Optimization of SRAP-PCR System for Valeriana officinalis var. latifolia and Primer Screening / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To establish the sequence-related amplified polymorphism （SRAP）-polymerase chain reaction （PCR） system for <italic>Valeriana officinalis</italic> var. <italic>latifolia</italic>，so as to lay the theoretical and technical foundations for the breeding of<italic> V. officinalis </italic>var. <italic>latifolia</italic>. Method:Single factor test was applied to investigate the effects of <italic>Taq</italic> Mix dose，Mg²⁺concentration，template DNA concentration，and <italic>Taq </italic>DNA polymerase content on SRAP-PCR amplification of <italic>V. officinalis </italic>var. <italic>latifolia</italic>，based on which the orthogonal experiments were performed to optimize the SRAP-PCR system for <italic>V. officinalis </italic>var. <italic>latifolia</italic>. The effective primers that could be used for genetic diversity studies of <italic>V. officinalis</italic> var. <italic>latifolia </italic>were selected under the optimal reaction condition. Result:The results of the single factor test showed that <italic>Taq </italic>Mix dose within the range of 8-11 μL resulted in better amplification. The addition of a low concentration of Mg²⁺，the medium to low concentrations of template DNA，or the low concentration of <italic>Taq</italic> DNA polymerase enhanced the amplification efficiency or richness. As demonstrated by the orthogonal experiments，the influencing degrees of related factors on SRAP-PCR amplification of <italic>V. officinalis</italic> var. <italic>latifolia </italic>were sorted in a descending order as follows： <italic>Taq</italic> Mix dose><italic>Taq</italic> DNA polymerase content>Mg²⁺ concentration>template DNA concentration. The optimal reaction system for <italic>V. officinalis</italic> var. <italic>latifolia </italic>was determined to consist of 11 μL of <italic>Taq</italic> Mix，30 ng of template DNA，0.025 mmol·L^-1Mg²⁺，1.5 U<italic> </italic>of<italic> Taq </italic>DNA polymerase，5 μmol·L^-1 forward primer，and 5 μmol·L^-1 reverse primer，which was supplemented to 20 μL with ddH₂O. The optimal annealing temperature was 36.8 ℃. A total of 17 pairs of effective primers with high band resolution and polymorphism were selected from 88 primer pairs for SRAP-PCR of <italic>V. officinalis</italic> var. <italic>latifolia</italic>. Conclusion:The established SRAP-PCR system for <italic>V. officinalis</italic> var. <italic>latifolia</italic> is stable， which can be used for genetic diversity studies of <italic>V. officinalis</italic> var. <italic>latifolia</italic>.

Application of intracranial lead reconstruction in deep brain stimulation therapy in patients with Parkinson's disease / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the feasibility of applying intracranial lead reconstruction in deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy for Parkinsonism.@*METHODS@#We retrospectively collected the clinical data from 27 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), who received bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) DBS therapy between January, 2016 and December, 2017. According to the position of the selected optimal stimulating contact of the implanted leads, the patients were divided into group A with the stimulating contacts of the bilateral leads in the STN, group B with unilateral stimulating contacts in the STN, and group C with bilateral stimulating contacts outside the STN. All the patients were assessed for improvement using Hoehn-Yahr stage, the third part of United Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS Ⅲ), Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living (SE-ADL), and L-dopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD). The consistency between the optimal stimulating contact selected by lead reconstruction and that by standard postoperative programming procedure was also evaluated.@*RESULTS@#The patients in all the 3 groups showed postoperative improvements in Hoehn-Yahr stage, UPDRS Ⅲ score, SE-ADL score, and LEDD in the medication-off state. But at 12 months of the follow-up, such improvements were maintained only in the patients of group A. The optimal stimulating contacts selected by lead reconstruction and standard postoperative programming procedure had a matching rate of up to 77.78% (42/54), and the coordinates of the optimal contacts selected by the two methods showed no significant difference.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Intracranial lead reconstruction facilitates the study of the association between the implant site of the leads and the clinical outcome of DBS therapy for PD and allows the precise selection of the optimal contact of the implanted leads in postoperative programming of DBS.

