BACKGROUND: Researches indicate that interleukin-6 (IL-6) in blood has changed during the process of the edema and infection of spinal cord.It is found that IL-6 participates in the course of spinal cord lesion according to the further researches. It is also presumed that the IL-6 is correlated with the edema of spinal cord accompanied nervous system diseases.OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of the receptor antagonist of the IL-6 on the traumatic edema of spinal cord, and explore the effect of IL-6 in the process of the edema of spinal cord.DESIGN: Randomized control experiment with animals as subjects.SETTING: Department of Orthopedic, Hospital Affiliated to Guangdong Medical College.MATERIALS: The experiment was completed from January to December 2004 in the Animal Experimental Center of Guangdong Medical College.Forty male Wistar rats were selected and randomly divided into the normal group, the wound group, the saline control group and the receptor antagonist of the IL-6 treated group with 10 rats in each group.METHODS: ① The receptor antagonist of the IL-6 treated group: Blast injury of the thoracic spinal cord was made by the sap pressure, and the injection with the receptor antagonist of the IL-6 was given at the injured region with microinjector. ② The wound group: There was not the procedure of administration and placement of the tube. ③ The saline control group: The IL-6 was replaced with the sterile-physiological saline solution (SPSS), and the other procedures were the same as those of the receptor antagonist of the IL-6 treated group. ④ The normal group: There was not any treatment. All rats in each group were detected with magnetic resonance. The water content in the spinal cord was determined with the dry and humid weight method, and the status of the edema of spinal cord was observed with the electron microscope and the pathological image analysis after dyeing with hematine-eosine.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① The results of the examination of the rats in each group with the magnetic resonance. ② The water content in the spinal cord of rats in each group. ③ The status of the edema of spinal cord was observed with the electron microscope and the pathological image analysis.RESULTS: All the 40 rats entered the result analysis. ① The edema of the T2 w eighting image in the receptor antagonist of the IL-6 treated group was relieved as compared with that in the wound group and the saline control group. ② The water content of the injured region in the receptor antagonist of the IL-6 treated group, the wound group and the saline control group was higher than that in the normal group [ (81.68±1.39)%, (79.72±1.49)%, (82.59±1.12)%, (77.19±0.64)% ,P ＜ 0.01].The water content of the injured region in the wound group was higher than that in the normal group(P ＜ 0.01), and the receptor antagonist of the IL-6 treated group was lower than that of the wound group (P ＜ 0.01). ③The cell body of the gray substance was contracted, the inter-space around the cell was enlarged and the nerve cells were lost in the wound group;The saline control group was not significantly different as compared with the wound group; The cellular edema, degeneration and the necrosis in the receptor antagonist of the IL-6 treated group was milder than that in the wound group.CONCLUSION: The receptor antagonist of the IL-6 has the therapeutical effect on the traumatic edema of spinal cord. The endogenous IL-6 participates in the development of the traumatic edema of spinal cord.

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency catheter ablation for treating epicardial accessory pathway .Methods 8 patients with unsuccessful endocardial ablation of accessory pathway were mapped within coronary venous si-nus or middle cardiac vein and the radiofrequency catheter ablation was performed by the temperature control electrode .Results Ablation in 8 cases was successfully performed within coronary sinus or middle cardiac vein .There were no complications in all pa-tients .Conclusion Radiofrequency catheter ablation of epicardial accessory pathway within coronary sinus and middle cardiac vein is safe and effective .

To explore the clinical diagnosis methods of SARS virus infection, and analyze the value of ELISA by which the SARS-Ab was detected. The results show ed that the control group was negative, the positive detection rate was respective ly 2.7% and 92% before and after 12 days when the patients got the SARS in the t est group, and the total positive rate was 94.4%. But the detection rate was 3 1% among 29 suspected patients. In a word, the ELISA method was high specified. Th e detection rate was lower before 12 days and higher after 13 to 16 days when th e patients got the SARS.

