Objective To investigate the correlation of uric acid(UA) level and the circadian rhythm of blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Methods Among the individuals who presented to the cardiology clinic, 70 patients who had hypertension and were diagnozed with non- dipper hypertension (non-dipper hypertension group) by 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), 70 patients with dipper hypertension patients (dipper hypertension group), and 52 normotensive individuals (control group) were enrolled in this study. Peripheral venous blood samples were collected from all the patients in order to evaluate the hematological and biochemical parameters. All the assessed parameters were compared among three groups. Results The level of UA in non-dipper hypertension group was the highest, in dipper hypertension group was higher and in contrl group was the lowerst:(393.57 ± 53.52), (280.57 ± 41.64), (267.66 ± 59.38) μmol/L, and there were significant differences (P<0.01). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that the level of UA was an independent risk factor for non-dipper circadian rhythm of blood pressure (P = 0.003, OR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.34- 3.89). Conclusions The higher level of UA may be a risk factor for non-dipper circadian rhythm of blood pressure in hypertension patients.

ObjectiveTo investigate the feasibility and importance of the application of simulation ward in medical practice between classes.MethodsTo divide the interns into two groups:the experimental group of 30 and the control group of 30. Both groups apply the simulation ward to practice between classes and both are assessed at the end of the practice.ResultsTo compare the final score of the experimental group and the control group,and significant differences are found in the following aspects:humanistic care,history taking,physical examination,medical record analysis,the theoretical knowledge examinations with the data of P ＜0.05.ConclusionThe application of simulation ward in medical practice between classes can improve the quality of clinical teaching.

Background The excitotoxicity to retinal neurons caused by abnormal elevation of glutamate in retina is a common pathology concomitant with major blind-causing eye diseases.However,an effective approach to protect retinal neurons from glutamate-induced excitotoxicity is still lack.Intraperitoneal administration of α-melanocyte stimulating hormone(α-MSH)has been shown to protect hippocampal neurons from glutamate-induced excitotoxicity.Objective This study was to investigate the protective effect of α-MSH on glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in a chicken embryonic retinal explant culture system.Methods The retinas were isolated from chick embryos at embryonic day 9(E9) and cultured as explants.The explants at 3,5 and 7 days in vitro and the retinas at corresponding embryonic day 12,14 and 16(E12,E14,E16)were collected.The morphology of explant cultures was examined by hematoxylin and eosin staining,and the expression of melanocortin receptors (MCRs)was analyzed by real-time PCR.In the experiment of glutamate-induced excitotoxicity,the retinal explants at 4 days in vitro were treated with glutamate for 48 hours,α-MSH was incubated with the explants 30 minutes before and during the glutamate treatment period.Then the apoptotic cells were detected by TUNEL staining and quantified.The glutamate alone treated-explants and those treated with culture media were included as controls.The expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP) at 48 hours after treatment in all retinal explants was analyzed by real-time PCR.Results Hematoxylin and eosin staining showed that the retinal explants exhibited similar morphology to those observed in the retinas from chick embryos at the corresponding developmental stages.The real-time PCR analyses of chick retinas showed that MC1R mRNA level at E9,E12,E14 and E16 was significantly lower than that in post-hatch day 1 (all P=0.000) ;whereas the transcript level of MC5R was significantly increased from E9 to E12 and E14 (both P =0.000),and then gradually decreased from E14 to P1.The expression of these genes showed similar temporal patterns in the retinal explant cultures.TUNEL staining revealed that treatment of the retinal explant cultures with α-MSH substantially and significantly reduced number of apoptotic cells induced by glutamate (P =0.000),which was accompanied by significant suppression of glutamate-induced GFAP up-regulation (P =0.000).Conclusions Application of α-MSH dramatically ameliorated glutamate-induced cell death in retinal explant cultures.This protective effect may be due to α-MSH-mediated suppression of astrogliosis caused by abnormal elevation of glutamate.

In the past few decades, our understanding of platelets has made great progress. Platelets play an unexpected central role in cancer and greatly affect the behavior of cancer cells. At the same time, the physiology and phenotype of platelets are also affected by cancer cells. Therefore, platelet-based tumor targeted therapy strategies have attracted the attention of researchers, but the limitations of their application require more attention. In this paper, the strategies of platelet-based tumor targeted therapy are summarized, and the strategies of platelet mimicking nanocarrier delivery, platelet hitch riding, platelet membrane coating biomimetic and engineered platelet targeting are mainly introduced. The easy activation, hard storage and unknown functional and phenotypic changes of platelets were discussed. At the same time, the strategy of platelet-based targeted tumor therapy is reviewed from theoretical basis and practical application. The development potential of platelets in the field of tumor diagnosis and treatment is discussed, which will provide some theoretical reference for the study of platelet-related tumor diagnosis and targeted therapy.

OBJECTIVETo study the protective effects of Isodon lophanthoides var. gerardianus (ILVG) aqueous extract on the acute hepatic injury induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in rats.

METHODSixty rats were allocated into control group, model group, low, middle and high dosage group and Bifendate group randomly. At the test group, rats received either ILVG aqueous extract (15, 7.5, 3.75 g x kg(-1)) or Bifendate (45 mg x kg(-1)) by gastric perfusion daily for 10 consecutive days. In 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th days, 10% CCl4 (2 mL x kg(-1)) was given to rats by intraperitoneal (ip) injection. The rats were killed 24 h after the last adminiction with drug, the levels of ALT, AST, ALP and total bilirubin in serum were analyzed, the body weight, liver weight, spleen weight and thymus weight of each rat were measured, and the hepatic tissue pathology was observed.

