Objective Neuromuscular electrical stimulation(NMES)-evoked kinesthetic information in muscle spindle can be purely extracted from the mixed motor and sensory afferents using Ischemic nerve block(INB).This study aims to investigate the somatosensory cortical response evoked by NMES activating muscle spindle afferents in forearm.Methods All subjects performed four experimental tasks designed according to a 2×2 factors,including one factor of the INB state(without INB and within INB)and the other of the stimulation intensity(above and below motor threshold).During the experiment,we recorded EEG data with 64 channels and then beta event-related desynchronization(Beta ERD)were utilized quantize somatosensory cortical excitability evoked by the tasks.The subjective perception about the sensation and movement of the right hand were evaluated by a psychophysical test after the right wrist was performed by INB.Results INB significantly reduced beta ERD on the contralateral somatosensory cortex evoked by NMES above the motor threshold,and there was significant difference of NMES-evoked beta ERD values on the contralateral somatosensory cortex between above and below motor threshold.Meanwhile,contralateral dominance of NMES-evoked beta ERD on the somatosensory cortex was transferred to ipsilateral hemisphere under INB.Conclusion INB can significantly reduce NMES-evoked somatosensory cortical response above motor threshold and decrease cortical perception on the stimulus intensity,which may be due to INB resulting in rapid functional reorganization of somatosensory cortex.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the protective effect of SBi4211 (heptamidine), an inhibitor of S100B, against central nervous system injury induced by HIV-1 envelope protein gp120. METHODS: In an RESULTS: In the cell co-culture system, SBi4211 treatment significantly inhibited gp120-induced expression of S100B, RAGE and GFAP in U251 cells ( CONCLUSIONS SBi4211 can protect neurons from gp120-induced neurotoxicity possibly by inhibiting the S100B/ RAGE-mediated signaling pathway.
Animals ; Astrocytes ; Blotting, Western ; Central Nervous System ; HIV Envelope Protein gp120 ; Mice ; Neurons ; S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit ; Signal Transduction

Objective: To study the long-term prognosis of the convalescent patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) associated acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF). Methods: A 72-month follow-up study of HBV-ACLF recovery patients recruited between January 2005 and December 2009 was performed in our hospital. According to the results of imaging examination at the first visit, the enrolled patients were divided into two groups, the liver cirrhosis ACLF (Lc-ACLF) group and chronic hepatitis B related ACLF (CHB-ACLF) group. In both groups, the occurrence of cirrhosis, decompensated cirrhosis or ACLF and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were observed. Results: The media time of cirrhosis formation, decompensated cirrhosis and HCC occurrence in CHB-ACLF group were 12.5, 23 and 43 months, respectively. However, the median time of LC-ACLF patients developing to decompensated cirrhosis and HCC were 7 and 14 months, which was significantly shorter than that in CHB-ACLF group (P=0.009, 0.040, with statistical significance). Furthermore, the blood chemical parameters including serum albumin (ALB), cholinesterase (CHE) and total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), as well as platelet count (PLT), the anti-viral treatment compliance and the virus mutation were significantly related to the clinical endpoint events, respectively (P<0.05). Moreover, results from the logistic regression model demonstrated that the patient age, with or without liver cirrhosis, HBV mutation and the anti-viral treatment compliance were the independent risk factors for the long-term prognosis of patients with hepatitis B associated liver failure (OR=1.035, 0.510, 2.462, respectively. P< 0.05). The cumulative risk of Lc-ACLF patients progressed to decompensate cirrhosis, acute-on-chronic liver failure or HCC was significantly higher than that of CHB-ACLF patients (χ²=21.603, 4.423, P=0.000, 0.035, respectively). Conclusions Considering the importance of patients with or without liver cirrhosis, HBV mutation and the anti-viral treatment compliance in the long-term prognosis of HBV-ACLF patients, it is necessary and important to monitor the virus mutation and anti-viral treatment compliance of HBV- ACLF patients during antiviral therapy and those processes would benefit the improvement of long term prognosis of the patients with ACLF.

Objective: To study the clinical value of serum cystatin C, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9/NGAL-1 measurements for early diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). Methods: This study included 102 patients with hepatitis B virus related ACLF and 31 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) were enrolled as controls. Biomarkers including serum cystatin C, NGAL and MMP-9/NGAL-1 were measured twice in the patients with ACLF at admission and at the time progressed to AKI and once in the controls. Results: In patients with ACLF, serum cystatin C levels was higher than that of the CHB control (t=3.609, P=0.000), whereas NGAL and MMP-9/NGAL-1 levels were lower in patients with ACLF than that of CHB controls (t=3.016, P=0.003; t=7.514, P=0.000, respectively). Thirty-three patients (32.4%) progressed to AKI during hospitalization period. In AKI group of the patients serum cystatin C levels was higher than that of non-AKI group of the patents (t=4.543, P=0.000). MMP-9/ NGAL-1 and NGAL levels were not different in patients with and without AKI (t=0.905, P=0.368; t=0.061, P=0.952). Serum cystatin C in patients with mild AKI (serum creatinine<1.5 mg/dl) and AKI serum creatinine>1.5 mg/dl were 33.59± 9.19 ng/ml and 43.32±9.02 ng/ml respectively. That was higher than that of non-AKI patients (27.94±7.93 ng/ml, P=0.022, 0.000, respectively). Serum cystatin C was the independent risk factors associated with development of AKI by a multivariate logistic regression in patients with ACLF. Conclusions Serum cystatin C measurement may contribute to more earlier diagnosis of AKI even in patients with S. creatinine<1.5 mg/dl. NGAL and MMP-9/NGAL-1 may be the biomarker of progress for ACLF.

Objective: To investigate the clinical effect and safety of entecavir capsules in the treatment of treatment-naïve HBeAg-positive patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Methods: A total of 158 HBeAg-positive CHB patients were given oral entecavir capsules at a dose of 0.5 mg/time once a day for 144 weeks. Clinical outcome and safety were evaluated at baseline and at 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, and 144 weeks of treatment respectively. The Fisher’s exact test was used for the analysis of categorical data. Results: After 144 weeks of treatment, 90.91% of all patients achieved virologic response (< 69 IU/ml), the normalization rate of alanine aminotransferase was 88.18%, the clearance rate of HBeAg was 33.33%, and the seroconversion rate of HBeAg was 24.07%. Of all patients, 2 dropped out due to adverse events and 5 experienced serious adverse reactions. Conclusion Entecavir capsules can inhibit viral replication and have good safety in treatment-naïve HBeAg-positive CHB patients.

OBJECTIVE:To study the effects of Dianxianqing granule on the interleukin(IL-6)content and glial fibrillary acid-ic protein(GFAP),ionized calcium linker molecules 1(Iba-1)expressions in hippocampus tissue of rats with kainate-induced epi-lepsy,and explore its mechanism of preventing and treating epilepsy. METHODS:Rats were randomly divided into sham operation group (distilled water),model group (distilled water),phenytoin group (0.03 g/kg,positive control) and Dianxianqing granule low-dose,medium-dose,high-dose groups(4.74,9.47,18.94 g/kg,calculated by crude drug),20 in each group. Rats were intra-gastrically administrated once a day,for 7 d. After 1 h of last administration,except for sham operation group,rats in other groups received single injection of kainite in hippocampus CA1 of left side to induce the epilepsy model. Behavioral changes and death of rats were observed. After 24 h of modeling,enzyme-linked immunosorbent method was used to detect the IL-6 content in hippocam-pus tissue of rats,Nissl staining was used to count the hippocampus neurons,and immunohistochemistry was used to detect the GFAP,Iba-1 expressions in hippocampus tissue of rats. RESULTS:Compared with sham operation group,rats in model group had obvious epilepsy symptoms after modeling,and parts of rats died;IL-6 content and number of neurons in hippocampus tissue were obviously decreased (P<0.01), while GFAP, Iba-1 expressions were obviously enhanced (P<0.01). Compared with model group,epilepsy symptoms and death in each administration group had improved,while IL-6 content in hippocampus tissue were in-creased to varying degrees,with no statistical significance (P>0.05). The numbers of neurons in phenytoin group,Dianxianqinggranule medium-dose, high-dose groups were obviously in-creased(P<0.01);GFAP expression was obviously decreased (P<0.01). Iba-1 expressions in hippocampus tissue in phenyt-oin group,Dianxianqing granule high-dose group were obvi-ously decreased (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS:Dianxianqing granule can play the role in preventing and treating epilepsy by inhibiting GFAP,Iba-1 expressions in hippocampus tissue and in-creasing the number of neurons in hippocampus tissue.

Translational medicine means that to establish a bridge between fundamental research and clinical medicine through bidirectional translation path in order to promote the translation and application from fundamental research to clinical medicine.The purpose of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) translational model is to collate and build one multidimensional TCM translational model,rationality carry out the research on TCM translation.Three paths have been confirmed,where are from literature research to clinical verification,from clinical application to clinical verification,and from experiment to clinical verification.In this research,methodology of one path mcntioned above could be established,which is the key technology of translational medicine.Take constipation,insomnia,and post-flu cough as target diseases to investigate the herbal compounds which could be qualified for clinical application based on preliminary work.This research not only provided clinical data to TCM translation,but also established one methodology of TCM translation path--"from experiment to clinical verification".

Invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) are an important factor affecting the prognosis of patients with severe liver diseases, and their early diagnosis remains a challenge for clinicians. The four most commonly seen IFDs are candidiasis, aspergillosis, cryptococcosis, and pneumocystis pneumonia. We should pay attention to the risk of developing IFDs in patients with severe liver diseases during clinical management. Particularly, early diagnosis and proper treatment of IFDs are important in high-risk patients. These are vital to improving the prognosis of patients with severe liver diseases.

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical characteristics of patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD).

METHODSThe records of the 302 Hospital of People's Liberation Army (Beijing, China) were searched to identify patients diagnosed with liver disease for retrospective analysis of ALD. Measurement data was summarized as mean +/- standard deviation and intergroup comparisons were made using ANOVA; count data was assessed using the chi-square test.

RESULTSAmong the total 4132 ALD cases, 97.68% were male and 2.32% were female; ages ranged from 18 to 95 years-old,with the average age being 48.11+/-10.58 years and the range of 40 to 60 years-old being the most frequently represented.Considering all patients with liver disease from 2003 to 2012,ALD cases increased over time (from 2.00% in 2003 to 5.05% in 2012). The overall ALD cases were represented by alcoholic cirrhosis (70.35%), alcoholic hepatitis (19.26%), alcoholic fatty liver (6.29%), and alcoholic liver failure (4.09%). Among the ALD patients between 40 and 60 years of age, 73.81% had cirrhosis,compared to 50.42% of ALD patients less than 40 years-old (P less than 0.001). Comparison of ALD cases in 5-year increments showed increasing trends in rates of alcoholic cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatic failure;moreover, there was an increasing annual trend in the percentage of alcoholic liver failure cases among the total cases of liver failure in our hospital.

CONCLUSIONFrom 2003 to 2012,our hospital admissions increased for patients with alcoholic liver disease, and the patients were primarily in the age range of 40-60 years-old. In general, incidences of alcoholic liver failure and cirrhosis increased in recent years, and cirrhosis has been common among the elderly patients with ALD.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Beijing ; Fatty Liver, Alcoholic ; epidemiology ; Female ; Hepatitis, Alcoholic ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Liver Cirrhosis ; epidemiology ; Liver Diseases, Alcoholic ; epidemiology ; Liver Failure ; epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

Objective:To assess the possibility of suicide in setting condition among urban and rural residents samples in northern China.Methods:By randomly sampling,1007 persons aged 18 years or older were selected from 10 urban neighborhoods in Beijing and from 10 rural village in Hebei province.The Survey Schedule of Atti-tudes in China in which 24 negative life events were listed,and the possibility of committing suicide was asked to the subjects when they encountered the supposed events.Results:The rates of thinking about committing suicide when encountered the supposed life events were 65.2% of incurable illness,62.0% of burden on other and no future hope,61.2% of drug dependence,57.3% of large debt due to gambling,54.2% of being raped, 51.6% of severe depression,50.7% of being elderly and no family to provide support.Only 14.6% of the ur-ban and rural residents would not consider suicide when encountered any type of supposed problems.Conclusion:There is higher possibility of considering suicide in urban and rural residents when encountered negative life events, so it is important to give support to the residents with one or more life events.