OBJECTIVETo observe the changes in the adhesive function of vascular endothelial cells (VEC) and rat monocytes induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and co-cultured with smooth muscle cells (SMC) and the intervention effect of paeonol (Pae).

METHODPrimary rat vascular endothelial cells (VECs) and rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were cultured by predigesting and adhering tissue blocks. The VEC-VSMC co-culture model was established by Transwell chamber. LPS was used to induce VEC injury. MTT assay and LDH assay were used to determine the VEC activity. ELISA assay was used to detect IL-1beta and TNF-alpha secreted by the VEC. The immunocytochemistry assay was carried out to detect the expression of ICAM-1. The Rose Bengal Staining was used to test adhesive function between VECs and monocytes.

RESULTThe concentration of LPS-induced VEC injury was 100 microg x L(-1), and the time was 7 h. after the intervention on the above cell model for 24 h, Paeonol (15, 30, 60 micromol x L(-1)) could effectively inhibit LPS-induced VEC injury and VEC injury, significantly enhance the survival rate of LPS-injured VECs, decrease IL-1beta and TNF-alpha secreted by the injured VEC, and reduce the expression of ICAM-1, so as to inhibit the adhesion of LPS-induced VECs and monocytes.

CONCLUSIONPaeonol could inhibit IL-1beta and TNF-alpha expression to protect VECs from being injured by LPS, and reduce ICAM-1 expression to inhibit the adhesion between VECs and monocytes.

Acetophenones ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Cell Adhesion ; drug effects ; Coculture Techniques ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; secretion ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism ; Interleukin-1beta ; metabolism ; Lipopolysaccharides ; pharmacology ; Male ; Monocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; cytology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; secretion

OBJECTIVE To know the incidence, etiology, risk factors of hospital-acquired pneumonia(HAP). METHODS From Jan 2003 to Dec 2004, 129 cases of HAP were retrospectively studied. Epidemiologic data, etiology , and evolution of pneumonia were recorded. RESULTS The 115 patients with HAP had one or more intrinsic risk factors, mainly malnutrition (albumin values

[Objective] To explore the effects of angongniuhuang pill on the synthesis of apolipoprotein E in brains of rats after traumatic brain injury.[Methods] Using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),the apolipoprotein E’s mRNA of contused brain tissue and the concentration of apolipoprotein E in CSF at different phases after traumatic brain injury were detected of rats fed with angongniuhuang pills.[Results]High expression of apolipoprotein E mRNA and high concentration of apolipoprotein E were found in rats fed with angongniuhuang pills compared with controls.[Conclusion]Angongniuhuang pills may increase the expression of apolipoprotein E mRNA in brains after traumatic brain injury,thus promote the synthesizing and secreting of apolipoprotein E.

AIM To establish an HPLC method for the simuhaneous content determination of five flavonoids in Duchesnea indica (Andr.) Focke at five picking time (April,May,June,July and August).METHODS The analysis of D.indica methanol extract was performed on a 25 ℃ thermostatic Agilent ZORBAX SB-C18 column (250 mm×4.6 mm,5 μm),the mobile phase comprising of acetointrile-0.1％ methanoic acid flowing at 1.0 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and the detection wavelength was set at 350 nm.RESULTS Rutin,hyperoside,isoquercitrin,celereoin and kaempferol showed good linear relationships within their own ranges (R2 ≥0.998 6),whose average recoveries were 97.1％-101.5％ with the RSDs of 1.37％-2.37％.The contents of five constituents in samples at different picking time exhibited obvious differences,among which lutin and hyperoside contents were the highest in June,isoquercitrin content was the highest in July,and celereoin and kaempferol contents were the highest in August.CONCLUSION The suitable picking time of D.indica is June and July.

Objective To investigate the effects of alprostadil (Lipo-PGE) combined low-dose dopamine in the treatment of hepatorenal syndrome (HRS). Methods 61 patients with hepatorenal syndrome were randomly di-vided into two groups, treatment group 31 cases, 30 cases of the control group. Treatment group in the control group based on the 20μg soluble in 10% glucose infusion 100 ml in combined treatment with Lipo-PGE a day, one time,and combined with low-dose dopamine 3 μg/(kg·min) intravenous infusion, 1 week course of treatment. Result The treatment group liver function improvement in renal function are superior to the control group (P <0.01), to-ted effective rate was 67.7%. Conclusion The united alprostadil and low-dose dopamine satisfied with liver and kidney syndrome, there is synergy.

Objective To explore the value of combining Uniplate anterior cervical plate system with titanium cage to treat single level cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Method Observing the clinical outcome and X-ray results of 32 patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy undergone anterior decompression, autograft fusion and internal fixation with Uniplate anterior cervical plate system and titanium cage. Results All patients were followed up for 3 to 12 months. According to bony fusion criteria,no implants breakage, dislocation or loosening was found in all cases in 3 months' postoperatively radiological review. According to Odom classification,excellent outcome was 27 patients, good was 5 patients, the excellent and good rate was 100%(32/32). Conclusions Combining Uniplate anterior cervical plate system with titanium cage to treat single level cervical spondylotic myelopathy has advantages of easy manipulation,safe, less complication and higher fusion rate. It is an ideal way for cervical anterior fixation.

Objective To summarize the preliminary experience of coils, Onyx and covered stents for the treatment of carotid-cavernous sinus fistula (CCF). Methods Of the 25patients with CCF, 22 were traumatic CCF, and 3 were spontaneous CCF; the fistula orifices of 14 patients were located in the cavernous segment of right internal carotid artery (ICA), and 11were located in the cavernous segment of left ICA. According to the Barrow classification,Types A, C, and D were 22,2, and 1, respectively. Eighteen patients were treated with Guglielmi detachable coils alone, 1 was treated with Guglielmi detachable coils and Onyx, 2 were treated with Onyx alone, and 4 were treated with covered stents. Results Intracranial bruit disappeared immediately in all patients after the procedures. Postoperative angiography showed complete occlusion of the fistula orifices, the symptoms disappeared after 1 to 20 days, and there were no death and procedure-related complications. The recanalized ICAs were patent in patients (12/18) treated with coils, and the ICAs were patent in 4 patients treated with the covered stents.The ICAs were patent in 2 patients treated with Onyx, the ICA was patent in 1 patent treated with detachable coils and Onyx. One patient with traumatic CCF treated with coils had clinical recurrence, and was cured after re-embolization with coils. The remaining patients were followed-up for 6 to 24 months, and no recurrence of clinical symptoms was found. The followup cerebral angiography of 6 patients was obtained, and no CCF recurrence was observed.Conclusion Endovascular treatment with Guglielmi detachable coils, Onyx, and covered stents is a safe and useful method for closing CCFs.

Objective To investigate the long-term effects of xanthine oxidase inhibitor,oxypurinol on myocardial contractility of post-ischemic heart failure in mice,and explore the underlying mechanism. Methods One hundred and twenty SV120 mice were randomly assigned into myocardial infarction control group,sham operation group and Oxy treatment group.Post-ischemic heart failure were induced by left anterior descending coronary artery ligation in myocardial infarction control group and Oxy treatment group,and mice in Oxy treatment group and sham operation group were orally administered with 0.5 mmol/L Oxy each day.Nine to eleven months after treatment,echocardiography was performed in all groups.Trabeculae from the right ventricle of mice were dissected for assessment of changes in excitation-contraction coupling.Sarcomere length was measured by laser diffraction.Intracellular free Ca~(2+) concentration([Ca~(2+)]_I)was detected with fluorescent dye Fura-2,which was microinjected iontophoretically into cells. Steady-state force-[Ca~(2+)]_I was achieved by addition of ryanodine and increasing the stimulus frequency to induce tetanization,and the relationship between myocardial contractility and intracellular Ca~(2+) transients was analysed.Besides,Western blotting was performed to determine the oxidation of myofilament proteins. Results Long-term oral administration of oxypurinol significantly improved myocardial contraction function and reduced ventricular wall thickness.Programming of excitation-contraction coupling was significantly improved,and maximal Ca~(2+) activated force(F_(max))in steady-state wag also significantly increased.Western blotting revealed the oxidative modification of actin in mice of Oxy treatment group was significantly inhibited compared with that of myocardial infarction control group. Conclusion Long-term treatment with Oxy improves the cardiac contraction function and boosts the cardiac force dramatically in post-ischemia heart failure.The increase in contraction is the result of increased myofilament Ca~(2+) responsiveness.Thus,antioxidant oxypurinol,by preventing oxidative damage to contractile proteins,can augment contraction with little changes in[Ca~(2+)]_I,represents new class of inotropic agents with advantages of reducing Ca~(2+) overload,and offers new promises in management of heart failure in the future.

