Objective To explore the effect of conventional western medicine combined with Qiangxin Tongmai decotion in the treatment of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).Methods According to the digital table,60 patients with CHF were randomly divided into two groups,30 cases in each group.The control group was treated with conventional western medicine,while the treatment group received combination therapy of conventional western medicine and Qiangxin Tongmai decotion.The heart function and plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) level were observed.Results The total effective rate of the treatment group was 93.3％,which was significantly higher than 70.0％ of the control group (x2 =5.455,P ＜ 0.05).After treatment,the level of BNP in the treatment group was (211.3 ± 87.7) ng/L,which was significantly lower than that of the control group [(410.8 ± 94.3) ng/L] (t =8.485,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion Qiangxin Tongmai decotion can obviously improve the heart function and reduce the level of BNP in patients with CHF.

Objective To investigate the incidence of pancreatic cancer-related depression in Guangzhou,China.Methods A multicenter,prospective survey was conducted,50 patients with pancreatic cancer,60 with liver cancer,50 with esophageal cancer,50 with gastric cancer,52 with colorectal cancer were enrolled from 4 hospitals in Guangzhou between June 2007 and June 2009.Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression-24 (HAMD-24) questionnaire was used to assess the degree of depression.Results The incidence of depression in pancreatic cancer patients was 78% (39/50),which was significantly higher than that among liver cancer patients (60% ,36/60),gastric cancer patients (36%,18/50),esophageal cancer patients(24%,12/50),and colorectal cancer patients(19.2%,10/52,P＜0.05 ).Twelve of 50 patients in pancreatic cancer were reported to have severe depression (24%),which was significantly more than that in liver cancer (10%,6/60),gastric cancer (4%,2/50),esophageal and colorectal cancer (0,P ＜0.05).In pancreatic cancer patients,the incidence of depression was significantly higher in patients with advanced stage (94.3%) than that in early stage (46.7%,P＜0.05).Patients who underwent chemotherapy had high incidence of depression(92.3%)than that of patients who underwent operation (62.5%,P＜0.05 ).Conclusions Compared with other cancers of digestive tract,the incidence of pancreatic cancer-related depression was higher,and its degree was more severe than that of other cancers.

Female sexual dysfunction(FSD) is an age-related progressive disease and may affect up to half of adult women. It has not been paid attention to for a long time. This paper reviews the current information on the anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology of FSD. In addition the diagnosis and treatment of FSD are also described. It aims at improving the knowledge of FSD.
Female ; Genitalia, Female ; anatomy & histology ; Humans ; Sexual Behavior ; physiology ; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological ; diagnosis ; etiology ; therapy ; Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological ; diagnosis ; etiology ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo study the changes of partial pressure of oxygen in brain tissue (P(bt)O(2)) and brain temperature (BT) in patient s in acute phase of severe head injury, and to study the effect of mild hypothermia on P(bt)O(2) and BT.

METHODSThe P(bt)O(2) and the BT of 18 patients with severe head injury were monitored, and the patients were treated with mild hypothermia within 20 hours after injury. The rectal temperature (RT) of the patients was kept on 31.5-34.9 degrees C for 1-7 days (57.7 hours+/-28.4 hours averagely), simultaneously, the indexes of P(bt)O(2) and BT were monitored for 1-5 days (with an average of 54.8 hours+/-27.0 hours). According to Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), the prognosis of the patients was evaluated at 6 months after injury.

RESULTSWithin 24 hours after severe head injury, the P(bt)O(2) was significantly lower (9.6 mm Hg+/-6.8 mm Hg, 1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa) than the normal value (16-40 mm Hg). After treatment of mild hypothermia, the mean P(bt)O(2) increased to 28.7 mm Hg+/-8.8 mm Hg during the first 24 hours, and the P(bt)O(2) was still maintained within the range of normal value at 3 days after injury. The BT was higher than the RT in the patients in acute phase of severe head injury, and the difference between the BT and the RT significantly increased after treatment of mild hypothermia. Hyperventilation (the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in artery (P(a)CO(2)) approximately 25 mm Hg) decreased the high intracranial pressure (ICP) and significantly decreased the P(bt)O(2).

