BACKGROUND:Both local infiltration analgesia and femoral nerve block are used for the pain management after total knee arthroplasty. Controversy stil remains regarding the optimal technique for pain relief. OBJECTIVE:To systematical y evaluate analgesic effects of local infiltration analgesia and femoral nerve block after total knee arthroplasty. METHODS:Databases including PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science and CBM, were comprehensively searched to identify randomized control ed studies comparing local infiltration analgesia with femoral nerve block. Two reviewers independently selected trials, included literatures, extracted data, and assessed the methodological qualities of included studies according to Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions Version 5.1.0. When there were different opinions, it was decided by the third author. Data were analyzed by RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) Eleven randomized control ed trials involving 566 patients were included. (2) At 24 and 48 hours (h) after surgery, there were no significant differences between the local infiltration analgesia and femoral nerve block groups, in Visual Analog Scale scores [MD24 h=0.15, 95%CI (-0.26, 1.28), P>0.05;MD48 h=0.19, 95%CI (-0.06, 0.44), P>0.05] in the resting state, and [MD24 h=-0.01, 95%CI (-0.51, 0.48), P>0.05;MD48h=0.18, 95%CI (-0.45, 0.82), P>0.05] in the active state, amount of analgesic drug use [MD24 h=-2.23, 95%CI (-5.63, 1.16), P>0.05;MD48 h=2.44, 95%CI (-1.08, 5.95), P>0.05], hospital stay [MD=0.05, 95%CI (-0.40, 0.50), P>0.05], postoperative nausea and vomiting [OR=1.09, 95%CI (0.39, 3.04), P>0.05] and postoperative infection [OR=0.99, 95%CI (0.44, 2.59), P>0.05]. (3) These results indicated that the analgesic effect of local infiltration analgesia was identical to that of femoral nerve block after total knee arthroplasty. Due to its simple operation, local infiltration analgesia can be used as a standard analgesia method after total knee arthroplasty.

Objective To investigate the changes of serum bilirubin level in elderly patients with acute cerebral infarction and its significance.Methods 164 hospitalized elderly patients,who suffered from acute cerebral infarction within 1 week after onset,were divided into 2 groups according to age:group A aged over 60 years(n=85) and group B aged 40-60 years(n=79),and 66 healthy subjects aged over 40 years were collected as controls(group C).Serum bilirubin levels in all subjects were determined.The ratio of pulse pressure over mean arterial pressure(PP/MAP) in group A and B was calculated.Nerve function scores in the three groups were detected before and after 2 weeks of treatment.Meanwhile,the data of risk factors including blood glucose,blood pressure,blood lipids,smoking and drinking in group A and B were collected.Results Compared with group C,serum total,direct,indirect bilirubin levels were increased in group A and B(both P＜0.01),and the change was smaller in group A than in group B(P＜0.05).The nerve function scores was lower in group A than in group B before and after treatment [(35.2±12.6) vs.(44.3±7.9),(40.7±9.1) vs.(51.3± 4.1),t=5.58,9.73,both P＜0.01],but PP/MAP and the numbers of risk factors were higher in group A than in group B [(0.46±0.06) vs.(0.38±0.06),93.01 vs.71.20,both P＜0.01].There were no significant correlations of serum total,direct and indirect bilirubin levels with nerve function scores in group A or B(all P＞0.05).Conclusions Serum bilirubin level is increased in patients with acute cerebral infarction,but the endogenous antioxidant capacity is decreased because of aging,multiple risk factors and more serious atherosclerosis in elderly patients,and the increment of bilirubin level is relatively smaller in acute cerebral ischemia,leading to the reduced protective effect against stress.Serum bilirubin level may influence the prognosis in patients with acute cerebral infarction.

Objective:To explore the role of Semaphorins 3A(Sema 3A) and its receptor Neuropilin-1 (Nrp1) in the development of chronic periodontitis of rats and clinical samples.Methods:20 SD rats were divided into 2 groups.Rats in the experimental group were induced into chronic periodontitis models.Rats in control group were not treated.After 8 weeks,maxilla of all the rats were collected for micro-CT scanning and IHC staining.The distance from cementoenamel junction to alveolar bone crest(CEJ-ABC) and the IOD of Sema3A/Nrp1 positive staining in rats were analyzed.20 clinical samples of chronic periodontitis(n =10) and normal periodontal tissues (n =10) were collected for immunofluorescence and qRT-PCR analysis.Results:The CEJ-ABC distance of chronic periodontitis group was higher than that of the control group(P ＜ 0.05).The IOD of Sema3A/Nrp1 in experimental group was lower than that of the control group (P ＜ 0.05) and with a negative correlation with bone loss (P ＜ 0.05).Immunofluorescence and qRT-PCR analysis showed that the expression level of Sema3a/Nrpl in clinical samples with chronic periodontitis was also lower than that of the healthy subjects(P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion:The reduced Sema3A/Nrp1 plays an important role in the development of bone destruction in chronic periodontitis.

