OBJECTIVE: To study the mechanism of Huoxue Qianyang Granule (HXQYG), a traditional Chinese compound medicine, in revising the left ventricular hypertrophy of hypertension. METHODS: Spontaneous hypertension rats (SHR) were randomly divided into seven groups: untreated group, Songling Xuemaikang (SLXMK)-treated group, captopril-treated group, high-, medium- and low-dose HXQYG-treated groups, and normal control group. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) were measured. The content of angiotensin II (Ang II) in left ventricular tissue was determined by radioimmunoassay. The expressions of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) protein and mRNA in left ventricular tissue were analyzed separately by immunohistochemical method and RT-PCR. RESULTS: (1) SBP and LVMI were higher in the untreated group than those in the normal control group, and they were lower in the high- and medium-dose HXQYG-treated groups than those in the untreated group, but higher than those in the captopril-treated group, and without significant difference as compared to those in the SLXMK-treated group. (2) The content of Ang II and expressions of ACE protein and mRNA in the left ventricular tissue in the untreated group were higher than those in the normal control group, and they were lower in the HXQYG-treated groups than those in the untreated group, but higher than those in the captopril-treated group, and without significant difference as compared to those in the SLXMK-treated group. CONCLUSION: HXQYG can reverse the left ventricular hypertrophy of SHR, which may be due to decreasing the amount of Ang II and expressions of ACE protein and mRNA in the left ventricular tissue.

Objective To investigate the expression levels of Interleukin(IL)?6 and matrix metalloproteinases(MMP)?13 in synovial fluid by in?vigorating kidney and activating blood formulae in treating rabbit knee osteoarthritis model. Methods A total of 30 New Zealand rabbit were ran?domly divided into blank group,model group,invigorating kidney group,activating blood group and invigorating kidney and activating blood group. Rabbits model with knee osteoarthritis were established by improved Hulth method. To give corresponding respectively the medicinal broth,model group was given saline,knee joint synovial fluid was collected after 4,8 and 12 weeks. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to measure the levels of IL?6 and MMP?13. Results The levels of IL?6 in rabbit knee osteoarthritis were obviously higher than that of normal control group at both 4 weeks and 8 weeks(P<0.001). But there was no statistical difference on the levels of IL?6 compared with controls in 12 weeks. In addition,the level of MMP?13 at 4 weeks,8 weeks and 12 weeks were significantly higher than the blank control group(P<0.001). After 8 weeks of Chinese medicine administration,the levels of IL?6 in synovial fluid were significantly decreased in invigorating kidney group,activating blood group and invigorating kidney and activating blood group(P<0.001),but there was no statistical difference among groups in 12 weeks. The MMP?13 levels of synovial fluid was significantly lower than the model group(P<0.001). Conclusion Our results indicate that IL?6 and MMP?13 par?ticipate in the pathological development of the rabbit knee osteoarthritis. Invigorating kidney and activating blood formulae could reduce the expres?sion of IL?6 and MMP?13 and alleviate osteoarthritis progression,and which is superior to the pure invigorating kidney formulae and activating blood formulae.

Arteriovenous Malformations ; diagnosis ; etiology ; genetics ; Child ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; blood ; Job Syndrome ; complications ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Lung ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Male ; Mutation ; Radiography ; STAT3 Transcription Factor ; genetics

Objective To evaluate the efficacy,safety and impact of recombinant human cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen (CTLA)-4 fusion proteins (rhCTLA-4Ig) on serum human tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and CX3CL1 in active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.Methods Forty-four RA patients were treated with rhCTLA-4Ig and placebo.Clinical response was assessed by American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria and disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28).The levels of serum TNF-α and CX3CL1 were determined in 44 RA patients and 20 healthy controls by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Comparisons between groups were performed by t-test or x2 test.Results At week 12,ACR20,ACR50and ACR70 responses in RA patients with rhCTLA-4Ig were achieved by 95％(20/21 ),76％( 16/21 )and 19％(4/21) respectively,but no patient with placebo achieved ACR20,ACRS0 and ACR70 responses.There were significantly statistical differences in ACR20 and ACR50 responses (x2=39.17,26.69,P＜0.01 ).At week 12,the mean DAS28 in the rhCTLA4Ig group was 3.1±1.3 versus 6.2±1.1 at baseline (P＜0.01).Similarly,health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) improved significantly,declining from 1.4±0.5 at baseline to 0.4±0.5 at week 12 (P＜0.01).However,the mean DAS28 in the placebo group was 5.8±1.2 versus 6.0±0.7 at baseline (P＞0.05),HAQ declined from 1.6±0.4 to 1.6±0.6 (P＞0.05).In addition,there were higher levels of TNF-α and CX3CL1 in the active RA patients than those of the healthy controls (P＜0.01).After 12 weeks therapy,Serum TNF-α and CX3CL1 levels in the rhCTLA-4Ig group decreased significantly (P＜0.01).There weren't decline in the placebo group (P＞0.05).Conclusion This study has shown that rhCTLA-4Ig is very effective in reducing disease activity,improving function during the 12 weeks treatment.rhCTLA-4Ig therapy for 12 weeks can lead to significant decrease of serum TNF-α and CX3CL1.

