OBJECTIVETo explore the intervention of baicalin on signal transduction and activating transcription factor expression of ulcerative colitis (UC) patients.

METHODSRecruited were UC patients at Outpatient Department of Digestive Disease, Inpatient Department of Digestive Disease, Center for Digestive Endoscopy of College City Branch, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Southern Hospital affiliated to Southern Medical University from June 2010 to January 2011. They were assigned to the UC group (33 cases) and the diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) group (30 cases). Another 30 healthy subjects were recruited as a healthy control group. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in vitro intervened by different concentrations baicalin were taken from UC patients. IL23R gene expressions in vitro intervened by different concentrations baicalin were detected using Q-PCR. Expressions of signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4) , STAT6, phosphorylated-STAT4 (p-STAT4), and p-STAT6 were detected using Western blot. Serum levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10 were measured by ELISA. Effects of different concentrations baicalin on expressions of PBMCs, and levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10 of UC patients were also detected.

RESULTSCompared with the negative control group, 40 µmol baicalin obviously decreased IL23R gene expression of UC patients (P <0. 01). Compared with the healthy control group and the IBS-D group, p-STAT4/STAT4 ratios increased, p-STAT6/STAT6 ratios decreased, levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10 all increased in the US group (all P <0. 05). Compared with the negative control, 5 and 10 µmol baicalin groups, 20 and 40 moL baicalin obviously decreased p-STAT4/STAT4 ratios (all P <0. 05); 20 and 40 µmoL baicalin obviously increased p-STAT6/STAT6 ratios (all P <0. 05); 20 and 40 µmoL baicalin obviously lowered levels of IFN-γ and IL-4, and elevated IL-10 levels (all P <0. 05).

CONCLUSION40 µmoL baicalin could in vitro inhibit p-STAT4/STAT4 ratios, adjust p-STAT6/STAT6 ratios and related cytokines, thereby balancing the immunity and relieving inflammatory reactions of UC.

Activating Transcription Factors ; metabolism ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; therapeutic use ; Blotting, Western ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Cytokines ; metabolism ; Flavonoids ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Interleukin-10 ; metabolism ; Interleukin-4 ; metabolism ; Interleukin-6 ; metabolism ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Phosphorylation ; STAT6 Transcription Factor ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction

Brucellosis ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male

Objectives To investigate the role of lymphangiogenesis in the perineural micrometastasis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Methods The clinical data of 30 pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients who were admitted from Sep. 2005 to Oct. 2006 for extended radical surgery were collected. The samples including pancreatic cancer, adjacent tissue, lower bile duct, pancreatic tail, the structure surrounding the SMA (peripancreatic nerve plexus) and lymph nodes were collected during operation. They were subjected to conventional pathological examination. The lymphatic capillaries weredetected by double immunohistochemical staining and the lymphatic vessel density ( LVD) was measured. Results Intra-pancreatic and/or peripancreatic neural invasion was observed in 25 patients (83. 3% ) , of which 20 were found to have both the peri-pancreatic and intra-pancreatic neural invasion. The other 5 only had the intrapancreatic neural fiber invasion and there was no single patient with peri-pancreatic neural fiber invasion only. Peri-neural invasion was not significantly associated with patients' age, gender, lymph node metastasis, tumor size and the location (P > 0.05) , but was obviously associated with JPS clinical staging ( P < 0. 05 ). The mean intratumoral LVD was (4.2 ±3.4) per field, which was significantly lower than (11.3 ±6.9) per field of adjacent tissue and (10.8 ±4.4)per field of normal pancreatic tissue(P<0.01). The mean intratumoral LVD between adjacent tissue and normal pancreatic tissue was not statistically different. Lymphatic vessel invasion was observed in non-malignant tissues in 18 patients, and there was a distribution correlation between lymphatic vessel invasion and extra-pancreatic neural plexus invasion (P<0.05). Conclusions The incidence of peri-neural invasion was high, peri-neural invasion was associated with JPS clinical staging and lymphatic vessel invasion, which suggested the possibility of the cancer spreading by peritumoral lymphangiogenesis route into the peri-SMA neural plexuses.

To study the chemical constituents of the 95% ethanol extract of Psidium guajava. Compounds were separated by using a combination of various chromatographic methods including silica gel, D101 macroporous resin, ODS, Sephadex LH-20 and preparative HPLC. Their structures were elucidated by physicochemical properties and spectral data Eighteen compounds were isolated and identified as (+) -globulol (1), clovane-2beta, 9alpha-diol (2), 2beta-acetoxyclovan-9alpha-ol (3), (+) -caryolane-1 ,9beta-diol (4), ent-T-muurolol (5), clov-2-ene-9alpha-ol (6), isophytol (7), tamarixetin (8), gossypetin (9), quercetin (10), kaempferol (11), guajaverin (12), avicularin (13), chrysin 6-C-glucoside (14), 3'-O-methyl-3, 4-methylenedioxyellagic acid 4'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (15), p-hydroxy-benzoic acid (16), guavinoside A (17) and guavinoside B (18). Compounds 2-9 and 14-16 were isolated from this plant for the first time. The ethanol extract showed 61.3% inhibition against the proliferation of colon cancer cell line SW480.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Organic Chemicals ; analysis ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Psidium ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical effects of combined type external fixator in treating complex tibial metaphyseal fractures.

