AIM:To observe the efficacy of intravitreal conbercept injection for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).METHODS: Nine eyes of 9 patients diagnosed as chronic CSC between October 2015 to May 2016 were treated with an intravitreal injection of conbercept (0.5mg/0.05mL) (six patients were given the same does of intravitreal injection again at 1mo after the first injection).Follow-up observation was at 1, 2, and 6mo after injection.Observed indicators included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure, optical coherence tomography (OCT), fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA), choroidal indocyanine green angiography (ICGA), macular fovea thickness (CMT), subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT).RESULTS:Seven of the 9 patients responded significantly to the drug, while 2 patients had no response.The CMT was 373.12±72.43μm at baseline, which decreased significantly to 332.05±67.13μm, 282.24±62.30μm and 225.56±71.08μm at 1, 2 and 6mo after the intravitreal injection.The mean thickness of SFCT was 422.11±64.82μm before treatment.The choroidal thickness of non-responsive patients before treatment was below average, respectively 353μm and 365μm.The SFCT of 1, 2, and 6mo after treatment was 391.45±75.24μm, 365.53±63.07μm, 355.40±66.65μm.Before treatment and 1mo after, there was no significant difference (P=0.074), but there was statistically significant (P<0.01) between those of before and 2mo and 6mo after.The mean BCVA of the prior treatment was 0.53±0.32, the after treatment was 0.65±0.20, there was no different between the two(P>0.05).CONCLUSION: Intravitreal conbercept injection in chronic CSC may have some effect in accelerating subertinal fluid resolution and decreasing the CMT.The SFCT within 6mo after treatment was significantly lower than pretreatment.The SFCT may be an indicator of whether patients respond.

Background Retinal retinoic acid (RA) plays an important role in the formation of the lensinduced myopia.However,it is not clear how RA transfer the myopic signal to choroid throughout the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) barrier.Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of all-trans retinoic acid (atRA) on the barrier of RPE in lens-induced myopic eye of guinea pig.Methods Thirty left eyes of 30 21-dayold clean guinea pigs were randomized into normal control group and the model group.The models of out of focus were induced by covering of-6.00 D concave lens on the left eyes for 15 days.Radius of corneal curvature was measured using corneal curvimeter,and diopeter of the guinea pig was examined by mydriatic optometry.The length of ocular axis was detected by A-sonography.The animals were sacrificed and the retinas of the left eyes were isolated for the culture and passage of RPE cells.The third generation of cells were incubated Millcell-PET microporous film,and atRA at the concentration of 1 × 10-6,1 × 10-7,1 × 10-8 and 1 × 10-9 mol/L was added to the micropore respectively for 12 hours,and the micropores with equal-solvent served as negative control group.Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT)colorimetric method was used to detect the survival rate of the cells.Subsequently,the transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) of the monolayer cells was determined with CN10-EVOM2 resistance measuring meter.The vesicular transport change of RPE membrane in different groups was evaluated by FM1-43 fluorescence staining.Results The mean diopter was (-2.20±0.95) D in the models,and that in the controls was (+ 1.15 ±0.30) D,with a significant difference between them (t =14.57,P＜ 0.01).The axial length was (8.24 ± 0.09) mm in the models and it was significantly longer than (7.81±0.05) mm in the controls (t=17.20,P＜0.01).RPE cells grew well to form a monolayer in Millcell culture pool after one week.After 24 hours of the atRA treatment,the survival rate of RPE cells reduced gradually with the increase of atRA concentration with the highest rate in the 1 × 10-9 mol/L atRA group (93.3 ％) and followed by the 1 × 10-8 mol/L atRA group (88.2％).More than half of the cells dead in the 1 × 10-6mol/L and 1 × 10-7mol/L atRA groups (53.8％ and 47.1％).Significant differences in the TER value and fluorescence staining intensity of the cells were seen among the various groups (F =43.89,P =0.00 ; F =26.13,P =0.00),with the maximal values in the 1 × 10-8mol/L atRA group.The FM1-43 fluorescence located on the cellular membrane and cytoplasm.Conclusions AtRA can increase the functional state of tight junction and vesicular transport,which regulated the RPE cell barrier in the guinea pig.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; metabolism ; pathology ; Glucose ; metabolism ; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial ; Mice ; Mice, Transgenic ; Mitochondria ; pathology ; Podocytes ; cytology

Objective To observe the abnormal Minnesota code (MC) distribution and interrelated characteristic on electrocardiograms (ECGs) of the adult Kazakh population.Methods Resting ECGs and blood press of randomly sampled 30 000 adult Kazakh people in three Northern regions of Xinjiang were continuously examined and analyzed,using Minnesota code recommended by WHO as the classification of ECG.Results The overall rate of abnormal ECG findings was 248.60‰,and the main abnormality in males was 146.83‰,compared to 157.71‰ in females.The prevalence rates of abnormal ST-T changes,the total arrhythmia and atrial fibrillation (AF) were 100.03‰,71.17‰ and 2.83‰ respectively.There were statistically significant differences among the main abnormities from the three regions.Conclusion The ECGs abnormalities of adult Kazakh people were high.There was significant relation found between the main abnormalities and hypertension.The prevalence of AF was different from the domestically reported literature that calls for further study.

Objective To evaluate the functional changes of visual cortex (V1) in patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) by fMRI retinotopic mapping technology. Methods Fifteen POAG patients and 15 healthy volunteers underwent stimulations with fMRI retinotopic mapping stimulus and contrast-reversing checkerboard patterns stimulus on a Siemens Trio 3.0 T MRI whole-body scanner for functional data collection. Comparisons of V1 fMRI responses between the glaucomatous eyes and the healthy eyes of the patients were carried out using paired samples t-test, while independent samples t-test was used to compare V1 fMRI responses and activations between the healthy eyes of patients and the age-, gender- and side- matched eyes of normal people. Differences of V1 cortical functions and visual functions were analyzed by linear correlation analysis when the glaucomatous and the healthy eyes were simulated individually. Results (1) V1 fMRI responses of the individually stimulated glaucomatous eyes[(1.24±0.72)%]were weaker than those of the healthy eyes[(2.18±0.93)%](t=4.757,P<0.01). Comparisons of V1 fMRI responses between the glaucomatous eyes and matched eyes of normal people, as well as between the healthy eyes of patients and the matched eyes of normal people, were performed respectively: the responses in the glaucomatous eyes[(1.24±0.72)%]were weaker than those in the matched eyes of normal people[(2.01±0.65)%](t=-3.011,P<0.01). There was no statistical difference of the responses between the healthy eyes from patients[(2.18±0.93)%]and the matched eyes of normal people[(1.95±0.75)%](t=0.742,P＞0.05). (2) Differences of V1 cortical functions were negatively correlated with those of visual functions in the individually stimulated glaucomatous and healthy eyes (r=-0.887, P<0.01). (3) The activated area indexes of V1 cortexes in the healthy eyes from patients (0.72±0.12) were lower than those in the matched eyes of normal people (0.85±0.09) (t=-3.801, P<0.01). Conclusion Cortical function impairment was in accordance with visual function impairment in glaucoma. Located and quantified measurement with fMRI retinotopic mapping was a useful method for clinical follow-up and evaluation of functional alteration of glaucomatous visual cortex, and a potentially useful means of studying trans-synaptic degeneration of visual pathways of in vivo glaucoma.

Objective To evaluate the effects of the chronic Keshan disease's self-management in Liangshan Prefecture of Sichuan Province. Methods According to "The Serf Management Program of Chronic Keshan Disease in Liangshen Prefecture of Sichuan Province", 56 chronic Keshan disease patients were selected in the personalized self-manngemant evaluation under the instructions by endemic disease specialists and the rural doctors. Evaluation was based on changes of indexes such as the clinical symptoms, general health conditions, the electrocardiogram, X-ray, the heart function, etc, before treatment and 3 and 6 months following the treatment. Results Clinical signs and symptoms of the patients were significantly improved 3 and 6 months after the treatment, and the improvement was more obvious 6 months than 3 months following the treatment(P<0.05 or< 0.01). After treatment for 3 months, the patients'electrocardingram and heart function did not show obvious change (X2=0.05,039, P0.05); hut obvious improvements Eexcept X ray results(X2=0.61 ,P0.05)] were seen 6 months after treatment (X2=4.36,16.84, P<0.05 or<0.01). Altogether, among the 56 patients evaluated after treatment for 6 months, none achieved the clinical cure standard, 26 cases(46.3%) showed significant improvement, 17 cases (30.4%) were stable, 5 cases (8.9%) were aggravated,one case (1.8%) lost contact, and 6 cases (10.6%) died. Conclusion The project of the chronic Keshan disease's self-management is suitable for the present situati,on of the endemic regions and can he introduced to many places in our country.

Gene Expression Profiling ; Humans ; Killer Cells, Natural ; pathology ; Lymphoma, T-Cell ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Nose Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 6 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics

OBJECTIVE: To investigate effects of antioxidant stress protein heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) of rat hepatocytes. METHODS: The BRL cells (rat hepatocyte cell line) were cultured. The hepatocytes were treated with LPS, LPS+HO-1 siRNA, HO-1 siRNA and PBS solution, respectively. The cell viability was measured by trypan blue exclusion test. The apoptosis cells were detected by the fluorescent dye Hoechst 33258. Expressions of GRP78, CHOP, caspase-12 and HO-1 were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: LPS caused an increase of HO-1 protein expression of rat hepatocytes in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner, a up-regulation of GRP78, CHOP and caspase-12, a decrease in cell viability, and an increase in apoptosis rate of hepatocytes. Pretreatment of HO-1 siRNA inhibited the up-regulation of LPS-induced HO-1, however, aggravated ERS and cellular injury. CONCLUSION HO-1 inhibites ERS-mediated cellular injury of rat hepatocytes induced by LPS.
Animals ; Apoptosis/physiology* ; Endoplasmic Reticulum/metabolism* ; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress/physiology* ; Heme Oxygenase-1/pharmacology* ; Hepatocytes/metabolism* ; Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology* ; Rats

Objective To investigate the effects of timosaponins, one group of the two major components of A nemarrhean asphodeloides Bge, on the learning and memory capacities of rats with dementia induced by amyloid β-peptide (25-35) [Aβ(25-35)]. Methods Sixty SD rats were randomized into 6 groups (n=10) and except for those in the control group, all other rats were subjected to lateral cerebral ventriclar injection of aggregated Aβ (25-35) to prepare rat models of dementia. Twenty four hours after the injection, the rats received intragastric administration of timosaponins at 3 different doses (treatment group) or Ginkgo biloba extract EGB761 on a daily basis for 14 consecutive days. From postoperative days 8 to 14 after Aβ (25-35) injection, Morris water maze test was performed to evaluate the effects of Aβ (25-35) and the therapeutic agents timosaponins on the learning and memory capacity of the rats. On day 14, the level of malonaldehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and total antioxidation capacity in the brain tissue of the rats were measured. Results Aβ (25-35) induced significant learning and memory impairment in the rats, which had lowered SOD activity and total antioxidation capacity (P＜0.01) with elevated MDA level (P＜0.05). Compared with the rats in dementia model group, those receiving timosaponin treatment at different doses all manifested alleviation of learning and memory impairment (P＜0.05), with enhanced SOD activity (P＜0.05) and total antioxidation capacity (P＜0.01) and reduced MDA level (P＜0.05) in the brain tissue. Conclusion Timosaponins can remarkably enhance the learning and memory capacities in rats with Aβ (25-35) -induced dementia, presumably in relation to their actions to promote the scavenging of the free radicals.

Objective To investigate the effects of timosaponins, one group of the two major components of A nemarrhean asphodeloides Bge, on the learning and memory capacities of rats with dementia induced by amyloid β-peptide (25-35) [Aβ(25-35)]. Methods Sixty SD rats were randomized into 6 groups (n=10) and except for those in the control group, all other rats were subjected to lateral cerebral ventriclar injection of aggregated Aβ (25-35) to prepare rat models of dementia. Twenty four hours after the injection, the rats received intragastric administration of timosaponins at 3 different doses (treatment group) or Ginkgo biloba extract EGB761 on a daily basis for 14 consecutive days. From postoperative days 8 to 14 after Aβ (25-35) injection, Morris water maze test was performed to evaluate the effects of Aβ (25-35) and the therapeutic agents timosaponins on the learning and memory capacity of the rats. On day 14, the level of malonaldehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and total antioxidation capacity in the brain tissue of the rats were measured. Results Aβ (25-35) induced significant learning and memory impairment in the rats, which had lowered SOD activity and total antioxidation capacity (P＜0.01) with elevated MDA level (P＜0.05). Compared with the rats in dementia model group, those receiving timosaponin treatment at different doses all manifested alleviation of learning and memory impairment (P＜0.05), with enhanced SOD activity (P＜0.05) and total antioxidation capacity (P＜0.01) and reduced MDA level (P＜0.05) in the brain tissue. Conclusion Timosaponins can remarkably enhance the learning and memory capacities in rats with Aβ (25-35) -induced dementia, presumably in relation to their actions to promote the scavenging of the free radicals.