AIM: To investigate the alterations of tear film after sutureless large incision manual cataract extraction (SLIMCE). METHODS: Sixty-eight SLIMCE operation eyes were studied with slit-limp microscope, break- up time (BUT), SchirmmerⅠtest (SⅠt),and fluorescence(FL) to observe the alterations of tear film at different time points in postoperation. Impression cytology and microphoto-analyses technique were also applied to observe the goblet cells at different time points postoperation(7,14,30,60,90 days). RESULTS: Subjective complaint of dry eye within 90 days after the operations were significantly increased compare with preoperations(5-27,23,19,16,13; 2-16,14,8,6,3). The schirmmer Ⅰ test were greatly increased in 14 days postoperation(10.1±4.5;15.0±4.7,13.8±5.7),the mean scores of fluorescence increased (0-17,9,5;0-8,3,1) and the mean break-up time decreased in 30 days post-operation(10.3±2.2;5.5±2.3,7.0±2.4,7.9±2.2) (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: SLIMCE operation have effect on the stability of tear film.

Objective To explore the dynamic change and meaning of JAK/STAT signal path in the invasive course of collagen-induced arthritis(CIA).Methods Forty-eight rats were divided into 6 groups ran- domly,eight rats served as the control group,the rest were for the development of CIA models.Rats were sac- rificed at the 2nd,3rd,4th,5th and 6th week after the initial immunity respectively.Then HE staining,im- munohistochemistry and immunoblotting were used to detect the pathological changes of synovium in different st ages and the expression of p-STAT1 and p-STAT3.Results On the second week after initial immunity,the rats had arthritis,and the inflammation achieved its peak at the 4th week,then gradually relieved,and a few joints developed rigidity,synovium hyperplasia and inflammatory cell infiltration could be seen at the second week of initial immunity,and pannus could be seen at the 4th week as well as cartilage destroy at the 6th week by HE staining.In the invasive course of CIA,STAT1 and STAT3 were all in activated state detected by im- munohistochemistry and immunoblotting,which were significantly different from those of control group and they had a positive correlation with arthritis index,the Pearson's value of them were 0.798 and 0.873 respectively. However,there was some difference on time.STAT3 kept at activated state and had positive correlation with pathology score of synovium,and the Pearson's value was 0.622.On the contrary,the activation of STAT1 was obviously delayed and only confined to the middle and advanced stage of the disease.Conclusion JAK/STAT signal pathway participates the pathological course of CIA,and blocking the different point of JAK/STAT path- way'activation process may reach the goal of reversing the RA's pathological course.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of kinetic rectification acupuncture in treating acute facial neuritis. Method Sixty patients with acute facial neuritis were randomized to observation and control groups. The observation group received kinetic rectification acupuncture and the control group, conventional acupuncture alone. Acupuncture was given five times a week, five times as one course. The therapeutic effects were evaluated after three courses of treatment. Result The total efficacy rate was 93.3% in the observation group and 73.3% in the control group; there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). The latencies and amplitudes of the frontal muscle, orbicularis oculi muscle and quadrate muscle of upper lip improved in the two groups after treatment and had statistically significant pre-/post-treatment differences (P < 0.01). There were statistically significant differences in the pre-/post-treatment difference values of the latencies and amplitudes of the frontal muscle and orbicularis oculi muscle (P<0.01) and no statistically significant difference in the pre-/post-treatment difference values of the latency and amplitude of the quadrate muscle of upper lip (P>0.05) between the two groups. Conclusion Kinetic rectification acupuncture has a marked therapeutic effect on acute facial neuritis. This study provides a particular therapeutic method for clinical practice.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the progression of visual field loss and to explore the prognosis of glaucomatous optic neuropathy in patients with chronic angle-closure glaucoma (CACG) after their intraocular pressures were well controlled under 21 mmHg.

