OBJECTIVE: Estrogen has cardiovascular protective effects while its adverse effects restrain its application in the therapy and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. To find a more effective and safer estrogen replacement becomes a hotspot in cardiovascular pharmaceutical researches. This paper summarized the current research situation on the cardiovascular protective effects of phytoestrogen, soy isoflavone.DATA SOURCES: Relative articles between January 1993 and December 2001 were searched by computer on Medline with the searching words of "isoflavones, atherosclerosis, vasodilation" in English, the language limitation of the articles. Simultaneously, articles between January 1994 and February 2002 were searched by computer on Wangfang Database and Chinese Journal Full Text Database with the searching words of "isoflavones,artherosclerosis, vasodilation(Chinese charcters)" in Chinese, the language limitation of the articles.DATA SELECTION: Literatures with experiments including study group and control group were selected from the data through preliminary screening to eliminate obvious non-randomized experimental studies. The full texts of the residual literatures were searched afterwards for the further judgment of ranincluded in the study. Exclusive criteria: repetitive experimental studies.DATA EXTRACTION: A total of 31 randomized or non-randomized experimental articles regarding the cardiovascular protective effects of soy isoflavone were collected, of which 26 experiments were in accordance with the inclusive criteria and the rest 5 articles were exclude due to repetition of same study.DATA SYNTHESIS: Twenty-six experiments including clinical experiments and animal experiments, which employed in vivo or in vitro two experimental methods after the application of soy isoflavone to observe and evaluate its cardiovascular protective effects. The above two methods had its own merits and shortcomings, of which in vitro experiment was a more common method for the observation.CONCLUSION: There is no adequate evidence that can prove the definite effects of soy isoflavone on the prevention and therapy of cardiovascular diseases in menopausal women, as well as its side effects. Researchers should do more researches on how to master the appropriate dose to make isoflavone reach effective blood concentration, and how to make the therapeutic effects become more beneficial.

The excitability of cerebral cortex will change after the onset of ischemic stroke.Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can be used to regulate the excitability in cerebral hemisphere cortex and promote the motor function recovery in patients with ischemic stroke.Studies have shown that both the affected hemisphere low-frequency rTMS and the unaffected hemisphere high-frequency rTMS can promote the motor function recovery in patients with ischemic stroke.The former may be more effective than the

Purpose To investigate the significance of u-PA and PAI-1 expression in various types ofglomerulonephritis. Methods The expression level of u-PA, PAI-1, type-Ⅳ collagen and PCNA positivenuclei in 120 cases of renal biopsies from patients with various types of glomerulonephritis were detected byimmunohistochemical method. Both the staining intensity of u-PA and PAI-1 in glomeruli were quantitativelyanalyzed by image analysis. Results The expression intensity of u-PA and PAI-1 was different in varoustypes of glomerulonephritis, which were significantly higher than that of the minor lesion group. Meanwhile,the intensity of PAI-1 stain was significantly higher than that of u-PA in various types of glomerulonephritis( P ＜ 0.05). The increase of u-PA expression was closely related to increase of type- Ⅳ collagen synthesis andhypercellularity in glomeruli(r = 0. 761 and 0. 811, P＜ 0.05), while the expression of PAI-1 was closelyrelated to the increase of Col-Ⅳ synthesis other than the cell proliferation in the glomeruli. ConclusionsThe over expression of u-PA and PAI-1 may play an important role in contributing to the pathogenesis anddevelopment of glomerulonephritis.

Objective To study the expression of apolipoprotein H (ApoH) in childhood primary nephrotic syndrome (PNS) and to discuss its role in PNS. Methods Immunohistochemistry staining and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) were performed to evaluate the expression of ApoH in renal tissues of 78 patients with PNS and 14 cases of normal controls. Serum albumin, serum lipid, proteinuria and urinary retinol binding protein (RBP) were tested before renal biopsy in all patients. Tubulointerstitial lesions were investigated. Results (l)There was positive expression of ApoH in renal tissues of PNS patients and normal controls,mainly in the proximal tubules by immunohistochemistry staining. ApoH mRNA was also shown in all renal tissues by RT-PCR. ApoH protein expression was positively correlaed with its mRNA expression(r=0.264, P 0.05) whereas these data displayed no significant difference between two groups. Above expression in mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (MsPGN) and focal segmental glomersclerosis (FSGS) down-regulated significantly (3.30?0.28,2.82?0.36, and 10.13?3.09,10.12?1.02, respectively), as compared to those in MCNS,MN and the controls, P

Objective To compar the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow between empty sella syndrome (ESS) and normal volunteer in the cerebral aqueduct with MRI in phase contrast cine mode. Methods Thirty-eight ESS patients (ESS group) and 38 normal volunteers (control group ) were involved in this study.The aqueduct CSF flow image was positioned perpendicularly to the midbrain aqueduct at the middle sagittal T1WI or T2WI image. The waveforms were analyzed for the flow direction, flow rate, flow volume rate and cardiac cycle. Results The CSF flow of the aqueduct in control group and ESS group had two directions which was downward flow during the systolic period and upward flow during the diastolic period of the cardiac cycle. The.systolic period downward peak flow rate, diastolic period upward peak flow rate, mean downward flow rate, mean upward flow rate and mean flow rate were (5.231 ± 0.262), (4.902 ± 0.281 ),(3.083 ± 0.191 ), (3.032 ± 0.151 ), (3.151 ± 0.162) cm/s in control group, and (6.244 ± 0.356), (6.091 ±0.430), (3.916 ± 0.196), (3.812 ± 0.273 ), (3.690 ± 0.291 ) cm/s in ESS group respectively,and there was no significant difference between the two groups ( P ＞ 0.05 ). The systolic period downward peak flow volume rate, diastolic period upward peak flow volume rate, mean downward flow volume rate,mean upward flow volume rate and mean flow volume rate were (0.050 ± 0.003 ), (0.050 ± 0.004), (0.030± 0.002), (0.031 ±0.002), (0.030 ± 0.003 ), ( 0.004 ± 0.001 )ml/s in control group, and (0.058 ± 0.003 ), (0.063 ± 0.005),(0.039 ±0.002), (0.038 ±0.003), (0.038 ±0.003), (0.004 ±0.001) ml/s in ESS group respectively,and there was no significant difference between the two groups(P ＞ 0.05 ). The correspond cardiac cycle of systolic period downward peak flow rate, correspond cardiac cycle of diastolic period upward peak flow rate, mean cardiac cycle were (40.890 ± 37.096), (501.026 ± 19.374), (719.511 ± 14.946) ms in control group,and (35.921 ±6.218), (531.553 ± 16.764), (770.700 ±21.579) ms in ESS group,and there was no significant difference between the two groups (P ＞ 0.05 ). Conclusion Part of CSF flows into the area of saddle in ESS patients, but it has no effect on CSF indexes in area of cerebral aqueduct.