A new kind of curcin (curcin 2), induced by several kinds of stresses from Jatropha curcas leaves, under the control of the 35S CaMV (cauliflower mosaic virus) promoter, was introduced into tobacco genome by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation method. Curcin 2 protein was only detected in the transgenic tobacco plants transformed with the cur2p fragment (coding premature curcin 2 protein), but not in the plants transformed with cur2m fragment (coding mature curcin 2 protein). The transgenic lines expressing curcin 2 showed increased tolerance to tobacco mosaic virus (TMV).

The clinical thinking modes of "integrative disease and Syndrome" and "integrative macroscopical Syndrome-differentiation and microscopical Syndrome-differentiation" formed in the past half century were merely the primary train of thought and methodology of integrative traditional Chinese and Western medicine. In order to develop them to a higher level, stress should be put on the unity and holism of disordered organism and unity of function, structure and metabolism. It has long been ignored that a parallel and correlated relationship exists between the TCM Syndrome and pathological process of Western medicine, which is a common, set-formed and regular pathophysiological changes with certain development phase, presented in various diseases. Both have common features as that the same pathological process can be seen in different diseases and several pathological progresses can present in one disease, the same Syndrome also can be seen in different diseases and several Syndromes can present in a disease. Moreover, they have the compatible connotation and denotation. The author deduced that pathophysiological basis of main Syndrome is indeed the basic pathological process. Essence of Syndrome is the related pathological processes including abnormal changes in function, metabolism and morphological structure.
Biomedical Research ; methods ; Clinical Medicine ; methods ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Holistic Health ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Pathology, Clinical ; methods

Objective To evaluate the immuno-potentiating effects of CpG-ODN plus alum as a composite adjuvant on influenza split virion vaccine.Methods BALB/c mice were immunized with various amounts of 2009 H1N1 influenza split virion vaccine,alone or in combination with CpG-ODN,alum,or both (composite adjuvant).Antigen-specific humoral immune responses were evaluated by ELISA,hemagglutination inhibiting (HI) assay and neutralizing assay.Antigen-specific cellular immune responses were evaluated by ELISPOT assay,intracellular cytokine staining assay and in vivo CTL assay.Results Compared with the control group immunized with antigen alone,a single use of either adjuvant weakly enhanced the humoral immune responses,as indicated by the increase of antigen-specific IgG titers,HI titers and neutralizing titers by 3-6 folds,2-4 folds and 4-8 folds,respectively,after two immunizations.In contrast,the composite adjuvant induced more potent humoral immune responses; the antigen-specific IgG titers,HI titers and neutralizing titers were increased by 23-57 folds,9-20 folds and 16-64 folds,respectively.Consequently,the composite adjuvant achieved antigen-sparing by at least 16 folds.In addition,the composite adjuvant significantly enhanced the antigen-specific cellular immune responses,as revealed by the increase of IFN-γ-secreting CD4+ T cells and the enhancement of CTL activity in immunized mice.Conclusion CpG-ODN plus alum as a composite adjuvant can enhance the immunogenicity of influenza split virion vaccine and achieve the antigen-sparing effect.

Objective To investigate the effect of excessive all-trans retinoic acid (atRA) on mouse embryonic palatal fusion and the mechanism. Method Palatal shelves from embryonic D 13 embryonic mice were cultured in BGJb medium and treated with vehicle control only or 5 ?mol/L atRA for 72 h. Palatal fusion was examined by hemagglutinin esterase. Apoptosis and laminin were detected by TUNEL and immunohistochemistry, respectively. The level of Smad2 phosphorylation (pSmad2) was analyzed by Western blot. Results atRA led to failure of palatal fusion and inhibited the migration and apoptosis of medial edge epithelial cells (MEE) and degradation of basal lamina within, compared with control palatal shelves in cultures. Additionally, apoptosis was detected in mesenchyme of atRA-treated palatal shelves. Further experiment revealed that pSmad2 was abrogated by atRA. Conclusion atRA induced failure of palatal fusion through inhibition of apoptosis of the MEE cell and degradation of basal lamina within medial edge epithelial seam. Inhibition of pSmad2 may account for the failure of palatal fusion by atRA.

Objective To investigate the relationship between the level of serum uric acid(SUA) and carotid atherosclerosis in male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM). Methods A collection of 579 male T2DM patients with or without carotid atherosclerosis were grouped based on quartiles of SUA. Age, SUA, smokers, duration, body mass index(BMI), blood pressure, total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C), blood urea nitrogen(BUN), creatinine(Cr), and HbA1C were determined in all subjects. The plaques in carotid arteries and intima-media thickness(IMT) were measured with high-resolution ultrasound. Results BMI, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, TG, and Cr showed a gradual increase, while HDL-C and HbA1C showed a gradual decrease according to the higher SUA quartiles in male T2DM(P＜0.05). Nevertheless, the detectable rates of smokers, duration, age, TC, LDL-C, and BUN had no relationships with the SUA quartiles(P＞0.05). The detectable rate of carotid atherosclerosis and the thickness of carotid plaque were positively associated with the levels of SUA in male patients with T2DM(P＜0.05). However, intima-media thickness of carotid arteries did not illustrate the correlation with the levels of SUA in male T2DM patients(P＞0.05). Age, HbA1C, and SUA were independent factors of carotid atherosclerosis in these patients by logistic regression(P＜0.05). Conclusion The levels of SUA seems to be associated with the occurrence and development of carotid atherosclerosis in male patients with T2DM.

OBJECTIVETo explore the potential effect of Guizhi plus Gegen Decoction (GGD) in improving learning and memory of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) induced neuroinflammatory mice and its possible mechanisms.

METHODSTotally 63 male ICR mice were randomly divided into 5 groups, i.e., the normal control (n = 13), the model group (n = 13), the low dose GGD group (n = 10), the high dose GGD group (n = 14), and the positive control group (n = 13). Mice were intraperitoneally injected with LPS (0.33 mg/kg) to induce Alzheimer's disease (AD) model. Mice in the high and the low dose GGD groups were administered with 12 g/kg or 6 g/kg by gastrogavage for 4 successive weeks. Mice in the control group were intraperitoneally injected with minocycline (50 mg/kg) for 3 days. By the end of treatment LPS were injected 4 h before behavior test each day, and then behavior test was conducted in mice of each group. Effect of GGD on learning and memory of AD mice was observed by using open field test, novel object recognition task, and Morris water maze.

RESULTSOpen field test showed there was no statistical difference in the movement time and the movement distance among all groups (P > 0.05), suggesting that LPS and GGD had no effect on locomotor activities of mice. In novel object recognition test, AD mice spent significantly shorter time to explore novel object after they were induced by LPS (P < 0.05), while for AD mice in the low and high dose GGD groups, their capacities for exploration and memory were significantly improved (P < 0. 05, P < 0.01). Results of Morris water maze showed that AD mice exhibited increased escape latency (P < 0.05) and spent much less time in swimming across the original platform (both P < 0.05). However, AD mice in the low and high dose GGD groups had obvious shortened latency and increased time percentage for swimming (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONGGD possessed certain improvement in learning and memory disorder of LPS induced AD mice.

Alzheimer Disease ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; psychology ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Lipopolysaccharides ; adverse effects ; Male ; Memory Disorders ; prevention & control ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Neuritis ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; psychology ; Phytotherapy

OBJECTIVE:To study the effects of taurine on oxidative stress and calcium overload induced by cerebral cortex contusion.METHODS:SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group,brain contusion model group,taurine groups(high dose,middle dose and low dose respectively),and nimodipine group.After being fed with corresponding drugs for7days,all rats were subjected to modeling by brain contusion.For intracellular calcium detection,rats were sacrificed2h after modeling,and the brain slices were prepared to fluorescence labeling and confocal microscopy detection.For the detection of oxidative stress,rats were sacrificed24h after modeling,the cortex of contusion side was homogenated and then the activity of superoxide dis?mutase(SOD)and content of malondialdehyde(MDA)were detected through biochemical method.RESULTS:Compared with model group,all taurine groups were shown to have markedly less MDA and intracellular calcium content,and the high dose group had markedly stronger SOD activity.CONCLUSION:Taurine is effective in counteracting the oxidative stress and calcium overload caused by brain contusion.