OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Zhenqing Recipe (ZQR) on non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL), and the expression of hepatic salt-inducible kinase 1 (SIK1) and sterol-regulatory element binding protein-ic (SREBP-lc) in type 2 diabetes rats.

METHODSA rat model of type 2 diabetes was established by high fat/sucrose diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of small dose streptozotocin (STZ) . Modeled rats were randomly divided into the model group, the ZQR group, and the metformin group, 8 in each group. Eight rats were recruited as a normal control group. ZQR at the daily dose of 12 g crude drugs/kg was administered to rats in the ZQR group by gastrogavage. Metformin suspension at the daily dose of 150 mg/kg was administered to rats in the metformin group by gastrogavage. Equal volume of distilled water was administered to rats in the normal control group and the model group. All medication lasted for 12 weeks. The levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), free fatty acid (FFA), serum triglyceride (TG), serum total cholesterol (TC), serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were detected. The body weight and wet liver weight were weighed, and the liver weight index calculated. The liver TG content was measured. The pathological changes of liver and the expression of SIK1 were observed by HE staining and immunohistochemistry. The mRNA and protein expression of SIK1 and SREBP-1c were detected using RT-PCR and Western blot.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, FBG, FFA, TG, TC, ALT, AST, liver weight index, and liver TG contents significantly increased (P < 0.01); liver steatosis was severe, the mRNA and protein expression of SIK1 obviously decreased (P < 0.01); mRNA and protein expression of SREBP-1c increased (P < 0.01). After drug therapy, compared with the model group, FBG, FFA, TG, TC, ALT, AST, and liver weight index significantly decreased, liver TG contents significantly decreased, the mRNA and protein expression of SIK1 obviously increased, while mRNA and protein expression of SREBP-1c obviously decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) in the ZQR group and the metformin group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); and the pathological changes were also improved. All the indices were improved more in the ZQR group (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIn this experiment, we found that the expression of SIK1 decreased in NAFL rats with type 2 diabetes. ZQR could alleviate lesion of NAFL type 2 diabetes rats possibly by up-regulating hepatic SIK1 expression at mRNA and protein levels.

Animals ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; complications ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Fatty Liver ; complications ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Liver ; metabolism ; Male ; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein 1 ; metabolism

Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Protein C ; metabolism ; Protein C Deficiency

Anticonvulsants ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsies, Myoclonic ; complications ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Female ; Fever ; complications ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Prognosis ; Seizures ; drug therapy ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Severity of Illness Index

Objective To investigate the diagnosis and therapy of primary maligmant tumors of the heart. Methods Clinical data of 21 patients with malignant cardiac tumors admitted to our department from June 1980 to May 2008 was analyzed and the references were reviewed. Results All patients received operations. Pathological classification of the tumors was made by histological examinations. Radical resections for 10 eases and partial resections for 5 eases were performed. The other 6 patients received only thoracotomy and cardiac exploration. Three eases were lost during follow up. Three survivors received radical resections are still alive now 2-15 months after the surgery, while all the other patients died within 4 years after the operation due to malignant tumor recurrence and (or) metastasis. Conclusion Echocardiography, CT, 3D-CT, MRI, coronary CT and angiocardiography are helpful for the diagnosis of the malignant cardiac tumors and the selection of operations. Histological examination is necessary for the final diagnosis. Early diagnosis, radical resection and post-operative radiotherapy and chemo therapy may provide a better result.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Maxillary Sinus ; surgery ; Middle Aged ; Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Young Adult

