OBJECTIVETo sum up the experience in diagnosis and treatment of Fournier's gangrene and find an optimal evaluation tool for its prognosis by comparing currently used prognostic scoring systems.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed 16 cases of Fournier's gangrene diagnosed and surgically treated in our hospital between 2004 and 2012. Using Fournier's Gangrene Severity Index (FGSI), Uludag Fournier's Gangrene Severity Index (UFGSI), Age-Adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index (ACCI), and Surgical Apgar Score (sAPGAR) , we obtained the prognostic scores of the patients and made comparisons among different scoring systems.

RESULTSFGSI, UFGSI, ACCI, and sAPGAR were all clinically used scoring systems. Statistically significant differences were found in the scores of ACCI and UFGSI but not in those of FGSI and sAPGAR between the death and survival groups, with the maximum area under the ROC curve and minimum standard error for the ACCI score.

CONCLUSIONBoth ACCI and UFGSI are useful for evaluating the prognosis of Fournier's gangrene. However, ACCI is even better for its higher sensitivity and specificity and easier clinical collection.

Age Factors ; Aged ; Fournier Gangrene ; diagnosis ; mortality ; surgery ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Severity of Illness Index

Objective To explore the factor structure of the anxiety imagery characteristics questionnaire.Methods Through the literature review and expert group discussion,the initial anxiety imagery features questionnaire was created.The first questionnaire contained 49 items of anxiety imagery,which was answered by 106 imagery dialogue psychotherapists.After analysis of the items and exploratory factors,the formal questionnaire that contained 20 items of anxiety imagery characteristics was formed.The formal questionnaire was measured by 115 imagery dialogue psychotherapists,then,exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were made.Results The exploratory factor analysis showed that four factors whose Eigen value were more than 1 were extracted from l0 items,including emotional panic,uneasy,tense muscles,and motor restlessness.Those four factors explained 54.39％ of the total variance.Confirmatory analysis showed that x2/df was 2.142 ; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) was 0.059 ; and comparative fit index (CFI),goodness-of-fit index (GFI),non-normed fit index (NNFI) and RSMEA was 0.912,0.935,0.896,and 0.057,respectively.Conclusions The four-factor structure was constructed by 10 items of anxiety imagery characteristics questionnaire.

Objective To establish a method for rapidly detecting the G-protein ?3 subunit (GNB3) 825 site single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and to analyse the relationship between GNB3 825 site gene SNP and obesity. Methods The real-time fluorescent PCR was employed to analyse the GNB3 825 site gene SNP of 420 samples from 21 provinces and the the frequencies of genotypes were compared with those detected by gene sequencing. GNB3 825 site genotype, body weight, body mass index (BMI) and fat content were examined from 207 subjects and the correlation between GNB3 825 site gene SNP and obesity was analysed. Results The result by real-time fluorescent PCR showed that the frequencies of 825T and 825C haploid were 46.90% and 53.10%, respectively, and the frequencies of 825TT, 825TC and 825CC genotype were 22.38%, 51.42% and 28.10%, respectively, with no other genotype detected, which was consistent with the result by gene sequencing. BMI and fat content were significantly higher in subjects with GNB3 825TT than in subjects with other genotypes. Body weight was much higher in subjects with GNB3 825TT genotype than in subjects with 825CC genotype, but not significantly different with 825CT genotype. Conclusion A new rapid method for the detection of GNB3 825 site SNP has been successfully established. There existed significant correlation between GNB3 825TT genotype and obesity.

Animals ; Calcitriol ; pharmacology ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; complications ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; complications ; Liver ; drug effects ; Liver Diseases ; complications ; drug therapy ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective To explore the relationship between age and refractive predictability of excimer laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK)for the correction of myopia.Design Retrospective case series.Participants 362 patients(703 eyes)who had performed LASIK.Methods According to the age,patients were divided into four groups(≤30y,31～34y,35～39y and≥40y).Their preoperative and postoperative refractive powers examined with automatic refactor as well as manifest optometry were analysed and followed up from 6 months to 2 years.According to pre-operative refractive power,patietns were divided into low and moderate myopia group(≤-6.00D), high myopia group(-6.25～-12.00D)and super-high myopia group(≥-12.25D).The eyes with refractive power at post-operative 2 years≥-1.00D were regressive eyes.Main Outcome Measures Refractive error before surgery,intended residual refractive power and 3,6, 12, 24 months post-operative refractive powers.Results There were no significant differences between intended residual refractive powers and refractive powers at post-operative 6 month in 3 groups(

Objective To evaluate serum soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) before and after lung transplantation for diagnosing acute rejection. Methods Biotin-streptavidin time resolved fluoroimmunoassay (BSA-TRFIA) was used to detect the concentration of serum sICAM-1 before and after lung transplantation in 26 patients. All patients were divided into stable lung transplantation group (n =16), acute rejection group (n =4) and infected group (n =6). The serum level of sICAM-1 in those groups was compared with that of the control group ( n = 30 ) by the non-parametric rank sum test ( KruskalWallis H test). Results No significant difference was found for serum sICAM-1 among the three groups and the control group before operation: (357.07 ± 220.01 ), ( 396. 18 ± 136.25 ), (468.95 ± 85.48 ) μg/L vs(348.63 ±69. 12) μg/L, H=6. 0436, P ＞0.05. However, when rejection and infection happened after operation, the serum sICAM-1 increased in the acute rejection group (455.53 ± 126.51 μg/L) and decreased in the infection group (146.43 ± 327.11 μg/L), and the level in the stable transplantation group was (274.23 ± 157.53 ) μg/L (H = 21. 8994, P ＜ 0.01 ). Conclusion Serum sICAM-1 level might be a potential marker to differentiate acute rejection from infection after lung transplantation.

