Objective To observe the changes of cardiac function and carotid artery structure in elderly hypertensive patients with different left ventricular geometric patterns. Methods Seventy-eight elderly patients with essential hypertension were divided into 4 groups according to left ventricular geometric patterns by ultrasonography: normal ventricular geometry group(n=34),concentric remodeling group(n=18),concentric hypertrophy group(n=11)and eccentric hypertrophy group(n=15).The 24-h ambulatory blood pressure,left ventricular function,carotid artery intima-media thickness(IMT),hemodynamic parameters and incidence of plaque were measured and compared among groups.Results Patients in concentric hypertrophy group had higher 24-h average systolic blood pressure in comparison with those in normal ventricular geometry group and concentric remodeling group(P

Objective To compare 99Tcm-MIBI MPI with delayed enhancement MRI (DE-MRI) in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM). Methods Forty patients with IDCM were included. They underwent both rest 99Tcm-MIBI myocardial perfusion imaging and DE-MRI within 7 days. 99Tcm-MIBI MPI was performed to identify diffuse or segmental abnormal perfusion patterns including reduced or defect perfusion segments. DE-MRI images were divided into 4 categories: no delayed enhancement, septal, subendocardial and transmural delayed enhancement, x2 test was used for data analysis. Results Diffuse and segmental perfusion abnormality on 99Tcm-MIBI MPI were found in 19 (47.5%) and 21 (52.5%)patients respectively, while DE-MRI enhancement was simultaneously found in 5 patients of the former (5/19, 26.3%) and 18 (18/21, 85.7%) of the latter (x2 =14.401, P＜0. 001). For those (n=18) with both segmental perfusion abnormality and DE-MRI enhancement, the number of segments of the 4 DE-MRI respectively. A significant difference was found in the DE-MRI enhancement categories between normal and defect perfusion segments (x2 = 29. 183, P ＜0.001 ) and between reduced and defect perfusion segments as well (x2 =25. 110, P＜0. 001). Conclusions Both diffuse and segmental perfusion abnormalities on 99Tcm-MIBI MPI can be found in patients with IDCM. DE-MRI enhancement is more frequently found in patients with segmental perfusion abnormality.

Objective To investigate the effects of cognitive interventions (CIs) in the context of communi- ty based rehabilitation (CBR) on cognitive deficits (CDs) in stroke patients.Methods Ninety-two stoke patients with CDs were randomly divided into a CI group and a control group.All patients were treated with conventional CBR.In addition,the patients in the CI group were also treated with special intervention therapy.The patients in both groups were assessed with the neurological and cognitive status examination (NCSE) for cognitive functioning, the FCA for motor function and the BI for their ability in the activities of daily living.Results The NCSE,FCA and BI scores in the cognitive intervention group after treatment were significantly higher than those before treatment and also significantly higher than those in the control group after treatment.Conclusion CIs can not only improve CDs,but also enhance recovery of motor function and ADL.

Objective: To understand the relationship between coxsackievirus B and pediatric diseases. Methods: The infectious state of coxsackievirus B in hospitalized children were studied. Among 796 children studied, there were 218 upper respiratory tract infection cases, 179 pneumonia, 106 asthma, 155 myocarditis, 19 allergic purpura and 89 other diseases. The antigen (CVB-Ag) and IgM (CVB-IgM) were detected using ELISA method. Results: (1)There were 47% positive of CVB in upper respiratory tract infection and 48% positive of CVB in pneumonia(no difference between them, P>0.05). (2) There were 62% positive of CVB in asthma, 61% positive of CVB in myocarditis and 68% positive of CVB in allergic purpura(no difference among them, P>0.05)； But the positive rate of CVB in asthma, myocarditis and purpura were higher than in upper respiratory tract infection and pneumonia, (P<0.05). (3) There were lower positive rate of CVB in other kinds of diseases (16%) and in healthy children (3%)(no difference between them, P>0.05). Conclusion: CVB infection was related to several kinds of diseases, the relationship between CVB infection and diseases such as asthma, myocarditis, and allergic purpura should be further studied.

