OBJECTIVE: To study the absorption and transport of pachymic acid (PA) isolated from the sclerotium of Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf. in human intestinal epithelium. METHODS: By using Caco-2 (the human colonic adenocarcinoma cell lines) cell monolayers as an intestinal epithelial cell model, the permeability of PA was studied from apical side (AP side) to basolateral side (BL side) or from BL side to AP side. The PA was measured by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography coupled with UV detector at maximum absorption wavelength of 210 nm. Transport parameters and apparent permeability coefficients (Papp) were then calculated and compared with those of propranolol and atenolol, which were the transcellular transport markers for high and poor permeability respectively. RESULTS: The Papp values of PA were (9.50+/-2.20) 10(-7) cm/s from AP side to BL side, and (11.30+/-5.90) 10(-7) cm/s from BL side to AP side, respectively. Under the condition of this experiment, the Papp values were 1.45x10(-5) cm/s for propranolol and 4.22x10(-7)cm/s for atenolol. CONCLUSION: PA is transported through the Caco-2 cell monolayer in a concentration-dependent manner and the transport was linear with time. The absorption in apical to basolateral direction and secretion in basolateral to apical direction were poor and their Papp values were comparable to atenolol. Besides passive diffusion of PA, ATP is partially involved in its transport.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between syndrome differentiation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and characteristic changes of vascular endothelial function in patients with diabetic arterial occlusion (DAO) of lower extremities. METHODS: Forty patients with DAO were selected as trial group. Twenty patients among them were attributed to blood stasis syndrome (group A1), and the others were attributed to syndrome of pathogenic dampness-heat attacking the lower limb (group A2) according to syndrome differentiation type of TCM. Patients with diabetes (group B), arteriosclerosis obliterans (group C) and healthy people (group D) were observed as the control groups, respectively. There were 20 cases in each group. Endothelium-dependent dilation (EDD) and endothelium-independent dilation (EID) were measured by high resolution ultrasound in the 100 subjects and the changes of vascular tension factors were also studied. RESULTS: The results showed that EDD in group A was reduced significantly as compared with that in the groups B, C and D. The levels of vascular contractile factors such as endothelin-1 (ET-1) and thromboxane B2 (TXB2) in group A were higher than those in the groups B, C and D, while the levels of vascular dilatory factors such as nitric oxide (NO) and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1alpha(6-Keto-PGF1alpha) were declined significantly as compared with those in the groups B and D. Linear correlation analysis showed that EDD was correlated positively with the levels of NO and 6-Keto-PGF1alpha, while the levels of ET-1 and TXB2 had negative correlation with EDD. EDD and EID in group A2 were declined significantly as compared with those in group A1. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that endothelial dysfunction may play an important role in the pathogenesis of DAO and may be associated with syndrome differentiation of TCM.

Objective To determine the risk factors for postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) after orthopedic surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.Methods Sixty-five patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis,aged 11-18 yr,of American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status Ⅰ or Ⅱ,scheduled for elective orthopedic surgery with general anesthesia,were enrolled in this study.On admission to hospital (T0),before surgery (T1),at the end of surgery (T2) and on 2nd day after surgery (T3),blood samples were taken from the peripheral vein for determination of serum interleukin-10 (IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) concentrations.Cognitive function was evaluated using a set of neuropsychological tests at 1 day before surgery and 7 days after surgery.Baseline patient characteristics such as age,gender,years of education and medical history,intraoperative fluid intake and output,surgery time,extubation time,postoperative visual analog scale score and related complications were recorded.Patients were divided into either POCD group or non-POCD group according to the diagnostic criteria of POCD.Logistic regression analysis was used to pick out the risk factors for POCD.Results Sixty-three patients completed this trial.The incidence of POCD was 24％.Compared with non-POCD group,the serum IL-10 concentration at T0 and serum TNF-α concentration at T3 were significantly increased,the IL-10/TNF-α ratio was decreased,and the length of postoperative hospital stay was prolonged in POCD group (P＜0.05).The results of logistic regression analysis showed that increased concentrations of serum IL-10 at T0 and TNF-α at T3 were risk factors for POCD.Conclusion Increased serum concentrations of IL-10 on admission to hospital and TNF-α on 2nd after surgery are risk factors for POCD in the patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Recombinant antibodies have become the major growth trends in biotech industry following their success on therapeutic application and good revenue. But the low level of mammalian expression and laggard fermentation process constrained the development of antibody industry in China. The global advances of antibody industry were reviewed, compared the respective advantage between dihydrofolate reductase and glutamine synthetase expression system, continuous perfusion and fed-batch processes were compared. Finally, based on the knowledge and experience of antibody expression and fermentation, the suitable strategy of antibody industrialization, e.g. the fermentation model and scale, should depend on the comprehensive consideration of entrepreneur for the productivity, manufacturing capacity and market revenue. It may be a wise choice to use glutamine synthetase expression system and continuous perfusion process for the need of Chinese antibody industrialization.

