Objective To determine the factors affecting valve replacement through mini - sternotomy. Methods 35 patients underwent mitral valvular replacement (MVR, 23 cases) or bivalvular replacement (BVR, 12 cases) through minimal sternotomy. 19 cases were male and l6 cases were female. The age ranged from 21 to 62 years with an average(44 ? 9) years. The factors affecting the aorta clamped time (ACT) and the cardiopulmonary by- pass time (CPBT) ware analyzed. Results When the left ventricular diastolic diameter was more than 60mm, ACT and CPBT were longer in MVR and were shorter in BVR. ACT and CPBT were almost significantly longer in MVR and AVR when superior margin of manubrium was lower than the fifth thoracic vertebra. Height of aortic node, cardiotho- racic ratio, diameter of left artia and aortic root were not related with ACT and CPBT. Conclusion Larger left ventricular and lower manubrium may be the related factors that affecting the operation of valvular replacement.

Objective To investigate the expression variation of aquaporin in colon tissues in acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP).Methods ANP rat model was induced by the retrograde injection of sodium taurocholate into the biliopancreatic duct.The rats were killed at 4 h, 8 h, 12 h and 24 h after modeling with 6 rats for each time point.The pancreas and colon tissues were harvested for pathological examination.The levels of IL-6, TNF-α mRNA expression and AQR (aquaporin-3, aquaporin-4, aquaporin-8) mRNA expression in proximal and distant colon were detected by RT-PCR.The levels of aquaporin protein in colon were examined by immunohistochemistry.Results After the establishment of ANP SD rat model, the integrity of colonic mucosa was continuously damaged, the structure of epithelial cells was unclear and the colonic villus were broken and destroyed, and inflammatory cell infiltration in submucosa was observed.The pathological score increased with the time of modeling.In 4 h, except that the mRNA levels of AQP-4 in distal colon was not obviously changed, mRNA levels of IL-6 and TNF-α, mRNA and protein expression of AQP-3 and AQP-8 in the proximal and distal colon of ANP rats were significantly elevated compared with shame group (P<0.05).AQP-3 and AQP-8 mRNA in proximal colon of ANP rats reached its peak in 8 h after the establishment and AQP-4 mRNA peaked at 24 h.AQP-3 and AQP-4 mRNA in distant colon of ANP rats reached its peak in 8 h after the establishment and AQP-8 mRNA peaked at 24 h.Protein expression of AQP-3, AQP-4 and AQP-8 in proximal and distant colon was strongest in 12 h and 24 h after the establishment.Conclusions With the progression of the ANP, the expression levels of AQP-3, AQP-4 and AQP-8 in both proximal and distal colons were elevated in various degrees, indicating that the aquaporins may participate in water metabolism of colon during ANP.

Objective: To search for biomarkers for human familial prion disease. Methods: Two-dimensional differential gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) proteomic analysis has been performed in frontal lobe tissues of 3 patients suffering from human familial prion disease (PrP) and 3 age-and sex-matched patients suffering from sudden death due to heart failure without neurological disease. Results: The maps revealed 14 polypeptide chains differentially modulated in the PrP samples, among those, 7 could be identified upon digestion and MALDI-TOF/MS analysis, of which 6 appeared to be up-regulated, 1 being down-regulated. Conclusions We highlight Galectin-1(Gal-1), ryanodine receptor 2 (RyR2), ubiquitin, Rab-interacting lysosomes protein-like protein 1 (RILPL-1) profillin 2 (PFN2), in the differential map. These proteins are related to neurogenesis, the clearance of misfolded proteins, stasis of calium channel, myoclonus and so on. These proteins are potential biomarkers or targets for treatment of prion disease.