Objective To investigate the feasibility and role of single-dose three-dimensional dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography(SD 3D DCEMRA)in evaluating soft-tissue hemangioma of limbs.Methods The transit time(TT),signal intensity of peak enhancement(SPE)and duration of peak enhancement(DPE)of the femoral,popliteal and anterior tibial arteries at the level of the middle section were assessed in 30 healthy volunteers after intravenous bolus injection of single-dose contrast media at the rate of 3 ml/s.Forty-five patients with soft-tissue hemangioma and 9 patients with schwannoma of the extremities underwent both conventional MRI and SD 3D DCEMRA.The acquisition time of SD 3D DCEMRA ranged from 10 to 12 s,and early arterial,late arterial and venous phases of SD 3D DCEMRA images were acquired consecutively.The conventional MRI and SD 3D DCEMRA findings of the 45 patients with hemangioma were observed and compared with those of the 9 cases of sehwannoma.Results(1)The TT,SPE and DPE of the femoral,poplitcal and anterior tibial arteries were(15?5)s,(400?50),(11.9? 2.6)s;(19?7)s,(320?45),(16.8?3.6)s and(27?10)s,(270?39),(22.0?6.6)s respectively. The comparison of TT(F=6.91,P0.01).The tumoral feeding artery was visualized in all cases(100%).(3)Two cases of hemangioma missed on conventional MRI were correctly diagnosed on SD 3D DCEMRA owing to the visualization of both the tumoral mass and the feeding artery.(4)For schwannoma,neither the dynamic visualization of tumoral mass nor the feeding artery was demonstrated on SD 3D DCEMRA.Conclusion SD 3D DCEMRA is technically feasible to evaluate the limb soft-tissue hemangioma.Dynamic visualization of tumoral mass and demonstration of the tumoral feeding artery are the characteristic features of the tumor on SD 3D DCEMRA.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinical outcomes rating scale for heart failure (HF) based on patients' report.

METHODSTCM clinical outcomes rating scale for HF (TCM-HF-PRO) were evaluated based on 340 HF patients' report from multiple centers. The completion of the investigation was recorded. Cronbach's α coefficient and split-half reliability were used for reliability analysis, and factor analysis was used to assess the construct validity of the rating scale. Pearson correlation analysis was then used for criterion validity analysis. Discriminant analysis was used to assess the responsiveness of the scale. All 340 HF patients having complete TCM-HF-PRO data were assigned to the treatment group and the control group by central randomization. The total TCM-HF-PRO scores of the two groups were compared using paired t-test to reflect the longitude responsiveness of the scale before treatment and at week 2 after treatment.

RESULTS(1) The recycling rate of the scale was 100.0%. One of them was not filled completely, which was rejected thereby. So the completion rate was 99.7%. The completion time for TCM-HF-PRO scale ranged 15 to 25 min. (2) The Cronbach's α coefficient of rating scale was 0.903, split-half reliability was 0.844 and 0.849. (3) Confirmatory factor analysis showed that 7 factors and items formed according to maximum load factor basically coincided with the construct of the rating scale, 7 factors accumulated contribution rate was 43.8%. TCM clinical outcomes rating scale for HF based on patients' report was relatively better correlated with the Minnesota living with HF questionnaire (r = 0.726, P < 0.01). (4) Discriminant analysis showed that the rating scale correctly classified more than 78.8% of case studies having confirmed initial differential diagnosis by experts. The total scale of the rating scale decreased more in the two group after treatment, with significant difference as compared with before treatment (P < 0.01.

CONCLUSIONTCM clinical outcomes rating scale for HF based on patients' report had good reliability, validity and responsiveness, hence it could be used to assess clinical efficacy for HF patients.

Diagnosis, Differential ; Discriminant Analysis ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Heart Failure ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; standards ; Reproducibility of Results ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Objective To investigate the effect of mild hypothermia on glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78) expression in hippocampus following transient cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in aged rats.Methods One hundred and forty-four male aged Sprague-Dawley rats,weighing 450-550 g,were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=48 each): sham operation group (group S),I/R group and mild hypothermia group (group H).Global cerebral I/R was induced by 4-vessel occlusion method.Bilateral vertebral arteries were permanently occluded by cauterization,and bilateral carotid arteries were occluded for 5 min.The surface cooling was started immediately after reperfusion and maintained for 3 h.During surface cooling,the body temperature was maintained at 32-34 ℃(rectal).At 6,12,24 and 48 h of reperfusion,the expression of GRP78 was determined using immuno-histochemisty and Western blot,and the viable neurons in CA1 area were counted.Results The number of viable neurons was significantly smaller at each time point,and the expression of GRP78 was significantly higher at 6,12 and 24 h of reperfusion,while lower at 48 h of reperfusion in I/R group,and the number of viable neurons was significantly smaller,and the expression of GRP78 was significantly higher at each time point in group H than in group S (P＜ 0.05).The number of viable neurons was significantly larger at 12,24 and 48 h of reperfusion,and the expression of GRP78 was significantly higher at each time point in group H than in group I/R (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Mild hypothermia can further up-regulate GRP78 expression in hippocampus following transient cerebral I/R in aged rats,thus reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress and cerebral I/R injury.

The combination of the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and Delphi method can overcome the strong subjectivity and poor authority in the simple use of AHP, get rid of the shackles of established thinking and take fully advantages of the experiences of experts' knowledge. By a set of quantitative calculation method, we can determine the relative importance of each factor or the relative weight of the order value, thus providing the support for clinical decision making. In this article, on the basis of the combination of AHP and Delphi method, the authors explore the Chinese medicine etiology of coronary heart disease.
Biomedical Research ; Decision Support Techniques ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Software

Since Chinese herbal drugs and their preparations were usually applied in combining with digoxin in modern clinical practice, high attention was accordingly widely paid to their impacts on the pharmacokinetics of digoxin. The researches in the recent years dealing with this topic were reviewed in the paper, involving the Chinese herbs, including Radix Ginseng, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Venenum Bufonis, Folium Seu Cortex Nerii Indici, St John's wort, Fructus Crataegi, and Semen Ginkgo, as well as the Chinese herbal preparations including Shengmai Injection, Milkvetch Injection, Liushen Pill, Kyushin, and Di'ao Xinxuekang, etc.
Animals ; Drug Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacokinetics ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

AIM:To investigate the influence of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3)on Warburg effect in the malignant transformation of WB-F344 rat hepatic oval cells.METHODS:The WB-F344 cells were treated with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine(MNNG)and hydrogen peroxide(H2O2)to induce the malignant trans-formation.Evaluation of the transformed cells were measured by the soft agar colony formation assay and DNA aneuploidy with flow cytometry.The levels of glucose and lactate in the culture medium of the cells were detected by chromatography. The protein levels of alpha-fetoprotein(AFP),STAT3,p-STAT3 and glucose transporter 2(GLUT2)in the cells were ex-amined by Western blot analysis.The cell proliferation were evaluated by WST-1 assay,viable cell counting,measuring the S-phase fraction(SPF)and proliferation index(PI)using the data from flow cytometry analysis,and detecting proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA)protein expression by Western blot.RESULTS:Compared with the control cells,the forma-tion of colonies in soft agar(P<0.05)and DNA aneuploidy(P<0.01)were elevated in transformed cells,and the ex-pression level of AFP was also augmented(P<0.05).The increases in the level of both glucose consumption(P<0.05) and lactate production(P<0.01)show that Warburg effect was enhanced in transformed cells.Meanwhile, the protein levels of GLUT2(P<0.01)and p-STAT3(P<0.01)in transformed cells were higher than those in the control cells.The cell proliferation parameters including SPF(P<0.01),PI(P<0.01), viable cell number and PCNA expression(P<0.01)in transformed cells were also elevated as compared with the control cells.Interestingly, stattic, an inhibitor of STAT3 activation,resulted in declines in glucose consumption(P<0.05)and lactate production(P<0.01)in the trans-formed cells.In addition,compared with transformed cells,formation of colonies in soft agar(P<0.01),DNA aneuploidy (P<0.01),AFP(P<0.05), GLUT2(P<0.05), and cell proliferation parameters including SPF(P<0.01), PI (P<0.01),viable cell number(P<0.05)and PCNA expression(P<0.05)were also decreased following stattic treat-ment in transformed cells.CONCLUSION:STAT3 promotes Warburg effect and cell proliferation probably by upregula-ting GLUT2 expression in the malignant transformation of hepatic oval cells.

