Animal models are very important tools to study the pathogenesis,pathology and treatment of atherosclerosis.Animal models for studying atherosclerosis include rodents,rabbits,pigs and nonhuman primates.Among them,ApoE-/-mouse and LDLR-/-mouse are currently the most widely used.They can form atherosclerotic lesions,but in some respects there are significant differences.In this paper,the differences between the two model mice in lipid metabolism,plaque formation and pathology,lymphocytes,macrophages,dendritic cells,microRNA expression and regulation were reviewed.

AIM: To investigate the effect of indomethacin on prevention of heterotopic ossification (HO) after operative treatment of total hip replacement. METHODS: Forty patients taking indomethacin after total hip replacement were enrolled at First Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from February 2003 to February 2005 as medication group. Forty patients received the same operation were enrolled from February 1996 to February 1999 as control group. The patients in the medication group were taken indomethacin from the first day after operation, 50 mg/times, twice a day, for 3 weeks. The patients were successfully followed up immediately before the end of the operation, at weeks 3, 12, months 3, 6 and 12 after operation. Follow-up included X-ray at normal position of double hips, oblique position of obturator foramen and oblique position of iliac bone to assess the incidence of HO. Hip joint function was assessed according to modified d'Aubigne and Postel standards. RESULTS: Follow-up was performed in 40 patients of the medication group. The follow-ups averaged 21.2 months (ranged from 6 to 37 months). HO occurred in six cases. According to Brooker evaluation of HO, four cases were rated as degree Ⅰ, two as degree Ⅱ, and none as degree Ⅲ or Ⅳ. The incidence of HO was 15%. In the control group, totally 40 patients were followed up, averagely 27.1 months ranged from 5-60 months. The incidence of HO was 40% (16/40). Five patients developed severe HO. Significant differences were found in the incidence of HO and severe HO of the two groups (P

Objective In order to study the effect of cold stress on the secretory function of rat ovary, the changes of hCG-induced progesterone and cAMP were observed and the livability of the oocytes was determined. Methods The rat luteal and granulose cells and the oocytes were cultured, progesterone and cAMP content was determined by radioimmunoassay kit (RIA kit) under 37 ℃, 0 ℃, -5 ℃, -10 ℃,-15 ℃, -20 ℃ and -25 ℃ respectively. The livability of the oocytes was determined by MTT assay. Results At -5 ℃ to -25 ℃, the content of progesterone in the luteal cells and granulose cells medium decreased compared with the control group. At 0 ℃～-25 ℃, the content of cAMP in the luteal cells and granulose cells medium was higher compared with the control. The livability of the oocytes was decreasing from -15 ℃. Conclusion Cold stress can inhibit hCG-induced progesterone secretion in the luteal and granulose cells of rats in the one hand, and can increase cAMP, decrease the livability of the oocytes in the other hand.

Objective To explore the digital morphological and chromatic characteristics of erythrocytes infected with Plasmodium vivax. Methods The images of both normal and P. vivax infected erythrocytes were segmented and measured for morphologic parameters including area, length, breadth, perimeter, roundness, aspect ratio, equivalent circle diameter, as well as chromatic parameters including saturation and color (red, green, blue). A statistic analysis was performed for these parameters. Results Both morphological and chromatic parameters showed high significant differences between the normal and the infected erythrocytes, and high significant differences between the normal and the erythrocytes infected with different stages of P. vivax. Conclusion The differences mentioned above could be used as the basis for automatic identification of P.vivax in thin peripheral blood smears.

Objective To analyze the multi-slices spiral CT (MSCT) findings of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis(HAE), and to evaluate the value of MSCT for diagnosis of HAE. Methods Twenty-six cases with HAE were scanning by MSCT. The raw data were transmitted to advanced workstation for reconstruction imaging. Correlated studies were made between the CT features and pathology or other imaging results. Results Altogether 28 lesions were detected. They all revealed as heterogeneous hypodense mass with ill-defined boundary in plain CT but were easily being distinguished from surrounding parenchyma after contrast medium injection.Characteristics of the lesions include different amount of calcification (26/26), liquefied necrosis in center area (20/26), peripheral lacunae or alveolar signs (15/26), compensatory hypertrophy of healthy hepatic part (18/26) and the retraction in the involved hepatic lobe or segment (12/26). The lesions that located at or extended to hepatic hilum caused dilatation of intra-hepatic biliary ducts(9/26), splenomegaly (12/26), and ascites (1/26). MSCT angiography (CTA) depicted signs of abnormalities of hepatic vessels such as compression, displacement, encasement and occlusion. Compared with findings of operation, the sensitivity, specificity and positive prediction value of CTA for evaluating the hepatic artery system disorders were 88%, 96% and 93%, respectively; and for portal venous system were 95%, 100% and 95%, respectively; while for hepatic venous system were 96%, 86% and 96%, respectively. Conclusion MSCT is able to comprehensive display the CT features and vessels complication of HAE. It provides reliable imaging for both accuracy diagnosis and proper treatment of the disease.

Purpose To evaluate the carotid artery structure and diastolic function of the brachial artery in children with coarctation of aorta (CoA) using high-frequency ultrasound. Materials and Methods Twenty-four cases of children with CoA were selected, among them seven cases were simple CoA and 17 cases were combined with other cardiac malformations, and 20 cases of simple ventricular septal defect (VSD) children and 20 healthy children over the same period were selected as the control groups. Carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) in all subjects were evaluated using high-frequency ultrasound, vascular structure and functional changes were compared before CoA correction and VSD repair treatment. Results Carotid artery IMT of CoA group was (0.47±0.12) mm, which was significantly larger than the VSD group (0.41±0.10) mm and the control group (0.40±0.09) mm, and the difference was statistically significant (F=4.275, P<0.05); brachial artery FMD [(5.48±1.66)%] of CoA group was significantly lower than that of the VSD group [(6.69± 1.45)%] and the control group [(6.59±1.84)%], and the difference was also statistically significant (F=4.318, P<0.05), but there was no significant difference (q=0.400, 0.191;P>0.05) between the VSD group and the control group for carotid artery IMT and brachial artery FMD. Conclusion In children with CoA, besides the structure abnormalities of the narrowing vascular, there is also the combination of structural and fuctional changes such as carotid artery intima-media complex thickening and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation function decrease.

Objective:To explore the functions of cytokines and TM in the pathogenesis of acute cerebral infarction.Methods:The levels of IL-1、IL-6 、TNF and TM were detected by ELISA in 55 patients with acute cerebral infarction.Results:The levels of IL-1、IL-6 、TNF and TM were increased significantly in the patients with acute cerebral infarction in comparision with the controls ( P

0.2); whereas that in group Ⅲ 1.24 ?0.38g, significantly different (P0.05),the dietary energy re-striction did not affect the producing and scavenging of free radical in theorgans.

Objective To study the effect of compound Minwei syrup on serum interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon-γ(IFN-γ) in patients with chronic urticaria.Methods 189 patients with chronic urticaria were enrolled as the observation group,60 cases of non-allergic diseases were selected as the control group.The observation group was treated by compound Minwei syrup for average 7 days.Serum levels of IL-4 and IFN-γbefore and after treatment were detected.Results After treatment,in the observation group 123 cases recovered,34 cases had marked effect,effective in 23 cases,9 cases without effect,the total effective rate was 95.2％.Serum IL-4 in the observation group before treament was significantly higher than the control group(t =3.729,P ＜ 0.01),IFN-γwas significantly lower than the control group(t =3.064,P ＜ 0.01).After treatment,serum IL-4 in the observation group was significantly lower than before treatment (t =2.778,P ＜ 0.05),1FN-γwas significantly higher than the control group (t =2.467,P ＜ 0.05).Mild drowsiness and sleepiness appeared in 2 patients in the observation group,symptoms disappeared after drug withdrawal.Conclusion Minwei syrup can significantly improve IL-4 and IFN-γ balance in patients with chronic urticaria.

Objective To identify the imaging characteristics of calcifying pseudoneoplasms of the neuraxis (CAPNON) and do literature review.Methods Five patients of pathologically-proved CAPNON underwent preoperative MR examination,among which 4 underwent CT scan,2 underwent DSA examination and 1 underwent SPECT. All imaging data were retrospectively analyzed with the emphasis on imaging characteristics.Results Five patients of CAPNON with the diameter of 1.5 to 5.0 cm were found in five patients ( Male 4 ; Female 1 ; age 25 to 60 years old ).Three lesions were located in the skull base,one was located in the cervical spine and one in the foramen magnum and upper cervical segment. All patients underwent MRI examination and 4 of them also took CT scanning.On plain CT,all lesions showed obvious calcification.On T1WI all masses showed hypointensity,and on T2WI 4 of the lesions showed iso- or hypointensity and 1 heterogeneous signal intensity. On contrast-enhanced MR images, peripheral enhancement was demonstrated in 3 lesions,homogeneous enhancement was found in case and one lesion showed no enhancement. The pathologic analysis indicated that inside the lesions were abundant calcification,fibroepithelial tissue and mucoid matrix and no edema was detected around the lesions.Conclusions CAPNON displayed the predilection to male adults and the neuraxis was the predilection site.Calcification on CT images,hypointensity on MR images and peripheral enhancement will be helpful for the diagnosis of CAPNON,but the final confirmation still needs the pathologic results.