This study evaluated the change in regional left ventricular myocardial function in rats following acute occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) by using two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2D-STI). Sixty Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups, a myocardial infarction (MI) group, in which 50 rats were subjected to LAD occlusion for 30-45 min, and a sham-operated (SHAM) group that contained 10 rats serving as control. Echocardiography was performed at baseline and 1, 4 and 8 week(s) after the operation. High frequency two-dimensional images of left ventricular short axis at papillary muscle level were recorded. Peak systolic radial strain (PRS) and circumferential strain (PCS) were measured in the mid-ventricle in short-axis view by using EchoPAC workstation. Left ventricular internal diameter at diastole (LVIDd) and systole (LVIDs), fractional shortening (FS), ejection fraction (EF) and left ventricular mass (LVM) were measured by anatomical M-model echocardiography. Infarct size was measured using triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining 1 week and 8 weeks after the operation. Fibrosis of left ventricular myocardium was displayed using Van Gieson staining 1 week after the infarction. In terms of the TTC staining results, the left ventricle fell into three categories: infarcted, peri-infarcted and remote myocardial regions. Compared with those at baseline and in the SHAM group, (1) PRS and PCS in the infarcted, peri-infarcted and remote myocardial regions were significantly decreased in the MI group within 1 week after the operation (P<0.05) and the low levels lasted 8 weeks; (2) Compared with those at baseline, LVIDd, LVIDs, FS, EF and LVM in the MI group showed no significant difference 1 week after the operation (P>0.05). However, LVIDd, LVIDs and LVM were increased significantly 4 and 8 weeks after the operation (P<0.05), and FS and EF were decreased substantially (P<0.05). Van Gieson staining showed that fibrosis developed in all the three myocardial regions to varying degrees. It is concluded that 2D-STI is non-invasive and can be used to assess regional function of myocardium with different blood supply in rats following acute occlusion of the LAD, and can be used as a sensitive and reliable means to follow up the process of left ventricular remodeling.

Objective To study the expression and clinical correlation of miR-141 in peripheral blood and tumor tissue in elderly patients with rectal cancer.Methods Rectal tumor tissue and tumor-adjacent normal tissues were taken in 75 cases of rectal cancer.The expression levels of miR-141 in peripheral blood and tumor tissue as well as tumor-adjacent normal tissues were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction method.The correlation of miR-141 expression between peripheral blood and tumor tissue,and the correlation of peripheral blood miR-141 with clinicopathologic features and clinical prognosis were analyzed.Results (1) Compared with peripheral blood in the subjects undergoing normal physical examination or tumor-adjacent normal tissue in the patients with rectal cancer,the miR-141 expression level in peripheral blood and tumor tissue in the patients with rectal cancer was decreased significantly (P<0.01).(2) The cancer tissue miR-141 level in the patients with lymph node metastasis was positively correlated with peripheral blood miR-141 level (r=0.694,P<0.01),and cancer tissue miR-141 level in the patients without lymph node metastasis was positively correlated with peripheral blood miR-141 level (r=0.725,P<0.01).(3) The differences between peripheral blood miR-141 level with tumor stage,tumor differentiation degree and lymphatic metastasis had statistical significance (P<0.01).(4)The postoperative 6-month follow up displayed that among 75 cases,13 cases(17.33%) appeared replase/ metastasis,and peripheral blood miR-141 level was (2.64±0.34),which was significantly lower than that in the patents without replase/metastasis (P<0.01).Conclusion Expression variation trend of miR-141 in peripheral blood is similar to that in tumor tissue,which can reflect the clinicopathologic feature in the patients with rectal patients.

Objective: To explore the influence of estradiol benzoate in induction of BALB/c mouse systemic lupus erythematosus model. Methods: Gonadectomied BALB/c mice were immunized with homologous spleen cell activated by concanavalin A three times,and at the same time injected with different doses estradial benzoate. Serum antinuclear antibody, antihistone antibody and estradiol in serum and kidney tissue homogenate were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Kidney lesions were detected by hematoxylin-eosine(HE) and periodic acid-Schiff(PAS) staining, and by transmission electron microscope for detecting electron-dense agent as well as by direct fluorometric method for detecting immunoglobulin G antigen-antibody complex. Results: BALB/c mice immunized with homologous spleen cells activated by concanavalin A all developed systemic lupus erythematosus, but a statistically significant variation was observed in both autoantibody production and kidney damage were observed with a statistically significant variatron in the groups receiving different dosage of estradiol benzoate group(P

OBJECTIVEIn mid-July 2005, five patients presented with septic shock to a hospital in Ziyang city in Sichuan, China, to identify the etiology of the unknown reason disease, an epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory study were conducted.

METHODSAn enhanced surveillance program were established in Sichuan, the following activities were introduced: active case finding in Sichuan of (a) laboratory diagnosed Streptococcus suis infection and (b) clinically diagnosed probable cases with exposure history; supplemented by (c) monitoring reports on meningococcal meningitis. Streptococcus suis serotype 2 infection was confirmed by culture and biochemical reactions, followed by sequencing for specific genes for serotype and virulence factors.

RESULTSFrom June 10 to August 21, 2005, 68 laboratory confirmed cases of human Streptococcus suis infections were reported. All were villagers who gave a history of direct exposure to deceased or sick pigs in their backyards where slaughtering was performed. Twenty six (38%) presented with toxic shock syndrome of which 15 (58%) died. Other presentations were septicaemia or meningitis. All isolates were tested positive for genes for tuf, species-specific 16S rRNA, cps2J, mrp, ef and sly. There were 136 clinically diagnosed probable cases with similar exposure history but incomplete laboratory investigations.

CONCLUSIONAn outbreak of human Streptococcus suis serotype 2 infections occurred in villagers after direct exposure to deceased or sick pigs in Sichuan. Prohibition of slaughtering in backyards brought the outbreak to a halt. A virulent strain of the bacteria is speculated to be in circulation, and is responsible for the unusual presentation of toxic shock syndrome with high case fatality.

Animals ; Bacteremia ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Disease Outbreaks ; Humans ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Shock, Septic ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Streptococcal Infections ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; veterinary ; Streptococcus suis ; isolation & purification ; Swine ; Swine Diseases ; microbiology