Background Erythropoietin (EPO) has a protective effect on retinal neurons in many retinal diseases,but regarding the effect of EPO on apoptosis of retinal photoreceptor cells in retinal detachment (RD) is uncompletely clear.Objective This study was to investigate the protective effect of endogenous EPO on photoreceptors in a rat model of RD and explore its possible mechanism.Methods Seventy-two Sprague- Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned to control group,RD group,RD+PBS group,RD+erythropoietin soluble receptor (EPOsR) 2, 20, 200ng groups with 12 rats for each group.1.4% hyaluronic acid was slowly injected into the subretinal space to induce RD in rats,and PBS or 2,20 or 200ng EPOsR was then injected into the vitreous space.On day 3 after RD,apoptotic photoreceptors were detected using transferase-mediated dUTP nickend labeling (TUNEL),and caspase-3 activity was assessed by Western-blot and immunofluorescence staining.On day 14 after RD,retinal histopathologic examination was carried out and outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness was measured under the light microscope.The use of animals complied with the Statement of Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. Results Apoptotic photoreceptors were seen in ONL of rats of the RD group.Apoptotic photoreceptors were gradually increased with the elevation of EPOsR dose in the vitreous cavity.Western blot and immunofluorescence consistently showed that the gray scale of caspase-3 activity was 0.15±0.04,0.49±0.03,0.50±0.07,0.63±0.03,0.69±0.04 and 0.83±0.04 in the normal group,RD group,RD +PBS group,RD+EPOsR 2,20,200ng groups respectively with statistically significant differences (F=76.016;P=0.000),and caspase-3 activity was considerably stronger in the RD+EPOsR 200ng group than the other groups (P＜0.01).On day 14 after RD,the ONL thicknesses in the normal control group,RD group,RD+PBS group,RD+EPOsR 2,20,200ng groups were (47.39±3.39)μm,(33.96±3.54)μm,(31.83±5.21)μm,(31.40±2.63)μm,(24.99±2.06)μm and (19.30±3.71)μm,showing significant differences among these groups (F=44.733,P=0.000).ONL thicknesses the groups treated with different doses of EPOsR were markedly thinner than that of the RD group and RD +PBS group (P＜0.01).Conclusion EPOsR induces apoptosis of retinal cells and enhances the activity of caspase-3 in a dose-dependent manner.Endogenous EPO can protect photoreceptors against anoxia-mediated damage in RD eyes through decreasing caspase-3 activity and inhibiting apoptosis.

Objective To investigate the effects of extracellular ATP on the expression of(Mi- crotubule associated proteins MAP-2)and the recovery of motor function after spinal cord injury in rats. Methods Six rats were selected randomly from 66 adult healthy Wistar rats as the normal control group,the rest animals were divided into two groups after contusion injury was performed by drop weight method with Allen impactor:Group A(ATP group)and Group B(control group),each group contained thirty rats.At days 1,3,7,14,and 28 after injury,the rats were killed,the expression of MAP-2 was detected with immunohistochemistry.The expression of MAP-2 in the adjacent area was quantitatively an- alyzed with a computer image analysis system.The recovery of motor function after spinal cord injury was assessed with improved Tarlov scores.Results The expression of MAP-2 was higher in Group A than in Group B after spinal cord injury in rats.Significant difference was revealed by the expression of MAP- 2 between the two groups at days 14 and 28 after injury(P

Objective To study the effects of cooking practice education on their status of nutrient intake and blood glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) over 60 years old.Methods Four-hour cooking practice education lecture was offered per month for 57 patients with T2DM over 60-year old based on balance diet and food exchange list,with features including requiring patients joining the lecture with their family members together,demonstration of raw and fresh dietary materials and cooked food,choice of food to eat by the patients themselves according to their own dietary regimen.Sixty patients with T2DM who were only educated by outpatient department of nutrition for 35 minutes were selected as control.After twelve months of education,indices such as scores of awareness of knowledge of food exchange list,status of nutrient intake and blood glucose control,and so on,were compared between the two groups to evaluate the effects of cooking practice education.Results After 12- month education,score of knowledge of food exchange list in the experiment group increased significantly,as compared to that in the control group.Intake of energy [(6304?826) kJ] and fat [(46?6) g] decreased significantly in the experimental group [(6921?860) kJ and (63?9) g,respectively],and fasting blood glucose [(7.1?0.8) mmol/L],postprandial blood glucose [(11.2?1.1) mmol/L] and glycosylated hemoglobin A1c [(6.2?0.5)%] were decreased significantly,as compared to those in the control group [(7.8?0.9) mmol/L,(12.4?1.2) mmol/L,and (6.5?0.7)%)],respectively.Conclusions Cooking practice education is effective to correctly use diet regimen and improve status of nutrient intake and control of blood glucoses for over-60-year patients with T2DM.

