Objective: To evaluate the protective effect of Shenfu injection (SFI) against intestinal barrier dysfunction and second hit in rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). Methods: Fifty-four male Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham operation group (n = 6), SAP group (n = 24), and SAP + SFI group (10 ml/kg body wt, n = 24). Sham operation group underwent laparotomy only. SAP model was established by retrograde injection of 5% sodium taurocholate into the bilipancreatic duct of Wistar rats. SAP+SFI group was given SFI (10 ml/kg) intaperitoneally 2 h before SAP establishment. Rats were sacrificed at 3,6,12 and 24 hours after operation. The samples of pancreas, lung and liver were collected for measuring the levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO) at 3,6,12, and 24 h after injection of sodium taurocholate. The pathological changes of the terminal ilea were observed under light microscopy, and the blood levels of diamine oxidase (DAO), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6(IL-6) were also measured at different time points. Results: The blood levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and DAO in SAP group were significantly higher than those in the sham operation group at all time points (P<0.01). The levels of intrapulmonary, intrapancreatic and intrahepatic MPO in SAP group were significantly than those in the sham operation group at 6,12, and 24 hours (P<0.01). The contents of DAO, TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly decreased in SAP + SFI group compared with in SAP group at all time points (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The contents of intrapulmonary, intrapancreatic and intrahepatic MPO were significantly decreased in SAP+SFI group compared with SAP group at 6,12, and 24 h after operation (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Intestinal pathological damages were obviously milder in SAP+SFI group than that in SAP group at 24 h after operation. Conclusion: SFI can protect the small intestine mucosal barrier and other organs from second hit by reducing the polymorphonuclear leucocyte detaining and inhibiting TNF-α and IL-6.

Objective: To investigate the effect of early treatment with a combination of rhubarb and high volume hemofiltration for patients with severe acute pancreatitis(SAP). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the 31 SAP patients, who were treated in our department between June 2005 and December 2007. Twelve patients (control group) received high-volume hemofiltration only and the other 19 patients(treatment group)received both hemofiltration and rhubarb-enchyma infused via a gastric tube for three days. The vital signs and recovery of gastrointestinal functions were observed in the two groups. The serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and plasma endotoxin were measured in the two groups. Results: The vital signs of all the patients were stable during the treatment. The APACHE II score and serum cytokine concentrations were significantly decreased in the two groups after treatment(P<0.05), and there was no significant difference between the treatment group and the control group (P>0.05). Gastrointestinal function of the treatment group recovered earlier, with an effective rate significantly higher than that of the control group(P<0.05). The plasma endotoxin of the control group were gradually elevated during the treatment; that of the treatment group increased first and then gradually decreased; and there was significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). Conclusion: High-volume hemofiltration can clear the plasma inflammatory mediators and cytokines. Rhubarb can improve the gastrointestinal function and decrease the plasma endotoxin level of SAP patients; early treatment with a combination of both can improve the clinical outcomes of patients.

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Salvianolate on myosin heavy chain (MHC) in cardiomyocytes of congestive heart failure (CHF) rats.

METHODSSixty male SD rats were divided into 6 groups according to random digit table, i.e., the normal control group (NCG), the model group, the Captopril group (CAG), the low dose Salvianolate group (LSG), the high dose Salvianolate group (HSG), the Captopril and high dose Salvianolate group (CSG), 10 in each group. CHF rat model was established with peritoneal injection of adriamycin in all rats except those in the NCG. Equal volume of normal saline was peritoneally injected to rats in the NCG, once per week for 6 successive weeks. Corresponding medication was started from the 5th week of injecting adriamycin. Rats in the CAG were administered with Captopril solution at the daily dose of 10 mg/kg by gastrogavage. Rats in the LSG and the HSG were administered with Salvianolate solution at the daily dose of 24.219 mg/kg and 48.438 mg/kg respectively by gastrogavage. Salvianolate was dissolved in 2 mL 5% glucose solution and administered by peritoneal injection. Rats in the CSG were peritoneally injected with high dose Salvianolate solution and administered with Captopril solution by gastrogavage. Two mL normal saline was peritoneally injected to rats in the model group, once per day for 8 successive weeks. Eight weeks later, the cardiac function and myocardial hypertrophy indices were detected by biological signal collecting and processing system. mRNA expression levels of alpha-MHC and beta-MHC in cardiac muscle were detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR. Expressions of protein kinase C (PKC) in cardiac muscle were detected by Western blot.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, heart mass index (HMI) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) obviously increased in the model group (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, HMI and LVMI decreased in HSG, CAG, and CSG groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). It was more obviously lowered in the CSG group than in the CAG group (P < 0.05). Compared with the NCG, the mRNA expression level of alpha-MHC in cardiac muscle decreased, the mRNA expression level of p-MHC and the expression of PKC in cardiac muscle increased in the model group (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the mRNA expression level of alpha-MHC in cardiac muscle was increased, and the mRNA expression level of beta-MHC and the expression of PKC in cardiac muscle were decreased in HSG, CAG, and CSG groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). There was statistical difference between the CSG group and the CAG group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSSalvianolate could up-regulate the mRNA expression level of alpha-MHC, and down-regulate the mRNA expression level of beta-MHC in cardiac muscle. Its mechanism might be related to decreasing the expression of PKC.

Animals ; Captopril ; Doxorubicin ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Heart Failure ; metabolism ; Male ; Myocardium ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Myosin Heavy Chains ; metabolism ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Aristolochic Acids ; adverse effects ; Child ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Nephrosis ; chemically induced

OBJECTIVETo investigate the efficiency, safety, and possible mechanisms of Qingre Buyi Decoction (QBD) in the treatment of acute radiation proctitis (ARP).

METHODSThis study was a single center, prospective, single blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled clinical trial. A total of 60 patients with ARP was equally and randomly distributed into the control group (conventional treatment) and the combination group (conventional treatment plus QBD). The changes of main Chinese medicine clinical symptoms and signs, including stomachache, diarrhea, mucous or bloody stool before and after treatment, and their adverse reactions were observed after the two-week treatment. Also, D-lactate and diamine oxidase (DAO) levels, hepatic and renal function were measured. Cure rates, effective rates, and recurrence rates were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThe blood levels of both DAO and D-lactate were significantly decreased in the combination group as compared with those in the control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). All main clinical symptoms and signs were alleviated more significantly in the combination group (P<0.01). The main symptom scores also were significantly decreased after treatment in the control group (P<0.01), except those for mucous or bloody stool (P>0.05). Compared to the control group, the improvements of stomachache, diarrhea, defecation dysfunction, and stool blood in the combination group were significantly better (P<0.05 or P<0.01). For the combination group, the curative rate, effective rate, and recurrence rate was 76.67%, 16.67%, and 6.67%, respectively. On the other hand, for the control group, the rate was 53.33%, 16.67%, and 30.00%, respectively. The total curative effect was significantly better in the combination group than in the control group (P<0.05). However, the recurrence rate was similar between the two groups (P>0.05). The hepatic and renal function remained normal in both groups (P>0.05). In addition, no severe adverse event was found in both groups.

CONCLUSIONSAddition of QBD to the conventional treatment can effectively alleviate the damage of intestinal mucosal barrier function and improve all main clinical symptoms and signs of the ARP. The combination of conventional treatment with Chinese herbal medicine QBD is effective and safe for ARP.

Acute Disease ; Adult ; Aged ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; administration & dosage ; Azulenes ; administration & dosage ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Agents ; administration & dosage ; Glutamine ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Norfloxacin ; administration & dosage ; Pain ; complications ; Proctitis ; complications ; drug therapy ; Sesquiterpenes ; administration & dosage ; Silicates ; administration & dosage ; Single-Blind Method ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the protective effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on the intestinal barrier dysfunction in rats after extensive abdominal radiation with X ray.

METHODSTwenty-four Spraque-Dawley male rats were divided into normal control group (n=8), radiation group (n=8), and radiation+NAC group (300 mg/kg) (n=8). Radiation injury was induced by X ray with a single dose of 10 Gy. NAC was administered from 4 days before irradiation to 3 days after radiation. Three days after radiation, all the rats were euthanized. The terminal ileum was collected for crypt survival assay and ileal villi count. The tissue samples from mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), spleen, and liver were harvested under sterile conditions for microbiological analysis and ileum samples were harvested for biochemical analysis. The blood levels of D-lactate, endotoxin and diamine oxidase (DAO) and the ileum samples levels of nitric oxide(NO) were also measured.

RESULTSRats in radiation+NAC group had a higher survival rate of intestinal crypt [(76.84+/-4.82)% vs (49.64+/-5.48)%, P<0.01], higher intestinal villus count [(8.56+/-0.68)/mm vs (4.02+/-0.54)/mm, P<0.01], lower NO concentration [(0.48+/-0.12) mumol/g vs (0.88+/-0.16) mumol/g, P<0.01], lower levels of D-lactate, endotoxin and DAO (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and significantly decreased enteric bacteria cultured from mesenteric lymph nodes and other tissues as compared with the radiation group (P<0.05 or P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONNAC protects the small intestine from radiation-induced injury maybe through the inhibition of NO in rats.

Acetylcysteine ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation ; Intestinal Mucosa ; drug effects ; metabolism ; microbiology ; Intestine, Small ; drug effects ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; analysis ; Radiation Injuries ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; X-Rays ; adverse effects

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the endoscopy-assisted laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of early colon carcinoma.

METHODSThe data of 55 early colon cancer patients, including 30 male, 25 female with mean age of 54 years(ranged 42 to 68), undergone endoscopy-assisted laparoscopic surgery at the colon were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTSFrom March 2002 to December 2007, 55 early colon cancer patients were treated with endoscopy-assisted laparoscopic surgery in our institute. In 53 cases, a laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative bowel segment resection was performed at first. Of these 53 patients, 11 cases then received laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative radical anatomical resection according to the result of frozen section. Two cases were transferred to open surgery because of small intestinal inflation after endoscopic location. The mean operative time of cooperation was 90 min (55-240 min), and the mean blood loss was 50 ml(10-200 ml). In 51 cases(92.7%), the time for flatus passage was 2 to 3 days. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 5 d(2-15 d). No postoperative complications were found. Follow-up data were obtained by clinical examination and personal communication via telephone. The median follow-up was 42 months(ranged 3-72). Most of the patients were alive except one case died of myocardial infarction during the follow-up period. None of the patients with early colon cancer treated by the cooperative surgery had relapse or metastasis. Two cases of T1N1Mx underwent adjuvant chemotherapy.

CONCLUSIONSEndoscopy-assisted laparoscopic surgery offers a minimal-invasive and safe therapeutic approach for early colon cancer. The early colon cancer may be a good indication for endoscopy-assisted laparoscopic surgery when the endoscopic mucosal resection is inadequate.

Adult ; Aged ; Colonic Neoplasms ; surgery ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the toxicity of chicken calamus keratin (CCK) conduit as a tissue-engineered scaffold material.

METHODSThe chemical composition of the leaching solution of CCK was determined by means of ultraviolet spectrometry, and the toxic effects of the solution was evaluated by skin sensitization test in rats, intracutaneous stimulation test in rabbits, acute systemic toxicity test in mice, and cytotoxicity test in L929 cells.

RESULTSThe leaching solution of CCK consisted mainly of middle-molecular-weight peptides with a small quantity of macromolecular proteins. Skin sensitization test in rats showed that application of the CCK leaching solution caused no obvious skin reddening, regional edema, or skin necrosis. Intracutaneous injection of the leaching solution in rabbits did not induce obvious skin stimulation manifested by intradermal erythema or edema. In acute systemic toxic test, administration of the leaching solution in mice caused no death, organ dysfunction, cyanosis, tremor, severe peritoneal irritation, ptosis, or dyspnoea. In vitro cytotoxicity test indicated that the cell toxicity of the CCK leaching solution was approximately at 0 level.

CONCLUSIONCCK contained in the treated chicken calamus easily undergoes hydrolysis to release mainly some peptides which do not induce obvious toxic effects, suggesting the safe potential applications of CCK conduit as a tissue-engineering biomaterial.

Animals ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Chickens ; Feathers ; chemistry ; Female ; Keratins ; chemistry ; toxicity ; Male ; Mice ; Rabbits ; Rats ; Skin Irritancy Tests ; Solutions ; Tissue Engineering ; Tissue Scaffolds ; chemistry ; Toxicity Tests ; methods

AIMTo study the chemical constituents of Cypripedium tibeticum.

METHODSCompounds were isolated by repeated silica gel chromatography and purified on Sephadex LH-20 and structures were determined by spectral analysis.

RESULTSCypritibetquinones A and B were isolated from the ethyl acetate residue and their structures were determined as 7-hydroxy-2-methoxy-1 4-phenanthraquinone (1) and 7-hydroxy-2, 10-dimethoxy-l1 4-phenanthraquinone (2), respectively, by extensive spectral analyses.

CONCLUSIONCypritibetquinones A and B are two new phenanthraquinones.

Anthraquinones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Conformation ; Molecular Structure ; Orchidaceae ; chemistry ; Phenanthrenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rhizome ; chemistry

In order to detect the hematopoietic growth factor gene expressed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells using gene chip, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (ECV304) were cultured in vitro and divided into VEGF group and control group in same medium. 50 ng/ml hVEGF165 was added in the VEGF group. After culture for 24 hours all cells were collected for total RNA extraction. Then, cDNAs were marked with Cy3 and Cy5 for control group and VEGF group, respectively, and hybridized with gene chip. Hybridization signals were collected and analyzed following scanning by laser co-focal microscopy. The results showed that a large number of hematopoietic growth factor and receptor genes (Epo/R, GM-CSF/R, G-CSF/R, LIF, IL-3, TPO, Flt-3, SCF) were expressed in both groups, while many other growth factors (VEGF, IGF2, PDGFA, PDGFB, TGFbeta1) and receptors (neuropilin-1, neuropilin-2, TGFbeta-R1)were expressed. The differentially expressed genes amounted to 24. It is concluded that many hematopoietic growth factors and receptors expressed by hUVECs could be analyzed in a short period by using gene chip, which provides a powerful method for further studies on characteristics of vascular endothelial cells.
Cells, Cultured ; Endothelial Cells ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors ; genetics ; Humans ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Umbilical Veins ; metabolism