ObjectiveTo evaluate th effect and safety of tolterodine on detrusor hyperreflexia of patients with spinal cord injury.Methods20 cases of spinal cord injury patients with detrusor hyperreflexia were treated with tolterodine (2mg, twice daily), and the data of urodynamics and voiding diary before and after treatment were evaluated.ResultsAfter 12 weeks of treatment, it showed a significant increase from baseline in mean voiding volume (P<0.01), functional bladder volume (P<0.05) and interval of voiding (P<0.01). The bladder volume at first contraction significantly increased from (62.62±36.37)ml to (126.75±34.64)ml (P<0.01), the maximal pressure of detrusor contraction significantly decreased from (74.81±28.60) cm H2O to (61.90±16.22) cm H2O (P<0.05), the maximal amplitude of wave significantly decreased from (47.24±30.42) cm H2O to (39.36±25.28) cm H2O.ConclusionTolterodine is effective and safety to detrusor hyperreflexia of patients with spinal cord injury, and has a better therapeutic compliance and less adverse reactions.

Anemia, Refractory ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Thrombocytosis

Objective To evaluate the clinical value of electron beam computed tomography (EBCT)in the diagnosis of atherosclerotic aortic ulcer.Methods Sixty-eight consecutive patients(55 men and 13 women,aged 40—85 years,mean 65.12?9.55 years)with atherosclerotic aortic ulcer,who underwent EBCT scans from December 2001 to December 2004,were studied retrospectively.Contrast- enhanced continuous volume scanning(CVS)was performed by Imatron C-150XP EBCT scanner with 6 mm or 3 mm slice thickness and 100 milliseconds acquisition time.The scan was started 18—30 s after the injection of 80—100 ml contrast medium at the rate of 3.5—4.5 ml/s.Results In sixty-eight patients with atherosclerotie aortic ulcer,50 patients had acute aortic syndromes,36 had intramural hematomas,15 had atherosclerotic aortic aneurysms,3 had aortic dissections.46 patients with progresive ulcer usually had acute aortic syndrome while 22 patients with stable ulcer didn't(P

Artemisnin is a novel sesquiterpene lactone with an internal peroxide bridge structure, which is extracted from traditional Chinese herb Artemisia annua L. (Qinghao). Recommended by World Health Organization, artemisinin is the first-line drug in the treatment of encephalic and chloroquine-resistant malaria. In the present study, transgenic A. annua plants were developed by overexpressing the key enzymes involved in the biosynthetic pathway of artemisinin. Based on Agrobacterium-mediated transformation methods, transgenic plants of A. annua with overexpression of both HDR and ADS were obtained through hygromycin screening. The genomic PCR analysis confirmed six transgenic lines in which both HDR and ADS were integrated into genome. The gene expression analysis given by real-time quantitative PCR showed that all the transgenic lines had higher expression levels of HDR and ADS than the non-transgenic control (except ah3 in which the expression level of ADS showed no significant difference compared with control); and the HPLC analysis of artemisinin demonstrated that transgenic A. annua plants produced artemisinin at significantly higher level than non-transgenic plants. Especially, the highest content of artemisinin was found in transgenic line ah70, in which the artemisinin content was 3.48 times compared with that in non-transgenic lines. In summary, overexpression of HDR and ADS facilitated artemisinin biosynthesis and this method could be applied to develop transgenic plants of A. annua with higher yield of artemisinin.
Artemisia annua ; genetics ; metabolism ; Artemisinins ; metabolism ; Biosynthetic Pathways ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Mixed Function Oxygenases ; genetics ; Oxidoreductases ; genetics ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; Plants, Genetically Modified ; genetics ; metabolism ; Plants, Medicinal ; genetics ; metabolism

ObjectiveTo investigate hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) levels in the tissue and serum of patients with chronic hepatitis,cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC),and analyze the clinical significances of HGF for HCC.MethodSurgical specimens from 97 patients were collected during Dec.2003 to Aug.2008 in the Third Central Hospital.The patients were prospectively enrolled and categorized into four groups:normal subjects ( n =11 ),chronic hepatitis B or C ( n =6＝,cirrhosis ( n =20)and HCC ( n =60 ) including well-differentiated ( n =21 ),moderately differentiated ( n =23 ),poorly differentiated (n =16) specimens.N0 (n =24),N1 (n =21 ),N2 (n =54) and N3 (n =43) were tissues respectively removed from liver at 0,1,2 or 3 cm beyond the margin of tumor.HGF mRNA expression in liver tissues was determined by real-time quantitative reverse transcription- (RT)-PCR.Serum HGF levels in the other cases of normal subjects ( n =20),chronic hepatitis B or C ( n =20),cirrhosis ( n =20) and HCC (n =57) were measured by ELISA.The Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test was employed for survival analysis.Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify prognostic factors in each group.ResultsThe HGF mRNA in normal subjects,chronic hepatitis,cirrhosis,N3,N2,N1,N0 and HCC were0.99(0.78-1.66),2.15(1.06-3.40),1.78(1.18-2.73),4.59(2.67 -8.63),3.86 ( 2.25 - 6.45 ),3.12 ( 1.59 - 5.74 ),2.92 ( 0.88 - 5.99 ) and 0.48 ( 0.19 - 1.06 ) respectively.The serum concentration of HGF in the normal subjects,chronic hepatitis,cirrhosis and HCC patients were (0.31 ± 0.05 ),(0.65 ± 0.07 ),( 1.27 ± 0.30 ) and ( 2.06 ± 0.66) μg/L respectively.The highest level of HGF mRNA was found in N3,while the HGF mRNA expression in HCC was [ (2.14 ± 0.52 ) μg/L] lower than that not only in the non-tumor tissues,but also in the normal control ( U =196.50,P =0.03 ).The serum concentration of HGF was significantly higher in patients with chronic hepatitis,cirrhosis or HCC than in normal subjects.The serum HGF level of HCC was bounced after hepatectomy (t =2.70,P ＜0.01 ).On the logistic regression analysis,the tumor numbers and Child-pugh were related with the levels of the tissue HGF mRNA and serum HGF of HCC,OR were0.15 (95％CI:0.03-0.72,P＜0.05) and0.13 (95％CI:0.27 -0.89,P ＜0.05 ),respectively.Univariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model in the complication groups revealed that the levels of the tissue HGF mRNA and serum HGF were significant risk factors of death for HCC,OR were 0.02 (95％ CI:0.00 - 0.52,P ＜ 0.05 ) and 10.01 (95％ CI:1.16 -86.23,P ＜ 0.05 ),respectively.On the Log-rank analysis,no statistically difference in the cumulative survival was found between the two groups categorized by median (0.49) of tissue HGF mRNA 2 - AACT (X2 =0.13,P =0.72).While the HCC patients were dichotomized by their the median(0.69 μg/L) of serum HGF concentration,the death risk for the patients with higher levels of HGF was increased 2.84 fold than those with lower levels (95％ CI:1.03 - 7.92,P ＜ 0.05 ).ConclusionHGF mRNA expression is decreased in tumor tissues,while its level in tumor adjacent live and serum is significantly elevated and is in association with shortened postoperative survival of HCC patients.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Recovery of Function ; Tibial Fractures ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the curative effect and safety of reduced glutathione for injection(Atomolan) on the Alcoholic Liver Disease(ALD).METHODS:This was a randomized,placebo controlled study,in which the reduced glutathione for injection(Gluthion) was used as control substance.A total of 261 ALD patients were randomly divided into 2 groups in 1:1 ratio(trial group,n=135;control group,n=126).The dosage,route and course of treatment in two groups were the same.Clinical data including biochemical parameters,symptoms and signs in two groups were monitored.RESULTS:The excellent effective rate,effect rate and total effective rate in the trial group were 58.5%,23.7% and 82.2%,respectively,those in the control group were 57.9%,22.2% and 80.2%,respectively,showing no significant difference between the 2 groups(P=0.90).CONC-LUSION:The study showed that the domestic glutathione for injection had a sound efficacy in improving clinical symptoms and recovery of liver biochemical parameters,showing equivalent efficacy to the control preparation good safety.

Objective To compare 99Tcm-MIBI MPI with delayed enhancement MRI (DE-MRI) in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM). Methods Forty patients with IDCM were included. They underwent both rest 99Tcm-MIBI myocardial perfusion imaging and DE-MRI within 7 days. 99Tcm-MIBI MPI was performed to identify diffuse or segmental abnormal perfusion patterns including reduced or defect perfusion segments. DE-MRI images were divided into 4 categories: no delayed enhancement, septal, subendocardial and transmural delayed enhancement, x2 test was used for data analysis. Results Diffuse and segmental perfusion abnormality on 99Tcm-MIBI MPI were found in 19 (47.5%) and 21 (52.5%)patients respectively, while DE-MRI enhancement was simultaneously found in 5 patients of the former (5/19, 26.3%) and 18 (18/21, 85.7%) of the latter (x2 =14.401, P＜0. 001). For those (n=18) with both segmental perfusion abnormality and DE-MRI enhancement, the number of segments of the 4 DE-MRI respectively. A significant difference was found in the DE-MRI enhancement categories between normal and defect perfusion segments (x2 = 29. 183, P ＜0.001 ) and between reduced and defect perfusion segments as well (x2 =25. 110, P＜0. 001). Conclusions Both diffuse and segmental perfusion abnormalities on 99Tcm-MIBI MPI can be found in patients with IDCM. DE-MRI enhancement is more frequently found in patients with segmental perfusion abnormality.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of total flavonoids of Oldenlendia difflusa (FOD) on NF-kappaB and IL-8, TNF-alpha, IL-10 expressions of ulcerative colitis (UC) model rats, and explore its immunological mechanism of anti-UC.

METHODSixty Kunming male mice with the average weight of (20 +/- 2) g were randomly divided into six groups. The control group (cont) was orally administered with distilled water. Whereas the remaining five groups were fed with 4% dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) solution for seven days to induce acute UC, and orally administered with the following drugs: distilled water (for the DSS group), SASP at dose of 500 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) for the DSS + SASP group, FOD at dose of 60 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) for the DSS + FOD-H group, FOD at dose of 40 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) for the DSS + FOD-M group, and FOD at dose of 26.7 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) for the DSS + FOD-L group. During the modeling and drug administration, the mice were scored for DAI. Seven days later, the mice were put to death, and their colonic tissue samples were collected to evaluate colonic mucosal lesions. The NF-kappaB p65, IL-8, TNF-alpha, IL-10 expressions were tested by immunohistochemical staining and ELISA.

RESULTSeven-day feeding with 4% DSS solution could successfully induce acute UC in mice. Compared with the cont group, the DSS group showed significantly higher DAI and colonic mucosal lesions, remarkable increase in NF-kappaB p65, IL-8, TNF-alpha expression in colonic tissues, and notable decrease in IL-10 expression (P < 0.05). FOD could prevent acute UC in mice included by DSS. Seven-day administration of 60 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) or 40 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) FOD could completely or partially resist the above mentioned changes caused by DSS. Compared with the DSS group, the DSS + FOD-H group and the DSS + FOD-M group showed reduction in colonic mucosal lesions, down-regulation in IL-8, TNF-alpha and NF-kappaB p65 expressions and up-regulation in IL-10 expression (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONFOD could significantly resist UC in mice. Its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of NF-kappaB p65 activation, the reduction of IL-8 and TNF-alpha expressions and the increase in the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10.

Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; administration & dosage ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; drug therapy ; genetics ; immunology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Flavonoids ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Interleukin-8 ; genetics ; immunology ; Male ; Mice ; NF-kappa B ; genetics ; immunology ; Oldenlandia ; chemistry ; Transcription Factor RelA ; genetics ; immunology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; genetics ; immunology

Objective To investigate clinical characteristics of relapsing polychondritis(RP)and to improve early recognition for it.Methods Clinical and laboratory data of 56 patients with RP were analyzed retrospectively.Results Ratio of number of male patients to female ones was 1.2.Age at onset was(46?11)years(ranging from 27 to 71)and average interval between onset and diagnosis was(21? 35)months,(8?6),(16?31)and(29?37)months for patients initial onset with auricle,respiratory tract and joints involved,respectively.Site involved included airway in 40 patients(71.4%),auricle in 32 (57.1%),joints in 32(57.1%),eyes in 27(48.2%),nasal chondritis in 25(44.6%)and inner ear in 13(23.2%).At initial stage of the course,17 patients were misdiagnosed as respiratory infection (30.4%),nine as perichondritis(16.1%),six as pulmonary tuberculosis(10.7%),five as rheumatoid arthritis(8.9%).Seven of 40 patients with airway involvement received metallic stents for their tracheobronchial stenosis.Four patients whose condition never improved after regular therapy all had respiratory involvement.Conclusions Patients of RP with initial onset at non-auricle,non-nasal sites tended to be misdiagnosed.Prevalence of airway involvement was not so low with a poor prognosis in patients of RP.