This study was aimed to optimize the extraction technology of Shu-Feng Ding-Chuan(SFDC) granules in the Huang-Qin(HQ)group by Box-Behnken response surface methodology(RSM).With three major characteristic components (baicalin,praeruptorin A and solid content in extraction liquid),the effects of four factors,such as the concentration of ethanol,the dosage of ethanol,the duration of extraction and the extraction times,were investigated by the single factor experiment.Then,the range of parameters of key factors was further studied and explored by Box-Behnken RSM.The results of single factor experiment and Box-Behnken design showed that the optimum preparation conditionswere 8-fold 70% ethanol,extracted for 2 times,with 1.0 h per each time.Under these conditions,the transfer rates of baicalin and praeruptor in A were 89.57% and 87.90%,respectively.And the transfer rateof solid content was 32.35%.It was concluded that the single factor experiment combined with RSM can be used in theoptimization of extraction technology for SFDC granules in the HQ group.This technique wasstable and feasible,which provided scientific evidences for the industrial production.

This study was aimed to establish an HPLC method for the content determination ofepimedin A, epimedinB,epimedinC,epimedium glycoside,baohuosideI in epimedium flavonoids capsule. The elusion was performed on an Eclipse Plus C18column (250 mm× 4.6 mm, 5μm). The mobile phase was composed of acetonitrile and water with a gradient elution. The flow rate was set at 1 mL·min-1. The detection wave length was set at 270 nm. The column temperature was 25℃. The results showed that the linear ranges of epimedin A,epimedinB,epimedinC,epimedium glycoside,baohuosideI were 3.10-62.00μg·mL-1, 5.70-114.00μg·mL-1, 9.14-182.80μg·mL-1, 15.20-304.00μg·mL-1, and 1.56-31.20μg·mL-1, respectively. The correlation coefficientr was more than 0.999 3. The average recoveries were 101.06% (RSD = 1.05%,n = 6), 100.78% (RSD = 1.08%,n = 6), 99.17% (RSD = 1.14%,n = 6), 100.23% (RSD = 0.68%,n = 6), and 99.09% (RSD = 1.30%,n = 6), respectively. This experiment was precise, reproducible and stable. It was concluded that the method was simple and accurate, which provided a certain reference value for the multi-component assaying of epimedium flavonoids capsule.

Objective To investigate the wall shear stress(WSS) in the common carotid artery of type 2 diabetes mellitus(DM) patients,and analyzed the spatial distribution of WSS by using quantitative visualization of blood flow shear stress analysis software.Methods Eighteen male type 2 DM subjects were enrolled as DM group and 18 age-matched healthy subjects were selected as control group.None of the participants was hypertensive,hyperlipidemic or a cigarette smoker.Intimal-medial thickness (IMT),number and size of plaques in the common carotid artery were evaluated by high-resolution echo-Doppler.Color Doppler flow images of common carotid arteries in the two groups were extracted from DICOM files.WSS in the common carotid arteries was calculated by shear stress visualization quantitative analysis software,and the corresponding spatial distribution maps of WSS were designed.Results WSS of the common carotid arteries in the control group were ranged from 4 to 14 dyne/cm2.WSS of the common carotid arteries in the DM group were ranged from 2 to 8 dyne/cm2.Compared to mean WSS value [(6.96 ± 1.17)dyne/cm2] of common carotid arteries in the control group,mean WSS value [(3.14 ± 0.79)dyne/cm2] of common carotid arteries in the DM group was significantly lower (t =9.380,P =0.000).Six diabetic participants had a plaque in one carotid artery and no lesions in the contralateral carotid.Among these subjects,mean WSS was significantly lower in the side with lesion (t =7.324,P =0.000).Therefore,IMT of common carotid arteries in participants was significantly inversely related to WSS (r =-0.76,P ＜0.01).Conclusions The common carotid arteries of DM patients are more prone to atherosclerosis which is associated with reduction of WSS.The hemodynamic profile might represent an additional factor contributing to the increased prevalence and severity of carotid atherosclerosis in diabetic patients compared with general population.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Chronic Disease ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mastoiditis ; surgery ; Middle Aged ; Otitis Media with Effusion ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

Objective To explore the changes serum S-100? in children with acute carbon monoxide poisoning and its clinical significance.Methods The levels of serum S-100? of 28 children with acute carbon monoxide poisoning and those of 20 healthy children were mea-sured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results The serum S-100? levels of the study group and control group were(0.517?0.346)and(0.037?0.014)?g/L respectively,there was significant difference between two groups(t=6.197 P

0.05)and the TNM staging (P=0.55).A mild elevated compared other pathological classification was found in small cell lung cancer (0.191?0.275).Conclusions The results showed that RFQ-PCR was suitable for measurement of the mRNA level of PLKI in bronchoscopic bioptic specimens.This study suggest elevated expression of PLK1 might play a important role in development of lung cancer,so that PLK1 might be a potential tumor marker for Lung cancers.Advanced studies will be needed to clarify that PLKI mRNA level do not relate to TNM staging and pathological classification.

Objective To compare predictive power for deep vein thrombosis among hip and knee joint replacement patients using Autar scale and Wells scale.Methods Convenience sampling method was used.Totally 331 patients from ten tertiary hospitals receiving hip and knee joint replacement were recruited.General information questionnaire,Autar scale and Wells scale were used to collect data.Telephone follow-up was performed at 2 weeks,1 month and 3 months after hospital discharge.The primary endpoint of follow-up was occurrence of DVT,and the secondary endpoint was no occurrence of DVT within 3 months after hospital discharge.Results The Cronbach's α coefficients of Autar scale ranged from 0.716 to 0.762 for scores 24h before operation,24h after operation and at the day of discharge,and those of Wells scale ranged from 0.580 to 0.603.The area under the ROC curve of Autar scale ranged from 0.726 to 0.798.The area under the ROC curve of Wells scale ranged from 0.568 to 0.628.Conclusion The predictive power of Autar scale was higher than that of Wells scale which enabled Autar scale to better predict deep vein thrombosis for patients receiving hip and knee joint replacement.

AIMThe process of vascular calcification involves various genetic alterations which may play a very important role in the vascular calcification. Vascular smooth muscle cells undoubtedly composed the main part of vascular cells, and are involved in vascular calcification. So bovine artery smooth muscle cell (BASMC) was used to investigate the gene changes during BASMC's calcification.

METHODSBovine artery smooth muscle cells cultured in vitro was induced calcified by beta-Glycerophosphate (beta-GP). Using DD-PCR technique to screening differentially expressed genes and those differentially expressed bands were reexamined by reverse Northern blot. All the ESTs were sequenced and BLAST with GenBank.

RESULTSTotal 65 cDNAs were isolated as differentially expressed genes and 40 of them were successfully reamplified. Using reverse-Northern blot, seven of these 40 cDNAs were reproducibly expressed differentially between the two cells. Three of them are new bands and have not been reported before.

CONCLUSIONThis is the first time using DD-PCR to screen differentially expressed genes of BASMC calcification. Seven related ESTs were identified relating to BASMC calcification.

Animals ; Arteriosclerosis ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cattle ; Cells, Cultured ; Expressed Sequence Tags ; Genetic Variation ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; metabolism ; pathology ; Vascular Calcification ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVEPelvic lymph node metastasis is an important prognostic factor of cervical cancer. The prognosis of cervical cancer patients with common iliac lymph node metastasis is poor, but few systematic studies have been reported . This study was to investigate the characteristics, risk, treatment and prognosis of stage IB-IIB cervical carcinoma patients with common iliac lymph node metastasis.

METHODSA total of 960 patients with cervical cancer receiving radical hysterectomy and bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy were selected from the hospitalized patients in the Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University between January 1995 and December 2005, and analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTSOf the 960 patients, 288 (30.0%) had pelvic lymph node metastasis, and 45 (4.7%) had positive common iliac lymph node. The 5-year overall survival rate (OS) of patients with common iliac lymph node metastasis was 46.1%, and 67.5% in patients with other pelvic lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). Univariate analysis showed that clinical stage, serum level of squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) > 4 microg/L before treatment, depth of cervical invasion > or =2/3 and positive parametrial margin were associated with common iliac lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). Patients with > or =3 pelvic lymph node metastasis (excluding common iliac lymph node) or recurrence had poor prognosis (P < 0.05). Factors predictive of common iliac lymph node metastasis on Logistic forward regression were SCC-Ag > 4 microg/L (P = 0.026, OR = 2.303) before treatment and positive parametrial margin (P = 0.045, OR = 2.634).

CONCLUSIONSCervical cancer patients with common iliac lymph node metastasis had poorer prognosis compared with patients with other pelvic lymph node metastasis. SCC-Ag >4 microg/L before treatment and positive parametrial margin were the independent predictive factors for common iliac lymph node metastasis of cervical carcinoma. Pelvic lymph node metastasis (excluding common iliac lymph node) > or = 3 or recurrence was prognostic factors for patients with common iliac lymph node metastasis.

Adenocarcinoma ; blood ; pathology ; surgery ; Adult ; Antigens, Neoplasm ; blood ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; blood ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; methods ; Iliac Artery ; Iliac Vein ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Neoplasm Staging ; Pelvis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Serpins ; blood ; Survival Rate ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; blood ; pathology ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo analyze the clinical features of 128 acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients infected through blood transmission who were coinfected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV).

METHODSThe prevalence, liver functions, and some immunological profiles of 128 AIDS patients coinfected with HBV and HCV were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSAmong the 128 AIDS patients, 107 (83.6%) were coinfected with HCV, among which 40 (31.3%) patients had abnormal liver functions or liver damage and 15 (11.7%) patients experienced hepatitis symptoms. Three (2.3%) AIDS patients were singly coinfected with HBV, and all of them had abnormal liver functions and hepatitis symptoms. Seven (5.5%) patients were coinfected with HIV/HCV/HBV and none of them had abnormal liver functions or hepatitis symptoms. Eleven (8.6%) patients were only infected with HIV.

CONCLUSIONSThe prevalence of blood-transmitted HIV patients coinfected with HCV is higher than with HBV. The clinical outcomes of HIV coinfection with HCV and HBV are different.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; complications ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; China ; epidemiology ; Comorbidity ; Female ; Hepatitis B ; epidemiology ; Hepatitis C ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Transfusion Reaction