Social health insurance and drug spending a mong cancer inpatients in China

A social health insurance(SHI) program has been established in China to ensure that people can obtain health care economically and equitably. Our analysis indicates that in 2005-06, 66.5 percent of Chinese citizens were non-SHI inpatients. We also found that drug spending for SHI inpatients was significantly higher than that for non-SHI inpatients. After adjusting for other variables, we found that the SHI coverage was also associated positively with higher drug costs. We present evidence to show that drug spending differences are attributable at least in part to differences in insurance courage.     

Urocortin ameliorates diabetic nephropathy in obese db /db mice

Background and purpose: Hyperglycaemia induces overproduction of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) in endothelial cells, which is believed to be a major molecular mechanism underlying complications of diabetes, including diabetic nephropathy. Impairment of endothelium-dependent vasodilatation is found in type 2 diabetes. Urocortin is a 40 amino-acid peptide related to the corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) family, which suppresses production of ROS in endothelial cells and sustains endothelium-dependent relaxations of rat coronary artery. However, it is not clear if urocortin has any effect on diabetic nephropathy. Experimental approach: Possible mechanisms underlying the effects of urocortin on diabetic nephropathy were investigated in db/db mice and cultured rat mesangial cells. Key results: Urocortin decreased body weight, plasma levels of advanced glycation end-prod ucts, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels. However, food intake, plasma insulin and glucose levels remained unaffected. Superoxide dismutase activity was increased markedly, whereas malonaldehyde levels in kidney homogenate and sorbitol concentrations in red blood cells were decreased significantly in urocortin-treated mice. Urocortin significantly decreased glomerular extracellular matrix expansion and accumulation in kidney. Moreover, urocortin inhibited the overexpression of transforming growth factor-beta 1 and connective tissue growth factor in rat mesangial cells induced by 25 mM glucose. All the effects of urocortin, except sorbitol accumulation, were abolished by the non-selective CRF receptor blocker, astressin. Conclusion and implications: Urocortin could significantly ameliorate diabetic nephropathy and this effect was mediated via the     

碱提类肝素组分Ⅱ对鹌鹑血清及动脉壁胆固醇的影响

研究碱提类肝素组分Ⅱ(C_2)对鹌鹑血清及动脉壁胆固醇的影响,结果表明C_2能抑制高脂饮食所致的Tc的升高,降脂率约为35%,能提高HDL-c/Tc,HDL_2-c/HDL_3-c比值,约可减少30%的胆固醇及脂质在动脉壁的沉积。     

Cigarette smoking and the risk of endometrial cancer:A meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE:Epidemiologic findings are inconsistent concerning the association of endometrial cancer risk with cigarette smoking.We conducted a meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies to examine this relation.METHODS:A systematic literature search up to June of 2007 was performed in MEDLINE and EMBASE.Study-specific risk estimates were pooled using a random-effects model.RESULTS:Ten prospective and 24 case-control studies were included in the analysis of the effect of ever smoking.Ever smoking was statistically significantly associated with a reduced risk of endometrial cancer among prospective studies(relative risk 0.81;95% confidence interval[CI],0.74-0.88) and case-control studies(odds ratio 0.72;95% CI,0.66-0.79).The inverse association was significant among current and former smokers.Six prospective and 6 case-control studies were included in the quantitative analysis.We noted that an increase in smoking of 20 cigarettes per day was statistically significantly associated with 16% and 27% reduced risks of endometrial cancer in prospective and case-control studies,respectively.We also found that cigarette smoking was significantly associated with a decreased risk of endometrial cancer among postmenopausal women(relative risk 0.71;95% CI,0.65-0.78) but not among premenopausal women.In addition,the risk reduction seemed to be stronger among hormone replacement therapy users than nonusers.CONCLUSION:Cigarette smoking was found to be significantly associated with a reduced risk of endometrial cancer,especially among postmenopausal women.(C) 2008 Elsevier Inc.All rights reserved.     

苦参碱的抗炎作用

苦参(Sophora flavescens Ait)有效成份苦参碱(Matrine)对小鼠腹腔毛细血管通透性、大鼠后足(左右)致炎后肿胀及大鼠肉芽组织增生实验表明:苦参碱对急性炎症的毛细血管通透性增高,炎症渗出和组织水肿、晚期肉芽组织增生都有抑制作用,其抗炎作用与氢化可的松相似。     

通脉冲剂对冠心病患者的血浆D-二聚体影响的临床观察

目的观察中药剂型通脉冲剂治疗缺血性心脑血管疾病、动脉硬化、脑血栓、脑缺血、冠心病、心绞痛等症的疗效。方法将51例冠心病患者分为稳定型心绞痛,不稳定型心绞痛,急性心肌梗塞,正常对照组四个组并分别予口服通脉冲剂,观察4周,服药前和服药后分别空腹抽取受检者静脉血2ml,留待测D-二聚体含量。再将结果作统计学分析结果给通脉冲剂4周后:①受试者体内的D-二聚体值与给药前相比都有了显著的降低(p<0.01)。②其中急性心肌梗塞病人降低最多(p<0.01)。结论通脉冲剂对冠心病患者血浆中D-二聚体含量有降低作用,可能与通脉冲剂中的丹参、川芎嗪等有抑制凝血功能,促进纤溶系统功能,抑制血小板粘附、血小板第3因子及延长血清凝血酶原时间的作用有关。通脉冲剂对血液流变学的异常有肯定的治疗意义,而且未见任何毒副反应。     

米非司酮终止早孕绒毛组织中一氧化氮合成酶活性及血清雌二醇、孕酮的测定

米非司酮终止早孕绒毛组织中一氧化氮合成酶活性及血清雌二醇、孕酮的测定杨晓葵李明冯淑芝杨菁管楚玉近年来的研究发现，一氧化氮（Ｎｉ－ｔｒｉｃｏｘｉｄｅ，ＮＯ）是一种具有多种生物学潜能的局部调节因子，参与调节胚胎的发育和生殖激素的合成与释放。为了探讨米非司...     

GARLIC IN CRYPTOCOCCAL MENINGITIS A PRELIMINARY REPORT OF 21 CASES

Of 21 cases of cryptococcal meningitis en- countered in a 5-year period, 16 were treated with garlic alone and 5 with garlic and other drugs. Among the 16 cases, 6 were cured and 5 im- proved, giving an effective rate of 68.75%. Pre- liminary experimental studies of the mechanism of the pharmacologic action of garlic show that it may have fungistatic action and improve the patient's immunologic function. It is also obviously cheap, plentiful and causes no major side-effects.