Objective:The aim of this study was to explore the associations of muscle size and density with handgrip strength(HGS)and the Timed Up and Go(TUG)test.Methods:Totally 301 participants living in the Xinjiekou community near Beijing Jishuitan Hospital were recruited for CT imaging of the hip and a 1-cm slice of the mid-thigh.The cross-sectional area and density of the gluteus maximus and the mid-thigh muscles were estimated by the Osirix viewer based on CT images.HGS and TUG were also performed in these subjects.Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the correlations of muscle density and size with TUG and grip strength.Results:In women, after adjustment for age and BMI, the density of the gluteus maximus was negatively correlated with TUG( P trend=0.0366), while the size of the gluteus maximus and the mid-thigh muscles was not correlated with TUG.In men, the density or size of these muscles was not correlated with TUG.After adjustment for age and BMI, the density of the gluteus maximus was positively correlated with grip strength( P trend=0.0334)and the size of the mid-thigh muscles was also positively correlated with grip strength( P trend=0.0155)in men, but they were not correlated with grip strength in women. Conclusions:There were sex differences in the relationship between muscle size or density and grip strength or timed up and go.The density of the gluteus maximus is associated with muscle strength and physical performance while the size of the mid-thigh muscles is correlated with muscle strength.

Objective To investigate the correlation between serum total bile acid level and coronary atherosclerosis. Methods The clinical data of 1408 patients who had underwent coronary angiography were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into coronary atherosclerosis group (stenosis ≥ 50%, 681 cases) and coronary normal group (stenosis < 50%, 727 cases) according to the results of coronary angiography. The general clinical data, serum total bile acid, serum creatinine, fasting plasma glucose, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and so on were compared between 2 groups, and the indexes analyzed by Spearman correlation analysis and multivariate Logistic regression analysis. Results There were no significant differences between 2 groups in the sex constitution, the family history of hyperlipidemia and the history of lipid-lowering therapy (P>0.05). The rate of smoking, rate of hypertension, rate of diabetes, age, body mass index (BMI), creatinine, fasting plasma glucose, total bile acid and low density lipoprotein cholesterol in coronary atherosclerosis group were significantly higher than those in coronary normal group:18.6%(127/681) vs. 14.2%(103/727), 64.6%(440/681) vs. 45.8%(333/727), 48.5%(330/681) vs. 22.7%(165/727), (58.9 ± 12.2) years vs. (56.7 ± 13.1) years, (25.6 ± 4.3) kg/m2 vs. (24.9 ± 4.5) kg/m2, (70.28 ± 15.94)μmol/L vs. (52.79 ± 12.75)μmol/L, (6.82 ± 2.73) mmol/L vs. (5.57 ± 2.35) mmol/L, (7.86 ± 4.38)μmol/L vs. (5.63 ± 3.71)μmol/L and (3.32 ± 0.69) mmol/L vs. (2.28 ± 0.57) mmol/L, and there were statistical differences (P<0.05 or <0.01). The Spearman correlation analysis result showed that coronary atherosclerosis was positively correlated with men, age, diabetes, hypertension, BMI, serum creatinine and total bile acid (r=0.084, 0.068, 0.322, 0.263, 0.073, 0.248 and 0.176; P < 0.05 or < 0.01). The multivariate Logistic regression analysis result showed that men, diabetes, hypertension, serum creatinine, BMI ( >24 kg/m2) and total bile acid levels were risk factors of coronary atherosclerosis (P<0.05 or<0.01). Conclusions The serum total bile acid level is positively correlated with the severity of coronary atherosclerosis, which may be one of the independent risk factors for coronary atherosclerosis.

Inflammasome is the body of protein complex which is able to identify different stimulation signals and can in‐duce immune and inflammatory responses when it is activated .NLRP3 inflammasome has been extensively studied in the central nervous system .Microglia ,perivascular macrophages and meningeal macrophages express inflammasomes .The occurrence and development of acute brain infection ,aseptic acute brain injury ,Parkinson disease and Alzheimer disease are closely related to inflammasomes .Based on mechanisms exploration of the inflammasome′s role in the central nervous system disorders ,its tar‐get drug research and development will be greatly addressed in the future .

