Clinical and experimental study on bushen cong-er tablet in treating sensorineural hearing loss

According to the "Kidney has its orfice in the ear" in TCM theory, the authors adopted Bushen Cong-er tablet, a TCM preparation with the treating principles of the Kidney reinforcing and blood circulation promoting to remove stasis as well as to open up the apertures in treating 310 cases of sensorineural hearing loss. The results showed that therapeutical effect was satisfactory. The total effectve rate was 71.9%. Animal experiment also demonstrate the drug could prevent and cure the aminoglycoside antibiotic ototoxic hearing loss, could adjust the cochlear cyclic neucleotides as well as its SOD level and reduce the LPO level, raise the thyroid function and the function of sexual gland.     

Clinical and immunological study of 7 patients with minocycline-induced autoimmune phenomena

PURPOSE: Prolonged treatment with minocycline for acne vulgaris has been associated with the development of arthralgia, arthritis, and other autoimmune phenomena. We characterized the clinical, laboratory, and immunological profiles of seven patients with this syndrome. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Clinically the patients were studied with special emphasis on prior minocycline treatment, presenting symptoms, physical findings, course, and outcome. Laboratory tests included fluorescent antinuclear and antineutrophil cytoplasmic (ANCA) antibodies, as well as antibodies to myeloperoxidase, bactericidal permeability increasing protein, elastase, cathepsin G, lactoferrin, cardiolipin, and histone. RESULTS: All 7 patients presented with polyarthritis or arthralgia, morning stiffness, and fever after 6 to 36 months of minocycline treatment. The skin was involved in five patients (three with livedo reticularis and two with subcutaneous nodules). Two patients had chronic active hepatitis. Increased titers of perinuclear ANCA (p-ANCA) were detected in all seven patients; five patients had fluorescent antinuclear antibodies, two had antihistone autoantibodies and one had anticardiolipin antibodies. Antigenic characterization of p-ANCA disclosed antibodies to bactericidal permeability increasing protein in one patient, to elastase in three patients, and to cathepsin G in five patients. Symptoms resolved in five patients upon discontinuation of minocycline; the other two patients were treated with corticosteroids and also achieved remissions. CONCLUSION: Minocycline-induced autoimmune syndrome is characterized by reversible polyarthralgia or arthritis, morning stiffness, fever, frequent skin involvement, occasional chronic active hepatitis, and increased titers of p-ANCA with various minor p-ANCA-related antigens.     

提高金氰化回收率试验研究与工业实践

针对云南某大型金矿矿石金氰化回收率偏低的原因进行了试验研究,并应用于工业化生产实践。通过提高磨矿细度、球磨加药、建立磨矿闭路循环、调整固液比、延长浸出时间、提前吸附和合理的氰化钠用量等措施,获得了浸出尾渣金品位小于0.16 g/t,金浸出率大于93%,回收率达92%的生产技术指标,经济效益显著。     

提高金、银、铜回收率的焙烧-氰化试验研究

提出了一个在金精矿焙烧－氰化工艺中提高金、银、铜浸出率的焙烧方法。该法基于在金精矿中加入一定量的碳酸钠进行焙烧,可有效地提高金、银、铜的浸出率。经含硐、砷不同类型金精矿验证,银的回收率可提高30％以上,金、铜的回收率也有所提高。新焙烧方法具有不增加设备、成本低、简单易行等特点。     

The effects of thymostimulin on immunological function in patients with head and neck cancer

Patients with head and neck carcinoma show deficits of cellular immunity, probably due to low molecular mass factors (LMMFs) released by the tumour. Thymostimulin (TP1) restores the defective monocyte chemotaxis and dendritic cell clustering capability in the presence of the tumour when administered pre-operatively. In the present study we investigated these immune parameters in 39 patients treated with TP1 for 10 days pre- and 6 months post-operatively and in 22 patients who were not treated with TP1 for 6 months after operation. Removal of the tumour in non-TP1-treated patients also resulted in a restoration of monocyte and dendritic cell functions, while TP1 treatment gave no additional effect. LMMF levels in the blood of both TP1-treated and non-TP1-treated patients remained elevated even after removal of the tumour, and it is therefore concluded that it is unlikely that depression of cellular immunity is a direct effect of these LMMFS.     

皮肌炎合并甲状腺功能异常的临床及免疫学特征分析

目的:探讨合并甲状腺功能异常的皮肌炎(dermatomyositis,DM)患者临床及免疫学特征.方法:回顾性分析70例DM患者的临床表现、肌酶水平、自身抗体、红细胞沉降率(erythrocyte sedimentation rate,ESR)、C反应蛋白(C-reactive protein,CRP)、免疫球蛋白、血脂等指标,依据甲状腺功能情况进行分组比较.结果:70例DM患者中甲状腺功能异常者达48%,主要表现为甲状腺功能减低,但患者多无甲状腺功能减低的临床症状.与甲状腺功能正常组比较,甲状腺功能异常组的患者多见发热、V型征、Gottron征,也常出现CRP、IgG升高,两组患者系统器官受累情况及肿瘤发生率比较差异无统计学意义.结论:DM患者甲状腺功能异常的发生率高,常表现为亚临床型甲状腺功能减低,可能与两种疾病存在共同的免疫机制有关,临床上应予重视.     

Clinical study on uterine cervix ripening with hyaluronidase and animal experimentation on mechanism of action

The clinical course of labor in 53 cases with cervical injection of hyaluronidase (HD) and 51 cases with intravenous infusion of oxytocin to ripen the cervix was studied. The success rate of HD group (92.5%) was significantly higher than that of control group (62.8%). HD was without adverse side effects, and did not induce uterine contraction and therefore was preferable for high risk pregnancy cases. This method needed less time for cervical priming than others. The drug is easily available, not expensive and the method is simple. The animal experiments showed the mechanism of action of cervical ripening by HD was probably as follows: (1) the dissociation of ground substance in cervical connective tissue; (2) The destruction of blood vessels permit the migrating of leucocytes to surrounding tissue and resolve collagen; (3) stimulation of cervical fibroblasts to release prostaglandin.     

Clinical observation on effect of xiaoyu zhixue tablet on 104 patients with idiopathic multifocal bleeding and platelet aggregation defect

In a group of 7,721 foetuses with a high or low risk of cardiovascular pathology of the foetus, examined by complete foetal echocardiography, the authors found hyperechogenic ventricular structures in 211 foetuses (2.73% of the group) with a dominating localization in the left ventricle (97%). These structures are in the great majority a benign development variant which involves no risk for the development of the foetus. Rare localization beyond the left ventricle were not risk for the development of the foetus. Rare localization beyond the left ventricle were not associated with cardiac or other foetal pathologies. Echogenic ventricular focuses were not visualized by transvaginal echocardiography in the 13th week of pregnancy, although they were revealed in the same patient during the 21st week. Their presence does not affect left ventricular function and the function of the mitral valve pre-or postnatally. In the differential diagnosis these structures must be always differentiated from thrombi or cardiac tumours.     

Clinical and immunological analysis of Birch pollenosis

In recent years, the number of cases Birch pollenosis has increased, but there have been very few reports, and therefore we decided to carry on this clinical and immunological analysis as follows. (1) Statistical analysis of Birch pollenosis patients who visited the Department of Otorhinolaryngology of Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo. (2) Study of atmospheric birch pollen counts and investigation of the relationship between the incidence of pollenosis and pollen count. (3) Allergen analysis of Japanese Birch pollen using Western blotting method. (1) From 1990 to 1992, 392 cases of nasal allergy visited our hospital and 74 cases (18.9% of all cases) were birch pollenosis. There was a significant increase in the number of cases birch pollenosis, compared with previous reports. (2) Atmospheric pollen grains of birch pollen were collected by Durham's pollen trap at Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo from 1990 to 1992. In this study, birch pollen was collected from the beginning of April to the middle of June. The first day when birch pollen was collected in this study was about one month earlier than previously reported. We suspected that the mean temperature rise of Sapporo city in April is one of the factors that lead to the increase of incidence of birch pollenosis. (3) Allergens in birch pollens from Betula platyphylla Sukatchev var. japonica and Betula Ermanii Cham in Japan were identified by Western blotting, following separation by SDS-PAGE, transfer to PVDF membranes and incubation with sera from 35 birch pollenosis patients. In almost all cases, 17kd molecular from B. platyphylla and B. Ermanii pollen proteins were detected as the major IgE binding components.     

Regulation of uterine immune function by progesterone--lessons from the sheep

Analyzing cross-sectional data from the National Medical Expenditure Survey (NMES), we find that the predicted probability of private insurance coverage for low-income individuals as a group fell dramatically from 1977 to 1987. The results of a decompositional technique show that the relationship between full-time employment and private insurance has weakened over the period for low-income females, but has strengthened for males in this group. While it appears that low-income females benefit from part-time employment relative to their unemployed cohorts, no discernible difference is found in the likelihood of being covered by private insurance for part-time and unemployed males. Finally, evidence suggesting a weakening over time in the relationship between part-time employment and private insurance coverage is found among middle-income females and high-income males. From a policy perspective, passage of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 has taken an important first step in attempting to lower the number of uninsured, especially among full-time workers. Our findings, however, suggest that this legislation may be too limited in scope to effectively reach part-time workers presently uninsured.     

