AIM: To study the effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza injection on rat atherosclerosis (AS), and elucidate the possible mechanism. METHODS: Wistar rats were fed with fat-rich diet and high dose of vitamin D_3 to induce AS, then treated with Salvia miltiorrhiza injection. Concentrations of triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) in serum were measured by automatic serum biochemical assay. The level of ICAM-1 protein and mRNA were determined by Western blot and RT-PCR. RESULTS: Compared with the AS model group, the levels of TG and TC in serum were significantly lower in Salvia miltiorrhiza injection group (P

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Infratentorial Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Male ; Meningioma ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Middle Aged ; Neurosurgical Procedures ; methods ; Supratentorial Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

AIM: To report a two- year's results of iontophoresis-assisted transepithelial corneal cross-linking (I-CXL) for progressive keratoconus.
METHODS: Thirty - four eyes in 24 patients with progressive keratoconus ( mean age 21. 0 ± 5. 6 years;range: 14-32 years) were treated. After 1g/ L riboflavin-distilled water solution was administered by iontophoresis-assited (current 1mA) transepithelial method for 5min in total, standard surface UVA irradiation ( 370nm, 3mW/cm2 ) was performed at a 1 - cm distance for 30min. The best corrected visual acuity ( BCVA ) measured as LogMAR number, corneal refractive astigmatism, K1, K2, Kmean, Kmax, intraocular pressure, endothelial cell density, the thickness at corneal apex and the thinnest point were measured preoperatively and 2a postoperatively.
RESULTS:At 2a after the procedure, BCVA (LogMAR) improved from 0. 32 ± 0. 25 to 0. 25 ± 0. 19 ( t = 2. 849, P =0. 015). K1 decreased from 47. 12±4. 33 to 46. 06±4. 77 (t =2. 652, P= 0. 015). K2 decreased from 51. 36±5. 59 to 50. 40±6. 16 (t= 2. 121, P= 0. 047). Kmean decreased from 49. 12±4. 76 to 48. 10±5. 25(t = 2. 663, P = 0. 015). Kmax decreased from 57. 57±8. 30 to 55. 91±8. 14 (t = 2. 398, P = 0. 026). The corneal apex thickness decreased from 476. 90±38. 71μ m to 454. 43 ± 40. 86μ m ( t = 2. 853, P = 0. 010 ). The thinnest thickness decreased from 464. 38 ± 39. 92μ m to 433. 86 ±50. 78μ m ( t = 3. 485, P = 0. 002 ). Corneal refractive astigmatism, intraocular pressure and endothelial cell density did not show significant changes.
CONCLUSION: I - CXL for progressive keratoconus is safe and effective which can prevent deterioration of progressive keratoconus within 2a, but further long-term studies are necessary still.

OBJECTIVE: To eludicate the risk factors of mechanical ventilation and prolonged mechanical ventilation in patients with severe multiple injuries. METHODS: Consecutive patients with severe multiple injures who were treated in Peking University People's Hospital Trauma Medical Center between December 2016 and December 2019 were enrolled in this restropective chart-review study. According to mechanical ventilation and ventilatory time, the patients were divided into mechanical ventilation (MV) group and non-mechanical ventilation (NMV) groups, prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) group and shortened mechanical ventilation (SMV) groups. Clinical data such as gender, age, base excess, mechanism of injury, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), abbreviated injury scale (AIS) and injury severity score (ISS) were collected. To indentify the risk factors of mechanical ventilation and prolonged mecha-nical ventilation, univariate and multivariate Logistic analyses were carried out. RESULTS: In the present study, 112 patients (82 male, 30 female) with severe multiple injuries having a median age of 52 (range: 16-89 years) and a median ISS of 34 (range: 16-66) were enrolled. The primary mechanism of injury was traffic accident injury and falling injury. In the study, 62 and 50 patients were assigned to MV and NMV groups, respectively. Logistic analysis showed that GCS (OR=0.72, 95%CI: 0.53-0.92, P=0.03), base excess (OR=0.56, 95%CI: 0.37-0.88, P=0.002) and multiple rib fracture (OR=1.72, 95%CI: 1.60-2.80, P=0.012) were independent significant risk factors for mechanical ventilation after severe multiple injuries. Within the mechanical ventilation group, 38 and 24 patients were assigned to PMV and SMVgroups, respectively. Compared with the SMV group, the PMV group had a higher ISS and higher rate of severe head trauma. The length of hospital stay of PMV group was longer than that of SMV groups. Meanwhile, the incidence of tracheotomy in PMV group was high. CONCLUSIONS GCS, base excess and rib fracture might be independent risk factors for mechanical ventilation. Higher ISS and lower GCS might prolong the ventilatory time and the length of hospital stay. Meanwhile, the incidence of tracheotomy was high in PMV group because of the longer ventilatory time and poor consciousness.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Injury Severity Score ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Trauma ; Respiration, Artificial ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE To study the pharmacokinetic and distribution of arctiin in rats. METHODS Each rat was given a single dose at random by oral administration. The arctiin in serum and organs were determined by use of RP-HPLC. All pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated with a 3P87 program. RESULTS After oral administration of arctiin at the dose of 300mg·kg-1, Arctiin plasma C-T curve conform to open two-compartment model. The Pharmacokinetic parameters were as follow: A=(37.374 5±8.964 7)μg·mL-1;B=(6.210 6±1.489 3)μg·mL-1;α=(0.004 3±0.000 9)min-1;β=(0.000 4±0.000 2)min-1;Kα=(0.420 2±0.167 5)min -1;t1/2α=(115.192 6±14.382 4)min ;t1/2β=(1 485.578 1±161.173 3)min;K10 =(0.001 0±0.000 4)min -1;K21=(0.001 4±0.000 6)min -1 ;K12=(0.002 3±0.001 3)min -1 ;Cmax=(41.786 3±7.521 7)μg·mL-1 ;Tmax=(9.891 9±4.341 4)min;AUC=(22 503.272 7±4 120.182 8)μg·min·mL-1. Liver had the highest concentration of arctiin after oral administration. CONCLUSION RP-HPLC method is rapid, sensitive and specific for the research of arctiin pharmacokinetic and its distribution in rats. Arctiin is distributed and eliminated quickly in rats.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Qingfei Peiyuan Micro-pill (QPM) on HIV/AIDS patients with pulmonary infection of phlegm heat obstructing lung syndrome (PHOLS).

