Objective: To analyze the relationship between thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor ( TAFI ) and coronary heart disease ( CHD ), and to provide evidence for the prevention of CHD. Methods: The patients with CHD in Fushun Central Hospital in Liaoning Province were selected as the case group, the patients without CHD in the same hospital and period were selected as the control group. The demographic information and clinical examination results ( serum TAFI, lipid, glucose, etc. ) were collected to analyze the association between TAFI and CHD by logistic regression models.The multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between TAFI and CHD. Results: There were 222 cases, including 100 cases of stable angina, 44 cases of unstable angina and 78 cases of acute myocardial infarction, and 222 controls. The median ages of cases and controls were 62 and 57 years old. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that serum TAFI>22.88 μg/mL ( P75 of controls ) was associated with the risk of CHD ( OR=1.619, 95%CI: 1.011-2.593 ), unstable angina ( OR=2.917, 95%CI: 1.433-5.939 ) and acute myocardial infarction ( OR=2.626, 95%CI: 1.007-6.847 ). Conclusion The high level of TAFI is related to CHD, unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction.

In recent years, layer-by-layer self-assembly (LbL) has developed rapidly. It has been widely used in various industries such as medicine and metallurgy because of its simplicity, flexibility and controllability. In the study of drug delivery system, hollow microcapsules constructed by LbL method as drug carrier have great advantages in drug release, circulation in vivo and bioavailability, providing a technical platform for targeted drug release. In this paper, we summarize the types of film-forming materials and the driving force used in LbL technology, the way of loading drug into hollow micro capsule, and the variety of loaded drugs. We focus on the release mechanism, its evaluation and safety evaluation of self-assembled film as drug carrier in vivo and in vitro. The review shows the great application prospect of LbL technology in the field of drug delivery.

OBJECTIVESTo investigate mechanism for the increasing level of serum vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) in tumour patients during radiotherapy and the inhibitory action of the antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (AS-ODN) to the expression of VEGF protein by radiotherapy in the prostate cancer cell line (PC3M).

METHODSTo observe the changes of serum VEGF in the prostate cancer patients during radiotherapy dynamically and the inhibitory action of the antisense oligodeoxynucleotide to the expression of VEGF by radiotherapy in PC3M.

RESULTSThe changes of serum VEGF in three patients receiving radiotherapy had been observed continuously. The levels of serum VEGF began to increase when the patients received radiotherapy and rised up to peak value after fifteen days, then declined to the range of pre-radiotherapy. Irradiating the PC3M cells with X-rays significantly increased the VEGF expression and secretion. The expression of VEGF protein in the group treated by VEGF AS-ODNs and X-ray irradiation decreased significantly than the group treated only by X-ray irradiation.

CONCLUSIONSThe induction of VEGF protein expression by X-ray irradiation in tumor cells may result in the increasing of the VEGF in the prostate cancer patients during radiotherapy and the induction can be blocked by VEGF AS-ODNs.

DNA, Antisense ; pharmacology ; Endothelial Growth Factors ; antagonists & inhibitors ; blood ; genetics ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; blood ; genetics ; Lymphokines ; antagonists & inhibitors ; blood ; genetics ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; blood ; pathology ; Radiotherapy ; adverse effects ; Tumor Cells, Cultured ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Compound Qingqin Liquid (CQL) on the expression level of angiotensin II (Ang II) and COX-2 mRNA transcription and protein expression in the renal tissue of rats with uric acid nephropathy.

METHODSSD rats were randomly divided into the blank control group, the model group, the positive drug group, the high, moderate, and low dose CQL group according to number randomization principle. The model was established by gastrogavage of adenine, accompanied with yeast feeding. Distilled water was given by gastrogavage to rats in the blank control group and the model group. Allopurinol at the daily dose of 9.33 mg/kg was given by gastrogavage to rats of the positive control group. CQL at the daily dose of 3.77 g/kg, 1.89 g/kg, and 0.09 g/kg was respectively given by gastrogavage to rats in the high, moderate, and low dose CQL groups. All treatment lasted for 6 weeks. Rats were randomly divided at week 4 (3 in the blank control group, and 6 in the rest groups), and the rest rats were killed at week 6. The renal tissue was extracted. The expression level of Ang II and COX-2 mRNA transcription were detected by RT-PCR. The expression level of Ang II was detected by ELISA. The expression level of COX-2 protein was detected by Western blot and immunohistochemical assay.

RESULTSCompared with the blank control group, except the mRNA expression of Ang II at week 4, the mRNA and protein expression of Ang II and COX-2 obviously increased at week 4 and 6 in the model group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The COX-2 protein expression at week 4 was obviously lower in the high and moderate dose CQL groups than in the model group and the low dose CQL group (P < 0.05); the average integral of optical density value was obviously lower in the positive control group than in the model group. Except the mRNA expression of Ang II in the high dose CQL group at week 6, the mRNA and protein expression of Ang II obviously decreased in the positive control group and each dose CQL group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Of them, the effects were better in the high and moderate dose CQL groups than in the positive control group and the low dose CQL group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Besides, the mRNA expression of COX-2, the average integral of optical density value were obviously lower in the positive control group and each dose CQL group than in the model group (P < 0.05). The protein expression of COX-2 was obviously lower in the high and moderate dose CQL groups than in the model group (P < 0.05). Of them, the mRNA expression of COX-2 was better in the moderate dose CQL group than in the positive control group (P < 0.05); the protein expression of COX-2 was better in the high dose CQL group than in the low dose CQL group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCQL was capable of lowering the expression level of Ang II, COX-2 mRNA transcription and protein expression, thus suppressing the inflammatory pathological injury of the renal tissue.

Angiotensin II ; metabolism ; Animals ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Kidney ; metabolism ; Kidney Diseases ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Uric Acid

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of compound qingqin liquid (CQL) on Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in rats with urate nephropathy, and to explore its renal protection mechanism.

METHODSTotally 55 SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, i.e., the normal control group (n =5), the model group (n =10), the positive drug group (n=10), and the high-, medium-, low-dose CQL groups (n=10) respectively. The urate nephropathy model was induced by intragastrically administering adenine and feeding yeast. Distilled water was intragastrically administered at the daily dose of 10 mL/kg to rats in the normal control group and the model group. Allopurinol was intragastrically administered at the daily dose of 9.33 mg/kg to rats in the positive control group. CQL was intragastrically administered at the daily dose of 3.77, 1.89, 0.94 g/kg to rats in the high-, medium-, and low-dose CQL groups. Rats of each group were executed in batches at the 4th and 6th week respectively. Their kidney tissues were taken out to determine the mRNA transcription level of TLR2 and TLR4 by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The protein expression level of TLR2 and TLR4 were determined by Western blot. The protein expression level of TLR4 was also detected by immunohistochemical assay.

RESULTSAt week 4 and 6, the protein expression of TLR2 and TLR4 as well as the mRNA transcription of TLR4 increased in the model group, when compared with the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, there was no statistical difference in the transcription level of TLR2 mRNA or TLR4 mRNA among the 3 CQL groups (P > 0.05) at week 4 and 6. Additionally, at week 6, the protein expression of TLR4 and TLR2 could be reduced by CQL (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONCQL might protect kidney tissue against inflammatory injury by inhibiting the protein expression levels of TLR2 and TLR4.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Kidney ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Kidney Diseases ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Toll-Like Receptor 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Uric Acid

OBJECTIVETo explore the molecular mechanism of exocrine immune inflammatory injury of Sjögren's Syndrome and the intervention of Banxia Qinlian Decoction (BQD).

METHODSTotally 18 female NOD mice were randomly divided into the model group, the positive drug group, and the BQD group, 6 in each group. Six female BALB/c mice were recruited as a blank control group. Mice in the blank control group and the model group were gavaged with deionized water at the daily dose of 0.1 mL/10 g body weight. Tripterygium Tablet was administered by gastrogavage to mice in the positive group at the daily dose of 10 mg/kg. BQD was administered by gastrogavage to mice in the BQD group at the daily dose of 60 g crude drugs/kg. After 12 weeks of medication, mice were sacrificed. Their eyeballs were excised and blood collected. Tissues of bilateral parotids and submandibular glands were kept. mRNA transcriptional levels of IL-17, IL-6, type 3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (M3R), aquaporin protein-5 (AQP5) were detected by RT-PCR. Expression levels of M3R and AQP5 protein were detected by Western blot. Protein expression levels of IL-17 and IL-6 were detected by ELISA.

RESULTSCompared with the normal group, mRNA transcriptional levels and protein expression levels of IL-17, IL-6, M3R, and AQP5 were significantly up-regulated in the model group (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, mRNA transcriptional levels and protein expression levels of IL-17, IL-6, M3R, and AQP5 were significantly down-regulated in the positive drug group and the BQD group with statistical difference (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Compared with the BQD group, mRNA-transcriptional levels of IL-17, IL-6, and M3R, as well as M3R and AQP5 protein expression levels were significantly down-regulated in the positive drug group (all P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe molecular mechanism of BQD in inhibiting SS exocrine neurotoxic injury might be possibly related to regulating Th17/IL-17 immune inflammatory way.

Animals ; Aquaporin 5 ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Interleukin-17 ; metabolism ; Interleukin-6 ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred NOD ; Sjogren's Syndrome ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Submandibular Gland ; Th17 Cells ; Up-Regulation

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of comprehensive rehabilitation treatment on hand burn, and to make a cost-effectiveness analysis.

METHODSSixty-two patients with ninety-eight affected hands were divided into rehabilitation group (32 cases, 48 hands) and control group (30 cases, 50 hands). Patients in rehabilitation group received comprehensive rehabilitation treatment at early stage after burn; patients in control group were given instructions for function training at the same time. The functions of the hands to be restored including grasp, hold, pinch, nip, forearm pronation and supination, fetching, laying, and writing abilities of patients in both groups were quantitatively evaluated with Carroll's upper extremity function test before treatment and 5 months after. Direct medical costs of patients in both groups within 5 months were respectively added up to make a cost-effectiveness analysis.

RESULTSIn rehabilitation group, function of digital opposition, palmar opposition, holding, and pinching of 37 hands recovered well, with which patients could pick food, put on clothes, go to toilet, and self-care etc. independently. Function of digital opposition, palmar opposition, holding, pinching half recovered in 7 hands, accompanied with well recovered of metacarpophalangeal function, but recovery of function of interphalangeal joint was less satisfactory. Although patients could grasp and hold, they were still poor in fine and harmonized activities. Joint ranges of motion of 4 hands were poor with limited function, and this was resulted from not strictly following treatment for remaining granulation wound. In control group, 23 hands received reconstructive surgery, 14 of them recovered with good function, but were poor in most of fine and harmonized activities. Severe claw hands were found in 13 hands. The ratio between total mean cost value and total function increment value in rehabilitation group (181 +/- 11) was obviously lower than that in control group (298 +/- 30, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSComprehensive rehabilitation treatment at early stage after hand burn has a good effect on prevention and treatment of hand deformity, promoting recovery of hand function and improving hand appearance. It is also less costly.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Burns ; rehabilitation ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Female ; Hand Injuries ; rehabilitation ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Rehabilitation ; economics ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical and genetic features of a child with primary ciliary dyskinesia. METHODS: Genomic DNA of the child and her parents was extracted and subjected to targeted gene capture and next generation sequencing. Suspected mutation was verified by Sanger sequencing, with its nature and impact predicted by Bioinformatic analysis. RESULTS: Clinical manifestations of the child mainly included severe pneumonia, bronchiectasia, nasosinusitis and pneumothorax. DNA sequencing showed that she has carried compound heterozygous mutations of the CCNO gene, namely c.848T>C (p.L283P) and c.262_263 insGGCCCGGCCC (p.Q88Rfs*51), which were respectively inherited from her mother and father. CONCLUSION The child was diagnosed with primary ciliary dyskinesia caused by the compound heterozygous mutations of the CCNO gene.
Base Sequence ; Female ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Kartagener Syndrome ; genetics ; Male ; Mutation ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

BACKGROUNDPulsed radiofrequency (PRF) application to the dorsal root ganglia can reduce neuropathic pain (NP) in animal models, but the effect of PRF on damaged peripheral nerves has not been examined. We investigated the effect of PRF to the rat sciatic nerve (SN) on pain-related behavior and SN ultrastructure following chronic constriction injury (CCI).

METHODSThe analgesic effect was measured by hindpaw mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL). Twenty rats with NP induced by ligating the common SN were then randomly divided into a PRF treatment group and a sham group. The contralateral SN served as a control. The MWT and TWL were determined again 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 days after the PRF or sham treatment. On day 14, ipsilateral and contralateral common SNs were excised and examined by electron microscopy.

RESULTSIpsilateral MWT was significantly reduced and TWL significantly shorter compared to the contralateral side 14 days after CCI (both P = 0.000). In the PRF group, MWT was significantly higher and TWL significantly longer 14 days after the PRF treatment compared to before PRF treatment (both P = 0.000), while no such difference was observed in the sham group (P > 0.05). Electron microscopy revealed extensive demyelination and collagen fiber formation in the ipsilateral SN of sham-treated rats but sparse demyelination and some nerve fiber regrowth in the PRF treatment group.

CONCLUSIONSHyperalgesia is relieved, and ultrastructural damage ameliorated after direct PRF treatment to the SN in the CCI rat model of NP.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Male ; Neuralgia ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries ; therapy ; Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sciatic Nerve ; injuries ; Sciatic Neuropathy ; therapy

Objective:To describe the current status of smoking among Chinese people aged 15 and above and analyze its epidemic evolution.Methods:A stratified multi-phased randomized cluster sampling design of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey was used. The cross-sectional survey was conducted from July to December 2018, covering 200 districts/counties in 31 provinces of China. Field data was collected through in-house face-to-face interviews by trained investigators using a tablet computer. 19 376 individual questionnaires were completed, with an overall response rate of 91.50%. The data were weighted for complex sampling and analyzed with SAS 9.4.Results:In 2018, the current smoking prevalence of adults aged 15 and above was 26.59%, with that higher among males (50.47%) than among females (2.07%) and higher among those in rural (28.87%) than among those in urban areas (25.05%). The quitting rate was 20.10%, with a higher rate among females (30.22%) than males (19.64%). However, there was no significant difference between rural and urban areas ( P=0.864). Compared with the previous data, the smoking rate tends to drop, with a substantial decrease among the 25-44 age groups and 45-64 age groups. The most significant decline occurs among those with higher education (Junior college and above). In addition, in 2018, current daily smokers aged 15 and above in China started to smoke daily at an average age of 20.95 years old. For current smokers, 16.00 cigarettes were consumed each day on average. Conclusion:Although the current smoking prevalence among the Chinese population aged 15 and above tends to decrease, the decreasing speed is too slow to achieve the target set in the Healthy China Action (2019-2030). Consequently, much more effective efforts to control tobacco need to be enforced.