Chinese medicine (CM) develops with the survival, reproduction, growth, and progressing of the Chinese nation. Scientific technologies not only promote continual progressing of human societies, but also provide new ideas and methods for the development of CM. In recent years, great changes have taken place in CM complying with developing modern scientific technologies, mainly manifested in the depth of CM theories at molecular levels, the combination of syndrome differentiation and disease identification, continuous innovation and development of clinical diagnosis and treatment techniques, diversified dosages of Chinese materia medica, the academic tendency of education patterns, occupational refinement, diversified medical practice modes, and so on.
Humans ; Industrial Development ; Materia Medica ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; trends ; Reproduction

The incidence of premature multi-vessel coronary artery disease (CAD) is on the rise in Malaysia. The pathogenesis of coronary atherosclerosis is multi-factorial with dyslipidaemia being one such risk factor. Elevated total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) levels are primarily responsible. We analysed the fasting pre-operative lipid profiles of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients with symptomatic severe premature CAD. A majority of patients had an elevated LDL cholesterol level despite being on a statin. Similarly, no patient with an elevated TG level was prescribed a fibrate. Pre-operative control of known dyslipidaemia was suboptimal in young adults with angiographially proven severe symptomatic CAD. This is either due to subtherapeutic dose prescribing or failure to commence appropriate anti-lipid drugs. Collectively, general practitioners, cardiologists and cardiac surgeons must be more diligent in monitoring lipid profiles in such patients and be more meticulous in prescribing therapeutic doses to achieve target control.
Coronary Artery Disease

Melatonin holds a wide range of biological effects, its multi-channel and multi-target impacts on reproductive sys-tem are the basis of pregnancy related rhythm, including conception, the duration of pregnancy and delivery.This paper describes the synthesis of melatonin, the characteristics of melatonin receptors distribution and melatonin′s biological property.It also illuminates the influence of melatonin rhythm on the above-mentioned courses, hoping to provide theory basis for clinical suggestions to modulate rhythm around pregnancy.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of lateral supramalleolar artery descending branch antidromic flap for the repair of soft tissue defects in the foot and ankle.

METHODSFrom May 2009 to October 2013,12 patients with soft tissue defects combined with tendon and bone exposure in the foot and ankle were treated by lateral supramalleolar artery descending branch antidromic flap for the repair of soft tissue defects in the foot and ankle, including 9 males and 3 females with an average age of 37.5 years old ranging from 19 to 58 years. Ten cases had the soft tissue defects in the dorsum of foot and 2 in the ankle. The defect area of soft tissue was from 11 cm x 9 cm to 8 cm x 5 cm.

RESULTSTwelve patients were follow-up for 3 to 12 months (averaged 7.3 months). The flaps of 9 cases were survived,the flaps edges of the other 3 cases were necrosis,and healed after dressing change. The flaps were slightly swelling without ulcer occurrence.

CONCLUSIONLateral supramalleolar artery descending branch antidromic flap can repairing the damage by one-stage operation with advantage of dissection easy,rich blood supply without sacrifice of major artery.

Adult ; Ankle ; blood supply ; surgery ; Arteries ; surgery ; Female ; Foot ; blood supply ; surgery ; Foot Injuries ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; surgery ; Surgical Flaps ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association of surgical skills, anhepatic time and preoperative hepatic function grading with bacteria infection after the liver transplantation and identify the common bacterial flora involved for effective prevention and treatment of the posttransplant bacterial infection. METHODS;The clinical records of 31 cases of liver transplantation from August 2004 to August 2005 were reviewed and the collected data were analyzed statistically. RESULTS; Among the 31 cases, posttransplant bacterial infection occurred in 16 cases accounting for a total incidence of 51.61%, with the incidence of multi-system (or multi-organ) infection of 22.58%. The earlier cases had longer average surgery time and anhepatic period than the later cases, with also higher incidence of infection. Among the 19 patients with hepatic function class A before surgery, 7 acquired bacterial infection involving one system or organ, 2 had infections compromising multiple system or organ. In the 8 patients of hepatic function class B before surgery, 2 had single-system or -organ infection and 1 multi-system or -organ infection. Four out of the 5 patients with hepatic function class C before surgery acquired posttransplant bacterial infections, all involving multiple systems or organs. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most common bacteria responsible for the infections in these cases.

