Objective To investigate the present situation of living and living quality of the elderly living in communities of Xi'an City.Methods By using quality of life(QOL) questionnaire,the elders living in two communities in Xi'an were investigated regarding their physical,psychological,social and material functions as well as overall living quality.Results Psychological and social functions scored significantly higher in both male and higher-income groups than those in the others.The scores of physical and social functions in the lower-income elderly were significantly higher than those in high-income ones.The scores of overall living quality of those elderly having spouses,living with their family members,taking an active part in social activities,having hobbies and enjoying medical insurance were significantly higher than those of the others.The well-educated elderly scored significantly higher in social function than those with lower education level;adverse events prominently decreased the quality of life of the elderly.More than 80% of the elderly were satisfied with their living environment.The highest incidence of chronic diseases in the communities was hypertension.Conclusion The quality of life of the elderly living in communities of Xi'an City is good.Health status,family environment,educational level,income and marital status are the main factors that affect the quality of life of the elderly.

Graduates are generally weak in oral English. Some measures have been taken in graduate oral English course since 2005 in SMMU and proved effective by the questionnaire completed later.

The work aims to study the drug metabolizing enzymes involved in the metabolism of butylphthalide and evaluate the induction and inhibition activities of butylphthalide on CYP450 isoenzymes by using in vitro (liver microsome incubation system of rats and human) and in vivo (CYP induced model of rats) method. Butylphthalide was incubated with selective inhibitors of CYP450, and its metabolic rate was determined to identify the metabolizing isoenzymes of NBP in rat (normal and induced rats) and human liver microsomes. The in vitro inhibition effect of butylphthalide on 6 main liver microsomal CYP450 isoenzymes was evaluated by using probe drugs; the induction and inhibition activities in vivo of butylphthalide on CYP450 isoenzymes were evaluated by NBP ig dosing (160 mg x kg(-1)) and iv dosing (20 mg x kg(-1)) in rats. After adding the specific inhibitors of CYP2C11, 2E1 and 3A 1/2 for rat, CYP2C19, 2E1 and 3A4/5 for human, the metabolism of NBP in rat and human liver microsomes were reduced 38.8%, 86.2%, 78.4% and 51.0%, 92.0%, 58.9% of control, respectively. The metabolic rates of NBP in CYP2E1 and 3A 1/2 induced rat liver microsomes were increased 25.5% and 68.9%. High concentration of NBP (≥ 200 μmol x L(-1), in vitro) could inhibit the activities of CYP1A2, 2C6, 2C11 and 2D2 in rats, and high concentration of NBP ( ≥ 15 μmol x L(-1), in vitro) could inhibit the activity of CYP2C19 in human. All the results indicated that NBP should be mainly metabolized by CYP2E1, 2C11 and 3A 1/2 in rats and CYP2E1, 2C19 and 3A4/5 in human. High concentration of NBP could inhibit human CYP2C19 in vitro. No significant induction/inhibition effects of NBP were observed on rat liver CYP450 isoforms after ig 160 mg x kg(-1) NBP or iv 20 mg x kg(-1) NBP.

rAdinbitor was cloned from Gloydius blomhoffi brevicaudus in the laboratory. Previous researches had proved that rAdinbitor could inhibit proliferation of C6 glioma cells as well as promote their apoptosis. The molecular mechanism of rAdinbitor’s effects on C6 cells need to be further studied. rAdinbitor was expressed in E. coli BL21/pET23b-adinbitor and purified with Ni Sepharose 6 Fast Flow. The purified protein was confirmed by Western blotting. C6 cells were induced with fibronectin (FN). The effects of rAdinbitor with different concentrations on the expression of FAK, MEK1/2 and Caspase-3 as well as on activity of FAK and ERK1/2 in FN-induced C6 cells were studied by immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation. Results showed that rAdinbitor with different concentrations could obviously reduce the expression of FAK and MEK1/2, increase the expression of Caspase-3, as well as decrease ERK1/2 phosphorylation; besides 10 mg/L rAdinbitor, other concentrations’ rAdinbitor could inhibit FAK phosphorylation obviously. All those effects were dose-dependent. Results indicate that the effects of rAdinbitor on decreasing expression and activity of FAK and inhibiting Ras-MAPK signaling pathway play an important role in suppressing the proliferation of C6. Furthermore, the increase in Caspase-3 expression implies that the increase in apoptosis of C6 cells might be due to the suppression of rAdinbitor on the activity of ILK and PI-3K/Akt pathway.

This study investigated the role of glucose in the biogenesis of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Mouse primary peritoneal macrophages were harvested and maintained in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) containing glucose of various concentrations. The cells were divided into 3 groups in terms of different glucose concentrations in the cultures: Control group (5.6 mmol/L glucose), high glucose concentration groups (16.7 mmol/L and 30 mmol/L glucose). ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) mRNA expression in the macrophages was detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR 24, 48 and 72 h after glucose treatment. The results showed that ABCA1 mRNA expression in the 16.7 mmol/L glucose group was not significantly different from that in the control group at all testing time points (P>0.05 for each). In the 30 mmol/L glucose group, macrophage ABCA1 mRNA expression was not changed significantly at 24 h (P=0.14), but was substantially decreased by 40.4% at 48 h (P=0.009) and by 48.1% at 72 h (P=0.015) as compared with that in the control group. It was concluded that ABCA1 is of vital importance for HDL-C biogenesis. High glucose may hamper HDL-C biogenesis by decreasing ABCA1 expression, which contributes to low HDL-C level in diabetes.

AIM:To evaluate the clinical effect of traditional Chinese medicine plus laser photocoagulation on eyes which have peripheral retinal hole with shallow detachment.
METHODS: The 227 cases ( 246 eyes ) of retinal hole with shallow detachment were randomly divided into an integrated Chinese and western medicine group and a western medicine group. The former underwent laser photocoagulation combined with oral Chinese medicine;while the latter was treated with laser photocoagulation alone. Analyses of the effect were performed two months after treatment.
RESULTS:The total cure rate of integrated Chinese and western medicine group was 87. 7%, while that of western medicine group was 71. 6%, significant difference was considered between the two groups (P<0. 01).
CONCLUSION: Chinese medicine combined with laser photocoagulation plays an exact role in eyes which have peripheral retinal hole with shallow detachment, especially when the detached range is greater than 1PD, and it is significantly better than western laser therapy.

Asthma ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Major Histocompatibility Complex ; genetics ; immunology ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Phytotherapy

Objective To study the expression of aquaporins-4 (AQP4) in the brain tissue of rats with pancreatic encephalopathy (PE) induced by phospholipase A2 and to explore the role of aquaporins-4 in PE.Methods Twenty five healthy Wistar rats were randomized into 3 groups:blank group ( n =5),PE group (n =10 ) and control group (n =10 ).The experimental model was established in rats by injecting phospholipase A2 into carotid artery (0.1 ml/100 g body weight).Same amount of normal saline was used in the control group and no treatment was used in the blank group.One day later,the rats were sacrificed,then the measurement of brain tissue wet/dry (W/D) weight ratio was performed,and brain tissue was routinely pathologically examined,immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were performed in each group to detect the expression of aquaporins-4.Results There was no obvious brain tissue pathological change in the control group and blank group.Neurons in the brain tissue of PE rats presented with significant edema and ballooning degeneration,infiltration of inflammatory cells,leukocyte aggregation around the microvessels.The water contents in the brain tissue in the blank group and control group,PE group were (61.44 ±0.36)％,(63.20±0.32)％ and (78.33 ±0.24)％,and it was significantly higher in PE group than that in the control and blank group (P＜0.05).The expressions of aquaporins-4 in the brain tissue were 0.41 ±0.27,0.49 ±0.13,0.98 ±0.21,respectively,and it was significantly increased in PE group than that in the control and blank group (P ＜ 0.05 ).Conclusions Aquaporins-4 may play important roles in the pathogenesis of pancreatic encephalopathy.

ObjectiveTo compare the clinical results of small surgical incision of bilateral spinous process and traditional open surgical incision in posterior single level lumbar interbody fusion,and assess the application value of the small surgical incision of bilateral spinous process in posterior single level lumbar interbody fusion.MethodsFrom December 2006 to June 2008,70 patients with lower lumbar vertebral diseases underwent single segment posterior lumbar interbody fusion.Patients were randomly divided into small surgical incision of bilateral spinous process group(Hereinafter referred to as small incision group) of 36 cases and 34 cases of conventional open group.Small incision group included 20 males and 16 females with an average age of 52.0 years.Traditional open group included 16 males and 18 females with an average age of 53.2 years.Two groups of operative time,blood loss,postoperative drainage,X-ray projection operation frequency,hospital stay,complication rate,creatine phosphokinase (CPK) level,multifidus cross-sectional area,postoperative low back pain visual analogue scale(VAS),Oswestry disability index(ODI),interbody fusion rate were compared,respectively.ResultsAll of 70 cases were followed up for 12-24 months (average,16).There were no statistically differences in the operation time,the number of X-ray projection,complication rate,and fusion rate between the two groups (P＞0.05),but there were significant differences in blood loss,postoperative drainage,the first day and the third day of postoperative the level of CPK,postoperative multifidus muscle cross-sectional area,postoperative low back pain VAS,hospital stay,and postoperative ODI between the two groups(P＜0.05).ConclusionSmall surgical incision of bilateral spinous process and traditional open surgical posterior lumbar interbody fusion were satisfied with the efficacy,but small surgical incision of bilateral spinous process with less trauma,shorter hospital stay,and rapid postoperative recovery.

Objective To establish a flow cytometry-based drug susceptibility test for the rapid de-tection of antifungal susceptibility or resistance of Candida isolates.Methods The gate selection and opti-mal experimental conditions of flow cytometry-based drug susceptibility test were determined by using Candi-da albicans strain ATCC90029 as the test strain and propidium iodide ( PI) as the fluorescent dye .The es-tablished flow cytometry-based drug susceptibility test was used to detect the susceptibility or resistance to fluconazole or voriconazole of 110 isolates belonging to Candida species, and the obtained results were com-pared with those by using typical M 27-A3 constant dilution method .Results The killed and viable Candida albicans ATCC90029 strains were clearly divided into two groups on the figure of SS /log (FL3) by regulating voltages.There was a high correlation between the results of susceptibility test and the proportions of killed and viable fungi in mixture (r=0.999).The flow cytometry-based drug susceptibility test could provide the results within 30 min and its optimal concentration of fungal suspension , time of drug-fungus incubation , dyeing method and time were 1.0×106/ml, 3 h incubation and sodium deoxycholate-pretreated plus PI dye-ing for 5 min, respectively .The total coincident rates between the established test and the constant dilution method were 98.2%and 87.3%in the detection of drug susceptibility of 110 fungal isolates to fluconazole and voriconazole .Conclusion The flow cytometry-based drug susceptibility test shows advantages of rapidi-ty, accuracy and high sensitivity compared with the constant dilution method .It has a great potential for clin-ical application .