Meta-analysis of Bailing Capsules in improvement of microinflammation and nutritional status among maintenance hemodialysis patients / 中国中药杂志

This Meta-analysis was designed to evaluate the effects of Bailing Capsules on microinflammation and nutritional status of maintenance hemodialysis patients, and to determine its efficacy and safety. The randomized controlled trials concerning the intervention of microinflammation and nutritional status in maintenance hemodialysis patients with Bailing Capsules were searched from Chinese and English databases including CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, PubMed, EMbase, and Cochrane Library. A total of 16 articles were obtained, involving 1 095 cases. As revealed by Meta-analysis,(1)Bailing Capsules lowered the levels of serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein(SMD=-0.92, 95%CI[-1.05,-0.80], P<0.000 01), interleukin-6(SMD=-1.49, 95%CI[-1.96,-1.02], P<0.000 01), and tumor necrosis factor-α(SMD=-1.48, 95%CI[-1.68,-1.28], P<0.000 01) in patients with maintenance hemodialysis, thus alleviating microinflammation.(2)Bailing Capsules elevated the levels of serum hemoglobin(SMD=1.37, 95%CI[1.21, 1.54], P<0.000 01), albumin(SMD=0.78, 95%CI[0.57, 0.98], P<0.000 01), and triglyceride(SMD=0.29, 95%CI[0.07, 0.50], P=0.01) in patients with hemodialysis to improve their nutritional status.(3)Bailing Capsules reduced the incidence of cardiovascular events(RR=0.45, 95%CI[0.34, 0.59], P<0.000 01).(4)A total of six patients presented with mild gastrointestinal discomfort after receiving Bailing Capsules, and no serious adverse reactions were observed. The sequential analysis showed that the sample size of this Meta-analysis had reached the expected value. Meanwhile, the grade of evidence quality suggested that the outcome indicators were mainly low or extremely low in quality. In conclusion, Bailing Capsules might have potential advantages in alleviating microinflammation, improving nutritional status, and reducing the incidence of cardiovascular events. However, in view of the low quality and evidence of the included literature, high-quality clinical trials are needed to further confirm the efficacy and safety of Bailing Capsules.

Effect of acupuncture and moxibustion at "Feishu"Dazhui"and "Fengmen"on the expression of CC chemokine ligand 1 and CC chemokine receptor 8 in lung tissue of rats with asthma / 针刺研究

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protein expression of CC chemokine ligand 1 (CCL1) and CC chemokine receptor 8 (CCR8) in the lung tissue of rats and the mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion at "Feishu"(BL13), "Dazhui" (GV14) and "Fengmen"(BL12) in the treatment of asthma. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into blank， model, acupuncture and moxibustion groups，n=10 in each group. Ovalbumin sensitization via intraperitoneal injection was performed to establish a model of asthma. The rats in the acupuncture group and the moxibustion group were given acupuncture for 20 min or circling moxibustion for 10 min at BL13, GV14 and BL12, once a day for 7 days. H.E. staining was used to observe the morphological changes of lung tissue. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) in lung tissue and immunohistochemistry was used to measure the protein expression of CCL1 and CCR8 in lung tissue. RESULTS: H.E. staining showed that the rats in the blank group had regular bronchial lumens and alveolar arrangement, with no inflammatory cell infiltration and aggregation around the bronchi; the rats in the model group had the infiltration and aggregation of a large number of inflammatory cells around the bronchi, stenosis of bronchial lumens, wall thickening, and alveolar structural disorder; compared with the model group, the acupuncture group and the moxibustion group had lower degrees of inflammatory cell infiltration and aggregation around the bronchi, stenosis of bronchial lumens, and wall thickening, as well as regular alveolar arrangement. The model group had significantly higher protein expression of CCL1 and CCR8 and mRNA expression of STAT6 than the blank group (P<0.05), and the acupuncture group and the moxibustion group had significantly lower protein expression of CCL1 and CCR8 and mRNA expression of STAT6 (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture and moxibustion can intervene against airway inflammation by inhibiting the protein expression of CCL1 and CCR8 and STAT6 signal transduction in lung tissue, which may be one of the mechanisms of acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of asthma.

Peripartum management of pregnancy with congenital heart disease / 中国实用妇科与产科杂志

The survival rate of adult patients with congenital heart disease(CHD)has increased during the last few decades as a result of significant improvement in diagnosis and treatment.Women with CHD are therefore more likely to live to childbearing age,and to decide to have children.Compared with the general parturients,maternal risk and neonatal complications such as prematurity,intra-uterine fetal growth restriction,fetal demise,or neonatal mortality,are increased in pregnant women with CHD.How can we minimize the maternal mortality and morbidity risk and improve perinatal outcome?We retrospectively reviewed articles and documents about pregnancy with congenital heart disease,and tried to discuss it in this article.

Study on absorption and accumulation of mercury in rats by repeated administration of Yuhong ointment / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study in vivo mercury absorption and accumulation through repeated transdermal administration of Yuhong ointment containing calomel, in order to provide scientific evidences for clinical safe medication.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>A total of 100 SD rats were randomly classified into five groups: the control group, the Yuhong ointment group, the double-concentration Yuhong Ointment group, the quadruple-concentration Yuhong ointment group and the 1.6% calomel group. The rats were treated with the dosage of 0.04 g . cm-2 by repeated transdermal administration for 2, 4 weeks. After the drug discontinuance for 4 weeks, the levels of mercury in blood, urine, and tissues of heart, liver, brain and kidney were determined, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Compared with the control group, the blood mercury level of the Yuhong ointment group show no obvious change after treatment for 4 weeks. However, the levels of mercury in blood and urine of other experimental groups increased significantly with time and the increase in dosage, and so did the level of mercury in major organ. At 4 weeks, all experimental groups showed increase in the content of mercury, and kidneys displayed the highest level, whereas brain displayed the lowest level After the drug discontinuance for 4 weeks, the mercury level in blood and urine of every dose group recovered to normal, with significant decline in the content of mercury in each organ.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>After transdermal administration in rats for 4 weeks, there was no obvious absorption of mercury in blood. Mercury was mainly accumulated in kidneys and excreted through urine. The results suggest that the patients' mercury content and kidney function indexes need to be monitored in long-term clinical use of Yuhong ointment.</p>

Inhibiting effect of CaMKIIN up-regulation on leukemia cells growth and its mechanism / 中华血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the inhibitory effects of CaMKIIN on acute myeloid leukemia cell line HL-60 to explore a novel therapeutic target of leukemia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Human CaMK II N gene expression vector pcDNA3.1/hCaMKIIN or empty vector pcDNA3.1/myc-His (-) B was transfected into HL-60 cells by Lipofectamine 2000. Human CaMK II N proteins of transfected cells were detected by Western blot. Cell proliferation affected by human CaMKIIN was determined by MTT. Colony-forming assay was performed by soft agar growth system. The cells transfected with CaMKIIN were stained with Hoechst 33342 to detect the apoptotic proportion under fluorescence microscopy. Cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Human CaMKIIN was stably transfected into HL-60 cells, and overexpression of human CaMKIIN inhibited the proliferation of HL-60/CaMKIIN cells compared to HL-60/mock cells and HL-60 cells [(0.44 ± 0.03) vs (0.94 ± 0.05) vs (0.94 ± 0.04), P<0.01]. The colony formation of HL-60/CaMKIIN was also markedly smaller[(21.00 ± 3.05)/500] than that of mock-transfected [(111.00±4.58)/500]] and control cells [(119.00±6.09)/500] (P<0.01). After 72 hrs-culture, the apoptotic proportion in cells transfected with CaMK II N was obviously higher than of cells transfected with mock DNA or control [(22.49 ± 2.15)% vs (7.17 ± 0.72)% vs (6.40 ± 0.55)%, P<0.01]. Up to (82.97 ± 2.90)% human CaMKIIN/HL-60 cells were arrested at G0/G1 phase, which was more than mock-transfected [(40.53 ± 2.38)%] and control cells [(41.63 ± 2.27)%] (P<0.05). Human CaMKIIN could down-regulate expression of Bcl-2 in transfected cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CaMK IIN up-regulation could inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of human acute myeloid leukemia cell HL-60.</p>

Expression of cysteine rich 61 and vascular endothelial growth factor genes in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and their relationship / 中华血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the expression of Cysleine-rich 61(Cyr61) gene in the different subtypes of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and the significance of Cyr61 in the genesis progression, and transformation of MDS and the relationship between Cyr61 and vascular endothelial grown factor (VEGF).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemical S-P were used to detect mRNA and protein expressions of Cyr61 and VEGF in bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC) from 28 MDS, 12 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients, and 10 normal volunteers.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Expressions of Cyr61 and VEGF were higher in MDS and AML patients than in controls (P < 0.05). The expressions of Cyr61 and VEGF were significantly higher in high risk group (0.3998 +/- 0.2647, 0.4775 +/- 0.1342) than that in low risk MDS group (0.2213 +/- 0.1465, 0.2872 +/- 0.2341) (P < 0.05), but no significant difference between high risk MDS and AML patients. Expressions of Cyr61 and VEGF protein were higher in MDS patients than in normal controls (P < 0.05), and were significantly higher in high risk MDS group \[(38.7 +/- 2.9)%, (43.2 +/- 2.7)%\] than in low risk group \[(31.4 +/- 3.1)%, (33.5 +/- 3.4)%\] (P < 0.05). Expressions of Cyr61 and VEGF were significantly correlated (r = 0.8762, P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Cyr61 and VEGF may play a role in the angiogenesis and pathogenesis of MDS.</p>