Objective To investigate the efficacy of recombinant human erythropoietin(rhEPO)in preventing and reversing dys- function of retinal neurons in streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetes in rats.Design Experimental study.Participants The early stage of diabetic rats.Method Two weeks after STZ(60 mg/kg,i.p.),diabetic rats were administered rhEPO(5000IU/kg)injection three times weekly for 2 weeks.Retinal samples of STZ-induced diabetic rats with or without rhEPO and controls were prepared for ultrathin sec- tions and subsequently photography by transmission electron microscope.Also the content of glutamate in retina of the rats was detected with high-performance liquid chromatography.Main Outcome Measures The ultrastructure of rat retinas and the content of retinal glutamate.Results Mitochondrial metamorphosis in ganglion cells occurred in STZ-induced diabetic rats without rhEPO.Obvious mito- chondrial metamorphosis couldn′t be found in STZ-induced diabetic rats with rhEPO treatment.Retinal glutamate at the end of the 4th week of STZ-induced diabetic rats had increased obviously comparing with the normal rats(P

Humans ; Hyperphosphatemia ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Phytotherapy ; methods

0.1). Plasma PAF-AH activity in the patients with psoriasis was significantly lower than that in the healthy controls(P

AIMTo prepare acyclovir liposome for improvement the entrapment efficiency and stability.

METHODSAcyclovir liposome was prepared by the reverse evaporating method. Surfactants such as sodium deoxycholate and oleic acid were added to optimize the conditions and technology of preparing acyclovir liposome. The entrapment efficiency and particle size of the acyclovir liposome were determined. The liposome stability was proved by centrifugal acceleration experiment.

RESULTSThe particle size of the acyclovir liposome was 219.8 nm with the polydispersity index of 0.158. The entrapment efficiency reached 65%. The liposome was stable.

CONCLUSIONThe results suggest that the conditions and technology are stable and practical to prepare the liposome with high entrapment efficient and stability.

Acyclovir ; administration & dosage ; Antiviral Agents ; administration & dosage ; Drug Carriers ; Drug Stability ; Liposomes ; chemistry ; Particle Size ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

Objective: To explore the relationship between platelet counts at admission and in-hospital mortality in patients with type A acute aortic dissection (AAD). Methods: We investigated 183 consecutive patients with CT conifrmed diagnosis of type A AAD treated in our hospital from 2012-02 to 2013-05. There were 126 (68.9%) male and the patients were divided into 3 sets of groups.①In-hospital surviving group,n=157 and In-hospital death group,n=26.②According to platelet counts, the patients were divided into 5 groups: Q1 group, platelet counts ≤ 119×109/L,n=36, Q2 group, platelet (120-149) ×109/L,n=37, Q3 group, platelet (150-173)×109/L, n=36, Q4 group, platelet (174-228)×109/L,n=37, Q5 group, platelet >228×109/L,n=37.③At admission, platelet ≤ 119×109/L,n=36 and platelet >119×109/L,n=147. In addition, the patients were further divided into another 4 groups based on operative condition: platelet ≤ 119×109/L with operation,n=18, without operation,n=18; platelet > 119×109/L with operation,n=96, without operation,n=51. The basic information at admission including platelet counts, WBC and D-dimer were studied in all groups, the primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. Results: The overall in-hospital mortality was 14.3%. Compared with In-hospital surviving group, the In-hospital mortality group had decreased platelet counts, lower blood pressure and higher level of D-dimer. The mortality in Q1 group (38.9%) was higher than those in Q2, Q3, Q4 and Q5 groups (10.8%, 11.1%, 8.1% and 2.7%), allP<0.001. The risk of death in Q5 group was higher than Q1 group (HR=11.2, 95% CI 2.13-123.3,P=0.007). With adjusted age, gender and other relevant factors, when platelet counts ≤ 119×109/L, the risk of in-hospital mortality with Cox multivariate model I analysis was (HR3.90, 95% CI 1.67-9.09,P=0.002), with Cox model II was (HR=2.67, 95% CI 1.15 -6.19,P=0.023). Conclusion: AAD patients with admission platelet counts ≤ 119×109/L had the high risk of in-hospital death, even with operation, lower platelet counts was still related to in-hospital death.

