Adolescent ; Adult ; Cross Infection ; microbiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Middle Aged ; Organophosphate Poisoning ; Pesticides ; poisoning ; Pneumonia ; microbiology ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; chemically induced ; therapy

Objective To assesse the quality of life of patients after cardiac pacemaker implantation using the Chinese version of SF-36.Methods Ninety-eight patients with permanent cardiac pacemaker implantation were investigated before and after the operation in terms of quality of life by using the Chinese version SF-36.Results Successful surgery was performed on all the 98 patients.The previous symptoms of the patients were improved to vari- ous extend after the operation.The quality of life of the patients was significantly improved after operation as demon- strated by the significant difference of the scores in 9 domains of SF-36 when compared with those before the operation (P

Objective To study effect of excessive iodine intake on sodium-iodide symporter(NIS)mRNA and protein expression of breast in lactating rats.Methods60 Wistar rats,having been weaned for one month,were randomly divided into three groups according to their body weights,I.e,①normal iodine(NI,30 rats);②ten fold high iodine(10 HI,15 rats);③one hundred fold high iodine(100 HI,15 rats).Eating food containing iodine of 300μg/L and drinking water of iodine at 5,1845,20 295μg/L,respectively.After fed for 3 months,the rats mated and had offspring,and urine and milk iodine of lactating rats were determined by As-Ce-catalytic spectrophotometric method.Their marmnary glands were sampled at lactation day 10.Then NIS mRNA expression by RT-PCR was determined and NIS protein by immunohistochemistry(SABC)was observed.Results The urine iodine of 10 HI group(3597.5μg/L)and 100HI group(25 404.3μg/L)increased obviously compared with that of NI group(344.7μg/L).The milk iodine of 10HI group(27.1×103μg/L)and 100HI group(191.0×1μg/L)was higher than that of NI group(6.0×103μg/L),but the increased fold of milk iodine was not paralleled with that of urine iodine.Difference of NIS mRNA expression was significant(F=24.19,P＜0.01)among the groups,and the NIS mRNA expression in 10HI(1.250±0.034)and 100HI(1.272±0.039)group were less than that in NI (1.532±0.044)group(P＜0.01).The breast NIS mRNA expression in lactating rats(1.532±0.044)was significantly higher than that in unlactating rats(0.879±0.018,P＜0.01).With the increasing iodine uptake,NIS protein expression decreased.Conclusions The NIS mRNA and protein in rat breasts is down-regulated by excessive iodine intake.So increasing extent of milk iodine concentration is inhibited,which is important to prevent off-spring from getting excessive iodine intake from parental generation.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the interference effect of nicotinamide on UVA-induced cell proliferation in human skin melanocyte.

METHODSTo apply the optimum UVA dose expected to cause cell proliferation: 0.2 cm2, nicotinamide was added after the 0.2 cm2 UVA exposure immediately or 48 h later, then the rate of cell proliferation, calcium concentration and the activities of Na+-K+, Ca2+-ATP enzymes of melanocytes were measured respectively.

RESULTSAfter treatment with 1.000 mg/ml nicotinamide following UVA exposure, the rate of cell proliferation was decreased significantly 24 hours later. Treatment with 0.125 mg/ml nicotinamide 48 hours after UVA exposure also significantly inhibited the cell proliferation; 1.25 mg/ml nicotinamide increased calcium concentration in cells; 0.250 mg/ml nicotinamide increased the activities of Na+-K+, Ca2+-ATP enzymes in melanocytes (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONNicotinamide has more obvious effect on inhibiting melanocyte's proliferation if added immediately following UVA exposure. Our discovery indicated that nicotinamide may affect the melanocyte through modulating the calcium concentration. It is possible to consider nicotinamide as an efficient and safe sun screen to provide a certain level of protection for UVA exposed skin.

Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Humans ; Melanocytes ; cytology ; Niacinamide ; pharmacology ; Skin ; cytology ; Ultraviolet Rays

OBJECTIVETo establish a method suitable to determine the purgative biopotency of rhubarb and construct a new quality evaluation pattern of rhubarb.

METHODA series of factors such as observation index (mass of feces in 10 hours), animal strain (ICR mice), sex (male) and the dose of diphenoxylate complex (50 mg x kg(-1)) was investigated and fixed. The purgative biopotency as well as anthraquinone determination was used to evaluate the quality of different rhubarb samples.

RESULTThere wasn't a good linear relationship between the purgative biopotency and content of anthraquinone. The quality difference of rhubarb samples could be well characterized by combination of purgative biopotency determination and anthraquinone determination.

CONCLUSIONThe purgative biopotency determination can be used in quality control and evaluation of rhubarb.

Animals ; Anthraquinones ; analysis ; Biological Assay ; Cathartics ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Female ; Linear Models ; Male ; Mice ; Quality Control ; Reproducibility of Results ; Rheum ; chemistry ; Sex Factors ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo study the influence of Chinese herbs for inner-warming on the bioavailability of paeoniflorin (PF) and its mechanism.

METHODSChinese herbs (pepper fruit, evodia fruit, cassia bark, fennel fruit and prickly-ash peel) were separately used in combination with PF for gastrogavage to mice. Reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography was used to determine the plasma concentration of PF in mice after medication. The bioavailability of PF was calculated and compared, taking single use of red peony root for control.

RESULTSThe pharmacokinetics of PF in mice was conformed to the one-compartment model, as combined use with Chinese herbs for inner-warming, the relative bioavailability of PF was 137.22% for pepper fruit, 123.62% for evodia fruit, 108.39% for cassia bark, 226.02% for fennel fruit and 116.73% for prickly-ash peel, there were difference of Cmax and AUC(0-infinity) in comparison of these data with the control group (P < 0.05), but with no difference of tmax (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe Chinese herbs used in this experiment in combination with red peony root could enhance the bioavailability of PF, which illustrated the scientific meaning of the recipe combination of Chinese herbs for activating blood circulation and inner-warming viewing from pharmacodynamics.

Animals ; Benzoates ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Biological Availability ; Bridged-Ring Compounds ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Cassia ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drug Synergism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Evodia ; chemistry ; Female ; Glucosides ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Mice ; Monoterpenes ; Paeonia ; chemistry ; Phytotherapy ; Random Allocation

BACKGROUNDAcinetobacter baumannii has emerged as an important pathogen related to serious infections and nosocomial outbreaks around the world. However, of the frequently used methods, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) in Acinetobacter baumannii genotyping lack the direct molecular proof of drug resistance. This study was conducted to establish a typing method based on drug resistant gene identification in contrast to traditional PFGE and AFLP in the period of nosocomial epidemic or outbreak.

METHODSFrom January 2005 to October 2005, twenty-seven strains of Acinetobacter species from Intensive Care Units, the Second Affiliated Hospital in Ningbo were isolated, including both epidemic and sporadic events. Susceptibility test, PFGE, AFLP and drug resistance gene typing (DRGT) were carried out to confirm the drug resistance and analyze the genotyping, respectively. PFGE was used as a reference to evaluate the typeability of DRGT and AFLP.

RESULTSTwenty-seven strains of Acinetobacter displayed multiple antibiotic resistance and drug resistant genes, and beta-lactamase genes were detected in 85.2% strains. The result of DRGT was comparable to PFGE in Acinetobacter strains with different drug resistance though a little difference existed, and even suggested a molecular evolution course of different drug-resistant strains. AFLP showed great polymorphism between strains and had weak ability in distinguishing the drug resistance.

CONCLUSIONCompared to AFLP and PFGE, DRGT is useful to analyze localized molecular epidemiology of nosocomial infections and outbreaks, which would benefit clinical diagnosis and therapy.

Acinetobacter Infections ; microbiology ; Acinetobacter baumannii ; classification ; drug effects ; genetics ; Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial ; genetics ; physiology ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Genotype ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVEDuodenogastric reflux (DGR) is a reverse flow of duodenal juice into stomach through pylorus composed of bile acid, pancreatic secretion, and intestinal secretion. The increased entero-gastric reflux results in mucosal injury that may relate not only to reflux gastritis but also esophagitis, gastric ulcers, carcinoma of stomach and esophagus. However, the exact mechanisms of gastric mucosal damage caused by DGR are still unknown. The objective of the present study is to investigate the pathogenic effect of primary DGR on gastric mucosa in children, and to explore the correlation of DGR with clinical symptoms, Hp infection and intragastric acidity.

METHODTotally 81 patients with upper gastrointestinal manifestations were enrolled and they were graded according to the symptom scores and underwent endoscopic, histological examinations and 24-hour intra-gastric bilirubin was monitored with Bilitec 2000. Of the 81 cases, 51 underwent the 24-hour intra-gastric pH monitoring by ambulatory pH recorder simultaneously. The total fraction time of bile reflux was considered as a marker to evaluate the severity of DGR. The total fraction time of bile reflux was compared between the patients with positive and negative results under endoscopy and histologically, respectively. The correlations of the total fraction time of bile reflux with clinical symptom score, Hp infection, intragastric acidity were analyzed respectively.

