PBL ( Problem-based learning) is a problem-based and student-centered learning pattern.PBL teaching method has been applied to evidence-based medicine ( EBM ) courses for international students.By this method,the students' learning enthusiasm was stimulated,the ability of ananlyzing and resolving problem was improved,and good teaching effect was achieved,which provided knowledge to improve further EBM teaching and evidence-based clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE:To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of ambroxol hydrochloride in the adjuvant treatment of el-derly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. METHODS:94 elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary dis-ease were randomly divided into control group(48 cases)and observation group(46 cases). Control group was given oxygen inha-lation,antispasmodic asthma,expectorant and antitussive,antibiotics against infections,bronchodilation drugs,glucocorticoids and other conventional treatment;observation group was additionally given 30 mg Ambroxol hydrochloride injection,adding into 200 ml 5% glucose injection by intravenous infusion,twice a day. The treatment course for both groups was 2 weeks. The clinical efficacy,improvement of cough and sputum volume before and after treatment in 2 groups were observed,and incidence of ad-verse reactions was recorded. RESULTS:The clinical efficacy in observation group was significantly higher than control group,re-ducing degree of cough and sputum volume were significantly superior to control group,the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05);and there were no significant differences in the incidence of total adverse reactions,nausea,stomach heartburn,rash and indigestion between 2 groups(P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS:Based on the conventional treatment,ambroxol hydrochloride can effectively relieve symptoms and improve efficacy in the adjuvant treatment of elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,with no obvious adverse reactions and reliable safety.

Recent advance in researches of alkane uptake by microorganisms was reviewed. To improve efficiency of bioremediation, knowledge of mechanism of water-insoluble substrate, especially alkanes, uptake by microorganism is badly needed. Powered by novel ideas and advanced techniques, more findings and conclusions were reported. Effects of surfactants on uptake of alkane, adjustment on cell surface properties and transport of alkane into the cells were discussed in this review, at the same time, evidences from analyses of cell ultra-structure and researches on cell chemotaxis were cited. There are still some questions in this area should be taken into consideration.

Glycyrrhizin acid and licorice flavonoids are the component of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch root that has been used for various medicinal purposes in traditional oriental medicine for thousands of years. Macrophages as a principal component of immune system play an important role in the initiation, modulation and final activation of immune response against pathogens. In the present study, glycyrrhizin acid and licorice flavonoids was investigated the anti-inflammatory effect on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophage cell line of RAW264.7. Well-grown RAW264.7 cells were collected and randomly divided into the blank control group, the LPS(1 mg x L(-1)) group, the dexamethasone (5 mg x L(-1)) with LPS group, the glycyrrhizin acid (400, 80, 16 mg x L(-1)) with LPS group and the licorice flavonoids (200, 40, 8 mg x L(-1)) with LPS group. RAW264.7 cells were cultured in 24-well plates, pre-incubated for 4 h with different concentrations of dexamethasone, glycyrrhizin acid, or licorice flavonoids. Then cells were stimulated for 20 h with LPS. The supernatant of culture medium was collected from each well and determinated the concentrations of cytokines by means of BioPlex mouse cytokines assay. Compared with the control group, the LPS group could significantly induced relatively high levels of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor( GM-CSF), macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1α), macrophage inflammatory protein-1 beta (MIP-1β), regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted factor (RANTES), tumor necrosis factor alpha ( TNF-α), monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (KC), eotaxin, interleukin(IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12 (p40), IL-12 (p70), IL-13, and IL-17 secretion (P < 0.05). The glycyrrhizin acid significantly inhibited IL-1β, IL-3, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12 (p40), IL-12 (p70), IL-13, Eotaxin and TNF-α secreted by LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells (P < 0.05). The expression levels of IL-6 and Eotaxin were observably decreased in the licorice flavonoids with LPS group (P < 0.05). The data presented here suggested that the glycyrrhizin acid and licorice flavonoids modulate various cytokines secreted by macrophages and were important anti-inflammatory constituent of Licorice.
Animals ; Cell Line ; Cytokines ; genetics ; immunology ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Glycyrrhiza ; chemistry ; Glycyrrhizic Acid ; pharmacology ; Lipopolysaccharides ; immunology ; Macrophages ; drug effects ; immunology ; Mice

