This paper introduces the principles of the medical gas central supply system and its structure, Classification, standards, flow chart and its advantages, and its quantity guarantee and quality control.
Equipment Design ; Equipment Safety ; Equipment and Supplies, Hospital ; standards ; Gases ; Humans ; Quality Control

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of a stroke unit combined with community health services for treating stroke survivors. Methods A total of 120 stroke patients were randomly divided into a " stroke unit combined with community medicine" group ( combined group) , a stroke unit group and a general treatment group. Patients in the former 2 groups were treated in a hospital stroke unit during their hospitali-zation. The general treatment group was given conventional medical treatment. After discharge, the combined group continued to receive regular rehabilitation therapy and guidance in the form of community medical services, while the stroke unit group received follow-up only. Assessment was by means of Fugl-Meyer scores, the Barthel index and self-rating on a depression scale ( SDS). The patients were assessed at admission, on discharge and 3 months after discharge. Results There were no significant differences in average limb motor function, ability in the activities of daily living ( ADL) or depressive mood among the 3 groups on admission, but at discharge, limb motor function and ADL ability in the combined group and stroke unit groups were significantly superior to those in the general therapy group. Limb motor function and ADL ability in the combined and stroke unit groups had improved further 3 months after discharge, with more significant improvements in the combined group. No significant change in depression was observed in any group at discharge, but average depression scores in the combined and stroke unit groups improved significantly in the 3 months after discharge, and there was a statistically significant difference between the combined group and the general group. Conclusion Supplementing the work of a stroke unit with community health services significantly improves stroke patients' recovery of limb motor function and ADL ability.

Osteoarthritis (Osteoarthritis, OA) is a common clinical degenerative joint disease with increased incidence rate in recent years. Animal experiment is one of the important ways to explore pathogenesis and treatment of OA, while induced animal model is the most important part in animal experiment. Intra-articular injection of drugs is a classical method for establishing animal model of OA. Choose of animal should follows the principle of correlation, appropriateness and practicability, injections should perform in accordance with experimental purposes and subject, detections means and evaluation methods also should corresponding to experimental reality. The gold standard of OA animal model and intra-articular injections has not build, need further study.
Animals ; Cytokines ; analysis ; Disease Models, Animal ; Injections, Intra-Articular ; Mice ; Osteoarthritis ; diagnosis ; etiology ; immunology ; Rabbits ; Rats

OBJECTIVEThe efficacy of rate and rhythm control strategies for treating atrial fibrillation (AF) patients was analyzed in this meta-analysis.

METHODSEligible trials were searched in MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, the Clinical Trials, the Chinese VIP database up to May 31, 2010. Ten prospective randomized control trials with 7876 patients (rate control n = 3932, rhythm control n = 3944) were included for final analysis.

RESULTSAll cause mortality (5.3% vs. 5.0%; OR: 1.03; 95%CI: 0.84 - 1.26; I(2) < 25%) and incidence of worsening heart failure (3.81% vs. 3.61%; OR: 1.04; 95%CI: 0.80 - 1.36; I(2) < 50%) were similar between the two groups. Subgroup analysis showed that all cause mortality (3.6% vs.1.9%; OR: 1.89; 95%CI: 1.01 - 3.53; I(2) < 25%) and rate of worsening heart failure (2.3% vs. 0.3%; OR: 5.6; 95%CI: 1.44 - 21.69; I(2) < 25%) were significantly higher in rate control group than in rhythm control group in patients with age < 65 years. Thromboembolic events (1.49% vs. 1.46%; OR: 1.02, 95%CI: 0.71 - 1.48) and bleeding events (1.78% vs. 1.73%; OR: 1.02, 95%CI: 0.70 - 1.49) were similar between rhythm control and rate control groups while rehospitalization rate was significantly lower in rate control group than in rhythm control group (17.56% vs. 22.98%; OR: 0.37, 95%CI: 0.19 - 0.71).

CONCLUSIONThis meta-analysis shows that rhythm control strategy is superior to rate control strategy for AF patients with age < 65 years in terms of reducing all cause mortality and incidence of worsening heart failure.

Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; prevention & control ; Atrial Fibrillation ; physiopathology ; prevention & control ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

AIMTo discuss the effect of Pitavastatin on angiogenesis in vivo and its mechanism in Klotho heterozygous deficient mice.

METHODSThe heterozygous deficient Klotho mice (kl +/-) and wild mice (kl +/+) from the same litter were used to establish the animal model of hind-limb ischemia and grouped into control and Pitavastatin group, respectively. Hind-limb blood flow was evaluated using Laser Doppler perfusion imager (LDPI) before treatment and after operation of hind-limbs. The capillaries in muscle of limbs were counted by means of CD-31 labeled immuno-fluorescence. The phosphorylation of Akt (Protein kinase B) in cells was measured by direct immunohistochemical technique. The expression of vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) in muscle of limbs was assessed using Western blotting.

RESULTSAfter treatment of Pitavastatin, the blood flow in ischemic limbs of the Kl +/- and wild mice improved obviously, the ratio of blood flow area in ischemic limb to that in non-ischemic limb increased and the density of capillaries increased in ischemic limbs of the Kl +/- and wild mice. Pitavastatin enhanced the phosphorylation of Akt and the expression of VEGF in ischemic limbs of the Kl +/- and wild mice.

CONCLUSIONPitavastatin has the pro-angiogenesis effect in vivo and the VEGF-p-Akt-NO pathway may be involved in the mechanism of the effect of Pitavastatin.

Angiogenesis Inducing Agents ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Heterozygote ; Ischemia ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Quinolines ; pharmacology ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the neuroprotective effects of Chinese herb medicine Huanglian-Jiedu-Tang (HJDT) on chronic brain injury after focal cerebral ischemia in mice.

METHODSFocal cerebral ischemia was induced by occlusion of right middle cerebral artery (MCA) for 15 min. HJDT (at dosage of 2 g/kg or 4 g/kg, qd, orally) was administered for 21 d from d 7 before ischemia until d 14 after ischemia. The sham and ischemic controls were administered with normal saline orally. The neurological deficit scoring and the inclined board testing were performed within 35 d after ischemia. The survival rate, the infarct volume and the neuron density were assessed 35 d after ischemia.

RESULTHJDT increased the survival rate at dose of 4 g/kg; significantly reduced the neurological deficits, infarct volume and cerebral atrophy at doses of 2 and 4 g/kg after ischemia; and significantly increased the neuron density in the ischemic hippocampal CA1 region, striatum and cortex at dose of 4 g/kg but only increase the density in hippocampal CA1 region at dose of 2 g/kg.

CONCLUSIONChinese herb medicine HJDT has neuroprotective effects on chronic brain injury after focal cerebral ischemia in mice.

Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; physiology ; Brain ; pathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery ; drug therapy ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Male ; Mice ; Neurons ; pathology ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Phytotherapy

Seven compounds were isolated from the leaves of Panax japonicus var. major by chromatographic methods including silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, ODS and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were elucidated by their physical and chemical properties and spectral data analysis as 5, 7-dihydroxy-8-methoxyl flavone (1), ginsenoside Rs2 (2), quinquenoside R1 (3), ginsenoside Rs1 (4), notoginsenoside Fe (5), ginsenoside Rd2 (6) and gypenosiden IX (7). Among them, compound 1 was obtained from the Panax genus for the first time, and compounds 2-7 were isolated from this plant for the first time.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Flavones ; analysis ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Ginsenosides ; analysis ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Panax ; chemistry ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

OBJECTIVEWe investigated the effects of pitavastatin on angiogenesis and perfusion in C3H/He mice with unilateral hind limb ischemia.

METHODSC3H/He mice treated with saline (n = 15) or pitavastatin (1 mg.kg(-1).d(-1), n = 15) per gavage for 1 week underwent unilateral hind limb ischemia surgery and were treated for another 5 weeks. Hind-limb blood flow was measured by Laser Doppler perfusion imager (LDPI, ischemic/nonischemic limb, %) at baseline, immediately after ischemia and weekly thereafter for 5 weeks. Endpoints included local vessel counts by immunofluorescence, phospho-Akt positive cell counts by immunoenzyme histochemical technique, vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) expression in ischemic limbs by Western blot and serum nitric oxide metabolite (NOx) by chrome dioxide Griess method.

