Objective To observe the clinical effect and investigate the mechanisms of Yikun Oral Liquid in treating climacteric syndrome due to yin deficiency of liver and kidney. Methods One hundred and three cases of climacteric syndrome of yin deficiency of liver and kidney were observed, including 70 cases of treatment group (treated with Yikun Oral Liquid) and 33 cases of control group (treated with Tibolone tablets). Quantitative studies were performed on the clinical symptoms (using Kupperman marking standard), levels of estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and endometrial thickness respectively before and after treatment. Results Clinical symptoms were improved obviously in two groups after treatment (P

Objective:To investigate efficacy of paroxetine in the treatment of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome(D-IBS).Methods:In a self-controlled trial,45 patients with D-IBS symptoms according to the Rome Ⅱ criteria were treated with paroxetine 10mg Qd for 12 weeks.The efficacy measures included D-IBS gastroin- testinal symptoms,abnormal frequency or consistency of defecation,Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD)and Hamil- ton Anxiety Scale(HAMA).Results:42 cases completed 12 week therapy.The overall IBS symptoms,the Bristol stool consistency,stool frequency and abdominal pain were relieved significantly at week 2(P

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of mirtazapine in patients with anorexia nervosa.Methods: A randomized,controlled study was undertaken in 42 patients with anorexia nervosa.Subjects were treated with mir- tazapine or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor(SSRIs)for 12 weeks and followed up to 12 weeks.The clinical out- come measures included body weight,Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD),Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA)and the side effects of medications.Results:38 subjects completed the trial,20 in mirtazapine group,18 in SSRIs group. The weight gain in mirtazapine group was significantly more that that in SSRIs group at week 6 but the difference was not significant at week 12.The scores of HAMD and HAMA at endpoint were significantly lower than those at base- line(P0.05).No severe adverse events were observed in both groups.Common side effects of SSRIs were gastroenterological discomfort,while those of mir- tazapine included somnolence and weight gain.Conclusion:Mirtazapine can improve appetite and weight gain in pa- tients with anorexia nervosa in addition to relieve anxiety and depression.It is well tolerated and has ealier onset of effect than SSRIS.

Cardiovascular Diseases ; therapy ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Phytotherapy

Background Conventional corticosteroid therapy after laser epithelial keratomileusis (LASEK) is topical application of 0.1％ fluorometholone eye drops for 4 months,but this therapy increases the ocular hypertension risk and leads to poor compliance in patients.It is necessary to explore a safe and effective brachytherapeutic drug.Objective This study was to compare the clinical outcomes between the brachytherapy of 0.5％ loteprednol etabonate eye drops and the long-term therapy of 0.1％ fluorometholone eye drops after LASEK.Methods Clinical data were retrospectively analyzed from 208 right eyes in 208 mild and moderate myopia patients who received LASEK at Peking University Third Hospital from 2009 to 2013.The eye drops of 0.5％ loteprednol etabonate was used 6 times daily since operation day until postoperative day 5,and 4 times daily for a week,and then tapered for three consecutive weeks in 104 eyes of the loteprednol group after LASEK,and 0.1％ fluorometholone eye drops was applied topically 4 times daily for initial one month and then tapered for three consecutive months in another 104 eyes in the fluorometholone group after LASEK.Corneal epithelial healing time was compared between the two groups by recording the wearing duration of corneal contact lens.Noncontact intraocular pressure (lOP) was detected and corrected 5 days,2 weeks,1 month and 3,6 months after LASEK.Haze was scored based on the criteria of Cheng under the slit lamp microscope and apparently optometry was performed 1 month and 3,6 months after LASEK.Results The number of eyes removed corneal contact lens in 5,6 and 7 days after LASEK was not significantly different between the loteprednol group and the fluorometholone group (x2 =1.180,P =0.554).No considerable differences were seen in the eye numbers with the equivalent spherical lens (absolute value) ≤0.5 D in 1 month,3months and 6 months after LASEK (Z=-1.028,P=0.304;Z=-0.398,P=0.691;Z=-0.445,P=0.656).In the fifth days after surgery,the median corrected IOP was 13.52 mmHg and 13.12 mmHg in the loteprednol group and the fluorometholone group,respectively,showing a significant difference between them (Z =-1.985,P =0.047),but no significant differences were found in IOP in 2 weeks,1 month and 3 months,6 months after surgery between the two groups (all at P＞0.05).IOP elevated (postoperative IOP-preoperative IOP ≥ 5 mmHg) after LASEK in 5 eyes in the loteprednol group and 4 eyes in the fluorometholone group (x2 =0.116,P =0.733).In 1 month after surgery,the number of eyes in different grades of haze was significantly decreased in the loteprednol group compared with the fluorometholone group (x2=13.506,P=0.009),however,there was no significant differences in haze grading in postoperative 3 months and 6 months between the two groups (x2 =2.199,P =0.699;x2 =1.154,P =0.562).Conclusions Brachytherapy of 0.5％ loteprednol etabonate eye drops appears to have a similar effect in antiinflammation and inhibition of haze to the long-term therapy of 0.1％ fluorometholone eye drops after LASEK.Furthermore,topical application of 0.5％ loteprednol etabonate eye drops dose not increase the risk of ocular hypertension.

Objective To compare real -time tissue elastography (RTE)and ultrasound in the diagnosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC)with cervical lymph node (LN)metastasis.Methods A retrospective analysis was carried out on the clinical data of 72 patients with PTC.Eighty -four LNs of them were performed with ultrasound-guided fine -needle aspiration biopsy.Patients were divided into two groups:with cervical lymph node metastasis group and without cervical lymph node metastasis group.All patients were reviewed their B -mode ultrasonography (BUS)on cervical lymph node and RTE on thyroid.RTE elasticity indices (EI)of mean (Emean),minimum (Emin),maximum (Emax)and the ratio of Emean in LNs and surrounding muscle (Emean -m)were measured at the thyroids.The performances of RTE and BUS in predicting of PTC with LN metastasis were compared and ana-lyzed.Results The sensitivity and specificity of BUS on diagnosis of the cervical lymph nodes metastasis were 84.0% and 90.0%.The RTE Emea,Emax,Emin and SI in meta -static LNs were significantly higher than those in benign LNs(P =0.001,0.002,0.001,0.007).The RTE results of PTC patients with lymph node metastasis was ana-lyzed by ROC curve.The largest area was Emin.AUC was 0.918,the critical value was 0.240.AUC of SI was 0.896, AUC of Emean was 0.718,AUC of Emax was 0.670.The sensitivity and specificity were 94.0% and 99.4%,respec-tively.Conclusion Co -operation of RTE and BUS was more accurate than simple BUS in diagnosis of PTC with lymph node metastasis.SI and Emin has a high diagnostic value.

A rat model of metabolic syndrome was induced by high glucose plus high fat diet and treated by tea polyphenols for 10 weeks.The results showed that the levels of fasting blood glucose,triglyceride,cholesterol,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,and free fatty acid in tea polyphenols treatment group were significantly lower than those in control group(all P＜0.05),along with decreased TNF-α,IFN-γ,iNOS mRNA and protein expressions,and IL-1β protein expression in pancreatictissue (all P＜0.05).Under electron microscope,more secretory granules in islet beta cells and impoveddisorganization of cellular organ were shown in tea polyphenols treatment group compared with metabolic syndrome group.The results suggest that tea polyphenols are able to protect islet β cells against oxidative damage via inhibiting the production of inflammatory cytokines.

