Objective To preliminarily evaluate the value of color power doppler ultrasonography in the diagnosis of sacroiliitis in ankylosing spondylitis(AS). Methods Fifty-seven sacroiliac joints in 31 patients with active AS and 40 sacroiliac joints in 20 volunteers were detected by color power doppler ultrasonography.The color flow signs inside the sacroiliac joints were observed,and the resistance index(RI) was measured. Results In active AS,color flow signs were seen in 55 joints,and the mean RI value was 0.53?0.08 in 45 joints,while the other 10 color flow signs represented reversed phase in diastolic phase on pulse doppler ultrasonography.In the volunteers,color flow signs were seen in 16 joints,and the mean RI value was 0.97?0.01 in 6 joints,while the other 10 color flow signs represented reversed phase in diastolic phase on pulse doppler ultrasonography. Conclusion The abnormal flow signs at the sacroiliac joints can be detected by color power doppler ultrasonography.Low RI values provide diagnosis evidence for active AS.

AIM:To investigate the characteristics of Ets-1 and VEGF expression and distribution in the experimental diabetic rat retina.METHODS:Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ).At 4 weeks after STZ-injection,animals were sacrificed.Total proteins were isolated from retinas of experimental and control eyes and were assessed by Western blot analysis.Frozen cross sections of eyeballs with 14um thickness were used to perform double immunoffuorescence staining with anti-Ets-1 and anti-VEGF antibodies.RESULTS:Both Ets-1 and VEGF expression were up-regulaled in the diabetic retina,the distribution of Ets-1 and VEGF was identical to each other,and the two proteins were almostlocalized in all retinal layers.CONCLUSION:Ets-1 might contribute to the pathologic progress of the diabetic retina induced by VEGF.

AIM: To determine the involvement of Ets-1 in the pathological progress of the experimental diabetic retina. METHODS: Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of STZ. Total RNA and Total proteins were isolated from retinas of experimental and control eyes at 4 weeks after STZ-injection and were assessed by Northern blot analysis and Western blot analysis, respectively.RESULTS: Expression of both Ets-1 mRNA and Ets-1 protein was significantly increased in the experimental diabetic rat's retina after STZ-injection compared with the control group (P＜0.001).CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that Ets-1 was involved in the pathological progress of experimental diabetic retina.Further studies should be conducted to focus on the relationship between Ets-1 and VEGF in the diabetic retina.

Chinese materia medica resource (CMM resource) is the foundation of the development of traditional Chinese medicine. In the study of sustainable utilization of CMM resource, adopting innovative theory and method to find new CMM resource is one of hotspots and always highlighted. Pharmacophylogeny interrogates the phylogenetic relationship of medicinal organisms (especially medicinal plants), as well as the intrinsic correlation of morphological taxonomy, molecular phylogeny, chemical constituents, and therapeutic efficacy (ethnopharmacology and pharmacological activity). This new discipline may have the power to change the way we utilize medicinal plant resources and develop plant-based drugs. Phylogenomics is the crossing of evolutionary biology and genomics, in which genome data are utilized for evolutionary reconstructions. Phylogenomics can be integrated into the flow chart of drug discovery and development, and extends the field of pharmacophylogeny at the omic level, thus the concept of pharmacophylogenomics could be redefined in the context of plant pharmaceutical resources. This contribution gives a brief discourse of knowledge pedigree of pharmacophylogeny, epistemology and paradigm shift, highlighting the theoretical and practical values of pharmacophylogenomics. Many medicinally important tribes and genera, such as Clematis, Pulsatilla, Anemone, Cimicifugeae, Nigella, Delphinieae, Adonideae, Aquilegia, Thalictrum, and Coptis, belong to Ranunculaceae family. Compared to other plant families, Ranunculaceae has the most species that are recorded in China Pharmacopoeia (CP) 2010. However, many Ranunculaceae species, e. g., those that are closely related to CP species, as well as those endemic to China, have not been investigated in depth, and their phylogenetic relationship and potential in medicinal use remain elusive. As such, it is proposed to select Ranunculaceae to exemplify the utility of pharmacophylogenomics and to elaborate the new concept empirically. It is argued that phylogenetic and evolutionary relationship of medicinally important tribes and genera within Ranunculaceae could be elucidated at the genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic levels, from which the intrinsic correlation between medicinal plant genotype and metabolic phenotype, and between genetic diversity and chemodivesity of closely related taxa, could be revealed. This proof-of-concept study regards pharmacophylogenomics as the updated version of pharmacophylogeny and would enrich the intension and spread the extension of pharmacophylogeny. The interdisciplinary knowledge and techniques will be integrated in the proposed study to promote development of CMM resource discipline and to boost sustainable development of Chinese medicinal plant resources.
China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Knowledge ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Phylogeny ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; classification ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical anesthesia value of transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation (TAES) combined with general intravenous anesthesia in endoscopic bilateral thyroidectomy patients.

METHODSTotally 60 patients who underwent endoscopic bilateral thyroidectomy were equally randomly assigned to 2 groups, the treatment group and the control group, 30 in each group. Patients in the treatment group received TAES combined general intravenous anesthesia, while those in the control group received total intravenous anesthesia. Anesthesia was maintained by target controlled infusion of propofolum combined constant speed infusion of remifentanil in the two groups. TAES was maintained from 30 min before anesthesia induction to the end of endoscopic thyroidectomy at bilateral Hegu (L14) and Neiguan (PC6). The mean artery pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded at different time points of anesthesia, i.e., immediately after entry into the operating room (TO), immediately after intubation (T1), 5 min after intubation (T2), 5 min before incision (T3), 5 min after incision (T4), 30 min after inflation (T5), at the end of surgery (T6), 5 min before extubation (T7), immediately after extubation 0 (T8), and 5 min after extubation (T9). The concentration of IL-6 and TNF-alpha were measured at TO, T3, T5, and T6. The target concentration of propofol was also recorded at T3, T4, and T5.

RESULTSThere was no statistical difference in the operation time between the two groups (P >0.05). Compared with TO in the same group, HR at T3-T4 decreased and increased at T8-T9, and MAP increased at T7-T9 in the treatment group; HR decreased at T3 and increased at T7-T9, MAP increased at T1, T5, T7-T9, and MAP decreased at T2-T3 in the control group. IL-6 increased at T5-T6, while TNF-alpha decreased at T6 in the two groups (P <0.01,P <0.05). Compared with the control group at the same time point, HR decreased at T6-T9, MAP decreased at T1, T4, T5, T7-T9, MAP increased at T3, and IL-6 decreased at T5-T6 in the treatment group (P <0. 05). The concentration and the total amount of propofol were significantly lower in the treatment group than in the control group (P <0.01,P <0.05).

CONCLUSIONSTAES could maintain the hemodynamics more stably and inhibit the stress response in endoscopic thyroidectomy. It also reduce the dosage of anesthetics and improve the safety of anesthesia.

Acupuncture Points ; Anesthesia, General ; Anesthesia, Intravenous ; Electric Stimulation ; methods ; Endoscopy ; methods ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Interleukin-6 ; Piperidines ; Propofol ; Thyroidectomy ; methods ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

