0.05).CONCLUSION:Mecobalamin and buflomedil hydrochloride are more economic than alprostadil,while mecobalamin more economic than bu?flomedil hydrochloride.

Objective To observe the clinical effect on cervicogenic headache (CEH) of pulsed radiofrequency stimulation (PRF) applied to the C2 dorsal root ganglion combined with nerve block.Methods A total of 78 cases diagnosed as CEH were randomly divided into a combined treatment group,a PRF treatment group and a nerve block group.The combined treatment group was given both PRF applied to the C2 dorsal root ganglion and blocking therapy.The other two groups were given only one treatment or the other.All the treatments were once weekly for 3 weeks.Before treatment and 1,3 and 6 months after treatment,all of the patients' headaches were evaluated using a visual analogue scale (VAS).Results At 1,3 and 6 months after treatment,the average VAS scores of all three groups had decreased significantly.The VAS ratings dropped the most in the combined treatment group,followed by the PRF group and then the nerve block group.All the intergroup differences were statistically significant.The combined treatment group's cure rate (88％) was significantly better than that of the PRF group (81％),which was significantly better than that of the nerve block group (54％).Conclusion Combining PRF applied to the C2dorsal root ganglion with nerve block therapy has a synergistic effect on CEH.The curative effect of the combined treatment was better than either PRF or blocking alone.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes of the cardiac hemodynamics after acute high altitude exposure in healthy young males and the relationship with acute mountain sickness(AMS).

METHODSLeft ventricular function and oxyhemoglobin saturation (SaO2), heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP) were measured in 218 healthy young males before and after high altitude exposure within 24 h respectively. According to the lake louise score criteria, the subjects were divided into two groups: acute mountain sickness group (AMS group) and non acute mountain sickness group (non-AMS group).

RESULTSHR, diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), stroke volume (SV), stroke index (SI) cardiac output (CO), cardiac index (CI) were significantly increased upon acute high altitude exposure (P < 0.05). Whereas SaO2 and end-systolic volume (ESV) were significantly decreased (P < 0.05). In addition, HR, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and MAP in AMS group were significantly higher than those in non-AMS group (P < 0.05). But stroke index (SI) and end-diastolic volume (EDV) in AMS group were significantly lower than those in non-AMS group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCardiac function in healthy young males upon acute high altitude exposure was enhanced. EDV, HR and SI might become the indexes of predicting the acute mountain sickness in the future.

Objective To investigate functional role and clinical significance of the methylation in the promoter of TPAP gene in the development and progression of pancreatic cancer.Methods Surgically resected specimen from 68 patients who were pathologically diagnosed as pancreatic cancer in Changhai Hospital from July 2006 to August 2009 were collected.The methylation in the promoter of TPAP gene in tumor and nontumor adjacent tissue was detected by methylation specific PCR.Results The methylation rate of tumor and non-tumor adjacent tissue was (0.214 ± 0.057) ％ and (0.084 ± 0.096) ％,respectively,and pancreatic cancer tissue had significantly higher methylation rate than the adjacent tissue.Hypermethylation of TPAP gene was not correlated with age,gender,tumor differentiation,lymphatic metastasis,serum CEA and CA19-9,but was positively correlated with distant metastasis.Conclusions Hypermethylation in the promoter of TPAP gene may participate in the invasion and metastasis of pancreatic cancer and the hypermethylation of the promoter is closely associated with the tumorigenesis and development of pancreatic cancer.

