BACKGROUND: Sonography is believed by many scholars to be sensitive for the detection of hepatic arterial thrombosis and stenosis, but it is difficult to show the anastomotic vascular stenosis. MR angiography is better than sonography in the display of vascular anatomy and the diagnosis of various vascular complications after liver transplantation.OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of MR angiography (MRA) in the display of vascular anatomy and the diagnosis of various vascular complications after liver transplantation.DESIGN: Contrast trial observation.SETTING: Medical Imaging Center of Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University.PARTICIPANTS: Eleven adult male patients had undergone liver transplantations at Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University between January 2004 and December 2006. They ranged in age from 40 to 58 years, average 49 yeas. Original causes of liver failure in the study group included cirrhosis (n =9) and primal hepatic carcinoma (n =2) diagnosed by pathohistological methods. And 9 cases had undergone orthotopic liver transplantations while 2 cases with piggy-back liver transplantation.METHODS: Eleven consecutive adult patients underwent MR imaging examinations after orthotopic liver transplantation using a breath-hold 2D True Fast Imaging with Stead-state Precession and Fast Low Angle Shot. MR triphasic contrast-enhanced 3D imaging was also performed. Enhancement scan: A final gadolinium-enhanced axial and coronal T1WI spin-echo sequence with spectral fat saturation was performed after completion of the MRA. The vascular diameter stenosis was calculated according to S (S=[(D-d)/D]×100%) by ECST method, d as the inner diameter of the most obvious stenosis while D as normal diameter. Degree of stenosis: normal as S 0-30%, mild stenosis as S 31%-50%, moderate stenosis as S 51%-85%, and severe stenosis as S 86%-100%. Then the imaging findings after liver transplantation were analyzed. Meanwhile the sonography was performed.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① MR Image analysis of vascular anatomy and vascular complications after liver transplantation.②Normal findings after liver transplantation by using sonography.RESULTS: All 11 patients were involved in the result analysis.①MRA: The anastomosis of hepatic artery, portal vein and inferior vena cava were smooth in 3 cases. The high signal intensity was seen around portal vein at T2WI in 1 case with a shorter interval after transplantation and persisted 3 weeks. In 1 case, the caliber of the donor portion was smaller than the recipient portion. Among other 8 cases, hepatic artery complication included hepatic artery winding in 2 cases and aneurysm formation of donor's hepatic artery in 2 cases, but the twig of the hepatic artery was normal. Mild Portal vein stenosis at the anastomosis was found in 2 cases, caused by the different calibers of the donor portion from the recipient portion, but the inter-hepatic branches of the portal vein were normal. Clubbed dilatation of hepatic veins end-brush was depicted in 2 cases whose inferior vena cava at the anastomosis was not stenosis. Inferior vena cava thrombosis was found in 1 case. The thrombus displayed the low signal intensity in the high signal intensity of inferior vena cava. By follow-up examination, the degree of clubbed dilatation of hepatic veins end-brush reduced after half a year and inferior vena cava thrombosis disappeared by treatment. ②Sonography: By ultrasound examination, 1 case who had hepatic artery winding combining to aneurysm formation of donor's hepatic artery was discovered just hepatic artery winding. In 2cases that had mild portal vein stenosis at the anastomosis, 1 case was diagnosed normal while the other was not affirmed. The clubbed dilatation of hepatic veins end-brush was not depicted. The others were same as MRI diagnosis.CONCLUSION: Dynamic enhanced 3D MRA imaging can provide a comprehensive assessment of vascular anatomy in most recipients of liver transplants, and is an accurate and quick method to diagnose the vascular complication after liver transplantation.

Objective: To investigate the effect of tumor necrosis factor-α converting enzyme (TACE) on mucous hypersecretion in inlf ammatory airway. Methods: Mucous hypersecretion model of human lung adenocarcinoma cells A549 was induced by human neutrophil elastase (HNE), and TNF-α converting enzyme inhibitor-1 (TAPI-1), an inhibitor of TACE, was chosen for the inference study. The expression of MUC5AC and TACE was examined. hT e cells were divided into 5 groups: a negative control group, HNE1 (15 nmol/L) group, HNE2 (25 nmol/L) group, HNE3 (50 nmol/L) group and TAPI-1 group. RT-PCR was used to examine MUC5AC and TACE mRNA expression. The protein expression of TACE and MUC5AC was examined by Western blot and ELISA, respectively. Results: HNE induced the TACE and MUC5AC mRNA and protein expression in a dose-dependent manner. Compared with the control group, the increases were all signiifcantly increased in the three dosages of HNE group (P<0.01). The HNE-induced TACE and MUC5AC mRNA and protein expression were dramatically attenuated in the presence of TAPI-1, an inhibitor of TACE (P<0.01). Conclusion: TACE participated cell signalling pathway of airway mucous hypersecretion, and could down regulation the level of inlfammation airway mucous hypersecretion.

Objective To work out a proper treatment regimen for hypertension in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods Sixty-five elderly patients 〔aged (68.3?4.4) yrs old〕 with hypertension and type 2 diabetes were randomized into three arms of antihypertensive treatment: arm A, n=20, treated with nifedipine in long-acting gastrointestinal-transport system (nifedipine-GITS) 60 mg/d; arm B, n=22, treated with nifedipine-GITS 30 mg/d and valsartan (angiotensin Ⅱ receptor blocker, ARB) 80mg/d; and arm C, n=23, treated with nifedipine-GITS 30mg/d, Valsartan 80mg/d and sustained-releasing indapamide (diuretics)1.5 mg/d. Results Eight weeks later, both systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were decreased significantly in all of the patients ( P

AIM: To induce preconditioning and oxidative stress by H_2O_2 in HepG2 cells. METHODS: The different doses of H_2O_2 were used to induce apoptosis in HepG2 cells, which was estimated by AO/EB staining, MTT assay and flow cytometry. RESULTS: The different group of HepG2 cells stained with AO/EB showed different staining state. The high dose of H_2O_2 resulted in the increase in apoptosis rate of HepG2 cells and made MTT activity decreased. However, after pretreated with low dose of H_2O_2, the apoptosis rate was decreased and MTT activity was increased. CONCLUSION: The high dose H_2O_2 induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells and the low dose H_2O_2 protected HepG2 cells against the oxidative stress.

One hundred and sixteen senile patients (older than 65 years) with chronic heart failure (CHF) were analyzed retrospectively in order to verify if old patients with CHF would benefit from long-term (one year) angiotension-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) treatment. The frequency of drugs (including ACEI, digitalis and diuretic) used was stratified into four degrees accordingly. Development of the CHF was scored with regard to relapse rate and severity of this disease. Stepwise regression analysis was applied to explore the relationship between the scored outcome of CHF and the frequency of individual drug administration. A significant relationship of the scored outcome of CHF to the frequency of ACEI usage but not to digitalis nor to diuretics was found (partial coefficient of the correlation r = 0.42, P = 0.002). It was concluded that the long-term administration of ACEI improves the outcome of CHF in senile patients.
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors/*administration & dosage ; Chronic Disease ; Heart Failure, Congestive/*drug therapy ; Heart Failure, Congestive/etiology ; Hypertension/complications ; Myocardial Ischemia/complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To investigate the clinicopathologic features and imaging findings of several kinds of rare and uncommon brain embryonal tumours. Methods MRI or CT appearance and clinicopathologic features in 10 eases of histopathology confirmed brain embryonal tumours were retrospectively analyzed.Results Among 10 cases,there were supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumour(sPNET) in 6,ependymoblastoma in 2,medulloepithelioma and atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumour (AT/RT)in 1 respectively.Patients in 4 cases were infancy and childhood.There was characteristic of the clinicopathologic features of tumors that were the evidence of accurate diagnosis. All lesions were located in the supratentorial region.The tumors were large,usually lobulated in shape irregularly and showed heterogeneous density or signal intensity with some cystic and necrotic areas.The tumors parenchyma appeared slightly high density on CT imaging,iso-or high signal on T2WI and slight low signal on T1WI with intense enhancement after contrast injection.Conclusion MRI or CT findings of rare and uncommon brain embryonal tumours were not characteristic,it Was very essential to know the tumors combined with the clinical and pathologic features.

OBJECTIVE To explore how to realize the superior effect of Hospital Information System(HIS) in management of Nosocomial Infection(NI).METHODS Based on the platform of HIS,the prospective investigation,prevalence surveying,targeted surveillance and usage of antibiotics were performed.Drug-resistance was also monitored in real time.RESULTS Applying the HIS,infection control personnel could perform the overall surveillance on patients′ nosocomial infections.The hospital infection control process was optimized and time was saved for all medical personnel.CONCLUSIONS The application of the HIS enhances the hospital infection management level and decreases the incidence rate of NI,which may deserve to be generalized.

To investigate the effects of Tangshenling Mixture (TSLM) and benazepril on rats with diabetic nephropathy (DN) and its mechanism.

Objective To observe the changes of nitric oxide (NO) levels in plasma during cardiopul-monary resuscitation (CPR) and to compare the effects of aminoguanidine (AG) and NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) on CPR. Method This was a prospective, randomized animal study performed at the Function Laboratory of Lanzhou University. Cardiac arrest was electrically induced and was left untreated for 5 min. After performing chest compression for 1 min, 40 domestic rabbits were divided into four groups (n = 10) to receive ei-ther 20 mg/kg AG, 25 mg/kg L-NAME, 0.02 mg/kg epinephrine or 2 ml saline placebo before defibrillation. Successfully resuscitated rabbits were observed for a further 4 h. Hernodynamics variables and cardiac functions were monitored with appropriate instrumentation. Arterial blood NO levels were examined at baseline, at the end of 1 min chest compression and at 15, 30, 60 and 120 min after survival. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to determine statistical significance between groups. Results During chest compression, the mean + stan-dard deviation coronary perfusion pressure was higher in the AG group (40±10 mmHg) than in the L-NAME group (34±8 mmHg; P =0.001) and was higher in both groups with the control group (20±5 mmHg; both P =0.000). Left ventricular + dp/dtmax and- dp/dtmax were higher in the AG group than in the L-NAME group. In the surviving rabbits, the left ventricular + dp/dtmax and - dp/dtmax were higher in the AG and L-NAME groups than in the epinephrine and control groups and were higher in the AG group (4783±912, 4409±827 mmHg/s)than in the b-NAME group (3554±847, 3398±764 mmHg/s; P = 0.001 and 0.023, respectively). Conclu-sions Both AG and L-NAME increased the coronary perfusion pressure, and improved left ventricular systolic and diastolic function during CPR and prevented post-resuscitation myocardial dysfunction. However, AG was signifi-canfly superior to L-NAME.