Objective To investigate the effect of castration on heart function in male rabbits postinfarction congestive heart failure model. Methods 32 male 4-5 months old New Zealand rabbits were randomly assigned to ligation of first branch of left coronary artery or sham operation (sham group, n=8). 3 weeks later 20 survived MI model rabbits were randomly subjected to castration (castration group, n=10) or sham operation (MI group, n=10). Serum FT, DHEAS levels and LVEF were checked at week 0, 3 and 15. Heart diameter and left ventricular wall thickness were measured at week 15. Results The serum FT and DHEAS levels decreased significantly at week 3. In MI group and castration group serum androgen level was lower and heart weight, ventricular diameters, ventricular wall thickness corrected by body weight were higher than that in sham group at week 15. The androgen level and body weight of castration group were lower than that in MI group. But LVEF in castration group was not higher than MI group. Conclusion There was no benefit effect of castration on heart function in male rabbits postinfarction congestive heart failure model.

Objective To develop the severity score of pediatric hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD),guide health care providers in the early detection and intervention of critical ill cases,in order to improve the survival rate and reduce the incidence of complications and mortality.Methods Based on PCIS,the severity score of HFMD in children was designed by adding fever and nervous system damage symptoms,which was the common symptoms of severe cases.The data of the cases who admitted in April 2008 to November 2010 (group A,88 cases) was retrospectively analyzed to evaluate the validity and credibility of the score.The score were prospectively applied to all of the HFMD cases who admitted from May 2011 to October 2013(group B,118 cases),delivering corresponding treatment and care measures based on scoring result as well.At last the outcome of the two groups was compared.Results It exhibited quite good consistency between the scores and the clinical condition of patients with HFMD.The general information of two groups was not significantly different,but the survival rate,the incidence of neurological sequel and the mortality between two groups were significantly different by x2 test.Conclusions The score can objectively and accurately assess the severity of HFMD in children.Clinical application of this scoring method to assess the children with HFMD can identify critical ill cases as early as possible.Corresponding intervention delivering in time may improve the outcome.It is proved to have positive clinical value to increase the survival rate,decrease the incidence of neurological sequel and the mortality of critical ill HFMD cases,and is worthy of clinical application in pediatric department.

OBJECTIVE:To investigate therapeutic efficacy and safety of levamlodipine and telmisartan combined with hydro-chlorothiazide in the treatment of anti-dipper hypertension. METHODS:Totally 150 patients with anti-dipper hypertension were ran-domly divided into group A,B,C,with 50 cases in each group. Group A was given Telmisartan tablet 40 mg+Hydrochlorothiazide tablet 10 mg,once a day,in the morning. Group B was given Levamlodipine tablet 5 mg,once a day,in the night. Group C was given Telmisartan tablet(usage and dosage same as group A)+Hydrochlorothiazide tablet(usage and dosage same as group A)+Le-vamlodipine tablet(usage and dosage same as group B). Treatment courses of 3 groups lasted for 8 weeks. The changes of electro-lyte and 24 h ambulatory blood pressure were observed and compared among 3 groups before and after treatment. The incidence of adverse reactions was recorded. RESULTS:There was no statistical significance in the electrolyte indexes in 3 groups before and af-ter treatment(P>0.05). Before treatment,there was no statistical significance in 24 h blood pressure among 3 groups(P>0.05). Af-ter treatment,the 24 h blood pressure of the patients in the 3 groups after treatment was lower than before treatment,and group C was lower than that of the group A and group B(P<0.05). After treatment,the rate of anti-dipper rhythm reversal in group C was significantly higher than group A and B,with statistical significance(P<0.05). There was no statistical significance in the inci-dence of ADR among 3 groups(P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS:Levamlodipine and telmisartan combined with hydrochlorothiazide show good therapeutic efficacy for anti-dipper hypertension,and can reduce 24 h blood pressure and effectively reverse anti-dipper rhythm with good safety.

Objective Malrotation of intestine with midgut volvulus is a special disease in newbo-rns.It is important of early diagnosis to avoid the risk of intestinal infarct and necrosis.We intended to ex-plore the value of early ultrasonographic diagnosis in malrotation of intestine with midgut volvulus,comparing with upper gastrointestinal imaging.Methods Ultrasonographic features and upper gastrointestinal imaging of 48surgically confirmed malrotation of intestine with midgut volvulus between January 2011and December 2014were retrospectively analyzed.Results All patients were comfirmed by operaion.The rotational degree of midgut volvulus were 90to 720°.In 43of 48patients (89.58%)of malrotation of intestine with midgut volvulus were diagnosed by ultrasonography.The typical ultrasonographic features were called “whirlpool sign”,which was the superior mesenteric vein and the mesentery around the superior mesenteric artery.In 35 of 48(72.92%)patients with malrotation were confirmed by the upper gastrointestinal imaging.The typical sign of the upper gastrointestinal imaging was the helical form of the distal duodenum and proximal jejunum located at middle abdomen.Compared with upper gastrointestinal radiographic examination,ultrasonographic examination had more sensitivity in diagnosis of malrotation of intestine with midgut volvulus (P﹤0.05). Conclusion Ultrasonographic examination have more sensitivity in diagnosis.Noninvasiveness,absence of X-rays,and low costs could make ultrasonographic examination a useful screening test in patients with sus-pected malrotation of intestine with midgut volvulus.“Whirlpool sign”could be considered a specific ultra-sonographic sign in diagnosis of midgut volvulus,which could provide reference for the clinical treatment of malrotation of intestine with midgut volvulus.

AIM:NLRP3 inflammasome was identified as the cellular machinery responsible for activation of inflammatory processes .The present study investigated whether the activation of NLRP 3 inflammasomes contributes to hyperhomocysteinemia ( HHcy)-induced in-flammation and atherosclerosis .METHODS:ApoE-/-mice were fed regular diet , high fat ( HF) diet or HF plus high methionine (HM) diet for 10 weeks.NLRP3 shRNA or scramble shRNA viral suspension was injected twice at the 2nd and the 6th weeks after HFHM treatment.The whole aortas and aortic root sections were stained with Oil Red O for atherosclerotic lesion .Plasma lipids, ho-mocysteine ( Hcy) , IL-1βand IL-18 levels were measured .We also examined the effect of Hcy on NLRP 3 inflammasomes activation in THP-1 differentiated macrophages in the presence or absence of NLRP 3 siRNA, caspase-1 inhibitor Z-WEHD-FMK, or antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine ( NAC) .RESULTS:HFHM treatment induced HHcy in ApoE-/-mice.Increased plasma levels of IL-1βand IL-18, aggravated macrophage infiltration into atherosclerotic lesion , and accelerated development of atherosclerosis were detected in HHcy mice, which were associated with the activation of NLRP 3 inflammasomes.Silencing the NLRP3 gene significantly suppressed NLRP3 inflammasomes activation , reduced plasma levels of proinflammatory cytokines , attenuated macrophage infiltration , and improved HHcy-induced atherosclerosis .Moreover, we found that Hcy activated NLRP3 inflammasomes and promoted subsequent production of IL-1βand IL-18 in macrophages, which were blocked by NLRP3 gene silencing, Z-WEHD-FMK, or NAC.CONCLUSION:These data suggest that the activation of NLRP 3 inflammasomes contributes to HHcy-induced inflammation and atherosclerosis .Hcy activates NLRP3 inflammasomes in reactive oxygen species dependent pathway in macrophages .

