Research progress on intervention of traditional Chinese medicine on coronary heart disease through NF-κB signal transduction pathway / 中草药

NF-κB plays an important regulatory role in many physiological and pathological processes and an important transcription factors in inflammation, immune responses, cell apoptosis and proliferation. In recent years, the effect of NF-κB in coronary heart disease's occurrence and development has been paid much more attention to. This paper mainly reviews the relationship between NF-κB signaling pathways and development of coronary heart disease, as well as the intervention of traditional Chinese medicine.

Effect of herb pair of Bupleuri Radix and Paeoniae Alba Radix on single amine neurotransmitter in brain of CUMS depression model of rats / 中草药

Objective: To observe the change of single amine neurotransmitter content in brain of rats, to reveal the antidepressant mechanism of herb pair of Bupleuri Radix and Paeoniae Alba Radix. Methods: Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) depression model was successfully established on rats. Rats were randomly divided into control, model, positive drug (fluoxetine hydrochloride 15 mg/kg), low-, mid-, and high-dose of herb pair of Bupleuri Radix and Paeoniae Alba Radix (crude drug of 8, 16, and 32 g/kg, Bupleuri Radix-Paeoniae Alba Radix ratio 1∶1), low-, mid-, and high-dose of Bupleuri Radix (crude drug 8, 16, and 32 g/kg) group, and low-, mid-, and high-dose of Paeoniae Alba Radix (crude drug 8, 16, and 32 g/kg) groups, which were ig given drugs for 14 d. After the administration, the brain tissue of rats was taken out. The monoamine neurotransmitter [norepinephrine (NE), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, (5-HIAA)] content changes of material could be detected by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results: Compaed with the model group, the contents of NE and 5-HT increased obviously, while the content of 5-HIAA decreased obviously in the hippocampus, cortex, and hypothalamus in the mid-, and high-dose of herb pair of Bupleuri Radix and Paeoniae Alba Radix group (P<0.05, 0.01); In the low-dose herb pair of Bupleuri Radix and Paeoniae Alba Radix groups, the decrease-contents of NE and 5-HT could be reversed of and the level of 5-HIAA could be decreased (P<0.05) in a varying degrees. Conclusion: The herb pair of Bupleuri Radix and Paeoniae Alba Radix, Bupleuri Radix, or Paeoniae Alba Radix could play the role of anti-depression by regulation of the manoamine neurotransmitter in the brain of rats. The anti-depressant effect of the herb pair of Bupleuri Radix and Paeoniae Alba Radix is better than that of Bupleuri Radix or Paeoniae Alba Radix.

Treatment of cervical dislocation with locked facets / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Lower cervical dislocation with locked facets is common in cervical injury. The locked facets include unilateral and bilateral types. Different successful closed reduction rates has been achieved between unilateral and bilateral types by using rapid skull traction, which was commonly used to reduce the cervical dislocation. It is important to investigate a suitable management specific to patients with different types of cervical locked facets.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 38 patients with cervical dislocation with locked facet due to cervical injury treated by rapid skull traction and operation from 1988 to 2005 were reviewed. Rapid skull traction was used in all the patients. Successful closed reduction rate was 88.0% in patients with bilateral cervical locked facets and that was 15.4% in those with unilateral cervical locked facets. These data were then statistically compared by Chi-square test. Patients who were reduced successfully underwent anterior cervical discectomy and fusion at the injured level, and those who failed in closed reduction received posterior open reduction and fixation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In this series, there was statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) in the rate of successful closed skull traction reduction between unilateral and bilateral locked facets dislocation. Unilateral cervical locked facets dislocation was not easily reduced by skull traction which was suitable for reduction of bilateral cervical locked facets dislocation. However, unilateral cervical locked facets dislocation can be reduced by posterior open reduction.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Unilateral cervical locked facets dislocation should be treated immediately with posterior open reduction and instrumentation. Bilateral cervical locked facets dislocation can be reduced by rapid skull traction firstly and anterior cervical discectomy and interbody fusion later.</p>

Clinical diagnosis and treatment of multiple-level injuries of the cervical spine / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the character, diagnosis and treatment of multiple-level fractures of the cervical spine.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-three patients (38 male, 5 female) with multiple-level fractures of the cervical spine were retrospectively analysed in our hospital from 1988-2001.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among 36 patients with multiple contiguous fractures of the cervical spine, 32 cases were injured at low cervical spine; 7 patients were non-contiguous spinal fractures in which there were 5 cases injured at upper and lower cervical spine. The frequently injured sites were vertebral body (31 patients), laminae (25 patients), spinous process (9 patients), vertebral arch (4 patients), transverse process (5 patients), lateral mass (5 patients); level frequently affected were C(4), C(5), C(6) and C(7); 21 patients were treated with anterior vertebrectomy and fusion, 10 patients with posterior laminectomy and fixation, 2 patients with both anterior and posterior decompression and fixation. 60.5% were flexion-compression injury. 10 patients with conservative treatment.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Contiguous type was more common than non-contiguous type in multiple level cervical spinal fractures; Injured sites always located at lower cervical spine in contiguous cervical fractures different from that fractures of atlas, axis and lower cervical spine in non-contiguous type; Unstable segments and level of spinal cord injury were at lower cervical spine; Operations must obtain both decompression and stability of spine.</p>

Clinical diagnosis and treatment of Hangman's fracture / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the mechanism of Hangman's fracture and its clinical manifestation and treatment.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Ten patients with Hangman's fracture treated at our hospital from 1988 to 2001 were analysed.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Patients were injured by motor vehicle accidents (7 patients), object hitting on the head (1), and fall (1). Injuries were classified as type I (1 patient), type II (5), type IIa (2) and type III (2).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Motor vehicle accident and fall are major causes of Hangman's fracture with neurological deficits but limited motion and neck pain. Hangman's fracture is easily diagnosed using lateral cervical X-ray and CT. Hangman's fractures of types I, II and IIa can be treated conservatively, but those of type III or spinal cord injury require surgical stabilization.</p>