Objective To evaluate the application effect of meticulous management mode on prevention and control of infection related to pharmacy intravenous admixture service(PIVAS). Methods Qualified detection results of hygiene status of object surface,air culture quality,hand hygiene of medical staff in PIVAS in a hospital from Janu-ary 2014 to December 2016 were investigated,meticulous management measures were taken to intervene and analyze the detection results.Results The qualified rates of hand hygiene in 2014-2016 were 68.18%,81.82%,and 100.00% respectively,hand hygiene qualified rates in different years were statistically different(χ2=2.993,P=0.019). Qualified detection rates of surface of small objects,surface of horizontal laminar flow hoods,surface of biosafety cabinets,and air quality of dressing room Ⅰ and Ⅱ in PIVAS all increased to 100% in 2016.Conclusion Strengthening meticulous management of the internal work of PIVAS can effectively improve staff's standardized operation.

Autopsy ; Coxsackievirus Infections ; Enterovirus ; isolation & purification ; Enterovirus B, Human ; isolation & purification ; Enterovirus Infections ; Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease ; pathology ; virology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male

Danshen,an efficacious agent for cardiovascular diseases,has been found to play an essential role in kidney injury.In the present study,the effect of Danshen on cisplatin-induced renal dysfunction was investigated in a mouse model.Danshen was administered to mice at a dose of 3 g/kg 4 days before and 3 days after cisplatin treatment.A single intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/kg cisplatin was used to induce nephrotoxicity.The mice were sacrificed 72 h after cisplatin intoxication.Biochemical parameters including serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen were analyzed.Histopathological changes of kidney tissues were detected using HE staining.Antioxidant enzymes (GSH-Px and SOD) and peroxidative product (MDA) were detected.Protein expressions of Nrf2 and its target genes including HO-1 and NQO1 were measured by Western blotting.The results showed that pretreatment with Danshen significantly reduced serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen in the cisplatin-treated mice.Histopathological examination showed that Danshen mitigated the renal damage induced by cisplatin.Moreover,Danshen restored the activities of antioxidant enzymes (GSH-Px and SOD) and normalized the MDA contents in renal tissues.Western blotting revealed that Danshen enhanced the expressions of Nrf2 and its target genes in cisplatin-exposed mice.It was suggested that Danshen protects against the cisplatin-induced renal impairment in the mice,which is potentially associated with the upregulation of Nrf2-mediated signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVETo look for the active fraction of ethanol extract of Genkwa Flos (EGF) induced hepatotoxicity and develop an UPLC fingerprint of the active fraction.

METHODTarget fraction of EGF induced hepatotoxicity was guided by the serum biochemical and histopathology methods. The UPLC method was applied to establish the chromatographic fingerprint. The separation was achieved on a BEH C18 column (2.1 mm x 50 mm, 1.7 microm) with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and water containing 0.05% phosphate acid running gradient elution. The detection was carried out at 210 nm and the analysis was finished within 10 min.

RESULTThe chloroform phase of EGF could be responsible for the hepatotoxicity of this herb. The common mode of the UPLC fingerprint was set up under the established condition. There were 17 common peaks in fourteen batches of herbs, eight of which were identified, and the similar degrees of the fourteen batches to the common mode were between 0.890-0.999.

CONCLUSIONIt is easy to locate the chloroform extraction of EGF with hepatotoxicity. And the UPLC fingerprint was developed for the above fraction, which could provide valuable references for safe and effective clinical use of EGF.

Animals ; Asteraceae ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; toxicity ; Flowers ; chemistry ; Humans ; Liver ; drug effects ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar