Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of combined use of acupuncture and medicine in treating functional gastric acid regurgitation. Methods Ninety-eight patients with functional gastric acid regurgitation were randomly allocated to treatment and control groups, 49 cases each. The control group received routine medication and the treatment group, acupuncture plus Chinese herbal medication in addition. The symptom severity and frequency were scored in the two groups before and after treatment. The clinical therapeutic effects were compared between the two groups. Results There were statistically significant post-treatment differences in the symptom severity score and the symptom frequency score between the treatment and control groups (P＜0.05). The total efficacy rate was 95.9% in the treatment group and 83.7% in the control group; there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P＜0.05). Conclusion Combined use of acupuncture and medicine is an effective way to treat functional gastric acid regurgitation.

Objective To investigate the effects of ketamine on Na+ -K+ -ATPase and Ca2+ -ATPase activity Of cerebro cortex and thalamus in rats. Methods Thirty-two SD rats of both sexes weighing 200-300 g were randomly divided into 4 Groups: 1 control group; 2 anesthesia group; 3 recovery group 1 and 4 recovery group II . In control group normal saline 10 ml?kg-1 was administered intraperitoneally (ip) while in the 3 ketamine groups ketamine 100mg?kg-1 was administered ip. The animals were killed by decapitation when righting reflex was lost (group 2) or recovered (group 3) or when the animals were fully awake (group 4). Brain was immediately removed on ice. Bilateral cortex and thalamus were isolated homogenized and centrifuged. Na+ -K+ -ATPase and Ca2+-ATPase activity were assessed by spectrophotometric analysis. Results The Na+-K+-ATPase and Ca2+ -ATPase activity of cerebrocortex decreased by 32.8% and 26.2% and of thalamus decreased by 31.4% and 24.5% respectively in group 2 as compared with those in group 1. The Na+-K+-ATPase and Ca 2+-ATPase activity of the cerebrocortex and thalamus were recovered in group 3 and 4. Conclusions The Na+ -K+ -ATPase and Ca2+ -ATPase may play an important role in the mechanism of ketamine anesthesia.

AIM: To investigate the effects of rosiglitazone(ROSI),an agonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ?(PPAR?),on the lung expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1) and cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant(CINC) in rats with acute lung injury. METHODS: Thirty-six male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups: control group,ROSI group,GW9662(a PPAR? antagonist) group,lipopolysaccharide(LPS,6 mg/kg,iv) group,ROSI-LPS group(0.3 mg/kg ROSI iv 30 min prior to LPS) and GW9662-ROSI-LPS group(0.3 mg/kg GW9662,iv,20 min before ROSI).Four hours after LPS injection,wet/dry weight(W/D) ratio,myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity,malondialdehyde(MDA) and CINC-1 concentrations were assayed in the lung tissues.Immunohistochemical analysis of ICAM-1 expression was also studied.RESULTS: Pretreatment with ROSI significantly attenuated LPS-induced increases in W/D ratio,MPO activity,MDA and CINC-1 concentrations as well as ICAM-1 expression in the lung tissues.The specific PPAR? antagonist GW9662 antagonized the effects of ROSI.CONCLUSION: Pretreatment with ROSI reduces LPS-induced lung injury in rats.The mechanism involves inhibition of the lung expression of ICAM-1 and CINC-1 by the activation of PPAR?.

Hepatectomy ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; drug therapy ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; drug therapy ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating

Objective To investigate the effects of angiotensin Ⅱ (Ang Ⅱ) on the expression of C-terminal Src kinase (Csk) in Ang Ⅱ-infused rat model and cultured podocytes,and to explore the role of Csk in Ang Ⅱ-induced cytoskeletal rearrangement of podocytes.Methods Twenty-four Wista rats were randomly subjected to normal saline infusion,or Ang Ⅱ infusion at 400 ng · kg1 · min-1 (via subcutaneous osmotic minipumps) for 2 or 4 weeks.Renal histomorphology was evaluated through electron microscopy.The expression of glomerular Csk was analyzed by immunofluorescence and Western blotting.In vitro,conditionally immortalized mouse podocytes were cultured and treated with Ang Ⅱ doses ranging from 10-9 mol/L to 10-5 mol/L and for different hours.The expression of podocytes Csk was assessed by Western blotting.After transfection to podocytes with Csk siRNA,FITC-conjugated phalloidin was used to stain F-actin,to investigate the role of Csk in Ang Ⅱ-induced or cytochalasin D-induced cytoskeletal rearrangement.Results (1) Examination of Ang Ⅱ infusion rats glomerular and podocyte ultrastructure by electron microscopy revealed foot process effacement and fusion; (2) In Ang Ⅱ infusion rats,the expression of glomerular Csk was increased (P ＜ 0.05); (3) In vitro,Ang Ⅱ-stimuli up-regulated the expression of Csk (P ＜ 0.05),and the effects of Ang Ⅱ were on dose-dependent and time-dependent manner; (4) Ang Ⅱ-induced disruption of F-actin was alleviated by Csk siRNA transfection in cultured podocytes; furthermore,cytochalasin D depolymerized the F-actin cytoskeleton,while Csk siRNA stabilized the actin filaments.Conclusion The enhanced expression of Csk may be involved in Ang II-induced podocytes cytoskeletal rearrangement and foot process fusion.

More than 85% of all cancers express telomeras e activity. Human telome rase has been proposed as a novel and potentially highly selective target for ca ncer therapy. Inducers of differentiation are involved in regulation of telomera se activity. In the present review, the effects of retinoids, vitamin D3 compo unds, tea catechins and matrine on telomerase activity in malignant cells were r eviewed.

Objective To evaluate the effect of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) on liver injury induced by lethal hemorrhagic shock in rats first entering high altitude.Methods Forty healthy male SpragueDawley rats,aged 2-3 months,weighing 240-280 g,transported from breeding grounds at an altitude of 1520 meters to the experimental station at an altitude of 3780 meters,were randomly divided into 4 groups (n =10each):sham operation group (group S),lethal hemorrhagic shock group (group LHS),normal saline group (group NS),and SAHA group.Anesthesia was induced with inhalation of 3% isoflurane and maintained with inhalation of 0.5%-1.0% isoflurane.Lethal hemorrhagic shock was induced by withdrawing blood from the femoral artery in groups LHS,NS and SAHA.Normal saline 0.25 ml and SAHA 7.5 mg/kg (0.25 ml) were injected intravenously over 2 min after completion of blood-letting in groups NS and SAHA,respectively.The survival rates with 3 h were recorded.Blood samples from femoral veins were taken before blood-letting,immediately after completion of blood-letting and at 3 h after completion of blood-letting (immediately after death if the survival time was less than 3 h) for determination of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST),alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) activities by the colorimetric method.Liver specimens were taken at 3 h after completion of blood-letting or immediately after death for examination of the pathological changes of the liver and for determination of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK),phosphorylated-JNK (p-JNK) and caspase-3 expression and acetylation of H3K9 in liver tissues by Western blot.Results Compared with group S,the activities of serum AST,ALT and LDH were significantly increased in the other three groups (P ＜ 0.01).Compared with LHS and NS groups,the activities of serum AST,ALT and LDH were significantly decreased,the survival rate within 3 h and acetylation of H3K9 were increased,caspase-3 expression was down-regulated,and p-JNK/JNK ratio was decreased in group SAHA (P ＜ 0.05 or 0.01).The pathological changes of the liver were severe in LHS and NS groups and attenuated in SAHA group.Conclusion Administration of SAHA in early shock can significantly protect the liver after lethal hemorrhage in rats first entering high altitude,and increased acetylation of H3K9 and inhibition of the JNK/caspase-3 apoptotic pathway in liver tissues are involved in the mechanism.

OBJECTIVE: There exists a close relationship between drying of a fresh herb and its preservation and extraction of efficient components. In order to investigate the influences of different drying methods on extraction and separation of ginsenosides, three drying processes, such as drying in the sun, drying in oven and microwave drying, were used to dry fresh ginsengs. METHODS: The ginsenosides of the dry ginsengs were extracted by poaching and microwave heating, and were separated by foam separation. The concentrations of ginsenosides were measured. RESULTS: Microwave drying saved both time and labor, and was favorable for release of ginsenosides. The ginsenosides could be extracted from the dry ginsengs in a shorter time by microwave heating than poaching. The ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rd could be observably concentrated by foam separation. CONCLUSION: Microwave drying and microwave assisted extraction are efficient and economic methods with a high recovery yield of ginsenosides.