Observation of the Curative Effect of the Dexamethasone Vitreous Cavity Implant for the Treatment of Irvine-Gass Syndrome / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the clinical efficacy of dexamethasone vitreous cavity implants (Ozurdex) for the treatment of macular edema (Irvine-Gass Syndrome) after cataract surgery.@*METHOD@#Eight patients (eight eyes) with Irvine-Gass syndrome were enrolled for vitreous injections with Ozurdex. The patients included six men (six eyes) and two women (two eyes) with a mean age of 67.12 ± 11.92 years. Changes in the patients best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), and intraocular pressure were compared before and after treatment.@*RESULT@#The mean visual acuity BCVA of the patients was 0.81 ± 0.26 before implantation, which improved to 0.20 ± 0.12, 0.13 ± 0.09, and 0.15 ± 0.13 at 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months after implantation, respectively ( P < 0.001). The patient's mean CMT before implantation was 703.00 ± 148.88 μm, and it reduced to 258.87 ± 37.40 μm, 236.25 ± 28.74 μm, and 278.00 ± 76.82 μm at 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months after implantation, respectively ( P < 0.001).@*CONCLUSION@#The dexamethasone vitreous cavity implant (Ozurdex) is a safe and effective treatment, which can effectively improve patient's visual acuity and reduce macular edema associated with cataract surgery.

Comprehensive evaluation of Pinellia ternata germplasm resources based on phenotypic trait classification / 中国中药杂志

The evaluation of germplasm resources is the prerequisite for the development, utilization, and conservation of Chinese medicinal resources. The selection of excellent germplasm is the key to the breeding and orderly production of Pinellia ternata. In this study, 21 germplasm materials of P. ternata from major production areas in China were collected and analyzed for population diversity after phenotypic preliminary screening. The results have revealed that the P. ternata population has abundant phenotypic variation, and the phenotypic changes could be divided into five phenotypes in terms of organ trait variation. Further analysis of variation in 20 quantitative traits of the population revealed that the coefficient of variation for adenosine content(339.05%) was the largest, while the coefficient of variation for the underground plant height(16.35%) was the smallest. Correlation analysis showed that there was a strong correlation among various traits, with 52 pairs of traits showing highly significant correlation(P<0.01) and 19 pairs of traits showing a significant correlation(P<0.05). The 21 germplasms in the test could be classified into three major clusters by cluster analysis, with Cluster Ⅱ having the highest number and content of nucleosides, making it suitable for the selection and breeding of P. ternata varieties with high content of nucleosides. The yield in Cluster Ⅲ was higher than that in other groups, making it suitable for the selection and breeding of P. ternata varieties with a high yield. All trait indicators could be simplified into five principal component factors through principal component analysis, and the cumulative contribution rate was up to 86.04%. Further, comprehensive analysis using membership function and stepwise regression analysis identified nine traits, such as plant height, main leaf length, and underground plant height as characteristic indicators for the comprehensive evaluation of germplasm resources of P. ternata. BX007, BX008, and BX005 were identified as germplasms with both high yield and high uridine content, with BX007 having the highest uridine content of 479.51 μg·g~(-1). It belonged to the germplasm of P. ternata with double bulbils and could be cultivated as a potential good variety. Based on the phenotypic classification of P. ternata, systematic resource evaluation was carried out in this study, which could lay a foundation for the excavation of genetic resources and the breeding of new varieties of P. ternata.

Applied research of ultrasound attenuation parameter in the diagnosis of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease / 中华肝脏病杂志