A CDASH-based CRF annotation plays an important role in database setup and data verification. The STDM-based CRF annotation is also one of the essential documents when the package of clinical trial data is submitted to the regulatory authority. This paper describes the contents, procedures and related stipulations used in the CDISC-based CRF annotation.
Clinical Trials as Topic ; Databases, Factual ; Documentation ; standards

BACKGROUND: Differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem calls(BMSCs) is associated with their microenvironment. After acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the necrosis of cardiomyocytes caused activation of complement, generation of free radical, and secretion of various cell factors. As a result, the ingredients of patients' serum also changed, so does the changes will influence the differentiation of BMSCs into cardiomyocytes? And what influence it will be? OBJECTIVE: To investigative effects of AMI rat serum on the differentiation of BMSCs into cardiomyocytes. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: The in vitro controlled cytology experiment was performed at the Laboratory of Center for Stem cells and Tissue Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University from September in 2005 to June in 2006. MATERIALS: SPF Sprague Dawley rats, weighing 50-80 g, aged 3-4 weeks, were used for culture of BMSCs, and SpragueDawley rats, weighing 200-300 g, aged 6-8 weeks, were used for making AMI models. METHODS: BMSCs were isolated and cultured with the adherent method. After making AMI rat models by deligating anterior descending of the left coronary artery, the serum were collected and centrifuged from AMI and normal rats. Then the passage 3 of BMSCs were divided into six groups, non-induction group, 5-azacytidine (5-aza) group, 5-aza plus serum from AMI rat group, 5-aza plus serum from normal rat group, serum from AMI rat group, and serum from normal rat group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Morphology changes in rat BMSCs after induction; Expression of cardiac troponin T of BMSCs after induction; Expression of GATA-4 and desmin mRNA of BMSCs after induction. RESULTS: After being induced by 5-aza and two kinds of serum, some cells became elongated and thinner. Two to three weeks after induction, some cells had a ball-like or rod-like appearance, and connection were formed between adjacent cells. It showed that some BMSC have differentiated into cardiac like cells. The expression of cardiac troponin T, GATA-4 and desmin were positive in cells differentiated from BMSCs. The troponin T expression in control group and simple serum induction group were negative, but GATA-4 and desmin expressed weakly. CONCLUSION: Serum from AMI rat cannot induce BMSCs to differentiate into cardiomyocytes alone, but it promotes BMSCs induced by 5-aza differentiating into cardiomyocytes and facilitates the differentiated calls into mature.

AIM： To investigate the tumorigenicity of lung cancer by learning the accumulation of p53 and the exposure of cytokeratin 18 neo-epitope(CK-18neo) related to the clinicopathological parameters in non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC). METHODS: To detect the monoclonal antibodies of p53 and M30 CytoDEATH(specific antibody for CK-18neo) in 62 cases of NSCLC (included 29 cases of squamous cell carcinoma and 33 cases of adenocarcinoma) and 10 cases of control group by adopting immunohistochemistry assay (LSAB). Moreover, the immunoreactivity of p53 was quantitatively evaluated with positive unit (PU). RESULTS: (1) p53 immunoreactivity was positive in 15 of 29 squamous cell carcinoma (51.72%), 15 of 33 adenocarcinoma (45.45%), 30 of 62 NSCLC (48.39%). In 10 control cases was negative. There were significant differences between these groups (P＜0.01). (2)In 62 cases of NSCLC, AI% of M30 is 1.10%, and in 29 cases of squamous cell carcinoma is 0.95%, and in 33 cases of adenocarcinoma is 1.24%. In 10 control cases, the AI% is 1.06%. There is not significant difference among these groups . (3) According to the results of Pearson's correlation analysis, we found positive linear correlation between the immunoreactivity of p53（-/+）, p53（5 degrees）and p53（PU）(P＜0.01). CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that the pathogenesis of NSCLC might be related to the mutation of gene p53 and cell excessive proliferation and insufficient apoptosis.

To study the anti-inflammatory activity of glycyrrhizin acid, ligustrazine and puerarin. In the study, the liquichip-based high-throughput synchronous detection technique for 23 inflammatory factors, uniform design, comprehensive weight method were adopted to study the effect of different combined administration of glycyrrhizin acid, ligustrazine and puerarin in inhibiting the expression of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264. 7 cells and multiple inflammatory cytokines. In the study, the uniform design table U₉ (9³) was adopted to design doses of glycyrrhizin acid, ligustrazine and puerarin. The liquichip technique was used to detect the effect of different combined administration of glycyrrhizin acid, ligustrazine and puerarin on the 23 cytokines expressed in LPS-induced mouse macrophage RAW264. 7 inflammation model. The traditional Chinese medicine component optimization software and the improved least angle regression algorithm were used to analyze the dose-effect relationship among the three components and the cytokine inhibition rate and produce the regression equation. The comprehensive weight method was applied to get the optimal dose ratio of glycyrrhizic acid, ligustrazine and puerarin with highest efficacy of 25:2:13 and verify the optimal dose ratio. The verification results were consistent with the prediction trend, indicating the accuracy of the mathematical model for predicting the experiment. The experimental results showed the multi-target and multi-level efficacies of glycyrrhizic acid, ligustrazine and puerarin and the high anti-inflammatory activity of their combined administration, which provides powerful basis for subsequent drug development.
Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; pharmacology ; Cytokines ; Glycyrrhizic Acid ; pharmacology ; Isoflavones ; pharmacology ; Lipopolysaccharides ; immunology ; Macrophages ; drug effects ; immunology ; Mice ; NF-kappa B ; genetics ; immunology ; Pyrazines ; pharmacology ; RAW 264.7 Cells

Animals ; Beer ; adverse effects ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; metabolism ; Lipid Metabolism ; Male ; Physical Conditioning, Animal ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Objective To investigate the effects of different doses of dexmedetomidine(Dex) on rabbit sinus node and atrioventricular node.Methods A total of 24 healthy male rabbits weighing 1.5-2.8 kg,were divided into 3 groups randomly according to random number table (n =8).Group C (control),critical dosage of Dex causing sinus bradycardia D1 (loading dose of Dex was 10 μg/kg, continual pumping dose was 5 μg · kg-1 · h-1 ),six times of critical dosage of Dex causing sinus bradycardia D2 (loading dose of Dex was 60 μg/kg,continual pumping dose was 30 μg·kg-1 ·h-1 ). Rabbits were anesthetized,the right femoral artery was separated and catheterized followed by real-time monitoring of arterial blood pressure.Right external jugular vein was searched and separated,bi-polar stimulating electrode were inserted to the junction of superior vena cava and right atrium,the index of sinus node and atrioventricular node were observed by means of programmed stimulation.Si-nus node recovery time (SNRT),corrected sinus node recovery time (CSNRT),total recovery time (TRT),and atrioventricular node 2∶1 point were recorded before Dex infusion (T0 ),1 5-20 min after infusion of Dex (T1 )and 50-60 min after perfusion of Dex (T2 ).Results SNRT,CSNRT,TRT and 2∶1 point had no statistical significance.Compared with T0 ,SNRT,CSNRT and CSNRT were signifi-cantly prolonged at T1 and T2 .2∶1 point in group D1 and D2 was shortened obviously at T1 than that at T2 (P <0.05).SNRT,CSNRT and TRT of group D1 at T2 were significantly prolonged,2∶1 piont was shortened compared with T1 (P <0.05).SNRT,CSNRT and TRT of group D1 and D2 were pro-longed both at T1 and T2 than those of group C.2∶1 point was shortened in group D1 and D2 at T1 than that in group C (P <0.05).Compared with group D1,SNRT,CSNRT and TRT of group D2 at T1 and T2 were prolonged,2∶1 point was shortened obviously (P <0.05).Conclusion Load capacity of 10 μg/kg Dex apparently inhibits the function of rabbit sinus node and atrioventricular node,which is partially recovered within a short time (≤ 1 h).The inhibiting effect is more continously and re-markably in load capacity of 60 μg/kg Dex.