Purpose To evaluate apoptosis in renal tissue of diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis and therelationship between the existence of apoptosis cells in renal tissue and histopathological or clinical changes.Methods Apoptosis was detected by in situ nick-end labeling techniques (TUNEL) in renal biopsies from 25patients with type Ⅳ LN, 12 patients with IgAN, 4 patients with MsPGN, and 3 patients with APSGN. Normalrenal tissue obtained at nephrectorny for hypemephroma in 4 adults was used as control. In addition, proliferatingcells were identified by proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA) in these patients. Results Compared to otherproliferative glomerulonephritis and control,the patients with lupus nephritis had less apoptosis cells, higher ratio ofPCNA+ cells/TdT+ cells/(P/T) in renal tissues;Ratio of P/T in glomeruli and tubulointerstitium correlated withthe chronicity index, r=0. 498 3(P = 0. 013 2), r = 0. 839 9(P＜ 0.001 ), r = 0. 661 4(P = 0. 003 3),respectively. Ratio of P/T in glomerulus and tubule had positive correlation with 24 hour urinary protein, r =0.855 4(P＜0.001),r=0.713 4(P=0. 001); negative correlation with Ccr, r = - 0. 488 0(P =0. 013 3)and r = - 0. 722 9(P = 0. 001), which in tubules positively correlated with Scr, r = 0. 410 7 (P = 0.041 4 ).Conclusions Apoptosis is insufficient in proliferative lupus nephritis. Intense proliferation without followingincrease in apoptosis may be related to chronic progressive renal histopatholcgical changes.

The 13 nm gold nanoparticles ( AuNPs ) were synthesized through the reduction of HAuCl4 by sodium citrate and the glutathione was assembled on the AuNPs. Under the experiment conditions, glutathione-modified AuNPs ( GSH-AuNPs ) with negative charge presented a wine red color owing to the electrostatic repulsion between nanoparticals. Upon the addition of neurogenin 3 ( ngn3 ) peptide, the aggregation of GSH-AuNPs was induced by ngn3 peptide under a certain concentration of salt. The color of AuNPs solution changed from red to blue as a function of the ngn3 peptide concentration. Thus, a rapid detection method for ngn3 peptide using GSH-AuNPs as colorimetric probe was established. The optimal experiment conditions were equilibrium time=10 min, pH=6. 0, CNaCl=100 mmol/L. Under the optimum conditions, the assay showed a linear response range of 20-300 μg/L for the peptide with a detection limit being 8 μg/L and exhibited excellent selectivity for ngn3 peptide.

Objective To quantitatively study the features of cerebromspinal fluid(CSF)flow dynamies in normal sella region in MRI with phase-contrast method.Methods Seventeen healthy volunteers were studied.The CSF flow image in sella region was positioned at the middle sagittal T1WI or T2WI image.This pulse sequence used a encoding velocity of 20 cm/s.The waveforms were analyzed for the maximum flow velocity,flow volume rate and the change of the figures.From the velocity and area measurements on the cine images,mean CSF flow was calculated in millimeters per second and milliliters per cardiac cycle.Results The normal CSF flow of the sella region had two directions which was downward(caudal)flow during thesystolic period and upward(cranial)flow during the diastolic period of the cardiac cycle.The downward and upward peak flow velocity,mean downward and upward flow velocity and mean flow velocity was(1.44±0.99)cm/s,(302.71±248.15)ms,(1.16±0.64)cm/s,(331.00±225.38)ms,(0.49±0.39)cm/s.(0.67±0.44)cm/s,(0.54±O.30)cm/s,respectively.The downward and upward peak flow volume rate.mean downward and upward flow volume rate and mean flow volume rate was (0.014±0.009)ml/s.(0.012±0.006)ml/s,(0.047±0.041)ml/s,(0.053±0.003)ml/s,(0.005±0.003)ml/s,(0.034±0.031)ml/s,respectively.The mean cycle was(775.25±173.06)ms.Conclusion Phase-contrast method in MRI cine is a noninvasive method to study the CSF flow in physiological and pathological conditions for determining the pattern,direction,speed and quantity of the CSF flow.Therefore it is better than other invasive research modalities and has an important value in clinical application.

Constipation is a major gastrointestinal complication after stroke.Its prevalence is from 22.9％ to 60％.It not only influences the quality of life of patients and restricts their social activities,but also causes poor outcomes.Poststroke constipation is associated with various factors,including the use of multiple drugs,dehydration,and inactivity.Its treatment strategies have based on the experiences and expert opinions.The available evidence suggests that nurse-led intervention may improve defecation process.