Effects of CASI on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion arrhythmia in rats / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the protective effect of compound acanthopanax senticosus injection (CASI) on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion arrhythmia in rats.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The myocardial ischemia-reperfusion model was induced by 30 min coronary occulusion and 60 min reperfusion in openchest anesthetized rats. The changes of arrhythmia with electrocardiogram lead II, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and Ca2+ in myocardium were determined.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>In rats treated by CASI (in a dosage of 25, 50 and 100 mg x kg(-1) femoral vein infusion at 30 min after coronary occulusion), the incidence of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion ventricular arrhythmias, for instance the ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (Vf), was effectively prevented, the appearing time of arrhythmia was delayed and the duration of arrhythmia was shortened, while the elevated ST segment lowered as well. At the same time, the contents of myocardial Ca2+ and MDA were decreased significantly as well as the activities of myocardial SOD and GSH-Px increased markedly.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CASI is of protective effect on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion arrhythmia, which may be related to scavenging the oxygen free radicals and Ca2+ overload formed during reperfusion.</p>

Assessment of the health-related quality of life of patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The Medical Outcome Study of 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) is a well-validated generic questionnaire widely used to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ) is a specific HRQOL assessment designed for patients with liver diseases. The aim of our study is to evaluate the HRQOL based on SF-36 and CLDQ (Chinese version) in patients with chronic hepatitis B and liver cirrhosis, especially in the status of minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The SF-36 and CLDQ were answered by 160 healthy volunteers, 20 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 106 patients with cirrhosis. HRQOL scores of the groups with different liver disease severities and with or without MHE were compared. The SF-36 includes one multi-item scale that assesses eight health categories: physical functioning, role-physical, body pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role-emotion, and mental health. CLDQ assesses 6 categories: abdominal symptoms, fatigue, systemic symptoms, activity, emotional function and worry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the healthy controls, patients with chronic hepatitis B and liver cirrhosis at baseline had a lower HRQOL on all scales of the SF-36 and CLDQ (P < 0.01 for all). Increased severity of liver cirrhosis (based on the Child-Pugh score but with MHE or without) was associated with a decrease in most components, both in SF-36 and in CLDQ. However, patients with Child-Pugh B and C disease had similar HRQOL scores on both the SF-36 and CLDQ (P > 0.05), except role-physical and vitality on SF-36. There was a significant difference between patients with and without MHE on the SF-36 score (P < 0.01), and no significant difference (P > 0.05) on CLDQ scores except in abdominal symptoms.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The Chinese version of SF-36 along with CLDQ are valid and reliable methods for testing MHE in patients with liver cirrhosis.</p>

Cost-effectiveness analysis of emergency endoscopic variceal ligation plus octreotide in the treatment of acute esophageal variceal bleeding in cirrhotic patients / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare and evaluate the cost and effectiveness of endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) at emergency plus octreotide versus octreotide alone in the treatment of acute esophageal variceal bleeding in cirrhotic patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventy-eight patients with active variceal bleeding under emergency endoscope, were assigned to two groups receiving either combined therapy of EVL at emergency and octreotide ('EVL' group) or a continuous infusion of octreotide alone ('octreotide' group). Both efficacy and cost-effectiveness were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were no significant differences between the two groups in patients' characteristics, supporting treatment or general treatment. In group EVL, there appeared a significantly higher rate in controlling bleeding and lower complication rate than that of octreotide group(94.4% vs.78.6%, P = 0.045 and 19.4% vs. 42.9%, P = 0.027, respectively). Early rebleeding and mortality rate were also lower in group EVL, but with no significant differences between them (2.9% vs. 7.7%, P = 0.358 and 5.6% vs. 14.3%, P = 0.205, respectively). The combined therapy had a significantly shorter time of hemostasis, less administration of octreoid, fewer units of blood transfusion and shorter hospital stay (P < 0.001). The median costs of the combined therapy and octreotide alone were RMB 9046.5 Yuan and 13 743.6 Yuan,respectively (P = 0.045). The cost-effective ratio of group EVL seemed superior to that of octreoid group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The therapeutic scheme of emergency EVL plus octreotide was a more cost-effective one for controlling acute esophageal variceal bleeding.</p>

Protective effect of ASS on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the protective effect of Acanthopanax senticosus saponins (ASS) on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The myocardial ischemia-reperfusion model was induced by 30 min left anterior descending coronary occlusion and 120 min reperfusion in rats. The changes of myocardial infarct size (MIS), the serum creatine phosphokinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, the serum lipid peroxidation (LPO) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity and plasma endothelin (ET), angiotensin II (Ang II), prostacycline (PGI2) and thromboxane A2 (TXA2) levels and myocardial free fatty acid (FFA) content of infarct and noninfarct area were determined.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>In rats treated by ASS (in a dosage of 25, 50 and 100 mg x kg(-1) i.v. at 30 min after coronary occulusion), the MIS was significantly reduced, the serum CK and LDH activity, the plasma ET, Ang II and TXA2 level and myocardial FFA content declined, while plasma PGI2 level and PGI2/TXA2 was increased signficantly. In addition, serum LPO content declined, SOD and GSH-Px activity were increased markedly.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ASS has protective effect on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, which may be due to its function of improving free radicals and myocardial metabolism, decreasing plasma ET, Ang II and TXA2 levels and increasing plasma PGI2 level and PGI2/TXA2 ratio etc.</p>

Effects of ginsenoside-Rb on blood lipid metabolism and anti-oxidation in hyperlipidemia rats / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe effects of ginsenoside-Rb (G-Rb) on total cholesterol, lipoprotein cholesterol metabolism and anti-oxidation in experimental hyperlipidemia rats.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Hyperlipidemia rats were respectively given G-Rb 50, 100, 200 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) ig for twelve days. Total cholesterol, lipoprotein cholesterol and lipid peroxidation (LPO) contents, prostacycline (PGI2), thromboxane (TXA2), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and blood viscosity were measured. Fat accumulation in liver was also observed.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) in serum, TXA2 in plasma, LPO in serum and liver, and blood viscosity were decreased significantly. High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc) in serum, PGI2 in plasma and SOD in serum and liver were significantly increased by G-Rb (100, 200 mg x kg(-1)) in experimental hyperlipidemia rats. In addition, G-Rb could decrease TC/HDL-c, LDLc/HDL-c ratio, increase PGI2/TXA2 ratio and inhibit fat accumulation in liver.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>G-Rb could have anti-arteriosclerosis effect by improving cholesterol and lipoprotein-cholesterol metabolism, suppressing lipid peroxidation, increasing anti-oxidase activity and PGI2/TXA2 ratio.</p>

Analysis of Pathogen and Antimicrobial Susceptibility in Children with Bacterial Meningitis / 实用儿科临床杂志

Objective Pathogen and antimicrobial susceptibility in children with bacterial meningitis were reviewed.Methods The positive cultures of cerebrospinal fluid samples or blood samples and its antimicrobial susceptibility were analyzed in 401 patients with the clinical diagnosis of bacterial meningitis.Results 401 cases cerebrospinal fluid samples and blood samples submitted to microbiology laboratory, 97 cases (24%) were microscopically and culturally proven to be bacterial meningitis. The most frequent pathogen was staphylococcus aureus (28%), followed by the streptococcus pneumoniae (19%) and escherichia coli (13%). Pediococci as conditioned pathogen, were found in purulent meningitis patients. One of the isolates of Staphylococcus aureus was simultaneously resistant to both vancomycin and teicoplanin. Three isolates showed simultaneous resistance to imipenem/cilastatin.Conclusions Staphylococcus aureus as the predominant pathogens of pediatric ranks first among pediatric patients of purulent meningitis. Serious drug resistance of isolated pathogenic bacteria and its in antimicrobial susceptibility in the bacterial meningitis should be considered in clinical therapy.