BACKGROUND: In vivo animal experiments have found that magnesium al oy stents can be completely degraded in a slow, orderly and non-toxic manner fol owing the vascular remodeling. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the applied effect and biocompatibility of a new type of magnesium al oy stent in blood vessels. METHODS: Forty-two crossbreed dogs were implanted with absorbable magnesium al oy stents via the coronary artery or left femoral artery. At days 1, 3, 5 and weeks 1, 2, 3, 4 after implantation, coronary or femoral artery angiography, inflammatory factor detection and morphological analysis targeting intimal hyperplasia were performed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: At 1 day after implantation, the stents had the complete shape and were ful y extended; at 3 days after implantation, the stents were degraded partial y; at 1 week after implantation, the stents were degraded completely. Within 1-3 weeks after implantation, the levels of tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 continued to decrease. At 2 and 3 weeks after implantation, the target vessels presented with mild intimal hyperplasia. As time went on, the hyperplasia area increased gradual y, and the percentage of intimal hyperplasia increased gradual y. Blood magnesium concentration remained unchanged before and after stent implantation. The results show that the new absorbable magnesium al oy stent can be completely degraded within 1 week after stent implantation and has good biocompatibility.

The literatures on methods of pharmacodynamic of Chinese medicine in treating brain injury in vitro nearly 10 years were collected and summarized. The studies found that evaluated methods of pharmacodynamic of Chinese medicine in treating brain injury in vitro as followed: the experimental methods of anti-brain injury medicine were mainly used in vitro by serum or cerebrospinal fluid pharmacology, the cell models ofβ-amyloid toxicity, low sugar hypoxia, MPP+ toxicity were often used, the indexes of evaluation such as pathology, neuronal apoptosis, brain energy metabolism and oxidative stress of neuronal cells were chosen. When the researchers evaluate the pharmacodynamic of Chinese medicine, the appropriate experimental models and indexes will be selected based on experimental purposes.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; Adult ; Aged ; Chronic Disease ; therapy ; Female ; Headache ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tension-Type Headache ; therapy ; Young Adult

Objective To discuss the application of minimally invasive surgery in the treatment of esophageal leiomyoma. Methods Clinical data of 26 patients with esophageal leiomyoma from September 1996 to October 2002 treated by minimally invasive surgery were reviewed retrospectively. Results Video-assisted thoracoscopic leiomyoma enucleations were performed in 23 patients, and a conversion to mini-thoracotomy was required in 3 of them because of dense pleural adhesion (2 patients) or location failure of tumor (1 patient). The remaining 3 patients underwent transjugular leiomyoma enucleation (2 patients) or esophagoscopic resection of leiomyoma (1 patient), respectively. All the procedures were completed smoothly and the postoperative recovery was uneventful, without mortality or severe complications. All the patients were pathologically diagnosed as leiomyoma after surgery. Follow-up for 2 ～ 73 months (mean,32.3months) found no recurrence. Conclusions Video-assisted thoracoscopic enucleation can be the first choice for the esophageal leiomyomas that derived from lamina propria, while esophagoscopic removal may be considered for those from muscularis mucosa.

Objective To investigate the effects of preconditioning with different concentrations of sevoflurane on the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in rats with acute lung injury (ALI) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS).Methods Thirty adult male Sprague-Dawlcy rats,wcighing 200-250 g,were randomly divided into 5 groups (n =6 each):normal saline group (group NS),group ALI,and preconditioning with different concentrations of sevoflurane groups (groups S1-3).ALI was induced by intratracheal instillation of LPS 5 mg/kg.Groups S1-3 inhaled 1.2％,2.4 ％ and 4.8 ％ sevoflurane for 30 min respectively,and ALI was induced 30 min later.The rats were sacrificed at 12 h after administration of LPS or normal saline and lungs were removed for microscopic examination and for determination of TLR4 mRNA and protein expression in lung tissues and concentrations of TNF-α and IL-1β in broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF).W/D lung weight ratio was calculated.Results Compared with group NS,W/D lung weight ratio and concentrations of TNF-a and IL-1β in BALF were significantly increased and the expression of TLR4 mRNA and protein was up-regulated in groups ALI and S1-3 (P ＜ 0.01).Compared with group ALI,the parameters mentioned above were significantly decreased in groups S2 and S3,and the concentrations of TNF-α and IL-1 β in BALF were significantly decreased and the expression of TLR4 mRNA was down-regulated in group S1 (P ＜ 0.05 or 0.01).The parameters mentioned above were significantly lower in groups S2 and S3 than in group S1 (P ＜ 0.05).The pathologic changes were significantly attenuated in groups S1-3 compared with group ALI.Conclusion Preconditioning with sevoflurane can concentration-dependently reduce LPS-induced ALI in rats through inhibiting the up-regulation of TLR4 expression in lung tissues and reducing the inflammatory response.

Panax japonicas C.A. Meyd are mostly produced in southwestern China. It is widely used by Tujia and Miao nationality. It has the actions of reinforcing deficiency and being strong, reducing swelling and paln, dissolving stasis and stopping bleeding. Total saponins ofPanax japonicas (TSPJ) are principal active component ofPanax japonicas C.A. Meyd. The researchers found that it had remarkable therapeutic effects on the diseases, especially rheumatism and cardio-cerebrovascular in recent years. This article is to summarize the pharmacological actions of TSPJ and to provide the references for future studies.

Objective To compare the condition of illness and pathological characteristics of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE)in C57 BL/6 mouse models induced by myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein 35-55 (MOG35-55)at different doses,and provide a reliable animal model for further study of multiple sclerosis(MS).Methods Male SPF-grade C57 BL/6 mice were divided randomly into four groups:normal group and three EAE model groups (MOG35-55 high-dose,middle-dose and low-dose model groups).200,100,50μg MOG35-55/mice were mixed with complete Freund's adjuvant(CFA),respectively,to prepare complete antigen in different concentrations.The mice were anesthetized and injected s.c.over flanks with the complete antigen and injected i.P.with pertussis toxin to establish immunization-induced C57BL/6 mouse-model of EAE.The mice of the normal group were injected with normal saline instead.Since the day of immunization,the incidence,body weight and neurological score of the mice were observed.The mice of different neurological scores in different periods were anesthetized and perfused with saline and followed by 4% paraformaldehyde.The brain and spinal cord of the mice were removed and fixed in the same fixative solution.The brains and spinal cords of the mice were examined by histopathology with hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining.The mice on the 40th day were sacrificed and perfused with 2% paraformaldehyde and 2% glutaraldehyde, 1 mm~3 pieces of cerebral white matter and intumescentia lumbalis of the spinal cord were taken and ultrathin sections were prepared according to conventional techniques for electron microscopy. Results All the MOG_(35-55) in three different doses induced mouse models of EAE. The disease was with an incidence rate of 100% and a chronic monophasic course. The body weight of the mice in the three groups decreased obviously compared with those in the normal group. The maximum value of neurological score was 1.33,2.25 and 2.50 in the mice of high-, middle-and low-dose groups, respectively. The major histopathological changes observed in the brain and spinal cord of the EAE mice were different degrees of inflammatory cell infiltration around small vessels showing sleeve-like changes, dcmyelination and neuronal karyopyknosis in the acute and remission stages. The main site of the brain inflammation was in white matter around encephalocoele, and also in the DG and CA zones of hippocampus. The spinal cord inflammation was most severe in the lumbosacral region. The above mentioned pathological changes in the low-dose group were more prominent than those in the middle-dose and high-dose groups. The major ultrastructural changes were scattered around encephalocoele, interstitial edema, especially around small blood vessels, and swollen mitochondria with damaged cristae, and some karyopyknosis in vascular endothelial cells. Some tight junctions were blurred. Some dispersed lymphocytes and mononuclear cells were seen in the perivascular space. In lumbar intumescentia of the spinal cord, there were some myelin figures in the white matter myelin sheath. Some of them showed demyelization and structurtal fusion. The cytoplasmic organelles of axons were considerably reduced or even disappeared. The vascular basement membrane showed an increased thickness and focal necrosis in some areas. Conclusion The mouse models of immune-induced EAE are successfully established with MOG_(35-55), especially that induced with MOG in a dose of 50 μg. This mouse model is stable, with a high incidence and low mortality rate, and can be applied for EAE research in the future.

Mesenchymal stem cell is a kind of multipotent hematopoietic stem cell.In the case of acute lung injury,it can differentiate into TypeⅠand TypeⅡepithelial cell,and to repair impaired tissues.In addition,mesenchymal stem cells have benefit effects in the treatment of lung injury by reducing proinflammatory factors IL-1,MIP-2,INF-?,TNF-?,increasing antiinflammatory factors IL-10,IL-1ra,IL-13 and alleviating inflammatory response to the acute lung injury.

To explore the value of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) technique in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant hepatic neoplasms.Retrospective analysis of touch tissue quantification (VTQ) and general ultrasonic examination of interesting region were performed for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC),hepatic hemangioma,focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) and controls.Significant differences existed between HCC and hepatic hemangioma,hepatic FNH and controls (all P ＜0.01).No significant difference existed between primary and metastatic HCC (P ＞ 0.05).There was no significant difference between hepatic hemangioma,FNH and controls (all P ＞ 0.05).With a cut-off VTQ value of 1.95 m/s,the sensitivity and accuracy rate in the differentiation of benign and malignant hepatic neoplasms was 90％ and 83％ respectively.The sensitivity and accuracy rate in general ultrasound examination of hepatic neoplasms was 88％ and 70％ respectively.Significant differences existed in accuracy rate between two methods (P ＜ 0.01).It was confirmed that ARFI could reflect the stiffness of liver neoplasm noninvasively.Compared with general ultrasonography,ARFI is better at differentiating benign and malignant hepatic neoplasms.