AIM: Hepatic fibrogenesis has close relation with hepatic stellate cells (HSC)and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP). Oxymatrine (OM) is a kind of Chinese herb that is found to have some effects on liver fi...AIM: Hepatic fibrogenesis has close relation with hepatic stellate cells (HSC)and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP). Oxymatrine (OM) is a kind of Chinese herb that is found to have some effects on liver fibrosis. We aimed to determine the effects of OM on hepatic fibrosis and explore the possible mechanism. METHODS: Thirty-two rats were randomly divided into four groups; 16 were used to develop hepatic fibrosis by carbon tetrachloride (CCI4) and treated with or without OM, and 16 were used as controls. The expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in the livers of rats was detected by immunohisto-chemical assay. Liver pathology was determined by H&E staining and reticulum staining. RESULTS: In CCl4-injured rats, the normal structure of lobules was destroyed, and pseudolobules were formed. Hyperplasia of fibers was observed surrounding the lobules. While the degree of fibrogenesis in liver tissues was significantly decreased in those rats with OM-treatment compared with those without OM treatment. The pseudolobules were surrounded by strong, multi-layer reticular fibers, which netted into pseudolobules in CCl4-injured rats, however, there was a significant decrease in reticular fibers in OM-treated rats. The expression of TIMP-1 in hepatic cells was weak in control groups, but strong in CCl4-injured groups, however, the expression of TIMP-1 was significantly inhibited by OM (F = 52.93, P<0.05). There was no significant change in the expression of α-SMA between CCl4-injured rats with or without OM treatment (F= 8.99, P>0.05). CONCLUSION: OM effectively inhibits CCl4-induced fibrogenesis in rat liver tissues, probably by reducing the expression level of TIMP-1.展开更多
AIM: The usual bile duct stone may be removed by means of Dormia basket or balloon catheter, and results are quite good. However, the degree of difficulty is increased when stones are larger. Studies on the subject re...AIM: The usual bile duct stone may be removed by means of Dormia basket or balloon catheter, and results are quite good. However, the degree of difficulty is increased when stones are larger. Studies on the subject reported many cases where mechanical lithotripsy is combined with a second technique, e.g. electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL), where stones are crushed using baby-mother scope electric shock. The extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) or laser lithotripsy also yields an excellent success rate of greater than 90%. However, the equipment for these techniques are very expensive; hence we opted for the simple mechanical lithotripsy and evaluated its performance. METHODS: During the period from August 1996 to December 2002, Mackay Memorial Hospital treated 304 patients suffering from difficult bile duct stones (stone>1.5 cm or stones that could not be removed by the ordinary Dormia basket or balloon catheter). These patients underwent endoscopic papillotomy (EPT) procedure, and stones were removed by means of the Olympus BML-4Q lithotripsy. A follow-up was conducted on the post-treatment conditions and complications of the patients. RESULTS: Out of the 304 patients, bile duct stones were successfully removed from 272 patients, a success rate of about 90%. The procedure failed in 32 patients, for whom surgery was needed. Out of the 272 successfully treated patients, 8 developed cholangitis, 21 developed pancreatitis, and 10 patients had delayed bleeding, and no patient died. Among these 272 successful removal cases, successful bile duct stone removal was achieved after the first lithotripsy in 211 patients, whereas 61 patients underwent multiple sessions of lithotripsy. As for the 61 patients that underwent multiple sessions of mechanical lithotripsy, 6 (9.8%) had post-procedure cholangitis, 12 (19.6%) had pancreatitis, and 9 patients (14.7%) had delayed bleeding. Compared with the 211 patients undergoing a single session of mechanical lithotripsy, 3 (1.4%) had cholangitis, 1 (0.4%) had delayed bleeding, and 7 patients (3.3%) had pancreatitis. Statistical deviation was present in post-procedure cholangitis, delayed bleeding, and pancreatitis of both groups. CONCLUSION: Mechanical bile stone lithotripsy on difficult bile duct stones could produce around 90% successful rate. Moreover, complications are minimal. This finding further confirms the significance of mechanical lithotripsy in the treatment of patients with difficult bile duct stones.展开更多
This work aimed to study the inactivate kinetics of Staphylococcus aureus （S. aureus） in artificial seawater by ultraviolet radi- ation, establish relationships between model parameters and growth phases, and explai...This work aimed to study the inactivate kinetics of Staphylococcus aureus （S. aureus） in artificial seawater by ultraviolet radi- ation, establish relationships between model parameters and growth phases, and explain the mechanization of UV disinfection by molecular biological detection. Investigations were carried out for the validation of Chick-Watson, Collins-Selleck, Horn and Biphasic models when S. aureus was in stationary phase （t=14 h）. The results showed that the Biphasic kinetic model＇s R2 turned out to be the highest one （R2=0.9892） and RMSE was less than 0.5 （RMSE =0.2699）. The Biphasic kinetic model was better fit for ultraviolet disinfection than the other three models under the circumstance of this experiment and chosen to fit the ultraviolet disinfection curves for microorganisms at three growth phases. The sensitivity of microorganisms under ultraviolet radiation was in the following order： in exponential phase 〉 in stationary phase 〉 in lag phase by comparing the indexes of the Biphasic model （kl and x）. Besides, agarose gel electrophoresis was used in order to directly assess the damage to DNA of mi- croorganisms that were exposed to the different dose of UV irradiation. The results revealed that DNA damage caused by UV radiation was an important reason for the microorganism inactivation and as the UV dose increased, there was greater damage caused in DNA.展开更多
基金Supported by Foundation of "Bai Ren Ji Hua" of Shanghai Health Bureau, No. 98BR32
文摘AIM: Hepatic fibrogenesis has close relation with hepatic stellate cells (HSC)and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP). Oxymatrine (OM) is a kind of Chinese herb that is found to have some effects on liver fibrosis. We aimed to determine the effects of OM on hepatic fibrosis and explore the possible mechanism. METHODS: Thirty-two rats were randomly divided into four groups; 16 were used to develop hepatic fibrosis by carbon tetrachloride (CCI4) and treated with or without OM, and 16 were used as controls. The expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in the livers of rats was detected by immunohisto-chemical assay. Liver pathology was determined by H&E staining and reticulum staining. RESULTS: In CCl4-injured rats, the normal structure of lobules was destroyed, and pseudolobules were formed. Hyperplasia of fibers was observed surrounding the lobules. While the degree of fibrogenesis in liver tissues was significantly decreased in those rats with OM-treatment compared with those without OM treatment. The pseudolobules were surrounded by strong, multi-layer reticular fibers, which netted into pseudolobules in CCl4-injured rats, however, there was a significant decrease in reticular fibers in OM-treated rats. The expression of TIMP-1 in hepatic cells was weak in control groups, but strong in CCl4-injured groups, however, the expression of TIMP-1 was significantly inhibited by OM (F = 52.93, P<0.05). There was no significant change in the expression of α-SMA between CCl4-injured rats with or without OM treatment (F= 8.99, P>0.05). CONCLUSION: OM effectively inhibits CCl4-induced fibrogenesis in rat liver tissues, probably by reducing the expression level of TIMP-1.
文摘AIM: The usual bile duct stone may be removed by means of Dormia basket or balloon catheter, and results are quite good. However, the degree of difficulty is increased when stones are larger. Studies on the subject reported many cases where mechanical lithotripsy is combined with a second technique, e.g. electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL), where stones are crushed using baby-mother scope electric shock. The extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) or laser lithotripsy also yields an excellent success rate of greater than 90%. However, the equipment for these techniques are very expensive; hence we opted for the simple mechanical lithotripsy and evaluated its performance. METHODS: During the period from August 1996 to December 2002, Mackay Memorial Hospital treated 304 patients suffering from difficult bile duct stones (stone>1.5 cm or stones that could not be removed by the ordinary Dormia basket or balloon catheter). These patients underwent endoscopic papillotomy (EPT) procedure, and stones were removed by means of the Olympus BML-4Q lithotripsy. A follow-up was conducted on the post-treatment conditions and complications of the patients. RESULTS: Out of the 304 patients, bile duct stones were successfully removed from 272 patients, a success rate of about 90%. The procedure failed in 32 patients, for whom surgery was needed. Out of the 272 successfully treated patients, 8 developed cholangitis, 21 developed pancreatitis, and 10 patients had delayed bleeding, and no patient died. Among these 272 successful removal cases, successful bile duct stone removal was achieved after the first lithotripsy in 211 patients, whereas 61 patients underwent multiple sessions of lithotripsy. As for the 61 patients that underwent multiple sessions of mechanical lithotripsy, 6 (9.8%) had post-procedure cholangitis, 12 (19.6%) had pancreatitis, and 9 patients (14.7%) had delayed bleeding. Compared with the 211 patients undergoing a single session of mechanical lithotripsy, 3 (1.4%) had cholangitis, 1 (0.4%) had delayed bleeding, and 7 patients (3.3%) had pancreatitis. Statistical deviation was present in post-procedure cholangitis, delayed bleeding, and pancreatitis of both groups. CONCLUSION: Mechanical bile stone lithotripsy on difficult bile duct stones could produce around 90% successful rate. Moreover, complications are minimal. This finding further confirms the significance of mechanical lithotripsy in the treatment of patients with difficult bile duct stones.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.51179037&51209053)
文摘This work aimed to study the inactivate kinetics of Staphylococcus aureus （S. aureus） in artificial seawater by ultraviolet radi- ation, establish relationships between model parameters and growth phases, and explain the mechanization of UV disinfection by molecular biological detection. Investigations were carried out for the validation of Chick-Watson, Collins-Selleck, Horn and Biphasic models when S. aureus was in stationary phase （t=14 h）. The results showed that the Biphasic kinetic model＇s R2 turned out to be the highest one （R2=0.9892） and RMSE was less than 0.5 （RMSE =0.2699）. The Biphasic kinetic model was better fit for ultraviolet disinfection than the other three models under the circumstance of this experiment and chosen to fit the ultraviolet disinfection curves for microorganisms at three growth phases. The sensitivity of microorganisms under ultraviolet radiation was in the following order： in exponential phase 〉 in stationary phase 〉 in lag phase by comparing the indexes of the Biphasic model （kl and x）. Besides, agarose gel electrophoresis was used in order to directly assess the damage to DNA of mi- croorganisms that were exposed to the different dose of UV irradiation. The results revealed that DNA damage caused by UV radiation was an important reason for the microorganism inactivation and as the UV dose increased, there was greater damage caused in DNA.
