Changes of Bone Turnover Markers and Bone Tissue Content After Severe Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fracture.

BACKGROUND The incidence of osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVCFs) has increased significantly in recent years. In order to assess osteoporotic fracture healing process, it is necessary to study the characteristics after this type of vertebral fracture. However, there are few researches on fracture healing process in severe OVCFs. We aim to investigate the histological healing process and the kinetics of bone turnover markers following severe OVCFs. MATERIAL AND METHODS There were 149 patients with severe OVCFs included in this study. Fasting blood samples were obtained to detect bone turnover markers levels. A transpedicular bone biopsy was performed to collect bone biopsy specimens during vertebroplasty surgery. Stratification of healing process was performed: stage I (1-3 days), stage II (4-10 days), stage III (11-20 days), stage IV (21-30 days), stage V (1-3 months), stage VI (3-6 months). RESULTS Quantitative analysis of bone histomorphometry showed that a large amount of necrotic bone tissue was observed in stage VI (12.92±3.66%). Bone turnover markers showed the concentration of ß-isomerized C-terminal telopeptide (ß-CTX) which reflects activity in osteoclast continued to increase in stage VI (0.9±0.33 ng/mL). These results differed from previous reports of other type vertebral fractures. CONCLUSIONS Bone histomorphometric analysis and bone turnover markers showed that severe osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures often associated with delayed union and nonunion during the healing process.

[Treatment of Mild-to-moderate Bronchial Asthma (Heat Wheezing Syndrome) Patients at Acute Onset with Western Medicine Combined Danlong Oral Liquid: a Multi-center, Randomized Double- blinded, Positive-controlled Clinical Trial].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy and safety of Danlong Oral Liquid (DOL) combined Western medicine (WM) in treating mild-to-moderate bronchial asthma patients (heat wheezing syndrome) at acute onset. METHODS: Totally 480 mild-to-moderate bronchial asthma patients (heat wheezing syndrome) at acute onset were randomly assigned to two groups in the ratio 3:1, the treatment group (360 cases) and the control group (120 cases). All patients received basic WM treatment. Patients in the treatment group took DOL, 10 mL each time, 3 times per day for 7 days in total, while those in the control group took Kechuanning Oral Liquid (KOL) , 10 mL each time, 3 times per day for 7 days in total. Efficacy for asthma symptoms, lung functions and scores of TCM syndrome and/or main symptoms were evaluated. RESULTS: The percentage of clinical control and significant effectiveness of asthma symptoms in the treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control group (77.36% vs 56.07%, P < 0.01). The percentage of clinical control and significant effectiveness of lung functions in the treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control group (74.28% vs 50.00%, P < 0.01). The anterior-posterior difference in scores of TCM syndrome was significantly superior in the treatment group than in the control group (-11.26 ± 4.70 vs -9.21 ± 5.09, P < 0.01). The anterior-posterior difference in scores of main symptoms was significantly better in the treatment group than in the control group (-6.58 ± 3.08 vs -5.16 ± 3.45, P < 0.01). The incidence of adverse reactions was significantly lower in the treatment group than in the control group [1.73% (6/346 cases) vs 10.17% (12/118 cases) , P < 0.05]. CONCLUSION: DOL combined WM was superior to KOL in treating mild-to-moderate bronchial asthma patients (heat wheezing syndrome) at acute onset.

Novel monobactams utilizing a siderophore uptake mechanism for the treatment of gram-negative infections.

Novel siderophore-linked monobactams with in vitro and in vivo anti-microbial activity against MDR Gram-negative pathogens are described.

Discovery of azetidinyl ketolides for the treatment of susceptible and multidrug resistant community-acquired respiratory tract infections.

Respiratory tract bacterial strains are becoming increasingly resistant to currently marketed macrolide antibiotics. The current alternative telithromycin (1) from the newer ketolide class of macrolides addresses resistance but is hampered by serious safety concerns, hepatotoxicity in particular. We have discovered a novel series of azetidinyl ketolides that focus on mitigation of hepatotoxicity by minimizing hepatic turnover and time-dependent inactivation of CYP3A isoforms in the liver without compromising the potency and efficacy of 1.