To evaluate the significance of plasma ACTH (pACTH), serum cortisol (SC) and urinary free cortisol UFC as well as low or high dose dexamethasone suppression test in Cushing syndrome, the levels of hormones were evaluated in 136 cases of Cushing syndrome. It was found that the levels of SC and UFC were elevated in almost all the 121 patients with Cushing syndrome. The mean levels of pACTH were higher in 86 patients with Cushing disease and lower in 36 cases with adrenocortical tumor or ACTH independent nodular adrenocortical hyperplasia (AINAH) than those in normal subjects. The ACTH levels might be in normal range in many patients with Cushing syndrome, but they were higher in patients with Cushing disease and lower in the patients with adrenocortical tumor or AINAH than those of the high limit at ACTH0am in normal subjects. It was a common feature that the diurnal rhythm of hormone secretion disappeared and the hormone levels were not suppressed by low dose dexamethasone suppression test in the patients with Cushing syndrome. In more than 90% of the patients with adrenocortical tumor or AINAH the levels of SC and UFC were not suppressed by high dose dexamethasone. In 12 of clinically cured patients with Cushing disease the levels of pACTH8am, SC8am and UFC were normal or even low. The pACTH levels were low in two patients with iatrogenic Cushing syndrome. The results suggested that examinations of SC, UFC and low dose dexamethasone suppression test were very important in the diagnosis of Cushing syndrome. The pACTH level was a key parameter to distinguish Cushing disease from adrenocortical tumor or AINAH.

Animals ; Cardiac Electrophysiology ; Heart Atria ; innervation ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Vagus Nerve ; physiology

? AlM: To examine choroidal thickness and its relationship with axial length and spherical equivalent by spectral domain optical coherence tomography ( SD -OCT ) in patients with myopic choroidal neovascularization ( mCNV) .
?METHODS: We prospectively recruited 30 cases of mCNV in Beijing Anzhen Hospital from October 2010 to December 2014. SD-OCT was used to measure choroidal thickness subfoveally and at 1. 5mm superiorly, inferiorly, nasally and temporally ( SFCT, SCT1. 5mm , lCT1. 5mm , NCT1. 5mm , TCT1. 5mm ) . Paired t- test was conducted to assess the difference of spherical equivalent, axial length and choroidal thickness between mCNV group and controls. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the correlation between spherical equivalent, axial length, choroidal thickness and mCNV.
?RESULTS: The difference of spherical equivalent and axial length between mCNV group and controls was not significant (P>0. 05). lnferior was decreased in mCNV group compared with controls (140. 85±33. 46μm vs 168. 95±45. 36μm). The difference was significant (P=0. 008). Logistic regression demonstrated that decreased choroidal thickness ( lCT1. 5mm ) at inferior location was associated with mCNV (OR=2. 12;95%CI 1. 35~3. 28;P=0. 02).
?CONCLUSlON: The decrease of lCT1. 5MM may be one of the risk factors of mCNV.

Our previous research indicated that the Streptomyces pactum Act12 (Act12) had a certain promotional effect on tanshinone accumulation and up-regulated the expression of genes 3-hydroxy-3-methyglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR) and 1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR) in Salvia miltiorrhiza hairy roots. This study focuses on the roles of reactive oxygen species in S. pactum Act12-induced tanshinone production in S. miltiorrhiza hairy roots. The 4% Act12, 4% Act12 + CAT and 4% Act12 + SOD were added to S. miltiorrhiza hairy root and subcultured for 21 days, the dry weight, contents of reactive oxygen species, contents of tanshinones and expression of HMGR and DXR were determined at different harvest-time. The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in S. miltiorrhiza hairy roots was triggered by 4% Act12 treatment. The relative expressions of genes HMGR and DXR in 4% Act12 treatment were 32.4 and 4.8-fold higher than those in the control. And the total tanshinone in the hairy roots was 10.2 times higher than that of the control. The CAT and SOD could significantly inhibit the ROS accumulation and relative expressions of genes HMGR and DXR in 4% Act12 treatment, which induced the total tanshinone content was decreased by 74.6% comparing with the 4% Act12 treatment. ROS mediated Act12-induced tanshinone production. The Act12 may be via the ROS signal channel to activate the tanshinone biosynthesis pathways. Thereby the tanshinon content in hairy roots was increased.
Aldose-Ketose Isomerases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Diterpenes, Abietane ; biosynthesis ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Plant Roots ; enzymology ; genetics ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; enzymology ; genetics ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Secondary Metabolism ; Streptomyces ; physiology

Acute Disease ; Child ; Cytokines ; blood ; Humans ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic ; blood ; immunology