Objective To study the genotoxicity of triptolide ,an important active component of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook f .Methods Ames test ,in vitro chromosomal aberration test of CHO cell and in vivo micronucleus assay were per-formed to investigate the genotoxicity of triptolide .Results The Ames test showed that triptolide did not increase mutagenicity for TA97 ,TA98 ,TA100 ,TA102 and TA1535 strains at the dosage of 1 .6~1000 μg per plate with and without metabolic ac-tivation system S9 .Results of in vitro CHO cell chromosomal aberration test indicated that there was no statistical difference between the triptolide groups (doses of 0 .01 ,0 .02 and 0 .04 μg/ml) and the solvent control group with and without metabolic activation system S9 .However ,triptolide significantly increased polychromatophilic erythrocyte micronucleus formation at the dosage of 720 μg/kg in ICR mice .Conclusion Triptolide did not induce genetic toxicity based on the Ames test and chromo-somal aberration test ,but could increase micronucleus formation at the dosage of 720 μg/kg .These results indicated that trip-tolide may have potential genotoxicity on human health .

Objective To evaluate the safety of fibrin sealant (FS) intraperitoneal injection in SD rats .Methods 80 male and female SD rats were randomly divided into four groups (0 ,85.5 ,171 .0 ,342 .0 mg/kg) by body weight .All rats were in-traperitoneally injected with vehicle or FS daily for 14 days followed by a 28-day recovery period .The clinical signs ,hematolog-ical and biochemical indices were measured .The pathology were observed .Results Increase of white blood cell count (WBC) and decrease of fibrinogen (FIB) in d 14 were found in 171 .0 mg/kg and 342 .0 mg/kg dosage groups .Furthermore ,the tend-ency of weight increase of spleen were found in 171 .0 mg/kg and 342 .0 mg/kg dosage groups .Pathological exams of peritoneal cavity found that there were granulation tissues containing FS in some of the rats in 342 .0 mg/kg group .All of these changes got reversed after the recovery period .Conclusion The safety dose in this study is considered to be 85.5 mg/kg ,and the toxic-ity dose is 171 .0 mg/kg .The target toxicity systems or site of FS in SD rats are hematological system ,immune system and in-jection site .The toxic effects of FS are reversible .

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is a critical nuclear transcriptional factor mediating cell adaptive response to hypoxia in mammalian and human .It is the key mediator which modulates oxygen homeostasis exclusively .In the one hand , HIF-1 can protect and promote kinds of physiological processes , such as embryo normal development , cartilage and bone formation .In the other hand, it is also involved in lots of human deceases which is caused by ischemia and hypoxia , such as tumor, diabetes and its complica-tions.The molecular mechanisms of HIF-1 involved in these diseases have become a research hotspot and such studies will provide the new therapeutic means for these diseases , recent new drug researches have been focused on HIF-1 related signal pathway inhibitors , HIF-1 activity inhibitors, HIF-1 targeted therapy, etc.

ObjectiveTo investigate the expression of CXCR4 and CD133mRNA in primary lesion of primary gastric adenocarcinoma and the relation with clinicopathological features,and to explore the correlation of CXCR4 and CD133.MethodsThe primary lesion of primary gastric adenocarcinoma and normal tissues adjacent to gastric cancer were obtained from 50 patients.The diction of CXCR4 and CD133 protein expression was detected by the immunohistochemical staining,and the relative gray scale values of CXCR4 and CD133mRNA by semi-quantitative RT-PCR (Fisher' s exact probability method).Their relationship with clinicopathological features was also investigated ( Spearman relation analysis).ResultsThe positive rates of CXCR4 and CD133 protein in gastric cancers were 76.0％ and 66.0％ respectively,which were significantly higher than that in normal tissues adjacent to gastric cancer ( 16.0％ and 10％ ; P =0.000,P =0.000).The increment of relative gray scale values of CXCR4mRNA was associated with the larger tumor diameter,the later TNM stage and the occurrence of lymphatic metastasis( P ＜ 0.05 ).And the larger diameter of tumor,the later TNM stage were associated with the higher relative gray scale values of CD133mRNA (P ＜0.05).The levels of the relative gray scale values of CXCR4 mRNA and CD133mRNA were positively related(r =0.453,P ＜ 0.01 ).ConclusionsThe higher expression of CXCR4 and CD133mRNA correlateswith tumour diameter,TNM stage and lymphatic vessel invasion. The relative gray scale values of CD133mRNA increase with the increment of the relative gray scale values of CXCR4.

The quality management of drug research,development,registration,production and marketing strengthened by good practice for pharmaceuticals ensure the drag safety,effectiveness and quality control.Teaching of new drug research and evaluation in compliance with good practice for pharmaceuticals will be of value in making teaching content close to actual work,extending the students'knowledge and training student's good habits in scientific study.

BACKGROUND: Besides being a basic growth factor crucial to maintain and promote the development, differentiation and survival of the central nervous system, nerve growth factor(NGF) also plays an important role in the repair of injured peripheral nerves.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of the muscular injection of NGF on the regeneration and functional recovery of rat sciatic nerve after crush injury.DESIGN: A randomized controlled pilot study in rats with repeated observation and measurement.SETTING: Center for new drug evaluation in a military medical university.MATERIALS: This study was performed in the Center for New Drug Evaluation, Department of Basic Medicine, Second Military Medical University during the period from July 1999 to March 2000, using 40 SD rats weighing 200 to 250 g(of either sex of half number) provided by the Sino-British SIPPR/BK Lab Aninal Ltd (Shanghai).METHODS: Forty rats were randomized into high-, mid- and low-dose NGF treatment groups, normal control group and model control group. The sciatic nerves were clamped at 6 nm distal to the sciatic notch to induce a 4-mm-wide area of crush injury. In the high-, mid-; and low-dose NGF groups, the rats were given NGF at 8, 4 and 2 μg/kg per day(corresponding to 1.6 × 10 3, 8 × 10 2 and 4 × 10 2 IU/kg per day) respectively via the muscular injection for 56 consecutive days.(NCVs) and sciatic function index(SFI) at different time points after the RESULTS: Compared with that of the model control group, the NCVs significantly increased in the high-dose NGF group 35 and 56 days after the injury,and in the mid-dose NGFgroup at 35 days(t=2.32-5.14, P ＜0.05-0.01 ). The SFIs significantly increased in all NGF-treated groups at 14 days ( t = 2. 29-6.28, P ＜ 0.05-0.01 ), with the recovery most conspicuous in high-dose NGF group; No significant difference in the SFIs was found between the NGF-treated groups on the 56th day. Morphological examination of the tissues identified no significant difference in the nerve myelin sheaths and axons in NGF-treated groups as compared with the normal control group,while in the model control group, myelin sheath dislocation with unclear microstructure was observed, accompanied by Schwann cell degeneration and necrosis.CONCLUSION: NGF promotes the repair of the damaged nerve myelin sheath and axon and stimulates nerve fiber regeneration and function recovery of the crushed rat sciatic nerves.

Objective To investigate the clinical value of aprotinin blood anesthesia in the radical excision of esophageal carcinoma. Methods A total of 90 patients with esophageal carcinoma undergoing radical excision were divided into two groups according to using aprotinin or not. Patients in experiment group (group A, 40 patients) were injected with 1 112 EPU aprotinin followed by constant pumped infusion of 278 EPU/h until 2 h after operation. Patients in the control group (group B, 50 patients) were treated with constant pumped infusion of 0.9% saline. The venous blood was collected for blood routine examination, thromboelastography(TEG) and normal coagulable function test at the following time points: before induction, at 2 h and 4 h after the beginning of operation, at the end of operation and at 12 h after operation. The changes of TEG and normal coagulable state were monitored during the whole surgical process. The intraoperative volume of hemorrhage, perioperative transfusion rate and average volume of transfusion in the two groups were compared. Results The preoperative coagulable state in experiment group was kept relatively stable during the operation. Volume of intraoperative hemorrhage, perioperative transfusion rate and average volume of blood transfusion in experiment group were significantly lower than those in the control group. Conclusion Aprotinin blood anesthesia can stabilize the coagulable state, reduce the volumes and rates of hemorrhage and transfusion, and hence can find wide application in the radical excision of esophageal carcinoma.