Objective To investigate the differences of miRNA-21 and miRNA-146a expression between colorectal neoplasms tissues and serum of the patients with colorectal neoplasm,and the clinical significance was analyzed.Methods The endoscopic biopsy tissues and serum samples of 100 colorectal cancer (CRC),80 colorectal adenoma (CRA)patients and 65 healthy controls were collected.The expressions of miRNA-21 and miRNA-146a were detected by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction.The relationship between the expression and clinicopathological features were analyzed.And then,the diagnostic value of expression difference of serum miRNA in colorectal neoplasm were evaluated. The Mann-WhitneyU test and Kruskal-Wallis test were performed for comparisons between groups,and the correlation of miRNA expression between tissues and serum was analyzed by Spearman test.Results
The expressions of miRNA-21 in the tissues of CRC and CRA were 8.573 ±0.898 and 7.746 ±1 .183, respectively,which were significantly higher than that of healthy controls 6.160 ±0.835 (U =120.129 and 33.230,both P <0.01).The expressions of miRNA-21 in the serum of CRC and CRA were 1 .829± 0.303 and 1 .624 ±0.226,respeotively,which were higher than that of healthy controls 1 .391 ±0.221 (U =40.353 and 15 .512,both P < 0.01 ).The expression of miRNA-21 in the serum and tissues of patients with CRC were both higher than those of patients with CRA (U =11 .384 and 10.189,both P <0.01).The expression of miRNA-21 in patients with CRC was associated with TNM stage and lymph node metastasis.The expression level of miRNA-21 in CRA was correlated with histological types.The results of Spearman analysis indicated that the expression of miRNA-21 in the tissues and serum of patients with CRC was positively correlated (r=0.459,P <0.01).The expression of miRNA-146a in the tissues and serum of CRC patients were 2.556±0.351 and 0.249±0.038,respectively,which were lower than those of healthy controls (3.428 ±0.328 and 0.279 ±0.053)(U =102.134 and 30.111 ,both P <0.01).The expression in the tissues and serum of CRA patients were 3.255 ±0.332 and 0.290±0.036, respectively,which were also lower than those of healthy controls,however the difference was not statistically significant (U = 3.936 and 3.180,both P > 0.05 ).The expression of miRNA-146a in the tissues and serum of CRC patients were both lower than those of CRA patients (U =73.809 and 21 .123, both P <0.01).The degree of decreased expression of miRNA-146a in CRC patients was correlated with TNM staging and tumor differentiation degree,however there was no correlation between the expression in CRA and clinical features.According to receiver operating characteristic (ROC)curve analysis,the AUC of miRNA-21 ,miRNA-146a and a combination of them in CRC and health individuals was 0.889, 0.791 and 0.863,respectively;in CRA and health individuals was 0.784,0.692 and 0.761 ,respectively;in CRC and CRA was 0.705 ,0.820 and 0.713,respectively.Conclusion The different expressions of miRNA-21 and miRNA-146a had potential values in early detection of colorectal cancer.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of low dose testosterone undecanonate (TU) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on serum androgen levels in male adult rabbits postinfarction congestive heart failure (CHF) model.Methods48 male 4～5 months old New Zealand rabbits were randomly assigned to ligation of first branch of left coronary artery (n=40) or sham operation (n=8). 3 weeks later, 30 survived model rabbits were randomly treated with TU 3 mg/kg per 2 weeks intramuscular injection (TU group, n=10), DHEA 3 mg/kg/d oral (DHEA group, n=10) or placebo (placebo group, n=10) for 3 months. Serum androgen changes were recorded at 0th, 3rd and 15th week.ResultsAt 3rd week after peration, left ventricular ejection fraction of model animals was 47.6±4.5% lower than that of the sham group (66.7±5.8%) (P<0.05). Serum free testosterone level of model animals returned to normal ranges after low dose TU or DHEA treatment, otherwise DHEAS level was higher than the sham group (P<0.05).ConclusionThe doses used in this research reached physiological dosage to male adult rabbits in postinfarction CHF model.

In this study,the intestinal microbial flora diversity of adult and young African lions in the same breeding environment was detected by PCR-DGGE technique.Total bacterial DNA was extracted and 16S rDNA V3 region was amplified,then conducting PCR-DGGE.Subsequently,the specific bands of DGGE were cloned and sequenced.The bacterial species were identified by comparing the sequence through BLAST.The results indicated that the intestinal microbial flora of adult African lions includes Clostridium,Lachnospiraceae bacterium,Anaerovorax,Lactococcus,Peptostreptococcus and Blautia.While the intestinal microbial flora of young African lions is lesser,most bacteria are common to adult and young lions,such as Bacteroidetes bacterium and rumen bacterium.The UPGMA clustering analysis of the DGGE fingerprint showed the similarities of the bacteria structures between adult and young African lions were only 34％.These results revealed that the intestinal microbial flora has significant difference in different stages of African lions.This study lays a foundation for the development of microecological agents in different growth stages of wild animals.

Objective To investigate the method to isolate and culture hepatic stellate cells ( HSCs) for studying the cellular mechanisms of hepatic frbrosis.Methods HSCs were isolated by nycodenz density gradient centrifugation after the hepatocytes obtained from adult male gebils were digested with pronase, collagenase and DNase, infused via portal vein.The cell viability was determined by trypan blue exclusion test.The purity of HSCs was identified by detectingα-SMA, desmin immunohistochemical staining.Results The yield rate of HSCs was 0.5~1 ×107 per gerbil liver, and the cell viability was more than 90%.The percentage ofα-SMA-positive cells was more than 75%after 3 days primary culture and almost 100% cells were α-SMA and desmin positive in passage culture.Conclusion The successful protocol of primary culture of Mongolian gerbil HSC provide a technical support for research of relevant liver diseases and drug development in the future.

With the development and application of high-throughput sequencing and multi-omics techniques, more and more biomarkers have been excavated and used in disease diagnosis, risk stratification, treatment response evaluation and prognosis predication. Machine learning has certain advantages in mining and evaluating of tumor markers due to the capacity of dealing with complicated data and building models. This article summarized common machine learning methods, and detailed current applications of machine learning in mining of tumor markers. Additionally, our review aimed to provide the advantages and disadvantages of different machine learning methods in mining of tumor markers.