Disaster Planning ; Humans ; Physicians

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tennis Elbow ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo investigate serological and genetic characteristics for an individual with cisAB06, an ABO blood subtype.

METHODSAntigens on red blood cells from the ABO blood group discordant individual were validated by monoclonal antibodies. The ABO antibodies in serum were validated by standard A, B, O cells. ABO genes were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific primer (PCR-SSP). Exons 6-7 of A/B genes were amplified with specific PCR, and the products were directly sequenced.

RESULTSBoth A and B antigens were detected on red blood cells from the proband. There was also anti-A antibody in the serum. The result of PCR-SSP has suggested a B/O02 phenotype. Direct sequencing revealed that the gene was cisAB06. Compared with B101 allele, the cisAB06 allele featured a single nucleotide change (G>C) at position 526 which resulted in an amino acid substitution (G176R).

CONCLUSIONG>C at nt526 of B allele can produce a cisAB06 allele. The serological phenotype of the specimen is therefore type AB.

ABO Blood-Group System ; genetics ; immunology ; Adult ; Alleles ; Base Sequence ; Female ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutation ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

UNLABELLEDOBJECTIVE To study the in vitro effect and mechanism of Ginkgo biloba Extract 50 (GBE50) for inhibiting beta-amyloid (Abeta)-induced oxidative stress in rats' hippocampal neurons.

METHODSThe primary hippocampal neurons were cultured in vitro and divided into 4 groups, i. e. the normal control group (Ctrl), the Abeta group, the propanediol control group (PDO), and the six GBE50 concentrations groups (5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 200 microg/mL). Excepted the Ctrl group, neurons were induced to oxidative stress by 20 gmolLAbeta25-35. The MTT and fluorescent probes labeling were used to observe the effect of GBE50 with different concentrations on the cell viability and the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in neurons. Furthermore, Western blot was used to detect the cytoplasmic/total cytochrome C (Cyto C) ratio and total intracytoplasmal Cyto C, and the effect of the expression of oxidative stress-related protein Cyto C and activated Caspase-3 in three GBE50 concentrations groups (25, 50, and 100 microg/mL).

RESULTSCompared with the Ctrl group, the cell vitality was obviously lowered and intracellular ROS generation significantly increased after induction of 20 micromol/L Abeta25-35 (both P < 0.05). Compared with the Abeta group, the cell vitality was evidently improved after treated with different GBE50 doses. Except for 10 microg/mL, the cell vitality could be obviously elevated along with increased drug concentrations (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the intracellular ROS generation decreased significantly in each GBE50 dose groups (P < 0.05). Abeta could increase the cytoplasmic/total Cyto C ratio and enhance the activated Caspase-3 expression significantly (P < 0.05). Compared with the Abeta group, among the three concentrations of GBE50, the Cyto C ratio was obviously lowered in the 100 microg/mL GBE50 group (P < 0.05), and the expression of activated Caspase-3 significantly decreased in 50 microg/mL and 100 microg/mL GBE50 groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS20 micromol/L Abeta25-35 could induce the generation of intracellular ROS in hippocampal neurons. GBE50 could inhibit Abeta induced intracellular oxidative stress of neurons through lowering the cytoplasmic/total Cyto C ratio and inhibiting the activation of apoptosis protein Caspase-3 expression.

Amyloid beta-Peptides ; toxicity ; Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Cytochromes c ; metabolism ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Neurons ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Peptide Fragments ; toxicity ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo compare the effect of reinforcing Shen method (RSM) and activating blood method (ABM) in treating osteoarthritis (OA) at the molecular level.

METHODSThe physical and chemical characteristics of components from respective recipes of RSM and ABM, and network features of component-target interaction network were analyzed by computer simulation methods including chemical space, molecular docking, and biological network, etc.

RESULTSThe chemical components of RSM and ABM were scarcely scattered with larger overlapping. Among established networks, the distribution of network features was partially similar in RSM and ABM. The average target number correlated with each component was 1.86 in RSM and 2.11 in ABM respectively. Each average target number was respectively correlated with 4.46 compounds and 3.93 compounds, reflecting multi-component and multi-target actions.

CONCLUSIONComputer simulation could intuitively trace out similarities and differences of two different methods and their interaction with targets, which revealed that the compatibility of RSM and ABM could have broader protein targets and potential synergism at the molecular level.

Computer Simulation ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Osteoarthritis ; drug therapy ; Phytotherapy ; methods

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of flavonoids from seed residues of Hippophae rhamnoides (FH) on the lipid metabolism and antioxidative activity in climacteric rats.

METHODMenopausal rats with aging were used in this experiment. The rats were fed with FH by gastrogavage for 13 weeks. The effect of drug on the lipid metabolism and the antioxidative activity were observed after the rats were killed.

RESULTSerum total cholesterol was decreased significantly in rats fed with FH, T-AOC and SOD in serum and liver were significantly higher than those in rats fed with water, and at the same time MDA was lower than that in rats fed with water.

CONCLUSIONFH can improve the climacteric rats' lipid metabolism, and enhance the antioxidation in climacteric rats.

Animals ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Climacteric ; blood ; Female ; Flavonoids ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Hippophae ; chemistry ; Lipid Metabolism ; drug effects ; Liver ; metabolism ; Malondialdehyde ; blood ; metabolism ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Seeds ; chemistry ; Superoxide Dismutase ; blood ; metabolism ; Triglycerides ; blood

OBJECTIVETo analyze the influence of intravesical Pirarubicin (THP) instillation on the prediction results of European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) risk tables and to discuss the efficacy of EORTC risk tables in clinical application.

METHODSWe retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 389 patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer after TURBT treated with intravesical pirarubicin instillation. According to the EORTC Scoring System, all the cases were divided into low risk group, intermediate risk group and high risk group. The 1-year and 5-year recurrence and progression rates of each group were calculated and compared with the prediction results of the EORTC risk tables.

RESULTSThe 1-year recurrence and progression rates of the low risk group were 8.0% and 0, those of the intermediate risk group were 31.0% and 2.8%, and those of the high risk group were 52.5% and 18.6%, respectively. The 5-year recurrence and progression rates of low risk group were 16.0% and 5.3%, those of the intermediate risk group were 42.6% and 10.7%, and those of the high risk group were 63.9% and 41.9%, respectively. The prediction results of progression rate were similar to that of the EORTC risk tables while the overall recurrence rate was lower.

CONCLUSIONSThe EORTC risk tables can be effectively used to predict the recurrence rate and progression rate of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. However, the EORTC risk tables have a tendency to overestimate the recurrence rate. Intravesical pirarubicin instillation is helpful to reduce the recurrence rate, yet has no obvious influence on the tumor progression.

Administration, Intravesical ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antineoplastic Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Disease Progression ; Doxorubicin ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Assessment ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology

BACKGROUNDThe precise mechanisms responsible for the development and growth of intracranial arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) remain unclear. Osteopontin (OPN) is a phosphorylated glycoprotein with diverse functions. This study aimed to analyze the expression of OPN in human brain AVMs.

METHODSThe AVM nidus was surgically obtained from patients with AVM, whereas control brain artery specimens were surgically obtained from patients with epilepsy. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to examine the expression of OPN mRNA in biopsy specimens. OPN protein expression was localized by immunohistochemistry. The statistical differences between different groups were assessed by two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).

RESULTSWe analyzed 36 brain AVM specimens and 8 control brain artery specimens. Eleven patients with brain AVM received embolization treatment, and five underwent gamma knife radiotherapy before resection. Nineteen patients with brain AVM had a history of hemorrhage from AVMs. The expression of OPN mRNA was significantly higher in AVMs than that in the control specimens (25.76 ± 2.71 vs. 21.46 ± 2.01, P < 0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in the extent of OPN mRNA expression between the AVM group with and that without history of hemorrhage (26.13 ± 2.45 vs. 25.34 ± 2.99) or gamma knife radiotherapy (24.39 ± 2.10 vs. 24.53 ± 1.85). However, the difference between the AVM group with and that without embolization treatment history was statistically significant (24.39 ± 2.10 vs. 28.80 ± 1.13, P < 0.01). In the group with gamma knife radiotherapy history, OPN expression was found in arteries with early-stage radio-effect.

CONCLUSIONSOPN may contribute to the vascular instability of brain AVMs. It may play an important role in the pathophysiological process related to embolization treatment.