Objective To assess the memory function of hyperthyroid patients at different disease durations and investigate the value of cerebral blood flow (CBF) imaging in the detection of memory dysfunction in related regions.Methods Thirty-seven hyperthyroid patients (10 males,27 females; mean age (39.27± 10.58) years) and 28 healthy volunteers (8 males,20 females; mean age (35.80±9.41) years) were enrolled into this prospective study.The patients were divided into two subgroups: short duration group (duration ≤ 6 months; n =15),long duration group (duration ＞6 months ; n =22).Wechsler memory scale was used for memory assessment,and cancellation test was used for attention assessment.Self-rating depressions scale (SDS) and self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) were used for mood disorder assessment.99Tcm-ECD SPECT CBF imaging was performed at rest for all patients and controls on the same day.SPM 2.0 was used to investigate the differences of rCBF between the two groups.Two independent samples t test was used for the comparisons of memory and attention scores between patients and controls,also between patients with short and long disease durations.Multiple stepwise regression was used for factor analysis of memory state.Results Scale total score (92.27±17.50 vs 101.75±11.70; t=-2.476)and memory quotient (91.32±17.76 vs 100.29±9.43 ; t =-2.421) were significant different between patients and controls (both P＜0.05).The scale total score and memory quotient in patients with long disease duration were significant lower than those of controls(88.77±16.69 vs 101.75±11.70,t=-3.231; 86.18±16.73 vs 100.29±9.43,t=3.770,both P＜0.05).The memory quotient was significant lower in patients with long disease duration than those with short disease duration(86.10± 17.13 vs 98.87± 17.00; t =2.212,P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in memory quotient and scale total score between short duration group and controls (t=-0.754,0.910,both P＞0.05).CBF was reduced in the limbic system of hyperthyroid patients and the involved area was larger in patients with long disease duration.Age,attention score,serum FT4 level and reduced CBF in left pulvina nuclei,left lateral geniculate body and right amygdale were the statistically significant factors for impaired memory function in hyperthyroid patients (b=-0.393-0.685,all P＜0.05).Conclusions Memory impairment could be significant in hyperthyroid patients with long disease duration.CBF imaging could reflect the degree of dysfunction at specific brain regions responsible for memory impairment in these patients.

AIM:To evaluate the clinical therapeutic efficacy of the Qi ming granule for macular edema ( ME ) in diabetic patients after phacoemulsification.
METHODS:In this was a prospective clinical comparison study, 57 diabetic patients ( 76 eyes ) who underwent phacoemulsification were recruited and divided into two groups:treatment group (34 eyes) and control group (42 eyes) . All the patients in treatment group were given oral administration Qi ming granule (4. 5g, tid) and vitamin C ( 0. 1g, tid ) for 6mo postoperatively, while vitamin C ( 0.1g, tid ) for the controls. General clinical examinations, including blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin, as well as comprehensive standardized ophthalmic examinations were performed. Optical coherence tomography ( OCT ) were used to detect macular edema incidence and measure central field retinal thickness.
RESULTS: No significant difference was found in the levels of blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, course of disease, and macular thickness between the two groups during the initial visits. At the 6th month, 2 eyes ( 6%) eyes had clinically apparent macular edema in treatment group, while 6 ( 14%) eyes had clinically apparent macular edema in control group (P=0. 285). The central subfield retinal thickness values were significantly lower in the treatment group ( 211. 76±41. 21μm ) than those in control group (278. 36±48. 94μm) (P<0. 01).
CONCLUSION:Qi ming granule can significantly reduce the incidences of macular edema and suppresses increasing retinal thickening after phacoemulsification in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Objective: To learn the health literacy level and its influencing factors among junior high school students in Jiaxing, so as to provide basis for health promotion of adolescents. Methods: The junior high school students who had been studying and living in Jiaxing for more than six months were selected by multistage cluster random sampling method. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect general information and health literacy level (including basic knowledge and concept, healthy lifestyle and behaviors, and basic skills) of these selected students. The multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors for health literacy. Results : Of 1 773 questionnaires collected, 1 738 were valid, accounting for 98.03%. The level of health literacy in the junior high school students in Jiaxing was 22.84% ( 95%CI: 20.87%-24.82% ), The levels of basic knowledge and concept, healthy lifestyle and behaviors, and basic skills were 55.29% ( 95%CI: 52.95%-57.63% ), 21.75% ( 95%CI: 19.81%-23.69% ), 53.05% ( 95%CI: 50.70%-55.40%), respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the second grade and above ( OR: 1.609-1.835, 95%CI: 1.195-2.459 ), mother's educational level of technical secondary school/senior high school and above ( OR: 1.965-1.976, 95%CI: 1.276-3.357 ), and self-rated academic achievement of medium and above ( OR: 1.881-2.441, 95%CI: 1.359-3.335 ) were the promoting factors for health literacy level of junior high school students; self rated health status as unhealthy ( OR=0.254, 95%CI: 0.089-0.721 ) was an obstructive factor. Conclusions The health literacy level of the junior high school students in Jiaxing was 22.84%. The level of healthy lifestyle and behaviors was the lowest in three aspects. Grade, mother's educational level, self-rated academic performance and self-rated health status may have impacts on health literacy level of junior high school students.

OBJECTIVESeizures occur more frequently in the neonatal period than at any other time in life. A controversy which has been debated for the recent years is whether recurrent neonatal seizures can lead to long-term adverse consequences or are simply a reflection of underlying brain dysfunction and are not intrinsically harmful. Despite numerous clinical observations showed that seizures may be detrimental to the developing brain, the pathological mechanism has not yet been completely understood. The goal of this study was to investigate what effect was induced by recurrent seizures in neonatal rats on dentate granule cell neurogenesis.

METHODSSixty-four neonatal Wistar rats were randomly divided into seizure group (n = 40) and control group (n = 24). The rats of seizure group were subjected to three times of pilocarpine injections intraperitonealy at postnatal day 1 (P1), 4 (P4) and 7 (P7). Neonatal rats of the control group were given saline injection (i.p.) at the same time points. The rat were sacrificed separately at the next four time points: immediately after the third seizure (P7), the fourth day after the seizure (P11), the fourteenth day (P21) and the forty fifth day (P52), corresponding control group rats were killed accordingly. The rats in both seizure and control groups were given bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) injection 36 hours before sacrifice to indicate newly generated cells. Brain tissue sections were prepared and subjected to Nissl staining for neuronal loss, by BrdU labeling for cell proliferation and by BrdU + NF200 (neurofilament 200) double labeling for the identification of the newly formed cells.

RESULTSThe numbers of BrdU-labeled cells were age-dependent in the control group, decreased with age, and their morphorlogy and distribution changed (P < 0.01). BrdU-labeled cells decreased significantly in the seizure group compared with the matched controls at P7 and P11 (P < 0.01), while at P21 there was no significant difficence between the two groups. On the contrary, BrdU-labeled cells increased significantly in the seizure group compared with the matched controls at P52 (P < 0.01). Most BrdU-labeled cells in granular cell layer (GCL) of both seizure group and control group coexpressed NF200.

CONCLUSIONRecurrent seizures during neonatal period lead to decreased neurogenesis at the early stage after the third seizure, and at later time points increase of neurogenesis. Most of newly generated cells can differentiate into neurons.

Age Factors ; Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Bromodeoxyuridine ; Hippocampus ; physiology ; Neurogenesis ; physiology ; Pilocarpine ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Recurrence ; Seizures ; chemically induced ; physiopathology ; Staining and Labeling ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of infrasonic field of minesweeper on psychology of minesweeper crews.

METHODSAn experimental ship was selected to conduct infrasonic minesweeping, a control ship of the same type was selected to operate likewise with the infrasound generator turned off, and another group of coast-servicemen was chosen as blank control. Attention-span test, digit memory test, two-digital numbers list and profile of mood states (POMS) were used to test the ship crews and coast-servicemen.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences in psychological parameters between the two ship crews before the experiment. But the scores of two-digit figures list in ship crews were significant lower than that in coast-servicemen, (31.2 +/- 11.8, 36.4 +/- 14.5 respectively vs 45.8 +/- 13.9, P < 0.05). POMS showed that the scores of anger-hostility, fatigue-inertia, and confusion-bewilderment in both ship crew groups [(15.5 +/- 6.4, 18.3 +/- 6.8), (12.1 +/- 5.0,12.3 +/- 4.9), (11.6 +/- 4.4, 12.5 +/- 4.8), respectively] were higher than those in coast-servicemen (13.9 +/- 7.0, 7.6 +/- 4.1, 8.2 +/- 4.3, respectively, P < 0.05 or 0.01), while vigor-activity in experimental group (15.0 +/- 5.9) was lower than that in coast-servicemen (19.7 +/- 4.7). After the experiment, the scores of experimental crews in digit memory test (14.5 +/- 5.0), vigor-activity (12.2 +/- 5.8), fatigue-inertia (15.8 +/- 6.2) were significantly different from those of control crews (17.3 +/- 4.8, 16.5 +/- 4.6, 11.3 +/- 5.1).

CONCLUSIONSThe infrasonic field from minesweeper may injure the crew's psychological health and some neurobehavioral function.

Adult ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Noise, Occupational ; adverse effects ; Ships