Objective:To explore influence of large dose atorvastatin therapy on ventricular remodeling in rats after myocardial infarction.Methods:A total of 48 male SD rats were randomly and equally divided into myocardial in-farction (MI)control group (received deionized water gavage),routine dose group (received atorvastatin 20mg/kg gavage four weeks before and after MI model was established)and large dose group (received atorvastatin 80mg/kg, in the same way as routine dose group).On two days after MI,hematoxylin eosin (HE)staining was used to detect pathological changes of myocardial tissue;four weeks later,Masson staining was used to evaluate myocardial fibrosis while echocardiography was used to assess cardiac chamber size and heart function,the results were compared among three groups.Results:Pathologic change:On two days after MI,color of stained myocardial tissue was uneven, muscular fiber arranged in turbulence,there were partial dissolved muscle focus and blockbuster collagenous fiber in MI control group;color of stained myocardial tissue was lack of even,arrangement of muscular fiber was irregular, there were less dissolved muscle focus and collagenous fiber in routine dose group;color of stained myocardial tissue was slightly uneven,muscular fiber still arranged in rules and there was very few dissolved muscle focus and still more survived myocardium in infarct area,and small amount of collagen fibrosis was found in myocardial cell clear-ance after four weeks in large dose group.Change of left ventricular structure and function:Compared with MI con-trol group and routine dose group,the left ventricular end-diastolic dimension [LVEDd,(7.68±0.54)ml vs.(7.06 ±0.68)ml vs.(6.37 ± 0.40)ml] significantly reduced in large dose group, left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF,(33.0±7.9)% vs.(39.3±2.8)% vs. (48.7%±9.1)%]significantly rose (P <0.05,or <0.01);but those indexes no significant difference between MI control group and routine dose group (P =0.059,0.146 respec-tively).Conclusion:Large dose atorvastatin may significantly relieve ventricular remodeling after infarction.

Objective:To explore the influence of nephroblastoma over expressed gene (CCN3)on differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs)into endothelial cells.Methods:BM-MSCs differentiation into endothelial cells induced by condition medium containing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF,50ng/ml)was regarded as positive control group.BM-MSCs differentiation into endothelial cells induced by condition medium con-taining recombined CCN3 protein (100 ng/ml)and VEGF (50 ng/ml)was regarded as CCN3 group,and BM-MSCs incubated in pure complete medium was regarded as negative control group.Immunofluorescence staining and semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction method (RT-PCR)were used to measure expression of von Willebrand factor (vWF)after 16d to evaluate endothelial cell differentiation,and semi-quantitative RT-PCR method was used to measured expression of Notch1 gene mRNA before and after induced BM-MSCs differentiation. Results:On 16d after induced BM-MSCs differentiation,some cells of positive vWF fluorescence staining were ob-served in positive control group,those of CCN3 group was significantly more than those of positive control group, and expression of vWF mRNA [ratio of optical density (OD): (0.550±0.090)]of CCN3group was significantly higher than that of positive control group (0.358±0.080),(P<0.01),and no vWF-positive cells were observed in negative control group;Besides,before induced differentiation,expression of Notch1 gene mRNA were low in three groups without significant difference between any two groups (P>0.05 all),on 16d after induced differentiation, expressions of Notch1 gene mRNA in positive control group (0.232±0.047)and CCN3 group (0.352±0.029)were significantly higher than that of negative control group (0.132±0.033),P<0.01 all,it of CCN3 group was signifi-cantly higher that of positive control group (P<0.01).Conclusion:CCN3 can enhance BM-BMCs differentiation into endothelial cells by activating Notch1 signal pathway.

@@

Objective To test the association between mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA) point mutations and praecox Parkinson's disease (PPD),and to investigate the characteristics of mtDNA mutations in Chinese patients with PPD. Methods Screening mtDNA A4336C, G5460A,A10398G,A13780G point mutations in 40 patients with PPD and 48 in control group was carried out by using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), dot blotting, radiant developing. And sequencing was given to the nucleotide position (np)10256～np10577mtDNA of 20 patients with PPD and 20 subjects in control group.Results Out of the 40 patients with PPD, 20 (50%)had A10398G mutation. 6 (15%) had G5460A, 5(12.5%) had A13780G, 2 (5%)had A4336C, 19 (47.5%)had C10400T mutation. Out of the 48 controls, 7(14.6%) had A10398G, 24.2% had G5460A, 1 (2.1%)had A13780G and 20 (41.7%)had C10400T, but no any A4336C mutation was found in the controls. Thus, the ratios of A10398G,G5460A,A4336C,A13780G in patients with PPD were separately higher than those in the control group. Moreover significant difference was found in A10398G point mutation (P