Cloning and expression of toxin C gene of Clostridium difficile and its polyclonal antibody preparation / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE To clone and express toxin C (tcdC) gene pathogenicity locus of Clostridium difficile (CD), and prepare the polyclonal antibody against TcdC protein. METHODS The tcdC gene was amplified from CD (ATCC43255) strain genome DNA and inserted into prokaryotic expression vectors. The correct recombinant plasmids were transformed into E.coli which was induced to express the GST-TcdC/L and IL1-TcdC/L fusion protein. Meanwhile, the fusion proteins were respectively purified through Ni-NTA agarose affinity chromatography and Q-Sepharose Fast Flow. The purified GST-TcdC/L fusion protein was used as an antigen to inoculate rabbits to produce antiserum. Two weeks after the final immunization, the rabbits were sacrificed and serum was collected. The titer of the serum was deter-mined by ELISA and the reactivity of the polyclonal antibody was identified by Western blotting. RESULTS The SDS-PAGE result showed that GST-TcdC/L and IL1-TcdC/L fusion proteins were expressed at the size of 45 ku and 39 ku. The titer of TcdC/L polyclonal antibody was over 1:6.4 × 104. Western blotting detection demonstrated that the TcdC/L polyclonal antibody recognized the TcdC protein in CD (ATCC43255). CONCLUSION The tcdC/L gene is cloned and the polyclonal antibody against TcdC/L is prepared, which will contribute to studing the function and mechanism of tcdC gene in pathogenicity locus.

Associations of interleukin 6-572G/C gene polymorphism with migraine in a Chinese northeastern Han population / 中华神经科杂志

Objective To investigate the associations of a single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the interleukin (IL)-6 gene with the migraine of a Han Chinese northeastern population.Methods We collected 252 patients of the migraine attack,who were diagnosed at People' s Hospital of Liaoning Province from March 2012 to June 2013,all being Han nationality in the northeast of China.At the same time,we collected 270 healthy people over the same period who had health examination or were healthy workers of People' s Hospital of Liaoning Province.We used polymerase chain reaction and gene sequencing to analyze the genotype and allele frequencies of the-572G/C (rs1800796) IL-6 polymorphisms between migraine cases (n =252;including migraine without aura (MO) group (n =168) and migraine with aura group (n =84);the male group (n =109) and the female group (n =143)) and control group (n =270;the male group (n =116) and the female group (n =152)),as well as analyzed the genotype and allele frequencies distribution between the subgroups.Results We found higher frequencies of the distribution of the C/C genotype and the C allele of the-572G/C polymorphism in migraine cases than in control group (32.54％ (82/252) vs 19.63％ (53/270),x2 =12.061,P =0.002;55.56％ (280/504) vs 45.37％ (245/540),x2 =10.818,P =0.001),higher distribution frequencies of the C/C genotype and the C allele in female group (21.83％ (55/252) vs 12.59％ (34/270),x2 =10.187,P =0.006;33.73％ (170/504) vs 26.48％ (143/540),x2 =10.073,P =0.002).Between MO group and controls,these distribution frequencies had statistically significant difference (24.60％ (62/252) vs 19.63％ (53/270),x2 =18.172,P=0.000;39.88％ (201/504) vs 45.37％ (245/540),x2 =17.307,P=0.000).After correction by conditional Logistic regression,the frequency distribution difference of the C/C genotype between the migraine cases and controls remained statistically significant (OR =22.861,95％ CI 5.218-27.098,P =0.023).Conclusion Our data indicate that the SNPs of the IL-6 are associated with migaine and the C/C genotype increases the migraine susceptibility in a Han Chinese northeastern population.

Application of endothelial progenitor cells in the treatment of ischemic Stroke / 国际脑血管病杂志

Endothelialprogenitorcels(EPCs)arethepluripotentstemcelsofvascularendothelial cels. They have self-differentiation and proliferation ability. A large number of animal experiments and preliminary clinical studies have show n that EPCs have broad prospects of clinical application. This article review s the research status of EPCs and their application in the clinical treatment of ischemic stroke.

Effect of hidden curriculum on the professional value of nursing students in higher education / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective To study the effect of hidden curriculum on the professional value of nursing students in higher education.Methods A total of 300 full-time nursing students in higher education were collected by the cluster sampling method.They were divided into experimental group and control group by natural class lottery method with 150 students each.The students in experimental group accepted the hidden curriculum such as administrator working of nursing students training,simulated the candidates and the volunteer activities.Then the professional value of the 2 groups was evaluated with nursing professional value questionnaire.Results The total score of the professional value in experimental group after intervention was (126.38±3.29) scores,and caring was (32.50±1.20) scores,trust was (24.40±1.59) scores,justice was (25.54±1.55) scores,profession was (19.64±1.26) scores and behaviorism was (24.31±1.30) scores.The total score of the professional value in control group after intervention was (123.62±2.76) scores,and caring was (32.51±1.24) scores,trust was (22.36±1.30) scores,justice was (26.47±1.54) scores,profession was (19.80±1.23)scores and behaviorism was (22.54±1.59) scores.The scores of trust and behaviorism in experimental group were higher than those in control group,and there were significant differences,t=2.813,2.441,P＜0.05.Conclusions Nursing students of college have positive professional values.The hidden curriculum can cultivate the nursing students' trust and positive psychological quality in higher education.And thus it can be reasonably used in teaching,which would produce a more proactive effect in higher education.

Prokaryotic soluble expression, purification and function study of LEDGF/p75 protein / 药学学报

HIV-1 integrase (IN) is a key enzyme for the viral replication. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) between HIV-1 IN and a cellular cofactor lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF/p75) is a validated target for anti-HIV drug discovery. In order to build the platform for screening inhibitor against PPI between IN and LEDGF/p75, the vector containing the LEDGF/p75 protein cDNA was constructed and expressed in Escherichia coli and the function of the LEDGF/p75 protein was assayed. The LGDGF/p75 encoding gene optimized according to the preference codon usage of E. coli, was synthesized and cloned into the expression vector pGEX-4T-1 to form a recombined plasmid, then transformed into host cell E. coli BL21 (DE3). The recombined clones were identified and confirmed by BamH I/Sal I digestion and sequencing, the successfully recombined plasmid in the host cell was induced by IPTG and the condition of the expression was optimized. The expressed protein was purified by the Ni2+ affinity chromatography column and SDS-PAGE was used to analyze the molecular weight and specificity. In addition, ELISA assay was used to analyze the function of the recombinant protein. The recombinant LGDGF/p75 was soluble, and expressed highly and stably in E. coli. The protein was proved to enhance HIV-1 IN strand transfer activity in vitro by ELISA. It will be helpful to build the platform of screening inhibitors against PPI between IN and LEDGF/p75.

Effectiveness of different waist circumference cut-off values in predicting metabolic syndrome prevalence and risk factors in adults in China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effectiveness of waist circumference cut-off values in predicting the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and risk factors in adults in China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A cross-sectional survey was condcuted in 14 provinces (autonomous region, municipality) in China. A total of 47,325 adults aged⋝20 years were selected by multistage stratified sampling, and questionnaire survey and physical and clinical examination were conducted among them. MetS was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria and modified IDF criteria.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The age-standardized prevalence of MetS was 24.2% (22.1% in men and 25.8% in women) and 19.5% (22.1% in men and 18.0% in women) according to the IDF criteria and modified IDF criteria respectively. The age-standardized prevalence of pre-MetS was 8.1% (8.6% in men and 7.8% in women) according to the modified IDF criteria. The prevalence of MetS was higher in urban residents than rural residents and in northern China residents than in southern China residents. The prevalence of central obesity was about 30% in both men and women according to the ethnicity-specific cut-off values of waist circumference for central obesity (90 cm for men and 85 cm for women). Multivariate regression analysis revealed no significant difference in risk factors between the two MetS definitions.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Using both the modified IDF criteria and ethnicity-specific cut-off values of waist circumference can provide more useful information about the prevalence of MetS in China. Conclusion Using both the modified IDF criteria and ethnicity-specific cut-off values of waist circumference can provide more useful information about the prevalence of MetS in China.</p>

