Efficacy and tolerability of anti-asthma herbal medicine intervention in adult patients with moderate-severe allergic asthma

BACKGROUND: Chinese herbal medicine has a long history of human use. A novel herbal formula, anti-asthma herbal medicine intervention (ASHMI), has been shown to be an effective therapy in a murine model of allergic asthma. OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to compare the efficacy, safety, and immunomodulatory effects of ASHMI treatment in patients with moderate-severe, persistent asthma with prednisone therapy. METHODS: In a double-blind trial, 91 subjects underwent randomization. Forty-five subjects received oral ASHMI capsules and prednisone placebo tablets (ASHMI group) and 46 subjects received oral prednisone tablets and ASHMI placebo capsules (prednisone group) for 4 weeks. Spirometry measurements; symptom scores; side effects; and serum cortisol, cytokine, and IgE levels were evaluated before and after treatment. RESULTS: Posttreatment lung function was significantly improved in both groups as shown by increased FEV(1) and peak expiratory flow findings (P<.001). The improvement was slightly but significantly greater in the prednisone group (P<.05). Clinical symptom scores, use of beta(2)-bronchodilators, and serum IgE levels were reduced significantly, and to a similar degree in both groups (P<.001). T(H)2 cytokine levels were significantly reduced in both treated groups (P<.001) and were lower in the prednisone-treated group (P<.05). Serum IFN-gamma and cortisol levels were significantly decreased in the prednisone group (P<.001) but significantly increased in the ASHMI group (P<.001). No severe side effects were observed in either group. CONCLUSION: Anti-asthma herbal medicine intervention appears to be a safe and effective alternative medicine for treating asthma. In contrast with prednisone, ASHMI had no adverse effect on adrenal function and had a beneficial effect on T(H)1 and T(H)2 balance.     

大学生自我表露及其与主观幸福感的关系

目的:探讨大学生自我表露、主观幸福感现况及二者的关系.方法:根据浙江大学164名学生的问卷调查结果对Jourard SM自我表露问卷进行修订,用修订的自我表露问卷和幸福感指数量表对浙江大学的356名学生进行问卷调查.结果:不同信息类别的自我表露评分差异显著(F=50.24,P＜0.001),其中品味和兴趣(1.85±0.41)、学习(工作)(1.87±0.43)的自我表露评分均高于态度和看法(1.70±0.32)(t=7.870、8.256)、金钱(1.60±0.41,t=10.517、11.429)、个性(1.70±0.39)、身体(1.71±0.42)(P均＜0.001).目标人的主效应显著(有男/女朋友者、无男/女朋友者的自我表露问卷评分差异均有显著性,F=21.14、13.88,P＜0.001),信息类别和目标人的交互作用显著(F=76.15,P＜0.001).在金钱、身体、学习或工作方面大学生向父母表露多于向男、女性朋友(如金钱上:母亲1.81±0.59、父亲1.73±0.58,男朋友1.42±0.44,女朋友1.40±0.44;F=116.84,P=0.000).女性的表露程度高于男性(1.79±0.31/1.71±0.32,t=2.03,P=0.044).自我表露与主观幸福感呈正相关(r=0.16,P=0.003).分层回归显示自我表露对预测主观幸福感作出了新的贡献(△R2=0.021,P=0.006).结论:信息类别、目标人、被试性别会影响自我表露的程度,提升表露水平有助于改善主观幸福感.     

The HPV-16 E7 oncogene sensitizes malignant cells to IFN-alpha-induced apoptosis.

Interferons (IFNs) exert antitumor effects in several human malignancies, but their mechanism of action is unclear. There is a great variability in sensitivity to IFN treatment depending on both tumor type and the individual patient. The reason for this variable sensitivity is not known. The fact that several IFN-induced anticellular effects are exerted through modulation of proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes may indicate that the malignant genotype may be decisive in the cell's sensitivity to IFN. To determine if a deregulated oncogene could alter the cellular response to IFN, a mouse lymphoma cell line (J3D) was stably transfected with the viral human papillomavirus-16 (HPV-16) E7 oncogene. The E7-transfected cells and their respective mock-transfected sister clones were treated with IFN-alpha and examined for possible IFN-induced anticellular effects. We found that the E7-transfected clones were greatly sensitized to IFN-alpha-induced apoptosis compared with their mock-transfected counterparts. Induction of apoptosis in the transfected cells correlated with the ability of IFN to activate parts of the proapoptotic machinery specifically in these cells, including activation of caspases and the proapoptotic protein Bak. In summary, our data suggest that transfection of malignant cells with the E7 oncogene can sensitize them to IFN-alpha-induced apoptosis. This demonstrates that an oncogenic event may alter the cellular sensitivity to IFN and might also have implications for treatment of HPV-related diseases with IFN.     

造血干/祖细胞的体外扩增培养研究

利用旋转壁式生物反应器(Rotating wall vessel,RWV)体外培养脐带血干细胞,使其大量扩增,以满足临床应用对造血干/祖细胞的数量与质量要求。从脐带血分离得到的单个核细胞(Mononuclear cells,MNC)在T-flask中培养24h,之后接种到RWV反应器中,培养200h。每24h细胞计数,测量培养基的pH和渗透压变化;在144h和197h测CD34 细胞含量并做CFU-GM半固体培养。有核细胞(Nucleated cells,NC)与CD34 细胞在第197h,分别扩增了435.5±87.6倍和32.7±15.6倍,CFU-GM(Colony-forming unit-granulocyte/macrophage)细胞扩增了21.7±4.9倍。整个培养过程中,RWV反应器中的pH和渗透压都保持在造血细胞最佳的扩增条件内,pH基本保持在7.2~7.4之间,渗透压基本保持在290~310mmol/kg之间。由于旋转壁式生物反应器(RWV)结构上的特殊性,可以保证细胞在悬浮流动的状态下生长,很好地模拟了脐带中的造血微环境,使脐带血造血干细胞在该反应器中短期内得到大量扩增。     

儿童臀肌挛缩症免疫发病机理的研究

本文对４１例儿童臀肌挛缩症患者外周血及３２例儿童臀肌挛缩症臀肌进行了系统的免疫学研究。结果表明：儿童臀肌挛缩症患者免疫调节功能紊乱，红细胞免疫功能低下，臀肌组织免疫复合物沉积，臀肌小血管数目减少及管壁损伤。由此认为免疫病理因素是儿童臀肌挛缩症的主要发病机理。     

Hypothermia after cardiopulmonary bypass in man: effects of prostaglandin E1 and phentolamine

The "afterdrop" in body temperature (TEMP) following adequate rewarming from hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is frequently observed. This temperature drop sometimes accompanied by shivering results in increased myocardial oxygen demand. We investigated the relations between the afterdrop and use of vasodilators after CPB. For vasodilator therapy, PGE1 at the rate of 0.025-0.088 microgram.kg-1.min-1 (Prostaglandin Low Doses, PLD; n = 8), 0.107-0.136 microgram.kg-1.min-1 (Prostaglandin High Doses, PHD; n = 7), or phentolamine at 4.1-5.9 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 (PHENT; n = 8) were intravenously infused in 23 adult patients after CPB. During three hour period after CPB, esophageal, rectal, and forehead TEMP are lower in PHENT than in PGE1 groups. There were significant differences between PHD and PHENT group. Finger tip TEMP was lower in PGE1 groups than in PHENT group. There were significant differences between PHD and PHENT group. There were no differences in systemic arterial pressure, cardiac index (CI) and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) at any point between PHD and PHENT groups. It is concluded that PHENT increases the peripheral skin blood flow and TEMP but decreases the visceral TEMP possibly due to vasodilatation of the skin vessels, while PGE1 decreases skin blood flow and TEMP but increases the visceral TEMP, although SVR clearly decreases at the same rate in the two groups.     

Elimination of polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from human blood in the Yusho and Yu-Cheng rice oil poisonings

The pharmacokinetics of polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in humans was studied by monitoring the blood concentrations of individuals who ingested a contaminated rice oil in Japan (yusho) in 1968 and in Taiwan (yu-cheng) in 1979. Sixteen yusho patients were followed from 1982 to 1990 and three yu-cheng individuals from 1980 to 1989. From the three yucheng patients, blood lipid values for the two persistent toxic congeners, 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran (PnCDF) and 1,2,3,4,7,8-hexachlorodibenzofuran (HxCDF), varied from 50 g/kg at first sampling to about 1 g/kg at last sampling corresponding to half-lives for elimination (t_1/2) of 2-2_1/2 years. The blood lipid values for the same PCDF congeners in yusho patients varied from 5 g/kg down to 0.1 g/kg. The calculated t_1/2 were more variable with median values closer to 10 years. Planar PCBs #126 and #169 were present at lower concentrations than the PCDFs. For seven of the other PCB congeners, half-lives for elimination in the yu-cheng individuals varied from 1.2 up to 4.6 yr depending on the degree of chlorination. For the yusho patients, the elimination for the PCBs was longer. These results show that clearance of the toxic PCDFs and PCBs in humans is non-linear with faster elimination at higher exposure followed by slower decreases as background levels are approached. Such a clearance pattern can best be explained by a two compartment liver and fat pharmacokinetic model.     

新工艺制备的β—TCP陶瓷小鼠肌肉内种植后的变化

目的：检测新工艺制备的β－磷酸三钙（β－TCP）的生物相容性,方法：将自制β－TCP植入小鼠股后肌袋。术后24,72h,1,2,4,8周分别取材做组织学检查,2,4周取材部分标本做扫描电镜（SEM）观察。结果：随着时间推移,β－TCP逐渐被纤维组织分割包围,但是无软骨,骨和坏死组织形成,结论：新工艺制备的β-TCP具有良好的组织相容性。     

第二掌骨侧生物全息疗法治疗Ⅱ型糖尿病21例

目的 分析运用第二掌骨侧生物全息疗法治疗Ⅱ型糖尿病21例疗效。方法 取第二掌骨侧相关穴位肺、胃（胰、脾）穴、肾穴,分左右两组交替使用。每日针刺或按摩两次,每次10min。如针刺,得气后留针15min。15次为一疗程。一般经两个疗程治疗后复查血糖、尿糖与治疗前对照。结果 显效6例占28.6%;有效13例占61.9%;无效2例占9.5%。总有效人数19例;总有效率90.5%。结论 治病结果表明,第二掌骨侧生物全息疗法,见效快、效率高,是一套新的高效治疗技术,宜广泛推广。