To investigate the influence of Anxin granules combined with tirofiban on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) Patients after elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). One hundred and twenty AMI patients were randomly divided into treatment group and control group. The patients in the two groups were all given Tirofiban 30mins before PCI . The treatment group was added Anxin granules 30 mins before and after PCI. Tissue factor (TF) and von willebrand factor (vWF) were tested at 6 hours after operation. Syndromatology alteration of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and bleeding complications were observed at 4 weeks after operation. Both TF and vWF at 6 hours after operation of the treatment group was lower than the control group significantly (P < 0.01), while the condition of myocardial ischemia at 90 mins after operation of the treatment group was better than control group with significance. The syndromatology alteration of TCM especially spontaneous perspiration and hypodynamia of the treatment group were improved significantly compared to control group 4 weeks after operation. All patients in both groups had no bleeding complications and thrombopenia. The study suggests that Anxin granules combined with tirofiba can improve the clinical efficacy and the endothelial function of AMI patients after PCI with no increase in bleeding events.
Aged ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction ; complications ; metabolism ; surgery ; Postoperative Hemorrhage ; drug therapy ; etiology ; metabolism ; prevention & control ; Thromboplastin ; metabolism ; von Willebrand Factor ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo identify SNP in flos Lonicerae, and authenticate Lonicera japonica from its adulterants and the mixture by using bidirectional PCR amplification of specific alleles (Bi-PASA).

METHODSNP of L. japonica and its adulterants was identified by using ClustulW to align trnL-trnF sequences of the Lonicera genus from GenBank database. Bi-PASA primer was designed and the PCR reaction systems including annealing temperature optimized. Optimized result was performed in 84 samples to authenticate L. japonica, its adulterants and the mixture.

RESULTWhen the annealing temperature was 61 degrees C, DNA from L. japonica would be amplified 468 bp whereas PCR products from all of the 9 adulterants were 324 bp. The established method also can detect 5% of intentional adulteration DNA into L. japonica.

CONCLUSIONThe Bi-SPASA could authenticate L. japonica from its adulterants and the mixture.

Alleles ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; methods ; DNA, Plant ; analysis ; genetics ; Flowers ; genetics ; Lonicera ; classification ; genetics ; Plants, Medicinal ; classification ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; RNA, Transfer, Leu ; genetics ; RNA, Transfer, Phe ; genetics ; Reproducibility of Results ; Species Specificity

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the method to correct the seconary nasolabial deformities after the surgical treatment in the patients with bilateral cleft lip.

METHODSFrom January 2000 to June 2003, forty patients with secondary deformities following repair of bilateral cleft lip were treated with a combined treatment procedures. AU of the forty cases underwent the following preoperative treatments: alveolar bone graft in 28 cases, preoperative orthodontics in 22 cases, prosthodontics in 20 cases and orthognathic surgery or distraction osteogenesis treatment in 20 cases, respectively. In order to improve the enlongation of nasal column, reconstruction of Cupid's bow, philtrum and correction procedures, continuous incision was made from the vermilion in median of the upper lip, the scar edge, the bilateral sides of the nasal column to the inner side of the nose, even extending the bilateral incision to nasolabial groove and nostril fundus.

RESULTSForty patients were got the follow-ups for 3 months to 3.5 years and the satisfactory rate reached 95%.

CONCLUSIONIt is natural to emphasize the setting up of odontomaxillary frame and then utilize the surgical procedure to correct the secondary nasolabial parenchyma deformities. The method could be feasible and reliable for the correction of the secondary nasolabial parenchyma deformities after bilateral cleft lip repair.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Cleft Lip ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lip ; pathology ; surgery ; Male ; Nose Deformities, Acquired ; etiology ; surgery ; Postoperative Care ; Postoperative Complications ; surgery ; Reproducibility of Results ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; methods ; Treatment Outcome