Objective To investigate the aetiology of acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD),and the effects of moxifloxacin in the treatment of AECOPD.Methods Patients with stable COPD based on GOLD criteria were included in the study.Sputum collected at first exacerbation was analyzed for bacteria count and culture.IL-6,IL-8 and TNF-?were measured by enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Eligible patients were randomized to receive moxifloxacin (400 mg qd for 5 days) or ce- faclor (250 mg q8h for 7 days).Efficacy parameters were evaluated at 7 and 14 days after treatment initiation and 1 year later. Results Of the 46 patients with moderate or severe COPD (male 38,moderate 24),21 (45.65%) were microbiologically evalu- able at baseline.The main pathogen was Haemophilus influenzae (10/21).Clinical efficacy rate was 87.0% in moxifloxacin group and 82.6% in cefaclor group.Bacterial eradication rate was 80.0% and 72.7% respectively.The difference between groups was not statistically significant in terms of clinical or microbiological efficacy.In moxifloxacin arm,the frequency of ex- acerbation was 2.6?1.0,significantly lower than control arm (3.5?1.4,P

Objective:To evaluate the impression accuracy of different impression methods for flabby ridge.Methods:5 patients with flabby ridge were included.Conventional technique,perforation technique and window opening technique were performed to make im-pressions and then final models were prepared.The optical models of the flabby ridge area were obtained both in patients'mouths and on the master casts by intraoral optical scanner.Data handling and computations were made by using 3D inspection and metrology soft-ware,regarding SD,Mean +and Mean -,with subsequent analysis.Results:The 3D deviation of the models obtained by conventional technique was the biggest,that obtained by window opening technique was the least.Conclusion:Window opening technique can de-crease the deformation of flabby ridge impression.

Objective Establishing an employee satisfaction indicator system for tertiary hospitals in Beijing.Methods Evaluation indicators are built on theory research,and questionnaires are designed for survey.Such methods as principal component factor analysis,and verification factor analysis are called into play to test the construct validity and establish in the end the employee satisfaction indicators system.Results Such indicators comprise five grade-1 dimension and 34 grade-Ⅱ dimension,such as hospital management satisfaction indicator.Conclusion This self-designed scale ideally mirrors the employee satisfaction of tertiary hospitals in Beijing,proving the indicators to be objective and reasonable.

Objective To study topiramate′s neuroprotection on primary cultured hippocampal neurons which were injuried by glutamate and its mechanism.Methods The primary cultured hippocampal neurons were made as the research object,and excitotoxicity model was exected with glutamate.Hippocampal neuron survival was assessed by MTT method and hippocampal neuron mitochondrial membrance potential(MMP) was evaluated by fluorescence microscope and flow cytometry.Results Hippocampal neuron survival of normal control was(98.4?0.8)%,and the survival of glutamate model group was(59.6?3.2)%,at the same time,two topiramate′s groups′ cell survivals was(74.1?0.5)% and(79.2?3.4)%,and topiramate with two levels all could obviously increase hippocampal neuron survival((P

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of effective parts of Zingiber officinal (EPZ) on the adhesion of ECV-304 cells with monocytes cultivated in vitro and on the expression of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and adhesion molecules.

METHODThe model of ECV-304 cell oxidative stress injury was established by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Then EPZ-contained blood serum was taken as experimental drug. The adherence of monocytes to endothelial cell were measured by method of rose Bengal. The total RNA of cells was extracted. The intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and MCP-1 mRNA expression in cells were detected by RT-PCR. MCP-1 protein expression were detected by ELISA.

RESULTEPZ could decrease the adhesion of monocytes with ECV-304 cells obviously. Meanwhile it could diminish the expression of ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and MCP-1 in injured ECV-304 cells.

CONCLUSIONEPZ could inhibit H2O2-induced ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and MCP-1 expression in ECV-304 and could inhibit the adherence of monocytes to endothelial cell, which may result in the protect effect in endothelial cells.

Animals ; Cell Adhesion ; drug effects ; Cell Line ; Cells, Cultured ; Chemokine CCL2 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Ginger ; chemistry ; Humans ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; pharmacology ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Monocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 ; biosynthesis ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of dihydroartemisinin on the apoptosis of and the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in prostate cancer cell line PC-3M in androgen-independent prostate cancer.

METHODSPC-3M cells were treated with different doses (0, 25, 50 and 100 micromol/L) of dihydroartemisinin for 48 hours, their growth activity analyzed by MTT colorimetric assay and flow cytometry, and changes in the activities of caspase-3 and -8 detected by colorimetric assay. The expression of VEGF mRNA was determined by semi-quantitative RT-PCR, and that of the VEGF protein by Western blotting.

RESULTSCompared with the 0 micromol/L control group, the 25, 50 and 100 micromol/L dihydroartemisinin groups showed significantly increased apoptosis of PC-3M cells ([2.92 +/- 0.45]% vs [8.85 +/- 0.74]%, [12.83 +/- 0.84]% and [18.65 +/- 1.24]%, P < 0.01), and dose-dependent increase in the activities of caspase-8 ([0.47 +/- 0.05 ] U/microg vs [1.22 +/- 0.15], [1.76 +/- 0.07] and [2.91 +/- 0.24] U/microg, P < 0.01) and caspase-3 ([0.44 +/- 0.07] U/microg vs [0.95 +/- 0.08], [1.48 +/- 0.14] and [2.92 +/- 0.45] U/microg, P < 0.01). The expressions of VEGF mRNA and protein were decreased in a concentration-dependent manner.

CONCLUSIONDihydroartemisinin can significantly suppress the growth of PC-3M cells, promote their apoptosis and reduce the expressions of VEGF mRNA and protein, which may serve to explain its inhibitory effect on tumor and angiogenesis.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Artemisinins ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism

BACKGROUNDGinsenosides are main components extracted from ginseng, and ginsenoside Rg3 is one of the most important parts. Ginsenoside Rg3 has been found to inhibit several kinds of tumor growth and metastasis. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of ginsenoside Rg3 on human ovarian cancer metastasis and the possible mechanism.

METHODSThe experimental lung metastasis models of ovarian cancer SKOV-3 and the assay of tumor-induced angiogenesis were used to observe the inhibitory effects of Rg3 on tumor metastasis and angiogenesis. The effect of Rg3 on invasive ability of SKOV-3 cells in vitro was detected by Boyden chamber, and immunofluorescence staining was used to recognize the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) in SKOV-3 cells.

RESULTSIn the experimental lung metastasis models of ovarian cancer, the number of tumor colonies in the lung and vessels oriented toward the tumor mass in each ginsenoside Rg3 group, was lower than that of control group. The invasive ability and MMP-9 expression of SKOV-3 cells decreased significantly after treatment with ginsenoside Rg3.

CONCLUSIONSGinsenoside Rg3 can significantly inhibit the metastasis of ovarian cancer. The inhibitory effect is partially due to inhibition of tumor-induced angiogenesis and decrease of invasive ability and MMP-9 expression of SKOV-3 cells.

Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Female ; Ginsenosides ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; prevention & control ; secondary ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; metabolism ; Mice ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; prevention & control ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on cavernous nerve (CN) regeneration and functional status in a nerve-crush rat model. Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into three equal groups: eight had a sham operation, eight underwent bilateral nerve crushing with no further intervention and eight underwent bilateral nerve crushing with an immediate application of PRP on the site of injury. Erectile function was assessed by CN electrostimulation at 3 months and nerve regeneration was assessed by toluidine blue staining of CN and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-diaphorase staining of penile tissue. Three months after surgery, in the group that underwent bilateral nerve crushing with no further intervention, the functional evaluation showed a lower mean maximal intracavernous pressure (ICP) and maximal ICP per mean arterial pressure (MAP) with CN stimulation than those in the sham group. In the group with an immediate application of PRP, the mean maximal ICP and maximal ICP/MAP were significantly higher than those in the injured control group. Histologically, the group with the application of PRP had more myelinated axons of CNs and more NADPH-diaphorase-positive nerve fibres than the injured control group but fewer than the sham group. These results show that the application of PRP to the site of CN-crush injury facilitates nerve regeneration and recovery of erectile function. Our research indicates that clinical application of PRP has potential repairing effect on CN and peripheral nerves.
Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Electric Stimulation ; Erectile Dysfunction ; pathology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Male ; NADPH Dehydrogenase ; metabolism ; Nerve Regeneration ; physiology ; Penile Erection ; physiology ; Penis ; innervation ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries ; Peripheral Nerves ; metabolism ; pathology ; Platelet Transfusion ; Platelet-Rich Plasma ; Radiculopathy ; etiology ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVEWernicke's encephalopathy (WE) is an acute neuropsychiatric syndrome resulting from thiamine deficiency, which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The disorder is still greatly underdiagnosed in children because of either a relatively non-specific clinical presentation in some cases or unrecognized clinical setting. The aim of this literature review was to provide knowledge of pediatric WE in an effort to assist in early diagnosis, thereby reducing the morbidity and mortality.

