To ignite medical students' interest in pathophysiology,cultivate their creativity and ability in clinical practice,the Department of Pathophysiology in Xiangya School of Medicine of Central South University has implemented the units-teaching pattern in combination with problem-based learning(PBL)in 345 students enrolling in the school of continuing education of Central South University in 2006.The experiment has received positive feedback and wide approval from the students.

As the national key discipline and the best national course,the department of pathophysiology in Central South University has carried out a series of teaching reforms in order to improve the students' innovative ability.In this article,the authors,five-year system medical students of Xiangya School of Medicine,make a research on students' view of these reforms,aiming at analyzing the effects of these reforms correctly and put forward some suggestions on the basis of their own study experiences.

OBJECTIVE: To detect the expression of nucleolin in cardiac hypertrophy rats induced by pressure overload. METHODS: A total of 40 SD rats with body weight 180 g and 220 g were recruited and randomly divided into 2 groups: a transverse aortic constriction (TAC) group and a sham surgery group. Cardiac hypertrophy model was employed by transverse aortic constriction surgery. Then 2 weeks and 4 weeks after the experiment, the heart mass index (HMI), left ventricle mass index (LVMI) were measured. β-MHC mRNA in the heart tissue was detected with RT-PCR. Nucleolin in the heart, brain and kidney was respectively detected with Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with the sham surgery group, HMI, LVMI in the TAC group increased significantly (P<0.01) 4 weeks after the surgery; the expression of β-MHC mRNA in the heart tissue increased (P<0.05) in the TAC group 4 weeks after the surgery; and the expression of nucleolin protein in the heart tissue of the TAC group was remarkably upregulated (P<0.05) 2 weeks after the surgery, with no change in the brain and kidney tissue between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION Expression of nucleolin protein has been upregulated in response to pressure overload, which may suggest that nucleolin plays a role in cardiac hypertrophy induced by pressure overload.
Animals ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiomegaly ; metabolism ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Phosphoproteins ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; RNA-Binding Proteins ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective To provide reliable reference for improving teaching methods of case discus-sion, the teaching effectiveness evaluation on classroom-site segmented discussions of a patient case was completed in internal environment system. Methods The questionnaire survey was conducted among 250 clinic students of 8-year program and of 5-year program to investigate the teaching effectiveness following implementation of the teaching plan called"classroom-site segmented study of patient case debate competi-tion seminars". The contents of questionnaire survey included: the students' view on characteristics and advantages of this teaching plan and the reasons for favoring and supporting the plan. Investigation was conducted using an anonymous questionnaire. A total of 250 questionnaires were distributed and 247 valid questionnaires retrieved. Data collection and analysis were performed by using Excel and SPSS 17.0 statistical software, percentage of each observing parameter was calculated. Results ①The students' view on ad-vantages of the plan included following: reducing students' study burden by 78.5％ (194/247), increasing the students' engagement in class activities by 85.4％(211/247), improving teaching quality in class discus-sion by 80.5％ (198/246), enhancing team spirit among students by 78.5％ (194/246), expanding students' thinking and exploring space by 84.5％ (207/245), and similarity of this teaching plan to clinical diagnosis and treatment process reached to 84.0％(197/235). ②The students' reasons for favoring and supporting this plan included: reducing students' study burden by 83.4％ (206/247), improving teaching quality in class discussion by 72.4％(179/247), and training students' ability to search clinical information by 82.4％ (203/247). Conclusion Implementation of the teaching plan, "classroom-site segmented study of patient case debate competition seminars", in internal environment system has reduced students' study burden, improved teaching quality, and effectively trained students' clinic thinking, which is widely welcomed by students, therefore providing a positive valuable reference to other discussion class.

Objectives: To provide new ideas on how to shift students' learning attitude from passive learning to active learning, we explored and evaluated a case/problem-based and interactive teaching mode in pathophysiology curriculum. Methods: Case/problem-based and interactive teaching mode is an innovative teaching model adopted in pathophysiology curriculum for grade 2015 students of 5-year program in clinical medicine and other medical students of non-clinical majors in Xiangya Medical School, Central South University. The teaching effectiveness of the case/problem-based and interactive teaching mode was evaluated by questionnaire survey, with 460 medical students enrolled in the survey whose approval degree on current teaching mode was analyzed. Excel was used to collect and process data, complete descriptive analysis and calculation of the percentage of indicators. Results: A total of 460 anonymous questionnaires were distributed and 453 valid questionnaires were retrieved, from which the following information was obtained: ① Pre-class learners' guidance designed for current teaching mode: 88.7% of students (402/453) believed that "Pre-class Learners' Guidance" motivated them to preview relevant teaching contents before class. 82.8% of students (375/453) believed "Pre-class Learners' Guidance" improved discussion quality in class. 76.6% of students (347/453) believed "Pre-class Learners' Guidance" expanded thinking and exploring space, while it did not increase student study burden (306/453, 67.6%). ② Compared with traditional teaching mode, the case/problem-based and interactive teaching mode had following advantages: It's helpful to cultivate students' clinical thinking (414/453, 91.4%), strengthen students' memory and understanding during study (400/453, 88.3%), attract students' attention in class (380/453, 83.9%), and aroused student's interest in class discussion (327/453, 72.2%). ③ 83.4% of students (379/453) preferred current teaching mode: they believed this teaching mode could improve students' ability to analyze and solve problems (325/453,71.7%), train clinical thinking (321/453, 70.9%), improve students' self-study ability (247/453, 54.5%) and increase students' capabilities of making summary and conclusion (197/453, 43.5%). Conclusion Case/problem-based and interactive teaching mode in pathophysiology curriculum enhances students' ability of self-studying, activates classroom's atmosphere, improves teaching quality, and effectively fosters students' clinical thinking. Therefore, this teaching mode deserves to be spread and applied in classroom teaching of pathophysiology and other basic medicine disciplines as well.