RESULTSLower extremity perfusion was significantly improved in pitavastatin treated mice vs. controls as measured by LDPI% at 1 week post ischemia and thereafter (P < 0.05). Pitavastatin treatment was associated with significantly increased capillary count [(47 +/- 11) vs. (26 +/- 14)/per high-power field (x 200), P < 0.05] and greater percentage of phospho-Akt positive cells [(6 +/- 1) vs. (2 +/- 0)/per high-power field (x 200), P < 0.05] in ischemic limbs. Serum NOx [(77.3 +/- 21.8) vs. (52.1 +/- 11.2) mol/L, P < 0.05) and VEGF protein expression in ischemic limbs were also significantly increased in pitavastatin group than those in control group.

CONCLUSIONSPitavastatin enhances angiogenesis and perfusion in CsH/He mice with limb ischemia.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Ischemia ; physiopathology ; Lower Extremity ; blood supply ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C3H ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; drug effects ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; Quinolines ; pharmacology ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors ; metabolism

OBJECTIVEHepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion and/or hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance are considered as good prognostic indicators of treatment outcome in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. While a sustained virological response (SVR) can be achieved by a finite 48-week course of pegylated-interferon alfa-2a (Peg-IFNalpha-2a), it has been suggested that longer-term treatment can improve the rate of SVR. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the effects of prolonged and routine Peg-IFNa-2a therapy in patients with HBeAg-positive CHB.

METHODSEighty-six consecutive patients diagnosed with HBeAg-positive CHB at our hospital between September 2006 and October 2009 were enrolled in the study. The patients were randomly assigned to receive Peg-IFNa-2a (180 mug once weekly) for either 48 weeks (routine therapy group, n = 53) or 72 weeks (prolonged therapy group, n = 33). Serum samples were collected from each patient every three months until the end of the 24-week follow-up, and standard viral and biochemical tests were carried out. Relapse was defined as HBV DNA concentrations more than 105 copies/mL or an HBeAg-positive test at the end of the 24-week follow-up. Chi-squared test and the t-test were used to determine the significance of intergroup differences. Logistic regression analysis was employed to determine the correlation of outcome parameters to treatment duration, expressed as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTSThe two treatment groups were similar at baseline (pre-treatment) in demographic data, sex ratio, age, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level, HBV DNA load, and semi-quantitative level of HBeAg (s/co) (all, P more than 0.05). At the end of the 24-week follow-up, there were significant differences between the 48-week treatment group and the 72-week treatment group in patients with HBV DNA negativity (62.3% vs. 97.0%, x2 = 13.273, P = 0.000), HBeAg seroconversion (39.6% vs. 57.6%, x2 = 6.765, P = 0.009), HBsAg clearance (15.1% vs. 36.4%, x2 = 5.155, P = 0.023), and relapse (58.5% vs. 33.3%, x2 = 6.713, P = 0.010). Logistic regression analysis indicated that therapy duration was correlated to HBeAg clearance (OR = 3.702, 95% CI: 1.225 to 11.188) and male sex (OR = 3.005, 95% CI: 1.038 to 8.696) but not to HBeAg level at baseline (OR = 0.999, 95% CI: 0.998 to 1.000) or age (OR = 0.902, 95% CI: 0.839 to 0.970).

CONCLUSIONIn this single-center cohort study, superior therapeutic benefit was achieved by extending the Peg-IFNa-2a therapy out to 72 weeks for patients with HBeAg-positive CHB. The prolonged duration therapy produced a higher HBsAg loss ratio, HBeAg seroconversion ratio, HBV DNA negativity ratio, and a lower relapse ratio. Furthermore, HBeAg clearance was positively correlated with duration and male sex.

Adult ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Female ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; blood ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Polyethylene Glycols ; therapeutic use ; Recombinant Proteins ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Adolescent ; Adult ; China ; HIV Infections ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Male ; Rural Population ; Sexual Behavior ; Single Person ; Young Adult