CONCLUSIONImprovement of surgical skills can obviously reduce the incidence of bacterial infection after liver transplantation. No evidences suggest the correlation between the incidence of infections (including severe ones) and hepatic function class A or B before the operation, whereas patients with preoperative hepatic function class C seems to be at higher risk for infection involving multiple systems or organs. The anhepatic time does not significantly impact on the incidence or severity of the posttransplant infections, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most common bacteria causing the infections.

Adult ; Aged ; Bacterial Infections ; epidemiology ; etiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Liver Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pseudomonas Infections ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo investigate the molecular mechanism of dermal damage in heat shock-induced skin aging by observing the expressions of metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and tissue inhibitor of MMP-1 (TIMP-1) in retinoic acid-treated cultured human fibroblasts with heat shock.

METHODSCultured human fibroblasts were treated with tazarotene or all-trans-retinioic acid (at-RA) after heat shock for 30 min in 43 degrees celsius; water bath. Twenty-four hours later, MMP-1 and TIMP-1 contents in the supernatant of the cell culture medium were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSBoth tazarotene and at-RA dose-dependently reduced the expression of MMP-1 and increased the expression of TIMP-1 in cultured human fibroblasts exposed to heat shock, and tazarotene produced stronger effect than at-RA.

CONCLUSIONRetinoic acid can reduce the expression of MMP-1 and increase the expression of TIMP-1 in cultured human fibroblasts, suggesting its therapeutic potential for heat shock-induced skin aging.

Cells, Cultured ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; metabolism ; Heat-Shock Response ; Humans ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Nicotinic Acids ; pharmacology ; Skin Aging ; radiation effects ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Tretinoin ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo compare the accuracy of 64-slice computed tomography and coronary angiography in the diagnosis of coronary atherosclerosis.

METHODSThe imaging data of both 64-slice computed tomography and coronary angiography in 65 patients were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTSAmong the 455 coronary arteries evaluated, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 64-slice computed tomography were 54.6%, 95.1%, and 85.5%, respectively.

CONCLUSION64-slice computed tomography has a good potential in the diagnosis of coronary atherosclerosis with excellent sensitivity and specificity.

Adult ; Aged ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, Spiral Computed ; methods

BACKGROUNDHuman adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (hADSCs) can be induced to differentiate along an osteoblastic lineage under stimulation of dexamethasone (DEX). Recent studies, however, have questioned the efficacy of glucocorticoids such as DEX in mediating the osteogenesis process of skeletal progenitor cells and processed lipoaspirate cells. Is it possible to find a substitute for DEX? Therefore, this study was designed to investigate osteogenic capacity and regulating mechanisms for osteoblastic differentiation of hADSCs by comparing osteogenic media (OM) containing either 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (VD) or DEX and determine if VD was an ideal substitute for DEX as an induction agent for the osteogenesis of hADSCs.

METHODSOsteogenic differentiation of hADSCs was induced by osteogenic medium (OM) containing either 10 nmol/L VD or 100 nmol/L DEX. Differentiation of hADSCs into osteoblastic lineage was identified by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining, von Kossa staining, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assays for mRNA expression of osteogenesis-related genes such as type I collagen (COL I), bone sialoprotein (BSP), osteocalcin (OC), bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2, BMP-4, BMP-6, BMP-7, runt-related transcription factor 2/core binding factor alpha1 (Runx2/Cbfa1), osterix (Osx), and LIM mineralization protein-1 (LMP-1).

RESULTSvon Kossa staining revealed that the differentiated cells induced by both VD and DEX were mineralized in vitro. They also expressed osteoblast-related markers, such as ALP, COL I, BSP, and OC. Runx2/Cbfa1, Osx, BMP-6, and LMP-1 were upregulated during VD and DEX-induced hADSC osteoblastic differentiation, but BMP-4, BMP-7 were not. BMP-2 was only expressed in VD-induced differentiated cells.

CONCLUSIONSVD or DEX-induced hADSCs differentiate toward the osteoblastic lineage in vitro. Runx2/Cbfa1, Osx, BMP-2, BMP-6, and LMP-1 are involved in regulating osteoblastic differentiation of hADSCs, but BMP-4, BMP-7 are not. VD, but not DEX, induces expression of BMP-2 during osteogenic induction of hADSCs. VD is an ideal substitute for DEX for osteogenic induction of hADSCs.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; Adipose Tissue ; cytology ; Adult ; Calcitriol ; pharmacology ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagen Type I ; genetics ; Cytoskeletal Proteins ; Dexamethasone ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Integrin-Binding Sialoprotein ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; genetics ; LIM Domain Proteins ; Middle Aged ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; drug effects ; Osteocalcin ; genetics ; Osteogenesis ; drug effects ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Sialoglycoproteins ; genetics ; Stromal Cells ; cytology ; drug effects

Objective: This research aimed to explore the therapeutic effect and its mechanism of pirfenidone in liver cirrhosis induced by carbon tetrachloride in mice. Methods: Sixty male C57 BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the control group, model group and different doses of pirfenidone group, twelve rats in each group. Mice were intraperitoneally injected with 20％ CCl4 soybean oil solution ( 5 ml/kg), twice a week for 7 weeks. And these mice were free to drink 20％ ethanol solution in the third week after building the model. The low, medium and high dose groups were respectively given 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg of pirfenidone solution according to the body weights, while the model group and control group were given equal volume of blank solvent after building the model, once a day for 2 weeks. The serum level of ALT and AST, liver index, spleen index, the gene or protein expression level of TGF-β1 and Smad3 were analyzed before and after the treatment of pirfenidone. Results: The serum level of ALT, AST increased significantly in the model group ( P＜0. 05), while decreased significantly in different doses of pirfenidone group ( P＜0. 05). The liver and spleen index in the model group was significantly higher than that in the control group ( P＜0. 05). However, after treating with pirfenidone, the liver and spleen index were significantly lower than that in the model group ( P＜0. 05). The number of TGF-β1 positive cells in the model group was significantly more than that in the control group, but it was significantly decreased in the pirfenidone group. The gene expression level of Smad3 in the model group was significantly higher than that in the control group ( P＜0. 05). The gene expression level of TGF-β1 and Smad3 in different doses of pirfenidone group were significantly lower than that in the model group ( P＜ 0. 05). Meanwhile, the protein level of TGF-β1 and Smad3 were significantly increased in the model group, while decreased in the pirfenidone group. Conclusion: Pirfenidone relieves liver cirrhosis caused by carbon tetrachloride in mice by inhibiting the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) exposure on cerebral micro vascular permeability in rats.

METHODSThe whole-body of male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed or sham exposed to 200 pulses or 400 pulses (1 Hz) of EMP at 200 kV/m. At 0.5, 1, 3, 6, and 12 h after EMP exposure, the permeability of cerebral micro vascular was detected by transmission electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry using lanthanum nitrate and endogenous albumin as vascular tracers, respectively.

RESULTSThe lanthanum nitrate tracer was limited to the micro vascular lumen with no lanthanum nitrate or albumin tracer extravasation in control rat brain. After EMP exposure, the lanthanum nitrate ions reached the tight junction, basal lamina and pericapillary tissue. Similarly, the albumin immunopositive staining was identified in pericapillary tissue. The changes in brain micro vascular permeability were transient, the leakage of micro vascular vessels appeared at 1 h, and reached its peak at 3 h, and nearly recovered at 12 h, after EMP exposure. In addition, the leakage of micro vascular was more obvious after exposure of EMP at 400 pulses than after exposure of EMP at 200 pulses.

CONCLUSIONExposure to 200 and 400 pulses (1 Hz) of EMP at 200 kV/m can increase cerebral micro vascular permeability in rats, which is recoverable.

Animals ; Brain ; blood supply ; Capillary Permeability ; physiology ; Electromagnetic Fields ; adverse effects ; Electrophysiology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley