Objective To explore the relationship between interleukin-18 (IL-18) and cardiovascular risk factors in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE),and between SLE and early atherosclerosis.Method A total of 59 female patients with SLE were divided into three groups according to the level of IL-18:＜2× 107g/L (A group,19 cases),2.0-3.2 × 107 g/L (B group,22 cases),≥ 3.2 × 107 g/L (C group,18 cases).The cardiovascular risk factors including body mass index (BMI),systolic blood pressure (SBP),diastolic blood pressure (DBP),fasting insulin and glucose,plasma glucose,plasma lipid,brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity(baPWV) and plasma homocysteine (Hcy) were determined in all patients.Result Plasma levels of insulin,triglyceride,homocysteine and values of homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA IR) in SLE patients with IL-18 ≥3.2×107 g/L were significant higher than patients with IL-1＜2× 107 g/L or 2-3.2 × 107 g/L (F =15.61,4.06,11.18,8.49;P ＜ 0.01 or P ＜ 0.05).About 72.88％ patient had hyperhomocysteinaemia which lead to significantly increase the level of IL-18 (P＜0.05).The level of IL-18 of patients in A,B and C groups were (208.75 ± 23.21),(261.20± 17.82) and (339.05 ± 32.54),and it increased significantly as IL-18 increase (P＜0.05).The level of IL-18 was increased as risk factors of SLE including baPWV,level of insulin and IR increased (P =0.019,0.002,0.000).Conclusion The synergistic effects of hyperinsulinaemia,insulin resistance,hyperhomocysteinaemia and vascular stiffness most likely contribute to the elevation of plasma IL-18 concentrations in patients with SLE.

Objective To examine the effect of Pu-Erh tea extract(PTE) on genes expression of lipogenesis in white adipose tissue of rats fed high fat diet.Method Thirty male SD rats were randomly divided into three groups(n=10):the control group(basal diet);the high fat group(high fat diet);the PTE group(high fat diet + Pu-Erh tea extract).Body weight and adipose tissue were measured.Expression of genes regulating lipid metabolism was assessed in adipose tissue.Results PTE supplementation prevented diet-induced increases in body weight and adipose tissue.Diacylglycerol acyltransferase-1(DGAT1),stearoyl-CoA desalurase-1(SCD1) and sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c(SREBP-1c) mRNA levels were markedly decreased in adipose tissue of rats fed PTE.Conclusion This study shows for the first time that Pu-Erh tea extract prevents diet-induced obesity,and this effect is partly mediated via a direct influence on adipose tissue.

Objective: To observe the impact of cardiac contractility modulation (CCM) on myocardial remodeling in rabbit model of chronic heart failure (CHF) with its possible mechanism. Methods: Rabbit HF model was established by ascending aortic root ligation; the animals were divided into 3 groups: Sham group, the animals received thoracotomy without aortic ligation, HF group and HF+CCM group, the HF animals received CCM treatment for 4 weeks. n=10 in each group. Cardiac function was measured by echocardiography at 12 and 16 weeks in each group respectively; myocardial tissue fibrosis and pathological changes were examined by Masson staining; plasma BNP level was assessed by ELISA; protein expressions of collagen I, collagen II, MMP2,MMP9, TIMP1 and galectin-3 in myocardial tissue were determined by Western blot analysis. Results: ① By echocardiography: with 12 weeks treatment, compared with Sham group, HF group and HF+CCM group had increased LVESD, LVEDD and decreased LVFS, LVEF, all P<0.05; with 16 weeks treatment, compared with HF group, HF+CCM group had improved LVESD, LVEDD, LVEF and LVFS, all P<0.05. ② Pathological changes:compared with Sham group, HF group showed increased collagen content in myocardial tissue, P<0.05; CCM treatment could partially decrease collagen accumulation, P<0.05. ③ After 12 weeks treatment, compared with Sham group, HF group and HF+CCM group presented elevated plasma BNP level, P<0.05; after 16 weeks treatment, compared with HF group, HF+CCM group presented reduced plasma BNP, while it was still higher than that in Sham group, P<0.05. ④ By Western blot analysis: compared with Sham group, HF group demonstrated increased protein expressions of collagen I, collagen II, MMP2, MMP9, TIMP1 and galectin-3 in myocardial tissue; the above indexes were much lower in HF+CCM group while still higher than those in Sham group, all P<0.05. Conclusion: CCM could improve myocardial remodeling in rabbit model of CHF which might be related to down-regulated protein expressions of collagen I, collagen III, MMP2, MMP9, TIMP1 and galectin3 in myocardial tissue.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in conjunction with MR subtraction in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast tumors at 3 Tesla. METHODS: A total of 78 patients with breast tumors enrolled in this study, including 45 malignant lesions and 33 benign lesions verified by histopathology. Dynamic MR contrast enhanced imaging was done by T1 high resolution isotropic volume excitation sequence. MR subtraction was used to retrospectively analyze the MR dynamic image. A dynamic phase subtraction (DPS) map is a map image with pixel-by-pixel subtraction of an early-phase image from a delayed maximum enhancement phase image obtained in a dynamic study. The sensitivity and specificity were calculated with or without subtraction in the diagnosis of benign and malignant breast tumors. RESULTS: The sensitivity of benign breast masses increased from 0.879 to 0.939, and the specificity increased from 0.818 to 0.909 with reference to the DPS map. There was statistical difference between with or without DPS (Z=2.023, P=0.043). The sensitivity of breast malignant masses increased from 0.889 to 0.933, and the specificity increased from 0.867 to 0.911 with reference to the DPS map, with statistical difference between with or without DPS map (Z=2.294, P=0.021). The pattern of TIC changed from continuous to a plateau in 8 patients, from a plateau to washout in 10, and from continuous to washout in 5. No changes were observed in the other 55 patients. CONCLUSION MR Subtraction is a simple and useful technique to identify breast lesions. It helps to accurately set the location of the ROI TIC and improve the detection rate of benign and malignant breast tumors.
Breast Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Contrast Media ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Image Enhancement ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Objective: To investigate the impact of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI) on brain development in neonatal rats of different sexes. Methods: From January 1 to December 31, 2018, 60 7-day-old SD rats were randomly divided into HIBI-F group (20 rats), HIBI-M group (20 rats), and control group (20 rats, 10 females and 10 males). The animal model of HIBI was established with Rice-Vannucci method, with the rats′ left common carotid artery double-ligated and severed. The rats were then placed in an incubator and exposed to a hypoxic gas mixture (8% O₂, 92% N₂) for 90 minutes. No intervention was given to the control group. Two weeks after HIBI, the motor development was evaluated by footprint analysis, the residual brain volume was measured by brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and the damage of synaptic ultra structure was analyzed by transmission electron microscope. One-way ANOVA or χ² test was used for inter-group statistical analysis, and paired sample t test was used to compare the bilateral step length and toe distance of rats in the same group. Results: The mortality rate of HIBI-F was significantly higher than that of HIBI-M (20%(4/20) vs. 10%(2/20), χ²=40.000, P=0.001). The right step length and toe distance in HIBI-M group and HIBI-F group were significantly shorter than those in control group ((7.5±0.3) cm and (7.9±0.5) cm vs. (8.2±0.5) cm, F=9.605, P<0.01, (0.9±0.1) cm and (1.0±0.0) cm vs. (1.1±0.1) cm, F=71.437, P<0.01). Besides, according to above data, the right step length and toe distance in HIBI-M group were significantly shorter than those in the HIBI-F group (both P<0.01). Furthermore, the right step length was significantly shorter than the left step length ((8.3±0.4) and (8.3±0.5) cm, t=5.289 and 10.580, P=0.001 and 0.010, respectively) and toe distance ((1.1±0.1) and (1.1±0.1) cm, t=7.953 and 6.435, respectively, both P<0.01) in both HIBI-M group and HIBI-F group. Similarly, the synaptic gap of the left precentral gyrus neurons was longer in HIBI-M group and HIBI-F group than that in control group ((23.4±1.3) and (19.7±1.6) nm vs. (18.9±0.6) nm, F=71.719, P<0.01), and also longer in HIBI-M group than that in HIBI-F group (t=7.645, P<0.01). Likewise, the residual brain volume in HIBI-M group and HIBI-F group was significantly less than that in control group ((67±4)% and (75±5)% vs. 100%, F=406.122, P<0.01), and the residual brain volume in HIBI-M group was significantly less than that in HIBI-F group (t=-5.281, P<0.01). Conclusions Male neonatal rats are more vulnerable to HIBI and have severer subsequent brain injury and hemiplegia. Different treatment strategies for HIBI patients of different sexes should be developed.

Objective:Both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes are associated with abnormal bone metabolism, but they have different pathogenic mechanisms. Sclerostin(SOST), Dickkopf-related protein 1(DKK-1), and irisin are newly discovered factors involved in the regulation of bone metabolism. This study aims to compare the differences in serum levels of SOST, DKK-1, and irisin between patients with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.Methods:This cross-sectional study included 101 patients with type 1 diabetes who visited the Endocrinology Department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 2017 to 2019, as well as 55 patients with type 2 diabetes and 59 individuals with normal glucose tolerance who were confirmed through an oral glucose tolerance test as part of the Beijing Changping Community Type 2 Diabetes Management Program from 2014 to 2015. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to measure the levels of SOST, DKK-1, and irisin.Results:There were more female participants than male participants, with an average age of 49 years. The group with type 1 diabetes had a longer duration of illness( P<0.001) and higher HbA 1C levels( P<0.001) compared to the group with type 2 diabetes, and there was no statistical difference in age between the two groups. Both the type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes groups had lower levels of serum procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide(P1NP) compared to the control group [(8 579±400)pg/mL, (7 268±552)pg/mL vs(10 051±618)pg/mL, P=0.039, P=0.001]; But the β isomer of C-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type 1 collagen(β-CTX) showed no statistical difference compared to the control group. Patients with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes had higher SOST than controls [(129.7±6.8)pg/mL, (104.8±6.8)pg/mL vs(85.9±5.3)pg/mL, P<0.001, P=0.030], the differences between the type 1 diabetes group and the control group lost statistical significance after adjusting for factors such as fasting blood glucose and lipid levels. There was no significant difference in SOST between type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes groups. There was no significant difference in DKK-1 among three groups, but DKK-1 in type 1 diabetes group was lower or tended to be lower than that in type 2 diabetes group. Serum irisin in patients with type 1 diabetes was higher than that in controls and patients with type 2 diabetes[(16.6±0.7)ng/mL vs (9.6±0.6)ng/mL, (9.8±0.6)ng/mL, both P<0.001], but there was no significant difference in irisin level between type 2 diabetes and controls. Conclusions:Patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes showed inhibition of the bone formation marker P1NP, while the bone resorption marker β-CTX did not significantly change. SOST levels were elevated or showed an increasing trend in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients, which may be related to the inhibition of bone formation. Additionally, type 1 diabetes patients had increased levels of irisin, which may be involved in abnormal bone turnover.