Positive benefit-risk ratio of Psoraleae Fructus: Comprehensive safety assessment and osteogenic effects in rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Psoraleae Fructus (PF), the dried fruit of Psoralea corylifolia L., is a commonly used traditional medicine that has contributed to the treatment of orthopedic diseases for thousands of years in China. However, recent PF-related liver injury reports have drawn widespread attention regarding its potential hepatotoxicity risks. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study was aimed to evaluate the long-term efficacy and chronic toxicity of PF using a 26-week administration experiment on rats in order to simulate the clinical usage situation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The PF aqueous extract was consecutively administrated to rats daily at dosages of 0.7, 2.0, and 5.6 g/kg (equivalent to 1-8 times the clinical doses for humans) for as long as 26 weeks. Samples were collected after 13, 26, and 32 weeks (withdrawal for 6 weeks) since the first administration. The chronic toxicity of PF was evaluated by conventional toxicological methods, and the efficacy of PF was evaluated by osteogenic effects in the natural growth process. RESULTS: In our experiments, only the H group (5.6 g/kg) for 26-week PF treatment demonstrated liver or kidney injury, which the injuries were reversible after 6 weeks of withdrawal. Notably, the PF treatment beyond 13 weeks showed significant benefits for bone growth and development in rats, with a higher benefit-risk ratio in female rats. CONCLUSIONS: PF displayed a promising benefit-risk ratio in the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis, a disease that lacks effective medicine so far. This is the first study to elucidate the benefit-risk balance associated with clinical dosage and long-term use of PF, thereby providing valuable insights for rational clinical use and risk control of PF.

Clinical follow-up of staged hybrid approach for patients with ventricular septal defects combined with patent ductus arteriosus and pulmonary hypertension / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the safety and efficacy of staged hybrid approach in treating ventricular septal defect (VSD) patients combined with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From July 2004 to July 2009, 22 VSD patients with PDA and PAH were enrolled and received staged hybrid approach treatment (transcatheter PDA occlusion and elective open surgery for VSD several days after PDA occlusion). All patients were followed up to examine rhythm change, residual shunt, shape of occlude, possible valve regurgitation, and aortic stenosis by echocardiography.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After transcatheter PDA occlusion, pulmonary arterial systolic pressure decreased from (76.2 ± 25.8) mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa) to (55.4 ± 20.6) mm Hg (P = 0.005), mean pulmonary artery pressure decreased from (53.5 ± 23.5) mm Hg to (36.2 ± 17.8) mm Hg (P = 0.049), total pulmonary resistance decreased from (8.2 ± 4.9) wood units to (6.9 ± 4.3) wood units (P = 0.037), and pulmonary-to-systemic flow ratio (Qp/Qs) increased from 2.8 ± 2.3 to 3.4 ± 1.7 (P = 0.045) post transcatheter interventional PDA occlusion. After VSD repair, pulmonary arterial systolic pressure decreased from (64.5 ± 22.3) mm Hg to (43.1 ± 18.9) mm Hg (P = 0.001) and mean pulmonary artery pressure decreased from (40.2 ± 18.7) mm Hg to (29.5 ± 15.8) mm Hg (P = 0.040). There was no death or right heart failure during the follow-up.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Staged hybrid approach is an effective and safe strategy for treating VSD patients with PDA and PAH.</p>

Initial experience of transcatheter implantation with a new aortic valve in sheep / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the feasibility and short-term results of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) using a new transcatheter valve.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty healthy adult sheep received general anesthesia. Under the guidance of X-ray and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), the new anti-calcification transcatheter valve was released from delivery system and implanted at the level of native aortic annulus via left common carotid artery. Position and function of the new anti-calcification transcatheter valve were evaluated by angiography and TTE immediately after intervention. Thirty day survival rate of animals was obtained.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>New transcatheter valves were implanted in all sheep. Fifteen sheep (75%) survived up to 30 days and post-operative examination showed that the transcatheter valve was in optimal position without migration and mitral valve impingement. The native coronary artery was patent in these animals. There was a slight paravalvular leak in 5 sheep. Postoperative echocardiography showed reflux percentage was significantly increased (P < 0.05) compared pre-intervention. Effective orifice area, aortic systolic pressure, diastolic aortic pressure, mean aortic pressure, left ventricular systolic pressure, left ventricular end diastolic pressure and heart rate were similar between post and pre-intervention (all P < 0.05). Five sheep died after TAVI within 30 days, including one fatal ventricular fibrillation occurred immediately after releasing the transcatheter valve and another sheep died of acute myocardial infarction due to left main coronary artery occlusion evidenced by angiography. Two sheep died of severe mitral regurgitation at 8 and 12 hours post-operation and one died of infective endocarditis at 26 days after intervention.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our favorable preliminary results showed that it was feasible to perform TAVI using the new transcatheter valve.</p>

Effect of Passive Position Acupuncture on Cerebral Palsy / 中国康复理论与实践

@#ObjectiveTo observe the clinical effect of compositive treatment on cerebral palsy children with rapid acupoint acupuncture at passive position.Methods37 children were treated with compositive treatment including acupoint acupuncture and physical training.Other 21 who treated with medicine were included as control.Results3 cases were cured and 33 cases were markedly effective in treatment group,which was better than that of control(P<0.05).ConclusionThe therapy composed of rapid acupoint acupuncture and physical training can significantly improve the function of children with cerebral palsy.

Expression of c-erbB2 protein and its relation to prognosis in 284 primary breast cancer patients / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of oncoprotein c-erbB2 in primary breast cancer and to analyze its relation to its prognosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Immunohistochemical staining for c-erbB2 was performed on paraffin-embedded specimens of primary breast cancer from 284 patients, and the relation to its prognosis was statistically analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Positive expression rate of c-erbB2 was 26.8% (76/284) in 284 primary breast cancer patients. Expression of c-erbB2 was positively correlated with the status of lymph node metastasis (P = 0.003). Univariate analysis indicated that c-erbB2 expression is a significant prognostic factor for the disease-free survival (DFS) (P = 0.024) and overall survival (OS) (P = 0.002), while multivariate analysis demonstrated that c-erbB2 is an independent prognostic factor for OS (P = 0.023). Moreover, tumors with c-erbB2 positive expression are more tend to metastasis to other viscera than those with c-erbB2 negative. c-erbB2 expression has different prognostic values for patients with different status of estrogen receptor (ER) and lymph node metastasis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>c-erbB2 expression is an independent prognostic factor for total survival time in primary breast cancer patients, and its prognostic values are different according to the different ER status and lymph node metastasis.</p>

Changes of Serum Troponin I in Children with Severe Pneumonia / 实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To investigate the changes of serum troponin I (cTnI) in children with severe pneumonia in the early time and its significance in the diagnosis of myocardial damage.Method cTnI was measured by automatic chemo-immuno-analyzer in 47 patients with severe pneumonia during acute stage and 25 patients during recovery stage.Results The levels cTnI in blood of 33 patients with severe pneumonia during the acute stage were obviously higher,with the abnormal rate 70.2%.There was a remarkable difference compared with control group(P

Study on Bilingual Teaching of Microbiology in Western College of China / 微生物学通报

Bilingual teaching is one of education reform in China.The essay analyzed the necessity of bilingual teaching and clarified the reason why it can procced in microbiology.Search after the way in microbiology course according to the character of college in western China.The practice accumulated experience for bilingual teaching.