Objective To investigate the relationship between carotid intima media thickness (IMT) and pulse pressure index (PPI) in elderly hypertensive patients.PPI was defined as 24 h mean pulse pressure(PP)/24 h mean SBP.Methods One hundred and three elderly hypertensive patients were categorized by PPI level:group A (PPI

Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Maple Syrup Urine Disease ; diagnosis ; therapy

Cassiae Semen is a common traditional Chinese medicine, and contents of anthraquinones of Cassiae Semen different significantly from area to area. According to Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010 edition), only contents of aurantio obtusin and chrysophanol were used to evaluate the quality of Cassiae Semen, another data could be added later. Ten batches of Cassiae Semen from different areas were determined, and total anthraquinones, total free anthraquinones and total combined anthraquinones contents were assessed by ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer, contents of aurantio obtusin, rhein, aloe emodin, emodin, chrysophanol and physcion were determined by HPLC. After that, principal components analysis was used to evaluate these data determined previous by dimension reduction analysis. At last, the result suggests that three main components were found out, it shows that content of aloe emodin could be used to evaluate the quality of Cassiae Semen as well as contents of aurantio obtusin and chrysophanol. And Cassiae Semen from Hebei province posseses higher quality than Cassiae Semen from other different areas. All these results can provide a good reference for quality evaluating of Cassiae Semen medicinal materials at a certain extent.
Anthraquinones ; analysis ; Cassia ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Principal Component Analysis

OBJECTIVETo explore the trend of influenza epidemics, predominate strains of the virus in Tianjin city and to analyze the economic impact of vaccine-based interventions for the prevention and control of influenza.

METHODSData on epidemiological studies and on virus surveillance was gathered. Monte Carlo mathematical simulation modelwas used for data analyses.

RESULTSFrom 29, December, 2003 to 2, January, 2005, the proportion of influenza-like infection cases was accounted for 8.93% of the total number of patients from the outpatient departments of 4 general hospitals in Tianjin. The proportion reached its peak from November to February and it was accounted for 9.39% in epidemic period, which was significantly different from that in the non-epidemic period (u = 15.53, P< 0.05). There was 56 strains of influenza virus isolated in which 45 were indentified as A(H3N2) and 11 as B with a total positive rate as 13.21%. Predominant strain was found bing type A(H3N2). The positive rate was 15.41% in the epidemic period, which was significantly different from that in the non-epidemic period (u = 2.519, P < 0.05). The cost per visit ranged from 475.93 to 581.69 Yuan (RMB) with an average cost of 528.81 Yuan. When the attack rate increased to 30 percent, the positive mean net returns would have been 24 million Yuan among the 0-19 age group.

CONCLUSIONInfluenza did not seem to be prevalent in Tianjin from 29, December, 2003 to 2, January, 2005. The main type of influenza was type A(H3N2). It is necessary to pay attention to the all-year round surveillance program due to the transformation of influenza type A and the slight increase of incidence in summer.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Health Care Costs ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype ; physiology ; Influenza B virus ; physiology ; Influenza, Human ; economics ; epidemiology ; immunology ; virology ; Middle Aged ; Population Surveillance ; Seasons ; Viral Vaccines ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the indications and surgery time of cochlear implantation in patients with otitis media with effusion (OME).

METHODSCochlear implantation was performed in 26 patients with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss and OME. Non-Surgical Treatment was conducted for OME before the following implantation. According to the standards of the indications and surgery time, surgery was carried out. During the process of surgery operation, related lesions of OME were completely removed and proper drainage was then constructed. After the surgery, the patients were regularly followed up, and the effective of cochlear implantation was evaluated.

RESULTSUnilateral ear of 26 patients was successfully operated. Among them, 5 cases were left ears and the remaining was right ears. All implant devices worked normally after 1 month. Had been followed up from 13 months to 4.3 years, 19 patients with OME were healed and the remaining was turning better. No evidence showed phenomenon of the eardrum perforation and acute attack of OME.

CONCLUSIONSOnce the indications of cochlear implantation in patients with OME are guaranteed, the surgery should be conducted as early as possible. The complications of cochlear implantation in patients with OME can be effectively avoided through proper treatment in different stages.

Child, Preschool ; Cochlear Implantation ; adverse effects ; Contraindications ; Humans ; Otitis Media with Effusion ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome

To evaluate the effects of p-octyl polyethylene glycol phenyl ether (Triton X-100), polyoxyl 35 caster oil (EL35) and polyoxyl 40 hydrogenated caster oil (RH40) on the activity of Cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3 As) in vivo. Rats were administered with saline, ketoconazole (75 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)), Triton X-100 (30 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)), EL35 (150 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) and RH40 (150 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) intragastrically for 5 consecutive days, and then given midazolam 10 mg x kg(-1) 20 min after the last treatment of ketoconazole or three surfactants with the same dose through duodenal administration. Pharmacokinetics parameters for midazolam and its metabolite 1'-hydroxymidazolam were estimated from the plasma concentration-time data by a noncompartmental approach. The results showed that multiple dose administration of Triton X-100, EL35 and RH40 decreased the ratios of 1'-hydroxymidazolam and midazolam AUC0-infinity from 1.14 to 0.90, 1.03 and 0.64, respectively. In contrast, multiple dose administration of ketoconazole caused the ratios of 1'-hydroxymidazolam and midazolam a significant decrease to 0.50. This study indicated that Triton X-100 and EL35 would have no inhibition on CYP3A, while RH40 had significant inhibition on CYP3A. Therefore, RH40 might be used to prepare drug formulations in pharmaceutical industry and would increase the bioavailability of some drugs transformed by CYP3As and further lead to significant clinical pharmacologic effects.
Animals ; Area Under Curve ; Biological Availability ; Biotransformation ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A ; metabolism ; Ketoconazole ; pharmacology ; Male ; Midazolam ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacokinetics ; Octoxynol ; pharmacology ; Polyethylene Glycols ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Surface-Active Agents ; pharmacology

