Objective To investigate the expression of Apelin in placenta tissue from women with hypertensive disorders complicating pregnancy.Methods Thirty six women with hypertensive disorders complicating pregnancy(HDCP)and 15 normal pregnant women were studied.The expression of Apelin-36 was analyzed semi-quantitatively using immunohisto-chemistry and image analysis in placenta tissue and the levels of Apelin mRNA expression were determined by real-time quantitative RT-PCR method.Results The levels of Apelin-36 and Apelin mRNA in placenta from normal pregnant women were 0.27?0.04 and 0.82 ?0.25,respectively.The levels of Apelin-36 and Apelin mRNA in placenta from HDCP women were 0.18 ?0.05 and 0.31?0.21;in gestational hypertensive women,the values were 0.24?0.02 and 0.59?0.16; in mild preeclampsia were 0.16?0.03 and 0.25?0.07,and in severe preeclampsia they were 0.14?0.02 and 0.17?0.09,respectively.The levels of Apelin-36 and Apelin mRNA in HDCP were lower than those in normal pregnant women(P

Adult ; Aged ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage ; methods ; Critical Pathways ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumoconiosis ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at "Dazhui" (GV 14) on Wnt-β-catenin signal pathway in annulus fibrosus cells in intervertebral disc in rats with cervical spondylosis.

METHODSForty SD rats were randomized into a control group, a model group, an EA group and a medication group, 10 rats in each one. Rats in the control group were treated with sham operation, only incision on local skin; rats in the remaining groups were made into cervical spondylosis models. After model establishment, rats in the control group and model group received fixed treatment under identical condition; rats in the EA group were treated with EA at "Dazhui" (GV 14), 30 min per treatment; rats in the medication group were treated with intragastric administration of meloxicam tablets. Treatments were both given once a day, and 14 days were taken as one session; there was an interval of 2 days between two sessions, and totally two sessions were given. After the treatments, immunohistochemistry was applied to measure the expression of Wnt, glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) and Axin in annulus fibrosus cells; western blot was used to test the expression of P-β-catenin.

RESULTSIn the control group, there were more positive cells of Wnt, GSK-3β and Axin, which were intensively distributed, deeply colored, and strongly positive; In the model group, there were less positive cells of Wnt, GSK-3β and Axin, which were sparsely distributed and weakly positive. The expression of Wnt, GSK-3β, Axin and P-β-catenin in the model group was less than that in the control group (all P < 0.05); expression of Wnt, GSK-3β, Axin and P-β-catenin in the EA group and medication group was higher than that in the model group (all P < 0.05); expression of Wnt, GSK-3β, Axin and P-β-catenin was not significantly different between EA group and medication group (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONEA could delay the degeneration of intervertebral disc, which may be related to EA inhibiting signal pathway of Wnt-β-catenin.

Acupuncture Points ; Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Fibrosis ; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Rats ; Spondylosis ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; therapy ; Wnt Signaling Pathway ; beta Catenin ; genetics ; metabolism

Adult ; Burns, Chemical ; complications ; Humans ; Male ; Nitriles ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries ; etiology

Objective To evaluate the value of transvaginal ultrasound in diagnosing intrauterine adhesions.Methods Transvaginal ultrasound was performed in 136 patients with suspicious intrauterine adhesions and compared with hysteroscopy correspondingly .The ultrasonographic features of intrauterine adhesions on transvaginal ultrasound were summarized .Results One hundred and twenty one cases (89.0%, 121/136 ) of intrauterine adhesions were verified by hysteroscopy .The hysteroscopic findings included:(1) Forty seven cases(38.9%,47/121) were minimal intrauterine adhesions , 46 cases(38.0%, 46/121) were moderate intrauterine adhesions , and 28 cases (23.1%,28/121) were severe intrauterine adhesions.(2) Sixty one cases(50.4%,61/121) were central intrauterine adhesions , 24 cases(19.8%, 24/121) were marginal intrauterine adhesions , and 36 cases (29.8%, 36/121) were mixed type of intrauterine adhesions.The transvaginal ultrasound findings included:(1)Nineteen cases(40.4%,19/47) were minimal intrauterine adhesions ,33 cases(71.7%,33/46)were moderate intrauterine adhesions ,and 23 cases(82.1%,23/28) were severe intrauterine adhesions .(2) Thirty nine cases (63.9%,39/61) were central intrauterine adhesions ,9 cases(37.5%,9/24) were marginal intrauterine adhesions ,and 27 cases (75.0%, 27/36 ) were mixed type of intrauterine adhesions .By transvaginal ultrasound, seventy-five (62.0%,75/121) cases of intrauterine adhesions were correctly diagnosed , whereas 46 cases (38.0%, 46/121) were missed.And 3 cases ( 3.8%, 3/78 ) were misdiagnosed as intrauterine adhesions on transvaginal ultrasound,including one endometrial polyp ,one thin endometrium and one septate uterus .The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of transvaginal ultrasound in diagnosing intrauterine adhesions were 62.0%(75/121), 80.0%(12/15) and 64.0%(87/136) respectively.There were significant statistical differences in diagnosing different degrees of intrauterine adhesions ( χ2 =15.956,P=0.000) and different parts of intrauterine adhesions( χ2 =8.792,P=0.012) by transvaginal ultrasound.Conclusions Transvaginal ultrasound is an effective, easy to perform and noninvasive technique in screening and diagnosing intrauterine adhesions.Transvaginal ultrasound is an effective way in diagnosing intrauterine adhesions showing a noninvasive and simpler way than hysteroscopy .Transvaginal ultrasound is of great value in screening and diagnosing intrauterine adhesions .

Objective To explore the protective effect of folic acid supplementation in different ways on lipopolysaccharide-induced external malformations and skeletal malformations in mice.Methods The pregnant mice were divided into six groups randomly,including saline control group,FA control group,LPS group,LPS+FAig group,LPS+FAip group,and LPS+FAdw group.All dams were medicated on gestational day 8～12,and then sacrificed on gestational day 18,for each litter,the number of live fetuses,dead fetuses,resorption fetuses and external malformations of live fetuses were all counted.All fetuses were subsequently evaluated the skeletal malformations.Results A low dose of LPS injection during the second trimester resulted in external and skeletal malformations.Exencephaly and encephalomeningocele were two of the most common external malformations,skeletal malformations consisted mainly of the incompletion of supraoccipital ossification,sternal malformation and rib malformation.FA supplementation by three ways all attenuated the external and skeletal malformations.And the best protective effect was by oral administration.The incidence of external,sternal and rib malformation was all decreased.Conclusions Three ways can prevent the mice during the second trimester from the external and skeletal malformations caused by LPS injection,and the best protective effect was by intragastric administration.

Objective To observe the clinical effect of combination of Tongxiening granule and Mesalazine on treating mild and moderate ulcerative colitis(UC) .Methods Totally 380 patients with mild‐to‐moderate UC diagnosed through endoscopy were allocated to the control group (n=190) and observation group(n=190) .For the observation group ,patients were remedied with the combination of Tongxiening Granules and the Mesalazine by oral administration for eight weeks ,meanwhile the control group only received the Mesalazine for eight weeks .The total effective rate of the two groups were statistically analyzed ,and the levels of ser‐um MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 before and after treatment in the two groups were measured .The expression of S100A12 and RAGE were detected by immunohistochemistry SP method .Results The total effective rate of the observation group and the control group was 94 .74% and 89 .47% respectively ,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0 .01) .After treatment ,the expression levels of MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 in the two groups were decreased ,additionally the expression levels in the observation group was lower than those in the control group ,and the difference was statistically significant (P< 0 .01) .After treatment ,the expression levels of RAGE and S100A12 in the observation group were decreased ,and there was a significant difference when compared with the control group(P<0 .01) .Conclusion Combined application of Tongxiening Granules and Mesalazine in treating patients with mild‐to‐mod‐erate UC could better improve clinical symptoms and bring better therapeutic effect than single use of Mesalazine .

OBJECTIVE To investigates the effects of imperatorin on the oxidative stress in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus after focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. METHODS Transient focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion model in male Sprague-Dawley rats was induced by 2 h middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by 24 h reperfusion. Imperatorin (1.25 and 2.5 mg·kg- 1) or vehicle were administered intraperitoneally at 1, 5 and 9 h after the onset of ischemia. At 24 h after reperfusion, the biomarkers of oxidative stress such as the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation products malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), the activities of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus were observed. We also assessed the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and the NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO-1) protein expression by Western blot. RESULTS As compared to vehicle-treated animals, imperatorin treatment significantly reduced the ROS, MDA, NO levels and iNOS activity, increased T-AOC and the activities of SOD and CAT. Furthermore, imperatorin treatment also significantly induced the nuclear translocation of Nrf2, enhanced the protein expression of HO-1 and NQO-1 in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that imperatorin can protect the brain against the excessive oxidative stress induced by cerebral ischemia/reperfusion through activation of Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Objective To explore the related factors of reoccurence of peritonitis in pateints with continous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in order to provide ehnical basis for preventing the reoccurence of peritonitis.Methods The eduction degree,primary diseases,ages,Hb,Alb,the possible reason of peritonitis,dialysis time and payment method of medical expenses of 12 cases with peritoneal dialysis-ralted peritonitis for 32 times and operators were retrospectively analyzed.The correlation between the above factors and the occurrence of peritonitis was compared.Results The reoccurrence of peritonitis among pateitns with the peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis was related with the ages,the education degrees of operators,Hb,Alb,the dialysis time and the primary diseases(P<0.05).Those pateints with advanced ages,lower eduction degrees of patients and operators,poor nutrition situations,primary disease of diabetes mellitus,and dialysis times of 1 to 3 years were prone to suffer peritonitis again.But there Was no relation with the gender and the payment method of medical expenses(P>0.05).The main reasons for reoccurence of peritonitis were non-standard operation,constipation and diarrhea.Conclusions The pateints with advanced ages,lower Alb and Hb,lower education degrees of patients and operators,diabetes mellitus,and dialysis times of 1 to 3 years,especially the family member operators,should be strenghtened the follow-up management and re-training,thereby preventing the reoccurence of peritonitis.

Objective To investigate the association between cutaneous adverse drug reactions (CADRs) caused by antiepileptic drugs and HLA-B*1502 allele. Methods In 31 epileptic patients presented to the Epilepsy Clinic of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College between January 2007 and May 2008, 13 had CADR to carbanazepine (CBZ) including 6 with Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and 7 with mild maculopapular exanthona (MPE);15 were CBZ-tolerant, and 3 had lamotrigine (LTG)-indueed MPE. All the patients underwent examinations using polymerase chain reaction with sequence specific palmers to analyze HLA -B*1502 allele frequencies, with 30 healthy subjects without a history of using CBZ or LTG as the control. Results HLA-B*IS02 allele frequency was 100% (6/6) in patients with CBZ-SJS, 57% (4/7) in patients with CBZ-induced MPE, and 33% (1/3) in patients with LTG-induced MPE. The frequency was 7% (1/15) in CBZ-tolerant patients and 10% (3/30) in the control subjects. Compared with the CBZ-tolerant patients and the control subjects, the patients with CBZ-induced SJS and MPE had significantly increased HLA -B*1502 allele frequency (P<0.05). Conclusions HLA-B*1502 allele is associated with CADRs to CBZ in epileptic patients.