AIM: To investigate the mechanism of berberine’s inhibiting growth and metastasis of tumor by observing the effects of berberine on proliferation and apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). METHODS: Cultured HUVECs were incubated with berberine. MTT assay and quantitative immunocytochemistry were used to detect cell proliferation and the expression of proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Morphologic changes of apoptosis were observed by fluorescent staining, and Rhodamin123 was used to determinate mitochondrial membrane potential under the laser confocal microscopy. RESULTS: HUVEC proliferation was inhibited by co-incubating with berberine (20 mg/L) for 24 h and berberine (10 mg/L, 20 mg/L) for 48 h (P

Objective To investigate the effect of jejunal casein perfusion on pancreatic exocrine secretion in experimental acute necrotic pancreatitis (ANP) rats and analyze the neuromechanism that may be involved. Methods 30 SD rats were randomly divided into three groups (control group, ANP group and ANP jejunal nutrition group). Experimental ANP was induced by intra pancreatic duct injection of sodium taurocholate (STC). Animals in ANP jejunal nutrition group were given jejunal casein perfusion 24h after model induction, while control group and ANP group received jejunal saline perfusion. Pancreatic juice was collected every 15 min for six times and the volume of pancreatic juice and protein in pancreatic juice were detected. After jejunal nutrition c-Fos expression in nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) was determined by immunohistochemistry method in three groups. Results There was no significant difference between the volume of pancreatic juice at different time points in ANP group and ANP jejunal nutrition group, however, these parameters were significantly lower than that of control group (P < 0. 05). There was no significant difference among the 3 groups in the protein level in the pancreatic juice during jejunal nutrition infusion, however, during the periods of 0 ～ 15 min, 15 ～30 min, 30 ～45 min and 75 ～90 min, the protein levels in the pancreatic juice in ANP and ANP jejunal nutrition group were lower than that of control group (P < 0.05). After jejunal perfusion, c-Fos expression was found in ANP jejunal nutrition group but not found in ANP and control groups. Conclusions Jejunal casein perfusion enhanced NTS c-Fos expression, but did not increase the volume of pancreatic juice and protein.

Objective To analyze the cause of puncturing failure in ultrasonography guided minimal-invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy (MPCNL). Methods A retrospective analysis involved total 612 patients with upper urinary tract lithialisis treated with MPCNL from May 2005 to May 2010.382 cases were acupunctured by traditional G18 puncturing instrument (group A),and the other 230 cases were performed by the improved ARROW Raulerson blue syringe (group B).The average renal pelvis range was 24 mm vs.21 mm before operation,and largest diameter of renal calculi was 3.7 cm vs.3.8 cm (P ＞ 0.05).Success rate and time cost as well as therapeutic effect were compared between the 2 groups. Results There were 29 cases of puncturing failure in group A (totally 382 cases) while only 2 in group B (totally 230 cases).The successful rate of establishment of working channel was significantly higher in group B (P ＜ 0.05).Average time of puncture procedure was 5.1 min and 4.8 min respectively (P ＞ 0.05).There was no puncturing-related severe complication in any group.The unsuccessful cases in the group A and related causes were:5 cases for obesity,13 cases for puncture needle slipping,9 cases for channel dropout,and 2 cases for needle route dropout.However,only 2 cases failed in group B,the accurate position of calculi was at upper and lower calyx.One case was over-weighted,another was because of pathway-loss during the calculi elimination processs.And the one-off puncture successful rate of A and B group was 92.4％ vs.99.1％,and the one-off puncture successful rate was significantly higher in group B. Conclusions Overobesity of patients is an important cause of puncturing failure for sonographically MPCNL.The establishment of working-channel with ARROW Raulerson blue syringe could be feasible and the success rate was significantly higher.

Objective To investigate the effect of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) on expression of intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in brain tissues following traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rats.Methods Sixty male SD rats weighing 220-250 g were randomly divided into three groups (n =20 for each):sham operation group,TBI group,and IPC group.Cerebral IPC models were induced by transient occlusion of the bilateral common carotid arteries; TBI models were induced by Feeney's freefalling method; rats in sham operation group were only performed exposure of dura of the right parietal lobe.Ten rats were sacrificed respectively at 6 and 72 hours after TBI and injured brain tissues were harvested to estimate wet/dry weight (W/D) ratio for the brain,determine ICAM-1 expression by immunohistochemistry and perform microscopic examination.Results Brain W/D ratio was significantly increased in TBI group compared with sham operation group (6 h:4.2 ± 0.4 vs 2.7 ± 0.4 ; 72 h:5.0 ±0.1 vs 3.1 ± 0.2,P ＜ 0.05).ICAM-1 expression was up-regulated in TBI group compared with sham operationgroup (6h:25.4±3.5vs8.6±1.3; 72 h:36.5±5.4 vs8.4±1.6,P＜0.05).W/D ratio was significantly decreased in IPC group compared with TBI group (6 h:3.5 ±0.6 vs 4.2 ±0.4; 72 h:3.7 ± 0.4 vs 5.0 ± 0.1,P ＜ 0.05).ICAM-1 expression was down-regulated in IPC group compared with TBI group (6 h:16.5 ± 2.7 vs 25.4 ± 3.5 ; 72 h:24.3 ± 4.6 vs 36.5 ± 5.4,P ＜ 0.05).Milder injury to brain tissues was observed in IPC group than in TBI group.Conclusion IPC can attenuate TBI in rats by down-regulating the expression of ICAM-1.

Objective To construct erythromycin-overproducing mutants by tandemly expressing S-adenosylmethionine synthetase gene metK, Vitreoscilla hemoglobin gene vhbS and pleiotropic regulatory gene adpA in Saccharopolyspora eryth-raea.Methods Through PEG-mediated protoplast transformation , the integrative plasmid carrying metK, vhbS and adpA was respectively introduced into erythromycin-producing wild-type strain S.erythraea A226 and industrial strain WB .The engineered strains were generated by apramycin resistance screening and PCR identification .The erythromycin production was compared in original strains and their mutants by the inhibition test of Bacillus subtilis and HPLC analysis .Results and Conclusion Four A226-derived mutants A226-P1-P4 and three WB-derived mutants WB-P1-P3 were independently obtained.Compared with wild-type strain A226, the relative erythromycin titer of the four engineered strains A 226-P1-P4 was increased from 8%to 25%by scoring the growth-inhibition zones .Further HPLC analysis showed that the four mutants had increased erythromycin A yield by 64%-94%.Likewise, the relative erythromycin titer and erythromycin A yield of the three engineered strains WB-P1-P3 were enhanced by 6%-10%and 31%-62%, respectively, in comparison with the original strain WB.The results show the universality of enhancing erythromycin productionvia tandem expression of metK, vhbS and adpA in S.erythraea.

It has gradually become a consensus in the industry that the traditional Chinese medicine gypsum should be decocted first, but the understanding of decocting method is not completely unified in the works of doctors since ancient times, and there are occasional disputes about whether it is necessary to decocting first. In this study, the phase determination, physical and chemical characterization, qualitative and quantitative analysis of inorganic and organic components of the decoctions of herbal pairs and the whole prescription Maxingshigan decoction with gypsum as the center, and the pre-decoctions and co-decoctions of them were carried out to explore the scientific connotation of the pre-decoctions of gypsum. Results show that decoction phases were different between the co-decoctions and pre-decoctions of licorice-gypsum (Gancao-Shigao, GC-SG), ephedra-gypsum (Mahuang-Shigao, MH-SG) and almond-gypsum (Xingren-Shigao, XR-SG). The results of the micromorphology, particle size and zeta potential of herbal pairs and prescription (Quanfang, QF) showed that the supramolecular particles in pre-decoctions were smaller, more uniform and more stable than the co-decoctions. The results of organic components analysis showed that different cooking methods did not change the organic composition and content. ICP-OES results showed that the content of inorganic components in pre-decoctions was higher than in co-decoctions for the same boiling time of gypsum. The IR results showed that the pre-decoctions had stronger chemical functional group effect than the co-decoctions. To sum up, compared with the co-decoction, the pre-decoction of gypsum has different phase state and chemical composition interaction, and the difference of inorganic composition is an important material basis affecting the change of phase state compared with the co-decoction. It indicates that the material basis of traditional Chinese medicine decoction is indeed different whether gypsum is decocted first or not, which can provide a basis for the clinical application of decocted gypsum.