RESULTThe total fraction time of bile reflux in the patients with hyperemia and yellow stain gastric antral mucosa under endoscopy was significantly higher than that without those changes [17.1% (0.5% approximately 53.2%) vs. 6.5% (0 approximately 58.6%), Z = -1.980, P < 0.05; 19.8% (0.5% approximately 58.6%) vs. 8.8% (0 approximately 38.0%), Z = -2.956, P < 0.01 respectively]. Histologically, the cases with intestinal metaplasia had significantly higher total fraction time of bile reflux than in the cases without intestinal metaplasia [29.0% (1.9% approximately 58.6%) vs. 14.3% (0 approximately 53.7%), Z = -2.026, P < 0.05], but no significant difference was found either between the cases with and without chronic inflammation (P > 0.05) or between the cases with and without active inflammation (P > 0.05). The severity of bile reflux was positively correlated with the score of abdominal distention (r = 0.258, P < 0.05), but no correlation with either the severity of intragastric acid (r = -0.124, P > 0.05), or Hp infection (r = 0.016, P > 0.05) was found.

CONCLUSIONPrimary DGR could cause gastric mucosal lesions manifested mainly as hyperemia and bile-stained gastric antral mucosa under endoscopy and the gastric antral intestinal metaplasia histologically in children. There was no significant correlation between DGR and gastric mucosal inflammatory infiltration. DGR had no relevance to Hp infection and intragastric acidity. We conclude that DGR is probably an independent etiological factor and might play a synergistic role in the pathogenesis of gastric mucosal lesions along with gastric acid and Hp infection.

Adolescent ; Bile Reflux ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Duodenogastric Reflux ; microbiology ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Female ; Gastric Mucosa ; microbiology ; pathology ; Helicobacter Infections ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Male

Objective Take alkaline ashing method as golden standard to explore the accuracy of chloric acid digestion method in determination of human milk iodine. Methods Sixty one breast milk samples collected in Hexi district of Tianjin was measured by the method for determination of iodine in foodstuff by As3+-Ce4+ catalytic spectrophotometry (referred to as the alkaline ashing method) published in 2008 and the method for determination of iodine in urine by As3+-Ce4+ catalytic spectrophotometry(referred to as acid digestion) published in 1999, respectively. were highly correlated(r = 0.960, t = 26.3, P < 0.01), and the regression equation was (Y) = - 28.1 + 0.808X, in which X was independent variable, that is the results of alkaline ashing method; (Y) was dependent variable, that is the estimated data of chloric acid digestion method. The average difference of the results measured by the two methods was 68.3 μg/L, and the results from chloric acid digestion was 38.9% which lower than that of alkaline samples were diluted by 3,4 and 5-fold and then digested by chloric acid, the liquid clarification rates were 80.3% ashing and chloric acid digestion method were, respectively, 165.4, 110.0 μg/L. Conclusions Compared with alkaline ashing method, the results determined by chloric acid digestion method are significantly lower. It is suggested that there are systemic errors in chloric acid digestion method, which means that alkaline ashing method can not be replaced by the chloric acid digestion method.

OBJECTIVETo study the phamacokinetics and relative bioavailability of combination Radix Angelicae Sinensis and Cortex Cinnamomi.

METHODThe content of ferulic acid in plasma was determined directly by HPLC after oral administration of Cortex Cinnamomi in combination individually with Radix Angelicae Sinensis. The plasma concentration-time curve were plotted. The main pharmacokinetic parameters and relative bioavailability were obtained.

RESULTThe plasma concentration-time curve of fenalic aclid conformed to one-compartment model. The relative bioavailability of Cortex Cinnamomi combined with Radix Angelicae Sinensis were 226.75%.

CONCLUSIONBy the statistical analysis, Cortex Cinnamomi combined with Radix Angelicae Sinensis can increase the relative bioavailability of ferulic acid.

Angelica sinensis ; chemistry ; Animals ; Biological Availability ; Cinnamomum aromaticum ; chemistry ; Coumaric Acids ; blood ; pharmacokinetics ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacokinetics ; Female ; Male ; Mice ; Plant Bark ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry