expressions of Smad7 mRNA and protein were further increased in NRK52E cells by the addition of Dox in a dose-dependent manner.Overexpression of Smad7 caused a marked inhibition of p-Smad2/3 transnuclear location at 30 min(68.3% vs 31.2%,P

OBJECTIVETo observe the different extracts from Radix Isatidis on multiplication of mice lymphocytes.

METHODLymphocytes were separated and cultured. Immunological activities of different extracts from Radix Isatidis were studied by thermodynamics and the results were tested by the conventional pharmacological experiments.

RESULTThe results showed that the water extract and residue had significant immunological effects while organic solvent extracts had immunological activity to some extent.

CONCLUSIONThe comparison of immunological activity among the extracts from Radix Isatidis were as follows: residue after extracting > general extract > nBuOH extract > EtOAc extract > CHCl3 extract > P E extract.

Animals ; Calorimetry ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Isatis ; chemistry ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; Male ; Mice ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry