Objective To investigate the value of combined therapy for hand post-burn scars.Methods We retrospectively analyzed 78 hands post-burn scars in 46 cases from 2007 to 2011.A mong them,scar contracture releasing,scar excision,free skin grafting and fixation with Kirschner's pins were performed in 38 hands,scar excision and regional flat transfer were performed in 18 hands,scar excision and skin grafting were performed in 18 hands,abdominal expanded flap transplantation and scar excision were performed in 4 hands.All patients received elastic sleeve pressure therapy,sili cone gel for external application and function training.Within six months after the operation,52 hands received drug delivery by wax therapy,16 hands incision with scar proliferation received drug injection into scar.We followed up all patients from half a year to three years after the treatment to observe the recovery of the appearance and function of the hands.Results We mainly chose surgery,elastic sleeve pressure therapy,silicone gel for external application,drug injection into scar,wax therapy,function training and so on treating the hand post-burn scars and found that the joins deformities caused by scar contracture were largely or totally corrected.The function and appearance were satisfying.Conclusions It is a good method to treat hand scars by surgery and post-surgery combined physical rehabilitation therapy,which deserves to popularization.

Objective To monitor ventilator-associated event (VAE) for the first time in an intensive care unit (ICU) in China,understand the applicability,incidence,and clinical significance of VAE in China.Methods Targeted monitoring on VAE was performed among patients ≥18 years and with mechanical ventilation (MV)＞2 days in the ICU of a hospital between January 2014 and September 2015,incidence of VAE was calculated,and patients were grouped according to whether or not they had VAE,prognostic factors were analyzed statistically.Results A total of 1 004 patients were monitored,the total hospital stay was 13 795 days in patients who used ventilator,307 (30.58％) cases of VAE occurred,incidence of VAE per 1 000 ventilator-days was 22.25.Univariate analysis showed that patients with VAE had longer length of ICU stay and MV,and higher mortality rate than patients without VAE when they moved out of ICU (all P＜0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that VAE was independent risk factor for length of ICU stay,duration of MV,as well as mortality when patients moved out of ICU(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Judgment of VAE is based on MV parameters,it is more objective and accurate.There is a high incidence of VAE among ICU patients,it may lead to poor clinical outcomes,and has good values for the targeted monitoring on ICU patients in large comprehensive hospitals of China.

OBJECTIVETo explore the role of NF-E2-related factor 2(Nrf2) and its related factors in the progression of nonalcoholi steatohepatitis (NASH) by investigating the alterations of lipid metabolism and liver histopathology as well as the changes of mRNA and protein expression levels of Nrf2 and its related factors in rats during NASH progression.

METHODSMale SD rats were randomly divided into normal group and model group, which were administrated with high fat diet to establish nonalcoholic steatohepatitis model. The rats from both groups were randomly killed at the end of 4, 12 weeks respectively. The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were detected in the serum and liver tissue; Changes in fat deposition in liver tissue were determined by oil red O staining. HE staining were used to observe the pathological changes of liver tissue and to calculate nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) activity score (hepatic steatosis, inflammation and ballooning degeneration of liver cells). The expression of Nrf2 in liver was detected by immunohistochemical staining. The mRNA and protein levels of Nrf2 and related factors in liver were determined by Realtime PCR and Western blot, respectively.

RESULTSAfter 4 weeks of high fat diet, the levels of ALT, AST, TC in rat serum and TC, TG, LDL-C in liver were significantly increased compared with that of the normal group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). After 4 weeks of high fat diet, the levels of ALT, AST, TC, TG in serum and TC, TG, LDL- C in liver increased further (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Until the 12th week, the content of HDL-C in liver was significantly lower than that of the normal group (P < 0.05). At the end of the 4th or the 12th week, lipid droplets in the model rat liver cells were heavily dyed red and hepatic steatosis increased severely, with ballooning degeneration of liver cells. With the extension of high fat diet feeding time, fat deposition in the liver tissue, hepatic steatosis, NAFLD score, Nrl2 expression were significantly increased (P < 0.01). Expression levels of mRNA and protein of Nrf2, heme oxyenase 1(HO1), NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO1), γ-glutamylcysteine synthethase (γ-GCS), glutathione S-transferase (GST) in the model rats increased or decreased at the end of the 4th or the 12th week differentially, (P < 0.01, P < 0.05) with the more significant changes at the end of the 4th week than the 12th week.

CONCLUSIONNrf2 and its related factors may be involved in the occurrence and development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which may play an important role in the process of NASH formation.

Alanine Transaminase ; metabolism ; Animals ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; metabolism ; Cholesterol ; metabolism ; Diet, High-Fat ; Dipeptides ; metabolism ; Disease Progression ; Glutathione Transferase ; metabolism ; Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) ; metabolism ; Lipid Metabolism ; Liver ; pathology ; Male ; NAD(P)H Dehydrogenase (Quinone) ; metabolism ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2 ; metabolism ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Triglycerides ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study whether intraspinally transplanted human cord blood CD34+ cells can survive, differentiate, and improve neurological functional recovery after spinal cord injury in rats.

METHODSRats were randomly divided into two groups. One group of rats was subjected to spinal cord left-hemisection and transplanted with human cord blood CD34+ cells labeled by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU); The other group was carried by left-hemisection with injection of PBS (control group). The neurological function was determined before and 24 h, 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks after spinal cord injury and cell transplantation using the modified Tarlov score. The distribution and differentiation of transplanted human cord blood cells in vivo in rat spinal cord were evaluated by histological and immnuhistochemical analysis.

RESULTSFunctional recovery determined by modified Tarlov score was significantly improved in the group receiving human cord blood CD34+ cells compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, human cord blood CD34+ cells were found to survive in rat spinal cord microenvironment, with the expression of the neural nuclear specific protein (NeuN) in 2% BrdU-reactive human cells and of the astrocytic specific protein glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in 7% BrdU-reactive human cells.

CONCLUSIONSIntraspinally administered human cord blood CD34+ cells can survive, differentiate, and improve functional recovery after spinal cord injury in rats. Transplantation of human cord blood cells may provide a novel strategy for the treatment of neural injury.

4-Hydroxycoumarins ; Animals ; Antigens, CD34 ; metabolism ; Female ; Fetal Blood ; cytology ; Humans ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Recovery of Function ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; surgery ; Stem Cell Transplantation

OBJECTIVETo assess the association between 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in exonic regions of matrix metalloproteinase-10 (MMP-10) gene and instability of carotid plaques in a Han Chinese population.

METHODSFive hundred and eighty-five patients were divided into carotid vulnerable plaque group (n=206) and stable plaque group (n=379) based on results of carotid B-mode ultrasonography. The SNPs were genotyped by real-time polymerase chain reaction using an ABI 7300 TaqMan platform.

RESULTSThe distribution of rs17435959 between the two groups was significantly different at both genotypic (GC+CC vs. GG, P=0.006, OR=2.012) and allelic levels (C vs. G, P=0.001,OR=2.160). Above differences have remained significant with binary logistic regression analysis (P=0.007, OR=2.022; P=0.002, OR=2.104). The minor allele frequency of rs17293607 was 0.56%.

CONCLUSIONAbove findings suggested that rs17435959 of the MMP-10 gene is associated with carotid vulnerable plaque in ethnic Chinese Hans. The C allele may be a susceptible predictor for carotid vulnerable plaque.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 10 ; genetics ; Middle Aged ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; enzymology ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation of microRNA-155 (miR-155) expression with clinicopathological features of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and explore the value of miR-155 in prognostic assessment of PTC.

METHODSWe collected 86 pairs of fresh PTC and adjacent tissues to examine the expression of miR-155 using fluorescent quantitative PCR. miR-155 expressions in the tissues were analyzed in relation to the clinicopathological features of the patients.

RESULTSCompared with the paired adjacent tissues, 69.8% (60/86) of the PTC tissues showed up-regulated miR-155 expression by 2.63∓2.73 folds. Up-regulated miR-155 expressions were associated with a larger tumor size (1.66∓0.96 vs 1.19∓0.52 cm, P=0.021), a higher likeliness of extrathyroid invasion (56.7% vs 23.1%, P=0.004), a higher rate of lymph node metastasis (70% vs 46.2%, P=0.036), a more advanced TNM stage, and a higher rate of III-IV stage of the tumor (20% vs 0%, P=0.014). The expression level of miR-155 in PTC tissues was positively correlated with lymph node metastasis (r=0.531, P=0.001).

CONCLUSIONPTC patients with miR-155 over-expression tend to have a greater tumor size, a greater likeliness of extrathyroid involvement, a higher rate of cervical lymph node metastasis and a more advanced TNM stage. The high expression of miR-155 in the tumor may indicate a poor prognosis of PTC patients.

Carcinoma, Papillary ; genetics ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; MicroRNAs ; genetics ; Neck ; Prognosis ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; genetics ; Up-Regulation

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and safety of olmesartan medoxomil compared with losartan potassium in patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension.

METHODThis is a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, active-controlled, parallel, multi-center study. After a 2-week placebo run-in period, a total of 287 eligible subjects were randomized at 1:1 ratio to receive olmesartan medoxomil 20 mg or losartan potassium 50 mg, once daily for 8 weeks. The blood pressure was assessed after 4 weeks treatment. If the subject's seating diastolic blood pressure (SeDBP) was still >or=90 mm Hg, the dosage was doubled for another 4 weeks; for those subjects whose SeDBP was <90 mm Hg after 4-week treatment, the initial dosage remained unchanged and the treatment continued until completion of the study.

RESULTS(1) The mean trough reduction in SeDBP from baseline in olmesartan group was significantly greater than that in losartan group after 4 weeks (11.72 mm Hg vs 9.23 mm Hg, P=0.004) and 8 weeks treatment (12.94 mm Hg vs 11.01 mm Hg, P=0.035). (2) The number and percentage of responders in olmesartan group (81, 65.3%) were statistically higher than those (68, 52.7%) in losartan group (P=0.028) after 4 weeks treatment and were similar between the two groups after 8 weeks treatment (P>0.05). (3) Individual and overall trough/peak ratios of DBP and SBP in 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring were higher in olmesartan group than losartan group. The hypotensive effect of olmesartan was more durable than losartan at 24 hour interval. (4) The incidence of study drug-related adverse events (AEs) in olmesartan group (10.5%) was similar as that in losartan group (13.9%, P>0.05). Most of these AEs were mild and transient.

CONCLUSIONThis study shows that olmesartan medoxomil, at oral dose of 20 mg-40 mg once daily was effective and safe for hypertension treatment and the hypotensive effect was superior to losartan potassium (50 mg-100 mg once daily).

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antihypertensive Agents ; administration & dosage ; China ; Double-Blind Method ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Imidazoles ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Losartan ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Olmesartan Medoxomil ; Tetrazoles ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use

