AIM: To study the compatible stability of cefepime with 0.5% metronidazole injection.　METHODS: Dual wavelength spectrophotometry and K-ratio spectrophotometry were described for the determination of cefepime with metronidazole injection during 6 h. 　RESULTS: There was no evident variation in content during 6 h at room temperature. The average recovery rates of cefepime and metronidazole were (100.9±0.4)% and (99.8±0.6)% (n=5).　CONCLUSION: The compatiblity of cefepime with metronidazole injection is stable. The method of using dual wavelength spectrophotometry and K-ratio spectrophotometry to determine the compatible stability of cefepime with metronidazole is simple, accurate and usable.

Objective To investigate whether radial augmentation index (AI) associates with cardiovascular risk as well as arterial stiffness.MethodsA total of 4985 subjects, 2417 men and 2568 women, aged 18-96 (50.9 ± 14.7)years,were recruited.AI was measured in the left radial artery using tonometry Colin HEM-9000AI.Carotid-femoral PWV (CFPWV) and carotid-radial PWV (CRPWV) were examined by automatic pulse wave velocity (PWV) measuring system.Framingham risk score and Chinese ischemic cardiovascular disease risk score were applied upon subjects without cardiovascular disease to calculate individual cardiovascular risk respectively.ResultsRadial AI (rAI) was significantly higher in women than in men[(83.18 ± 12.36)％ vs (71.93 ± 15.22)％, P ＜0.01].Simple correlation analysis showed rAI was significantly correlated to two cardiovascular risk scores or CFPWV and CRPWV.After adjusted for multi-factors, rAI was still significantly correlated to Framing, ham risk score or Chinese ischemic cardiovascular disease risk score (r = 0.17 and 0.12) in men respectively (P ＜ 0.05), while r were 0.09 and 0.08 in women respectively (P ＜ 0.05).In multivariate analysis, there was a significant association between CFPWV and rAI (r = 0.14 in men, r = 0.10 in women, P ＜ 0.01), whereas the relation ship between CRPWV and rAI was not found.The relationship between rAI and cardiovascular risk or PWV became weaker for those aged above 50 years.ConclusionAugmentation index might be a useful marker of cardiovascular risk and arterial stiffness, which could be more feasible for younger subjects as a tool for risk differentiation.

Objective BOLD-fMRI was used to observe the activated auditory cortex evoked by pure tone stimuli in patients with sensorineural hearing loss and this paper is to discuss the objective measure for patient with sensorineural hearing toss. Methods BOLD-fMRI examinations were taken in 22 patients with unilateral moderate to severe sensorneural hearing loss and 15 control subjects. The volumes and intensities of the two hemispheres of the activated auditory cortex were analyzed quantitatively. Results Significant activation was found in the temporal lobe in control subjects, and significant differences in the volume and intensity were noted between the contralateral and ipsilateral activated auditory cortexes in them (P<0.01), exhibiting clearly eontralateral predominance. When the normal ear of patients with sensorineural hearing loss received signals, there was no significant difference be-tween contralateral and ipsilateral activated auditory cortexes (P>0.05). Conclusion When the normal ear of pa-tients with sensorneural hearing loss was stimulated by pure tone, the contralateral hemisphere predominance disap-peared. This result seems to show the plasticity of auditory cortex of patients with unilateral hearing loss.

Objective To explore the effect of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) on epigenetic histone lysine acetylation in the plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) promoter and transcribe regions in glomerular mesangial cells (GMCs).Methods Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay and real-time quantitative PCR were used to detect Histone3K9 acetylation (H3K9Ac) in the PAI-1 promoter and transcribe regions induced by TGF-β1 and high glucose.Immunoprecipitation was also used to see the cooperation of Smad3,CBP and Sp1 proteins.Results In the four target regions of PAI-1 promoter,TGF-β1 treatment enhanced H3K9Ac at P1,P2 and P3 in GMCs (P ＜ 0.05),but no change was seen in the P4 region which was far from the transcription starting site.TGF-β1 obviously induced H3K9Ac in the T1 transcribe region of PAI-1 instead of T2 (P ＜ 0.05).High glucose increased PAI-1 mRNA expression and H3K9Ac around P1 promoter region (P＜ 0.05).TGF-β1 neutralizing antibody abrogated high glucose-induced H3K9Ac at PAI-1 promoter (P ＜ 0.01).TGF-β1 treatment could recruit Smad3 and CBP protein binding to the PAI-1 promoter regions (P1,P2,P3),and induce their cooperation in GMCs,which were responsing to TGF-β1 associated H3K9Ac.Conclusion TGF-β1 can induce H3K9Ac in the promoter and transcribe regions of PAI-1,promote Smad3 recruition and cooperation with Sp1 and CBP,which are associated with PAI-1 gene's regulation in GMCs.

Objective:To study urine albumin excretion (UAE) and its related factors in patients with essential hyper‐tension (EH) .Methods :A total of 113 EH patients without significant target organ damage were enrolled as EH group ,while another 92 healthy subjects were regarded as healthy control group .Ratio of morning urinary albumin to creatinine was measured and regarded as UAE index .Plasma homocysteine (Hcy) ,serum uric acid ,creatinine , blood urea nitrogen ,blood glucose ,blood lipids etc .levels were measured ,and compared between two groups Re‐sults:Compared with healthy control group ,there were significant rise in UAE ,body mass index (BMI) ,waist hip ratio ,blood pressure ,pulse pressure ,heart rate ,plasma levels of triglyceride (TG) ,low density lipoprotein choles‐terol (LDL‐C) ,serum uric acid and Hcy (P<0.05 or <0.01) ,and significant reduction in level of high density lip‐oprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) in EH group ( P=0.001) .Pearson correlation analysis indicated that lgUAE was pos‐itively correlated with lgTG (r=0.257 ,P=0.015) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR ,r=0.284 ,P=0.007) ,and inversely correlated with lg creatinine (r= -0.277 ,P=0.008) in healthy control group ,while in EH group ,lgUAE was positively correlated BMI (r=0.231 ,P=0.014) ,lgTG (r=0.200 ,P=0.034) and lgHcy (r=0.244 , P=0.009) .Muti-factor gradual regression analysis indicated that lg TG (β=0.265 ,P=0.001) and lg Hcy (β=0.170 , P=0.012) were independently positively correlated with lg UAE , R2 =0.112.Conclusion:UAE level significantly rises in EH patients ,and it′s significantly positively correlated with plasma levels of TG and Hcy .

AIM To investigate the effects of pioglitazone on cardiac hypertrophy in vitro. METHODS Hypertrophy in neonatal rat cardiac myocytes (MC) and cardiac nonmyocytes (NMC) was established with angiotensinⅡ (AngⅡ). mRNA expression of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) was measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR). MTT assay and 3H TdR uptake was used to estimate proliferation of NMC. The surface area of MC was analyzed by the aid of NIH Image J software, and the synthetic rate of protein in MC was detected by 3H leucine incorporation. RESULTS In the condition of hypertrophy, increases of surface area,mRNA expression of ANP and BNP and 3H leucine incorporation in MC and an increase of proliferation in NMC were detected, but no changes in mRNA expression of ANP and BNP in NMC. Pioglitazone inhibited the changes above and reduced mRNA expression of ANP and BNP in NMC in a dose dependent manner. CONCLUSION The results demonstrate that pioglitazone inhibits cardiac hypertrophy in vitro and it suggests that pioglitazone has a potential role in the prevention and treatment of cardiac diseases such as cardiac hypertrophy.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the applicability of integration between three-dimensional (3D) facial and dental data to evaluate the nasolabial morphology variation before and after the cross-arch fixed restoration of the maxillary implant-supported prostheses. METHODS: Twelve patients (4 women and 8 men), mean age (54.82±5.50) years (from 45 to 62 years) referred to the Department of Oral Implan-tology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, were selected and diagnosed with edentulous maxilla. For all the patients, 4 to 6 implants were inserted into the maxilla. Six months later, the final cross-arch fixed prostheses were delivered. The 3D facial images were collected before and after the final restoration. The 3D data of prostheses were also captured. All the 3D data were registered and measured in the same coordinate system. Then the displacement of all the landmarks [cheilion left (CHL), cheilion right (CHR), crista philtri left (CPHL), crista philtri right (CPHR), labrale supe-rius (LS), subnasale (SN), stomion (STO), upper incisor (UI), upper flange border of the prostheses (F-point, F)], and the variation of the distances between these landmarks (SN-LS, CPHR-CPHL, CHR-CHL, LS-STO) were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: The consistency test among three measurements of the length of F-SN indicated that the integration method of the dental prostheses and soft tissue had the good repetitiveness, ICC=0.983 (95%CI: 0.957-0.995). After wearing the final cross-arch maxillary implant-supported prostheses, all the landmarks on the soft tissue moved forward. The nasal base area changed minimally, and the shift of SN in the sagittal direction was only (0.61±0.44) mm. But the sagittal shift of LS was (3.12±1.38) mm. In the vertical direction, SN, LS, CPHL, and CPHR moved upward. But STO, CHL, and CHR moved downward a little. Except for the slight decrease of the length of philtrum (SN-LS), the length of CHL-CHR, CPHL-CPHR, and the height of upper lip were increased together (P < 0.01). In the direction of Z axis, the strong correlations were found not only between the movements of SN and F (r=0.904 3) but also between the movements of LS and UI (r=0.958 4). CONCLUSION The integration method of 3D facial and dental data showed good repetitiveness. And the strong correlations between the landmarks of prostheses and nasolabial soft tissue in the sagittal direction were found by this new method.
Female ; Humans ; Incisor ; Lip ; Male ; Maxilla/surgery* ; Middle Aged ; Mouth, Edentulous ; Prostheses and Implants