METHODSTotally 141 HIV/AIDS patients with pulmonary infection of PHOLS were randomly assigned to the treatment group (94 cases) and the control group (47cases). On the basis of Western medicine, patients in the treatment group took QPM. The therapeutic course for all was 28 days. The improvement of symptoms and signs was observed. The body temperature (BT), chest X ray, and white blood cells (WBCs) were detected.

RESULTSThe Chinese medical syndrome score was lower in the treatment group than in the control group at the 7th, 21st, and 28th day of treatment, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05). The efficacy was better in the treatment group than in the control group at the 7th, 21st, and 28th day of treatment, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05). The BT was lower in the treatment group than in the control group on the 7th day. There was no statistical difference in the patient number with normal WBCs on the 7th day (P > 0.05). But there was statistical difference in the patient number with normal WBCs on the 14th, 21st, and 28th day of treatment (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in the patient number with normal chest X ray on the 7th and 28th day of treatment (P > 0.05). But there was statistical difference in the patient number with normal chest X ray on the 14th and 21 st day of treatment (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONQPM had certain complementary effect on HIV/AIDS patients with pulmonary infection of PHOLS.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; complications ; Adult ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; complications ; drug therapy ; Treatment Outcome

This study aimed to observe changes in the hydrogen sulfide (H2S) system in the blood and liver tissue of rats with hepatic cirrhosis at different stages by studying the effect of H2S on the course of hyperdynamic circulation in rats with hepatic cirrhosis.H2S concentration in the blood from the portal vein and inferior vena cava of hepatic cirrhosis rat model induced with carbon tetrachloride was detected on the 15th,30th,and 52nd day.The expression of cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) and cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) protein,and CBS and CSE mRNA in the liver was detected by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR),respectively.The results indicated that H2S concentration in the blood from the portal vein and inferior vena cava of rats with hepatic cirrhosis was significantly lower than that in the control group.H2S was gradually decreased with the development of the disease and significantly lower in the blood from portal vein than in the blood of inferior vena cava at the mid-stage and the late stage groups.The expression levels of CBS and CSE protein,and CBS and CSE mRNA in the livers with hepatic cirrhosis at different stages were all higher than those in the control group,and the expression gradually increased with the development of the disease.The expression of CBS was lower than CSE in the same stages.The results indicated that the CSE mRNA was expressed predominantly in the cirrhosis groups as compared with CBS rnRNA.Among experimental rats,the H2S system has an important effect on the occurrence and development of hyperdynamic circulation in rats with hepatic cirrhosis.This finding adds to the literature by demonstrating that H2S protects vascular remodelling in the liver,and that CSE is indispensable in this process.

OBJECTIVETo introduce algorithms for effective segmentation of teeth MRI-UTE image.

METHODSTo construct second-segmentation algorithm process based on layer-dependent multi-constrained method. Firstly, a level set method was used to segment the initial boundary from the region determined by user in the reference slice. Secondly, both crown and root of the tooth were segmented by the improved level set method which took the information of the former layer's result as constraint conditions. Finally, the improved level set based on the information of the former and later layer's results was executed for the second time to improve the accuracy of segmentation, in which, the parameter of the overlapping ratio was considered.

RESULTSThe accuracy was 86.98% for the first-segmentation and was increased to 88.35% for the second-segmentation. Compared to the two other methods, the accuracy of the algorithms provided was improved significantly (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe proposed algorithms can effectively achieve the segmentation of teeth MRI-UTE image and has a great improvement on accuracy.

Algorithms ; Humans ; Image Enhancement ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Orthodontics, Corrective ; methods ; Tooth ; anatomy & histology

OBJECTIVETo segment veins from brain susceptibility weighted images with inhomogeneous background and veins, noises and complex structures.

METHODSBased on vessel enhancing filtering, an adaptive threshold segmenting method and an adaptive threshold region growing method were proposed. The former method was used to exactly segment part of veins from the original images. Taking the veins segmented by the former method as seeds, the later method was used to extract nearly all the veins.

RESULTSFor simulation data with serious noises and interferences, correct rate above 90% was achieved. And for clinical data, the veins were extracted accurately and the structures of veins were displayed clearly.

CONCLUSIONSThe methods can extract veins from the brain susceptibility weighted images exactly and avoid false segmentation of the other structures effectively. The methods are very robust and stable.

Cranial Sinuses ; anatomy & histology ; Humans ; Image Enhancement ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods

To investigate the mechanism of agarwood formation in Aquilaria sinensis induced by Lasiodiplodia theobromae, the fermentation liquor of L. theobromae was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). JAs were detected in the fermentation liquor. The effect of the fermentation liquor on the abundance of sesquiterpenes in the callus of A. sinensis was analyzed by solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS). And the fermentation liquor stimulated alpha-guaiene, alpha-humulene and delta-guaiene biosynthesis in calli. It was inferred that L. theobromae produced JAs, which resulted in a significant increase of sesquiterpenes in A. sinensis.
Ascomycota ; physiology ; Fermentation ; Sesquiterpenes ; metabolism ; Thymelaeaceae ; metabolism ; microbiology