The clinical observation of Compound Xuanju Capsules Combined with methotrexate treating rheumatoid arthritis / 中成药

AIM To evaluate the clinical effects of Compound Xuanju Capsules (CXC,Polyrhachis vicina Roger,Epimedii Folium,Lycii Fructus,Cnidii Fructus) combined with methotrexate (MTX) on patients with moderate or severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA).METHODS One hundred and eighty RA patients were randomized into 3 groups:CXC group,MTX group and combined group (dosed with both CXC and MTX) for a 48-week intervention.The clinical observation on the changes of the signs and symptoms,erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR),C-reactive protein (CRP),health assessment questionnaire (HAQ),visual analogue scale (VAS) and disease active score (DAS) 28 were performed before and after each treatment.ACR20,American College of Rheumatology 20％ improvement criteria was taken as the primary end point,and ACR50 and ACR70 as the secondary end points to standardize the patients' response measurement,and all adverse reactions were recorded as well.RESULTS At the time point right after the 12th week,the ACR20 response rate of the combined group (41.5％) was significantly higher than that of the CXC group (19.6％,P ＜ 0.05) and the MTX group (24.1％,P＜0.05).The respective ACR50 (2.1％) and ACR70 (20.8％) response rate of the combined group were significantly higher than those of CXC group and MTX group (P ＜ 0.05).At the time point right after the 24th week,the combined group still demonstrated its significantly higher ACR20 response rate (81.1％) to the CXC group (30.4％,P ＜ 0.05) and the MTX group (68.5％,P ＜ 0.05).The similar superiority in ACRS0 (60.4％) and ACR70 (54.7％) response rate of the combined group to the CXC group and the MTX group were found (P ＜0.05).After the 48th week,the combined group displayed its significantly higher ACR70 response rate (75.7％) to CXC group and MTX group (P ＜ 0.05).Given the reduction of DAS28,HAQ and VAS from the12thweek's5.26±0.83),(22.2±10.3),(6.0±0.4) to the 24thweek's (4.21 ±0.91),(17.1±10.3),(2.4±2.2),andthe48thweek's (2.19±0.56),(10.4±5.0),(0.8±0.9),the combined group's more outstanding performance compared to CXC group and MTX group started right after the 24th week (P ＜ 0.05).Generally,no difference in adverse events was detected between the combined group and MTX group (P ＞ 0.05).CONCLUSION The combined use of CXC and MTX can be an effective and safe treatment for moderate and severe rheumatoid arthritis.

Progress on rheumatoid arthritis in elderly / 中国骨伤

During choosing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs), risk factors should be evaluated in elder patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The present study focused on biological therapies, and elderly patients should be more concerned about the risk of infection when used it. Traditional Chinese medicine has advantages of obvious curative effect, especially for tripterygium wilfordii, large clinical trial on western and Chinese medical accurate drug strategies for old patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Old patients are easier to suffer from cardiac diseases and interstitial lung disease, rheumatoid arthritis could be controlled along with the treatment for coexistent disease. The incidence of rheumatoid arthritis in old patients is the same with other RA, and need to treat to target based on the aim of relieve pain and reduce activity of diseases, while the clinical charteristic and treatment target in elder patients with rheumatoid arthritis were not similar with other aged patient, so treatment standard target would vary with aging. Resent clinical studies excluded old patients, lead to lack of evidence-based medicine data. Clinical study for elder patients with rheumatoid arthritis are energetically carrying out, and could provide base and guide for clinical treatment.

Treatment of diabetic foot by clearing heat, detoxification, activating blood, and dredging collaterals method / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the mechanism of treating diabetic foot by clearing heat, detoxification, activating blood, and dredging collaterals method.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty diabetic foot patients were randomly assigned to the treatment group and the control group, 30 cases in each group. On the basis of the same routine treatment, patients in the treatment group were treated by Qingjie Tongluo Recipe (QTR) plus external washing of Chinese herbs plus external dressing by herbs with removing necrosis and promoting granulation actions, while those in the control group were treated with routine aseptic external dressing. Three months was taken as one therapeutic course. The wound area and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were detected before and after treatment. The content of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the peripheral vascular and nerve functions were also measured. The therapeutic effects were also observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After treatment, in the treatment group,15 patients were cured, 12 markedly effective, 2 effective, 1 ineffective, the cure rate was 50.0% and the total effective rate was 96.7%, while in the control group, 9 cases were cured, 6 markedly effective, 8 effective, 7 ineffective, the cure rate was 30.0% and the total effective rate was 76.7%. The total effective rate was better in the treatment group than in the control group (P <0. 01). The contents of bFGF and VEGF were significantly higher in the two groups after treatment (P <0.01). Besides, better results were obtained in the treatment group (P < 0.01). The blood flow speed of the dorsalis pedis artery, the inner diameter of the dorsalis pedis artery, and the common peroneal nerve conduction velocity were somewhat improved (P <0.05, P <0.01). Besides, better results were obtained in the treatment group (P <0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>QTR combined external washing plus external dressing by herbs with removing necrosis and promoting granulation actions could promote the healing of diabetic foot induced ulcers, improve the vascular and nerve functions. Its efficacy was superior to that of the control group.</p>

Detection of epidermal growth factor receptor gene mutations in advanced non-small cell lung cancer / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the mutations of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in tumor tissue and pleural effusion in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, and to analyze the relationship between EGFR mutations and the clinicopathologic characteristics.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two-hundred and forty-one cases of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissues and 14 paired pleural effusions from advanced NSCLC patients were collected. Twenty-nine different EGFR mutations in exons 18-21 were assessed by scorpions and amplification refractory mutation system (scorpions ARMS) using real time PCR. The relationship between the EGFR mutations and clinical parameters was analyzed using statistical methods. EGFR mutation of 37 cases were detected with direct sequencing, and assessed the sensitivity, the specificity and the accuracy of scorpions ARMS.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>EGFR somatic mutations were detected in 114 of 234 advanced NSCLC patients, with the mutation rate of 48.7%, including deletions in exon 19 in 65 patients and point mutation of L858R in exon 21 in 39 patients; both accounting for 91.2% (104/114) of all types of EGFR mutations. The test results of 14 paired pleural effusion specimens were entirely the same to the tissues. The concordance rate of 2 different detection methods was 94.6%. Mutation rate was higher in women (55.9%) than in men (42.2%), and there was no difference in mutation rates between smokers and non-smokers; patients in stage IIIB and stage IV; adenocarcinoma and non-adenocarcinoma.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>EGFR somatic mutations appear to occur frequently in Chinese. Scorpions ARMS technology is a sensitive method to detect EGFR mutations and is suitable for screening patients who would likely respond to EGFR inhibitors therapy.</p>

Study on antineoplastic effect of earthworm coelomic fluid in vitro / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the antineoplastic effect in vitro of earthworm coelomic fluid (ECF)on growth inhibition and its mechanism for the tumor cell lines Siha, SW480, Colo205 and PC12.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>MTT colorimetric assay, flow cytometry and morphological analysis were used to test its antitumor activity on tumor cell lines and normal cell line Cos7 in vitro.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>ECF can inhibit the cell growth of Siha, SW480, Colo205, PC12 and Cos7. But different tumor cell lines showed different sensitivity.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>EFC can significantly inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells in vitro by inducing tumor cells apoptosis.</p>

Design of a lithium-ion battery recharging circuit used in wireless electrical stimulation apparatus for urinary incontinence / 中国医疗器械杂志

We introduce in this paper a novel design of the lithium-ion battery automatically-charging circuit used in portable wireless electronic stimulation therapeutic apparatus for urinary incontinence, including its working principles, structure and characteristic.

Study on the prevalence of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome in Guangxi, China / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the prevalence of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) and its high risk factors in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From January 2003 to March 2005, a total number of 11,163 persons aged > or =14 years Zhuang minority living in Guangxi (from Guinan, Guizhong and Guibei) were surveyed. Questionnaire was administered to draw information. Polysomnography(PSG) and in-home polygraphy were performed on participants being studied and who had reported snoring.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among all the surveyed people, 2940reported snoring with a prevalence of 27.3%. 448 (320 males and 128 females) people reported OSAHS with prevalence as 4.3% (5.9% in males and 2.5% in females). From 14 to 60 year olds, the prevalence of snoring and OSAHS increased with age. Among those above 60 years of age, both the prevalencerates ofsnoring and OSAHS werereduced with age. Among all the study population, 260 (21.6%) had habitual OSAHS a nd 188 (10.8%) hadoccasional OSAHS. The high risk factors of OSAHS were: position during sleep, disease of nose, drinking alcohol, smoking, gender, body mass index (BMI) and age.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The prevalence rates of snoring and OSAHS were 27.3% and 4.3% respectively. From 14 to 60 years of age, the prevalence rates of snoring and OSAHS were increasing with age while from 60 years of age on, the prevalence of snoring and OSAHS reduced with age. The prevalence rates of snoring and OSAHS in males were higher than females. The high risk factors of OSAHS were position during sleep,disease of nose, drinking, smoking,gender, BMI and age.</p>

Effect of Radix Paeoniae Rubra on the expression of HO-1 and iNOS in rats with endotoxin-induced acute lung injury / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of Radix Paeoniae Rubra (RPR) on the expression of heme oxygenase (HO-1) and induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in endotoxin-induced acute lung injury in rats and its protective mechanism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty Wistar rats were divided randomly into 5 groups with 8 rats in each group: saline control group (NS group), lipopolysaccharide group (LPS group), RPR-treatment group, RPR-prevention group and Hemin group. The effect of RPR on protein content, the ratio of neutrophiles in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the lung and the activity of serum NO were observed. Arterial blood was drawn for blood-gas analysis. The expression of HO-1 and iNOS in lung tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry and morphometry computer image analysis. The histological changes of the lung were observed under light microscope.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with that in NS group, the expression of HO-1 and iNOS was markedly increased in LPS group (P<0.01). In RPR-treatment, RPR-prevention, and Hemin groups, the expression of iNOS was significantly lower, while the expression of HO-1 was higher than that in LPS group (P<0.05). The protein content, the ratio of neutrophiles in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, the content of MDA and the activity of serum NO in LPS group were significantly higher than those in NS group (P<0.01). There was a significant decrease in the level of arterial bicarbonate and partial pressure of oxygen in the LPS group (P<0.01); these parameters of lung injury however, were significantly lower in RPR-treatment, RPR-prevention, and Hemin groups than LPS group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The pathologic changes of lung tissues were substantially attenuated in RPR-treatment, RPR-prevention, and Hemin groups than LPS group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The high expression of HO-1 reflects an important protective function of the body during lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury. The protective effect of RPR on lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury is related to the inhibition of iNOS expression and the induction of HO-1 expression.</p>