Objective: To observe the short-term and long-term clinical effect of modified Wufu Maxin Guijiang decoction treatment to chronic nonspecific low back pain (NLBP) with syndrome of cold dampness and stasis, and to investigate the mechanism of anti-inflammatory and analgesia. Method: One hundred and nineteen eligible patients were randomly divided into control group (59 cases) and observation group (60 cases) by random number table. Patients in control group got acupuncture treatment and pilates. Based on the treatment in control group, patients in observation received additional modified Wufu Maxin Guijiang decoction, 1 dose/day. The course of treatment was 6 weeks in both groups. Before and after treatment, scores of short-form McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ), Oswestry disability index (ODI), Japanese orthopaedic association (JOA) and syndrome of cold dampness were graded. After treatment, the patients made self efficacy assessment. Levels of thromboxane 2 (TXB₂), 6-Keto-PGF_la, tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and interleukins-1β(IL-1β) were detected both before and after treatment. Result: After treatment, the rank sum test showed that the clinical efficacy in observation group was better than that in control group (Z=2.226, P<0.05), and the self efficacy assessment showed the efficacy in observation group was also better than that in control group(Z=2.104, P<0.05). Scores of SF-MPQ, PRI, VAS, PPI, ODI and syndrome of cold dampness and stasis in observation group were all lower than those in control group (P<0.01), and score of JOA was higher than that in control group (P<0.01). Levels of TXB₂, TNF-α and IL-1β and TXB₂/6-Keto-PGF_la were lower than those in control group (P<0.01), and the level of 6-Keto-PGF_la was higher than that in control group (P<0.01). Conclusion: Based on the acupuncture treatment and pilates, modified Wufu Maxin Guijiang decoction in the treatment of chronic NLBP can ameliorate symptoms of pain, promote the recovery of function, and enhance activity of daily living in a short term, reduce the recurrence and stabilize the disease condition in a long term, with certain effects of anti-inflammatory and analgesia.

The general secretory (Sec) pathway represents a common mechanism by which bacteria secrete proteins, including virulence factors, into the extracytoplasmic milieu. However, there is little information about this system, as well as its associated secretory proteins, in relation to the fire blight pathogen Erwinia amylovora. In this study, data mining revealed that E. amylovora harbors all of the essential components of the Sec system. Based on this information, we identified putative Sec-dependent secretory proteases in E. amylovora on a genome-wide scale. Using the programs SignalP, LipoP, and Phobius, a total of 15 putative proteases were predicted to contain the N-terminal signal peptides (SPs) that might link them to the Sec-dependent pathway. The activities of the predicted SPs were further validated using an Escherichia coli-based alkaline phosphatase (PhoA) gene fusion system that confirmed their extracytoplasmic property. Transcriptional analyses showed that the expression of 11 of the 15 extracytoplasmic protease genes increased significantly when E. amylovora was used to inoculate immature pears, suggesting their potential roles in plant infection. The results of this study support the suggestion that E. amylovora might employ the Sec system to secrete a suite of proteases to enable successful infection of plants, and shed new light on the interaction of E. amylovora with host plants.
Erwinia amylovora/metabolism* ; Escherichia coli/genetics* ; Peptide Hydrolases/genetics* ; Plant Diseases/microbiology* ; Pyrus/microbiology*

Tanshinones are the bioactive components of the Chinese medicinal herb Salvia miltiorrhiza, while its biosynthetic pathway remains to be characterized. Rapid identification and characterization of the genes correlated to tanshinones biosynthesis is very important. As one of the intermediates of tanshinones biosynthesis, the ferruginol content is relative low in both root and engineered bacteria. It is urgent to construct an efficient system for conversion of miltiradiene to ferruginol to obtain large amount of ferruginol as the substrates for further identifying other downstream genes involved in tanshinones biosynthesis. In this study, we constructed the whole-cell yeast biocatalysts co-expressing miltiradiene oxidase CYP76AH1 and cytochrome P450 reductases (SmCPR1) from Salvia miltiorrhiza, and then characterized it with RT-PCR. After permeabilization, the yeast whole-cell could catalyze turnover of miltiradiene to ferruginol efficiently through single-step biotransformation with a conversion efficiency up to 69.9%. The yeast whole-cell biocatalyst described here not only provide an efficient platform for producing ferruginol in recombinant yeast but also an alternative strategy for identifying other CYP genes involved in tanshinones biosynthesis.
Biosynthetic Pathways ; Biotransformation ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System ; genetics ; metabolism ; Diterpenes ; metabolism ; Diterpenes, Abietane ; biosynthesis ; chemistry ; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel ; Gene Amplification ; NADPH-Ferrihemoprotein Reductase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Open Reading Frames ; Plasmids ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae ; genetics ; metabolism ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry