The duties of a physician are:serve the people humanely and wholeheartedly;treat the sick and to save their lives;prevent diseases and care for the people's health.It is really a sacred,dignified and noble job.To become a good physician,he or she must be ethical,highly solicitous and sympathetic to a patient's health;must have moral integrity and be wholly responsible to a patient;must possess comprehensive updated medical knowledge and almost always be able to make a correct diagnosis and render appropriate treatment;must have a deep love for medical education to train and bring up young doctors;must be able to engage in scientific research to promote the advancement of medical knowledge;and must study life long to improve medical skills.

Cardiology ; trends ; China

Thirty-one patients were investigated with radionudide ventri -culography for assessment of tlhe effects of Nifedipine ( NIF ) on the LV function^ NIF improves the pumping function of LV, markedly , after oral therapy, Mean LVEDV increased 15ml/mz, mean LVESV decreased 2.4ml/m2 and SV increased 17 ml/m2._ LVEF increased to 0. 56 ( P

AIM: To investigate the dynamic alteration of cardiac collagen metabolism in mice with acute,chronic myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM).METHODS: BALB/c mice infected with coxsackievirus B_3 were used to establish animal models of acute,chronic myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy,while uninfected animals were also prepared and served as controls.After verification of models by histopathological methods and echocardiography,serum concentration of aminoterminal propeptide of type Ⅲ procollagen(PIIINP),aminoterminal propeptide of type Ⅰ procollagen(PINP) and carboxyterminal propeptide of type I procollagen(PICP) in each group of mice were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The expression of matrix metalloproteinase 1(MMP1) and its tissue inhibitor(TIMP-1) were determined by Western blotting analysis.The MMP-1 activity was also detected.RESULTS: Marked myocardial fibrosis was observed in all groups of CVB_3-infected mice.Reparative fibrosis,promotion of synthesis and degradation of cardiac collagens were presented in heart tissue of acute myocarditis mice. Both reparative and reactive fibrosis,enhanced synthesis and lightened degradation of collagen were present in chronic myocarditis,while reactive fibrosis and excess collagen synthesis were confirmed in DCM.Expression and activity of(MMP-1) was progressively decreased.TIMP-1 showed unchanged.The ratio of MMP-1/TIMP-1 was progressively descended.CONCLUSION: Collagen metabolism was special in different phase of viral heart diseases,which may play different roles in the progression and prognosis of these kinds of disease.

Background The 5-year cardiac mortality rate has been reported to be more than 50% in patients with left main coronary artery (LMCA) stenosis. The purpose of this study was to visualize the LMCA using intravascular ultrasound in patients who undergo interventions of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). This was done in order to see the incidence and severity of plaque formation in the LMCA in patients with severe lAD stenosis, and to address if scanning LMCA is able to rule out lAD significant stenosis or vice versa. Methods A total of 293 patients with intervention of the LAD stenosis were examined with intravascular ultrasound(IVUS). The images of 278 patients were suitable for analysis. Results Fifty-three (19%) were found to have angiographic lumen reduction in the LMCA ranging from 11% to 35% (19 ± 8%). Sixty-one patients were found to have native calcification in the LMCA. Atherosclerotic plaques in LMCA were detected in 211/278 (76%) patients, of which 164/211 (78%) were eccentric, and 51/211 (24%) had calcium deposit. The cross-sectional plaque area ranged from 1.5 mm2 to 21 mm2 (8.4 ± 4.7 mm2 ). Area of stenosis was 34 ± 14 % (8-66 % ) and diameter of stenosis was 21 ± 8% ( 7-42% ). A weak relationship concerning severity of stenosis between LAD stenosis and LMCA stenosis was found in the 59 patients with pre-interventional IVUS examinations ( r = 0.47, P ＜ 0.05 ). Condusions LMCA is frequently involved with atherosclerotic lesions in patients with severe LAD stenosis. A weak relationship does exist concerning the severity of stenosis between lAD and LMCA. However, IVUS for LMCA lesion is not able to rule out LAD stenosis.