[New progress and challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of cosmetic allergy-related adverse reactions].

In China, the current standard for cosmetic adverse reactions related skin disease (GB/T 17149.1-1997) was jointly issued by the Ministry of Health and the State Bureau of Technical Supervision in 1997, cosmetic-allergic adverse reactions include allergic contact dermatitis and photo-allergic contact dermatitis according to this standard. The increasing use and changes in cosmetic ingredients or formula lead to a significant increase for the incidence of adverse reactions as the cosmetics industry is developing rapidly in the last 20 years. In the meantime, the clinical manifestations have become more diverse. In recent years, there have been many reports on the special manifestations for cosmetic allergy and allergen test, which provide a reference for the subsequent improvement of the diagnosis and prevention.

[Clinical efficacy of 585 nm Q-switched laser treatment on inflammatory lesion and postinflammatory erythema of acne vulgaris].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of 585 nm Q-switched laser in the treatment of acne inflammatory lesions and postinflammatory erythema. METHODS: A total of 25 patients with moderate facial acne, symmetrical distribution of inflammatory lesions and postinflammatory erythema on both sides of the face, were enrolled. Among the 25 patients, 22 patients completed all the treatment and evaluation, and 3 patients were lost to follow-up. 585 nm Q-switched laser was used on a randomly selected side of the face for three times of treatment at a 2 week interval. The evaluations were made before each treatment, 2 and 4 weeks after the last treatment, therefore the evaluation time points were before the treatment, weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8, respectively, for a total of 5 times. Acne severity was assessed using the investigator' s global assessment (IGA) score, and erythema severity was assessed using the investigator' s subjective erythema score and narrow-spectrum reflectance spectrophotometer at each follow-up. RESULTS: After 3 times of treatment, there was statistically significant difference between the IGA score in week 8 and before treatment on both sides(Z=2.64, P < 0.01; Z=2.67, P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in IGA score between the treatment side and the control side before treatment and in week 8 (P=0.59, P=0.26). There was statistically significant difference between the investiga-tor' s subjective erythema score in week 8 and before treatment on the treatment side(Z=4.24, P < 0.01), while no significant difference was showed on the control side(Z=1.73, P=0.08). In week 8, the investigator's subjective erythema score of the treatment side was lower than that of the control side (Z=3.61, P < 0.01). The erythema index of the treatment side was significantly decreased at 5 time points (P < 0.01), and the index decreased significantly in week 8 compared with the index before treatment (P < 0.01), while the erythema index of the control side was not significantly different at 5 time points. The treatment related adverse events included erythema and edema after treatment and pain during treatment, the severity was mild to moderate, which resolved spontaneously within 1 to 3 days. Nine patients were very satisfied with the treatment, 7 patients were satisfied, and 6 patients considered average. CONCLUSION: 585 nm Q-switched laser has some effect in the treatment of postinflammatory erythema, and it ensures good tolerance and safety. There was no statistically significant difference between the treatment side and the control side on the improvement of acne inflammatory lesions.

Experimental demonstration of subwavelength domino plasmon devices for compact high-frequency circuit.

In optical frequency, surface plasmons of metal provide us a prominent way to build compact photonic devices or circuits with non-diffraction limit. It is attributed by their extraordinary electromagnetic confining effect. But in the counterpart of lower frequencies, plasmonics behavior of metal is screened by eddy current induced in a certain skin depth. To amend this, spoof plasmons engineered by artificial structures have been introduced to mimic surface plasmons in these frequencies. But it is less useful for practical application due to their weak field confinement as manifested by large field decaying length in the upper dielectric space. Recently, a new type of engineered plasmons, domino plasmon was theoretically proposed to produce unusual field confinement and waveguiding capabilities that make them very attractive for ultra-compact device applications [Opt. Exp. 18, 754-764 (2010)]. In this work, we implemented these ideas and built three waveguiding devices based on domino plasmons. Their strong capabilities to produce versatile and ultra-compact devices with multiple electromagnetic functions have been experimentally verified in microwaves. And that can be extended to THz regime to pave the way for a new class of integrated wave circuits.

Atorvastatin improves the cardiac function of rats after acute myocardial infarction through ERK1/2 pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To study the regulatory effect of atorvastatin (ATV) on the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 pathway and explore its effect on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The rat model of AMI was established, and the model rats were randomly divided into AMI group and ATV-AMI group, and Sham group was also set up. At 4 weeks after successful modeling, the cardiac function indexes of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were detected via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and echocardiography (ECG). After the rats were executed, the left ventricular weight index (LVWI) was measured, and the myocardial damage was detected via hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Moreover, the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expressions of collagen I and collagen III in myocardial tissues were detected via Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), and the expressions of ERK1/2 pathway-related proteins in myocardial tissues were detected via Western blotting. RESULTS: After administration of ATV for AMI, the fractional shortening (FS%) and ejection fraction (EF%) were significantly restored. Compared with that in ATV-AMI group, LVWI was significantly increased in AMI group (p<0.05), indicating that ATV could improve the cardiac function after AMI. The results of HE staining and TUNEL staining showed that ATV-AMI group had slighter myocardial damage and significantly lower apoptosis rate than AMI group, indicating that ATV could reverse AMI through the ERK1/2 pathway. Besides, the mRNA expressions of collagen I and collagen III were higher in AMI group and ATV-AMI group than those in Sham group (p<0.05), while they were significantly lower in ATV-AMI group than those in AMI group (p<0.05). The expressions of ERK1/2 pathway-related proteins were also higher in AMI group and ATV-AMI group than those in Sham group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: ATV can significantly improve the cardiac function of SD rats after AMI, whose mechanism is related to the expression of the ERK1/2 pathway.

[Measurement of cytoplasmic Ca2+ activity in myocardia with Ca(2+)-sensitive microelectrode].

The improved neutral ligand ETH1001 Ca(2+)-sensitive microelectrodes (Ca-ISE, tip diameter 0.4-0.8 mumol.L-1) are highly ion selective and sensitive and therefore can be reliably used to measure cytoplasmic Ca2+ activity (alpha iCa) in myocardia. The resting alpha iCa in guinea-pig ventricular trabecula, canine ventricular myocardia and Purkinje fibers were respectively 0.19 +/- 0.01, 0.20 +/- 0.02 and 0.46 +/- 0.07 mumol.L-1. Three mumol.L-1 strophantin G increased the resting and dynamic myocardial alpha iCa by 0.18 +/- 0.02 and 6.69 +/- 2.09 mumol.L-1 respectively, as well as engendered triggered activity (TA). When pretreated with 100 mumol.L-1 dauricine (Dau), strophantin G could no longer increase alpha iCa and TA disappeared. It is suggested thus the applicability of Ca-ISE for measurement of myocardia alpha iCa and TA is obvious.

A study of calcium ion-selective PVC membrane electrode based on neutral carrier N,n,n',n'-tetracyclo-3-oxapentanediamide (correction of oxapetanediamide).

A calcium ion-selective PVC membrane electrode based on neutral carrier n,n,n',n'-tetracyclohexyl-3-oxapetanediamide, using di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate as the plasticizer and potassium tetrakis (4-chlorophenyl) borate as the additive is reported in this paper. The ion selective membrane consists of 1 wt% of the Ca2+ selective ligand, 65 wt% of the plasticizer, 1 wt% of the additive and 33 wt% of poly (vinyl chloride) powder. The electrode has the linear response range of 2.0 x 10(-7)-10(-1) mol/L with the Nernstian slope of 28 mV/decade at 25 degrees C and the detection limit of 2.0 x 10(-8) mol/L. The response time of the calcium ion-selective electrode is as the concentration of calcium ion is rapidly shifted from 10(-5) to 10(-4) mol/L. The potential stability and reproducibility are good. The free calcium in blood serum was determined by the calcium ion-selective electrode with satisfactory results.

Effects of daurisoline on intracellular Ca2+ activity in myocardium.

AIM: To explain the effect of daurisoline (DS) on delayed afterdepolarization (DAD). METHODS: Ca(2+)-sensitive microelectrode technic was used to record intracellular Ca2+ activity (alpha Cai) and triggered activity (TA) arising from DAD in myocardium. RESULTS: Strophantin G 3 mumol.L-1 yielded an increase in resting myocardial alpha Cai by 0.19 +/- 0.11 mumol.L-1 and transient elevations of alpha Cai by 1.48 +/- 0.55 and 4.96 +/- 1.81 mumol.L-1, respectively during the development of DAD and TA. By pretreatment with DS or verapamil, strophantin G-caused elevations of the alpha Cai in resting and provoked myocardia were eliminated and TA disappeared. DS 50 mumol.L-1 reduced Na(+)-free medium-induced elevation of dog Purkinje fibrous alpha Cai and abolished caffeine-induced increase of dog myocardial alpha Cai. CONCLUSIONS: DS inhibited DAD and TA by preventing an increase of alpha Cai via transmembrane Ca2+ entry and Ca2+ release from the reticulum.