Objective To study effect of rubescens on inflammatory cytokines and liver function of alcoholic liver injury rat model.Methods 120 SD rats were chosed for studied, randomly divided into control group, model group and treatment group,40 rats per group.Alcoholic liver injury rat model was made by ethanol feeding approach, rubescens were given for treatment.Then serum AST, ALT, α-GST, GLDH content and liver tissue NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8 levels were detected by electrochemiluminescence and fluorescent quantitation PCR,respectively.Results Model group serum AST, ALT,α-GST, GLDH contents and NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8 contents in liver tissue were higher than control group(t=12.030~37.417, P<0.05). Treatment group serum AST,ALT, α-GST, GLDH contents and NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8 contents in liver tissue were lower than model group (t=5.128~32.325, P<0.05).Conclusion Alcohol feeding can cause liver damage, rubescens therapy can reduce liver injury, relieve inflammation.

Objective:To explore significance of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP)and N terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP)for diagnosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome and its guidance of treatment.Methods:A total of 124 cases with definite organic heart disease and sudden respiratory distress syndrome (measurement group) received measurement of BNP and NT-proBNP to judge whether they suffered from heart failure or not.Another 110 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome but no receiving BNP and NT-proBNP measurement were en-rolled as no measurement control group.Relevant data,including diagnosis time,length of hospital stay,hospitali-zation cost and mortality rate etc,were collected in all patients.Results:Compared with no measurement control group,there were significant reductions in diagnosis time [(24.2±6.4)min vs.(16.3±5.2)min],length of hospi-tal stay [(12.5±3.5)d vs.(8.5±4.5)d]and mortality rate (8.18% vs.4.84%)in measurement group,P<0.05 all;there was no significant difference in mean hospitalization cost between two groups (P>0.05).Conclusion:Measurement of brain natriuretic peptide and N terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide possesses important value for early diagnosis,elevating therapeutic effect and improving prognosis in patients with acute respiratory distress syn-drome.

AIM To establish an HPLC-ELSD method for the simultaneous content determination of gastrodin,parishin A,parishin B,ginsenosides Rg1,Re,Rf,Rb1 and Rd in Tiantai No.1 Tablets (Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma,Gastrodiae Rhizoma,Cistanches Herba,etc.).METHODS The analysis of methanol extract of this drug was performed on a 45 ℃C thermostatic Alltima C1scolumn (4.6 mm × 250 mm,5 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of acetonitrie-0.1％ phosphoric acid flowing at 1.0 mL/min in a gradient elution manner.RESULTS Eight constituents showed good linear relationships within their own ranges (r ＞ 0.999 0),whose average recoveries were 96.94％-97.93％ with the RSDs of 1.06％-2.48％.CONCLUSION This simple,accurate and reliable method can be used for the quality control of Tiantai No.1 Tablets.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical efficacy of incising spinal pia mater to relieve pressure and unilateral open-door laminoplasty with internal screw fixation for treatment of the dated spinal cord injury.

METHODSFrom March, 2009 to July, 2010, 16 cases with chronic cervical cord injury underwent spinal dura mater incision and unilateral open-door laminoplasty with internal screw fixation. Nerve functions of pre- and postoperation were evaluated by Frankel classification and the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scale.The improvement rate of JOA score at the indicated time was recorded.

RESULTSPostoperative Frankel classification rating of 16 patients improved obviously.JOA scores at the 1st month, 3rd month, 6th month, and 12th month after surgery were 7.9 ± 2.3, 8.5 ± 1.6, 8.9 ± 2.1, and 12.4 ± 2.5, respectively, and significantly increased compared with that prior to surgery (5.5 ± 0.6). At the end of follow-up period, JOA score was significantly higher than that of pre-treatment (P<0.05). The recovery was relatively rapid during the first 3 months following the surgery, then entered a platform period.

CONCLUSIONIt is effective for patients with dated spinal cord injury to undergo spinal decompression and laminoplasty.

Adult ; Bone Screws ; Decompression, Surgical ; methods ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; methods ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pia Mater ; surgery ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; diagnosis ; pathology ; physiopathology ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical efficacy differences between fire needling technique of filiform needle at high stress points and regular acupuncture on chrondromalacia patellae so as to provide the better therapy for the treatment of this disease.

METHODSSixty cases of chrondromalacia patellae were randomized into a fire needling group (28 cases) and a routine acupuncture group (32 cases). In the fire needling group, 5 to 6 high stress points were localized according to the symptoms, palpation and imaging condition and were stimulated with fire needling technique of filiform needle. The treatment was given once every two days, 5 treatments made one session. In the routine acupuncture group, the regular acupuncture was applied at Dubi (ST 35), Xiguan (LR 7), Yanglingquan (GB 34), Yinlingquan (SP 9), Zusanli (ST 36), etc. The treatment was given once every day, 5 treatments made one session. Lysholm score, VSA score, patella title angle (PTA) and lateral patella angle (LPA) of the affected knees before and after treatment, as well as the clinical efficacy after treatment were observed in the two groups.

RESULTSAfter treatment, Lysholm score, VSA score, PTA and LPA were all improved apparently in the two groups (all P < 0.01). After the treatments, the improvements in Lysholm score, VSA score, PTA and LPA in the fire needling group were more obvious than those in the routine acupuncture group (all P < 0.05). The effective rate was 92.9% (26/28) in the fire needling group, better than 87.5% (28/32) in the routine acupuncture group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe fire needling technique of filiform needle at the high stress points relieves the clinical symptoms of chrondromalacia patellae and recovers the biodynamical structure of patellae.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; instrumentation ; methods ; Adult ; Chondromalacia Patellae ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the therapeutic effects of closed reduction and external fixation (plaster or splint) for the treatment of displaced humeral supracondylar fractures in children.

METHODSFrom March 2007 to September 2009,33 children (15 female and 18 male) with humeral supracondylar fractures treated in our hospital, ranging from 3 to 12 years old with an average of 6.4 years old. All the fractures were extension-type injuries, the flexion injures were excluded in our study. The humeral supracondylar fractures were classified according to Gartland classification. There were 21 Type H and 12 type III. In the initial treatment, all the patients were treated with closed reduction and external immobilization. The blood supply of the damaged upper extremity was evaluated before and after treatment. Clinical assessment was obtained at final follow-up using Flynn criteria, and radiologic assessment was obtained using Baumann and lateral humerocapitellar angles.

RESULTSAll the children were treated successfully with closed reduction in the initial time; 24 children maintained limb alignment by external immobilization. Nine patients lost position due to the swelling around the elbow which affected unstable external fixation during the follow-up, 5 of which were treated with a repeated closed reduction and internal fixation with Kirschner wires, 4 of which were treated with traction. Thirty-one patients had a satisfactory outcome and 2 patients had an unsatisfactory outcome according to the Flynn criteria at the latest follows-up.

CONCLUSIONClosed reduction and external stabilization is an important method for the treatment of displaced humeral supracondylar fractures in children. Making regular follow-up visits after closed reduction and casting is important for patients to maintain acceptable alignment, avoid complications and diagnose any loss of reduction.

Casts, Surgical ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; External Fixators ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Humans ; Humeral Fractures ; surgery ; Male ; Splints

To compare the sampling errors from cluster or unequal probability sampling designs and to adopt the unequal probability sampling method to be used for death surveillance.Taking 107 areas from the county level in Shaanxi province as the sampling frame,a set of samples are drawn by equal probability cluster sampling and unequal probability designs methodologies.Sampling error and effect of each design are estimated according to their complex sample plans.Both the sampling errors depend on the sampling plan and the errors of equal probability in stratified cluster sampling appeares to be less than simple cluster sampling.The design effects of unequal probability stratified cluster sampling,such as πPS design,are slightly lower than those of equal probability stratified cluster sampling,but the unequal probability stratified cluster sampling can cover a wider scope of monitoring population.Conclusions:Results from the analysis of sampling data can not be conducted without consideration of the sampling plan when the sampling frame is finite and a given sampling plan and parameters,such as sampling proportion and population weights,are assigned in advance.Unequal probability cluster sampling designs seems to be more appropriate in selecting the national death surveillance sites since more available monitoring data can be obtained and having more weight in estimating the mortality for the whole province or the municipality to be selected.

