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.

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-.

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.

Acupuncture scientization was a consensus of most of acupuncture scholars who had long-term perspectives in the 20th century, among them Ms. ZHULian was the important one. Ms. ZHU Lian built a systemic new acupuncture" academic structure in practice and theory aspects. At the same time, as the main architect of Institute of Acupuncture-moxibustion of China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ms. ZHU Lian was the first one who began to carry out the acupuncture clinical trail and laboratory experiment in modern way, which meant "acupuncture therapy" was transformed into "acupuncture science" by Ms. ZHULian's endeavor.
Acupuncture ; education ; history ; standards ; Acupuncture Therapy ; history ; methods ; standards ; China ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Humans ; Science ; history

The acupuncture medical literature during the Republic of China is divided into four categories, including theoretical literature, acupuncture channels and acupoints drawing literature, translations, and teaching materials and medical cases. It is found that the theoretical literature focuses on inheriting the traditional theories as well as combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine. The drawings are becoming more and more precise, and in these drawing works anatomy begins to appear at that time. Translations are the achievements of communication between TCM and Western medicine, which promote the scientization of acupuncture greatly. Teaching materials are also influenced by Western medicine, presenting a rough frame of modern acupuncture disciplinary system. As important clinic data, medical cases have great clinical value. Overall, acupuncture medical literature during the Republic of China is widely published, which is influenced greatly by the Western medicine and presents a significant tendency of scientization.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; history ; Books ; history ; China ; History, 20th Century ; Humans ; Translations

OBJECTIVE To explore the antagonistic effect of calpain inhibitor Ⅲ MDL 28170 on acute methylmercury (MeHg) neurotoxicity. METHODS The rats were randomly divided into MDL 28170 (50 mg·kg~(-1),ip) control group, MeHg (10 mg·kg~(-1),ig), and MeHg (10 mg·kg~(-1),ig)+MDL 28170 (50 mg·kg~(-1), ip) group. The escape latencies were observed by Morris water maze test. The neurons of positive μ-calpain were determined by immunohistochemical method, the expression of μ-calpain was analyzed by Western blotting, apoptotic neurons were observed by TUNEL method, and microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) expression was detected in neuron by immunohistochemical method. RESULTS MeHg was ig given for 3-7 d, the initial signs of behavioral changes developed in MeHg group, the escape latencies were lengthened in Morris water maze test (P<0.01). The expression and activity of μ-calpain elevated obviously in parietal cerebral neurons(P<0.01), neuronal apoptosis was markedly increased(P<0.01), and the decomposition of MAP2 was reduced in cortical neurons obviously. And the above changes were suppressed obviously by treatment of MDL 28170. CONCLUSION μ-Calpain may correlate with neuronal apoptosis induced by MeHg, MDL 28170 markedly reduces neuronal apoptosis, which might act as therapeutical method for MeHg poison.

BACKGROUND: The coating induced by conventional simulated body fluid (SBF) and 1.5-folds SBF as biomimetic method has the shortcomings of slowly growth with weeks or months growth cycle. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate Ti-6Al-4V alloy surface deposition of hydroxyapatite coating induced by 3-folds SBF. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: In vitro biological analysis. The experiment was performed at the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences from November 2008 to March 2009. MATERIALS: Ti-6A1-4V alloy was supported by Boda Metel Materials Co., Ltd. METHODS: The pretreated Ti-6Al-4V alloy was immersed in 37 'C 3-folds SBF. The SBF was replaced every 24 hours for 3 days. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The morphology, phase and elemental composition of calcium phosphate coating were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy analysis. RESULTS: The scanning electron microscopy exhibited that the surface of Ti-6A1 -4V alloy was covered with deposited film with granular crystal on local areas at day 1 after immersion. The deposited film covered surface of Ti-6A1-4V alloy at day 3 after immersion, and granular or scale-shaped crystal could be seen. The crystal deposition displayed sustained growth with certain area as center. The product comprised Ca, P, O, C elements without Al, V. X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy analysis revealed that the main component of the coating was hydroxyapatite. CONCLUSION: The 3-folds SBF can accelerate the deposition as well as shorten formation duration of hydroxyapatite coating on Ti-6A1-4V alloy.

With the rapid technical development of interventional radiology, the percutaneous endovaseular stent implantation has been increasingly and widely used in treating the obstruction of brachiocephalic vein-superior vena cava. Stent implantation can relieve the obstruction immediately and the technique is safe and effective. This paper aims to summarize the current situation and the clinical practice of this therapy, to evaluate its effectiveness and to make a prospect of the developing trends and the problems need to be solved urgently.

Objective To investigate psychological pressure sources of emergency nurses who were assigned to emergency intensive care unit(EICU)and put forward countermeasures.Methods We collected data by phenomenological method of qualitative study.Thirteen nurses who had worked in EICU for at least six months were interviewed.The collected data we analyzed by Colaizzi analysis method.Result The psychological pressure had its sources from 4 main aspects: nursing skills,increasing labor intensity,communications with patients and shortage of staff.Conclusion Nursing administration should actively take measures to relieve the psychological pressures of the emergency nurses who were assigned to EICU so as to improve the nurses’working enthusiasm and the nursing quality of EICU.

BACKGROUND:At present, the study to balance ability of functional ankle instability patients is less. The
balance ability deficiency may also be one of the important reasons for ankle repeated injury, so the research can effectively reduce the damage probability.
OBJECTIVE:To explore the static balance ability characteristics of functional ankle instability patients.
METHODS:Ten male subjects with unilateral functional ankle instability were enrol ed as the experimental group in the study, and other 10 healthy match-paired subjects were served as the control group. Their static balance ability was measured under double feet standing and single foot standing using win-pod system, the double feet testing lasted for 30 seconds and the single foot testing lasted for 10 seconds. Evaluation parameters of balance ability were obtained.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:During double feet testing, there were no significant differences in balance
ability parameters between the experimental group and the control group whether eyes be opened or closed (P>0.05), but the index values of double feet testing were obviously less than those of single foot testing. So we
concluded that in the double feet standing, there was no significant difference in the static balance ability between functional ankle instability patients and normal persons. Moreover, the static balance ability of double feet was
better than that of single feet. In the single foot standing of the affected foot, the static balance ability of functional ankle instability patients was slightly worse than that of the normal persons, especial y with eyes closed.
Comparison of the average swing between the X-axis and Y-axis found that in the process of maintaining balance posture, the swing direction of the body center of gravity was mainly in the anteroposterior direction.