Objective To investigate effect of guanosine diphosphate (GDP) on the mitochondrial respiratory oxygen consumption and the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) of rat brain and explore the relationship of the change of uncoupling proteins (UCPS) activity with the oxygen consumption and MMP. Methods The mitochondria of rat brain were isolated by centrifugation. Mitochondria oxidative respiratory consumption was measured by Clark electrode after the treatment of GDP at different concentrations so as to calculate mitochondrial state 3 respiration (ST3), mitochondrial state 4 respiration (ST4), respiratory control rate (RCR), and the rate of oxidative phosphorylation (OPR). MMP was detected by Rhodamine 123 method at the different concentrations of GDP. Results With the increase of GDP concentration form 0 to 1.0 mmol/L, the values of ST3, ST4 and OPR were reduced while RCR was elevated. But when the concentration increased to 1.4 mmol/L, the former 3 indexes begun to increase while the later declined. When the GDP concentration reached to 1 mmol/L, the inhibitory rate was only 35.1%, 51.3%, 14.2% to ST3, ST4 and OPR respectively, while RCR was increased to 133.2%. No matter the concentration was over 1 mmol/L or under 1 mmol/L, the ability of inhibition was attenuated. MMP reached to the highest point when GDP exerted the highest inhibitory rate on mitochondrial respiratory oxygen consumption. Conclusion GDP, an inhibitor of UCPS, can regulate the respiratory oxygen consumption and MMP of the isolated rat brain mitochondrial directly in a dose-effect fashion. The change of UCPS activity can affect the respiratory oxygen consumption and MMP.

AIM:To observe the effect of GDP on uncoupling proteins(UCPs) activity and the efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation in hypoxic exposed rat brain mitochondria.METHODS: Adult SD rats were randomly divided into three groups (control, acute hypoxia and chronic hypoxia groups). The animals were placed into a hypobaric chamber simulated 5 000 m high altitude for 0, 3 and 30 d, respectively. The mitochondria from rat brain were isolated by centrifugation. The activity of UCPs was detected by the method of [H3]-GTP binding with UCPs specifically. The maximal binding content (Bmax) and the dissociation constant (Kd) were determined by Scatchard plot. The mitochondrial potential was measured by rhodamine 123 method. Oxidative respiratory consumption was measured by Clark electrode. The experiments were conducted under the conditions with or without GDP (1 mmol/L), respectively. RESULTS: For exposed to hypoxia, Bmax and the oxidative consumption of uncoupling respiration were increased. Kd, MMP and RCR were decreased. UCPs activity was inhibited by GDP in three groups. Kd was increased 61.01%, 83.13% and 71.52% and Bmax was decreased 23.18%, 35.20% and 33.38%, respectively. The values in the acute hypoxic group were changed markedly. The sensitivity of UCPs to GDP was elevated significantly by hypoxia. With the reducing of UCPs activity, oxidative consumption of uncoupling respiration was decreased whereas RCR and MMP were increased. The results elucidated increase in the efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation.CONCLUSION: GDP increases the mitochondrial membrane potential and decreases the oxygen consumption of uncoupling respiration in hypoxic exposed rat brain mitochondria by inhibiting UCPs activity. The results suggest that the change in UCPs activity is one of the factors of mitochondrial dysfunction in oxidative phosphorylation induced by hypoxia.

Objective This article was designed to observe the effects of astragalus polysaccharides (APS) on glucose and lipid metabolism, and on expressions of proxisome proliferator activated receptors-α (PPAR-α) and its downstream genes in diabetic hamsters cardiomyopathy. Methods Forty-five hamsters were divided into 3 groups randomly: normal control group (15 normal hamsters), diabetic control group [15 streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic hamsters], and astragalus polysaccharides (APS)-therapy group (15 STZ-induced diabetic hamsters administered with APS 2 g/kg per day orally for 10 weeks). The levels of insulin, C-peptide, myocardial enzymes, glycosylated serum protein (GSP) and lipoprotein of all hamsters were measured. The ultrastructure of myocardium was studied, and the gene and protein expressions of PPAR-α, FATP and ACS were also detected by fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot. Results It was shown that Compared with DM group, the levels of GSP, myocardial enzymes and lipoprotein of hamsters in APS-therapy group were lower, the myocardial ultrastructure of hamsters in APS-therapy group was well-protected, and the gene and protein expression of PPAR-α, FATP and ACS of hamsters in APS-therapy group were higher. Conclusions APS is partly effective in treating diabetic cardiomyopathy.