Comparison of parathyroid hormone (1-34) and elcatonin in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis: an 18-month randomized, multicenter controlled trial in China / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Recombinant human parathyroid hormone (1-34) (rhPTH (1-34)) is the first agent in a unique class of anabolic therapies acting on the skeleton. The efficacy and safety of long-term administration of rhPTH (1-34) in Chinese postmenopausal women had not been evaluated. This study compared the clinical efficacy and safety of rhPTH (1-34) with elcatonin for treating postmenopausal women with osteoporosis in 11 urban areas of China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 453 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis were enrolled in an 18-month, multi-center, randomized, controlled study. They were randomized to receive either rhPTH (1-34) 20 µg (200 U) daily for 18 months, or elcatonin 20 U weekly for 12 months. Lumbar spine (L1-4) and femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD), fracture rate, back pain as well as biochemical markers of bone turnover were measured. Adverse events were recorded.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>rhPTH (1-34) increased lumbar BMD significantly more than did elcatonin after 6, 12, and 18 months of treatment (4.3% vs. 1.9%, 6.8% vs. 2.7%, 9.5% vs. 2.9%, P < 0.01). There was only a small but significant increase of femoral neck BMD after 18 months (2.6%, P < 0.01) in rhPTH groups. There were larger increases in bone turnover markers in the rhPTH (1-34) group than those in the elcatonin group after 6, 12, and 18 months (serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BSAP) 93.7% vs. -3.6%; 117.8% vs. -4.1%; 49.2% vs. -5.8%, P < 0.01; urinary C-telopeptide/creatinine (CTX/Cr) 250.0% vs. -29.5%; 330.0% vs. -41.4%, 273.0% vs. -10.6%, P < 0.01). rhPTH (1-34) showed similar effect of pain relief as elcatonin. The incidence of clinical fractures was 5.36% (6/112) in elcatonin group and 3.2% (11/341) in rhPTH (1-34) group (P = 0.303). Both treatments were well tolerated. Hypercaluria (9.4%) and hypercalcemia (7.0%) in rhPTH (1-34) group were transient and caused no clinical symptoms. Pruritus (8.2% vs. 2.7%, P = 0.044) and redness of injection site (4.4% vs. 0, P = 0.024) were more frequent in rhPTH (1-34). Nausea/vomiting (16.1% vs. 6.2%, P = 0.001) and hot flushes (7.1% vs. 0.6%, P < 0.001) were more common in elcatonin group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>rhPTH (1-34) was associated with greater increases in lumbar spine BMD and bone formation markers. It could increase femoral BMD after 18 months of treatment. rhPTH could improve back pain effectively. The results of the present study indicate that rhPTH (1-34) is an effective, safe agent in treating Chinese postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.</p>

Investigation and analysis on professional value of college nursing freshmen / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective To study the professional value of freshman who specializes in nursing in college,which can help us to take effective strategies to help nursing students form correct and steady professional value.Methods 208 nursing students in college were investigated with nursing professional value questionnaire.Results The total score of the professional value of freshman was (124.53±3.41)points,and caring was (32.41±1.39) points,trust was (22.98±1.64) points,justice was(26.66±l.55) points,profession was (19.73±1.27) points and behaviorism was (22.94±1.31) points among the professional value.Compared with the female nursing students,the scores of the professional values in trust,justice and behaviorism were lower in male,and the score of trust dimension was significantly lower.But the score of the item “Patients have the right to accept or refuse treatment and caring” in justice was significantly lower in female nursing students than male.Conclusions The professional value of nursing students were not optimistic,especially in male nursing students.So colleges and universities need to find effective ways to enhance the training of the professional value of nursing students.

An association study of single nucleotide polymorphisms of the FOXP3 intron-1 and the risk of Psoriasis vulgaris.

Psoriasis vulgaris (PV) is a common autoimmune disease that involves the dysfunction of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells. FOXP3 is a key transcription factor in the development and function of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells. Previous studies have demonstrated a genetic association between the FOXP3 gene and some autoimmune diseases. To elucidate the association between the FOXP3 gene and the risk of PV, 408 patients diagnosed with PV and 363 age and sex-matched healthy controls from a cohort of the Chinese majority Han population were recruited. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs2232365, rs3761547, rs3761548 and rs3761549) of the FOXP3 gene were analyzed using the polymerase chain reaction and ligase detection reaction. The major allele of three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs — rs2232365 A, rs3761547 A and rs3761549 C) were associated with an increased risk of PV in a clinical subgroup of female patients, who were less than 40 yrs of age, had a family history of the disease and did not have disease complications (p < 0.05 for all parameters). The haplotype was structured between rs3761547 and rs3761549. An increased risk of PV was observed in haplotype A/A-T/T (p = 0.0055; adjusted OR = 3.188; 95% CI = 0.4354-23.34) and A/G-C/C (p = 0.0082; adjusted OR = 1.288; 95% CI = 0.1529-10.85) between rs3761547 and rs3761549. A synergistic effect was found among the three SNPs. Subjects with the rs2232365AA- rs3761547 AG + GG genotype were more susceptible to PV (p = 0.0393; OR = 2.90; 95% CI = 1.05-7.97). No correlation was found between rs3761548 and the onset of PV. Therefore, the FOXP3 polymorphisms appear to contribute to the risk of psoriasis among the Chinese majority Han population. These findings may aid in our understanding of the pathogenesis of psoriasis

Association of urinary albumin excretion rate and hyperuricemia with macrovascular atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetic patients / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the association of urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) and hyperuricemia with macrovascular atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetic patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ninety-seven type 2 diabetic patients were divided into two groups according to the UAER, namely group A with UAER between 20 and 200 microg/min (n=63) and group B with UAER > or = 200 microg/min (n=34); the patients were also classified into hyperuricemia group (group C, n=59) and normal blood uric acid (BUA) group (group D, n=38). The disease course, BUA, fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoproteins (HDL), UAER and arteria carotis intima-media thickness (IMT) were determined in these patients. The relationship of UAER and hyperuricemia with carotid arterial IMT was analyzed statistically.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The levels of TG, TC, LDL and HDL showed no significant differences between the 4 groups (P>0.05). The disease course, BUA, UAER, and FBG levels and IMT in groups A and C were significantly higher than those in groups C and D (P<0.05), but no such differences were found between groups A and C or between groups B and D (P>0.05). Arotid arterial IMT was independently correlated to the disease course, BUA and UAER (r=0.201, 0.1999, 0.211, respectively, P<0.05), and a significant positive correlation was noted between BUA and UAER (r=0.221, P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Macrovascular atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetic patients is significantly correlated to the disease course, BUA and UAER levels, which can be used to evaluate and predict macrovascular atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetic patients.</p>

A randomized, multicenter controlled trial to compare the efficacy of recombinant human parathyroid hormone (1-34) with elcatonin in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis in China / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Recombinant human parathyroid hormone (1-34) (rhPTH (1-34)) given by injection is a new seventh class drug of biological products, which is prepared by adopting gene recombination technique. rhPTH (1-34) is mainly used to treat osteoporosis, especially for postmenopausal women. This study compared the clinical efficacy and safety of rhPTH (1-34) with elcatonin for treating postmenopausal women with osteoporosis in 11 urban areas of China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two hundred and five women with osteoporosis were enrolled in a 6-month, multicenter, randomized, controlled study. They were randomized to receive either rhPTH (1-34) 20 microg (200 U) daily or elcatonin 20 U weekly. Lumbar spine (L1-4) and femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD), as well as biochemical markers of bone turnover were measured. Adverse events were recorded.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>rhPTH (1-34) increased lumbar BMD significantly more than did elcatonin at 3 months and 6 months (2.38% vs 0.59%, P < 0.05; 5.51% vs 1.55%, P < 0.01), but there were no significant increases of BMD in these two groups at femoral neck. There were larger mean increases in bone markers in the rhPTH (1-34) group than in the elcatonin group at 3 months and 6 months (serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BSAP) 36.79% vs 0.31%; 92.42% vs -0.17%; urinary N-telopeptide/creatinine (NTX/Cr) 48.91% vs -5.32%; 68.82% vs -10.86%). Both treatments were well tolerated and there were no significant differences detected between the two groups in the proportion of any adverse events and any serious adverse events (67.0% vs 59.0%; 0 vs 0).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>rhPTH (1-34) has more positive effects on bone formation, as shown by the larger increments of lumbar BMD and bone formation markers, than elcatonin, with only mild adverse events and no significant change in the liver, kidney or hematological indices.</p>

Clinical application and long-term follow-up study of acellular dermal matrix combined with auto-skin grafting / 中华烧伤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinical effect of acellular dermal matrix (ADM) combined with auto-skin grafting on deep burn wound ,and the result of long-term follow-up and histological examination.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and fifty-two patients with deep burn hospitalized from February 2000 to July 2003 were repaired with porcine ADM and auto split-thickness graft. Wound healing rate was assessed 1 week after operation. Degree of cicatricial hyperplasia was examined 1, 3, 6, 12 months after operation. Wound samples from 5 patients were harvested for histological examination 72 months after operation, for which transmission electron microscopy were employed in 2 cases.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Grafts completely survived was seen in 116 patients (accounting for 76.3% of cases), survival rate over 95% were observed in 23.7% of cases. One hundred and twenty-seven patients were followed up 1 month after operation, in whom mild local contraction, cord like scar was seen along its junction with skin, its texture was soft ,and there was no pruritus or blister formation. One hundred and one patients were followed up 3 months after operation, and the graft showed mild contraction less marked when compared with that of the site where auto split-thickness skin grafting was used. Articular function was good. Eighty-two patients were followed up 6 months after operation,color and texture of grafts were similar to normal skin with no obvious cicatricial hyperplasia. Fifty-eight patients were followed up 12 months after operation, the texture of grafts was similar to normal skin without obvious reject reaction. Sixteen patients were followed up over 72 months after operation, the grafts appeared dry compared with normal skin. Histological examination showed: tissue structure of grafts was similar to normal skin, intact small sweat gland and sweat gland cells were not found in dermal layer.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Heterologous ADM combined with auto split-thickness graft can survive in human body without obvious immune rejection reaction for a long time. No intact small sweat gland or sweat gland cells in dermis is a problem worth of study in regeneration of skin function.</p>

Clinical evaluation of efficacy and safety of nateglinide in the treatment of type 2 diabetes / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the efficacy and safety of nateglinide, a new antidiabetic agent, in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 219 treatment-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes from 6 centers were enrolled in this study and blindly divided into nateglinide group (n = 105) and repaglinide group (n = 114). In all patients, the disease was confirmed for at least three months. The whole observation lasted for 12 weeks. The efficacy indicators measured include glycohemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose, and 2 hours postprandial blood glucose, and the safety parameters measured included renal and hepatic function, serum lipids, and blood and urea profiles.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Similar decreases in fasting blood glucose, 2 hours postprandial blood glucose, and HbA1 c were found in both nateglinide group and repaglinide group without significant differences. No severe adverse events were noted. The hypoglycemia event reports were not significantly different between these two groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Nateglinide is an effective and safe drug in treating type 2 diabetes.</p>

Cerebral pathological evaluation following neural stem cells intraventricular transplantation in neonatal rats with periventricular leukomalacia / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the brain pathological changes following exdogenous neural stem cells (NSCs) intraventricular transplantation in neonatal rats with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), and to explore the feasibility of NSCs transplantation for the treatment of PVL in premature infants.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>NSCs were prepared from E14 embryonic rat brain. Two-day-old neonatal rats were randomly divided into six groups: PVL, PVL+culture medium, PVL+NSCs, sham operation, sham operation+culture medium, and sham operation+NSCs (18-21 rats each group). Intraventricular transplantation of exdogenous NSCs was performed 72 hrs after PVL induction or sham operation. The cerebral pathological evaluation was undertaken by light microscopy 7, 14 and 21 days after transplantation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The pathological changes in the cerebral white matter were gradually improved with the prolonged time after transplantation. After 21 days of transplantation, 50% of the cerebral white matter showed mild pathological changes and 50% of that showed severe pathological changes, with neuronal pathological scores of 1.28+/-0.86, in the untreated PVL group. In the PVL+NSCs group, 30% of normal white matter, 40% of mild and 30% of severe pathological changes in the white matter were observed, with neuronal pathological scores of 0.32+/-0.16, 21 days after transplantation. There were very significant differences in both of pathological changes in the cerebral white matter and neuronal pathological scores between the PVL and PVL+NSCs groups (x2=10.7, P<0.01; F=29.664, P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Intraventricular transplantation of exdogenous NSCs can apparently improve cerebral white matter damage. It is suggested that intraventricular transplantation of NSCs is of a great potential feasibility for the treatment of PVL in premature infants.</p>

Clinical application of xenogenic (porcine) acellular dermal atrix (ADM) in scar treatment / 中华整形外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the role of xenogenic (porcine) ADM as dermal substitute in scar treatment.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>After scar excision, the wounds were covered with composite grafts of DR procine ADM and autologous thin split-thickness grafts in one stage or in two stages.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>22 out of 47 cases were treated in two-staged procedure. After the ADMs were applied to the wound, the autologous thin split-thickness grafts were implanted 7 days later. 25 cases were treated in one-staged procedure. The survival rates of composite grafts were (88.3 +/- 3.7)% for subcutaneous recipient bed and (89.7 +/- 3.4)% for deep fascia recipient bed in group with two-staged procedure, compared with (92.5 +/- 4.1)% and (93.2 +/- 5.2)%, respectively, in group with one-staged procedure. Early after grafts taken, the grafts had a pink colour and smooth surface. The patients were followed up for 90 days at most. The survived composite grafts were durable, elastic, smooth and soft with good function and appearance like normal skin. They could even be pinched up. The scar along the edge of the grafts was slightly hypertrophic.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The survival rate of composite graft is higher in patients with one-staged procedure. The elasticity and textural of the taken grafts are better on subcutaneous recipient bed than on deep fascia recipient bed, though the function has no difference. Xenogenic (porcine) ADM can be an optimal dermal substitute for wound coverage after scar excision.</p>

Study on the prevalence rate of rheumatoid arthritis in Zhuang nationality population from Nanning, Guangxi / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the prevalence rate of rheumatoid arthritis in Zhuang nationality population of Nanning, Guangxi.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 7407 people with Zhuang nationality, aged 16 and over were surveyed. Questionnaire was administered to each subject under survey, while X-ray and serum rheumatoid factor were carried out to all those who gave positive answers. Physical examinations were done to the suspicious cases by experts on rheumatism.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>were compared with those in 6826 people of Han ethnicity living in the same district.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The prevalence rates of rheumatoid arthritis in Zhuang nationality population was 0.27% when comparing to the Han population which was 0.28% (P > 0.05). Rates of awareness on rheumatoid arthritis in Zhuang and Han population were 5.0% and 10.5% (P > 0.05). After the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis was made and among patients who had received the treatment, the rates were 0% vs. 5.25%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The prevalence rate of rheumatoid arthritis in Zhuang nationality population of Nanning, Guangxi was not significantly different than that in Han ethnic group. However, the rates on awareness and the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis were still under satisfaction.</p>

Establishment of a neonatal rat model of periventricular leukomalacia and its concomitant cataract / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a reliable neonatal rat model of periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) which is expected to be similar to PVL of human preterm infants pathologically, and to explore the concomitant eye lesions in the PVL model.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two-old-day neonatal rats were randomly divided into a PVL group and a sham-operated group (n=19 each). The PVL model was established by the ligation of bilateral common carotid arteries, followed by a 30-min exposure to 8% oxygen. The cerebral infarction area was assessed with TTC staining 1 day after operation. Cerebral pathology was examined under a light micsrocope 2 and 21 days after operation. The examinations of eyes under a slip lamp and the pathology of eyeballs under a light microscope were performed 21 days after operation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The TTC staining cerebral slices showed there were extensive white areas of infarction in the brain of the PVL group, with an infarction area of 53.45 +/- 33.90 mm3 and a percentage of infarction of (24.98 +/- 15.44)% . Significant cystic necrosis and apoptosis around the periventricular and subcortical white matter and mild damage in cortical neurons were observed in the PVL group 2 days after operation. The more obvious cystic necrosis around the periventricular area was found in the PVL group 21 days after operation. There were no pathological changes in the brain of the sham-operated group. All of rats in the PVL group had bilateral cataracts, however, no pathological changes were observed in their postbulbar tissues. The sham-operated group did not show eye abnormal.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The PVL animal model that was similar to PVL of human preterm infants pathologically was successfully established by the ligation of bilateral common carotid arteries, followed by 30-min hypoxia exposure, with a positive effect and a good repeatability. Cataract can also be induced by the method.</p>

Survival analysis on liver failure patients treated with an artificial liver support system / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the efficacy of artificial liver support system (ALSS) in the treatment of liver failure patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This is a prospective, multi-center, controlled, large sample clinic trial. 518 patients with liver failure from 5 hospitals were studied and followed. All the patients received similar pharmacological manipulation according to one and the same protocol but were divided into an ALSS treatment group and a control group without ALSS treatment. The ALSS treatment procedures included plasma exchange, molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS), plasma exchange plus hemofiltration and other combined nonbioartificial methods. The analysis of survival time was computed using the Kaplain-Maier method, and comparison among groups was done using Log-Rank, Breslow and/or the Tarone-Ware test.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Survival time of acute liver failure patients was prolonged from 4.0+/-0.2 days to 8.0+/-0.4 days (P=0.004). ALSS was shown to be two times more effective. ALSS increased the survival time of acute on chronic (A on C) liver failure patients from 27.0+/-1.6 days to 39.0+/-4.0 days (P less than 0.01). In addition, it increased the survival time of the patients in the middle and end stage of subacute liver failure and A on C liver failure, but had no significant effects on early stage patients. The survival time of middle stage patients was 38.0+/-17.5 days in the control group vs 66.0+/-18.6 days in the ALSS group (P less than 0.05). The survival time of end stage patients of the control group and the ALSS group was 18.0+/-4.0 days vs 26.0+/-2.5 days (P less than 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Multi ALSS treatment is more effective than the standard medicinal liver care treatment. Multi-ALSS treatment could increase survival time of patients suffering from acute liver failure or A on C liver failure, especially in their middle and end stages. It is important and necessary to treat these patients with ALSS.</p>