Objective To evaluate the feasibility and principle of direct reduction and fixation through the pedicle of fractured vertebra in treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures.Methods Between June 2001 and November 2005,24 cases of one level thoracolumbar burst fracture,16 males and eight females,were treated in our department.Their average age was 32.5 years old.The fractured vertebrae were as follows:T11 in two cases,T12 in nine cases,L1 in 11 cases and L2 in two cases.According to the ASIA(American Spinal Injury Association) neurological function grading system,there were one grade A,two grade B,five grade C,three grade D anti 13 grade E.The vertebral canal area blocked was rated as gradeⅠ(＜1/4)in three cases,gradeⅡ(1/4～1/2)in nine cases,gradeⅢ(1/2～3/4)in 10 cases and gradeⅣ(＞3/4)in two cases.The pedicle-screws were im- planted into the pedicles of the fractured vertebra and its adjacent ones.The connective rod was pre-bent according to the normal sagittal curvature of the fixation segment.After necessary decompression of the vertebral canal,the pedicle-screws stabilized the rod which was rotated to prop open upper and lower pedicle screws and push the burst vertebra so that the kyphosis and lateral dislocation were corrected.The graft bone was implanted between the transverse processes.Results On average,the height of fractured vertebra was restored from 48.3% of the normal value before operation to 93.6% after operation,the lateral dislocation from 17.1% to 0.6%,the Cobb's angle on the sagittal plane from 26.5?to 3.1?,and the Cobb's angle on the frontal plane from 9.5?to 0?.The area of vertebral canal was enlarged from 44.6% of the normal value to 92.1%.There were no complications.For in- complete neurological injuries,improvement of one to two grades was made in neurological functions.Conclusion Direct reduction and fixation through pedicles of fractured vertebrae is a safe and effective therapeutic option to treat the thoracolumbar burst fracture,for it can improve the stabilization and stress distribution.

It is significant to enhance the doctor-patient communication ability for medical graduates during clinical practice stage and establish appropriate doctor-patient communication sense,which is also important to promote medical education quality and cultivate qualified medical talents.This paper analyzed the common problems in doctor-patient communication for medical graduates.For example,patients did not trust the intern students;the students were nervous when faced with patients;some did not pay attention to their images;some called patients improperly.Then,it put forward some measures:to set up the communication and training courses,to carry out the communication skill training in clinical practice,and to attach importance to the doctor-patient communication skill practice.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Kanli Granule (KG) on myocardial mechanics in pressure overload induced diastolic heart failure (DHF) rats.

METHODSTotally 60 male Wistar rats were divided into the sham-operation group, the model group, the KG group, and the Valsartan group according to random digit table, 15 in each group. The pressure overload induced DHF model was established in all groups except the sham-operation group using abdominal aortic constriction surgery. Totally 7 rats died after modeling (with the mortality of 10. 67%) , and the rest 53 finished the following test. Rats in the KG group were administered with KG extract (calculated as 6. 75 g crude drug/kg) by gastrogavage. Rats in the Valsartan group were administered with Valsartan (7.2 µg/g) by gastrogavage. Equal volume of double distilled water was administered to rats in the model group and the sham-operation group by gastrogavage. All rats were intervened for 32 weeks. The response of isolated heart papillary muscle tonus to isoprenaline (ISO) and adenylate cyclase (Forskolin) was respectively observed. The enhancement phenomenon after resting development force (DF) of isolated heart papillary muscle tonus, and changes of DF in different Ca²⁺ concentrations were observed.