RESULTILVG could decrease the ALT, AST, ALP and T-Bil in serum, restrain the enlargement of liver and the shrinkage of thymus, and reduce the necrosis in pathological observation.

CONCLUSIONILVG aqueous extract possesses the effects of protecting on the acute hepatic injury induced by CCl4 in rats.

Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; blood ; Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; blood ; Bilirubin ; blood ; Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; blood ; etiology ; pathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Female ; Isodon ; chemistry ; Liver ; pathology ; Male ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

This paper discussed the concept, categorizations, methods and basic principles for establishing of soft index survey tools (SIST) in clinical medicinal field, pointed out the relation between the connatural theoretical and practical mode of TCM and the establishment of SIST having TCM characteristics, and elaborated several key points which should be paid attention to in the establishment of SIST. It was pointed out that there was broad space for application of SIST in TCM study.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Health Status Indicators ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Quality of Life ; Research Design ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Non-randomized studies (NRS) have gradually attracted people's attention in the field of clinical medicine. In this paper, the importance of NRS was emphasized on the viewpoints of the coherence of scientific research, the limitation of randomized control trials (RCTs), the immanent characteristics of TCM clinical practice and the actual requirement of complex intervention in clinical practice. And two main points in evaluation and implementation of NRS differed to those in RCTs were put forward, i.e. the first, the full-scale design of the study with the professional characteristics should be described very explicitly, especially the speciality of the objects, intervention elements and indexes for effectiveness evaluation, etc.; the second, the control of bias and evaluation of effectiveness, and their influence on conclusion induction should be fully taken into consideration. At the same time, the key step in improving the quality of NRS of TCM and integrative medicine was preliminary discussed in this paper.
Clinical Trials as Topic ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Research Design

OBJECTIVETo test the reliability and validity of Meaningful Life Measure-Chinese Revised (MLM-CR) in Chinese college students.

METHODSA total of 1035 college students were evaluated with MLM-CR, Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Purpose in Life (PIL) and Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), and 120 of the students were examined with PIL-SF twice.

RESULTSAll the items in MLM-CR had good discrimination indexes (r=0.753-0.838, P<0.001). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the hypothesized five-factor model of MLM-CR (Χ/df=3.4, GFI=0.946, AGFI=0.924, RMR=0.069, NFI=0.953, CFI=0.966, RMSEA=0.048). The total internal consistency reliability of MLM-CR was 0.942, and the alpha coefficients of the 5 dimensions ranged from 0.782 to 0.877; the total split-half reliability was 0.920, and the split-half reliability of the 5 dimensions ranged from 0.752 to 0.830; the total test-retest reliability was 0.871, and the test-retest reliability of the 5 dimensions ranged from 0.783 to 0.805. The criterion validity of MLM-CR in correlation with SWLS, PIL and PHQ-2 was 0.66, 0.755 and -0.388, respectively (P<0.01). The Average score of MLM-CR of the college students was 5.20∓0.90, and the scores were significantly higher in female students than in the male students (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONMLM-CR has good psychometric properties for application in comprehensive evaluation of personal meaning in life.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; China ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Psychometrics ; Reproducibility of Results ; Students ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression and clinical implication of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) in colorectal carcinoma.

METHODSTIMP-1 expression in 54 colorectal carcinoma was observed by SP immunohistochemical method, and the results were analyzed in relation to the clinical data of patients.

RESULTSTIMP-1 was localized on the membrane and in the cytoplasm of the enteric epithelial cells, and its expression rate was 100% in normal tissue but only 59.6% (31/52) in colorectal carcinoma tissues. In addition, the expression rate of TIMP-1 was higher in the tumor tissues without lymph node metastasis than in tissues with lymph node metastasis (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe expression of TIMP-1 is inversely correlated to lymph node metastasis of colorectal carcinoma, and decreased TIMP-1 expression may play a role in the progression of colorectal carcinoma.

Adult ; Aged ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Epithelial Cells ; chemistry ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 ; biosynthesis

OBJECTIVEIn the candidate region 12q13 of simple congenital heart disease(CHD), four single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) in HOXC4 gene were chosen in order to investigate the distribution of SNP and haplotypes in simple CHD patients and normal people.

METHODSThe genotype of 4 SNPs in 108 simple CHD patients and 200 normal people were analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism(RFLP) and denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography(DHPLC). The statistical contingency table method was used to analyze SNP genotype frequency and gene frequency in patients and control group; then, the haplotypes were established and their frequencies in the two groups were assessed by PHASE software.

RESULTSC16476T polymorphism was not detected; A17860G located in 3' flanking sequence of HOXC5 gene displayed significant difference between the two groups. The G allele frequency in simple CHD patients was higher than that in healthy controls(P < 0.05); the distribution of frequencies of 4 haplotypes showed significant difference(P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe A17860G located in 3'flanking sequence of HOXC5 gene is associated with simple CHD; the risk of CHD in the persons with G17860 is higher than that in those with A17860. the haplotype of 3 SNPs may be linked with the susceptible gene of simple CHD.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Alleles ; Base Sequence ; Child ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 12 ; genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Genotype ; Haplotypes ; genetics ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; genetics ; Homeodomain Proteins ; genetics ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Young Adult