Objective To evaluate the clinical value of 64-slice spiral computed tomography combined with hs-CRP and MMP-9 to detect the vulnerable plaque of acute coronary syndrome.Methods Seventy-two patients with coronary heart disease were included and among them,43 patients were diagnosed as ACS and the other 29 patients diagnosed as stable angina group(SAP).All patients underwent 64-slice spiral computed tomography coronary artery imaging and examination of plasma hs-CRP and MMP-9 concentration.All patients underwent selective coronary angiography.Another 25 cases who underwent coronary angiography were included in the control group.Results The incidence of soft plaque was higher in the ACS group than in the SAP group(24 cases vs 4 cases,P=0.001).Compared with the control group,levels of hs-CRP and MMP-9 in the ACS group and the SAP group were both significantly higher(all P

With widely application of bronchoavleolar lavage , a lot of cases on L.Blattarum infections in respiratory system have emerged in recent years .However , after closely lucubrating pictures of these reported cases and analyzing the results of our animal experiments.It was doubted the reported morphology of L.Blattarum belongs to respiratory ciliated columnar epithelium .This article aimed at guiding our colleagues to distinguish the morphology of Lophomonas blattarum in respiratory system, and,avoid the misdiagnosis.

Objective To explore the feasibility of endothelial function of dorsal artery of foot in patients with type 2 diabetes(T2DM) by high frequency ultrasound combined with warm bath test.MethodsThirty-five patients with T2DM and thirty normal people were collected,all subjects were examined by high frequency ultrasound.Diameter of brachial artery in baseline and after reactive hyperaemia were detected;Diameter of dorsal artery of foot in baseline and after the foot immersed in 40℃ warm water for 5 minutes were acquired.Flow mediated dilatation of dorsalis pedis artery(FMDDPA) and flow mediated dilatation of brachial artery(FMDBA) were calculated and compared.Multiple stepwise regression analysis was used to examine the correlation between FMDDPA and hemoglobin A1c(HbAlc). Results The FMDDPA and FMDBA were decreased in patients with T2DM (P<0.01).The FMDDPA and FMDBA were correlated significantly(r=0.864,P<0.01).In stepwise regression analysis,HbA1c is the most affecting factor for FMDDPA (R2=0.321,P<0.01).Conclusions Ultrasound combined with warm bath test can be used to detect the change of endothelial function of dorsal artery of foot in patients with T2DM,which have a certain clinical application value in endothelial function of terminal limb artery.

Hematologic Diseases ; Hemolysis ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; genetics ; pathology ; Neurons ; cytology ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Transcription Factors ; genetics

BACKGROUND: Cassia seed acts on decreasing blood pressure and blood lipid, protecting liver and inhibiting bacteria. It is worth to carry on a further discussion on its effect of weight loss.OBJECTIVE: To observe the influence of cassia seed decoction drunk naturally on body mass of nutritional obese rats in physiological state.DESIGN: Completely randomized grouping was designed, in which, control experiment, analysis of variance and q test were applied in comparison among groups.SETTING: Cardiovascular Institute, Second Affiliated Hospital, Henan University of Science and Technology.MATERIALS: The experiment was performed in Cardiovascular Instutute,Second Affiliated Hospital, Henan University of Science and Technology from March 2004 to September 2004, in which, 27 male SD rats were employed and randomized into 3 groups, named normal control group, model group and cassia seed group, 9 rats in each one.METHODS: [1] In normal control, the rats were bred with basic forage(the contents of protein, fat, carbohydrate were 18.2%, 4.5% and 55.2%successively, with 14.54 kJ caloric each gram) and drank water naturally.In model group, the rats were bred with high nutritive forage (the contents of protein, fat, carbohydrate were 23.7%, 21.6% and 39.0% successively,with 19.56 kJ caloric each gram) and drank water naturally. In cassia seed group, the rats were bred with high nutritive forage and drank cassia seed decoction of various concentration naturally. The concentration of cassia seed decoction started at 10 g/L (equally contained 10 mg raw cassia seed each milliliter) and was increased by 100% concentration each day (10 g/L)till to 60 g/L on the 6th day. Since the 7th day, the concentration of 60 g/L was maintained till to the 7th weekend. [2] It was to record appetite and drinking quantity at definite time every day and calculate absorbed caloric(intake mass × caloric contained each gram). It was to measure body mass at definite time each week. On the 7th weekend, the body length of rat was measured and Lee's index was calculated [ 3√body mass (g)×103/body length (cm)]MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Influences of cassia seed on body mass, Lee's index, appetite, caloric and drinking quantity in nutritional obese rats.RESULTS: Twenty-seven rats all entered result analysis. [1] Body mass:that in model group from the 3rd to 7th week in experiment group was higher remarkably than normal control group (P ＜ 0.05-0.01). That in cassia seed group from the 2nd to 7th week was lower remarkably than that in the model group (P ＜ 0.05-0.01). [2] Lee's index: that in model group and cassia seed group on the 7th week of experiment was higher remarkably than that in the normal control group [(358.60±8.55), (341.84±7.29), (322.00±6.89) g/cm, P ＜ 0.05-0.01] and that in cassia seed group was lower remarkably than that in the model group (P ＜ 0.05). [3] Appetite: that in model group and cassia seed group was lower remarkably than that in the normal control group (P ＜ 0.05-0.01) and that in cassia seed group was near to the control group (P ＞ 0.05). [4] Absorbed caloric: that in model group and cassia seed group was higher remarkably than that in the normal control group (P ＜ 0.05-0.01) and that in cassia seed group was near to the control group (P ＞ 0.05). [5] Drinking quantity: that in cassia seed group was basically near to that in the model group and the control group (P ＞ 0.05) and that in model group was near to the control group. It was indicated that cassia seed decoction at mass concentration of 60 g/L did not affect appetite.CONCLUSION: Cassia seed decoction at mass concentration of 60 g/L inhibits remarkably the increased body mass of nutritional obese rats and is free from influence on appetite.