Clinical and experimental study on Ligusticum wallichii mixture in preventing and treating bronchial asthma

To investigate the significance of Ligusticum wallichii Mixture (LWM) and its possible therapeutical mechanism in bronchial asthma, clinical and experimental studies were carried out. RESULTS: LWM inhibited bronchospasm induced by histamine and acetylcholine in guinea pigs; the plasma level of TXB2 was decreased remarkably and the incubation period from antigen inhalation to asthma attack could be delayed by LWM; the incidence of asthma and its mortality were reduced in guinea pigs, compared with control, P < 0.01. In addition, the prolonged period of induced asthma attack was negatively correlated to the plasma level of TXB2 in guinea pigs (P < 0.01). It was observed that the plasma level of TXB2 was decreased, the forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1%) was elevated significantly in asthmatic patients after they were treated by LWM. Moreover, the total effective rate was significantly better than that in the control (92% : 62%). It indicated that: (1) The effects of airway allergic inflammation (AAI) might be the important pathological basis for the bronchial asthma, (2) TXA2 might be an important inflammatory mediator in asthma which could be taken as an useful biochemical parameter for evaluating clinical effects, (3) LWM could relax tracheal smooth muscle, improve pulmonary function, inhibit the synthesis and release of TXA2 with no side effects.     

Determination of tablet coating distribution by deconvolution of uncoated and coated tablet weight distributions

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research is to obtain the tablet coating distribution from weight distributions of uncoated and coated tablets. METHODS: The method of deconvolution with digital smoothing was used to calculate the distribution of coating applied to a tablet population from separate random measurements of individual uncoated and coated tablets. RESULTS: It was demonstrated that the calculated coating weight distribution agrees well with the measured distribution. The effect of the smoothing factor on the solution is illustrated. CONCLUSIONS: This method can be used during development to facilitate process scale-up/optimization. In routine production, the method can assess the reproducibility and consistency of a coating process.     

The effects of the posterior sagittal approach on rectal function (experimental study)

The posterior sagittal transsphincteric approach has been used for the treatment of anorectal malformations in children and for other acquired conditions mainly in adults. Although the reports on clinical results indicate that the division of the sphincteric mechanism does not harm the function of the voluntary muscles, there are no experimental objective evaluations of the rectal function and fecal continence after a posterior sagittal transsphincteric approach. Sixteen dogs were studied forming four groups of four animals each. Group I was subjected to a posterior sagittal approach only without opening of the rectum. Group II underwent a posterior sagittal approach plus posterior and anterior rectotomy. Group III underwent a posterior sagittal approach plus a perirectal dissection, and group IV underwent only a perirectal dissection without posterior sagittal incision. All animals were evaluated clinically and manometrically preoperatively and postoperatively and were followed up to 12 weeks. Results indicated that the perirectal dissection with and without posterior sagittal incision provoked the most severe changes in bowel control and manometric parameters. Posterior sagittal approach with or without rectotomy provoked minimal or no changes in bowel function and rectal manometry. This experimental study supports the clinical experiences and indicates that the posterior approach does not interfere with the function of the sphincteric mechanism.     

Clinical and experimental study of shengxue syrup in treating chronic aplastic anemia

The Shengxue Syrup (SXS) composed of Chinese medicinal herbs for invigorating the function of Spleen and resplenishing the Kidney was used in treating 115 chronic aplastic anemia patients. The SXS group consisted of 67 patients. After the median 20 months treatment the total effective rate (TER) was 97.0%. The other group was SXS + testosterone group consisted of 48 patients. After median 17.5 month treatment the TER was 95.8%. The difference of TER between two groups was insignificant. The result of animal experiment showed that SXS could markedly enhance the hematopoietic stem cells as well as progenitor cells proliferation of bone marrow in mice.     

Regulation of cadherin function by Rho and Rac: modulation by junction maturation and cellular context

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a highly specific mitogen for vascular endothelial cells. Five VEGF isoforms are generated as a result of alternative splicing from a single VEGF gene. These isoforms differ in their molecular mass and in biological properties such as their ability to bind to cell-surface heparan-sulfate proteoglycans. The expression of VEGF is potentiated in response to hypoxia, by activated oncogenes, and by a variety of cytokines. VEGF induces endothelial cell proliferation, promotes cell migration, and inhibits apoptosis. In vivo VEGF induces angiogenesis as well as permeabilization of blood vessels, and plays a central role in the regulation of vasculogenesis. Deregulated VEGF expression contributes to the development of solid tumors by promoting tumor angiogenesis and to the etiology of several additional diseases that are characterized by abnormal angiogenesis. Consequently, inhibition of VEGF signaling abrogates the development of a wide variety of tumors. The various VEGF forms bind to two tyrosine-kinase receptors, VEGFR-1 (flt-1) and VEGFR-2 (KDR/flk-1), which are expressed almost exclusively in endothelial cells. Endothelial cells express in addition the neuropilin-1 and neuropilin-2 coreceptors, which bind selectively to the 165 amino acid form of VEGF (VEGF165). This review focuses on recent developments that have widened considerably our understanding of the mechanisms that control VEGF production and VEGF signal transduction and on recent studies that have shed light on the mechanisms by which VEGF regulates angiogenesis.