· AIM :To investigate the role of pericytes in growth of retinal microvascular endothelial cells with a co-culture system in order to understand some mechanism of angiogenesis in hypoxia induced retinal neovascular disorders.(RMECs) were isolated by a modified protocol using CD31 coated Dynabeads, and identified by immunocytochemical staining with anti-Factor Ⅷ and CD31 antibodies. Rat retinal pericytes were isolated and characterized by immunofluorescent staining with PDGFR-β; and desmin antibodies. Pericytes and RMECs were cultured in a contact co-culture system both under normoxia and hypoxia by Millicell chamber. RMECs proliferation was evaluated by MTT and cell cycle assay with flow cytometry. RT-PCR was used to detect the alteration of KDR/Flk-1 mRNA level in RMECs under normoxia or hypoxia in the co-culture system.harvested with the modified isolating method. The two cell types were identified by positive Factor Ⅷ, CD31 and PDGFR-β, desmin cytochemical staining respectively.RMECs proliferated significantly under hypoxia from 3 to 9d with a maximal rate on day 6 (24.9%, P ＜ 0.01) by MTT. In the co-culture system, the proliferation of RMECs was inhibited by pericytes. After 6d exposure to hypoxia,the fraction of S-phase RMECs number was greatly increased by 43.9% (P ＜ 0.01). In the co-culture system,RMECs proliferation was inhibited by pericytes through decreasing the fraction of S-phase cell number both under normoxia (3.6%, P＜0.05) and under hypoxia (15.1%,P＜0.01). KDR/Flk-1 mRNA level in single cultured RMECs was shown to increase approximately 1.3-fold when exposed to hypoxia. Compared with single cultured RMECs, co-culture with pericytes could decrease KDR/Flk-1 mRNA by 45.1% (P＜0.05) and 27.7% (P ＜ 0.05) under normoxia and hypoxia condition respectively.pericytes could inhibit proliferation of RMECs under both normoxia and hypoxia. The inhibition effects of pericytes maybe, at least in part, due to downregulation of KDR/Flk-1 of RMECs. These findings confirm that pericytes could be a potential inhibitor in the pathogenesis of retinal neovascularization.

Objective To master the condition of iodine deficiency disorders (IDD),residents iodine nutritional status and implementation of prevention measures in Gansu Province and to provide a basis for developing control strategies.Methods Thirty primary schools were selected in Gansu Province utilizing cluster sampling methodology in 2011,In each selected school,40 children aged 8-10 were randomly selected for thyroid examination and urine samples were collected from 12 children,at the same time measuring the average daily salt intake of domestic residents by 3 days weighing method.On the spot random urine samples and salt samples were collected from a subset of children included in the study.Three towns near the selected school were selected randomly and random urine samples were collected from 5 pregnant and 5 lactating women in each selected town.One drinking water sample was collected for analysis from different sources in five directions(east,south,west,north and central)in each administrative village with the sampled schools.In areas with centralized water supply,two tap water samples were collected for analysis.Results The water iodine median of 83 water samples was 2.02 μg/L,the range was 0.20-36.92 μg/L,and iodine median of 1199 salt samples was 27.4 mg/kg,iodine level in 89.2％ (74/83) of the water samples was lower than 10 μg/L.The iodized salt coverage rate was 98.0％ (1175/1199),the qualified rate of iodized salt was 90.3％ (1061/1175) and the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt was 88.5％ (1061/1199).Total of 360 salt samples intake of households were collected,per capita daily salt was 8.5 g,and the range was 2.5-17.8 g.Total of 1200 children thyroid were checked,the thyroid goiter rate(TGR)of children was 2.8％(34/1200) by B-ultrasound and 3.5％ (42/1200) by palpation.Total of 359,450 and 450 urine samples of childen aged 8-10,pregnant and lactating women,the urinary iodine median were 216.0,168.6,161.9 μg/L,respectively.Conclusions Great progress has been made in the prevention and control of IDD in Gansu Province.IDD has been controlled effectively and the urinary iodine medians are at optimal levels.

Background Most animal models of experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) are single attacked procedure,with a different feature from the natural course of human recurrent autoimmune uveitis.So establishing a recurrent EAU model is necessary for the clinical study on EAU.Objective This study was to establish the recurrent EAU model in rat and investigate the ocular inflammation and pathological manifestation and interleukin-17 (IL-17)expression in the eye.Methods T cells isolated from the spleen and draining lymph nodes of Lewis rats immunized with interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP) 1177-1191 peptide fragments (R16) 10 days earlier were re-stimulated with R16 in vitro and injected into naive syngeneic rats to establish the recurrent EAU models,and the normal Lewis rats were used as controls.The eyes of model rats were then examined daily for clinical signs of uveitis by slit-lamp biomicroscopy and scored Caspi's criteria.The rats were sacrificed 1 month,2,3months after injection respectively,and the retinal sections were prepared for the pathological examination by hemotoxylin & eosin staining.Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the expression of IL-17 in the retina.Results Adoptive transfer of R16-specific T cells to Lewis rats induced recurrent uveitis.The inflammatory scores on the fourth day,the sixth day,and the inflammatory response disappeared on the tenth day after injection.However,the inflammatory reaction occurred repeatedly 4 or 5 times in the 2-month duration after that,and the right and left eyes of a single recipient showed a different pattern of relapse,and the clinical manifestations of EAU was similar to the natural course to those of human autoimmune uveitis.In the retinal specimens of 1-,2-and 3-month group,the number of inflammatory cells was gradually decreased as the time lapse.Compared with the normal group,the thicknesses of the entire retina,outer nuclear layer and inner nuclear layer decreased with a significant difference among the 4 groups (F=20.46,288.40,4.43,all P=0.00).The number of RGCs in the normal group,1-,2-and 3-month group was 231.27 ± 15.36,225.36 ± 17.79,132.18 ±9.39 and 67.45 ± 11.90,respectively,showing a significant difference among them (F=68.94,P=0.00).Immunohistochemistry showed that the scores of the IL-17 expression in the rat retina were 0.64 ± 0.17,1.92 ± 0.19,1.17 ± 0.23 and 0.83 ± 0.23,showing statistically significant difference (F=64.10,P=0.00).Conclusions The stimulation of R16-specific T cells can induce recurrent EAU in Lewis rat.Th17 is involved in the disease course.

Objective To evaluate the effect of the Parasep? feces centrifuge tube method on detecting schistosome eggs. Methods A total of 803 residents aged from 6-65 years were selected in 2 schistosomiasis endemic villages Jiangling Coun-ty Hubei Province and their stool samples were collected and detected parallelly by the Kato-Katz technique nylon silk egg hatching method and Parasep? feces centrifuge tube method at the same time. Results Among the 803 people 15 cases were found of schistosome egg positive and the positive rate was 1.87%. The positive rates of the Kato-Katz technique nylon silk egg hatching method and Parasep? feces centrifuge tube method were 0.75% 1.49% and 1.12% respectively. The schistosome eggs got with the Parasep? feces centrifuge tube method were clear and easy to identify. Conclusion In low endemic areas of schistosomiasis the Parasep? feces centrifuge tube method can be used as schistosomiasis japonica etiology diagnosis method.

Objective To compare the sensitivity of regional refraction multifocal intraocular lens implantation with other methods. Methods A total of 78 patients with simple cataract treated by visual acuity in our hospital from February 2016 to June 2017 were selected as subjects.The patients were divided into SBL-3 group (26 cases),SN6AD1 group (26 cases) and ZMB00 group (26 cases) according to the different intraocular lens.The contrast sensitivity value of patients in 3 groups under clear light(85 cd/m2),dark light(3 cd/m2),clear and glare light(45 Lux),dark and glare light(28 Lux) with different spatial frequencies (3,6,12,18 c/d) by the United States CSV-1000E contrast sensitivity tester after surgery.Results In terms of sensitivity index as clear light,dark light,clear and glare light,and dark and glare,the SBL-3 group were better than those of ZMB00 group and SN6AD1 group,the difference was significant(P<0.05);there were no significant differences between ZMB00 group and SN6AD1 group of each index sensitivity(P>0.05).Conclusion The postoperative sensi-tivity of refractive multifocal intraocular lens implantation of SBL-3 is significantly better than the apodized diffractive multifocal intraocular lens implantation of SN6AD1 and alll optical diffractive multifocal intraocular lens implantation of ZMB00,which is worthy of widely use for simple cataract.