Autonomic nervous system mediates the cardiovascular effects of Rhodiola sacra radix in rats

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Rhodiola sacra (Crassulaceae) exhibits cardiovascular bioactivities and is used in Tibetan medicine for promoting circulation and preventing hypertension. However, the underlying mechanisms of its cardiovascular effects are poorly understood. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the cardiovascular activity of water-soluble fraction (WtF) and n-butanol-soluble fraction (BtF) of Rhodiola sacra radix and to explore its mechanism of action in propofol anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The changes of blood pressure, heart rate and cardiac contractility after systemic administration of the extracts (10-75mg/kg) were examined for at least 40min. Different antagonists were used to evaluate the mechanisms of cardiovascular effects of the extracts. RESULTS: Intravenous injection of the WtF (10, 25, 35, 50 or 75mg/kg) exhibited dose-dependent hypotension and increases in heart rate and cardiac contractility. In contrast, mild alterations in the same cardiovascular parameters were detected only at high dose (75mg/kg) BtF. The WtF-induced hypotensive, positive inotropic and chronotropic effects were significantly abolished by pretreatment with hexamethonium (30mg/kg, i.v.) or reserpine (5mg/kg, i.v.), whereas the hypotensive, but not the positive inotropic or chronotropic effect was potentiated by captopril (2.5mg/kg, i.v.). Pretreatment with methylatropine (1mg/kg, i.v.), on the other hand, reversed the positive inotropic and chronotropic but not the hypotensive effects of WtF. The WtF-induced cardiovascular responses were not affected in rats pretreated with N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (20mg/kg, i.v.). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that systemic administration of the WtF of Rhodiola sacra radix elicited a potent hypotensive effect that was mediated by the withdrawal of sympathetic vasomotor tone and interaction with the circulatory angiotensin system. The positive inotropic and chronotropic effects of WtF may result from a direct vagal inhibition on the heart.     

Age at sexual initiation and number of sexual partners in the female Spanish population Results from the AFRODITA survey

Objectives

The AFRODITA study was designed to describe patterns relating to the number of lifetime sexual partners (SP) and age at first sexual intercourse (AFSI) by geographic region in a representative sample of Spanish women.

Study design

A representative sample of the female Spanish population was obtained using the Access Panel Technique. Postal questionnaires were sent to 11,086 women aged 18–70 years. Data were collected on AFSI, number of sexual partners, contraceptive methods, cervical cancer screening and socio-demographic characteristics.

Results

The average AFSI was 20.9 years. AFSI below the age of 19 years was reported by 30.8% of the women. Among sexually active women, 70.6% reported being monogamous and 6.4% reported ≥5 lifetime sexual partners. Younger age at interview was strongly related to earlier AFSI and to higher number of lifetime sexual partners. Women younger than 25 were 39 times more likely to have an AFSI before age 18 than women over age 55. The percentage of women aged less than 25 reporting two or more sexual partners was four times higher than that of women 56 and older. In the multivariate analysis, having two or more sexual partners was independently associated with young age, early AFSI, having ever used oral contraceptives, living in an urban area, having had a screening Pap test in the last 3 years, having a sexually transmitted infection and nuliparity.

Conclusions

This study confirms important changes in the sexual behaviour of Spanish women. Younger cohorts show a younger age at sexual initiation and higher number of sexual partners. These are key factors that may induce changes in the human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence and the cervical cancer incidence in Spain.     

The morphology of the atrioventricular node in scleroderma -- a three-dimensional reconstruction

A new technique for looking at the atrioventricular node andbundle is described and applied to the conducting system insix patients with scleroderma. The conducting system blockswere removed, sectioned, appropriately stained and photographed.Outlines of the atrioventricular node and bundle were generatedand digitized. From the digital information three-dimensionalimages were generated and the atrioventricular node and bundlewere rotated so that the shape could be studied from any view.In striking contrast to normal atrioventricular nodal reconstructions,those from the patients who had scleroderma showed a narrowand flattened proximal atrioventricular node. The nodal microscopy,on the other hand, did not differ significantly in architecture.It is postulated that the alterations by fibrous replacementof the proximal node could account for the relatively high frequencyof atrioventricular conduction Scleroderma, problems in patientswith scleroderma and could paradoxically account for the relativelyfrequent occurrence of supraventricular tachycardias that arealso found in this disease.     

胫骨交锁髓内钉术后感染分析

目的：探讨胫腌骨骨折交锁髓内钉术后感染的预防与治疗方法。方法;对12例术后感染的病例进行回顾性分析。3例经过抗菌素治疗,9例经过闭式滴不引流加抗菌素治疗,结果;全部病例获随访,随访时间10个月－2年,感染控制,骨折愈合,结论：对胫骨交锁髓内钉术后感染的病人,不必急于取出内固定,采用闭式滴注引流加抗菌素治疗可获得满意效果。     

医院建筑应急功能的建设实践

对于区域性、地区性的大型急救中心建设是非常必要的。此类急救中心在应对突发公共急救事件时因能够起到中流砥柱的作用,急救效果往往事半功倍,因而各级政府应给予重视与扶持。     

MMR vaccine effectiveness in an outbreak that involved day-care and primary schools

Objective

In 2006, a large measles outbreak occurred in Catalonia (Spain), where the immunization schedule included two doses of MMR vaccine at 15 months and 4 years. The aim of this study was to investigate the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of MMR in children attending day-care and pre-school centres and to estimate the number of cases that would have been avoided by administering the first dose of MMR at 12 months.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was carried out between October 2006 and January 2007 in day-care and pre-school centres with confirmed measles cases. VE was calculated in children aged ≥15 months without previous measles infection. Cases avoided by advancing the first dose of MMR to 12 months were estimated by calculating the basic and effective reproduction number in centres where transmission outside the class was observed.

Results

Fifteen centres and 1394 children were included. There were 77 confirmed cases (attack rate = 5.5%). Vaccination coverage of the 1121 children aged ≥15 months was 91.6% and VE was 96% (95%CI 89-98%).There were 33 (41%) cases in the 81 children aged 12-14 months. Advancing the first dose to 12 months would have prevented 74 cases (91.5%) and lowered the attack rate from 41% to 8.6%.

Conclusions

Over 90% of cases in children aged 12-14 months would have been avoided by MMR administration at 12 rather than 15 months. We strongly recommend advancing the first dose of MMR to 12 months in order to reduce the risk of measles outbreaks.     

重组体pEF—HCF诱发小鼠体液免疫反应的研究

目的：探讨基因疫苗在HCV感染中的预防和治疗价值,方法：将HCV C区基因插入pEF质粒EF－1α启动子下游。构建pEF-HCV C重组质粒,然后经肌肉注射及皮下注射免疫Balb/c小鼠。结果：在接种后3周内在肌注组内检测到抗HCV,但是抗体滴度较低,在加强免疫后7天血清抗－HCV明显增高,而其它几组 未检出抗-HCV。结论：构建的HCVDNA重组体可诱发Balb/c上鼠产生体液免疫应答。     

参与社会院前急救 提高应急保障能力

本文通过5年参与地方“120”院前急救的回顾分析,认为在新的医疗形势下及军事变革的新时期,部队医院参与地方院前急救,能充分发挥军队医院的急救设备优良、组织纪律性强、高机动性能及指挥系统灵的优势。充分利用院前急救这个实践平台,提高平时的应急急救水平,促进急诊科的建设与发展;从而在未来战争中,增强应急保障能力,更好地为部队广大伤病员服务,提高部队战斗力。     

江苏全科医学岗位培训现状及发展研究

目的 了解我省全科医学岗位培训的现状，分析存在的问题，探讨适合我国国情的全科医学教育模式。方法 采用问卷调查的方法，对相关人员进行调研，用SPSSl0．0软件对资料进行统计分析。讨论与建议 应注重多方面的配合协调；建立多元化的培养模式；培养多种类的人才结构；采用多形式的教学方法。     

Direct gene transfer into muscle

Gene therapy has great promise for the treatment and the prevention of a broad range of inherited and acquired diseases. Gene transfer methods currently explored include the use of viral vectors and physical—chemical methods. Plasmid DNA can be taken up by skeletal muscle cells in vivo without any special delivery mechanism and persist long-term in an extrachromosomal, non-replicative circular form. Thus, foreign genes can be expressed permanently in skeletal muscle. At present the efficiency of gene transfer is not high enough to treat genetic muscle diseases. However, even at the relatively low efficiency of expression we are able to achieve at present, plasmid DNA transfer seems to be a very promising way of programming cells in vivo to secrete proteins for immunization purposes.