RESULTS(1) In the ISO response test: Compared with the sham-operation group, the amplifications of DF, ±df/dt, -df/dt were obviously elevated in the model group (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the amplifications of DF and ±df/dt were obviously lowered in the KG group (P < 0.01), and the amplification of ±df/dt was also reduced in the Valsartan group (P < 0.01). (2) In the Forskolin response test: Compared with the sham-operation group, the amplifications of DF and ±df/dt obviously increased in the model group (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the amplifications of DF and ±df/dt were obviously reduced in the KG group (P < 0.01), and the amplification of DF was also reduced in the Valsartan group (P < 0.05). (3) In post-resting DF enhancement test: Compared with the sham-operation group, the amplification of DF showed gradually decreasing tendency along with prolonged resting time in the model group, and they were obviously lowered at all time points (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the amplification of DF was gradually increasing along with prolonged resting time in the KG group. The amplification of DF at post-resting 240 s was obviously larger in the KG group than in the model group (P < 0.05). The amplification of post-resting DF still showed gradually decreasing tendency along with prolonged resting time in the Valsartan group, with increased amplifications of DF at post-resting 60 s and 120 s (P < 0. 05) (4) The amplifications of DF in different Ca²⁺ concentrations: Compared with the sham-operation group, the amplifications of DF were significantly elevated in different Ca²⁺ concentrations (1.75, 3.5, 7.0 mmol/L ) (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, there was no statistical difference in amplification of DF in different Ca²⁺ concentrations in the KG group (P > 0.05). The amplifications of DF in different Ca²⁺ concentrations were significantly reduced in the Valsartan group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe ISO response and the Forskolin response were enhanced in isolated heart papillary muscle tonus of pressure overload induced DHF rats; enhanced post-resting DF was reduced; DF in different supra-physiologic levels of Ca²⁺ was still enhanced. KG could significantly improve excessive enhancement of pressure overload induced DHF rats in ISO response and Forskolin response, and improve enhancement of post-resting myocardium.

Animals ; Colforsin ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Heart ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Heart Failure, Diastolic ; drug therapy ; Isoproterenol ; pharmacology ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Apoptosis is an essential factor in keeping homeostasis of the organism. Apoptosis is regulated by a series of cytokines. Bcl-2 family proteins are key regulators of apoptosis. The Bcl-2 family includes both anti- and pro-apoptotic proteins with opposing biological functions. Their interaction regulates the transmission of the apoptosis signal. High expression of anti-apoptotic members such as Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL are commonly found in human cancers. In recent years, following the disclosing of the crystal structures of Bcl-2 family proteins, researchers have paid attention to the development of the small molecule inhibitors of Bcl-2 family proteins. This article reviews the progress in this field from the view of drug design.
Antimycin A ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Benzopyrans ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Biphenyl Compounds ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Drug Design ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Gossypol ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Nitriles ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Nitrophenols ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Piperazines ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; antagonists & inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Structure-Activity Relationship ; Sulfonamides ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Thiazoles ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; bcl-X Protein ; antagonists & inhibitors ; pharmacology

Objective To investigate the daily total fluoride intake in relating to the prevalence of skeletal fluorosis in two villages in Jiangsu Province,in order to provide the scientific evidences for the control and prevention of endemic fluorosis.Methods Adults sampled from a high-fluoride Village,Wamiao,and a low-fluoride Village,Xinhuai,were surveyed in this study according to the fluoride concentration in their household shallow well.The average daily total fluoride intake from difierent sources and the skeletal fluorosis were investigated in each subject.Then the subjects from two villages were allocated into five subgroups(＜2.00,2.00～,3.00～,4.00～,≥5.00 mg/d),the relation fluoride intake and prevalence of osteofluorosis was analyzed.Results The prevalence of skeletal fluorosis in Wamiao Village was 31.06%(41/132),but no skeletal fluorosis case(0/35)was found in Xinhuai Village.According to the daily total fluoride intake,subjects with higher daily total fluoride intake tended to associated with a higher prevalence of skeletal fluorosis in a significant dose-response relationship(regression equation:y=2.624-6.855x+3.424x2:r=0.997).The benchmark dose lower limitation of daily total fluoride intake with 95% confidencewas 2.50 mg/d calculated according to this dose-response relationship,the reference dose(RfD)was 2.50 mg/d.In Wamiao Village a significant difference was also found between daily total fluoride intake in 41 subjects[(5.09±1.20)mg/d]with X-ray detectable skeletal fluorosis and in 91 subjects[(3.08±1.12)mg/d]without X-ray detectable skeletal fluorosis(t=-9.32,P＜0.01).Conclusions These findings indicate that the daily total fluoride intake has a significant dose-response relationship with the prevalence of skeletal fluorosis in an endemic fluorosis area associated with high-fluoride drinking water;and the RfD in this study was lower than that in the national standard of"Chinese hygienic standard for daily total fluoride intake(WS/T 87-1996)"(3.50 mg/d).

ObjectiveTo study the role and mechanism of resisitin in prophylactic and therapeutic treatments of rosiglitazone,a specific peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ(PPARγ) ligand,in rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) and pancreatitis-associated pulmonary injury.MethodsThe levels of amylase ( AMY ),Resistin,TNF-α,IL-1 β and C reactive protein (CRP) in blood plasma,lung myeloperoxidase ( MPO ) activity,pancreas/body weight ratio and lung wet/dry weight ratio were evaluated.Pancreatic and pulmonary pathology were observed.The expression of resistin in pancreas was detected byimmunohistochemistry.The gene expression of resistin mRNA was investigated by real-time PCR.ResultsBoth prophylactic and therapeutic treatments with rosiglitazone could obviously ameliorate the levels of AMY,resistin,TNF-αt,IL-1β and CRP ( all P ＜ 0.01 ).Compared with the control group,both prophylactic and therapeutic treatment groups were higher( all P ＜ 0.01 ).The prophylactic treatment group was not different from the therapeutic treatment group.Both prophylactic and therapeutic treatments with rosiglitazone could significantly reduce pancreas/body weight ratio,pancreatic pathology,MPO,pulmonary pathology ( all P ＜ 0.01 ).Compared with the SAP group,the expression of resistin mRNA in the prophylactic and therapeutic treatment groups were obviously decreased.ConclusionRosiglitazone could obviously ameliorate pancreatitis and pulmonary injury induced by L-arginine.

Objective To evaluate the blood supply features and effectiveness of arterial chemoembolization for pedunculated hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods Angiography and chemoembolization via supplying blood arteries of tumor were performed in five patients with pedunculated hepatocellular carcinoma.Interventional procedure was carried out with tumor vascular infusion of 350 mg hot elemene emulsion and tumor embolization by cisplantin-lipidol emulsion(cisplantin 60-80 mg+lipidol 8-15 ml)and glutin.Results Ten interventional procedures(TACE)were undertaken in 5 patients.Angiography showed that tumor blood supply mainly coming from collateral circulation adjacent to the tumors,but partially from hepatic artery.Tumor sizes decreased from 30% to 50% in 5 cases,and AFP declined in 4 cases after the treatment. Conclusion Pedunculated hepatocellular carcinoma possessing different blood supply features from intrahepatocellular carcinomas.But transarterial ehemoembolization is still an effective method of choice for this treatment.

Objective To study the effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields(PEMFs)of 15Hz and lmT on osteoblast differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.Methods The bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were isolated and cultured in vitro,the third passage cells were harvested and half of them was exposed to PEMFs,another half exposed to sham PEMFs served as the control.The activity of ALP was measured.And the ex- pression of osteoblast and adipogenesis was measured with the semi-quantitative RT-PCR,adipogenic differentiation was observed with the Oil Red O Staining.Results When compared with the control,PEMFs of 15 Hz and 1 mT significantly increased the activity of ALP(P

0.05).At different time points after ischemia-reperfusion,the expression of cytochrome C and activation of caspase-3 were lower in the transgen mice than that in the wild type rats.Conclusions Under standard condition,overexpression of bcl-xl could significantly reduce the infarct area and improve neurological function in transgene mice than those in the wild type rats.The effect of overexpression of bcl-xl might be realized through inhibiting the apoptosis of neuron,and the mechanism might be that the overexpression of bcl-xl inhibit the release of cytochrome C and the activation of caspase-3.

In this paper,the bacterial community structure in the gills and intestines of Penaeus chinensis and Metapenaeus ensis were investigated using a culture-independent method of 16S rDNA PCR-DGGE fingerprinting. It was proved that there are abundant and various bacteria in the gills and intestines of these prawns. The bacterial community in the gills and intestines of the same prawn or different kinds of prawns were obviously different based on the clustering analysis of DGGE fingerprints. On the other hand, the same bacteria were found in different kinds of prawns. This was the first time to aim to set up a method to reveal the bacterial community in prawn based on 16S rDNA PCR-DGGE fingerprinting which is of great value for the studies of the relationship between prawn and environmental microorganism as well as the related diseases.