OBJECTIVE: To establish an animal model of alcoholic fatty liver (AFL) and to observe the prevention and treatment with New Qinggan Decoction (NQGD). METHODS: Female SD rats were exposed to the mixture of white spirit and corn oil continuously for up to 6 weeks via an intragastric feeding protocol. The pathologic alteration of the liver and the changes of serum lipid were observed, and the effect of NQGD for preventing and treating AFL was studied. RESULTS: Wide hepatic steatosis was induced in model group rats. Serum triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) of the model group were higher than those of the normal group (P<0.01). Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) of the model group were higher than those of the normal group (P<0.05). In NQGD group, hepatic steatosis was milder than that in the model group, and serum TG, TC, AST, ALT descended significantly as compared with the model group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: AFL model of rats established by feeding the mixture of white spirit and corn oil is similar to the episode of the human AFL, and is easy to intervene with medicine. NQGD can prevent the occurrence of AFL in this model.

Objective:To study the protective and therapeutic effects of Zengshengxiao Capsules (ZSX) on atrophic gastritis in rats. Methods: The model was established by methods of active immunity and gastrogavage with bile and hot water. The method of acetic acid writhing was used. Results: (ZSX) had actions of promoting the blood flow of gastric mucosa, increasing in pH, inhibiting inflammatory cell infiltration, glandular atrophia and atypical hyperplasia. It also had action of alleviating pain. There were no toxic and side effects. Conclusion: (ZSX) had remarkably preventive and therapeutic effects on atrophic gastritis of rats.

BACKGROUND: With the increasing number of patients undergoing knee arthroplasty in China, the complications caused by the mismatch of prosthesis with anatomical parameters arouse extensive attentions.OBJECTIVE: To measure the anatomical parameters of the knee joints in healthy Zhuang ethnic group from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, using three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction technology, thus providing reference for the design and placement of the hip prosthesis.METHODS: Sixty-eight individuals, including 30 females and 38 males, were selected from 217 healthy people undergoing CT examination. All data were imported into Mimics 15.0 software used for 3D reconstruction, and then the knee parameters were then measured and analyzed.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in the parameters of the bilateral femur and tibia (P > 0.05). The femoral parameters had significant differences between genders (P < 0.05). The width of tibial platform, sagittal length of lateral tibial platform, distance between medial tibial plateau and fibular head, and posterior slope of tibial plateau showed no significant differences between genders (P > 0.05), while there were significant differences in the width of medial/lateral tibial platform, and sagittal length of medial tibial platform between genders (P < 0.05). The sagittal length of medial femoral condyle was negatively correlated with age, and all femoral parameters were positively correlated with height; while only the width of medial and lateral tibial platform were positively correlated with height. To conclude, 3D reconstruction technology is available for research on the morphology of the knee joint in the Zhuang ethnic group from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, which provides references for prosthesis design and research appropriate for the Zhuang ethnic group.

With the increasing incidence rates of metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, the incidence rate of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has also gradually increased year by year. NAFLD has complex underlying pathogeneses which have not yet been fully clarified. As the carrier of intercellular communication, exosomes play an important role in the development and progression of liver diseases. This article summarizes the mechanism of action of exosomes in the pathogenesis of NAFLD and their effect on lipid metabolism, insulin resistance, liver inflammation, and fibrosis, and it is pointed out that exosomes have great potential in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, which will be the focus of future research.

Objective To describe the distribution of medication costs of rheumatoid arthritis patients, and to analyze the factors that may affect the costs. Methods Data were obtained from a 12-month retrospective investigation of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) across China. Department of Rheuma-tology of 18 hospitals were randomly selected. The data about their social conditions, clinical conditions, medications associated with RA such as disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), non -steroidal anti -inflammtory drugs (NSAIDs), steroids, biologic agents were collected, and the costs of drugs were calculated. A non-parameter test and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed. Results Six hundred and forty six patients were enrolled into the study, 435 completed data were chosen for analysis. The results demonstrated that the average costs per patient for medications in the past year was 8018 . The total medication costs were further subdivided into the following parts: DMARDs, (represented 20% of the total costs), biologic drugs (49%), NSAIDs (4%), herbal drugs (22%), steroids (1%). Data analysis showed that patients with higher education and higher incomes, with medical insurance,better health function status and outpatients paid more on DMARDs. Extra-articular manifestations increased the odds of the high-cost group (OR: 2.180, 95%CI: 1.335～3.558, P=0.002), while poor health function status increased the probability of paying high costs (OR: 1.373, 95%CI: 1.012～1.863, P=0.041). Conclusion High medication costs in RA do exist in RA patients. The costs of medication is associated with health function status and the presence of extra-articular manifestations.

ObjectiveTo examine the clinical features of fractures and related risk factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA) in China.MethodsSix hundred and eighty-one RA patients were randomly selected from department of rheumatology of 18 hospitals of China.Data were obtained from the questionnaire,including age,sex,disease duration,the involvement of joints,treatment regimen,features of fractures etc.The possible risk factors of fracture in patients with RA were analyzed with a multi-variate Logistic regression analysis.Results① In 681 RA patients of the survey,48 patients had 54 fractures,and the incidence of fractures was about 8％.② Fractures occurred at various sites.Foot/ankle,femur,spine and wrist were the mostfrequent sites.③ The Logistic regression analysis showed that several factors increased the risk of fracture in RA patients,including long disease duration (OR:1.245,95％CI:0.987-1.570,P=0.065),male gender(OR:0.433,95％CI:0.199-0.942,P=0.035),more deformed joints(OR:1.042,95％CI:1.006-1.079,P=0.023),family history of RA (OR:2.201,95％CI:0.984-4.923,P=0.055),and high scores of SF-36(OR:1.017,95％CI:1.002-1.033,P=0.028).④ According to the degree of correlation from strong to weak,the risk factors of fracture were disease duration,SF-36,sex,number of deformed joints and family history of rheumatoid arthritis.ConclusionThe incidence of fracture is high in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.Several factors could increase the risk of fractures in RA patients,including long disease duration,male gender,more deformed joints,and family history of RA.In order to prevent the occurrence of fractures,cautions should be taken to prevent the development of fractures and treat the disease aggressively to suppress the disease activity of RA.