ObjectiveTo evaluate the functional changes of stunned myocardium before and after coronary artery bypass graft(CABG) treatment,and clear the meaning of revascularization which CABG has brought to patients with diffused vascular changes.MethodsA total of 36 patients with 99％ diffused coronary artery stenosis in left anterior descending branch underwent non-pump CABG treatment in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery the First affiliated hospital of Harbin Medical University.Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) was repeatedly performed 1 week before operation and 10 days,1 month,and 3 months after CABG.Regional diastolic volumes,systolic volumes,ejection fractions,regional stroke volume to global diastolic volume and the values of abnormal segments before and after CABG were studied.ResultsOne week before operation and 10 days,1 month and 3 months after CABG,the differences of volumes between groups in the last phases of diastole and systolic were statistically significant in anterior wall basement segment,anterior septal basement segment,anterior wall intercalary segment,anterior septal intercalary segment,anterior wall of apex cordis and septation of apex cordis(F =3.51,3.55,4.08,4.05,2.98,3.01,all P ＜ 0.05; F =4.51,4.55,4.08,3.00,2.96,2.99,all P ＜ 0.05).The values of the six segments mentioned above,3 months after operation[(6.74 ± 1.23),(6.64 ± 1.21),(6.02 ± 1.10),(5.95 ± 1.09),(5.82 ± 1.06),(5.10 ± 0.93)ml; (2.74 ± 0.50),(2.69 ± 0.49),(2.51 ± 0.46),(2.32 ± 0.42),(2.36 ± 0.43),(2.03 ± 0.37)ml] were compared with those of 1 week before operation[(8.33 ± 1.52),(8.20 ± 1.50),(7.43 ± 1.36),(7.36 ± 1.34),(7.19 ± 1.31),(6.29 ± 1.15)ml; (4.94 ± 0.90),(4.85 ± 0.88),(4.53 ± 0.83),(4.18 ± 0.76),(4.25 ± 0.78 ),(3.65 ± 0.67)ml],the differences were statistically significant (all P ＜ 0.05); the differences between groups in regional ejection fractions,regional-global ejection fractions were statistically significant(F =4.56,4.88,4.28,3.15,2.93,2.88,P ＜ 0.01 or ＜ 0.05; F =5.56,5.28,4.98,5.15,3.03,2.78,P ＜ 0.01 or ＜ 0.05).Compared with 1 week before the operation, 1 month after the operation in regional ejection fractions,10 days,1 month in regionalglobal ejection fractions after the operation,4 segments of them were significantly improved(all P ＜ 0.05) and 3 months after operation,all the 6 segments had been improved significantly(all P ＜ 0.05).The maximum volume of the sum of group difference of the 6 segments and the 4 segments in the last phase of diastole was statistically significant(F =2.58,5.81,P ＜ 0.05 or ＜ 0.01 ),and the summation began to decrease 10 days after the operation.The values of 3 months after operation[ (36.27 ± 1.10),(25.35 ± 1.16)ml] were compared with that of 1 week before operation[ (44.80 ± 1.36),(31.32 ± 1.43)ml ] the difference was statistically significant (all P＜ 0.05).The maximum volume summafion comparisons of 6 segments and 4 segments in the last phase of systolic had statistical significance(F =5.77,5.57,all P ＜ 0.01 ),and 10 days after the operation,the summation began to decrease.The values of 1 month[(16.4 0 ± 0.48),(11.58 ±0.51 )ml],and 3 months after operation[ (14.65 ± 0.45),(10.26 ± 0.46)ml],were compared with those of 1 week before operation[ (26.40 ± 0.80),(18.50 ± 0.84)ml],the differences were statistically significant (all P ＜ 0.05).ConclusionsStunned myocardium can be improved through CABG in myocardium systolic,diastole function and ejection fractions of the relevant segments and all of this have proved that patients undergoing CABG revascularization can improve the heart function of the ischemic area.

Objective: To study the role of glucocorticoid i n the integration of sympathetic nervous system and cardiovascular activity. Methods: Neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) were extracelluarly recorded and identified as the presympathetic neurons of adult rats. The spontaneous discharge of the presympathetic neurons in the RVLM were observed by bolus intravenous injection of corticosterone (50, 100, 150 μg/kg） . Results: The firing rate of 12 presympathetic neurons was incr eased by intravenous application of corticosterone (P<0.05), and this effect showed a dose-dependent manner. The latency of excitatory effect was (104±2 5) s. Conclusion: Corticosterone can rapidly excite the presym pathetic neurons in the RVLM, this action might be involved in the integration o f sympathetic nervous system through the “rapid membrane effects”.

BACKGROUND: Increase of immunocompromised patients and frequent use of indwelling catheters cause staphylococcal bacteremia, especially due to coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS), in contrast with Staphylococcus aureus in the past. And, infections of methicillin-resistant staphylococci have been increasing in number from 1970s. In this study, species of staphylococcal isolates from blood were demonstrated, and their methicillin susceptibilities were evaluated for the empirical choice of antibiotics. METHODS: One hundred and seventy-five staphylococcal strains isolated from blood culture at Pusan National University Hospital during the year 1999 were included. Species identification, susceptibility tests by agar dilution and disk diffusion methods, and mecA gene detection by polymerase chain reaction were performed. RESULTS: S. aureus (41%), S. epidermidis (30%), S. auricuralis, S. intermedius, S. haemolyticus, S. capitis, S. simulans, S. sciuri, S. homis, and S. warneri were identified. Thirty-one stains (43.4%) of S. aureus, 43 stains (83%) of S. epidermidis, and 24 stains (46%) of other CNS are resistant to oxacllin. The results of disk diffusion test were consistant with agar dilution tests in all S. aureus strains and 95.5% of CNS strains. The results of mecA gene detection were consistant with agar dilution methods in 96.8% of S. aureus and 89.6% of CNS. CONCLUSIONS: Not only S. aureus and S. epidermidis but also other various species of staphylococci were recovered from blood, and methicillin-resistant strains reached 43.2% of S. aureus, and 64.4% of CNS. These results would help for physicians to choose primary empirical therapeutic agents of patients who are suggestive of staphylococcal bacteremia.
Agar ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteremia ; Busan ; Catheters, Indwelling ; Coloring Agents ; Diffusion ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Methicillin ; Methicillin Resistance ; Oxacillin* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Staphylococcus ; Staphylococcus aureus

Apraxia of speech (AOS) is a speech disorder due to an impaired ability to program the positioning of the speech musculature and the sequencing of muscle movements. It differs from dysarthria because speech errors are inconsistent depending on the locus of the sound. We report a 66-year-old man who presented with AOS which evolved into frontotemporal dementia 5 years later. Initial neuropsychological test showed mainly buccofacial apraxia and frontal lobe dysfunction. Brain FDG-PET disclosed hypometabolism in frontotemporal region.
Aged ; Apraxias* ; Brain ; Dysarthria ; Frontal Lobe ; Frontotemporal Dementia* ; Humans ; Neuropsychological Tests

OBJECTIVETo observe the changes in the activity of dendritic cells (DCs) after carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) gene transfection mediated by recombinant adeno-associated virus type2 (rAAV) and tumor cell lysate.

METHODSImmature DCs isolated from peripheral blood monocytes of HLA-A11-positive healthy volunteers were infected with the rAAV carrying CEA gene or loaded with tumor cell lysate. The surface markers of the DCs such as CD40, CD 1alpha, and CD86 were analyzed by flow cytometry. Interleukin-12 (IL-12) in the supernatants of DCs and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) released by the cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) were determined by ELISA detection kit. The specific killing activity of CTL against LoVo cells was assessed by MTT assay.

RESULTSThe DCs following antigen loading with the two methods both highly expressed CD40, CD86 and IL-12, and induced specific CTL that specifically recognized and killed LoVo cells, but the killing effect resulting from rAAV infection of the DCs was much better than that induced by tumor cell lysate loading.

CONCLUSIONBoth methods of antigen loading can induce mature DCs from peripheral blood monocyte cells, but rAAV infection of the DCs can be more effective than tumor cells lysate loading. DCs infected with rAAV may have the potential to serve as an adjuvant immunotherapy for patients with colorectal carcinoma.

B7-2 Antigen ; metabolism ; CD40 Antigens ; metabolism ; Cancer Vaccines ; biosynthesis ; immunology ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; genetics ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; therapy ; Dendritic Cells ; immunology ; metabolism ; Dependovirus ; genetics ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Interleukin-12 ; metabolism ; Transfection

Background: Compared with Caucasians, unique demographic and clinical features have been reported in Chinese patients with malignant melanoma, but similar comparative studies of melanocytic nevi (MN) are lacking. This study examined the clinical and dermoscopic features of MN in surgically treated Chinese cases. Methods: Clinical data and dermoscopic findings from 1046 cases of MN were collected and analyzed. Cases were treated from January 1 to December 31, 2014 at the Department of Dermatology and Venerology, Peking University First Hospital. The association between nevi location and histologic subtypes was examined with Chi-squared test and univariate logistic regression. Chi-squared test was also used to analyze the proportion of globular patterns across different body sites, and proportion of parallel furrow patterns across different histologic subtypes. Results: The majority of the nevi were from female patients, irrespective of location. The range of age at the time of nevi onset was from 0 (birth) to 79 years. There were 381 (36.4%, 381/1046) congenital nevi; of these 81.6% (311/381) were present at birth. Nevi appeared before 30 years of age in 83.2% (870/1046) of the cases. Median values of length growth rate in congenital and acquired MN were 2.0 and 1.6, respectively. Median values of length growth rates in four age groups (0–9, 10–19, 20–29, and ≥30 years) of congenital nevi were 2.2, 2.0, 2.4, and 2.0, respectively. In acral nevi, which often need to be differentiated from acral lentiginous melanoma, 50.2% (109/217) were junctional (odds ratio [OR]; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 91.572 [52.210–160.959], P < 0.05). Acral location was also associated with a higher likelihood of compound nevi subtype (OR [95% CI]: 14.468 [8.981–23.306], P < 0.05). The globular (59.4%, 354/596) and pseudonetwork (48.8%, 291/596) dermoscopic patterns were often seen in the head and neck region. In areas other than head and neck and acral regions, the globular pattern was the commonest pattern (34.8%, 71/204) regardless of age. Parallel furrow pattern occurred in 46.0% (87/189) of acral MN, followed by fibrillar pattern (21.7%, 41/189). Conclusion Unique clinical and dermoscopic features exist in Chinese patients with MN compared with observations reported in other population.

In tropical regions, numerous tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) play a crucial role as causative agents of infectious diseases in humans and animals. Recently, the population of companion and pet dogs has significantly increased in Vietnam; however, information on the occurrence of TBPs is still limited. The objectives of this investigation were to determine the occurrence rate, risk factors, and phylogenetic characteristics of TBPs in dogs from northern Vietnam. Of 341 blood samples tested by PCR, the total infection of TBPs was 73.9% (252/341). Babesia vogeli (18SrRNA gene – 30.5%) was detected most frequently in studied dogs followed by Rickettsia spp. (OmpA gene – 27%), Anaplasma platys (groEL gene – 22%), Bartonella spp. (16SrRNA – 18.8%), Mycoplasma haemocanis (16SrRNA – 9.4%) and Hepatozoon canis (18SrRNA gene – 1.2%), respectively. All samples were negative for Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma phagocytophylum. Co-infection was detected in 31.4% of the samples (107/341) of which, A. platys/Bartonella spp. (34/94,10%), Rickettsia spp./B. vogeli (19/94, 5.6%), and M. haemocanis/B. vogeli (19/94, 5.6%) were recorded as the three most frequent two species of co-infection types. Statistical analysis revealed a significant correlation between TBP infection and several host variables regarding age, breed, and living area in the current study. The recent findings reported herein, for the first time in Vietnam, are essential for local veterinarians when considering the appropriate approaches for diagnosing these diseases. Furthermore, this data can be used to establish control measures for future surveillance and prevention strategies against canine TBPs in Vietnam.