Analysis of Variance ; Brain ; metabolism ; pathology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Osteopontin ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Objective To apply a simple fixator to salivary gland scintigraphy to evaluate its effect on body position movement. Methods Totally 30 female patients complaining xerostomia were randomly and equally divided into a conventional scan group and a simple fixator group,who were injected with Technetium Tc-99m Pertechnetate intravenously. In the conventional scan group the patients had their necks fixed with the bracket and cushion,while in the other group the fixation was executed with the single fixator. SPECT imager was used for dynamic salivary gland scintigraphy, and two nuclear medicine physicians evaluated the maximum shift of the parotid gland along left-right(X)and head-foot(Y)axes in series of dynamic images. SPSS 16.0 software was used for data analysis. Results In the conventional scan group the maximum shift was(6.6±4.6)mm at X axis and(5.2±3.4)mm at Y axis;in the single fixator group the maximum shift was(3.2± 1.6)mm at X axis and(3.0±1.3)mm at Y axis.There were significant differences between the maximum shifts in the two groups (P=0.012,X axis;P=0.027,Y axis).Conclusion The single fixator assists in salivary gland scintigraphy,and alleviates the body position movement during dynamic acquisition and provides data support for functional parameter calculation and result determination.

OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic effect of Qilin Pills combined with clomiphene on idiopathic oligoasthenospermia.

METHODSWe randomly assigned 300 patients with idiopathic oligoasthenospermia to a trial (n = 156) and a control group (n = 144) to be treated with Qilin Pills (6 g, tid) combined with clomiphene (50 mg, qd) and clomiphene alone (50 mg, qd), respectively, both for a course of 12 weeks. Before and after 4, 8, and 12 weeks of medication, we determined sperm concentration, the percentages of grade a and grade a + b sperm, sperm motility, and the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone (T), followed by evaluation of the clinical efficacy of Qilin Pills with the pregnancy rate in the patients' spouses as the secondaty therapeutic indexes.

RESULTSCompared with the baseline, both groups of patients showed remarkably improved semen parameters and hormone levels after treatment (all P < 0.01). After 4, 8, and 12 weeks of medication, statistically significant differences were observed between the trial and control groups in sperm concentration ([17.06 ± 2.24] vs [15.07 ± 2.48], [22.10 ± 2.65] vs [18.11 ± 2.97], and [28.13 ± 3.59] vs [21.21 ± 3.60] x 10(6)/mL, P < 0.01), the percentage of grade a sperm ([15.03 ± 2.39] vs [13.08 ± 2.51], [21.08 ± 3.16] vs [16.04 ± 3.05], and [28.08 ± 4.70] vs [20.14 ± 4.74]%, P < 0.01), the percentage of grade a + b sperm ([30.10 ± 5.07] vs [26.21 ± 3.96], [38.08 ± 5.64] vs [30.07 ± 4.80], and [48.04 ± 6.49] vs [35.28 ± 4.77]%, P < 0.01), sperm motility ([42.04 ± 4.86] vs [40.29 ± 4.19], [52.05 ± 5.58] vs [48.03 ± 4.40], and [65.03 ± 5.13] vs [56.67 ± 4.99]%), the FSH level ([7.75 ± 1.38] vs [7.20 ± 1.17], [10.83 ± 1.23] vs [9.10 ± 1.32], and [14.22 ± 0.84] vs [12.06 ± 1.45] IU/L, P < 0.01), the LH level ([10.05 ± 1.68] vs [9.18 ± 1.54], [13.96 ± 1.68] vs [11.99 ± 1.71], and [19.01 ± 2.42] vs [15.86 ± 2.08] IU/L, P < 0.01) and the T level ([19.19 ± 192] vs [18.34 ± 1.79] [21.06 ± 1.63] vs [20.06 ± 1.56], and [24.63 ± 1.06] vs [22.03 ± 1.49] nmol/L, P < 0.01). The pregnancy rate in the patients' spouses was significantly higher in the trial than in the control group at 4, 8, and 12 weeks (1.92 vs 0.69, 4.81 vs 3.47, and 11.54 vs 8.33%, P < 0.01). There were no statistically significant differences in drug tolerance between the two groups (P > 0.05). No obvious adverse reactions were observed.

CONCLUSIONQilin Pills combined with clomiphene can evidently improve the seminal quality and hormone level of oligoasthenospermia patients with no obvious adverse events. However, its long-term efficacy and tolerance deserve further clinical investigation.

Asthenozoospermia ; blood ; drug therapy ; Clomiphene ; therapeutic use ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Fertility Agents ; therapeutic use ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Semen ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; Testosterone ; blood