Adolescent ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Hepatectomy ; methods ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; congenital ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Male ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo observe the prevention and clinical efficacy of combination of Liuwei Dihuang Pill (LDP) and Ginkgo Leaf Tablet (GLT) for early diabetic retinopathy (DR).

METHODSUsing randomized, double-blind, double simulation, parallel controlled clinical trial, 140 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) outpatients were recruited and assigned to the treatment group and the control group, 70 in each group. All patients received basic Western medicine treatment (such as blood glucose and pressure control). Patients in the treatment group took LDP (8 pills each time, 3 times per day) and GLT (19.2 mg each time, 3 times per day), while those in the control group took LDP placebos and GLT placebos. All treatment lasted for 24 consecutive months. All subjects were followed-up every month. The general clinical data as sex, age, and metabolic data such as blood glucose, blood pressure, blood lipid, and DR prevalence rate were collected and statistically analyzed.

RESULTSThere was no significant difference in levels of blood glucose, blood pressure, or blood lipid between the two groups (P > 0.05). After treatment the DR incidence rate was significantly lower in the treatment group than in the control group [3.1% (2/64) vs 18.6% (11/59), P < 0.05)]. Meanwhile, the DR prevalence rate of the treatment group was also significantly lower than that of the control group [6.3% (4/64) vs 20.0% (13/59), P < 0.05].

CONCLUSIONCombination of LDP and GLT could effectively prevent and treat the development of DR in T2DM patients.

Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Blood Pressure ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; complications ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; drug therapy ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Ginkgo biloba ; chemistry ; Humans ; Phytotherapy ; Tablets

Graft vs Host Disease ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; antagonists & inhibitors ; therapeutic use

Objective To check the maneuverability of the nursing safety management indicators for skilled nursing facilities.Methods A hospital based skilled nursing facility in Chongqing was chosen as the main study target while a Red Cross nursing hospital in Shanghai which operated earlier was also included as a comparison object.Combination of files reference,on-the-scene observation,manager interviews,sampling survey and institution's self-assessment,scores of indicators were calculated,and the total scores for both institutions were calculated as well.Results The institution from Chongqing marked 81 points while the other one got 86 points.Conclusions The indicator system had good maneuverability and the weight of indexes was consistent with the practical requirement of safety management.This indicator system could provide reference for standardize skilled nursing facilities' management,but still needed further revision and consummation.

Astrocytoma ; diagnosis ; genetics ; pathology ; surgery ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Prognosis

Internationality ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

OBJECTIVETo study the anti-immune inflammation efficacy and toxicity of Tripterygium wilfordii decoction, in order to provide experimental basis for studies on its "efficacy-toxicity" correlation.

METHODThe delayed hypersensitivity model was established by dinitrofluorobenzene in mice. Different doses of T. wilfordii decoction was administered for 5 consecutive days. The ear swelling inhibition ratio and the toxic action were observed. After the final administration, the biochemical indexes of PGE2, TNF-α, IL-2, ALT, AST, PA, TBA, TBIL in serum were detected, and the visceral indexes of heart, liver, spleen and kidney were measured.

RESULTThe DNFB-induced ear swelling could be notably inhibited by multiple oral administration of T. wilfordii decoction, with the ED50 and its 95% confidence limit of 0.34 (0.21-0.42) g x kg(-1). The contents of PGE2, TNF-α, IL-2 in serum decreased in a dose-dependent manner. The activities of serum AST, ALT, TBA, TBIL and the PA content reduced.

CONCLUSIONT. wilfordii decoction shows a significant anti-immune inflammation efficacy within the dosage range between 0.59 and 2.34 g x kg(-1) in a dose-dependent manner. With a certain hepatotoxicity, high dose (2.34-4.68 g x kg(-1)) of T. wilfordii decoction can cause substantial liver injury, with a dose dependence in liver function index. Therefore, the efficacy and toxicity of T. wilfordii is dose dependent, which provides reference for preventing adverse drug reactions in clinic and developing early-warning schemes and ensure the clinical medication safety of T. wilfordii.

Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; toxicity ; Drug Dosage Calculations ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; toxicity ; Edema ; drug therapy ; genetics ; immunology ; Humans ; Interleukin-2 ; genetics ; immunology ; Male ; Mice ; Tripterygium ; chemistry ; toxicity ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; genetics ; immunology

Mild cognitive impairment is a transitional stage between normal aging and dementia. It is important in terms of recognizing memory loss in older people as well as identifying a group of individuals at high risk of developing dementia and who may benefit from preventive strategies. Ginkgo biloba extract has been shown to possess polyvalent properties, such as anti-oxidation, anti-apoptosis and anti-inflammation. Ginkgo biloba extract appears to have a neuroprotective effect against neurodegenerative diseases.

Objective To investigate the expression level of miRNA-146a (miR-146a) in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells aging and age-related macular degeneration (AMD),and discuss its regulation mechanism of AMD by repressing VEGF-A.Methods The expressions of miR-146 and VEGF-A were examined by qRT-PCR in RPE cells in mice aged 2 months,8 months,12 months,18 months or 24 months,and in RPE cells from 75 years old AMD patients.The protein level of VEGF-A was also detected by Western Blotting.Finally,the effects of overexpression of miR-146a in APRE-19 cell line on expression of VEGF-A was checked.Results MiR-146 was up-regulated to 8 times or 24 times at 18 months or 24 months aged mice,and the expression of VEGFA was down-regulated in aging RPE from 1.5 times to 0.8 times.However,the expression of miR-146 decreased to 14.5 times and VEGF-A increased in RPE cells of AMD.In cultured cells,overexpression of miR-146a inhibited the expression of VEGF-A.Conclusion Up-regulation of miR-146a in aging RPE cells and its down-regulation in AMD suggest a potential of miR-146a as molecular marker.MiR-146a overexpression inhibits the expression of VEGF-A,supporting a potential clinical treatment of miR-146 in AMD.

Background Diabetes is one of the risk factors that leads to corneal neuropathy.Silent signal regulatory factor 1 (Sirt1) plays an important role in glucose metabolism,lipid metabolism,regulation of insulin secretion and is closely related to the nervous system disease.The relationship between Sirt1 and diabetic corneal neuropathy is not fully understood.Objective This study was to detect the expression of Sirtl in cornea and trigeminal ganglion with type 1 diabetes model mice and explore the association of Sirt1 expression with diabetic corneal neuropathy.Methods Eight C57BL/6-Ins2Akita/J male mice and eight wild-type C57BL/6 male mice in the same litter were selected as type 1 diabetes model group and control group,respectively.The mice of two groups were sacrificed in overdose anesthesia method at 12-month old.Histological examination of cornea and trigeminal ganglion was performed using hematoxylin and eosin staining.Expression and localization of Sift1 protein in cornea and trigeminal ganglion were detected using immunohistochemistry.Western blot assay and fluorescine quantitative PCR were respectively used to quantitatively analyze the expression of Sirt1 protein and Sirt1 mRNA.Results Trigeminal ganglion cells were uneven in size and shape with the loosened cellular arrangement and disorder neurofibrosis alignment,and the corneal epithelial cells were less in the C57BL/6-Ins2Akita/J mice,but the trigeminal ganglion cells and corneal epithelial cells were normal in wild-type C57BL/6 mice.Immunochemisty exhibited that Sirtl protein was expressed mainly in corneal epithelium and the expression of Sirtl protein was stronger in the C57BL/6 mice than that in C57BL/6-Ins2Akita/J mice.Fluorescine quantitative PCR assay showed that the gray scale value of Sirt1 mRNA in cornea in C57BL/6-Ins2Akita/J mice was lower than that of the wild-type C57BL/6 mice(0.56±0.03 vs.0.98±0.13) with significant difference (t =5.853,P =0.010).Western blot showed that the expression of Sirt1 protein in cornea was lower in C57BL/6-Ins2Akita/J mice than that of the wild-type C57BL/6 mice(0.78±0.017 vs.1.300±0.012) with significant difference(t =33.140,P =0.001).However,no significant differences were seen in the gray scale value of Sirt1 mRNA(2.45±0.18 vs.2.51±0.22) (t=0.587,P=0.599) and protein level(1.100±0.015 vs.1.110±0.017) (t =0.430,P=0.709) in trigeminal ganglion tissues between C57BL/6-Ins2Akita/J mice and wide-type C57BL/6 mice.Conclusions The corneal nerve and structure is abnormal in 12-month-old C57BL/6-Ins2Akita/J mouse.Sirt1 is involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic keratoneuropathy,suggesting that it may be a potential target.