Objective To investigate the value of high-dose dobutamine stress echocardiography combined with two-dimensional strain imaging in early diagnosis of coronary artery disease. Methods Highdose dobutamine stress echocardiography was performed to 28 patients with suspected coronary artery disease. All wall movements were observed during resting condition and at all stress levels,respectively;the peak systolic longitudinal strain in each endomyocardial segment of left ventricular was measured; the sensitivity and specificity between visual method and two-dimensional strain imaging in diagnosing myocardial ischemia with high-dose dobutamine stress echocardiography were compared. The average peak systolic longitudinal strain was calculated against control group, coronary artery disease group during ischemia segments and non-ischemia segments, and a comparison was made inside each group as well as against the other groups. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve of the peak systolic longitudinal strain was used to predict the sensitivity and the specificity of myocardial ischemia. Results With dobutamine dose of 40 μg·kg-1 · min-1 ,wall motion abnormalities were diagnosed in 6 patients (20 segments) through visual method, myocardial ischemia was found in 15 patients (148 segments) through computing the peak systolic longitudinal strain. Inside the coronary artery disease group during ischemic　segments,the majority of peak systolic longitudinal strain was significantly reduced ( P＜0.05) compared to the non-ischemic segments and the control group. In diagnosing myocardial ischemia in high-dose dobutamine stress echocardiography, the sensitivity of visual method and two-dimensional strain imaging were 35.3％ and 88.2％(P＜0.01), specificity 100％ and 100％(P＞0.05), and accuracy 60.7％ and 92.8％ (P＜0.01). The cutoff value of the peak systolic longitudinal strain was less than or equal to 14.9％, its sensitivity and specificity in predicting myocardial ischemia were 83.3％ and 91.7％,respectively. Conclusions High-dose dobutamine stress echocardiography combined with two-dimensional strain imaging can increase the sensitivity of detecting myocardial ischemia and detect concealed myocardial ischemia. High-dose dobutamine stress echocardiography combined with two-dimensional strain imaging can be used in early diagnosis of coronary artery disease.

Background Antagonists against vascular endothelial growth factor (VECF) play key roles in treating and preventing neovascular ophthalmopathy. As a novel anti-angiogenic factor, insulin-like growth factor binding protein-related protein 1 (IGFBP-rP1) might be an antagonist against VEGF in eye. Objective This study was to explore the inhibitory effect of IGFBP-rP1, a novel anti-angiogenic factor, on VEGF-induced retinal angiogenesis in vitro. Methods The retina-choroid endothelial cell line ( RF/6A ) was cultured in DMEM containing 10% fetal bovine serum. Culture cells were divided into control group(free-serum culture group) ,10mg/L VEGF culture group and different concentrations of IGFBP-rP1 (50,100,200 mg/L) +10 mg/L VEGF group. The expression of IGFBP-rP1 in the cells was detected by immunofluorescence assay. The proliferation and migration of RF/6A cells were evaluated using MTS colorimetric assay and the chemotactic motility assay, respectively. Flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis of RF/6A cells. Results The immunofluorescence assay RF/6A cells showed the green fluorescence in cytoplasm and red fluorescence in nuclei after cells were exposed to any concentration of IGFBP-rP1 ,but only red fluorescence was seen in nuclei in control cells. After stimulation of 10 mg/L VEGF,the proliferation value (A490) was elevated and the numbers of cell migration were increased in comparison with control group (t = -15. 191, P = 0. 000; t = -21. 274, P = 0. 000 ) , but the cellular apoptosis rate was lower than the control group (t - 10. 228, P = 0. 000 ) . After treated with various concentrations of IGFBP-rP +10% VEGF, the proliferation and migration of RF/6A cells were significantly decreased in comparison with only 10% VEGF group (F = 534. 158,P = 0. 000;F = 2742. 323,P = 0.000,respectively) ,and the inhibitory effects were gradually enhanced with the increase of IGFBP-rP1 levels (P<0. 05). The apoptosis rate of RF/6A cells in 50,100 and 200 mg/L + 10 mg/L VEGF groups increased by ( 1. 26±0. 04)% ,( 1. 50±0. 07)% and ( 1. 93±0. 27)% respectively,showing significant differences among different groups ( F = 274. 273, P = 0. 000). Conclusion IGFBP-rP1 inhibits the proliferation and activity of retina and choroid endothelial cells induced by VEGF at a concentration-independent manner. It appears to be as a novel endogenous inhibitory factor in retinal angiogenesis.

