Total flavonoids of Epimedium attenuate aging-related inflammation in rat brain by inhibiting MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the effect of the total flavonoids of Epimedium (TFE)on MAPK/NF-κB sig-naling pathway and the inflammatory reaction in the hippocampus of natural aging male rats.Methods The morphological changes of the hippocampus com-posed of three areas (CA1 ,CA3 and DG)were ob-served using haematoxylin-eoin (HE ) staining.The protein expression levels of senescence-associated pro-tein p21,apoptosis-related proteins Bax and Bcl-2, nuclear transcription factor-κB p65 (NF-κB p65 )and its downstream inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-1βand COX-2,and MAPK signaling pathway-related proteins (ERK1/2,p-ERK1/2,JNK,p-JNK,p38MAPK,p-p38MAPK)in hippocampal were detected by Western blot.Results Compared with natural aging group, TFE obviously improved the morphology and structure of hippocampal neurons,and the nerve cells arranged neatly and closely. Furthermore, TFE significantly downregulated the protein expression levels of p2 1 and Bax,upregulated the protein expression levels of Bcl-2 and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax,and reduced the expression of NF-κB p65 and of its downstream inflammatory fac-tors TNF-α, IL-1β, COX-2, and MAPK signaling pathway-related proteins (p-ERK1/2,p-JNK and p-p38 MAPK ) in hippocampus of natural aging rats. Conclusions TFE effectively protects against inflam-matory reaction in brain aging of SD male rats.The mechanism is related with inhibition of NF-κB nuclear translocation and reduction of its downstream inflamma-tory cytokines expression by inhibiting MAPK signaling pathway activation.

Application of Best Subsets Regression on the risk classification for Spermophilus Dauricus Focus / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the risk classification of animal plague in Spermophilus Dauricus Focus, using the Best Subsets Regression (BSR) model.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Matlab, BSR and exponential smoothing were employed to develop and evaluate a model for risk classification as well as to forecast plague epidemics at the Spermophilus Dauricus Focus. Data was based upon the Inner Mongolia surveillance programs. This model involved 7 risk factors, including density of Spermophilus dauricus, percentage of hosts infested, host flea index, percentage of nests infested, nest flea index, percentage of runways infested, and runway flea index.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Forecasting values of the classification model(CM)were calculated and grouped into 3 risk levels. Values that over 2/3 of the CM would indicate the existence of potential epidemics while those below 1/3 would indicate that there were no risk for epidemics but when values that were in between would indicate that there exist for high risk. Annually, during the observation period in the Inner Mongolia Spermophilus Dauricus Foci, the detection of Yersinia pestis gave a risk rating value of 1 which stood for existing epidemics, while nil detection rate generated a 'zero' value which representing the situation of non-epidemic. The overall plague epidemics forecasting surveillance programs in 2012 at the Spermophilus Dauricus Foci indicated that no active plague was observed. When the forecasting values became over 2/3, combinations of all the risk factors would achieve the consistency rates of 100%. When the forecasting values were below 1/3, combinations of at least the first 4 factors could also achieve the consistency rates of 100%. However, when the forecasting values fell in between, combinations of at least the first 4 factors would achieve the consistency rates of around 50%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Results from our study showed that plague would not be active to become epidemic, in 2012.</p>

The Evaluation of the Tubeless Mini-percutaneous Nephrolithotomy / 中国医师杂志

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of NO-PNT after mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy. Methods 26 cases from August 2002 to June 2004 underwent NO-PNT of mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy were reviewed and evaluated. Results ALL the 26 cases of NO-PNT had not found severe bleeding and other complications. The average hospitalization time was 4～5 days and the average hospitalization after operation was 1 to 2 days. Conclusions The tubeless mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy was safe and effective when the patients were selected by certain criteria, and it can decrease the average hospitalization obviously.