China ; Genes, Bacterial ; Sequence Analysis ; Streptococcus suis ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Virulence Factors ; genetics

Chemical constituents of ethyl acetate extract of Illicium burmanicum were isolated and purified by various chromatographic methods,including Silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, C18 reverse-phased silica gel, Preparative TLC and Preparative HPLC. Their structures were identified by spectral analysis including NMR and MS data. Fourteen compounds were separated from I. burmanicum and their structures were identified as 7S,8R-erythro-4,7,9,9'-tetrahydroxy-3,3'-dimethoxy-8-O-4'-neolignan (1), 7R,8R-threo-4,7, 9,9'-tetrahydroxy-3,3 '-dimethoxy-8-O-4'-neolignan(2) ,polystachyol(3), (-) -massoniresinol(4), angustanoic acid F (5), trans-sobrerol(6), (3S,6R) -6,7-dihydroxy-6,7-dihydrolinalool (7), (3S, 6S) -6,7-dihydroxy-6,7-dihydrolinalool (8), 2,6-dimethoxy-4-allyl-phenol (9), 3,5-dihydroxy4-hydroxy benzaldehyde (10), 3-hydroxy4-methoxybenzaldehyde (11), methyl vanillate (12), shikimic acid ethylester (13) and beta-sitosrerol (14). Except compound 14, the rest thirteen compounds were separated from this plant for the first time.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Illicium ; chemistry ; Molecular Structure ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of curcumin on the expression of syndecan-4 protein and p44/42 mitogen- activated protein kinase(MAPK) phosphorylation in rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) induced by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in vitro.

METHODSRat VSMCs cultured in vitro were stimulated for 24 h by 20 ng/ml TNF-α, 20 µmol/L curcumin, or 20 ng/ml TNF-α plus 20 µmol/lL curcumin. /assay was adopted to evaluate the proliferation of the VSMCs, and the expression of syndecan-4 protein and phosphorylated p44/42 MAPK were determined by Western blotting.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control cells, VSMCs exposed to TNF-α showed significantly enhanced proliferation (P/0.01). Curcumin treatment did not obviously affect the growth of otherwise untreated VSMCs(P>0.05), but could significantly suppress TNF-α-induced proliferation of VSMCs (P/0.01). TNF-α treatment also significantly increased the expression of syndecan-4 protein and phosphorylated p44/42 MAPK (P<0.01), which was markedly lowered by treatment with curcumin (P/0.01). Curcumin alone did not produce any obvious effects on the expression of syndecan-4 protein or phosphorylated p44/42 MAPK (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONCurcumin can suppress the proliferation of rat VSMCs and lower the expression of syndecan-4 protein and phosphorylated p44/42 MAPK in TNF-α-induced VSMCs.

Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Curcumin ; pharmacology ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 ; metabolism ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Syndecan-4 ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; pharmacology