Objective To investigate the value of myocardial contrast echocardiography(MCE)combined with high-dose dobutamine stress echocardiography(DSE)in the early diagnosis of coronary artery disease(CAD).Methods The dobutamine stress MCE and SonoVue contrast infusion were performed before an elective percutaneous coronary intervention in 38 patients with suspected CAD.The total and regional perfusion were scored as normal or abnormal and attributed to the three main epicardial coronary arteries using a 16-segment left ventricular model.Results An intermediate stress level was obtained in 22(58%)patients,and 9(24%)patients were obtained with peak stress.Twenty seven of 38 patients were diagnosed as CAD by quantitative coronary angiography.A perfusion defect was detected in 89% of the patients at peak stress,compared to 37% at baseline,there was significant difference(χ2=15.565,P<0.01).ConclusionsThe MCE combined with DSE can increase the sensitivity of myocardial ischemia detection.As a new non-invasive method,MCE combined with DSE could be used in the early diagnosis of CAD.

AIMTo prepare the combined system of diltiazem hydrochloride delayed-onset sustained-release pellets in order to make time-specific drug delivery system. The drug can release from the system sustained after a predetermined lag time, and the release behavior can continue till 24 hour after administrating the formulation. According to the concept of chronotherapy, the combined system is useful to improve the pharmacotherapy of cardiovascular diseases.

METHODSThe velocity-time curve of the drug release from the multiple-unit system containing pellets was consistent with the fluctuation curve following time of blood pressure and heart ratio. So the velocity-time curve was selected to describe the release behavior of the combined system. The velocity-time equation describing the release behavior of two kinds of pellets was deduced by non-linear least square model fit. And zero-order kinetics equation was adopted to fit the release behavior of different combinations which were composed of different proportion of two kinds of pellets. The velocity-time equation describing the release behavior of the combinations was deduced by non-linear least square model fit, too. The difference of combinations in velocity-time curves between theoretical value and test value was compared.

RESULTSThe results showed that the test values were closely approximate to the theoretical values. Therefore, the multiple unit drug delivery system can be described by adding the velocity-time equations of different pellets to calculate the theoretical equations.

CONCLUSIONA multiple-unit combined system containing different coated pellets, as a novel delayed-onset sustained-release system, was prepared. Then a time-specific drug delivery system has been made. The programmed drug delivery system could be predicted by adding the velocity-time equation of each kind of pellets to calculate the theoretical equations. characterized by mathematics equation. The release behavior of pellets system could be characterized by mathematics equation.

Capsules ; Delayed-Action Preparations ; Diltiazem ; administration & dosage ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Mathematics ; Models, Chemical ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods

Objective To evaluate the relationship between carotid plaque neovascularization and coronary heart disease using contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Methods We studied carotid plaques in 312 patients with coronary artery disease by contrast-enhanced ultrasound [51 patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and 261 patients with stable coronary artery disease (sCAD) ]. We analyzed sonographic features of each plaque, including the enhancement intensity of plaque (A value), the ratio of plaque to carotid artery lumen in enhancement intensity (Ratio), plaque thickness and plaque echo (soft plaque, hard plaque, mixed plaque, calcified plaque). Results The average thickness of plaque in patients with ACS and in patients with sCAD had no significant difference in statistics [(2.6±0.4) mm vs (2.9±0.8) mm, t=-1.903, P=0.058) ]. The group with ACS:soft plaque 43 (84.3%, 43/51), mixed plaque 8 (15.7%,8/51), no hard plaque and calcified plaque. And the group with sCAD:soft plaque 174 (66.7%,174/261), hard plaque 19 (7.3%,19/261), mixed plaques 16 (6.1%,16/261), calcified plaque 52 (19.9%,52/261). The percentage of soft plaque in the acute coronary syndrome group was significantly higher than that in stable coronary artery disease group (χ2=6.274,P=0.012). The A value and Ratio in patients with ACS were prominently larger than those in patients with sCAD [ (11.3±3.2) vs (8.9±3.3) dB, t=7.150,P<0.01;0.6±0.2 vs 0.4±0.2, t=7.419,P<0.01].Conclusion Carotid artery plaque neovascularization density was significantly higher in patients with ACS than that in patients with sCAD by using contrast-enhanced ultrasound, revealing that the neovascularization density is closely related to clinical symptoms of patients with coronary heart disease.