Clinical epidemiologic data and animal experimental studies regard estrogen as being protective against the development of cardiovascular diseases. The mechanisms by which estrogen affects the development of vascular diseases are not clear. Recent studies demonstrated that the cardiovascular protective effects of estrogen are closely related to nitric oxide (NO) pathway. Our previous study proved that estrogen inhibited the proliferation and oncogene expression of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) induced by endothlin 1 (ET-1) and serum,this effect was mediated by NO release. In the present study, we investigated the role of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the VSMCs cycle arrest induced by 17 beta-estradiol (E(2)). The effects of E(2) on iNOS activity and protein expression in cultured rat VSMCs and the influence of NOS inhibitor N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methylester (L-NAME) on the inhibitory effect of E(2) on cell cycle were investigated. NOS assay kit was used to measure the activity of iNOS and protein expression of iNOS was determined by Western-blot. Cell cycle analysis was accessed by flow cytometry. The results obtained showed that E(2) increased iNOS activity of VSMCs but not in a dose-dependent manner. E(2) 10 nmol/L increased the iNOS activity of VSMCs distinctly at two time points: 30 min and 12 h. These effects were significantly inhibited by estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist Tamoxifen (0.1 micromol/L) and NOS inhibitor L-NAME (1 micromol/L). E(2) increased iNOS protein expression of VSMCs in a dose-dependent manner. The effect of E(2) on iNOS protein expression of VSMCs started at 3 h, distinctly increased at 12 h and then decreased. Tamoxifen significantly inhibited the E(2)-induced iNOS protein expression of VSMCs. ET-1 increased cell percentage of S phase and G(2)+S/G(1). This effect was inhibited by E(2). L-NAME significantly attenuated the inhibitory effect of E(2) on cell cycle of VSMCs. The results suggest that E(2) induced G(1) arrest of VSMCs, which was associated with an increase in iNOS activity and protein expression of VSMCs. These effects were at least mediated by estrogen receptor partly.
Animals ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Endothelin-1 ; metabolism ; Estradiol ; pharmacology ; Estrogen Antagonists ; pharmacology ; Female ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; metabolism ; physiology ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; Rats ; Tamoxifen ; pharmacology

7,8-Dihydro-7,8-dihydroxybenzo(a)pyrene 9,10-oxide ; toxicity ; Carcinogens ; toxicity ; Cell Line, Tumor ; DNA Damage ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins ; biosynthesis ; Humans

Abstract: Our previous work revealed berberine can significantly enhance the susceptibility of fluconazole against fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans, which suggested that berberine has synergistic antifungal activity with fluconazole. Preliminary SAR of berberine needs to be studied for the possibility of investigating its target and SAR, improving its drug-likeness, and exploring new scaffold. In this work, 13-substitutited benzyl berberine derivatives and N-benzyl isoquinoline analogues were synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR and MS. Their synergetic activity with fluconazole against fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans was evaluated in vitro. The 13-substitutited benzyl berberine derivatives 1a-1e exhibited comparable activity to berberine, which suggested that the introduction of functional groups to C-13 can maintain its activity. The N-benzyl isoquinolines, which were designed as analogues of berberine with its D ring opened, exhibited lower activity than berberine. However, compound 2b, 2c, and 4b showed moderate activity, which indicated that berberine may be deconstructed to new scaffold with synergistic antifungal activity with fluconazole. The results of our research may be helpful to the SAR studies on its other biological activities.
Antifungal Agents ; pharmacology ; Berberine ; pharmacology ; Candida albicans ; drug effects ; Drug Resistance, Fungal ; Drug Synergism ; Fluconazole ; pharmacology ; Isoquinolines ; pharmacology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests