Objective To assess the disease severity and prognosis value by observing the kinetic change of serum procalcitonin(PCT)and PCT clearance rate(PCTc)in the patients with ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP). Methods A single-center prospective observational study was conducted. A total of 128 patients with VAP admitted into intensive care unit(ICU)of First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from February 2012 to June 2014 were enrolled. The patients were divided into recovery group(n=88)and deterioration group(n=40) according to the therapeutic outcome. The acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ(APACHEⅡ)scores were estimated within 24 hours when VAP was diagnosed. The serum PCT(PCT1,PCT5,PCT7,PCT9)and PCTc(PCTc5, PCTc7,PCTc9)were examined at 1,5,7 and 9 days after the VAP was diagnosed. The diagnostic and predictive performance of PCT,PCTc and APACHEⅡ scores were assessed by the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). Results APACHEⅡscores in recovery group were significantly lower than those in the deterioration group (14.49±5.30 vs. 18.90±5.30,t=-4.349,P=0.000). There was no significant difference in PCT level(μg/L)at 1 day after VAP was diagnosed between recovery group and deterioration group〔2.84(0.81,6.43)vs. 3.50(0.97,10.27), Z=-1.431,P=0.152〕. With prolonged treatment,PCT was gradually decreased in recovery group,while remained at higher level in deterioration group,which was significantly lowered at 5 days after VAP diagnosed in recovery group compared with that in the deterioration group〔1.28(0.65,3.13)vs. 2.39(0.78,9.35),Z=-2.012,P=0.044〕. PCTc maintained higher level in recovery group which was gradually increased with the improvement of the disease, and PCTc in deterioration group was lowered which was gradually decreased with the development of the disease. PCTc at 5,7,9 days in recovery group was significantly higher than that in deterioration group〔5 d:50.43(20.39,80.60)%vs. -56.68(-286.28,172.92)%, Z=-2.250, P=0.024;7 d:54.01(5.70,102.30)% vs. -76.91(-335.03, 181.21)%,Z=-2.561,P=0.010;9 d:63.88(25.93,101.80)%vs.-133.49(-547.20,280.16)%,Z=-3.133, P=0.002〕. The area under ROC curve(AUC)of PCT5,PCT7,PCT9 predicting the prognosis was 0.591,0.683, 0.746,respectively〔95% confidence interval(95%CI)was 0.456-0.726(P=0.161),0.557-0.808(P=0.005), 0.631-0.860(P=0.000)〕. When PCT9 was 5.65μg/L,the sensitivity of 95%and the specificity of 61%. The AUC of PCTc5,PCTc7 and PCTc9 was 0.648,0.685,0.729,respectively〔95%CI was 0.513-0.783(P=0.028),0.555-0.815(P=0.006),0.607-0.851(P=0.001)〕. When PCTc9 was 92%,the sensitivity was 98%and the specificity was 71%. The AUC of APACHEⅡscore was 0.693(95%CI 0.578-0.808,P=0.003). When APACHEⅡscore was 19.5,the sensitivity was 77%and the specificity was 58%. Conclusions The increased levels of PCT in patients with VAP were associated with the poor control of infection and may indicate the deterioration of VAP,it also can reflect the activity of lung infection in time. Keep observing the dynamic change of PCT and analyzing PCTc is more useful. The PCTc levels may provide evidence of disease progression and helpful in risk stratification in patients with VAP,and lower level of PCTc may accompany serious infection and predict poor prognosis.

Objective:To investigate the techniques of establishment of abdominal heart transplantation model in rats and modify the procedure to make it more stable and improve the success rate.Methods: Heterotopic abdominal heart transplantations of Wistar and SD rats were performed by using Ono's method with modification of preparation of recipients,donor cardiectomy and donor transplantations.Results: One hundred heart transplantations were performed,among which 90 were successful.The success rate was 90%.Conclusion: This modified Ono's method can shorten the ischemia time and recipient abdominal aorta occlusion time,make vessel anastomosis easier and increase the success rate of operation.It is a stable and reliable model of heart transplantations in rats.

Objective To summarize the experiences of Nuss procedure with thoracoscope for repairing pectus excavatum.Methods 21 cases of pectus excavatum were treated by Nuss procedure with thoracoscope.In these patients,10 had symmetric pectus excavatum and 11 had asymmetric one.Results The operation in all patients were successful.The mean operating time wag(70.7±9.6)min and the mean intraoperative blood loss was(20.3±10.9)ml.The average hospital length of stay was(5.3±1.1)days,the average durante dolors was(6.9±4.0)days.The exceUent rate was 81.0%(17/21),including 90.0%(9/10)in symmetric pectus excavatum and 72.7%(8/11)in asymmetric pectus cxcavatum.Conclusion Nuss procedure is easy to perform,with minimal invasion,short operating time,and less blood loss.Nuss procedure is suitable for the symmetric pectus excavatum.

Objective To evaluate the influence factor of 'SF-FDG and 18F-FLT PET/CT for diagnosing pulmonary nodules.Methods 55 patients with pulmonary nodules were chosen as study target,include 33 male cases and 22 female cases,the age range from 17 to 82 years old.In all cases,28 cases had one pulmonary nodule,others had 2 or 3 pulmonary nodules,and the nodule size was 0.6-11.0 cm.18F-FDG and 18F-FLT PET/CT were performed on 55 patients.The relationship of SUV of 18F-FDG and 18F-FLT with sex,age,size and pathology of all pulmonary nodule patients were analyzed.Results The SUV of 18F-FDG and 18F-FLT had no statistics difference on sex,age and size(P>0.05),the SUV of 18F-FDG had no statistics difference on pathology of pulmonary nodule(P>0.05).Otherwise,the SUV of 18F-FLT had statistics difference on pathology of pulmonary nodule(P<0.05).Conclusion The pathology of pulmonary nodule was an important influence factor for SUV of 18F-FLT,and the ~SF-FLT PET/CT has the high diagnostic effectiveness for pulmonary nodules and this method will has great influence on the clinical management of pulmonary nodule patients.

The main objective of this research is to investigate the effects of astragaloside IV, calycosin separately glucoside, formononetin on oxidative stress in Chang Liver cells induced by H2O2. In the experiments, Chang Liver cells (a kind of normal human hepatocytes) were used as the research object, bifendate which has a clear hepatoprotective effect was used as the positive control drug, then the oxidative damage model of Chang Liver cells were established by H2O2. Cells were divided into six groups: blank control group, oxidative stress group, astragaloside IV group, calycosin separately glucoside group, formononetin group and positive control group. Then endogenous antioxidant system related indexes were detected by micro plate and colorimetric method; intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected by DCFH-DA fluorescent probe; and the expressions of CYP2E1 were evaluated by liver microsomes, mRNA, and protein, respectively with spectrophotometry, Real-time PCR method, and Western blot technique. Results showed that H2O2 decreased antioxidant activity, and increased ROS level and expression of CYP2E1. The above oxidative stress status had been changed with protections of the three components of Astragalus membranaceus (compared with oxidative stress group, P < 0.05, P < 0.01), which taken as a whole had equivalent effects as the drug of positive control group( bifendate). Taken together, three Astragalus membranaceus ingredients all had significant or extremely significant inhibiting effects on oxidative damaged Chang Liver cells which were induced by H2O2, and the oxidative damage of Chang Liver cells had been relieved.
Astragalus membranaceus ; chemistry ; Cells, Cultured ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 ; metabolism ; Humans ; Isoflavones ; pharmacology ; Liver ; drug effects ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Saponins ; pharmacology ; Triterpenes ; pharmacology

Objective:To evaluate the surgical corrective results of maxillary hypoplasia in patients with cleft lip and palate withtranspalatal modified Le Fort Ⅰ osteotomy.Methods:In the study,1 1 patients (4 women,and 7 men)with maxillary hypoplasia secondary to cleft lip and palate underwent transpalatal modified Le Fort Ⅰ osteotomy at Peking University School of Stomatology from Jan.201 2 to Dec.201 3, with the mean age of 21 years (from 1 8 to 27 years),Bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy (BSSRO) and genioplasty were performed simultaneously in 9 of them for better appearance and functional occlu-sion.Lateral cephalometric radiographs were taken and traced before surgery,immediately after surgery and 6 months after surgery.The position of subspinale (A)on horizontal direction,the angle of sella-na-sion-subsipmale (SNA)and the angle of sella-nasion-supramental (SNB)were collected and analyzed to evaluate the results.Results:All the patients were uneventful with transpalatal modified Le Fort Ⅰosteotomy.All of them had a better profile and a satisfactory occlusionafter operation.The position of A was moved forward (6.6 ±1 .1 )mm on average in horizontal direction when surgery was completed,and maintained (6.0 ±1 .2)mm on average 6 months after surgery.The average of SNA was 75.9°±2.8° before surgery,81 .6°±8.6°immediately after surgery,and maintained 81 .0°±2.6°6 months after sur-gery.The average of SNB was 82.6°±3.7°before surgery,78.0°±2.4°immediately after surgery,and maintained 78.5°±2.4°6 months after surgery.Conclusion:The maxillary hypoplasia in cleft lip and palate patients can be successfully corrected with transpalatal modified Le Fort Ⅰ osteotomy and the func-tional occlusion can be achieved simultaneously.The effect of deformity correction was satisfactory. Transpalatal modified Le Fort Ⅰ osteotomy can move maxilla more sufficiently,especially applicable for the patient with severe palatal scars preoperatively.

A strain producing eggshell membrane protease (ESM protease) was isolated from the soil and identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The enzyme isolated from the fermentation liquid of this strain and purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, quadratic anion-exchange chromatography exhibited eggshell membrane degrading activity of 304.5 U/mg. By SDS-PAGE, the protein molecular mass is 32 kD. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of this protease is: Ala, Glu, Ala, Gly, Gly, Val, Ala, Gly, Lys, Glu, Asp, Ala, Ala, Glu, Leu.

Objective:To optimize the alcohol precipitation technology of Qingmai granules. Methods:The relative density of liq-uor,the concentration and time of alcohol precipitation were chosen as the factors,the yield of dry extract and content of diosgenin as the indices,the alcohol precipitation technology was optimized by orthogonal test. Results:The optimal alcohol precipitation technology was as follows:the extraction liquid was concentrated till the relative density was 1. 13-1. 18 g·ml-1 ,ethanol was added until the concen-tration was up to 60% with the alcohol precipitation time of 24h. Conclusion:The optimized technology is stable,reasonable and feasi-ble,which can provide experimental basis for the clinical application of Qingmai granules.

The study is aimed to distinguish morphological characteristics of Dalbergiae Lignum collected from crude drug's markets and establish a identification methods and the quality standard for Dalbergiae Lignum. The macroscopic and microscopic features of Dalbergiae Lignum from crude drug's market were observed, analyzed and compared according to Hongmu specification issued by the People's Republic of China in 2000, and by the characteristics recorded in domestic monograph of Mucai Shibie (wood identification). The redwood of Dalbergiae Lignum cut into small pieces as medicinal material are dry heart wood of mahogany (trees from Dalbergia sp.), which characteristics of the small pieces as crude drug are different. There are differences in macroscopic and microscopic features about texture of wood and color, odor, taste, transverse section, radial section, tangential section. The results can provide basis for identification, application and improment of the quality standard of Dalbergiae Lignum as medicinal material.
China ; Dalbergia ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; classification ; Herbal Medicine ; economics ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; classification ; Quality Control ; Xylem ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry

Aim To investigate the effect of chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia ( CIHH) on the paeonol induced vasomotion of isolated rat ’ s thoracic aorta rings and its underlying mechanisms. Methods Spra-gue-Dawlay ( SD ) rats were randomly divided into 2 groups: control group ( CON ) and CIHH treatment group ( CIHH) . CIHH rats were exposed to hypoxia in a hypobaric chamber simulating 5 000 m altitude, 6 hours daily for 28 days. CON rats lived in the same en-vironment as CIHH animals except hypoxia. Organ bath technique was used to observe the effect of pae-onol on isolated thoracic aorta rings of rats. Results There were no significant differences of noradrenaline ( NE )- and KCl-induced contraction in thoracic aorta rings among CIHH and CON rats;CIHH enhanced va-sodilative effects of paeonol on isolated thoracic aorta rings of rats; the vasodilative effects on CIHH rats could be partly decreased by β-receptor blocker prop-ranolol,ATP-sensitive potassium channel ( KATP ) bloc-ker glibenclamide and NO synthase inhibitor L-NAME. Paeonol significantly inhibited NE-induced intracellular and extracellular calcium-dependent contraction in CIHH rats. Paeonol didn ’ t inhibit NE-induced con-traction by intracellular calcium release and its inhibi-tory effect couldn ’ t be blocked by glibenclamide in CON. Vasodilative effects of paeonol couldn ’ t be re-versed by indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, in CIHH and CON rats. Conclusion CIHH significantly enhances vasodilative effects of paeonol on isolated tho-racic aorta rings of rats. Besides promoting the signa-ling pathway of paeonol in CON, CIHH significantly enhances vasodilative effects of paeonol via activating KATP and inhibiting Ca2+ release from sarcoplasmic re-ticulum.