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy, establish a diagnostic model, and value of ultrasound attenuation parameters (UAP) to diagnose hepatic steatosis in metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and its relevant disorders. Methods: 3770 cases were selected from the Health Examination Center of the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University between October to December 2020. MAFLD diagnosis was based on the Asia-Pacific region MAFLD clinical diagnosis and treatment guidelines. The degree of hepatic steatosis was divided into mild, moderate and severe according to ultrasound imaging. UAP, clinical characteristic indexes, serum biochemical indexes, characteristics of hepatic steatosis and related factors were compared and analyzed in MAFLD patients and healthy controls. Logistic regression method was used to analyze the independent risk factors affecting the progression of hepatic steatosis in MAFLD to establish the diagnostic model. The clinical efficacy of UAP and the new model in diagnosing MAFLD was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). One-way ANOVA was used to compare means among multiple groups. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare non-normally distributed measurement data between the two groups, and rank-sum test was used to compare multiple groups. χ2 test was used to compare count data between groups. Results: Among the 3 770 cases, 650 were MAFLD, with a prevalence rate of 17.24%, and the highest prevalence was 37.23% in the age group of 60-69. The prevalence rate was significantly higher in male than female (30.34% vs. 9.17%). Age-sex analysis showed that the prevalence rate in males aged 30-69 years was 38.26%, and that in females aged over 60 years was 31.94%. UAP was significantly higher in patients with MAFLD than healthy controls (278.55 dB/m vs. 220.90 dB/m, Z=-12.592, P＜0.001), and an increasing trend with increased degree of hepatic steatosis (mild:257.20 dB/m, moderate:286.20 dB/m, and severe: 315.00 dB/m) were observed. The cut-off values of UAP for the diagnosis of mild, moderate and severe hepatic steatosis were 243≤UAP＜258 dB/m, 258≤UAP＜293 dB/m, ≥293 dB/m in MAFLD. The sensitivity and specificity were 67.20%, 93.60%, 95.90%, and 82.10%, 72.00%, and 84.80%, respectively. UAP, alanine aminotransferase and fasting blood glucose were independent risk factors for the progression of hepatic steatosis in MAFLD. The combined MAFLD classification model (UAG model) was established. The AUC of mild, moderate and severe hepatic steatosis in MAFLD were 0.906, 0.907, and 0.946, respectively, and the sensitivity and specificity were 76.50%, 82.10%, 98.00%, and 90.80%, 83.30% and 76.10%, respectively. Conclusion: MAFLD is a common disease in the general population, with a higher incidence in male and elderly female over 30 years of age. UAP can be used as a new noninvasive diagnostic technique to evaluate hepatic steatosis in MAFLD. The UAG model has a good diagnostic efficacy on MAFLD and its relevant disorders, and thus can be used as a guide for evaluating clinical diagnosis and prognosis.

11ß­hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase­1 is associated with the activation of hepatic stellate cells in the development of hepatic fibrosis.

Hepatic fibrosis (HF) is a common complication of numerous chronic liver diseases, but predominantly results from persistent liver inflammation or injury. If left untreated, HF can progress and develop into liver cirrhosis and even hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of HF remain unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the role of 11ß­hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase­1 (11ß­HSD1) during the development of hepatic fibrosis. An experimental rat model of liver fibrosis was induced using porcine serum. 11ß­HSD1 gene expression levels and enzyme activity during hepatic fibrogenesis were assessed. 11ß­HSD1 gene knockdown using small interfering RNA and overexpression were performed in LX2­human hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). HSCs were stimulated with transforming growth factor­ß1 (TGF­ß1). Cell cycle distribution, proliferation, collagen secretion and 11ß­HSD1 gene activity in HSCs were compared before and after stimulation. As hepatic fibrosis progressed, 11ß­HSD1 gene expression and activity increased, indicating a positive correlation with typical markers of liver fibrosis. 11ß­HSD1 inhibition markedly reduced the degree of fibrosis. The cell proliferation was increased, the number of cells in the G0/G1 phase decreased and the number of cells in the S and G2/M phases increased in the pSuper transfected group compared with the N group. In addition, the overexpression of 11ß­HSD1 enhanced the TGF­ß1­induced activation of LX2­HSCs and enzyme activity of connective tissue growth factor. 11ß­HSD1 knockdown suppressed cell proliferation by blocking the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle, which was associated with HSC stimulation and inhibition of 11ß­HSD1 enzyme activity. In conclusion, increased 11ß­HSD1 expression in the liver may be partially responsible for hepatic fibrogenesis, which is potentially associated with HSC activation and proliferation.

Study on therapeutic mechanism of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata- Corni Fructus in sequelae of ischemic stroke based on network pharmacology technology / 中国中药杂志

In ischemic stroke sequela phase, Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata-Corni Fructus drug pair has the effect in protecting damaged neurons, but its mechanism has not been clear. In this study, network pharmacology was used to predict the mechanism of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata-Corni Fructus in the treatment of ischemic stroke sequela. Through database search and literature retrie-val, 40 active ingredients of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata and Corni Fructus were obtained, and their targets were obtained through STITCH and TCMSP databases. The targets of ischemic stroke sequela were obtained through OMIM,GAD,TTD and DrugBank databases. By screening the intersections of active ingredients targets and stroke treatment targets, 21 potential targets were obtained. The DAVID database was used for GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis of potential targets. GO enrichment analysis showed that Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata-Corni Fructus were mainly involved in regulation of blood pressure, negative regulation of extrinsic apoptotic signaling and positive regulation of angiogenesis. KEGG pathway analysis showed that Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata-Corni Fructus could inhibit inflammatory response and apoptosis signaling pathway by regulating HIF-VEGFA signaling pathway in neural stem cell proliferation, TNF signaling pathway and NF-kappaB signaling pathway. Molecular docking technique was used to verify that Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata-Corni Fructus component has a good binding activity with potential targets. The results showed that in ischemic stroke sequela phase, Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata-Corni Fructus drug pair could play an important role in recovering neural function, promoting the proliferation of neural stem cells, angiogenesis, preventing neural cells apoptosis and regulating inflammatory factors.

Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma: a clinicopathological analysis of 29 cases / 临床与实验病理学杂志

Purpose To explore the clinicopathologic features, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma. Methods To reported the histopathological and immunohistochemical features in 29 cases of Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma, combined with the clinical data and the literature review. Results Of the 29 patients, 15 were male and 14 were female, almost all patients were no more than 1 year old, except one patient aged 25 years.28 cases occurred in superficial skin, including 15 cases in limbs, 5 cases in head and neck, 4 cases in trunk, 1 case in armpit, 3 cases were multiple sites, and 1 case in pelvic cavity. The clinical manifestations were limited or diffuse skin painless plaque, and 16 cases with Kabasach-Merritt phenomenon. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of proliferating small blood vessels and spindle cells, with irregular nodular or lobulated distribution, and invasive growth. Spindle cells were arranged in bundles, with epithelioid cells and spindle cells arranged in nests, and glomerulus-like structures, and the latter with crescent shaped vascular fissures. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were strongly positive for VEGFR-3, CD31, CD34 and ERG. Partial tumor cells were positive for SMA and D2-40, but negative for CK, Glut-1 and HHV8. Conclusion Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma is a rare, intermediate, locally aggressive angiogenic tumor, mainly occurring in infants and young adults. The diagnosis relies on its unique morphology and immunophenotype, and it should be differentiated from tufted angioma, infantile hemangioma, congenital hemangioma, spindle cell hemangioma, verrucous venous malformation and Kaposi sarcoma. Extended resection is the best way to treat Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma.

The Clinical Effect of Hysterectomy and Lymph Node Dissection under Laparoscope on Elderly Patients with Cervical Cancer / 现代生物医学进展

Objective:To investigate the curative effect of hysterectomy and lymph node dissection with laparoscope or laparotomy on elderly patients with cervical cancer.Methods:60 elderly patients with cervical cancer were enrolled in our hospital from January 2014 to January 2016 and randomly divided into two groups.Group A (n=30) accepted hysterectomy and lymph node dissection with laparotomy,and Group B (n=30) adopted same surgery with laparoscope,the operation condition and postoperative recovery were compared between two groups.The intraoperative and postoperative complications of all patients were recorded and analyzed,and the quality of life of patients was evaluated in the following-up period.Results:The number of lymph node dissection in Group B was significantly more than that of Group A (P＜0.05);the intraoperitive blood loss and the times of using postoperative analgesia pump in Group B were significantly fewer than those in Group A (P＜0.05).The time of postoperative exhaust,bladder function recovery,drainage tube retention and hospital stay in Group B were all shorter than those in Group A(P＜0.05).The incidence of massive hemorrhage during operation and postoperative urinary retention and lymphatic cyst in Group B were significantly lower than those patients in Group A (P＜0.05).After operation 3 and 6 month,the I-QOL and FACT-G scores of patients in Group B were significantly higher than those in Group A (P＜0.05).Conclusions:Hysterectomy and lymph node dissection under laparoscope had remarkable curative effect on the elderly patients with cervical cancer,which improved the postoperative recovery and the quality of life of patients.

Diagnostic Estimation of Noninvasive Tests for Hepatic Fibrosis in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients Without a Gold Standard.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of hepatic fibrosis stage in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is indispensable for prognosis evaluation and therapeutic regime. Noninvasive tests are fast, safe and cheap and need low technical requirements for diagnosing hepatic fibrosis in CHB patients. OBJECTIVES: Using the latent class model with a random-factor to estimate relative accuracy of noninvasive tests for the diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis without a gold standard in a large population with CHB. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 544 patients with CHB were assessed for fibrosis stage by four noninvasive tests containing liver stiffness measurement (LSM), aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), fibrosis index based on 4 factors (FIB-4) and globulin and platelet (GP). The diagnostic evaluation was made by the latent class method with random effect which analyzed the clinical data above to assess the accuracy of four ways of noninvasive diagnosis. RESULTS: The latent class model with random effect permitted to conciliate the observed data and estimates of test performances. For significant fibrosis, the specificity/sensitivity were 83.24%/91.59% (APRI), 90.05%/95.57% (FIB-4), 75.11%/66.01% (LSM) and 71.13%/98.33% (GP), respectively. For cirrhosis, the specificity/sensitivity were 84.04%/17.91% (APRI), 89.86%/17.09 (FIB-4), 78.64%/37.07% (LSM) and 82.28%/37.07% (GP), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: FIB-4 confirmed the best value for diagnosis of significant fibrosis. APRI had a sub-optimal diagnosis accuracy for significant fibrosis. LSM showed the most balance diagnosis value for cirrhosis with the highest sensitivity and moderate specificity.

A novel prognostic score for acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure.

Patients with acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure (HBV-ACLF) show high morbidity and mortality. Independent prognostic predictors of short-term HBV-ACLF mortality include the Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score, the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, other MELD-based indices and the dynamic changes in these indices. The aims of this study were to evaluate the existing prognostic scores in a large cohort of HBV-ACLF patients and create a new predictive model. We retrospectively reviewed 392 HBV-ACLF patients from December 2008 to November 2011 and evaluated their 3-month survival. The predictive accuracy of CTP, MELD and MELD-based indices and the dynamic changes in the MELD-related scores (Δ scoring systems) upon admission and after two weeks of treatment were compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve method. Life-threatening factors and a series of bio-clinical parameters were studied by univariate and multivariate analyses. Among the existing scores, MELD had the best predictive ability. However, our new regression model provided an area under the curve of 0.930 ± 0.0161 (95% CI: 0.869 to 0.943), which was significantly larger than that obtained with the MELD score at admission and after two weeks of treatment as well as with the dynamic changes of the MELD score (0.819, 0.921, and 0.826, respectively) (Z=3.542, P=0.0004). In a large cohort of patients retrospectively reviewed for this study, our prognostic model was superior to the MELD score and is, therefore, a promising predictor of short-term survival in patients with HBV-ACLF.

Comparison of the inhibition capability of oleanolic acid and betulinic acid towards drug-metabolizing enzymes.

BACKGROUND: Human UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) are important membrane proteins located in endoplasmic reticulum, and play important roles in metabolism of a variety of endogenous and exogenous compounds. AIMS: To determine the influence of subtle difference in the structure of oleanolic acid and betulinic acid towards the inhibition towards the activity of UGT isoforms. METHODS: In vitro glucuronidation of 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU) reaction was employed as the probe reaction to determine the inhibition of these two compounds towards UGTs' activity. RESULTS: The inhibition of capability of oleanolic acid towards UGT1A6 and UGT1A8 were higher than betulinic acid. However, no significant difference was observed for the inhibition of oleanolic acid and betulinic acid towards UGT1A7. Furthermore, concentration-dependent behaviour was determined for the inhibition of oleanolic acid and betulinic acid towards UGT1A6 and UGT1A8. At various concentrations of oleanolic acid and betulinic acid, the inhibition of oleanolic acid towards UGT1A6 and UGT1A8 was higher than betulinic acid. CONSLUSION: Given that UGT1A6 and UGT1A8 play key role in the the inhibition of oleanolic acid towards UGT1A6 and UGT1A8 will induce drug-drug interaction and the risk of diseases.

A novel prognostic score for acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

Patients with acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure (HBV-ACLF) show high morbidity and mortality. Independent prognostic predictors of short-term HBV-ACLF mortality include the Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score, the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, other MELD-based indices and the dynamic changes in these indices. The aims of this study were to evaluate the existing prognostic scores in a large cohort of HBV-ACLF patients and create a new predictive model. We retrospectively reviewed 392 HBV-ACLF patients from December 2008 to November 2011 and evaluated their 3-month survival. The predictive accuracy of CTP, MELD and MELD-based indices and the dynamic changes in the MELD-related scores (Δ scoring systems) upon admission and after two weeks of treatment were compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve method. Life-threatening factors and a series of bio-clinical parameters were studied by univariate and multivariate analyses. Among the existing scores, MELD had the best predictive ability. However, our new regression model provided an area under the curve of 0.930±0.0161 (95% CI: 0.869 to 0.943), which was significantly larger than that obtained with the MELD score at admission and after two weeks of treatment as well as with the dynamic changes of the MELD score (0.819, 0.921, and 0.826, respectively) (Z=3.542, P=0.0004). In a large cohort of patients retrospectively reviewed for this study, our prognostic model was superior to the MELD score and is, therefore, a promising predictor of short-term survival in patients with HBV-ACLF.

A novel prognostic score for acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

Patients with acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure (HBV-ACLF) show high morbidity and mortality. Independent prognostic predictors of short-term HBV-ACLF mortality include the Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score, the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, other MELD-based indices and the dynamic changes in these indices. The aims of this study were to evaluate the existing prognostic scores in a large cohort of HBV-ACLF patients and create a new predictive model. We retrospectively reviewed 392 HBV-ACLF patients from December 2008 to November 2011 and evaluated their 3-month survival. The predictive accuracy of CTP, MELD and MELD-based indices and the dynamic changes in the MELD-related scores (Δ scoring systems) upon admission and after two weeks of treatment were compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve method. Life-threatening factors and a series of bio-clinical parameters were studied by univariate and multivariate analyses. Among the existing scores, MELD had the best predictive ability. However, our new regression model provided an area under the curve of 0.930 ± 0.0161 (95% CI: 0.869 to 0.943), which was significantly larger than that obtained with the MELD score at admission and after two weeks of treatment as well as with the dynamic changes of the MELD score (0.819, 0.921, and 0.826, respectively) (Z=3.542, P=0.0004). In a large cohort of patients retrospectively reviewed for this study, our prognostic model was superior to the MELD score and is, therefore, a promising predictor of short-term survival in patients with HBV-ACLF.

Screening of the genital human papillomavirus infection among 8581 women in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the prevalence of genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection among women in Shaan'xi Province of China, and to detect the characteristics of genital HPV infection among these women.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 8581 women in the Department of Gynaecology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University were enrolled to detect HPV-DNA in their genital tracts by PCR+flow-through hybridization. Some subjects were also screened by cytology or histology.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among these subjects, the prevalence of female genital tract HPV infection was 33.06%, among which high risk (HR)-HPV infection accounted for 30.08% and multiple HR-HPV infection 27.18%. The genotypes HPV-16, -52,-58, -6, and HPV-18 were the most prevalent strains. The distribution of HPV infection differed among different age groups:the first infection peak occured less than 25 years and the second peak was above 51 years. Among the HR-HPV DNA positive women, the rates of HR-HPV infection with normal histology, cervical intraepithelial neoplasias 1 (CIN1), CIN2 ,CIN3, and cervical cancer (CC) were 88.72%, 97.48%, 97.35%, 95.88%, and 99.23%, respectively. For women with CC, HPV-16 was the most common genotype, followed by HPV-18, HPV-58, HPV-52, and HPV-33. HPV-16 ,-18, and 58 were responsible for 94.62% of CC cases in this region.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The most common genotypes of HPV infection among women in Shaan'xi province are HPV-16, HPV-52, HPV-58, HPV-6, and HPV-18. HPV-16, HPV-18, HPV-58, HPV-52, and HPV-33 are the most frequently genotypes found in cervical carcinoma, in particular HPV-16, HPV-18, and HPV-58. HR-HPV infection aggravates the cervical lesions. The multiple HPV infections increase the risk of cervical lesions.</p>

Smoking cessation among rural populations in Beijing / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To survey the smoking cessation among rural populations in Beijing.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One natural village in Beijing suburb was sampled and all the 1901 villagers were surveyed by face-to-face interview to collect information on smoking status and smoking cessation. The potential factors related with smoking prevalence and smoking cessation were analzyed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The response rate was 91.2%. The ever-smoking rate was 35.8%. Among the 621 ever-smokers, 35.5% had tried or were trying to quit smoking. The vast majority (93.9%) of smoking cessation methods was self-service method. The overall rate of abstinence was 12.4%, and the success rate was higher in those groups of elder age, lower educational level, lower income level, having respiratory symptoms, and/or without nicotine dependence. There were 291 responders (46.9%) had the willingness to quit. Responders at older age, having respiratory symptoms, or with nicotine dependence had higher willingness to quit.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The tobacco control efforts in rural areas should be strengthened. In part of motivated intervention, the advice should be given from the family, friends, doctors to young, asymptomatic smokers.</p>

Effect of carbon monoxide releasing molecule on experimental periodontitis in rats / 华西口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effects of carbon monoxide releasing molecule-2 (CORM-2) on experimental periodontitis in rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-two Wistar rats were divided into three groups. Rats in the normal group (NL group) did not undergo any procedure, whereas the other rats were ligatured and treated with saline solution (NaCl 0.9%) (LO group) or treated with CORM-2 (10 mg kg(-1) per day) (CO group). A 3-0 silk suture was placed around the mandibular first molars. Rats were sacrificed after 3, 7, and 10 d. Blood samples were collected from all animals for tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) analysis. Changes in alveolar bone levels were measured clinically, and periodontal tissues were histopathologically examined to assess the infiltration of inflammatory cells.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Ligature placement increased alveolar bone loss and inflammatory cell infiltration in periodontal tissue. Alveolar bone loss in CO group was significantly higher than that in NL group, but was lower than that in LO group (P<0.05). The ratio of inflammatory cell infiltration in LO group was significantly higher than that in CO and NL groups, and that in CO group was lower than in LO group (P<0.05). Serum levels of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta in the LO group were significantly higher than those in the CO and NL groups, and those in CO group were lower than in LO group (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Systemic administration of CORM-2 reduced periodontal inflammation and alveolar bone loss in experimental periodontitis in rats.</p>

Expression of high mobility group box 1 in gingival tissues of chronic periodontitis / 华西口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) in gingival tissues of chronic periodontitis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC) were stimulated with 1 microg x mL(-1) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 24 h or 48 h. Expression and release of HMGB1 were checked by immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. PBMC were stimulated with 100 ng x mL(-1) HMGB1 or 50 ng x mL(-1) tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), the expressions of TNF-alpha and HMGB1 in the supernatant were studied by ELISA. Gingival tissues and gingival crevicular fluids (GCF) were collected from patients and healthy people. Expression of HMGB1 in gingival tissues and GCF was studied using immunofluorescence and ELISA, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>HMGB1 was translocated from nucleus to cytosol in PBMC after LPS stimulation for 24 h. The content of HMGB1 in the supernatant from stimulated cells was significantly higher than that from unstimulated cells after 48 h (P < 0.01). HMGB1 was released by PBMC in response to TNF-alpha stimulation, it also stimulated PBMC to release TNF-alpha (P < 0.01). Translocation of HMGB1 from nucleus to cytosol was also found in infiltrated cells in gingival tissues from patients, and HMGB1 in GCF from patients was significantly higher than that from healthy people P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results suggest that HMGB1 may play an important role in the pathological progress of chronic periodontitis.</p>

Application of four-in-one teaching mode in clinical probation teaching in the department of obstetrics and gynecology / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective To compare the effect of four-in-one teaching method and traditional teaching method in clinical clerkship teaching in the department of obstetrics and gynecology. Methods Totally 70 clinical probationer were enrolled(35 from 2007 grade were taken as control group and 35 from 2008 grade were taken as experiment group ). Four-in-one teaching method and traditional teaching method were respectively in experiment group and control group. Examination score and clinical skill re-sults were analyzed by t test and satisfaction degree was analyzed byX2 test. P<0.05 signifies statistical sig-nificances . Results Examination score of experiment group and control group were 86 . 9 ± 7 . 7 and 76.5 ±8.7 respectively with statistically significant differences(P=0.000). Clinical skill score of experi-ment group and control group were 87.6±6.9 and 75.9±7.5 respectively with statistically significant dif-ferences(P=0.000). Each questionnaire index was significantly higher in experiment group than in con-trol group with statistically significant differences(P=0.000). Conclusions Four-in-one teaching method can make students understand theoretical knowledge and master obstetrics and gynecology basic clinical skills,enhance interests in learning,build up self-confidence and establish preliminary clinical thinking ability and innovation ability which will lay a solid foundation for future clinical and research practice.

Application of PBL teaching mode in clinical practice of obstetrics and gynecology in network environment / 中华医学教育探索杂志

[Objective To evaluate the teaching effects and advantages of problem-based learning (PBL) teaching mode based on network in the clinical practice of obstetrics and gynecology. Methods 2007 grade intern students in department of obstetrics and gynecology in Beijing Tongren Hospital of Capital Medical University were divided into 2 groups:control group (18 seven-year program and 11 five-year program)and experiment group (17 seven-year program and 10 five-year program). Traditional teaching was conducted in control group:interns and teacher completed teaching ward round several times according to the teaching requirement. PBL based on network was conducted in experiment group:tea-chers asking questions-data collection-learning and discussing-demonstrating and arguing-discussing and summarizing teaching process. Then the effects of different teaching methods were evaluated by clinical practice skill and theoretical test. SSPS13.0 statistical software was used for data analysis and measurement data were expressed as x±s. T test was conducted among groups. Results As for clinical practice skills, scores in PBL group (seven-year program and five-year program )were higher than those of traditional group [seven-year program:(190.47±2.30)vs (87.42±2.93);five-year program:(92.95±2.20)vs (90 . 09 ± 2 . 70 )] . There was no difference between the two groups in scores of theoretical test . In clinical practice skills,scores of general skill and clinic case analysis showed significant differences be-tween PBL group and traditional group. Conclusions PBL tea-ching mode based on network can improve the quality and effectiveness of the clinical practice of obstetrics and gynecology, especially in the social, technical,and knowledge dimension.

Mechanism of carbon monoxide affecting the expression of cellular adhesion molecule under stimulation of inflammatory cytokines to human gingival fibroblasts / 华西口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the mechanism by which carbon monoxide inhibits the expression of adhesion molecules on human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) stimulated with inflammatory cytokines.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>HGF were cultured in vitro, and stimulated with 50 ng x mL tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and 10 ng x mL(-1) interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) concurrently in the presence or absence of carbon monoxide releasing molecule-3 (CORM-3) at 500 micromol x L-1. Expression of phosphorylated extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK), phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (NK) and phosphorylated p38 in mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK) pathway was studied by Western blot at 10 min and 20 min, respectively. Nuclear expression of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) was checked by Western blot after 4 h stimulation. In some experiments, cells were prestimulated by 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-alpha]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ) for 8 h before cytokine stimulation and the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) was checked by Western blot after 24 h.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>CORM-3 significantly inhibited the phosphorylation of MAPK p38 after 10 min stimulation with cytokines, but had no signifi-cant effect on the phosphorylation of ERK and JNK. CORM-3 significantly inhibited the nuclear expression of NF-KB-p65 on HGF after 4 h stimulation by inflammatory cytokines. The inhibitory effect of CORM-3 on the expression of ICAM-1 was not influenced by guanylate cyclase inhibitor ODQ.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The inhibitory effect of carbon monoxide on the expression of adhesion molecules might be exerted by its inhibitory effect on the NF-kappaB activity and MAPK p38 phosphorylation.</p>

Association between insulin-like growth factor-2 expression and prognosis after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and octreotide in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between the change of IGF-2 level in serum after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression, especially in relation to metastasis. METHODS: IGF-2 in serum was measured by quantitative sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay before, 3 days and 4 weeks after TACE in 60 patients with HCC. The occurrence of HCC metastasis was also evaluated, 3 months after TACE. RESULTS: (1) The average serum level of IGF-2 in the 60 patients with HCC was 136.5 ± 87.3 pg/ml; (2) A tendency for increase was observed with heterogenous uptake of octreotide and portal vein thrombosis. Metastatic foci were found in 37/38 patients in the group with IGF-2 increasing (97.0%), in contrast to 3/22 (13.6%) patients with IGF-2 decrease. CONCLUSION: The increase of IGF-2 level in serum appears to be associated with the occurrence of metastatic HCC after TACE and chemotherapy.