METHODSForty-seven eyes of 29 patients in the Department of Ophthalmology in PUMC Hospital were included. All the patients had at least two separate tests of visual fields using the 24-2 program of the Humphery Visual Field Analyzer after their intraocular pressure were well controlled under 21 mmHg after sugery. The visual fields of patients were followed routinely for at least 1 year. In addition, all patients were divided into 2 groups according to follow-up period: 1-2 years group and over 2 years group. Visual field scores were calculated with the Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study (AGIS) method. The visual fields were divided 5 sections and the sensitivity and defect depth of each section were calculated.

RESULTNo statistically significant differences were found in terms of AGIS scores, localized sensitivities and localized defects within the time interval of the observation.

CONCLUSIONGlaucomatous optic neuropathy is not likely to progressively deteriorate in CACG cases once their intraocular pressure are well controlled under 21 mmHg.

Aged ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glaucoma, Angle-Closure ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Optic Disk ; physiopathology ; Optic Nerve Diseases ; physiopathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Fields

OBJECTIVETo explore the solution of choosing the minimally invasive incision site for gluteal muscle contracture patient based on standard injection point of gluteal muscle.

METHODSfrom September 2008 to August 2010, 25 patients (14 males and 11 females with an average of 16.5 years, ranging from 12 to 26 years) with injected gluteal muscle contracture were prospectively studied. The course of disease was from 6 to 12 years. Firstly, the connective skin Surface line from anterior superior iliac spine to coccyx (line AD) was delineated and the point (point O) was marked out as the standard gluteal muscle injection site which was on the one-third of the distance from the anterior superior iliac spine(point A) to the coccyx (point D). Secondly, the anterior and posterior edge lines of surface projection of the gluteal muscle contracture banding (line a, line p) were delineated. Thirdly, the distance from B to O and C to O (B is the point of intersection of line a and line AD,C is the point of intersection of line P and line AD)were measured which was the intersection of line a,p and line AD to point O. Lastly, the minimally invasive surgery was operformed via the skin entry of point C.

RESULTSOB = (0 +/- 0.76) cm, OC = (2.86 +/- 0.78) cm, BC = (2.86 +/- 1.01) cm,the mean postoperative drainage was less than 10 ml,there was no nerve damage,hematoma and other complications. All patients achieved the function of squatting in 4 to 6 days.

CONCLUSIONThe solution of choosing the minimally invasive incision site based on standard injection point of gluteal muscle has advantages of positioning precisely,handling easily, recoverying quickly, less trauma and safety, etc.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Buttocks ; Child ; Contracture ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Injections, Intramuscular ; Male ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; Muscle, Skeletal ; surgery

OBJECTIVEIn order to understand the epidemiological and virologic characteristics of coronavirus HKU1 infection in hospitalized children with acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI) in Changsha.

METHODS1165 nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPA) specimens were collected from hospitalized children with ARTI between September 2007 and August 2008 in Changsha. Specimens were screened for pol gene of coronavirus HKU1 by polymerase chain reaction. All positive amplification products were confirmed by sequencing and compared with those in GenBank.

RESULTSCoronavirus HKU1 were detected in 12 patients (1.03%) out of the 1165 children. The patients were from 8 days to 3 years. The most common clinical diagnosis was bronchopneumonia(83.33%). Similarity of coronavirus HKU1 with those published in the GenBank at nucleotide levels was 98.18% - 100%.

CONCLUSIONCoronavirus HKU1 may be important pathogens in children with acute lower respiratory tract infection. Coronavirus HKU1 infections are common in children under 3 years old. There is no significant difference in the infectious rate between the boys and the girls. The peak of its prevalence is in spring and winter. A single genetic lineage of Coronavirus HKU1 was revealed in human subjects in Changsha.

Acute Disease ; Child, Hospitalized ; Child, Preschool ; China ; Coronavirus ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; virology