OBJECTIVETo clarity the original plants and the main application varieties of White Flos Gentianae.

METHODHerbal textual research, wild specimen collection, investigation and collection of the samples from Tibetan hospital, Tibetan pharmaceutical factory and medical material market were carried out simultaneously to identify the original plants of White Flos Gentianae.

RESULTThe results of varieties textual research and specimen identification showed that Gentiana szechenyii, G. purdomii and G. algida were in accord with the record of Tibetan herbal textual The three species above were the original plants of White Flos Gentianae. The identification of 20 batches samples showed that G. szechenyii was the main application variety. The other varieties were only used in Tibetan hospitals. All the samples above were flowering branches.

CONCLUSIONIt was necessary to strengthen the research on variety systematization of White Flos Gentianae make a further discussion on the taxonomy position of G. purdomii, G. algida and the white flos population. Its was also nessary to establish and improve the quality standard of different variety based on the principle of "one species, one name". The quality specification of White Flos Gentianae should be established and improved to standard clinical utilization and produce feeding. More study of resources investigation and cultivation of G. szechenyii should be carried on to meet the demand of produce and clinic.

China ; Drug Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; therapeutic use ; Flowers ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Gentiana ; anatomy & histology ; chemistry ; classification ; growth & development ; History, Ancient ; Humans ; Medicine in Literature ; Medicine, Tibetan Traditional ; history ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; classification ; growth & development

With the deployment of electronic medical records systems, more and more routine clinical data are recorded electronically, which become a potential data source for new drug clinical trials. In this paper, we summarized the opportunities, challenges, obstacles and the latest development in this field.
Clinical Trials as Topic ; Data Collection ; methods ; Drug Evaluation ; Electronic Health Records

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect and safety of L-carnitine in the treatment of idiopathic oligoasthenozoospermia based on current clinical evidence.

METHODSWe searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CNKI, VIP, CBM and Wanfang Database from the establishment to April 2014 for the published literature on the treatment of idiopathic oligoasthenozoospermia with L-carnitine. We conducted literature screening, data extraction, and assessment of the methodological quality of the included trials according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, followed by statistical analysis with the RevMan 5. 2 software.

RESULTSSeven randomized controlled trials involving 751 patients with idiopathic oligoasthenozoospermia met the inclusion criteria, and 678 of them were included in the meta-analysis. L-carnitine treatment achieved a significantly increased rate of spontaneous pregnancy as compared with the control group (RR = 3.2, 95% CI 1.74 to 5.87, P = 0.0002). After 12-16 and 24-26 weeks of medication, total sperm motility (WMD = 5.21, 95% CI 2.78 to 7.64, P < 0.0001 and WMD = 9.29, 95% CI 1.28 to 17.29, P = 0.02) and the percentage of progressively motile sperm (WMD = 12.44, 95% CI 4.58 to 20.31, P = 0.002 and WMD = 9.76, 95% CI 3.56 to 15.97, P = 0.002) were remarkably higher than those in the control group, but no statistically significant differences were observed in sperm concentration between the two groups (WMD = 4.91, 95% CI -2.63 to 12.45, P = 0.2 and WMD = 0.93, 95% CI -3.48 to 5.34, P = 0.68). After 12-16 weeks of treatment, the percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm was markedly decreased in the L-carnitine group as compared with the control (WMD = -2.48, 95% CI -4.35 to -0.61, P = 0.009), but showed no significant difference from the latter group after 24-26 weeks (WMD = -4.38, 95% CI -9.66 to 0.89, P = 0.1). No statistically significant difference was found in the semen volume between the two groups after 12-16 or 24-26 weeks of medication (WMD = -0.13, 95% CI -0.43 to 0.18, P = 0.42 and WMD = 0.28, 95% CI -0.02 to 0.58, P = 0.07). No serious L-carnitine-related adverse events were reported in 4 of the randomniized controlled trials.

CONCLUSIONThe current evidence indicates that L-carnitine can improve spontaneous pregnancy and semen parameters in the treatment of idiopathic oligoasthenozoospermia, with no serious adverse reactions.

Asthenozoospermia ; drug therapy ; Carnitine ; adverse effects ; pharmacology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Semen Analysis ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility

Antigens, CD20 ; metabolism ; CD5 Antigens ; metabolism ; Colonic Neoplasms ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Cyclin D1 ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Ileal Diseases ; complications ; pathology ; surgery ; Ileocecal Valve ; Intestinal Neoplasms ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Intestinal Polyps ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Intussusception ; complications ; pathology ; surgery ; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Middle Aged

Adenocarcinoma ; metabolism ; secondary ; Adult ; Aged ; CDX2 Transcription Factor ; Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Colonic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Mucinous ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous ; metabolism ; pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Homeodomain Proteins ; metabolism ; Humans ; Keratin-20 ; metabolism ; Keratin-7 ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; secondary ; Trans-Activators ; metabolism ; Young Adult

The NPRI (nonexpressor of pathogenesis-related genes (1) gene, firstly cloned in Arabidopsis thaliana, is a key gene involved in regulation of plant disease resistance. It plays a pivotal role not only in systemic acquired resistance (SAR) and induced systemic resistance (ISR), but also in basic resistance and resistance (R) gene-dependent resistance. NPR1 monomerization induced by enhanced reducing condition after oxidative burst, and the accumulation of NPR1 monomers in the nuclei, are required and enough for expression of PR (pathogenesis-related) genes and SAR. NPR1 regulates PR gene expression through interaction with TGA transcription factors (TF). As a cross-talk point of a variety of defense signaling pathways, probably through direct or indirect interacting with some WRKY TFs and a NPR1-like protein NPR4, NPR1 is essential in balancing salicylic acid- and jasmonic acid- dependent signal transduction pathways, which is achieved through an unknown mechanism in the cytosol. The possible application of NPR1 in plant protection is also discussed in this review.
Arabidopsis Proteins ; genetics ; Cyclopentanes ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; genetics ; Oxylipins ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Plant Diseases ; genetics ; Plants, Genetically Modified ; Salicylic Acid ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Signal Transduction

Objective:To observe the effects of warming triple needling plus Chinese medication on inflammatory responses and daily functioning ability in patients with knee osteoarthritis(KOA)due to wind-cold-dampness Bi-impediment. Methods:A total of 101 patients with KOA due to wind-cold-dampness Bi-impediment were divided into an acupuncture-medication group and a Chinese medication group using the random number table method.Fifty cases in the Chinese medication group took oral Fang Feng Xi Bi Tang for treatment,and 51 cases in the acupuncture-medication group received additional warming triple needling therapy.The symptom score of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),inflammatory factor levels,and motor function of the knee joint were compared before and after treatment.The clinical efficacy was also compared between the two groups after treatment. Results:Three cases in the acupuncture-medication group and 2 cases in the Chinese medication group dropped out during the study,and the two groups each had 48 cases being included in statistical analysis ultimately.The total effective rate was 95.8%in the acupuncture-medication group,higher than 79.2%in the Chinese medication group,and the between-group difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).After treatment,the TCM symptom score dropped in both groups(P<0.05)and was lower in the acupuncture-medication group than in the Chinese medication group(P<0.05).The levels of interleukin(IL)-6,tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α,and IL-1β dropped after the intervention in both groups(P<0.05)and were lower in the acupuncture-medication group than in the Chinese medication group(P<0.05).The scores of knee pain intensity,knee joint stiffness,and diurnal functioning decreased after treatment in the two groups(P<0.05)and were lower in the acupuncture-medication group than in the Chinese medication group(P<0.05). Conclusion:Warming triple needling plus Fang Feng Xi Bi Tang can reduce inflammatory responses,improve daily functioning ability,and enhance the quality of life in patients with KOA due to wind-cold-dampness Bi-impediment.