Humans ; Pneumoconiosis ; mortality ; Proportional Hazards Models

Animals ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; metabolism ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Proteome ; Research Design

OBJECTIVETo explore the approaches and techniques for synthetic evaluation of the clinical therapeutic effect of new Chinese herbal medicine in clinical trials.

METHODSIn a double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled clinical trail, analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to evaluate the clinical therapeutic effect of Shengmai capsule in the treatment of chronic congestive heart failure.

RESULTSShengmai capsule produced positive therapeutic effect on chronic congestive heart failure.

CONCLUSIONA feasible method is established for evaluating and grading the clinical therapeutic effect of Chinese herbal medicine.

Double-Blind Method ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Heart Failure ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Models, Theoretical ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; methods ; standards ; Phytotherapy

OBJECTIVETo observe the changes in the hemodynamics of rats with immunological liver fibrosis and explore the pathogenesis of "blood stasis" in liver fibrosis.

METHODSRat models of liver fibrosis were established by multiple intraperitoneal injections of pig serum. The hematocrit, blood viscosity at the shear rate of 150/s, 30/s, 5/s, and 1/s, serum markers for liver fibrosis, and serum transaminase levels were measured in the control and model rats.

RESULTSThe hematocrit, blood viscosity at different shear rates, hyaluronic acid (HA), laminin (LN), procollagen type III (PCIII), type IV collagen (CIV), glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (ALT) and glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (AST) increased significantly in the rats with experimental liver fibrosis appeared as compared with those in the control rats. Positive correlations were noted between blood viscosity at different shear rates and serum concentrations of the fibrosis markers (HA, LN, PCIII, and CIV) in the model rats.

CONCLUSIONThe changes in the hemodynamics in rats with immunological liver fibrosis suggests the role of "blood stasis" in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis and provide experimental evidence for therapies to "activate the blood circulation and dissipate blood stasis" for treatment of liver fibrosis.

Animals ; Blood Viscosity ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; physiology ; Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental ; blood ; immunology ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVE[corrected] To investigate the role of glutathione (GSH) and γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS) in lupus nephritis.

METHODSSpectrophotometry was used to measure the oxidative/anti-oxidative indices including malonyldialdehyed (MDA) and GSH in the kidney of MRL/lpr lupus mice. Quantitative PCR and Western blotting were used to detected the expression of γ-GCS.

RESULTSThe level of GSH was lowered whereas the level of MDA increased significantly in the kidney tissue of MRL/lpr lupus mice as compared with that in normal control mice. The expression of γ-GCS mRNA and protein was significantly decreased in MRL/lpr lupus mice (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONMRL/lpr lupus mice have abnormal oxidative stress in the kidney tissue, where the expression of γ-GCS decreased to lead to reduced GSH production, damaged antioxidative capacity, and eventually exacerbation of oxidative damage in the kidney.

Animals ; Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Glutathione ; metabolism ; Kidney ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Lupus Nephritis ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred MRL lpr ; Oxidative Stress ; physiology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study different effects of Herba Lycopodii (HL) Alcohol Extracted Granule combined methylprednisolone on behavioral changes, brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression levels, and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor levels in rats with spinal cord injury (SCI).

METHODSMale adult SD rats were randomly divided into five groups, i.e., the sham-operation group, the model group, the HL treatment group, the methylprednisolone treatment group, the HL + methylprednisolone treatment group. Rats in the HL treatment group were intragastrically administered with HL at the daily dose of 50 mg/kg for 5 successive days. Rats in the methylprednisolone treatment group were intramuscularly injected with 50 mg/kg methylprednisolone within 8 h after spinal cord contusion, and then the dose of methylprednisolone was reduced for 10 mg/kg for 5 successive days. Rats in the HL + methylprednisolone treatment group received the two methods used for the aforesaid two groups. Basso Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) score (for hindlimb motor functions) were assessed at day 0, 3, 7, and 28 after operation. At day 13 after SCI, injured spinal T8-10 was taken from 8 rats of each group and stored in liquid nitrogen. The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor affinity (Kd) and the maximal binding capacity (Bmax) were determined using [3H]MK-801 radioactive ligand assay. Rats' injured spinal cords were taken for immunohistochemical assay at day 28 after SCI. Expression levels of BDNF in the ventral and dorsal horn of the spinal cord were observed.

RESULTSCompared with the sham-operation group, the number of BDNF positive neurons in the ventral and dorsal horn of the spinal cord increased in the model group, Bmax increased (470 ± 34), Kd decreased, and BBB scores decreased at day 3 -28 (all P <0. 05). Compared with the SCI model group, the number of BDNF positive neurons and Kd increased, BBB scores at day 3 -28 increased (P <0. 05) in each medicated group. Bmax was (660 ± 15) in the methylprednisolone treatment group, (646 ± 25) in the HL treatment group, and (510 ± 21) in the HL +methylprednisolone treatment group (P <0. 05). Compared with the methylprednisolone treatment group, the number of BDNF positive neurons and Kd increased, BBB scores at day 7 -28 increased, and Bmax decreased in the HL treatment group and the HL + methylprednisolone treatment group (all P <0. 05). Compard with the HL treatment group, the number of BDNF positive neurons and Kd increased, and Bmax decreased (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSHL could effectively improve motor functions of handlimbs, increase expression levels of BDNF in the spinal cord, and lessen secondary injury by affecting spinal levels of NMDA receptors. It showed certain therapeutic and protective roles in treating SCI. Its effect was better than that of methylprednisolone with synergism.