Ectopia Cordis ; surgery ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of relaxing needling plus joint needling from the Internal Medicine in treating post-stroke spastic hemiplegia.MethodTotally 121 eligible subjects were randomized intoan ordinary acupuncture group (61 cases) and a relaxing-joint needling group (60 cases). The two groups were treated for 2 weeks, 5 sessions each week. The spasm of the lower limb was evaluated by using Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale (FMA), modified AshworthScale (MAS), Tardieu Scale, and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) before and after treatment. Besides, 4 patients from each group were randomly selected for the three-dimensional gait analysis, and the dorsi-extension, range of motion (ROM) of ankle, strephenopodia, and heel-raising height were observed.Result and ConclusionRelaxing-joint needling and ordinary acupuncture both can produce significant efficacies in treating post-stroke spastic hemiplegia. The relaxing-joint needling produced more significant efficacies in improving the body balance, ROM, muscular tension, and lower limb spasticity compared to ordinary acupuncture. It’s plausible that relaxing-joint needling improves the strephenopodia and hemiplagia gait through renovating body balance, ROM, muscular tension, and lower limb spasticity. Since the three-dimensional gait analysis can analyze the dorsi-extension, strephenopodia, and heel-raising height, thus it can be used to evaluate the change of the spastic gait of post-stroke hemiplegia in amore objective, elaborate, and correct way.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of acupuncture at the ghost points on anxiety and depression in methamphetamine (MA)-dependent subjects.MethodSixty MA-dependent males were randomized into a control group, acupuncture groupⅠand acupuncture groupⅡ. The control group didn’t receive any intervention; inacupuncture groupⅠ, bilateral Neiguan (PC6), Shenmen (HT7), Sanyinjiao (SP6), and Jiaji points (EX-B2) were selected; Shuigou (GV26), Shangxing (GV23), Chengjiang (CV24), and bilateral Daling (PC7), Jianshi (PC5), Shenmai (BL62), and Quchi (LI11) were selected in acupuncture groupⅡ. For the three groups, treatment was given three times a week, totally for 12 times. The Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) were observed before treatment, and respectively after 1, 2, 3, and 4-week treatment.ResultAfter the first-week treatment, the HAMA and HAMD scores in acupuncture groupⅡwere significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05);afterthe second, third, and fourth week, the HAMA and HAMD scores in acupuncture groupⅠandⅡwere significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05); after the second and third week, the HAMD score in acupuncture groupⅡwas significantly lower thanthat in acupuncture groupⅠ(P<0.05). However, after 4-week treatment, there was no significant difference in comparing the HAMD score between the two acupuncture groups (P>0.05).ConclusionAcupuncture at the ghost points and at the effective points selected according to previous studies both can improve anxiety and depression state in MA-dependent subjects, but acupuncture at the ghost points can possibly produce a more significant effect in improving depression state in MA-dependent subjects in the midway of the treatment.

Objective To select the calibrator for the conventional measurement system of serum a-Amylase (Amy).Methods The Amy levels of forty frozen serum samples were detected by the IFCC reference method (reference system),the conventional system A which used the Bioassay routine reagent and Randox calibrator,and was calibrated by the Roche PNPG7 method,and the conventional system B which used the Bioassay routine reagent and Randox calibrator,and was calibrated by the Rondox liquid stable PNPG7 method,respectively,and the acceptability of the two conventional systems was evaluated.Results The regression equations of the measurement values between the IFCC reference method and the conventional systems A and B were Y =0.964X +0.376 and Y =1.095X + 3.131,respectively.Among them,X and Y represented the results of the IFCC reference method and the conventional system,respectively.Compared with the IFCC reference method,the results of the conventional system A was reliable.Condusion With the guidance of the IFCC reference method,the domestic biochemical reagents matched with the suitable calibrators may provide the acceptable results.

The secretion and localization of epididymal specific proteins ESP-1, ESP-2 were systematically studied by the PAGE-western blot and ABC immunocytochemical technique in the epididymis of the rabbit. The results indicated that ESP-1 and ESP-2 represented the rabbit epididymal specific proteins of 42 kd and 20 kd, respectively. They were immunoeytochemically negative in the testis, heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney and skeletal muscle of the rabbit as well as testis and epididymis of the rat. However, in the rabbit epididymis, except the initial segment ESP-1 and ESP-2 were started to be positive from caput segment. The ESP-1 was displyed in the supranuclear area of the principle cells, while the ESP-2 was distributed evenly in the whole cytoplasm of it. Subsequently, the most heavy positive reaction was demonstrated in the corpus epididymis and the proximal segment of cauda. In contrast of the caput, the stereocilia of principle cells and lumen sperms of the cauda epididymis were positive also. However, in the distal segment of cauda the positive reaction in cytoplasm of principle cells was gradually decreased and became disappeared completely soon, while the stereocilia of it still remained heavy positive even in that of vas deferens. The epithelium of prostate gland and seminal vesicle were negative. These results indicated that both ESP-1 and ESP-2 were secretory proteins produced mainly in the principle cells of the corpus epididymis. After releasing into the lumen, they took part of epididymal fluid and might bind on the sperm to regulate sperm maturation. The possible physiological significance of ESP-1 and ESP-2 was discussed.