Objective: To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of JXHG Decoction on alcoholic liver injury.Methods: Each group of mice were fed for 30 days.Then 50% alcohol used to establish hepatic injury in mice by intragastric administration.16 hours later, the levels of TNF-α, AST, ALT in serum and MDA, GSH, TG, Caspase-3, Caspase-8 in liver were measured accordingly.Results: JXHG Decoction could reduce the levels of TNF-α, AST, ALT, MDA, TG, Caspase-3, Caspase-8, NF-κB and increase GSH, while alleviated tissue necrosis and aelipose degeration of hepar.Conclusion: JXHG Decoction has favorable anti-effects on alcoholic liver injury.Its possible mechanisms are reducing the inflammatory reaction by depressing the expression of TNF-alpha and NF-kappa B in liver cells, and alleviating the hepatic cell apoptosis induced by Caspase-8 and Caspase-3.

Objective To explore the feasibility of echo planar imaging with short time inversion recovery(STIR-EPI)diffusion weighted imaging with background signal(DWIBS)suppression in breast cancer.Methods The diffusion weighted imaging(DWI)with background suppression(b=800 mm2/s)was performed in 26 patients with breast cancer.Apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)of all lesions,vere measured and compared.3D maximum intensity projection(3D-MIP)and reverse black and white technique were used to show the lesions.DWI and DWIBS were performed and compared for the detection of breast cancer. Randomized blocks analysis of variance was used for the ADC values in different breast tissues.the ADC values in breast cancer and benign lesion were compared using t test.The paired chi square tes:was used for the detection rate of breast cancer in two different imaging methods.Results Most of the breast cancers were hyperintense on DWI(b:800 mm2/s).,rhe ADC value of caneer tissue was(0.93±0.25)×10-3mm2/s,tumor necrosis was(2.06±0.17)×10-3 mm2/s,normal breast tissue was (1.92±0.23)×10-3 mm2/s and metastatic lymph node was(1.10±0.14)× 10-3mm2/s and the differenees were statistically significant between two structures(P＜0.01).The signal of the tissue8 around the breast cancer was decreased on DWIBS with 3 D-MIP and reverse black and white technique and similar to positron emission tomography(PET).DWIBS sequence detected more breast cancers(92.3/)and metastatic lymph nodes(88.4/)than DWI sequence did(57.6/and 42.3/,respectively,X2:8.307,P＜0.05;X2=12.235,P＜0.05).The ADC values in breast cancer(1.09±0.17)×10-3mm2/s and benign lesion (2.15±0.53)×10-3 mm2/s had significant statistical differences(t=8.626,P＜0.05).conclusion Diffusion weighted MRI with background suppression can detect more lesions than DWI and can be potentially applied for the detection of the breast cancer eombining the ADC value.

Objective To explore the sensitivity of Enterococcus f aecium and Enterococcus f aecalis isolated from 2011 to 2013 and provide reference for anti-infection therapy .Methods The identification and drug sensitivity test of clinical isolates were carried out by using VITEK2 Compact system .Results The ratio of Enterococcus f aecium to Enterococcus f aecalis isolates was 1 .93 and it was increasing year by year .No vancomycin ,linezolid and tigecycline resistant Enterococcus f aecium and Enterococcus f aecalis i-solates was detected .The rates of Enterococcus f aecium sensitive to quinupristin-dalfopristin and tetracycline were higher than En-terococcus f aecalis(P<0 .05) ,and the rates of Enterococcus f aecium sensitive to nitrofurantoin ,ampicillin ,penicillin G ,moxifloxa-cin ,levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin were lower than that of Enterococcus f aecalis(P<0 .05) .Conclusion The detection rates of En-terococcus was shifting to Enterococcus f aecium ,and the trends became obvious year after year .The drug sensitivity of Enterococcus f aecium and Enterococcus f aecalis is different ,and doctors should choose the proper therapy according to their specific drug resist-ance .At present ,vancomycin ,linezolid and tigecycline are preffered for the treatment against infection caused by Enterococcus f aeci-um and Enterococcus f aecalis .