Animals ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Ethanol ; Male ; Methylprednisolone ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Models, Animal ; N-Methylaspartate ; metabolism ; Neurons ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; drug therapy ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo find the status and changes of the soil nutrients in rhizosphere of Atractylodes lancea.

METHODTotal nitrogen (total N), available K, available P, organic matter (ORG), available nitrogen and pH in rhizosphere soil of the wild growing A. lancea in 3 sites, MS, LT and MFS, and the cultivated ones with different ages in LT were detected.

RESULTThe contents of total nitrogen (total N), available K, available P, organic matter (ORG), available nitrogen and pH value in rhizosphere soil were significant different between MS, LT and MFS (P < 0.01). The results of the 6 detected parameters in MS were the lowest, in MFS were the highest and in LT were in the middle. The total N, ORG and available N in the cultivated A. lancea were lower than that in the wild ones (P < 0.01) and available P and pH value in the cultivated A. lancea were higher than that in wild ones (P < 0.01) and there was no difference in available K between the wild and cultivated ones in LT (P > 0.05); 3 available P in rhizosphere soil of the two years old A. lancea were higher than of the one year old A. lancea (P < 0.01) and there were no difference of total N, ORG, available N, available K and pH value in rhizosphere soil of A. lancea between one year and two years plant (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIt is indicated that the growth of A. lancea in Mt. Mao is faced nutrient stress.

Atractylodes ; growth & development ; China ; Ecosystem ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Nitrogen ; analysis ; Organic Chemicals ; Phosphorus ; analysis ; Plants, Medicinal ; growth & development ; Potassium ; analysis ; Rhizome ; growth & development ; Soil ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of Huoxiang Zhengqi liquid (HXZQ) on enteric mucosal immune responses in mice with Bacillus dysenteriae and Salmonella typhimurium induced diarrhea (BSD).

METHODMice were randomly divided into four groups with 10 mice in each group: control group (control), BSD group, Huoxiang Zhengqi liquid treated BSD groups at high dosage and low dosage (HXZQ high, HXZQ low). HXZQ was administrated from the day of diarrhea induction at dosage of 5.21 g kg(-1) and 0.52 g kg (-1) respectively. Peyer's patch and periphery lymphocytes were prepared for flow cytometry, and level of TNF-alpha in periphery and enteric tissue homogenate were determined with ELISA. Student's t-test was used for statistics.

RESULTMice in BSD group started showing continuous diarrhea at the day of induction till the fourth day when the mice were sacrificed. Diarrhea in the mice of HXZQ high and low groups lasted for 36 and 54 h respectively. There were more CD4+ and CD8+ cells in periphery, less CD4+ cells in peyer's patch in BSD mice comparing to normal mice. In peyer's patch, there were more CD8+ cells in mice in HXZQ high and low groups and more CD4+ in mice in HXZQ high group. Higher level TNF-alpha in periphery and intestinal tissue homogenate in BSD group were observed. Mice in HXZQ high group showed the decreased level TNF-alpha in periphery and enteric tissue homogenate.

CONCLUSIONThe immune regulation on peyer's patch CD4+ and CD8+ cells and suppression on TNF-alpha level in enteric homogenate might partially explain the effect of HXZQ on improvement of BSD.

Animals ; CD4-CD8 Ratio ; Colon ; immunology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Diarrhea ; immunology ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Dysentery, Bacillary ; immunology ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Immunity, Mucosal ; drug effects ; Intestinal Mucosa ; immunology ; pathology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Peyer's Patches ; drug effects ; immunology ; pathology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Salmonella Infections ; immunology ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Salmonella typhimurium ; immunology ; Shigella dysenteriae ; immunology ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; drug effects ; immunology ; pathology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood ; metabolism

Objective To study the prevalence rates of knowledge,attitudes and use of the nutrition labeling and related influential factors in Hangzhou supermarket consumers.Methods Using a self-developed survey questionnaire,randomly selected customers were conducted a face-toface interview program in a large supermarket of Hangzhou city.Results 586 people were interviewed,including 202 males and 384 females,with the mean age as 41.6±17.23 years.The Facts Labels'were as follows:dietary fiber(71.84%),fat(70.99%),calcium(60.75%),salt (58.36%),energy(50.85%)and sugar(39.42%).The support rates of the three attitudes indicators were"support marking the Nutrition Facts Label"(90.44%)."support marking the nutrition claims"(87.03%)and"want to know more relative knowledge"(77.13%).There were 58.36% and 80.03%first-time buyers who would read the Nutrition Facts Food Labels and the Nutrition Claims.Through logistic model analysis,male,youth,low-educated people were found to be the risk factors related to the nutrition label reading behavior.Conclusion The capacity of the reading,understanding and correct application of nutrition labeling among consumers was not satisfactory.Improvement on the readability and the authority of nutrition labeling and the development of the national nutrition knowledge and health education programs were in urgent needs.

Ghost cell odontogenic carcinoma (GCOC) is an exceptionally rare and malignant odontogenic tumor with aggressive growth characteristics. We describe a case of GCOC which was considerably derived from a previously resected calcifying cystic odontogenic tumor (CCOT). Cellular atypia, mitotic activity, Ki-67 labeling index and matrix metalloprotease-9 positive expression rate were all increased in the currently resected specimen compared to the initial one. This is a rare case of malignant transformation of CCOT to GCOC with respect to its histopathological and immunohistochemical findings.
Odontogenic Tumors