METHODSThe clinical manifestations, characteristic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diagnosis and treatment of one case and the other 35 cases reported in the last decade in children were summarized.

RESULTSThirty-six cases (22 boys and 14 girls, 2-month to 16-year-old) were analyzed. All the other 35 cases except for our case had underlying diseases: improper feeding in 25/35 cases, long-time vomiting in 5/35 cases, immunosuppressive therapy in 4/35 cases, long-time total parenteral nutrition without multivitamin preparations supplementation in 3/35 cases and anorexia nervosa in 1/35 case. The classic triad (mental-status changes, nystagmus and ophthalmoplegia, and ataxia) was seen in 6/36 cases. The other clinical manifestations included consciousness disturbance in 24/36 cases, infection in 22/36 cases, pathological reflex and muscular tension changes in 18/36 cases, convulsion in 17/36 cases, developmental delay in 4/36 cases and failure to thrive in 2/36 cases. Cerebrospinal fluid examination was performed in 31/36 cases, and a slightly raised protein concentration was seen in 7/31 cases. The cerebrospinal fluid lactate levels were detected in 4/36 cases (all increased), serum lactic acid levels in 7/36 cases (6/7 cases increased), serum pyruvate in 4/36 cases (all increased), thiamine pyrophosphate effect (TPPE) in 9/36 cases (all increased), and serum thiamine in 2/36 cases (increased in 1/2 cases). The brain computed tomography (CT) scan was conducted in 20/36 cases and 16/20 cases showed abnormal hypodensity in bilateral basal ganglia, one case revealed diffuse cortical atrophy. The brain MR scan was conducted in 13/36 cases and all the 13 cases revealed symmetrical abnormal signal in bilateral mamillary body and basal ganglia, and 7/13 cases showed abnormal signals in the tegmentum of midbrain, cerebral aqueduct and white matter around the third and fourth ventricles. The diagnosis of WE was confirmed by MR in 12 cases, triad combined with MR in 3 cases, autopsy in 1 case among the 13 cases who underwent MR scan. The diagnosis of WE was confirmed by the TPPE and/or lactate levels in 9/11 cases. The initial thiamine was given by intravenous or intramuscular infusion in 33/36 cases, unknown method in 1 case, orally in 1 case and no thiamine was used in 1 case. The dosage of thiamine was 100 mg daily in 29/35 cases, unknown in 3/35 cases, 50 mg daily in 2/35 cases, 600 mg daily in 1/35 case. 34/35 patients' clinical symptoms improved during 24 hours to 1 week after initial treatment, and 1 case died due to no response to thiamine. Nineteen patients were followed up for 2-2.5 months and 17 cases recovered completely.

CONCLUSIONWernicke's encephalopathy can be difficult to diagnose because of a relatively non-specific clinical presentation. The characteristic MRI findings and the dramatic response of neurological signs to parenteral thiamine will assist early clinical diagnosis. Early and timely thiamine supplementation could reverse the clinical features and improve the prognosis in most cases.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Sepsis ; complications ; Wernicke Encephalopathy ; complications ; diagnosis

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Pelvis ; surgery ; Laparoscopy ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ureteral Obstruction ; surgery ; Urologic Surgical Procedures ; methods