Objective:To study the mandibular movement characteristics of subjects with severe tooth wear (TW).Methods:30 TW patients (24 men, 6 women, mean age 51 years) were served as TW group and 10 subjects with individual normal occlusion were served as control group (7 men, 3 women, mean age 40.5 years). All cases were examined by means of K6-1 Evaluation System manufactured by Myotronics US. The traces of the mandibular opening-closing movement and border movement were recorded.Results:During the movement from mandible posture position(MPP) to intercuspal position(ICP), the TW patients showed unstable characteristic. The velocity showed no significant difference between the two groups during opening and closing, but the congruence and smoothness of traces during the mandibular opening-closing and border movements in the TW patients were a little worse than the controls; and the TW patients had less mandibular movement index(MMI) than the controls(P

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Coronary Occlusion ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; Fluoroscopy ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiodermatitis ; etiology ; Treatment Failure

It is an urgent task to transform scientific research achievements on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) into standard for the science and technology workers of TCM. The transformation not only improves the level of TCM standard, but also promotes the scientific research achievement on TCM into productivity. The Medium and Long-Term Strategic Development Plan for TCM Standardization issued by the State Administration of TCM of the People's Republic of China put forward reinforcement of study on method for transformation of TCM scientific research achievement into standard. Thus, this paper presented seven steps for the transformation on the basis of the TCM Standardization Regulation (trial) in order to provide some references.

Objective To explore the effect of brain derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF) on the birth weight and the brain weight of newborn rats with intrauterine growth retardation(IUGR).Methods Female and male Sprague-Dawley rats were mated together and the vaginal plug formation after mating was for pregnancy diagnosis.The day when the plug was observed was considered day 1 of gestation.Then,the pregnant rats were divided into IUGR group and sham surgery group.On day 17 of gestation,the uterine arteries of pregnant rats in IUGR group were clamped for 30 min by blood vessel forceps after abdominal cavity with clamping blood uessels was opened.The pegnant rats in sham surgery group only had abdominal cavity opened without clamping blood vessels.Then the pegnant rats in IUGR group received 9 g/L saline(IUGR group) or BDNF 1 ?g injected in the rat through caudal veins for 5 days after surgery(BDNF intervention group).After vaginal birth,the weight of newborn rats and their brain weigh were measured and analyzed.Results Compared with the sham surgery group,the birth weight and brain weight of IUGR group group rats decreased by 24.9% and 17.3%,respectively,the results were significant(Pa

OBJECTIVETo investigate the distribution of monocyte subpopulations and the changes of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), CD163 and CD36 expressions in the peripheral blood of patients with hyperlipidemia of phlegm-stagnancy obstruction syndrome pattern (HLE-PSO), and to evaluate the intervening effects of Qutan Huayu Jiedu (QHJ) herbs on these parameters.

METHODSMonocytes in the peripheral blood were sorted using flow cytometry into 3 subpopulations: the CD14high CD16- (Mo1), the CD14high CD16+ (Mo2a) and the CD14low CD16+ (Mo2b) subpopulation. The percentages of various monocyte subpopulations in 83 patients and 42 matched healthy controls were determined and the levels of their surface receptors TLR4, CD163 and CD36 expressions were assayed with flow cytometer. Furthermore, patients allocated in the tested group (10 patients) and the control group (11 patients) were treated with QHJ Herbs and Qutan Huayu (QH, removing Phlegm and dissolving stagnancy but without detoxication) herbs respectively. The changes of monocyte subpopulations percentage and TLR4, CD163 and CD36 expressions were determined 4 weeks after they received treatment.

RESULTSPercentage of Mo2a subpopulation was significantly higher in HLE-PSO patients than the normal range (5.35 +/- 2.57 vs. 3.09 +/- 2.38, P < 0.01), but the deviation of the other two subpopulations in percentage was insignificant. The TLR4 expression on Mo1 monocyte in patients was lower than normal (50.73 +/- 24.45 vs. 69.92 +/- 21.06, P < 0.01), while CD163 and CD36 expressions of all three subpopulations in patients were similar to those in healthy persons respectively. After 4 weeks of treatment, a significant lowered Mo2a proportions were observed in the tested group (3.73 +/- 1.05 vs. 5.50 +/- 2.06, P = 0.043); but not in the control group (4.20 +/- 1.81 vs. 5.65 +/- 1.89, P = 0.097), while the levels of TLR4, CD163 and CD36 were not significantly altered after treatment in both groups.

CONCLUSIONSThe elevated proportions of Mo2a subpopulation and the lowered TLR4 expression in Mol subpopulation are the characteristic changes in HLE-PSO patients, which might be related with the hyperlipidemia caused immune injury in patients. QHJ herbs could effectively improve the disproportion of Mo2a subpopulation.

Aged ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic ; metabolism ; CD36 Antigens ; metabolism ; Case-Control Studies ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Monocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; Phytotherapy ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; metabolism ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; metabolism

Despite a recent American Heart Association (AHA) consensus statement emphasizing the importance of resistant hypertension (RH), its control is still a challenge for conventional medicine. The Chinese herbal formula, Qutan Huayu Fang, has been used effectively to assist antihypertensive agents in blood pressure control, but its effect for RH patients is still unclear. This pilot study aims to explore the effects of taking the formula in addition to antihypertensive medication in the management of RH.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) standardization serves as an important foundation of TCM modernization and internationalization, and TCM standardization strategy is the core of the subject. Recently, some developed countries and developing countries with a better economic basis have set development strategy for TCM standardization. China is at the beginning on TCM standardization strategy study. This paper explored the methods for setting TCM standardization development strategy. Firstly, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of TCM were analyzed based on SWOT method to set development tactics. On the above basis, the authors defined the total goal and stage goal under the guidance of the relevant laws and regulations. To achieve the strategic goal, priority areas were formed by literature analysis and expert inquiry method, and the safeguard measures were formulated by expert symposium. Secondly, the draft for development strategy of TCM standardization was made based on the above content. Finally, the authors revised and formed the official development strategy of TCM standardization.

Churg-Strauss Syndrome ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged

BACKGROUND:Rapid loss of liver-specific functions of the cultured hepatocytes limits the development of hepatocyte-based therapies. OBJECTIVE:To establish a three-dimensional culture system based on col agen hydrogel that enables to enhance liver-specific functions for a long period during culture of hepatocytes. METHODS:Hepatocytes were isolated from Sprague-Dawley rats and then encapsulated into liquid type Ⅰcol agen solution that was premixed with hepatocyte growth factor and Dulbecco's modified Eagle’s medium to create hepatocyte/col agen hydrogel compounds. The compounds were inoculated into a 96-wel plate. After gelation, culture medium was added. Light microscope, hematoxylin-eosin staining and transmission electron microscopy were used to examine the morphological characteristics and ultrastructure of the cultured hepatocytes. The cellsupernatant was col ected and tested for albumin secretion and urea synthesis. Periodic acid-schiff staining, immunofluorescence staining and quantitative real-time PCR were also used to further clarify liver-specific phenotype or function of the hepatocytes.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) Light microscope revealed that hepatocytes were round shape and distributed uniformly in col agen hydrogel. The three-dimensional hepatocyte culture system exhibited similarities to liver-like structure and tight junction were formed between hepatocytes after 14 days of culture. (2) Within the three-dimensional culture system, hepatocytes remained positive for periodic acid-schiff staining, albumin and hepatocyte nuclear factor-4αpositive after 14-day culture, which provided the convincing evidence of highly differentiated primary hepatocytes with functions of glycogen and albumin synthesis. (3) The albumin and urea productions in the three-dimensional culture system had a significantly higher level than in the two-dimensional culture, and could remain at a high level at least for 15 days. (4) The expression levels of hepatocyte-specific genes including Albumin, HNF-4α, Claudin-3, CYP1A1, CYP3A1 and G6P were significantly improved in the three-dimensional culture as compared with the two-dimensional culture. The col agen hydrogel based three-dimensional culture system provides a valuable model to enhance the hepatocyte functional maintenance and lay the foundation for the development of hepatocyte-based therapy for liver disease.

Air ; analysis ; Chromatography, Gas ; methods ; Ethylene Oxide ; analysis ; Furans ; analysis ; Methylene Chloride ; analysis ; Workplace