Objective To examine the effects and mechanisms of siRNA targeting aquaporin 4 (AQP 4) in combination with hyperbaric oxygen therapy(HBO) on cerebral edema and apoptosis in the brain tissue of rats after hemorrhage.Methods Rats were randomly divided into four groups,the control group,the hyperbaric oxygen group,the AQP-4 siRNA group and the combination therapy group (24 rats).Thrombin Ⅶ was injected into the caudate nucleus to establish the hemorrhage model.Construction of siRNA targeting aquaporin 4 was conducted.The mRNA expression of AQP-4 was detected by RT-PCR at day 3.Changes in brain moisture and blood-brain barrier perme ability were measured by a wet/dry weight method and Evans blue fluorometry.The nerve cell apoptosis rate was analyzed by Annexin V andTdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL).The expression of proteins including AQP-4,MMP-2,MMP-9,Bcl-2 and caspase-3 was detected by Western Blotting.All the animals were given a score for their nerve function at day 3.Results AQP-4 siRNA treatment obtained better effects than HBO in decreasing the brain edema leveland silencing AQP-4 mRNA(P＜0.05)while,the combination therapy group achieved the best results(P＜ 0.05).Compared with the control group,the percentage of apoptotic cells decreased in all the three treatment groups,with the most marked decrease observed in the combination treatment group(4.24± 0.04)％(F=13.76,P=0.001).The expression of AQP-4,MMP-2,MMP-9 and caspase-3 was lower (P＜0.05) and the expression of Bcl-2 was higher(P＜0.01)in the combination treatment group than in the other three groups.Compared with the control group,all the other three groups received better scores on nerve function defect evaluation at day 3 after hemorrhage(P＜0.05),with the combination treatment group again achieving the most favorable score (4.7 ± 1.1) (F=7.21,P =0.013).Conclusions Targeted siRNA interference combined with hyperbaric oxygen can effectively reduce cerebral edema after cerebral hemorrhage,inhibit neuronal apoptosis and promote neuron function recovery.The underlying mechanisms may be related to down-regulation of AQP-4,MMP 2,MMP-9 and caspase-3 expression and up-regulation of Bcl-2 expression.

It is the objective of this study to optimize the extraction process of red ginseng to minimize the unit cost of extracting effective ingredients. The relation between the target variables of total quantity of ginsenosides and first extraction time, first extraction solution amount, second extraction time, second extract solution amount were studied with Box-Behnken experimental design method. At the same we also considered the cost of extraction solution and energy usage. The objective function was set as unit cost of target (total quantity of ginsenosides or its purity) for the multi-objective optimization of extraction process. As a result, the optimal process parameters were found as first extraction time (108.7 min), first extraction solution amount folds (12), second extraction time (30 min), second extraction solution amount folds (8) to minimize the unit cost. It indicated that this approach could potentially be used to optimize industrial extraction process for manufacturing Chinese medicine.
Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; economics ; methods ; Cost Control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; economics ; isolation & purification ; Panax ; chemistry

Laboratory animals and animal experiments are foundations and important support conditions for life sciences, especially for medical research. The animal experiments have drawn extensive attention from the society because of the ethical issue. This paper takes Wenzhou Medical University as an example to give a brief introduction to the ethical review about laboratory animals in the university so as to further draw attention and concerns from the public about the ethical issue of laboratory animals. We successively introduce its scientific projects, nurturing environment and ethical review of laboratory animals.
Animal Experimentation ; ethics ; Animals ; Animals, Laboratory ; Universities

Objective To investigate the antitumor effect of the recombined adeno-associated virus encoding caveolin-1 regulated by progression-elevated gene (PEG) promotor on the angiogenesis of implanted human hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) cell lines in a nude mouse model. Methods HepG2 cells were inoculated subcutaneously into NOD/SCID mice, and animals were treated with rAAV-PEG-caveolin-1 after tumor cell innoculation. The fluorescence ratio of Evans blue to FITC-dextran was used to assess the changes of microvasculature permeability of the tumor. Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses were employed to detect PECAM-1 expression in tumor microvascular endothelium and microvessel density(MVD), respectively; NOS activity was assessed by citrulline generation. Tumor growth was observed and tumor cell apoptosis in tumor tissues were measured by TUNEL. Results Tumor growth was significantly inhibited in mice injected with rAAV-PEG-caveolin-1. The administration of rAAV-PEG-caveolin-1 significantly blocked vascular leakage in the tumor microcirculation. The levels of PECAM-1 protein detected by Western blot were markedly reduced in rAAV-PEG-caveolin-1-treated mice, and there were fewer MVD in tumors from caveolin-1-treated mice, while NOS catalytic activity was much lower in rAAV-PEG-caveolin-1-treated mice compared to the control and empty vector-treated animals. TUNEL demonstrated significant induction of tumor cell specific apoptosis. Conclusions rAAV-PEG-caveolin-1 can reduce tumor progression through blocking microvascular formation by inhibiting eNOS.