OBJECTIVE: To observe monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) changes in ischemic tissue during the process of angiogenesis induction in ischemic limbs by autologous mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation.METHODS: Twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to 2 groups (n = 10): model and MSC transplantation. Femoral and tibial bone marrow was taken to isolate and culture MSCs by percoll density gradient method. Cells of the 3~(rd) or 4~(th) passage were used for transplantation. Severe bilateral hind limb ischemia was surgically created in each group rats. Two hours after model establishment, MSCs (1×10~(11)/L) were infused into the ischemic region of rats from the MSC transplantation group, and the model group received the same amount of phosphate buffered saline. Collateral artery formation was determined by angiographic analysis and histological assessment. CD68~+ macrophage infiltration was examined by immunohistochemistry. MCP-1 protein expression in the plasma and ischemic tissue was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. MCP-1 mRNA expression in ischemic tissue was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.RESULTS: At postoperative 28 days, treatment with MSC transplantation lead to collateral vessel formation, and immunohistochemistry demonstrated that CD68~+ macrophage infiltration was lower compared with the model group. MCP-1 protein and mRNA expression in the plasma and ischemia tissue was significantly lower in the MSC transplantation group than in the model group (P < 0.05).CONCLUSION: Following MSC transplantation, MCP-1 may play an important role in ischemia-induced angiogenesis. This indicates that MCP-1 would become one possible target molecule for modulating inflammatory angiogenesis by MSC Transplantation.

AIM: To study the bioequivalence of piracetam tablets in Chinese healthy volunteers. METH-ODS: Twenty volunteers were randomly divided into two groups (test and reference), with double cross-over design and single-dose oral administration. The concentration of piracetam in serum was determined by HPLC. The main pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated and the bioequivalence was evaluated with DAS2.0 practical pharmacokinetics program. RESULTS: The pharmacokinetic parameters of piracetam tablets were as follows: t1/2 were 5.50±1.48 and 4.29±1.00 h, Cmax were 21.47± 6.27 and 20.96±5.10 mg·L-1, Tmax were 0.70±0.46 and 0.66± 0.36 h, AUC0-24h were 93.44± 16.61 and 96.67± 18.50 mg·h·L- 1. The relative bioavailability of the test preparation was 99.8%± 22.7%. CONCLU-SION: The test and reference preparations were bioequivalent and may be prescribed interchangeably.

Objective: To review clinical characteristics of cardiac and pericardial hydatid cysts and assess the results of surgical treatment. Methods: From February 1978 to July 1999, 13 patients were diagnosed as heart and/or pericardium echinococcosis. There were nine male and four female. Their age ranged from 8 to 36 years ［mean (23.0±8.5) years］. 10 patients were symptomatic and 3 were asymptomatic. 3 patients had involvement of liver or lung. Pathologic cardiac murmur or cardiac enlargements were found in 10 patients. All patients were examined with chest roentgenograms, electrocardiogram and echocardiography. The serologic test was positive in 11 cases and negative in 3 cases. One right atrial cyst was removed under extracorporal circulation. 4 single pericardial cyst and multi-pericardial cyst were resected, 6 myocardial cysts and one complicated myocard ial and pericardial cysts were resected through puncture-aspiration endocystect omy. Results: All patients were followed up from six months to six years ［mean (3.5±1.5) years］. One late death occurred ten-month after operation, and the cause of death was heart failure. 3 patients had recurrence and were reoperated. Conclusion: The clinical characters may vary according to the number, size and location of cysts. Echocardiography is important for surgical planning. The results of endocystectomy of cardiac and pericardial echinococcosis were excellent.

Objective To evaluate the value of mini-thoracotomy for open heart surgery.Methods From December 1995 to January 2008,810 patients including 660 cases of congenital heart diseases,129 cases of valvular heart diseases and 21 cases of heart myxoma,underwent open heart surgery by mini-thoracotomy through cardiopulmonary bypass in our hospital.Among the cases,superior median sternotomy was performed on 36 patients,inferior median sternotomy was made on 59,right parasternal mini-thoracotomy was carried out in 3,right anterolateral thoracotomy was done on 658,and right axillary mini-thoracotomy was used in 54.A total of 382 patients received beating-heart surgery.Results The postoperative mortality in our patients was 1.5%(12 cases).In this series,the mean postoperative mechanical ventilation time,drainage volume,and hospital stay were(6.7?4.2) hours,(210?165) ml,and(7.4?4.9) days respectively.421 of the patients received no blood transfusion.None of the patients developed sternal dehiscence or mediastinal infection.Follow-up was available in 690(85%) of the patients up to a mean of(48.2?25.3) months,none of them died during the period.The cardiac function of the patients was significantly improved after the operation(preparation vs postoperation: 310 cases vs 478 cases for grade Ⅰ,438 vs 212 for grades Ⅱ-Ⅲ,and 62 vs 0 for grade Ⅳ,Z=-13.21,P=0.000).The mean cardiothoracic ratio was decreased significantly after the operation(0.51?0.11 vs 0.53?0.08,t=4.065,P=0.000),while the left ventricular ejection fraction was increased markedly(0.63?0.11 vs 0.57?0.11,t=-10.529,P=0.000).Conclusions The mini-thoracotomy is superior in cosmetic results and the postoperative morbidity rates of sternal malformation and infection.Proper selection of patients,good exposure of the surgical field,and skillful surgical procedures are crucial for the outcomes of the operation.

Objective To eveluate the effect of tirofiban on TIMI flow in patients with STEMI during primary PCI. Methods Forty-eight patients with STEMI who underwent primary PCI were randomly divided into two groups which were: the tirofiban+PCI group (n=27) and the primary PCI group (n=21). The TIMI flow before and after the operation were reviewed angiographically. Results A greater percentage of TIMI 1 flow was archieved in the triofiban+PCI group compared with the primary PCI group before operation (37% vs 9.5%, P

Objective To observe the effect of dexmedetomidine on inflammation, oxidative stress and lung injury in lipopolysaccharide( LPS)-induced septic mice.Methods Forty eight male adult BALB/c mice were randomly divided into three groups (n=16): normal control group (Ctrl), sepsis group (Sep), and Dex group.Ae septic mice model was established by LPS 20 mg/kg,and Dex 30μg/kg injected intraperitoneally at 0.5 h after LPS injection.The concentrations of serum IL-6 and IL-10 were detected at 2 h and 6 h after LPS injection while myeloperoxidase ( MPO ) activity and malondialdehyde( MDA) content of lungs were detected and weight dry ratio ( W/D) of lungs was calculated at 6 h after LPS injection.Pathological changes were observed in left lung HE stained with optical microscopy at 6 h after LPS injection. Results Compared with Sep group, the concentrations of serum IL-6 decreased significantly(P <0.05), while the concentrations of IL-10 increased significantly(P<0.05) at 2 h and 6 h after LPS injection in Dex group.MPO activity, MDA content and W/D of lungs decreased significantly(P<0.05) at 6 h after LPS injection in Dex group.The injury to the lung was lightened significantly under optical microscopy in Dex group.Conclusion Dex protects against LPS-induced ALI in septic mice by inhibiting systemic inflammatory response, reducing lung tissue inflammatory infiltration and oxidative stress.

AIM　To analyze the effects of endomorphins (EMs) and their analogs (［D-Pro2］EM-1, ［D-Ala2］EM-1, ［D-Pro2］EM-2 and ［D-Ala2］EM-2) on the cardiovascular system of anesthetized rats and to study its mechanism. METHODS　Responses to EMs and their analogs were investigated in the systemic vascular bed of rats and the mesenteric microarteria of Bufo gargarizans. Responses to EMs were investigated on the hindquarters of the rat vascular bed under constant-flow conditions and on the isolated rabbit thoracic aorta strips. RESULTS　The EMs and their analogs showed dose-related (10-9-10-6 mol*L-1, iv) and naloxone-sensitive (2 mg*kg-1, iv) hypotension in mean arterial pressure of rats with similar duration and vasodilatation in mesenteric microarteria of Bufo gargarizans. The sequence of potencies was EMs > ［D-Pro2］EM-2 > ［D-Ala2］EM-2 > ［D-Ala2］EM-1 > ［D-Pro2］EM-1. EMs were shown not to relax the isolated rabbit thoracic aorta strips without endothelium. EMs, however, relaxed them with endothelium significantly. This action was blocked by Nx (10-5 mol*L-1) and L-NNA (10-4 mol*L-1). CONCLUSION　The significant hypotensive activity of EMs and their analogs is mainly associated with their vasodilatation, which is related to the release of NO from vascular endothelium, and their potency is not completely related to their affinity for μ-opiate receptor.

Objective Thymic epithelial tumors(TET) consist of thymoma and thymic carcinoma. The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) coinci-dence SPECT imaging in TET. Methods 18 F-FDG coincidence SPECT images of 37 TET patients ( male 16, female 21, age range 24-82 years; mean age 55 years) were retrospectively analyzed according to the simplified WHO histological classification: high survival thymoma (types A, AB and B1 ), median survival thymoma (types B2 and B3 ), and low survival thymoma (thymic carcinoma). Qualitative visual interpreta-tion was based on foci of18F-FDG uptake'higher than that of normal mediastinum. Turnour/lung radioactivity ratio (TLR) was calculated from the counts of region of interest (ROI) drawn around the mass and over a comparable area of normal lung tissue in TET patients. The distribution of18F-FDG uptake was compared with the enhanced CT findings. TLR was also correlated with the Ki67-1abeling index. Statistical comparison for TLR in different groups were performed with variance analysis. Results Thirty-four TET were positive and 3 negative ( A, A, AB) by 18 F-FDG coincidence SPECT images. The differences among the 3 sub-groups were statistically significant (F=9.99,P<0.05). The TLR of these 3 subgroups was variable: 1.42±0.27, 2.13±0.74, 3.00±1.19, respectively. A close correlation (r=0.613, P=0.002) of the TLR with the Ki67 labeling index (n= 22) was found. In addition, 18 F-FDG coincidence SPECT detected two metastases ( anterior chest wall and right supraclavicular fossa lymph node) that were not identified on enhanced CT. Conclusions 18 F-FDG coincidence SPECT is useful in differentiating subgroups of thymic epithelial tumors and in identifying more invasive thymic lesions.18 F-FDG may be a novel tracer that ena-bles in vivo evaluation of cellular proliferation in human TET.

The hemolysin production of 19 strains of Streptococcus spp. isolated from pigs in the Jiangsu and Shanghai regions in recent years were examined. Eight isolates of Streptococcus suis type 2 from Jiangsu showed weak hemolysis on blood agar, but a stronger reaction in Todd-Hewitt broth(THB). The hemolysin belonged to the group of thiol-activated hemolysins. Nine strains of Streptoccus equi subsp. zooepidemicus showed strong hemolysis on blood agar and in THB containing 5% new-born calf serum, but no hemolysis in THB alone. This hemolysin was similar to streptolysin S(SLS). Another two isolates were atypical members of Lancefield group C Streptococcus and showed strong hemolysis on blood agar and in THB with 5% new-born calf serum, but the hemolysin was unlike either streptolysin O or SLS.