METHODSFrom January 2007 to July 2012, 34 patients with complex tibial metaphyseal fractures were treated with combined type external fixator in different stagings. There were 23 males and 11 females, with a mean age of 41.3 years (ranged, 16 to 63), and the course of disease were from 1 h to 8 d. In the patients, 31 cases were open fractures, 11 cases with type II, 13 cases with type III A, 7 cases with type III B according with Gustilo classification; 19 cases were tibia plateau fractures, 6 cases with type II, 1 case with type IV, 5 cases with type V, 7 cases with type VI according to Schatzker classification; 15 cases were distal tibial fractures (one were bilateral fractures), 2 fractures with type A2, 1 fracture with type A3, 1 fracture with type C1, 5 fractures with type C2, 7 fractures with type C3 according to AO classification. Rasmussensn scoring system and AOFAS Ankle Hind-foot Scale were respectively used to assess the joint function of knee and hip.

RESULTSWound surface of 19 patients obtained at phase I healing and 15 patients obtained at phase III healing. Superficial wound infections occurred in 2 cases and bone non-union necessitated reoperation occurred in 2 cases (final fractures obtained bone healing after the second operation). All patients were followed up from 6 to 38 months with a mean of 14.3 months. At the final follow-up,according to Rasmussensn scoring system, 5 fractures got excellent results, 11 good, 3 fair, the mean Rasmussen score was 23.58 +/- 3.98; according to AOFAS Ankle Hind-foot Scale, 5 fractures got excellent results, 8 good, 3 fair, the mean AOFAS Ankle Hind -foot Scale was 80.75 +/- 14.21.

CONCLUSIONCombined type external fixator can well maintain the stability of the fractures, had advantages of low incidences of soft tissue complications and less influence to joint motion in treatment of complicated tibial metaphyseal fractures. However there were some limitations in long-term use.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fracture Fixation ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiography ; Recovery of Function ; Tibial Fractures ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Child, Preschool ; Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Spina Bifida Occulta ; diagnosis

OBJECTIVETo determine the number of goblet cells, the change of MUC5AC expression in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and the relationship of smoking with goblet cell, MUC5AC, and lung function.

METHODSEighteen patients undergoing lung resections for a solitary peripheral carcinoma were classified by lung function as having COPD. Twenty patients with normal lung function served as the control group. Normal lobe bronchioles far away from the lesion site were taken for paraffin section. Goblet cells were identified by AB/PAS staining and the expression of MUC5AC in the paraffin's section was tested by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSGoblet cell hyperplasia was observed in the COPD group. The positive rate of goblet cell in COPD group (0.20% +/- 0.10%) was significantly higher than that in the normal lung function group (0.13% +/- 0.06%, P < 0.05). The positive rate of MUC5AC expression in the COPD group (0.27% +/- 0.09%) was higher than that in the normal lung function group (0.20% +/- 0.10%, P < 0.05). The positive rate of goblet cell in smokers (27.93% +/- 9.00%) of the COPD group and normal lung function group was higher than that in non-smokers (17.70% +/- 9.37%, P < 0.05), while MUC5AC expression had no significant difference between smokers and non-smokers (17.88% +/- 6.44% and 10.88% +/- 7.10%, respectively).

CONCLUSIONFor COPD patients with declined lung function, there were goblet cell hyperplasia and increased expression of MUC5AC. MUC5AC expression up-regulation may due to goblet cell hyperplasia. Smoking may be an important factor for goblet cell hyperplasia.

Aged ; Bronchi ; pathology ; Cell Proliferation ; Epithelium ; pathology ; Exocrine Glands ; metabolism ; Goblet Cells ; pathology ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Middle Aged ; Mucin 5AC ; Mucins ; biosynthesis ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; metabolism ; pathology ; Smoking ; Up-Regulation

Accidents, Occupational ; statistics & numerical data ; China ; epidemiology ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo investigate the operative management and surgical techniques for lumber disc herniation (LDH) in aged patients (>or=65 years).

METHODSFrom 2005 to 2010,the data of 43 patients with LDH underwent surgical treatment were retrospectively analyzed. There were 25 males and 18 females,aged from 65 to 70 years old with an average of 67.6 years. The course of disease was from 6 weeks to 7 years with an average of 10.2 years. Fenestratiodn discectomy or extended fenestration discectomy and unilateral or bilateral fenestration were used according to the conditions of location,type of herniated macleos polposus and nerve root compression. Among the patients,the nerve root canal was enlarged,hyperplastic osteophyma and soft tissue were removed, bilateral articular process was reserved in order to maintain the stability of the lumbar segment.

RESULTSAll the patients were followed up from 1.2 to 5.2 years. According to the criteria of HU you-gu, 25 cases got excellent results, 15 good, 2 fair and 1 poor. No infection or nerve injury was found. Nerve function of patients had a normal or near normal recovery.

CONCLUSIONFor the treatment of LDH in aged patents,it is key that reasonably choose the operative method, completely remove the hyperplasy of diseased region and enlarge the nerve root canal, thoroughly loose the nerve root.

Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Male ; Retrospective Studies