Objective To explore the biofilm forming ability and the ability to survive in stress environment of staphylococcus epidermidis strains isolated from catheters .Methods Semiquantitative biofilm assay and bacteria cell counting were performed to explore the biofilm forming ability and the ability to survive in stress environment of staphylococcus epidermidis strains .Results Staphylococcus epidermidis strain of 1457 and 5 clinical strains isolated from catheters had the similar ability of biofilm formation (P>0 .05) ,similar growth ability of planktonic and biofilm cells ,similar attachment ability to polystyrene ,similar ability to survive in an oxidative and ethanol stress environment (P>0 .05) .Conclusion The biofilm forming ability and the ability to survive in stress environment of staphylococcus epidermidis strains isolated from catheters were similar to staphylococcus epidermidis 1457 strain .

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of microinjection of saline into unilateral central piriform cortex (cPC) on the generalized seizures in amygdaloid-kindled rats.

METHODSDifferent volumes of saline were injected into the right or left cPC of amygdaloid-kindled rats, and its effect on generalized seizures was observed.

RESULTSaline injection at different volumes 0.1 microl, 0.25 microl and 1 microl) significantly decreased the incidence and duration of generalized seizures (P<0.05), the anticonvulsant effect lasted for up to 10 d. In addition, 10 min after ipsilateral injection of saline the generalized seizure thresholds were significantly increased; while this effect was observed 30 min later when contralateral injection was used.

CONCLUSIONUnilateral saline injection into cPC has a significant anticonvulsant effect, which might be used for treatment of human temporal lobe epilepsy in the future.

Amygdala ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Animals ; Anticonvulsants ; administration & dosage ; metabolism ; Cerebral Cortex ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Electric Stimulation ; Epilepsy, Generalized ; physiopathology ; prevention & control ; Kindling, Neurologic ; drug effects ; Male ; Microinjections ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sodium Chloride ; administration & dosage

OBJECTIVETo investigate the modulatory effects of morphine on the susceptibility to pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures, and the involvement of endogenous histamine in this process.

METHODSBoth the wild-type (WT) mice and histidine decarboxylase (a key enzyme for histamine biosynthesis) deficient (HDC-KO) mice were subcutaneously injected with different doses of morphine, and 1 hour later the pentylenetetrazole solution (1.5 %) was infused into the tail vein at a constant rate of 0.3 ml/min. The minimal dose of pentylenetetrazole (mg/kg) needed to induce myoclonic jerks and clonus convulsion was recorded as the thresholds of seizures.

RESULTIn WT mice, morphine dose-dependently decreased the thresholds of both myoclonic jerks and clonus convulsion. In HDC-KO mice, morphine at 10 mg/kg only significantly decreased the threshold of myoclonic jerks from (38.6 +/-2.9)mg/kg to (32.5 +/-0.7)mg/kg, but had no significant effect on the threshold of clonus convulsion [from (51.8 +/-2.1)mg/kg to (47.6 +/-1.2)mg/kg]. In addition, the value of decreased myoclonic jerks (15.8 +/-1.4)% and clonus convulsion (8.3 +/-0.9)% thresholds were much lower in HDC-KO mice than in WT mice [(26.1 +/-2.5)% and (20.8 +/-2.4)%, respectively].

CONCLUSIONMorphine can decrease the thresholds of pentylenetetrazole in induction of seizure, and the endogenous histamine may be involved in this process.

Animals ; Disease Susceptibility ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Histamine ; metabolism ; physiology ; Histidine Decarboxylase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Morphine ; pharmacology ; Myoclonus ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Narcotics ; pharmacology ; Pentylenetetrazole ; Random Allocation ; Seizures ; chemically induced ; genetics ; physiopathology ; Sensory Thresholds ; drug effects

Shikonin, the main active ingredient of Lithospermum, and its derivatives have been proved to have antitumor effects, and the anti-tumor mechanisms involve multiple targets. Based on recent literatures, this review focuses on the antitumor effects and its mechanisms. More emphases are given on the aspects of induction of apoptosis, induction of necrosis, acting on matrix metalloproteinase, acting on the protein tyrosine kinase and antiangiogenesis. The current status and problems of shikonin derivatives in antitumor effects are simply summarized and lookout for the development of antitumor drugs with shikonin as leading compounds.
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Lithospermum ; chemistry ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; metabolism ; Naphthoquinones ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Necrosis ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; prevention & control ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; metabolism ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism

Produced by and purified from Taxus brevifolia, Taxol (paclitaxel) has become a widely used cancer drug in clinic. Due to the rapid growing market, current industrial production of taxol by semi-synthesis that consumes large amount of Taxus trees cannot meet the requirement of the market. The discovery of taxol-producing fungus Taxomyces andeanae, an endophyte of T. brevifolia, by Stierle et al (1993), paves a new way to the production of the drug, i.e. employing large-scale fungal fermentation to make Taxol at lower cost and yet higher yield. This review discusses the present problems in taxol production in pharmaceutical industry, the finding and research progress on taxol-producing fungi, and the potential application of fungal fermentation to manufacture this important drug.
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; biosynthesis ; Fermentation ; Mitosporic Fungi ; metabolism ; Paclitaxel ; biosynthesis ; Taxus ; microbiology ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the diagnostic specificity of dynamic assessment and monitoring using a portable spirometer in diagnosis and differential diagnosis of asthma.

METHODSWe retrospectively reviewed the results of dynamic monitoring of spirometry in 145 symptomatic patients with physician-diagnosed asthma. Flow-volume curve and simultaneous symptoms and mood were measured in a fixed-time thrice-daily assessment schedule for 2 weeks. Patients were allowed to make additional measurements in case of symptom exacerbations.

RESULTSThe clinical data of 51 males and 94 females with a mean age of (39.1 +/- 13.0) years (ranged from 10 to 65 years) were analyzed. Duration of asthma before study was (6.7 +/- 9.9) years. Of 145 patients with physician-diagnosed asthma, 126 (87%) could be conclusively confirmed for a diagnosis of asthma. Asthma was misdiagnosed in 14 patients (9.7%). Overdiagnosis of asthma was observed in 5 patients (3.4%).

CONCLUSIONDynamic assessment and monitoring using a portable spirometer by revealing variability and reversibility of airway obstruction may provide an additional tool for diagnosis and differential diagnosis of asthma.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Airway Obstruction ; Asthma ; diagnosis ; Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diagnostic Errors ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peak Expiratory Flow Rate ; Spirometry ; methods ; Young Adult

U-shaped sacral fractures are rare and often difficult to diagnose primarily due to the difficulty in obtaining adequate imaging and the severe associated injuries.These fractures are highly unstable and frequently cause neurological deficits.The majority of surgeons have limited experience in management of U-shaped sacral fractures.No standard treatment protocol for U-shaped sacral fractures has been available till now.This study aimed to examine the management of U-shaped sacral fractures and the early outcomes.Clinical data of 15 consecutive patients with U-shaped sacral fracture who were admitted to our trauma center between 2009 and 2014 were retrospectively analyzed.Demographics,fracture classification,mechanism of injury and operative treatment and deformity angle were assessed.All the patients were treated with lumbopelvic fixation or (and) sacral decompression.EQ-5d score was applied to evaluate the patients' quality of life.Of the 15 consecutive patients with U-shaped sacral fracture,the mean age was 28.8 years (range:15-55 years) at the time of injury.There were 6 females and 9 males.The mean followup time was 22.7 months (range:9-47 months) and mean full weight-bearing time was 9.9 weeks (range:8-14 weeks).Ten patients received lumbopelvic fixation and sacral decompression,one lombosacral fixation,and 4 merely sacral decompression due to delayed diagnosis or surgery.The post-operation deformity angle (mean 27.87°,and range:8°-90°) of the sacrum was smaller than that pre-operation (mean 35.67;range:15-90) with no significance difference noted.At the latest follow-up,all patients obtained neurological recovery with different extents.Visual analogue score (VAS) was reduced from preoperative 7.07 (range:5-9) to postoperetive 1.93 (range:1-3).All patients could walk without any aid after treatment.Eight patients were able to care for themselves and undertook some daily activities.Five patients had returned to work full time.In conclusion,lumbopelvic fixation is an effective method for stabilization of U-shaped sacral fractures with fewer complications developed.Effective reduction and firm fixation are the prerequisite of early mobilization and neurological recovery.Sacral decompression effectively promotes neurological recovery even in patients with old U-shaped sacral fractures.