Background The rat model of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-induced photoreceptor cell apoptosis is often used to study retinal degeneration.But the changes in the gene expression patterm in retinal degeneration in rats have not been reported.Objective This study was undertaken to investigate regulation of gene expression in the retina of MNU-induced retinal degeneration in rats by performing microarray analysis of retinal RNA.Methods Fifty 6-week-old SD rats were numbered and randomized into the normal group and the model group.The retinal degeneration model was established by a single hypodermic injection of 40 mg/kg of MNU,and the rats in the normal group received equivalent volume of physiological saline in the same way.The rats were sacrificed 12 hours or 24 hours after injection.Retinal sections from the right eyes were prepared for the measurement of the retinal thickness by histopathological examination,and retinas from the left eyes were used to confirm the differential gene expression as detected by microarray (normal group and 12 hours model group).Genes exhibiting changes in expression by ≥2.0 folds were further confirmed using real-time PCR.Results The whole thickness of the retina declined in the rats from the 24 hours model group compared to the normal group and 12 hours model group (t =9.926,P=0.002;t=2.736,P=0.028).The thickness of the outer nuclear layer was (26.58±2.90) μm in the 24 hours model group,showing a significant decrease in comparison with (38.11 ± 1.01) μm in the normal group and (35.07t3.03) μm in the 12 hours model group (t=6.028,P=0.009;t=6.839,P=0.006).However,there was no significant difference in retinal thickness between the normal group and the 12 hours model group (whole thickness:t=1.541,P=0.324;outer nuclear layer thickness:t=2.040,P=0.134).Microarray analysis of the rat genes showed that out of 17 000 genes,142 genes involved in biological process and 94 genes involved in molecular functions were differentially expressed,where most of them participate in the mitogen activated protein kinase signaling pathway,Tolllike receptor signaling pathway and apoptosis pathway.Real-time PCR analysis demonstrated that the expression of CCL2,IL-1b,CCL3,c-fos,c-myc,p53 and MMP3 were consistently up-regulated,conforming with the results from microarray analysis.Conclusions The changes in gene expression pattern appear in the early stage of MNUinduced retinal degeneration.These microarray results provided clues to understanding the molecular pathways underlying photoreceptor degeneration and indicating the directions for future studies.

Objective To investigate the effect of carteolol hydrochloride eye drops on 24-hour variation of intraocular pressure (IOP). Methods The 30 patients who had never used any anti-glaucoma eye drops were chosen, and their 24-hour variation of IOP (at 2:00 AM, 6:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 2:00 PM, 6:00 PM, 10:00 PM) were measured. Then carteolol hydrochloride eye drops were used twice a day (7:00 AM and 7:00 PM), 1-2 drops each time. Fifteen days later, their 24-h IOP was measured again and the data were analyzed. Results The average IOP at six monitoring points before treatment were (19.77±2.51) mm Hg, (19.52±2.34) mm Hg, (20.38±2.71) mm Hg, (20.07±3.65) mm Hg, (19.97±4.10) mm Hg and (19.97±4.31) mm Hg, the corresponding data after 15 days of treatment were (17.12±2.38) mm Hg, (17.42±2.60) mm Hg, (18.18±2.36) mm Hg, (18.02±3.77) mm Hg, (17.72±3.17) mm Hg and (17.35±3.40) mm Hg (t=11.68, P=0.000). The difference before and after treatment was (2.46±2.05) mm Hg during day and (2.17±1.88) mm Hg during night, and no significant difference was found between them. Conclusions Carteolol hydrochloride eye drops could significantly reduce the IOP, the decreased extent of 24-h IOP is stable.