Objective:To study the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme(ACE),extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK),and the changes of atrial fibrosis in patients with rheumatic heart disease(RHD) and atrial fibrillation(AF) treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor(ACEI).Methods:Atrial tissues were obtained from the right appendage during open surgery in 35 patients with RHD.The mRNA of ACE and ERK2 were semi-qualified by reverse transcription-ploymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and normalized to the glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase(GAPDH).Western blotting analysis was employed to examine the expressions of ACE and phosphorylated ERK(pERK).Atrial collagen volume fraction(CVF) was detected by Masson's stain.Results:The mRNA of ACE and ERK2 or the protein of ACE and pERK were significantly increased,and CVF was significantly increased in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation(CAF) compared with sinus rhythm group(SR)( P 0.05).Conclusion:The expressions of ACE,ERK2 and pERK increase,and fibrosis is more severe in RHD patients with CAF as compared with those with SR.Compared with CAF patients treated without ACEI,the expressions of ERK2 and pERK significantly decrease( P 0.05)in CAF patients treated with ACEI.This suggests that the increasing expression of ERK2 and pERK resulting from local renal angiotensin-converting enzyme system activation mediates the development of atrial fibrosis,and ACEI may contribute to lesser atrial fibrosis in RHD patients with AF.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive disorder characterized by abnormally elevated blood pressure of the pulmonary circulation. PH progresses rapidly to right ventricular (RV) failure and even death without treatment. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is an accurate and reproducible tool for the assessment of RV morphology and function, which plays an important role in the prognosis of patients with PH. The aim of this study is to review the clinical application and research progress of CMR in evaluation of PH.

According to the sera aquaporin-4 antibody (AQP4), neuromyelitis optica (NMO) can be classified into two types as AQP4 antibody positive (AQP4+) and negative (AQP4-). However, the NMO patients with AQP4- are prone to delayed treatment, and may have a different pathogenesis compared to that in patients with AQP4+. Scientific researches and the clinical trials on NMO with AQP4- will deepen the understanding of NMO pathogenesis and help to make an early accurate diagnosis and rational therapy for NMO with AQP4-. This review aims to summarize the progress in clinic diagnosis for NMO patients with AQP4-.

Supervised exercise training (SET) has been the first-line treatment for peripheral arterial disease (PAD),and its curative effect has been widely recognized by scholars both at home and abroad.Beingthe carrier of SET therapy,exercise prescription has an inestimable effect.This paper aims to make a comprehensive review about the clinical application of exercise prescription in treating PAD patients and to introduce its latest progress in research.

Apoptosis plays a crucial role in various physiology and pathologic processes of organisms.The non-invasive imaging of apoptosis may have potentially important diagnostic and prognostic predictive values on apoptosis-associated diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases and neoplasms.Molecular imaging of nuclear medicine provides a useful tool to investigate these features in vivo by using suitable radiopharmaceuticals.This review summarizes the recent advances in imaging agents targeting the apoptosis process.

Glaucoma is a kind of disease with irreversible degeneration of optic nerve and visual field defects,and the mechanism of optic nerve injury caused by glaucoma has undefined at present;meanwhile,the treatment of glaucoma has not been achieving satisfying outcomes in clinical practices.It has been well known that stem cells have the ability to self-proliferate and differentiate.Recently,with the deepening of stem cell research,it is possible for humans to use stem cells to treat glaucoma.There are two methods of stem cell transplantation for glaucoma:stem cell replacement therapy for trabecular meshwork and retinal ganglion cell replacement therapy,so this article will give a review on the progress of stem cells in the treatment of glaucoma.

In order to construct plasmid of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha), and transfect into human lung cancer cells A549, the change in sensitivity of lung cancer cells A549 to chemotherapy was observed. HIF-1alpha mRNA structure region was amplified by RT-PCR and inserted into plasmid pcDNA3. The expression plasmid pcDNA3/HIF-1alpha was transfected into A549 with Lipofec-tAMINE2000. The expression of HIF-1alpha protein was detected by Western blot. After A549 cells were transfected with HIF-1alpha prior to addition of 5-Fu, the growth activity was measured by growth curve, apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry at 48 h, and the levels of caspase3 and MDR-1 were determined by Western blot. The results showed that the constructed expression plasmid was analyzed with restriction enzymes and gel electrophoresis. Two DNA lanes at 2.55 kb and 5.4 kb respectively were found, which were consistent with that expected. The growth rate in 5-Fu group was significantly inhibited, and the apoptosis index and caspase3 activity were increased significantly as compared with control group. After HIF-1alpha being transfected into A549, the activity of MDR-1 was increased and the effect of 5-Fu was weakened. In conclusion, HIF-1alpha can promote chemoresistance by increasing the activation of MDRI and suppressing apoptosis during lung cancer cells A549 induced with 5-Fu.

ObjectiveTo evaluate a new cross-linking reagent—polyepoxy compound(PC)in vivo. MethodsTo reconstruct abdominal aota with jugular homografts of SD rats (diameter 0.8～1.1mm) pret4reated by glycero polyglycidyl ether(a kind of PC) or glutaraldehyde(GA). Grafts were explanted at different elapsed time, and their histological changes were studied. ResultsThere was no difference between the patencies of the PC and GA prepared homografts ( P >0.05), but the inci-dence of aneurysms in GA is higher than that in PC group ( P < 0.05). The healing procedures of endothelial cells in two experimental groups were basically same at the end of second month after transplantation. The endothelial cells cover the whole inner wall of the grafts. ConclusionCompaired PC graft with GA graft, it shows that PC are more unbreakable and compliant, lower rate of aneurysms and less calcification. PC might be a potential vessel-crosslink-reagent.

Bilateral sequential cataract surgery is very common in clinical,but the ophthalmologists often ignore how to choose the timing of operation and whether the first eye can be used to improve the intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation for the second one.Despite the refinements in IOL selection with the use of third-generation IOL formulas,5％ of eyes still result in a postoperative refractive surprise of ± 1.00 D or more.This paper introduced the methods of using refraction error of the first eye to improve the IOL power calculation for the second eye,and the refractive error of the second eye can be improved by modifying the IOL power to correct up to 50％ of the error from the first eye in details.Because of the variation of the postoperative refractive surprise within a month,the interval of three to four weeks between two eyes cataract surgery is highly recommended.These conclusions may provide the advantageous guidance for us in the selection of IOL in bilateral cataract surgery.

Objective To observe the effects of early intelligent feedback rehabilitation training system of lower extremities on walking ability in stroke patients with hemiplegia. Methods Forty post-stroke hemiplegic patients (onset <1 month)were enrolled. They were randomly divided into either an intelligent feedback rehabilitation group or a conventional rehabilitation group by the admission numbers (n=20 in each group). The rehabilitation training began at 48 hours after patient′s condition stabled. The conventional rehabilitation group received conventional rehabilitation training only,and on this basis,the patients of intelligent rehabilitation group underwent walking ability training using intellectual feedback rehabilitation training system of lower extremities. The walking ability of lower-extremity of the patients was evaluated with the Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale (FMA-L)and Holden Walking Classification. The changes of the tension and strength of tibialis anterior muscle and gastrocnemius muscle were evaluated by the surface myoelectric signals. Results Before treatment,there were no significant differences in FMA-L scores and Holden walking function classification between the two groups (P>0. 05). Four weeks after treatment, the FMA-L scores were improved in both the intelligent and conventional rehabilitation groups compared to before treatment (P<0. 01);the differences were 20. 0 ± 6. 2 and 5. 1 ± 1. 6 respectively before and after treatment. The degree of improvement of the intelligent rehabilitation group was better than that of the conventional rehabilitation group (P<0. 01). Holden walking function classification showed that only the intelligent rehabilitation group was improved as compared to before treatment (P<0. 01). Four weeks after treatment ,the strength and tone of the tibialis anterior muscle and gastrocnemius muscle of both groups were increased compared to before treatment (P <0. 01 ). The differences of the strength and tone of the tibialis anterior muscle were 20 +7 and 12 +4μV respectively in the rehabilitation groups before and after treatment,and those were 12+4 and 9+3μV in the conventional rehabilitation group;the differences of the strength and tone of the gastrocnemius muscle of the intelligent rehabilitation group were 25+8 and 19+6μV respectively before and after treatment,and those of the conventional rehabilitation group were 10+3 and 11+2μV respectively. There was significant difference between the intelligent rehabilitation group and the conventional rehabilitation group (P <0. 01 ). Conclusion The treatment of early intelligent feedback rehabilitation training system of the lower extremities may significantly improve the walking ability of the lower extremities in stroke patients with hemiplegia.