OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electro-acupuncture of Neiguan (PC 6) on mean systemic arterial blood pressure and plasmic concentrations of NO and TNFalpha in endotoxin shock rats. METHODS: The model of endotoxin shock was induced by lipopolysaccharide (1.5 mg/kg i.v.) and D-galactosamine (100 mg/kg i.p.). Aminoguanidine (100 mg/kg i.p.) and electro-acupuncture of bilateral Neiguan (PC 6) were administered. A catheter was inserted into the right subclavian artery to record the change of blood pressure and the blood was abstracted out and centrifuged to determine the NO and TNFalpha concentrations. RESULTS: Electro-acupuncture of Neiguan (PC 6) retrieved the blood pressure and reduced the plasmic NO and TNFalpha concentrations. CONCLUSION: Electro-acupuncture of Neiguan (PC 6) expresses an anti-endotoxin shock effect by repressing the plasmic NO and TNFalpha concentrations smoothly and retrieving the blood pressure stably.

Objective To observe the morbidity and clinical characteristics of primary aldosteronism (PA) in newly diagnosed patients with hypertension.Methods 255 patients with newly diagnosed high blood pressure were determined plasma renin activity (PRA),angiotensinⅡ(ATⅡ),aldosterone (PAC),cortisol (COR),adrenocortico-tropic hormone (ACTH)and 24h urinary vanilmandelic acid (VMA).They were examined renal artery color doppler and adrenal 64 row CT scan +enhancement scanning.Results 179 patients (70.20%)were diagnosed essential hypertension (EH).In EH patients,24 cases (13.41%)with hypokalemia.42 patients (16.47%)were diagnosed PA.In PA patients,18 cases (42 .86 %)with hypokalemia,25 cases(5 9 .5 2 % )with unilateral adrenal adenoma. Compared with EH patients,there were higher level of high density lipoprotein (HDL -C)(Z =-2.068,P =0.036),lower level of total cholesterol (TC),low density lipoprotein (LDL -C),fasting plasma glucose (FPG), serum kalium (Z =3.594,P =0.000;Z =2.807,P =0.005;Z =3.499,P =0.000;Z =8.435,P =0.000)in PA patients.The levels of plasma PRA and ATⅡin PA patients were lower than in EH patients(Z =3.673,P =0.000;Z =2.215,P =0.026).The levels of plasma PAC and ARR were higher than in EH patients (Z =8.562,P =0.000;Z =19.871,P =0.000).The minimum value of plasma PAC was 292.1pg/L,the ARR was 376.7 in 42 PA patients. The maximum value of plasma PAC was 311.3pg/L,and the ARR was 291.2.Conclusion There is high detection rate of PA in newly diagnosed hypertension.The unilateral adrenal adenoma is a main cause of PA.Hypokalemia is not common in PA patients.PA has little influence on glucolipid metabolism.ARR has high differential diagnosis accuracy for PA and EH.

Objective: To explore the effect of Plastrum Testudinis on the three subtypes of NOS (nNOS,iNOS,eNOS) expression in rats with focal cerebral ischemia. Methods:Rat model of focal cerebral ischemia was set up by inserting nylon thread into the internal carotid artery . The expressions of nNOS, iNOS and eNOS was detected by immunohistochemical method to observe the effects of Plastrum Testudinis. Results: Expressions of nNOS and iNOS in cerebral cortex and caudate-putamen of Plastrum Testudinis treatment group were significantly lower than those of model control group (P

Objective To observe the Leu72Met single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)of ghrelin gene and the relationship with essential hypertension (EH).Methods Polymerase chain reaction -restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR -RFLP)was used to detect the Leu72Met SNP of ghrelin gene in 210 EH patients and 220 healthy controls.The plasma ghrelin was detected by radioimmunoassay method collected from all subjects. Results There were three types of polymorphism of ghrelin gene at the base site Leu72Met.There were significant differences in the genotypes (CC,CA,AA)and alleles (C,A)between the EH patients and the controls (χ2 =6.054,P =0.048;χ2 =5.866,P =0.015).In EH group,the plasma ghrelin level in subjects who were homozygous CC without mutant was not only significantly lower than those who were heterozygous CA,but also lower than those who were nucleotide homozygous mutant AA (t =-8.738,P =0.000;t =-5.103,P =0.000).The patients with CC genotype had higher SBP (t =4.298,P =0.000;t =2.236,P =0.019)and lower HDL -C (t =-11.682,P =0.000;t =-7.872,P =0.000).The patients with A allele had lower plasma ghrelin (t =-16.264,P =0.000), HDL -C (t =-15.332,P =0.000)and higher SBP(t =3.800,P =0.000),DBP(t =11.895,P =0.000),and LDL -C (t =38.401,P =0.000).Conclusion The Leu72Met SNP of ghrelin gene is significantly related to the susceptibility of EH.Base mutation C to A reduced the incidence of EH.The Leu72Met polymorphism of ghrelin gene is related to the plasma ghrelin,blood pressure and blood lipid metabolism.Base mutation C to A elevated plasma ghrelin,and lowered blood pressure and blood lipid.

Objective To investigate the effect of Plastrum Testudinis on neural stem cell after focal cerebral ischemia.Methods Rat models of focal cerebral ischemia were established by inserting nylon thread into the anterior cerebral artery.Immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of the neuroepithelial stem cell protein(Nestin),neurologic deficit and histological features were also observed.Results Plastrum Testudinis can decrease the neurologic dificit score and promote the expression of Nestin.Conclusion Plastrum Testudinis can alleviate the neurological symptoms and promote the proliferation of neural stem cell after focal cerebral ischemia.

Objective To investigate the effects of ulinastatin on the myocardial injury in patients undergoing live donor liver transplantation.Methods Forty patients (AHA classification grade A or B),aged 40-64 yr,with a body mass index of 18-25 kg/m2,scheduled for live donor liver transplantation,were randomly divided into 2 groups ( n =20 each):control group (group C) and ulinastatin group (group U).Anesthesia was induced with midazolam,sufentanil,and cisatracurium besilate.The patients were tracheal intubated and mechanically ventilated.Ulinastatin 300 000 IU in 100 ml of normal saline was infused intravenously over 30 min after anesthesia induction and then the infusion was repeated at 4 h interval until the end of operation in group U,while the equal volume of normal saline was given in group C.Blood samples were taken from the central vein immediately before skin incision (T0,baseline),at 30 min of anhepatic phase (T1),at 30 min of neohepatic phase (T2),and at 0,4 and 24 h after operation (T3-5) for determination of the concentrations of serum cardiac troponin Ⅰ (cTnI),creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP).The changing rates of cTnI and CK-MB at T1-5 were calculated.The use of cardiovascular drugs and cardiovsscular accidents were recorded during operation.Results The serum cTnI,CK-MB and NT-proBNP concentrations were significantly higher at T2-5 than at T0 in the two groups ( P ＜ 0.05).Compared with group C,the serum cTnI,CK- MB and NT-proBNP concentrations at T2-5 were significantly deceased in group U ( P ＜ 0.05).The maximal changing rates of cTnI,CK-MB and NT-proBNP concentrations were 4.71 ± 1.62,6.85 ± 1.53 and 4.96 ± 1.23 respectively in group C,decreased to 3.26 ± 1.51,4.56 ± 1.62 and 3.67 ± 1.02 respectively in group U.There was no significant difference in the incidence of cardiovascular accidents and the use of dopamine between the two groups.Conclusion Intravenous infusion of ulinastatin can attenuate the myocardial injury to some extent in patients undergoing live donor liver transplantation.

To observe the effects of Niupo Zhibao Pellet, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, on high-mobility group box-1 protein (HMGB1) expression in lung tissues of rats with endotoxin shock.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the occupational health condition in a shipyard in Guangzhou, China, and to provide a basis for improving the working environment.

METHODSThe monitoring data on occupational harmful factors in the workplace and the data on health examination of the workers were analyzed, and the occupational health condition in the shipyard was evaluated with the related occupational health standards.

RESULTSExcept benzene, toluene, and electromagnetic radiation, the dust (2.02%), grinding wheel dust (3.85%), wood dust (2 out of 4 workers exceeded the standard), welding fume (16.85%), manganese dioxide (17.98%), dimethylbenzene (8.00%), and noise (53.20%) were all out of limits to different degrees. The health examination results of 2450 workers in the shipyard showed that the respiratory impairment of dust-exposed workers (3.19%) and the hearing impairment of noise-exposed workers (12.21%) were comparatively severe.

CONCLUSIONThe occupational health condition in this shipyard is not good. In order to protect the workers from health hazards, it is urgent and necessary to improve the working environment and strengthen the personal protective measures.

Air Pollutants ; Benzene ; China ; Construction Industry ; Dust ; Humans ; Noise ; Occupational Diseases ; Occupational Exposure ; Occupational Health ; Ships ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Welding ; Workplace

Objective To investigate the effects of kidney-tonifying Plastrum Testudinis on o steogenesis of cultured rat mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs ).Methods MSCs were isolated from adult rats wi th density gradient separation meth od.Osteogenesis of MSCs in the culture a dded with different concentrations of serum containing Plastrum Testudinis was evalu-ated by detecting bone glaprotein(BGP)level and observing the morphologic al features of MSCs and by alkaline ph os-phatase(ALP)and Von Kossa immunohistochemical m ethods.Results Morphological examination showed t hat the MSCs attachment formed soon after seedin g ,and grew into colonies with the appearance of fibroblastic cells.Seru m containing Plastrum Testudinis promoted the expression of alkaline phosphatase(ALP)in MSCs ,and increased BGP level and the number of calcified deposition in dose -dependant manner,the difference being significant in comparison wi th the control groups(P

To identify and analyze the virulence of a bacteria strain isolated from the blood of a patient with suspected Streptococcus suis (S.suis) infection in a hospital of Beijing,we inoculated the bacteria strain isolated from the blood of the patient to the Columbia with sheep blood agar plate,after Gram staining and microscopical examination,serum agglutination test,VITEK 2 Compact microbial identification system test and matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) test,S,suis species specific gene 16SrRNA,S.suis species serotype 2 specific virulence gene capsule polysaccharide 2J (cps2J) and virulence gene muramidase-released protein (mrp),hemolysin (sly),extracellular factor protein (ef),glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh) genes,fibronectin-binding protein (fbps),glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gapdh) genes and virulence correlated gene orf2 were further detected by PCR.Results showed that the suspicious bacteria strain of S.suis was identified as S.suis type 2 (S.suis 2) by conventional methods,MALDI-TOF-MS and PCR.PCR results showed that cps2J,sly,ef,gdh,fbps,gapdh and or f2 genes were positive,and mrp gene was negative.In conclusion,the bacteria strain isolated from the patient's blood is sly+/ef+/mrp-virulent S.suis 2.