CONCLUSIONSThis study demonstrates that P(pt)O(2) and BT monitoring is a safe, reliable and sensitive diagnostic method to follow cerebral oxygenation. It might become an important tool in our treatment regime for patients in the acute phase of severe head injury requiring hypothermia and hyperventilation.

Adult ; Aged ; Blood Gas Monitoring, Transcutaneous ; Body Temperature ; Brain ; metabolism ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; metabolism ; therapy ; Female ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Humans ; Hypothermia, Induced ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oxygen ; metabolism ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To study the morphological characteristics of femurs of adult human and 11 kinds of adult animals from cattle, horses, pigs, goats, sheep, dogs, cats, rabbits, geese, ducks, chickens, and to establish an effective species identification method among various species. METHODS: The 4 cm mid-diaphyseal segment of the femur from adult human (older than 20 years old) at autopsy was obtained. Addi-tionally, the 4 cm ones from 11 kinds of adult animals were obtained. After decalcification, all femurs were made into slices, and then were observed by optical microscope. The 25 indexes were selected and analyzed by step discriminant analysis according to differences between human and mammal, human and poultry, and human and 11 kinds of animals. RESULTS: The histological structure of bone mineral density of middle part of femur had obvious characteristics among the species. And the morphology and number of osteon showed the trend of obvious biological evolution. There were 11 indexes with significant differences between human and 11 kinds of animals to establish some mathematical models to discriminate all species. The correct discrimination rate was 96.3% between human and mammal. The correct discrimination rate was up to 100% between human and poultry, and was 89.4% among human, mammal and poultry. CONCLUSION The mathematical models have good correct discrimination rate among human and the other animals, which could be applied in the practical species identification cases.
Adult ; Animals ; Autopsy ; Bone Density ; Cadaver ; Cats ; Cattle ; Chickens ; Discriminant Analysis ; Dogs ; Femur/ultrastructure* ; Forensic Anthropology ; Haversian System/ultrastructure* ; Horses ; Humans ; Sheep ; Species Specificity ; Swine

OBJECTIVETo explore the role and function of stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) in stem cells migrating into injured brain area.

METHODSRat-derived nerve stem cells (NSCs) were isolated and cultured routinely. Transwell system was used to observe the migration ability of NSCs into injured nerve cells. Immunocytochemistry was used to explore the expression of chemotactic factor receptor-4 (CXCR-4) in NSCs. In vivo, we applied immunofluorescence technique to observe the migration of NSCs into injured brain area. Immunofluorescence technique and Western blotting were used to test expression level of SDF-1. After AMD3100 (a special chemical blocker) blocking CXCR-4, the migration ability of NSCs was tested in vivo and in vitro, respectively.

RESULTSNSCs displayed specific tropism for injured nerve cells or traumatic brain area in vivo and in vitro. The expression level of SDF-1 in traumatic brain area increased remarkably and the expression level of CXCR-4 in the NSCs increased simultaneously. After AMD3100 blocking the expression of CXCR-4, the migration ability of NSCs decreased significantly both in vivo and in vitro.

CONCLUSIONSSDF-1 may play a key role in stem cells migrating into injured brain area through specially combining with CXCR-4.

Animals ; Brain Injuries ; pathology ; Cell Movement ; Cells, Cultured ; Chemokine CXCL12 ; analysis ; physiology ; Neurons ; cytology ; Rats ; Receptors, CXCR4 ; analysis ; physiology ; Stem Cells ; physiology ; Tropism

AIMTo observe protective effects and involved mechanism of ginsenoside Rb3 on hypoxic/ischemic brain injury, using cultured hippocampal neurons, rat hippocampal slices and intact animals.

METHODS(1) Mice were tightly closed in glasses of 150 ml, and then survival time of them was observed. (2) During simulated ischemia and after reoxygenation, changes of orthodromic population spikes (OPS) in the area CA1 of hippocampal slice were investigated. (3) By using histochemistry, the expressions of NOS in CA1 area of rat hippocampus after hypoxic exposure were observed. (4) Using LDH detection, tests of total NOS, iNOS and cNOS activity, the protective effects of ginsenoside Rb3 were investigated on cultured hippocampal neurons treated with hypoxia.

RESULTS(1) Given ginsenoside Rb3 (10 mmol/L), mice survived significantly longer than that of control group. (2) The occurrence of HIP (hypoxic injury potentials) decreased after administration of ginsenosides Rb3 (60 micromol/L) in many slices, while the recovery rate and amplitude of OPS after reoxygenation were significantly higher than those of the control group. (3) In CA1 area of rat hippocampus, NOS-positive neurons increased at the end of 24 h hypoxia and further 24 h reoxygenation, while the number of NOS-positive neurons decreased after treatment with ginsenoside Rb3. (4) The LDH leakage rate of cultured rat hippocampal neurons increased at the end of hypoxia, while it decreased after treatment with Rb3. Moreover the total NOS, especially iNOS activity of these neurons also decreased.

CONCLUSIONGinsenoside Rb3 has a significant protective effect on hypoxic-ischemic injury of neurons, and this involves the stabilization of the cell membrane, the inhibition of the expression and activity of NOS, especially iNOS activity.

Animals ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Female ; Ginsenosides ; pharmacology ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain ; metabolism ; Lactate Dehydrogenases ; metabolism ; Male ; Membrane Potentials ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; metabolism

Animals ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Dermatitis ; epidemiology ; parasitology ; Disease Outbreaks ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mites ; Schools, Nursery

OBJECTIVETo investigate the protective effect of grape seed proanthocyanidin (GSP) on spermatogenesis following testicular torsion/detorsion in mice.

METHODSTwenty-four healthy male Kunming mice, aged 8 weeks and weighing 25 - 27 g, were randomly divided into a control, a torsion and a treatment group, each containing 8 animals. The unilateral testicular torsion/detorsion model was established in the treatment and torsion groups. Thirty minutes before detorsion, the animals of the treatment group were injected intraperitoneally with 50 mg/kg GSP, and those of the torsion group with normal saline at the same dose, both for 3 days postoperatively. On the 4th day after surgery, ipsilateral orchiectomy were performed to detect histopathological changes, the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA), and the apoptotic index (AI) of germ cells in all the mice.

RESULTSCompared with the torsion group, the treated mice showed significantly increased Johnsen score (5.00 +/- 1.85 vs 7.38 +/- 0.92, P < 0.05), seminiferous tubule diameter ([176.50 +/- 1.60]microm vs [178.75 +/- 1.58] microm, P > 0.05), spermatogenic cell layers (3.75 +/- 1.03 vs 5.75 +/- 0.71, P < 0.05) and SOD activity ([29.04 +/- 4.46] U/mg prot vs [52.67 +/- 3.57] U/mg prot, P < 0.05), but remarkably reduced level of MDA ([4.63 +/- 0.05] nmol/mg prot vs [2.91 +/- 0.04] nmol/mg prot, P < 0.05) and AI of germ cells ([40.50 +/- 1.60]% vs [16.25 +/- 1.67] %, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONGrape seed proanthocyanidin has a protective effect against spermatogenic injury in mice, the mechanisms of which may be related to its actions of scavenging oxygen free radicals, inhibiting lipid peroxidation and improving the antioxidant ability of the body.

Animals ; Grape Seed Extract ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Proanthocyanidins ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Spermatic Cord Torsion ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Spermatogenesis ; drug effects ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Vitis

OBJECTIVE: To study the role of Haemophilus influenzae(Hi) in pneumonia and that of PCR in the diagnosis of Hi pneumonia. METHODS: Hi genus-specific PCR, Hib type-specific PCR and selective Hi culture media were used to detect 83 samples of deep nasal pharyngeal aspiration (NPA), 51 sera from 83 children younger than 3 years with pneumonia and 37 samples of pharyngeal swabs from healthy children. RESULTS: Of 83 NPA samples, 20(24.1 %) were positive by culture, 36 (43.4 %) positive by Hi-PCR and 19 (22.9 %) positive by Hib-PCR.Six out of 51 sera were positive by Hi-PCR and Hib-PCR, but none positive by culture. Of 37 pharyngeal swabs from healthy children, 3 ( 8.1 %) were positive by culture, 6 ( 16.2 %) positive by Hi-PCR and none positive by Hib-PCR. CONCLUSION: Hib-PCR is more appropriate for detecting NPA samples from children with pneumonia because of the high rate of non-typeable Hi carriers in healthy children.