Objective To study the effect of angiotensin Ⅱ(AngⅡ) on myocardial fibroblasts(MFs) proliferation,the expression and transposition of protein kinase C epsilon(PKC?) and alpha(PKC?),and to find out the mechanism of AngⅡpromoting proliferation and signal trarsduction.Methods The primary culture neonate rat's MFs was used depending on the different time of cell adherence,by the method of immunohistochemical method identifying MFs,2-4 generations MFs were divided into experimental group and control group,experimental group was added with AngⅡ 10-6 mol/L,and nothing was added to control group.Colorimetric method of metrazolium salt(MTT) was used to detect the MFs proliferation; indirect immunofluorescence was used to detect the distribution and location of PKC? and PKC?,then Image-Pro-Plus 4.0 was used to add up fluorescence intensity.Results 1.The number of MFs in experimental group increased much more than that in control group and there was obviously statistical significance(P

Objective To explore the mechanism of tripterygium wilfordii hook f(TWHF)for Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis(HSPN,nephrotic type)in children.Methods All the children with HSPN(nephrotic type)were divided into 3 groups casually.Method of radioactive pairs conjugating analysis was used to determine the numbers of glucocorticoid(GC)receptors(GCRs).Results were statistically analysed respectively.Results GCRs tested in all the patients with HSPN(nephrotic type)before treatment were statistically lower than those in control group of normal children;GCRs in all the patients tested after 1 week treatment with GC were lower than before treatment.Three weeks later,GCRs in patients treated with TWHF increased much higher than them without TWHF.Following up the recurring times of all the patients 3 months to 5 years,they were much more in patients treated without TWHF treatment than in patients treated with it.Conclusions TWHF treatment on HSPN(nephrotic type)is obviously effective.It can not only decrease the dosage of GC,but decrease the recurring times.One of the mechanism may be TWHF can resist the down-regulation GC to GCR,and enhance the effect of GC.

Objective To summarize our experience in prevention and treatment of stricture after esopageal burns in the past thirty years.Methods There were 168 cases in this series.Of them,158 cases underwent surgical management in this study.Modified intraluminal stenting was used in 34 cases, colon interposition without resection of strictured esophagus in 77 cases,gastric transposion with resection of the stricture in 27,repair of cervical stricture with platysma myocutaneous flap in 22,and miscellane- ous operation in 12.Eleven cases experienced operation twice or more at our department.Results Twenty-nine cases recovered after treatment with intraluminal stenting,and 5 re-experienced stricture after stent removal.One of the 5 cases with failed stent responded to bougienage,and the remaining 4 cases re- quired esophageal reconstruction later.Of the 77 colon interpositions,5 cases died postoperatively,and complications of cervical anastomotic fistula occurred in 14 cases,anastomotic stenosis in 4,and abdomi- nal incision dehiscence in 2 cases.In the 27 cases with gastric transpositions,postoperative complications of anastomotic stricture occurred in 2 cases and empyema in 1 patient.There was a cervical leak in 3 ca- ses of the 22 cases treated with the repair of cervical esopageal or anastomotic stricture with a platysma myocutaneous flap.In the 12 cases treated with miscellaneous operation,one died of intestinal obstruc- tion.All the survivors had regular diet after discharge.Conclusions Intraluminal stenting can prevent the formation of caustic esophageal stricture.The location of the cicatricial esophagus dictates whether to perform concomitant esophagectomy during esophageal reconstruction.Platysma myocutaneous flap repair is an excellent method for the treatment of severe cervical esophageal or anastomotic stricture.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a specific quality of life scale for Chinese Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. METHODS: According to the quality of life definition of WHO, we used methods adhered to the rigorous guidelines of instrument development in item pool formation, item selection and scale validation with the data of 236 Type 2 diabetic patients recruited. RESULTS: An 87-item Quality of Life Scale for patients with Type 2 DM-prior test version ( DMQLS), including 5 domains ( disease, physical, social, psychological, and satisfaction ) was developed and showed good reliability and validity. The disease domain made up of Type 2 diabetes mellitus-specific sub-scale and the other 4 domains formed the generic sub-scale for adults. The test-retest correlation coefficient, Cronbach's Alpha coefficient and split-half reliability coefficient of DMQLS were 0.996, 0.969 and 0.879, respectively. Twenty-one common factors were extracted according to the conceptual model. The scale's correlations with SF-36 and Diabetes Quality of Life Measure ( DQOL ) were 0.763 and 0.658. DMQLS could discriminate among those with different quality of lives. CONCLUSION DMQLS is reliable, valid and sensitive, and can be used to evaluate the curative effect of Type 2 diabetic patients.
Adult ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; psychology ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Psychometrics ; Quality of Life ; Reproducibility of Results ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; standards

OBJECTIVETo study the tolerance of rats induced by 28 day pretreatment with low dosage of dimthoate and the toxic effects challenged by higher dosage of dimethoate, and to investigate the change of M receptor and the mechanism of tolerance formation.

METHODSSD rats were given 25 mg/kg dimethoate daily(sc) while control group was given saline daily instead for 28 days. The activity of whole blood acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was examined. On the 29th day three groups of administrated rats were challenged by saline solution, 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg dimethoate, respectively. The density and mRNA level of brain M(1), M(2) receptor were determined. Lymphocytes of peripheral blood were isolated, and basal, inducible M(3) gene expression were measured by RT-PCR.

RESULTSDuring pretreatment, blood AChE activity decreased continually, it reached the lowest on the 13th day. And it decreased more after exposed to higher dosage of dimethoate. Brain AChE activity in the pretreated groups was lower than that in control group and decreased with the increase in challenging dosage. The density of M(1) receptor in negative control, pretreated, and 50, 100 mg/kg challenging groups were 979.15, 856.54, 539.46, 539.14 fmol/mg pro respectively. The change in relative levels of mRNA of M(1) receptor (2.59, 2.47, 2.20, 1.81) were consistent with the density of receptor but the level declined continually as the challenging dosage increased. The density of M(2) receptor were 507.38, 611.11, 548.42, 337.47 fmol/mg pro respectively, which were not obviously affected by pretreatment but decreased as the challenging dosage increased. The change in levels of M(2) receptor mRNA was not obvious. The basal gene expression of M(3) receptor mRNA was not different among all experimental groups while the inducible gene expression decreased with the increase in challenging dosage.

CONCLUSIONLow level dosage of dimethoate could induce animals to tolerate dimethoate toxicity. Reduction of M(1) receptor density which may be induced by the decrease in its gene expression may be the mechanism of tolerance. The change of M(3) receptor mRNA inducible expression in lymphocyte accorded with M(1) receptor mRNA expression in the brain.

Animals ; Brain ; metabolism ; Dimethoate ; toxicity ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Insecticides ; toxicity ; Lymphocytes ; metabolism ; Male ; Maximum Tolerated Dose ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Muscarinic ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo study the expression of muscarinic receptor M(3) gene in peripheral blood lymphocytes of workers exposed to organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) and to explore its role in the adverse effects of OPPs.

METHODSThe lymphocytes of peripheral blood from 33 workers exposed to dimethoate and 15 control people were isolated and treated with saline and dimethoate respectively in vitro. RT-PCR technique was used to determine M(3) gene expression. Basal and inducible gene expression levels were measured.

RESULTSThere was no significant difference in basal gene expression level between exposed group and control group, while the inducible gene expression level was significantly higher in exposure group (1.92 +/- 1.07) than in control group (1.22 +/- 0.19) and basal level (1.49 +/- 0.45, P < 0.05). No differences in basal and inducible gene expression level were found between male and female people in both exposed and control group. The level of inducible M(3) gene expression increased with the increase in length of exposure time [< 5 a: (1.69 +/- 0.95), 5 - 25 a: (1.91 +/- 1.03), > 25 a: (2.09 +/- 1.25), the latter was significantly different from that of < 5 a (P < 0.05)].

CONCLUSIONAfter long-term exposure to OPPs, the basal M(3) receptor gene expression level in the exposed workers did not show any difference from the control group, but the inducible gene expression level (treated with dimethoate in vitro) was increased and related to the extent of exposure to dimethoate.

Dimethoate ; blood ; poisoning ; Female ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Insecticides ; blood ; poisoning ; Lymphocytes ; cytology ; metabolism ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; analysis ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Receptor, Muscarinic M3 ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVETo observe the experience and the outcome of pharyngo-colonic anastomosis for esophageal reconstruction in diffuse corrosive esophageal stricture involving hypopharynx.

METHODSThis retrospective report reviews the experience and results of 14 patients who underwent esophageal reconstruction by pharyngo-colonic anastomosis without resection of intra thoracic stricture esophagus. The left half colonic segment was pulled up to the neck through the substernal space in all patients.

RESULTSThere was no operative or hospital death. Postoperative complications include cervical anastomotic fistula in four patients, rupture of the abdominal incision in 1. The length of follow-up ranged from half year to 10 years with an average of 4 years. Anastomotic stenosis occurred in 2 patients. One case improved after dilatation and the other one healed by plastic operation. One patient began to vomit after diet in seven months later with barium swallowing the abdominal colon graft was redundant and this patient was cured with side by side between the colon and the stomach.

CONCLUSIONThe successful reconstruction for hypo-pharyngo-esophageal stricture requires a correct and larger hypopharyngeal opening and a good anastomotic technique. From our experience this procedure is shown to be safe and effective.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Anastomosis, Surgical ; Burns ; complications ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Colon ; surgery ; Esophageal Stenosis ; etiology ; surgery ; Esophagoplasty ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Pharynx ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies

The main objective of the current study was to develop a universal method for a protein binding assay of complicated herbal components, and to investigate the possible relationship between compound polarity and protein binding using Schisadra lignans as an example. Firstly, the rat, dog and human plasma were spiked with three different concentrations of Schisandra chinensis extract (SLE), and ultramicrofiltration was used to obtain the unbound ingredients. Secondly, thirty-one Schisandra lignans in total plasma and ultrafiltered fluid were measured by LC-IT-TOFMS. Lastly, a relative exposure approach, which entailed calculating the relative concentrations of each Schisandra lignan from the corresponding calibration equation created from the calibration samples spiked with the stock solution of SLE, was applied in order to overcome the absence of authentic standards. The results showed that Schisandra lignans exhibited a high capability to bind with plasma protein, furthermore, the protein binding ratio of the lignan components increased proportionally with their individual chromatographic retention time, which indicated that the ratio of protein binding of lignans might increase accordingly with decreasing polarity. This study suggested that the compound polarity might be an important factor affecting the plasma protein binding of herbal components.
Animals ; Blood Proteins ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Dogs ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Humans ; Kinetics ; Lignans ; blood ; chemistry ; Male ; Mass Spectrometry ; methods ; Protein Binding ; Rats ; Schisandra ; chemistry

Systematical studies are lacking on the influencing factors and mechanisms of the heparin enhanced sperm capacitation, although many studies have shown that heparin enhanced sperm capacitation. The effect of heparin concentration and exposure time, incubation temperature and co-culture with oviductal epithelial cells or cumulus cells on goat sperm capacitation were investigated in this study. The motility, membrane and acrosome integrity and capacitated percentage of goat spermatozoa were assessed after different heparin treatments, and rates of fertilization and embryo cleavage were compared after in vitro insemination of oocytes with spermatozoa capacitated by different heparin treatments. The major results are summarized as follows: 1) When spermatozoa were capacitated with heparin at 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 microg/mL for 45 min, 50 and 100 microg/mL heparin treatments produced the highest capacitated percentages of 55% and 56%, respectively, but the percentage of spermatozoa with intact acrosomes in the 100 microg/mL heparin treatment decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in comparison with that in the control group, indicating that the optimal heparin concentration for goat sperm capacitation would be 50 microg/mL. 2) Capacitated percentage of spermatozoa increased with extension of treatment time when goat sperm were treated with 50 microg/mL heparin for 0, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60 or 120 min. Although heparin treatments for 45 to 120 min did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) in capacitated sperm percentages, sperm motility and membrane integrity decreased significantly when treated with heparin for 120 min. This suggested that the optimal exposure time of heparin at 50 microg/mL for goat sperm capacitation would be 45 to 60 min. 3) Significantly higher capacitated percentages of spermatozoa were obtained when goat sperm were treated at 42 and 38.5 degrees C than at 15 and 37 degrees C, but sperm motility and acrosome integrity were significantly lower when spermatozoa were treated at 42 degrees C than they were treated at other temperatures. Temperature of 38.5 degrees C would, therefore, be the optimal temperature for goat sperm capacitation. 4) The capacitated percentage of spermatozoa was significantly higher when goat sperm were co-cultured with oviductal epithelial cells than when treated with heparin alone or co-cultured with cumulus cells, but sperm motility and membrane and acrosome integrity did not differ significantly among the three treatments. Rates of fertilization (91.3%) and cleavage (72.2%) were significantly higher in the oviductal epithelial cell co-culture group than those in the heparin alone group. This indicated that co-culture with oviductal epithelial cells significantly enhanced goat sperm capacitation by heparin treatment.
Acrosome Reaction ; drug effects ; physiology ; Animals ; Coculture Techniques ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; Fallopian Tubes ; cytology ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Goats ; Heparin ; pharmacology ; Male ; Sperm Capacitation ; drug effects ; physiology ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; cytology ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the feasibility and curative effect of thymectomy for myasthenia gravis (MG) by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) through right anterior-lateral approach.

METHODSFifty-six patients of MG were treated with thoracoscopic thymectomy and mediastinal fat dissection through right anterior-lateral approach from August 2001 to October 2007. The feasibility, safety, complication and remission for MG were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSFifty-five operations were completed by VATS. The mean operative time and blood loss were (96.2 +/- 52.1) min and (68.7 +/- 21.4) ml, respectively. The brachiocephalic vein injury by the electric coagulator occurred in two cases and one of them performed thoracotomy for homeostasis, the other performed ligation. The postoperative pathology showed hyperplasia in 38 cases, atrophy in 5 cases, thymoma in 12 cases and cyst of thymus in 1 case. And the operative complication included one myasthenia crisis (1.8%) at the third day and one death (1.8%) at the eighth day because of postoperative hemorrhage. The average length of stay was (7.9 +/- 2.9) d. All cases were followed up from one to seventy months. Eight (14.3%) of complete remission, 39 cases (69.6%) of partial remission and 7 cases (12.5%) of no change were found. The total effective rate was 83.9%.

CONCLUSIONSThoracoscopic thymectomy through right anterior lateral approach is technically feasible, safe and minimally invasive. It has a high remission rate for MG.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Feasibility Studies ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myasthenia Gravis ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted ; Thymectomy ; methods ; Treatment Outcome