Velocity vector imaging (VVI) is a promising and relatively new noninvasive method of assessing wall movement and flexible features of vessels,being able to qualitatively, quantitatively, accurately and intuitively assess mechanical characteristics of vascular wall movement. VVI can reflect changes of characteristics of flexibility and movement of carotid artery in early atherosclerosis and plaque rotation angle. It provides a new way for the study of unstable plaque. The research and current status of clinical application of VVI were reviewed in this article.

Objective To investigate the effect of repetitive transcranial stimulation (rTMS) on learning and memory and on the neuron and synapse ultrastructures of the CA3 region of the hippocampus.Methods Forty Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (n =l0 in each group):a normal control group,a depression group,an rTMS group and a sham group.Unpredictable mild stress was used to establish depression models in the rats of the latter3 groups.The sucrose water consumption test and open-field test were used to evaluate any depressive behavior of each group.The rTMS group rats were given 15 Hz rTMS for 21 days while the sham group received sham stimulation.The orientational navigation and spatial probe tests were performed on each group using a Morris water maze to evaluate their learning and memory abilities.In addition,changes in the ultrastructure of the CA3 region of the hippocampus were detected using transmission electron microscopy.Results The modelling induced significant differences in the sucrose water consumption test results and in horizontal and vertical behavior in the open-field tests.Escape latency and spatial probe time were significantly different between the rTMS group and the sham and depression groups.There was no significant difference in the behavioral indexes between the depression group and the sham group.Electron microscopy showed pathological changes in the ultrastructures of the neurons and synapses in the CA3 region of the hippocampus among the depression group,while in the rTMS group those ultrastructures tended to be basically normal.Conclusion rTMS can improve learning and memory during depression,at least in rats.A possible mechanism is that rTMS can induce changes in the ultrastructures of neurons and synapses in the CA3 region of the hippocampus.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of bicyelol tablets in treatment of hepatitis B patients infected with YMDD mutation of HBV. Methods Sixty-eight chronic hepatitis patients infected with HBV YMDD mutants and 100 patients with non-mutants HBV were enrolled in the study. All patients received bicyclol tablets orally 150 mg/d, t. i. d, for 24 weeks. Clinical symptoms, signs and adverse effects were observed, and the blood routine, liver function tests, serum HBV markers and HBV DNA loads were examined at 12th and 24th week of the study, Results After treatment for 24 weeks, the normalization rates of ALT and AST in mutant group were 79.4% ( 54/68 ) and 70. 6% (48/68) ; 11 ( 16. 2% ) patients were markedly effective and 14 (20. 6% ) were effective. Clearance rates of HBeAg and HBV DNA were 27.9% ( 17/61 ) and 17.6% ( 12/68 ), while the seroconversion rate of HBeAg was 14. 7% (9/61). The differences of the above indexes were not statistically significant between mutant group and non-mutant group. Conclusion Bicyciol can both protect liver functions and inhibit virus replication in patients infected with HBV YMDD mutants.

Objective To study the effect of the combination of rivaroxaban and Xuesaitong injection on deep venous thrombosis (DVT) of lower extremity after spinal surgery.Methods The clinical data of 90 patients undergoing spinal surgery from May 2013 to May 2015 were retrospective analyzed.The patients were divided into two groups randomly: the treatment group and control group.Forty-five patients in treatment group were treated with rivaroxaban and Xueshuantong injection from 1 st day after surgery to one week after off-bed activity, and forty-five patients in control group were treated with rivaroxaban alone.The vessels of lower extremity were detected by doppler ultrasonography pre-surgery, 7-10d and 3 months post-surgery, then the rates of DVT and pulmonary embolism were statistically analysed.Results The DVT rate in treatment group was 8.89%(4 cases), which was significantly lower than 24.4% (11 cases) in control group (P<0.05).Conclusion The anticogulant effect of the combination of rivaroxaban and Xuesaitong injection is stronger than rivaroxaban alone.

Objective: To study the chemical constituents from Prunella vulgaris and their antitumor activities. Methods: Silica gel, reverse-phase octadecylsilyl (ODS), Sephadex LH-20 chromatographic methods, and HPLC were applied to isolating and purifying compounds. MS and NMR spectroscopic methods were used to determine their structures. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of these chemical components for MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and MCF-10A cell lines was measured by MTT method. Results: Forteen compounds were isolated from the fruits of P. vulgaris and their structures were identified as: autantiamide acetate (1), 5α,8α-epidioxy-(22E,24R)-ergosta-6,22-dien-3β-ol (2), β-amyrin (3), betulic acid (4), 3-hydroxy-11-en-11,12-dehydrogenation-28,13-oic acid lactone (5), eburicol (6), 2α,3α,24-trihydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid (7), candelabrone 12-methyl ether (8), cyclopentaneacetic acid (9), 2α,3β-dihydroxyursa-12-en-28-oic acid (10), α-spinasterol (11), oleanolic acid (12), ursolic acid (13), and β-sitosterol (14). Conclusion: Compounds 2, 5, 6, 8, and 9 are isolated from the genus of Prunella L. for the first time. The results of cytotoxic assay indicate that compounds 10 and 13 can obviously inhibit the activity of MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and the normal cell lines MCF-10A. Compound 4 can selectly inhibit the activity of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 while show no effect on the normal cell lines MCF-10A.

Objective To observe the influence of insulin resistance(IR) and isosorbide mononitrate(ISMN) on myocardial cellular apoptosis in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) .Methods Forty male 14‐week old Wistar(W) rats and SHR(S) each were respectively or jointly fed with normal diet (ND) ,high fat and high glucose(HFHG) diet ,normal saline(NS)and ISMN by ga‐vage .Then they were randomly divided into the normal and NS group (normal W and normal S ) ,HFHG and NS group(HFHG W and HFHG S) ,normal and ISMN group(ISMN W and ISMN S) ,HFHG and ISMN group(HI W and HI S) ,with 10 rats in each group .After 12‐week feeding ,carotid arterial blood was collected for detecting blood glucose concentration and insulin level and cal‐culating insulin resistance index (HOMA‐IR);4 myocardial tissue samples were taken for respectively observing the morphology under microscope ,and detecting the NO level ,myocardial Bcl‐2 ,Bax gene and their protein expression levels in myocardial tissue . Results Myocardial NO level ,Bax gene mRNA and related protein levels in the HFHG and ISMN intervention groups were higher than those in the normal group ,while the bcl‐2 gene mRNA and related protein expression were on the contrary ;myocardial tissue NO level ,Bax gene mRNA and related protein expression in the S groups were increased compared with the corresponding W groups ,while the bcl‐2 gene mRNA and related protein expression were on the contrary ;in the HFHG W group ,the myocardial tis‐sue NO level had significantly positive correlation with HOMA‐IR ,and in the ISMN W group ,HOMA‐IR was positively correlated with the NO level in the myocardial tissue .Conclusion Myocardial cellular apoptosis of SHR is increased compared with Wistar rats ;both IR and ISMN can aggravate the apoptosis of SHR myocardial cells ,moreover IR has a mutual induction and reciprocal causation with ISMN .

Objective To study low frequency ultrasound combined with microbubbles to promote the transfection of P53 gene in human prostate cancer cells mediated by liposome.Methods Ultrasound equipment was used with a frequency of 21 kHz and intensity was 46 mW/cm2 and the working time was controlled at 20% (i.e.,2 s “on”time and 8 s “off”time)lasting 5 minutes.The human prostate cancer cell line PC-3 suspension was prepared,the cell concentration was adjusted to 1 × 10 5 cell/ ml,and cells were divided into 8 groups:control group,single microbubbles group,single ultrasound group,ultrasound combined with microbubbles group,single liposome group,liposome combined with microbubbles group, liposome combined with ultrasound group,liposome combined with ultrasound and microbubbles group. Each microbubbles group was added SonoVue 200 μl and the wild type P53 plasmid,plasmid∶liposome is 1 ∶2.At 24 hours after irradiation,Western-blot and RT-PCR were used to detect the gene transfection efficiency,CCK-8 was used to detect cell proliferation,then cell survival rate was calculated,cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry.Results After transfection,compared with single liposome group and control group,liposomes combined with ultrasound and microbubbles group can significantly improve expression of the human wild type p53 gene and protein (P <0.001).After transfection,the apoptosis rate of human prostate cancer PC-3 cells in liposomes combined with ultrasound and microbubbles group was significantly higher than that of the liposome group and control group (P <0.001).And after transfection, cell survival rate of liposome combined with ultrasound and microbubble group decreased significantly than those of single liposome group and control group (P <0.001).Conclusions Low frequency and low energy ultrasound combined with microbubbles can promote the transfection of human wild-type P53 gene mediated by liposome.

Objective To investigate the effect of isosorbide mononitrate on the levels of NO,iNOS,IL-1 and IL-6 in lung tissue of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).Methods Fourteen-week-old Wistar and SHR male rats were randomly divided into the W0,W1,S0 and S1 group,with 10 rats ineach group.Rats in the W0 and S0 group were fed with the normal saline and the ordinary food,rats in the W1 and S1 group were fed with isosorbide mononitrate and the ordinary food.Twelve weeks later,levels of NO,iNOS,IL-1 and IL6 in rat lung tissue were detected.Results Compared with the W0 group,levels of NO,iNOS,IL-1 and IL6 were significantly increased in the W1 groups (P ＜ 0.05,respectively).Compared with the SO group,levels of NO,iNOS,IL-1 and IL6 were significantly increased in the S1 group (P ＜ 0.05,respectively).In the W1 and S1 group,levels of iNOS and NO were positively correlated with IL-1 and IL-6.Conclusion 1.Isosorbide mononitrate may lead to increases of NO,iNOS,IL-1 and IL6 in lung tissue of Wistar rats,which indicates the presence of chronic inflammation.2.Longterm feeding of isosorbide mononitrate may lead to increases of inflammatory factors in SHR rats,contributing to the inflammatory state in rats.

Objective To study whether ultrasound combined with microbubbles induces suppress invasion in androgen-independent prostate cancer cells PC-3 and to identify the probable mechanism.Methods Ultrasound with a frequency of 21 kHz and intensity of 46 mW/cm2 in continuous wave mode was used.Ultrasound combined with microbubbles (200 μl SonoVue) was used to treat androgen-independent human prostate cancer PC-3 cells for 30 seconds.PC-3 cells were divided into three groups:control group,ultrasound group and ultrasound combined with microbubbles group.Twelve hours after treatment,cell growth curve we drawn,and transwell chamber model was used to do cell invasion experiments in vitro.Real-time PCR was used to measure the expression matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 messenger ribonucleic acid.Results Twelve hours after treatment,cell growth was not significant difference among three groups (P ＞ 0.05).Twelve hours after treatment,ultrasound combined with microbubbles could significantly inhibit the invasion of human prostate cancer cells (P ＜0.05).Treatment with ultrasound combined with microbubbles down-regulated the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 messenger ribonucleic acid.Conclusions Ultrasound combined with microbubbles inhibited the invasion in human androgen-independent prostate cancer cells through down-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-9.

Objective To explore the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on behaviors and hippocampus neuronal apoptosis in rats with chronic stress-induced depression.Methods 40 male SD rats of SPF grade were randomly divided into normol control group (n =8) and model preparation group (n =30) after screening.Rats in model preparation group were singly housed and given chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS) to build depression model.Excluding unsuccessful modeling rats,the model preparation group was divided into three groups:model group(n=8,without any treatment),rTMS group (n=8,with the intervention of 10 Hz rTMS) and shame group (n=8,simulation of rTMS environment without rTMS stimulus).The changes of behaviors in each group were detected by weight measurement,sucrose consumption test and open-field test.The changes of morphology of hippocampal neurons were detected by Nissl's staining.The changes of Bax in hippocampal neuron were detected by Immunohistochemical staining.Results (1) Behavioral results showed stress for 21 d could make rat behavior scores decrease significantly(all P＜0.05),and rTMS intervention could significantly improve their behavior scores (all P＜0.01).Compared with model group,the weight reduction rate (0.32±0.05)％,the score of sucrose consumption test(7.03 ± 1.02) and the score of open field test(8212.41 ± 1416.15,8.75 ± 1.58) in rTMS group was higher(P ＜0.01).(2) Nissl staining showed stress for 21 d could make the number of hippocampal CA3 neurons was reduced,cell morphology was poor,and the number of Nissl bodies was reduced.rTMS intervention could increase the number of hippocampal CA3 neurons,cell morphology was integral and the number of Nissl bodies was increased.(3) Immunohistochemistry results showed stress for 21 d could cause the number of Bax cell were significantly increased(P＜0.01),and rTMS intervention can make the number of Bax cell were significantly lower(P＜0.01).Conclusion rTMS intervention improves the depressive behavior in chronic stress depression model rats and inhibits the apoptosis,which might work through inhibition of neuron apoptosis and decline of Bax expression in hippoeampal neurons.