To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Tanreqing Injection, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, for community-acquired pneumonia.

Objective To investigate the effect and safety of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in elderly patients.Methods 103 consecutive patients with STEMI treated by primary PCI were divided into two groups according to the age:the elderly group [aged≥65 years,with a mean age of (75.7 ±6.2) years(n =49],the non-elderly group [aged＜65 years,with a mean age of (43.0±8.6) years(n =54].Clinical characteristics,complications related to PCI procedure and success rate were analyzed,and major cardiovascular events (MACE) were followed up for(5.7 ± 1.2) months.Results The proportion of female,patients with Killip ≥ Ⅲ,three vessels disease and higher level of serum brain natriuretic peptide were higher in elderly group than in non-elderly group (all P＜0.05).No significant difference was observed between the two groups in success rate and complications of PCI procedure (both P＞0.05).Patients were followed up for (5.7± 1.2) months.The in-hospital and one-month mortalities were higher in elderly group than in non-elderly group [8.2％ (4 cases)vs.0％ (0 case),10.2％(5 cases) vs.0 ％ (0 case),respectively,all P＜0.05].There was no significant difference in six-month mortality and MACE between the two groups.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that Killip ≥ Ⅲ was related with the increase of one-month mortality in patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI,whereas age was not.Conclusions Primary PCI is effective and safe in elderly patients with STEMI.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of new drugs of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for acute upper respiratory tract infection (common cold).

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of trans-TrkC gene neural stem cells (NSCs)on the recovery of neural function after spinal cord injury.Methods Sixty SD rats were ran- domly divided into six groups:normal control group(A),hemisection group(B),NSCs transplantation grnup(C),NSCs transplantation with the regional application of NT-3 group(D),trans-TrkC gene NSCs transplantation group(E)and trans-TrkC genc NSCs transplantation with the regional application of NT- 3 group(F),10 rats in each group.Nine days after the set up of animal models,cell transplantation into the injured spinal cord was performed.The BBB locomotor score was calculated,and MEP(motor evoked potential)and SEP(somatesensory evoked potential)were pedormed two months after cell transplanta- tion.Results Two months after cell transplantation,the BBB locomotor score was partly recovered, and the MEP and SEP(somatosensory evoked potential)results were also markedly improved in Group F, which indicated the restoration of the upward and downward nerve conduction function of the injured spinal cord.But it seemed that the restoration of the downward nerve conduction was better than that of the up- want,and the extent of the improvement of MEP and SEP results was larger than that of motion function recovery.The onset latency,peak to peak amplitude of MEP and SEP,and the BBB score of Group F re- stored the best compared with the other groups,and the differences were statistically significant(P

This study is to investigate the effect and mechanism of puerarin on DNA damage of HaCaT cells induced by UVB. Puerarin pre-treated cells were irradiated with UVB at 30 mJ x cm(-2). Twenty four hours after irradiation, DNA damage was detected by comet assay, ceramide was measured by thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography, intracellular free calcium ion was analyzed by flow cytometry, the phosphorylation level of p38 protein was examined by Western blotting method. Levels of DNA damage, ceramide, free calcium ion and p-p38 protein were elevated in UVB model cells. Contrary to the model group, all indicators above were reduced in all groups pre-treated by puerarin. Puerarin restrains the ceramide accumulation to block downstream p38 MAPK pathway and calcium ion rising, therefore reduces DNA damage in HaCaT cells induced by UVB.
Calcium ; metabolism ; Cell Line ; Ceramides ; metabolism ; DNA Damage ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Down-Regulation ; Humans ; Isoflavones ; pharmacology ; Keratinocytes ; cytology ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Ultraviolet Rays ; adverse effects ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism

"Wise men could recognize similarities, but the fool only recognizes differences" in Su-wen, which expounded clinical thinking methods of Chinese medicine (CM). "To recognize similarities and differences simultaneously" is of important clinical significance in understanding the laws of diseases. CM pays much attention to recognize similarities, while modern medicine emphasizes the differences observed. In order to develop integrative medicine (IM), similarities recognition and differences identification must be combined together to innovate new thinking methods of IM.
Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; standards ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

BACKGROUND: The effect of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) during traumatic brain injury (TBI) and whether it can modulate secondary injury has not been reported previously. The present study evaluated the potential protective effects of ventricular infusion of PACAP in a rat model of TBI. METHODS: Male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 treatment groups (n=6, each): sham-operated, vehicle (normal saline)+TBI, and PACAP+TBI. Normal saline or PACAP (1g/5L) was administered intracerebroventricularly 20 minutes before TBI. Right parietal cortical contusion was produced via a weight-dropping method. Brains were extracted 24 hours after trauma. Histological changes in brains were examined by HE staining. The numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in blood and the spleen were detected via flow cytometry. RESULTS: In injured brain regions, edema, hemorrhage, inflammatory cell infiltration, and swollen and degenerated neurons were observed under a light microscope, and the neurons were disorderly arrayed in the hippocampi. Compared to the sham group, average CD4+ CD8– lymphocyte counts in blood and the spleen were significantly decreased in rats that received TBI+vehicle, and CD4– CD8+ were increased. In rats administered PACAP prior to TBI, damage was attenuated as evidenced by significantly increased CD4+, and decreased CD8+, T lymphocytes in blood and the spleen. CONCLUSION: Pretreatment with PACAP may protect against TBI by influencing periphery T cellular immune function.

Acute Kidney Injury ; etiology ; Child, Preschool ; Favism ; complications ; Humans ; Male

Objective To understand the polymorphism of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) vacA alleles in China. Methods A total of 119 H. pylori strains were isolated from different gastroduodenal diseases in 7 different geographic regions in China. vacA and its alleles were identified according to the length of PCR products with DNA electrophoresis. The distributions of vacA alleles were statistically analyzed. The core fragment of vacA was sequentially analyzed by software MEGA4.0. Results The alleles in vacA dominantly belonged to sla, m2 and il in the tested strains.The distribution appeared to be 97.5%(116/119) ,68.9%(82/119) and 91.6%(109/119),respectively.The mlb allele appeared to be 26.1% (31/119). slb and mla were not found. The major vacA recombination was between slaim2/il and 62.2% , followed by sla/mlb/il (25.2% , 30/119). No association was found between the distribution of sla allele and the clinical outcome, as well as the geographical regions (P>0.05). However, the distribution of m alleles showed significant difference both among the types of disease and the geographic regions (P<0.01), The present of i alleles did not show significant differences among disease patterns, but had significant differences between different geographic groups (P<0.01). Three clusters were identified among these 119 isolates according to the DNA sequence of vacA. Conclusion sla/m2/il appeared to be the main allele in H. pylori vacA isolates from China in this study. The distribution of m alleles in vacA was correlated both to the regions and the disease patterns. The presence of i allele was associated to the regions but not the disease patterns.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of telomerase in various lesions of adrenal cortex.

METHODSBy autoradiography-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol, telomerase expression was detected in 36 samples of adrenocortical lesions, including 29 cases adrenocortical adenoma (8 Cushing's syndrome, 17 aldosteronism and 4 nonfunctional adenomas), 5 cases of hyperplasia of adrenal cortex (presented with Chushing' syndrome), 2 cases adrenocortical carcinoma, and 4 samples of normal adrenal cortex.

RESULTSOf the 40 samples, 2 cases of adrenocortical carcinomas had telomerase expression, and the others had no telomerase expression detected.

CONCLUSIONSNo significant telomerase expression was found among different endocrine functional benign adrenocortical lesions. Telomerase expression may be used as an important marker of malignant adrenocortical tumor.

Adrenal Cortex ; enzymology ; Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms ; enzymology ; Adrenocortical Adenoma ; enzymology ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; analysis ; Cushing Syndrome ; enzymology ; Humans ; Telomerase ; analysis ; biosynthesis ; genetics