Screening of microorganisms producing flocculating substances was carried out. A strain secreting a large amount of bioflocculant was isolated from wastewater samples collected from the Little Moon River in Beijing. Based on the morphological properties and 16S rDNA sequence analysis, the isolate (designated W31) was classified as Vagococcus sp. A bioflocculant (named MBFW31) produced by W31 was extracted from the culture broth by ethanol precipitation and purified by gel chromatography. MBFW31 was heat-stable and had strong flocculating activity in a wide range of pH with relatively low dosage requirement. MBFW31 was identified as a polysaccharide with molecular weight over 2 x 10(6). It contained neutral sugar and uronic acid as its major and minor components, respectively. Infrared spectra showed the presence of hydroxyl, carboxyl and methoxyl group in its molecules. The present results suggested that MBFW31 had potential application in wastewater treatment.
Carbohydrates ; analysis ; chemistry ; Enterococcus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Flocculation ; Species Specificity ; Waste Disposal, Fluid ; methods ; Water Microbiology ; Water Pollutants ; isolation & purification

Aged ; Endoscopy ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Lymph Node Excision ; methods ; Video-Assisted Surgery ; methods ; Vulvar Neoplasms ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect and mechanism of tagalsin on hepatoma cells.

METHODSThe animal models were established by transplanting H(22) mouse hepatoma cells to mouse liver, and ten days later the mice were randomly divided into five groups: blank group, carmofur positive group and tagalsin groups, including low-dose, middle-dose and high-dose groups. Then medicine or oil was given to the mice by gastric gavage in consecutive 5 days with a 2-days interval as a course of treatment, two courses in all. All mice were killed at 24 hours after medication, and the survival period, ascites conditions, aggressive conditions intra- or extra-liver, weight changes, tumor volume and spleen index of the tumor-bearing mice were observed. Pathological changes of the tumors were examined. Apoptotic factors p53 and Bcl-2 protien and mRNA were detected by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTStagalsin inhibited the hepatoma growth effectively without influencing spleen index to some extent. The tumor inhibition rate of tagalsin low, middle and high dose groups were 17.9%, 63.1% and 71.8%, respectively. Immunohistochemical results showed that the p53 and Bcl-2 protein positive cell counts of the positive control and experimental groups were significantly lower than those of the blank group (P < 0.01). RT-PCR results showed that the p53 mRNA expression was significantly enhanced and Bcl-2 mRNA expression was decreased in the positive control groups and tagalsin treatment groups, especially in the high dose group, compared with those of the blank group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONStagalsin can inhibit the growth of mouse hepatoma cells significantly. The mechanism of its anti-tumor effect may work via up-regulating the wild type p53 gene expression and down-regulating Bcl-2 gene expression and thus regulating tumor cell apoptosis.

Animals ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Diterpenes ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mice ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rhizophoraceae ; chemistry ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury on leptin and orexin-A levels in peripheral blood and central secretory tissues, and investigate the roles of leptin and orexin-A in acute inflammatory responses.

METHODSAn intestinal I/R injury rat model was established, and the rats were grouped according to duration of the reperfusion time following a 60-min ischemia. Radioimmunoassay was used to examine the protein levels of leptin in the serum and adipose tissue, and the protein levels of orexin-A in the plasma and hypothalamus. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was also performed to detect the mRNA expressions of adipose leptin and hypothalamus orexin-A.

RESULTSCompared with that before injury, serum leptin level of 60-min ischemia with 30-min reperfusion (I60'R30') group decreased significantly and that of I60'R360' increased significantly. Compared with the sham-operation group (sham) after injury, serum leptin level of I60'R360' group increased significantly, and adipose leptin protein levels of I60'R30' and I60'R90' groups decreased significantly, whereas that of I60'R360' group increased obviously. Compared with sham group after injury, adipose leptin mRNA expressions of I60'R30', I60'R240' and I60'R360' groups all increased significantly, while that of I60'R150' showed significant decrease. No significant changes were noted in the protein levels of orexin-A either in the plasma or hypothalamus after I/R injury. In comparison with sham group after injury, hypothalamus orexin-A mRNA expressions of I60'R30' and I60'R90' groups showed gradual but significant decrease, and till 150 min of reperfusion, the expression reached its lowest, followed then by slow recovery at 240 and 360 min, though still remaining significantly lower than that of sham group.

CONCLUSIONLeptin and orexin-A have a time-dependent response to intestinal I/R injury, but the former appears to exhibit a faster response, and they may play a certain role in the metabolic disorders of acute inflammation.

Animals ; Female ; Inflammation ; blood ; genetics ; physiopathology ; Intestine, Small ; blood supply ; metabolism ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; blood ; genetics ; Leptin ; blood ; genetics ; Male ; Neuropeptides ; blood ; genetics ; Orexins ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Rabbits ; Radioimmunoassay ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; blood ; genetics ; physiopathology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction