Objective To describe the characteristics of ultrasonic integrated backscatter(IBS)of cardiac blood in children with dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM).Methods Philips Sonos 7500 equipped with an acoustic densitometry software system was used.The subjects included 20 children with DCM and 20 normal children.The IBS parameters of the cardiac blood were collected.Results Compared to normal children,the cyclic variation of integrated backscatter(CVIB)of blood in the left atria(LA),left ventricle(LV),and right ventricle(RV)were decreased significantly(P

OBJECTIVETo evaluate perioperative occult blood loss following total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

METHODSA retrospective analysis of 40 patients undergoing TKA was conducted to calculate the mean blood loss and occult blood loss according to Gross formula.

RESULTSThe mean total blood loss was 1538 ml in these cases with occult blood loss of 791 ml. In patients with autologous blood transfusion, the mean total blood loss was 1650 ml with occult blood loss of 786 ml. In patients without autologous blood transfusion, the mean total blood loss was 1370 ml with occult loss of 798 ml.

CONCLUSIONTKA often results in large volume of occult blood loss in the perioperative period which can not be fully compensated by autologous blood transfusion, and additional blood supply is needed for maintenance of the circulating volume.

Aged ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; adverse effects ; methods ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; statistics & numerical data ; Blood Transfusion, Autologous ; Female ; Hemoglobins ; analysis ; Humans ; Intraoperative Complications ; blood ; etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of lithium chloride combined with human umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cell (hUCB-SCs) transplantation in the treatment of spinal cord injury in rats.

METHODSEighty female SD rats with complete T9 spinal cord transaction were randomized into 4 groups (n=20), namely the control group (group A), lithium chloride group (group B), hUCB-SCs group (group C) and hUCB-SCs(+) lithium chloride group (group D). On days 1 and 3 and the last days of the following weeks postoperatively, the motor function of the hindlimb of the rats were evaluated according to the BBB scores. At 8 weeks, all the rats were sacrificed and the spinal cords were taken for morphological observation. The spinal cord tissues at the injury site were observed with Brdu nuclear labeling to identify the survival and migration of the transplanted SCs. The regeneration and distribution of the spinal nerve fibers were observed with fluorescent-gold (FG) spinal cord retrograde tracing.

RESULTSBrdu labeling showed that the transplanted hUCB-SCs survived and migrated in the spinal cord 8 weeks postoperatively in groups C and D. FG retrograde tracing identified a small amount of pyramidal cells that migrated across the injury site in groups C and D. The BBB scores of the hindlimb motor function 8 weeks postoperatively were 4.11∓0.14, 4.50∓0.15, 8.31∓0.11 and 11.15∓0.18 in groups A, B, C and D, respectively.

CONCLUSIONLithium chloride can promote the survival and differentiation of hUCB-SCs into neural cells at the injury site. Lithium chloride combined with hUCB-SCs transplantation may accelerate functional recovery of the hindlimbs in rats with complete transection of the spinal cord.

Animals ; Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation ; Female ; Humans ; Lithium Chloride ; therapeutic use ; Rats ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; therapy

Aim To investigate the effects of polysac-charides from Ginkgo biloba on the proliferation, apop-tosis of mouse 4T1 breast cancer cells and the possible mechanism. Methods 4T1 cells in logarithmic growth phase were treated with polysaccharides from Ginkgo biloba of different concentrations. The effect of poly-saccharides from Ginkgo biloba on inhibition of prolif-eration and cytotoxicity of 4T1 cells was determined by MTT assay and trypan blue exclusion assay respective-ly. The apoptotic effect of polysaccharides from Ginkgo biloba on 4T1 cells was detected by DAPI staining. qRT-PCR experiments were carried out for the detec-tion of gene expressions of the glucose transporter fami-ly upon the treatment with the polysaccharides from Ginkgo biloba. Results Polysaccharides from either Ginkgo biloba leaf or Ginkgo biloba exocarp significant-ly inhibited the proliferation of 4T1 cells in a dose-and time-dependent manner. Moreover, with the increasing doses of polysaccharides, cell viability decreased, ac-companied by the increased cell cytotoxicity and apop-tosis. qRT-PCR results showed that polysaccharides from Ginkgo biloba significantly reduced glucose trans-porter 1 gene expression. Conclusions Polysaccha-rides from Ginkgo biloba can both inhibit 4T1 cell pro-liferation and induce cell apoptosis, and by regulating glucose transporter family gene expression, it interfered with cell energy metabolism, which infers that the effects of cell proliferation inhibition as well the apopto-sis induction might be due to the regulation of glucose transporter family gene expression.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of mechanical vibration on the morphology of the acellular scaffold for the spinal cord and establish a procedure to construct an acellular rat spinal cord allograft retaining intact matrix fibers for repairing spinal cord injuries.

METHODSFifteen segments of rat spinal cord were divided randomly into 3 groups and subjected to mechanical vibration at the frequency 80 r/min (group A, n=5), 120 r/min (group B, n=5), and 160 r/min (group C, n=5) respectively. The spinal cord was treated with Triton X-100 and sodium deoxycholate at room temperature and washed with distilled water. The specimens were observed microscopically with HE staining, and the ultrastructure was observed using scanning electron microscope.

RESULTSIn group A, the spinal cord specimens contained numerous cells and neural sheaths. Vibration at 120 and 160 r/min (in groups B and C) resulted in depletion of all the cells, axons and neural sheaths from the spinal cord after treatment with Triton X-100 and sodium deoxycholate. The acellular spinal cord consisted of a meshwork of the matrix fibers in longitudinal arrangement. In group C, however, obvious disruption of both the spinal dura mater and the matrix fiber occurred in the acellular spinal cord.

CONCLUSIONAll the cells, axons and neural sheaths in the spinal cord can be removed by chemical extraction with Triton X-100 and sodium deoxycholate. Mechanical vibration at suitable frequency may cell preserve the 3-dimensional structure of the matrix fibers. The acellular spinal cord scaffold may serve as an ideal material for constructing tissue-engineered spinal cord.

Animals ; Cell Separation ; methods ; Female ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spinal Cord ; anatomy & histology ; cytology ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; therapy ; Tissue Engineering ; methods ; Vibration

italic>Schisandra chinensis is a traditional Chinese medicine with the functions of reinforcing deficiency, strengthening, and inducing astringency, appliable to treat the chronic cough and deficiency in breath, palpitation, and insomnia, etc. A hybrid mass spectrometry scanning strategy (high-definition data-independent/data-dependent acquisition, HDDIDDA), enabling the ion mobility separation and alternating data-independent acquisition/data-dependent acquisition, was established, which, in combination with in-house library-driven automatic peak annotation workflows facilitated by the UNIFI software, was utilized to systematically characterize the multi-classes of chemical components from S. chinensis. The use of an HSS T3 column (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.8 μm), 0.1% formic acid in H₂O-acetonitrile as the mobile phase running at the flow rate of 0.3 mL·min^-1, and column temperature at 35 ℃, could enable good separation of the S. chinensis components within 42 min. HDDIDDA scan in both the positive and negative ion modes was employed for data acquisition. Based on the automatic peak annotation, reference standards comparison, MS² data interpretation, and literature analysis, we were able to identify or tentatively characterize 105 compounds in the S. chinensis decoction, involving 56 terpenoids, 42 lignans, five glycosides, one organic acid, and one flavonoid. HDDIDDA scanning can improve the coverage of data acquisition and improve the accuracy of identification, while CCS prediction analysis provides the possibility to distinguish isomers by the ion mobility technology. The results provide reference for the intelligent material basis research of TCM.

OBJECTIVETo analyze the prognostic impact of preoperative (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET-CT on postoperative recurrence in patients with completely resected stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODSThe clinic data of 182 patients with stage I NSCLC who underwent (18)F-FDG PET-CT scan before surgical resection between June 2005 and June 2012 were reviewed retrospectively. There were 121 male and 61 female patients, with an average age of 68 years (range from 34 to 85 years). The pathological stage was I A in 98 patients, I B in 84 patients; the histology were adenocarcinoma in 137 patients, squamous cell carcinoma in 35 patients, and others in 10 patients. Clinicopathological factors including gender, age, smoking history, SUV(max), surgical procedure, pathological features and adjuvant chemotherapy were evaluated to identify the independent factors predicting postoperative recurrences by univariate and multivariate analysis. The survivals were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method and differences in variables were analyzed by the Log-rank test.

RESULTSThe postoperative recurrence rate was 15.9%. The univariate analysis identified that the SUV(max) (t=3.278, P<0.001), p-stage (χ² =5.204, P=0.026), blood vessel invasion (χ² =5.333, P=0.027) and visceral pleural invasion (χ² =7.697, P=0.009) are factors for predicting postoperative recurrence. Only SUV(max) was found to be a significant independent factor according to multivariate analysis (HR=1.068, 95%CI: 1.015 to 1.123, P=0.001). The study population was stratified into three groups by SUV(max), patients with SUV(max) > 5.0 had significantly higher risk of recurrence (23.9%) than those with 2.5 < SUV(max) ≤ 5.0 (15.0%) and SUV(max) ≤ 2.5 (7.3%) (P=0.043); patients with SUV(max) ≤ 2.5 had significantly better 5-year recurrence-free survival rate (90.9%) than those with 2.5 < SUV(max) ≤ 5.0 (82.7%) and SUV(max) ≤ 2.5 (71.0%) (P=0.030). There was a trend toward higher probability of blood vessel invasion (χ² =20.267, P < 0.001), visceral pleural invasion (χ² =6.185, P=0.045) and pathological stage I B (χ² =13.589, P=0.001) with increased SUV(max).

CONCLUSIONSPreoperative SUV(max) of primary tumor is a predictor of postoperative relapse for stage I NSCLC after surgical resection. Therefore, it can contribute to the risk stratification for patients with the same pathological stage and selecting the optimal postoperative follow-up and therapeutic strategy.

Adenocarcinoma ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Female ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; diagnosis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Postoperative Period ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo study the segregation of two novel RHD alleles in Chinese pedigrees.

METHODSThe Rh antigens of the samples were identified by using monoclonal antibodies. The 10 exons of the RHD gene for the 2 probands and their family members were amplified separately and sequenced. The parents of proband 2 were analyzed by sequence specific primer-polymerase chain reaction (SSP-PCR).

RESULTSThe two probands were RhD negative and the RHD was D/d type. After alignment with the nucleotide sequence in GenBank, a deletion of nucleotide C at position 78 in exon 1 of proband 1 was detected, and her sister also had the deletion, which was confirmed by sequencing. The sequencing results of proband 2 showed a 10 nucleotide deletion in exon 8 as well as a RHD 520 G to A mutation in exon 4. The results of SSP-PCR and sequencing showed that the proband's mother also carried RHD 520 G to A and RHD 1080 del 10 mutation, which was transmitted to proband 2. The sequences of the novel alleles have been submitted to GenBank (accession No. GQ477180 and GU362076).

CONCLUSIONThe two novel RHD alleles, RHD 78delC and RHD 520 G to A+1080 del 10, were both pseudo genes and stably transmitted.

Adult ; Alleles ; Base Sequence ; Exons ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Pedigree ; Rh-Hr Blood-Group System ; genetics ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo establish a rabbit model of intervertebral disc degeneration by puncturing the anulus fibrosus through an approach between the longissimus dorsi muscle and obliquus externus abdominis.

METHODSThe L(4/5) and L(5/6) intervetebral discs of 6 New Zealand white rabbits were punctured by an 18-gauge pin in the anterolateral annular fibrosus through an approach between the longissimus dorsi muscle and the obliquus externus abdominis with the right transverse processes of L(5) and L(6) resected; the L(2/3) discs were used as the control without exposure or needle stab, and the L(3/4) discs were subjected to sham operation with the discs exposed but not punctured after resecting the right transverse process of L(4). X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed preoperatively and at the 4th week after puncture. At 4 weeks after the operation, histological and immunohistochemical analyses of the discs were carried out.

RESULTSX-ray of the punctured discs at 4 weeks after the operation presented a significant decrease of disc height, osteophytosis formation, and end-plate stiffness; an obvious decrease of signal intensity on T(2)-weighted images was found in the puncture group but not in the control or sham-operated groups. Gross morphological inspection showed atrophy of the nucleus pulposus, which became loose, soft, and fragile with a light yellow color. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses showed a significant decrease of notochordal cells and type II collagen in the nucleus pulposus in the puncture group as compared to the control and sham-operated groups.

CONCLUSIONPuncture through the approach between the longissimus dorsi muscle and the obliquus externus abdominis allows the establishment of a reliable animal model for studying intervertebral disc degeneration.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; physiopathology ; Male ; Rabbits

OBJECTIVETo study the risk factors of acute renal insufficiency (ARI) following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

METHODSThe clinic data of 2242 patients undertaking CABG between July 1997 and July 2006 were retrospectively analyzed, and ARI following CABG was included.

RESULTSARI occurred in 219 patients, with an incidence of 9.8%. Univariate analysis revealed that advanced age, diabetes mellitus, preoperative chronic renal dysfunction, left main disease, low left ventricular erection faction, emergency operation, on-pump CABG, ascending aortic atherosclerosis, postoperative respiratory function insufficiency and low cardiac output syndrome were significantly related to ARI following CABG, and logistic multivariate regression analysis showed that presence of advanced age (P = 0.031), preoperatively chronic renal dysfunction (CrCl or= 150 micromol/L, P = 0.041), on-pump CABG (P < 0.001), postoperative respiratory function insufficiency (P = 0.013) and low cardiac output syndrome (P = 0.004) were independent risk factors of ARI.

CONCLUSIONSAdvanced age, preoperatively chronic renal dysfunction, on-pump CABG, postoperative respiratory function insufficiency and low cardiac output syndrome are the risk factors of ARI following CABG.

Acute Kidney Injury ; epidemiology ; etiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors