Objective To discuss the value of Visfatin in severity evaluation in patients with severe pneumonia via observation on the variations of the plasma level of Visfatin. Method Seventy subjects including 40 patients with severe pneumonia ( group A) and 30 patients with non-severe pneumonia (group B) admitted to the ICU of emergency department and general wards from June 2009 to June 2010, were enrolled in this prospective study, and another 30 healthy individuals from physical examinees were included as subjects in control group (group C). Patients with severe diseases of heart, brain and kidney, cancers, autoimmune disease, or under special treatment in latest one month were excluded. For the subjects of all three groups, the plasma levels of Visfatin, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α were measured by using ELISA, while the level of CRP was assayed by using immunoturbidimetry, and the routine blood test was performed as well. The blood gas analysis and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Ⅱ ( APACHE Ⅱ) were carried out in patients with pneumonia. Comparisons between groups were made by t-tests, ANOVA or nonparametric test. Correlation analysis was carried out by Pearson correlation coefficient or Spearman rank correlation test. Results The plasma level of Visfatin in patients with severe pneumonia (group A) was significantly higher than that in patients with non-severe pneumonia (group B) and in the control subjects (group C) (P < 0. 01) , and the level of Visfatin in pneumonia ( group B) and in control group (group C) , and that in group B was significantly higher than that in the controls (group C) (P <0. 01). In group A, the plasma level of Visfatin was positively correlated with CRP, TNF-α, APACHE Ⅱ and PMN% (rha =0. 653, r = 0.554, r = 0.558, r= 0.484, P <0. 05), while negatively correlated with PaO2 and PaO2/FiO2 ( rha = -0.422, r= -0.543, P <0. 05). Conclusions Visfatin may be involved in the systemic inflammation response in severe pneumonia as a pro-inflammatory cytokine which is valuable in assessing the severity of pneumonia.

Objective To determine the level of adiponectin (APN) in serum and induced sputum of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease both during acute exacerbation (AECOPD) and silent stage, and investigate APN' s role as a marker of inflammation in the pathogenesis of COPD. Method From October 2008 to October 2009,30 male AECOPD patients in the emergency department, 30 male silent COPD patients in the department of respiratory diseases and 30 healthy nonsmoking male volunteers were included. All subjects' serum and induced sputum were collected, and they were all of normal weight(BMI range of 18.5～ 24.9 kg/m2). Patients were excluded if they suffered from severe bronchial asthma, bronchiectasis or autoimmune disease. The number of cells in induced sputum was counted and the cell type was classified. The concentrations of APN, IL-8, IL-6 and TNF-α in both serum and sputum were measured by using ELISA, and their pulmonary function was tested. The different groups were compared among them by using the t -tests, ANOVA analysis or nonparametric analysis, the relation between variables was assessed by using the Pearson or Spearman correlation test. Results The concentrations of APN in both serum and induced sputum of AECOPD patients were significantly higher than those in the silent COPD patients and the control subjects ( P ＜ 0.01 ). The concentrations of APN in the silent COPD patients were significantly higher than those in the control subjects ( P ＜ 0. 01 ). There were significant relationships between the concentrations of APN in serum and induced sputum and the levels of IL-8 and TNF-α in AECOPD patients ( r = 0.739, 0. 734,0.852 and 0. 857, respectively, P ＜ 0. 05) and in silent COPD patients ( r = 0.751,0.659, 0.707 and 0.867, respectively, P ＜0.05). There was significant relation betweenship between APN and neutrophil in induced sputum of AECOPD patients (r = 0.439, P ＜ 0.05). Conclusions APN was involved in the process of systemic and airway inflammation of COPD, and it was related with IL-8 and TNF-α. APN can be used as a new inflammation marker for COPD.

Objective To study the variation of blood concentration of tetramine in human body with acute tetramine intoxication treated with three different protocols and the levels in human body after discharge from the hos-pital. Methods The blood concentration of tetramine was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). All 101 patients of acute tetramine intoxication were divided into 3 groups (routine comprehensive treat-ment group,hemoperfusion group,blood transfusion group) according to their blood concentration of tetramine and clinical symptoms. The patients were followed up to monitor the tetramine levels in a year. Results The level of tet-famine in blood was decreased from 33.0(1.7～115.0)μg/L to 18.0(0.3～47.6)μg/L in routine comprehensive treatment group. The total decrement was 45.5 %. The level was decreased from 108.0 (54.0～290.0)μg/L to 26.0 μg/L in hemoperfusion group. The total decrement was 75.9%. The decrement was 20.0%～45.0% after each he-moperfusion. The level was slightly high after 24 h of hemoperfusion. The total decrement in blood transfusion group was 33.5%～60.0%. The level was <0.3μg/L in all 25 out-patients 1 year after their intoxication. Conclusion Routine comprehensive treatment,hemoperfusion,blood transfusion are effective in the treatment of acute tetramine intoxication. The degradation of tetramine in human body is slow.

Objective:To retrospectively analyze the survival outcomes of the surgical management of primary small cell carcino-ma of the esophagus. Methods:The medical records were reviewed for patients diagnosed with esophageal carcinoma and underwent esophagectomy from January 2000 to December 2009 at the Department of Thoracic Surgery of the Henan Cancer Hospital. We fo-cused on the clinical data of patients with small cell carcinoma of the esophagus. The Kaplan-Meier approach with log-rank test was used for survival analysis. Results:A total of 5,062 patients underwent esophagectomy with curative intent at the Department of Thorac-ic Surgery of the Henan Cancer Hospital;among which, 57 (1.1%) were diagnosed with small cell carcinoma of esophagus. The most common surgical approach was trans-left thoracic incision esophagectomy. Cervical esophagogastrostomy was performed for all pa-tients. The most common chemotherapy regimen was EP. The overall 5-year survival rate was 12.5%, and the median survival time was 45 months. Among the various stages, the 5-year survival rate and survival time were 25% and 50 months for Stage I, 5.9% and 43 months for Stage II, and 4.3%and 43 months for StageⅢ. Subgroup analysis showed that cases treated with surgery alone had poorer overall median survival time compared with those cases that underwent surgery plus chemotherapy (23.2 months vs. 60.7 months, re-spectively;P<0.01). Even for Stage I patients, thesurgery plus chemotherapysubgroup was associated with a significantly longer me-dian survival time than the surgery alone subgroup (81.9 months vs. 22.3 months, P<0.01). Conclusion:For patients with primary small cell carcinoma of the esophagus, surgery alone cannot provide the optimal prognosis. Surgery combined with systemic chemother-apy can improve the survival time.

Objective To determine the urine parameters,body temperature and main organ coefficient of Fujian rabbits.Methods In this experiment,we selected twenty healthy Fujian rabbits with weight of about 2.5kg.Both male and female rabbits were ten.Before experiment,the rabbits drunk water freely.We collected fresh urine before breeding in the morning,and then determined the ten items urine parameters soon.Under the room temperature,we used electricity thermometer into the rabbits' rectum to determine the body temperature.Being fasting for 12h,the rabbits were anesthetized by 3% pentobarbital sodium,and then were put to death after bloodletting.The dissection took various internal organs immediately.The clean organs were weighed by electronic analytical balance.Results The results showed that the majority of the urine was yellow opacity,and the ten items urine parameters between male and female had no significant difference.The average body temperature of Fujian rabbits was 39.67℃ above other ones.There was no significant difference in main organ coefficient between male and female expect the lung and spleen.Conclusion In a word,it was objective to determine the body temperature,urine parameters,mainly organ coefficient of Fujian rabbits which were fed in conventional environment.It is valuable for the appliation of Fujian rabbits in life science sphere.

Objective To test the overall characteristic curve on a computed radiography system. Methods Imaging plate was exposed by scale-time expose using conventional X-ray equipment. It was processed by CR system. Density of different optical density wedge on CR film was measured by using densimeter. Then, characteristic curve was plotted. Results (1) Overall characteristic curve of CR system was affected by gradation processing. (2) Average gradient of overall characteristic curve was 1.98, 3.10, and 3.75 when GA was 0.8,1.4, and 2.4. (3) Overall characteristic curve rotated around rotation center when rotation amount was changed. Conclusion According to the diagnostic purpose and different body position, rotation amount can be selected, and different contrast imaging can be acquired.

Objective To investigate the value of panel fluorescence in situ hybridization (panel FISH)for detection of genomic aberrations in chronic lymphocytic leukemia(CLL). Methods Five types of fluorescein-labelled DNA probes including five sequence specific probes D13S25 for 13q14. 3, RB1, p53, ATM (11 q23)and centromeric probe for chromosome (CSP12) were used to perform fluorescence in situ hybridization assays in 17 patients with CLL. Its results were compared with that obtain by conventional cytogenetic (CC)examination. Results In 17 patients with CLL, CC examination showed that only one case (1/17) was found to have chromosomal abnormality that was simultaneous trisomies 3,8 and 18, whereas panel FISH assay showed that 10 cases (10/17) were found to have genomic aberrations including deletion of D13S25 in 4 cases,deletion of ATM in 2 cases,deletion of p53 in 1 case,deletion of D13S25 combined RB1 in 1 case and 1 case with a variety of abnormalities. Conclusions Panel FISH is a useful method for detection of genomic aberration in CLL If it is combined with CC,it can obviously enhance the detection rate of chromosomal abnormalities in CLL.

Objective To investigate the phototoxicity effects of the nanocompound of upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) on rat astrocytes in vitro.Methods The spinal astrocytes cells were cultured successfully in vitro and then incubated with the UCNPs-MC540 of various concentrations and exposured 980 nm infrared laser irradiation of different energy densities.The cell survival rates of each group were detected by MTT assay.The cellular morphology was observed via transmission electron microscope after photodynamic therapy.Results UCNPs-MC540 of different concentrations without laser irradiation or laser of different energy had no significant effects on cell survival rates.when cells incubated with 100 μg/ml UCNPs-MC540 for 12 h underwent laser irradiation of different energy,the cellular survival rates significantly decreased with the increased energy densities.when the cells incubated with UCNPs-MC540 of various concentrations for 12 h underwent laser irradiation of 2 000 J/cm2,the cellular survival rates significantly decreased with the increased concentrations.Compared with controls,the TEM show the apoptosis sign in the cells incubated with 200 μg/ml UCNPs-MC540 after laser irradiation of 2 000 J/cm2.Conclusion The UCNPs-MC540 mediated photodynamic therapy have effective killing effect on astrocytes by the mechanism of induction the apoptosis.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the feasibility of endothelialization of bioprosthesis by transfer of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene.

METHODSBovine pericardium treated with glutaraldehyde and L-glutamic acid was positioned into the pig right atrium. pcD(2)/hVEGF(121) gene (1 mg) was transferred into the right ventricular myocardium using surgical sutures Reverse transcri ption polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) was employed to evaluate the expression of myocardial VEGF mRNA. The determination of concentrations of VEGF protein in blood from both the right atrium and peripheral vein, and histological and ultrastructural analysis of implanted bovine pericardium were completed simultaneously.

RESULTSThe concentration of VEGF derived from the right atrium in pcD(2)/hVEGF(121) group was significantly higher than that in the pcD(2) group 10 days after VEGF gene transfer (P < 0.01). The expression of myocardial VEGF mRNA in pcD(2)/hVEGF(121) group was much higher in comparison with that in the pcD(2) group. The morphological analysis demonstrated that the coverage rate of host endothelium in the pcD(2)/hVEGF(121) group was 2.6 times as fast as that in the pcD(2) group at 16 days after VEGF(121) gene transfer (P < 0.01). Entire endothelialization occurred at 30 days after VEGF gene transfer. In addition, higher expression of myocardial VEGF mRNA was still available.

CONCLUSIONSVEGF gene transfer by surgical suture can remarkably accelerate endothelialization of bioprosthesis, which may provide a new approach for inhibiting biological valve calcification and improve biocompatibility and long-term durability of the bioprosthesis.

Animals ; Bioprosthesis ; Endothelial Growth Factors ; analysis ; genetics ; Endothelium, Vascular ; physiology ; Female ; Gene Transfer Techniques ; Heart Valve Prosthesis ; Humans ; Lymphokines ; analysis ; genetics ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Swine ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors

AIM To observe the effects of Huangdi Anxiao Capsules (Puerariae lobatae Radix,Eriobotryae Folium,Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma,etc.) on blood glucose and insulin resistance in GK rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its possible mechanism of action.METHODS GK rats with T2DM included in the experiment were randomly divided into model group,rosiglitazone (1.44 mg/kg) group,Shenqi Jiangtang Granules (1.08 g/kg) group,Huangdi Anxiao Capsules high,medium and low (12,6,3 g/kg) group and normal control group of Wistar rats.After six weeks of consecutive administration,fasting blood glucose (FBG),serum insulin (FINS),fasting plasma glucose (FPG),and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) were measured in all groups.Serum biochemical indexes of (TG,TC,HDL-C,LDL-C),glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c),glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) were measured.The pancreatic tissue was obtained by routine paraffin embedding and HE staining to observe the pathological changes.RESULTS Compared with the normal group,FBG,FPG,FINS,HOMA-IR,TG,TC,HDL-C,LDL-C and HbA1c of the model group were significantly higher (P ＜0.01),and GLP-1 and IGF-1 expressions were markedly decreased (P ＜ 0.01).Compared with the model group,the levels of FBG,FPG,FINS,HOMA-IR,TG,TC,HDL-C,LDL-C and HbA1 c in Huangdi Anxiao Capsules high-,medium-and low-dose group were significantly decreased (P ＜ 0.05,P ＜0.01);GLP-1 and IGF-1 expressions were markedly increased (P ＜0.05,P ＜0.01),compared with the model group,the structure changes of pancreatic tissue in Huangdi Anxiao Capsules high-,medium-and low-dose groups largely reduced.CONCLUSION Huangdi Anxiao Capsules can reduce GK rats fasting blood glucose,insulin resistance,and its mechanism may be related to promoting the emergence and proliferation of pancreatic islet cells,improving the function of islet beta cells,and increasing insulin secretion.