[Objective] To evaluate the diagnostic values of multi-detector spiral computed tomography (MDCT) in pediatric sacrococcygeal tumors (SCT) and to improve the diagnostic ability.[Methods] 54 children (22 male and 32 female,age between 1 day and 16 years old) with pathologically confirmed SCT were involved in our study.All of them received 64-row spiral Computed Tomography before surgery,CT characteristics and clinical data were retrospectively analyzed.[Results] Pediatric SCT are more common in female children under four years old,with the germ cell tumors most common,followed by neurogenic tumors.Among the 54 SCT,39cases were malignant and 15 were benign (malignant∶ benign =2.60∶1).In CT image findings,37 cases (68％) were mainly solid mass,with 31 cases confirmed malignant by pathology.8 cases (15％) were mainly cystic,with all of them confirmed benign by pathology.9 cases (17％) were cystic-solid or with obvious necrosis in solid mass,with 8 cases confirmed malignant by pathology.[Conclusion] Malignant pediatric SCT are more common than benign SCT.Most malignant SCT are mainly solid mass or cystic-solid or with obvious necrosis in solid mass,and most benign tumors are mainly cystic.Combined with clinical data,MDCT can help to correctly diagnose SCT before surgery.

[Objective] To investigate the clinical value of using prospective ECG-gating Helical protocol in whole aorta and coronary arteries CT angiography combined with low tube voltage,low contrast medium injection rate and dose technology.[Methods]A total of 60 patients (heart rate≤ 75 bpm and normal heart rhythm) with suspected aortic disease or post-operation were randomly divided into 2 groups:G1 (n =30;tube voltage:80 kV;contrast medium injection rate:3 mL/s;contrast medium dose:0.65 mL/kg)and G2 (n =30;tube voltage:120 kV;contrast medium injection rate:4 mL/s;contrast medium dose:1.2 mL/kg).The two groups underwent aorta angiography with prospective ECG-gating Helical protocol by using 320-detector CT.The mean CT values and standard deviation of aorta,coronaries and adjacent adipose tissue were measured,signal to noise ratio (signal-to-noise ratio,SNR)and contrast to noise ratio (contrast-to-noise ratio,CNR) were calculated.The subjective quality scoring of 3-d post-processing images were evaluated independently by 2 senior radiologists.The mean CT values and standard deviation of aorta,coronaries and adipose tissue,SNR,CNR,subjective quality scoring,contrast medium dose and radiation dose were compared and analyzed.[Results] The abnormal and normal rate of aorta in two groups were 83.33％ (25/30),16.67％ (5/30) and 86.67％ (26/30),13.33％(4/30);while the abnormal and normal rate of coronary arteries in two groups were 43.33％ (13/30),56.67％ (17/30) and 53.33％(16/30),46.67％ (14/30).SNR values of ascending aorta,descending aorta,abdominal aorta,superior mesenteric artery,bilateral renal artery,left main coronary artery,left anterior descending branch,left circumflex branch,right coronary artery and CNR values of abdominal aorta,superior mesenteric artery,bilateral renal artery,left anterior descending branch,left circumflex branch had no statistical significance,while the other indicators were significant differences between the two groups.The radiation dose and the contrast medium dose of G1 was significantly lower than G2 (P ＜ 0.05).There was no difference in the subjective image quality of 3D post-processing images between the two groups (P ＞ 0.05).[Conclusions] Using prospective ECG-gating Helical protocol in whole aorta and coronary arteries CT angiography combined with low tube voltage,low contrast medium injection rate and low contrast medium dose technology can help to reduce radiation and contrast medium dose without impacting on the imaging quality satisfactorily.

Objective To compare the procedural difficulty index (PDI) and immediate outcome (IM) of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with various stages of myocardial infarction.Methods Ninety-four patients with myocardial infarction were divided into three groups, direct PCI(n=38), delayed PCI(n=22) and late PCI(n=34). The characteristics of infarct-related coronary artery, PDI and IM of PCI were evaluated angiographically, and severe procedural complications (SPC) and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) during hospitalstay were documented. Results In the three groups, PDI was 1.47 ?1.79, 1.82 ?1.72 and 2.85 ?2.83, respectively (P

Objective:To analyze the curative effect of tripterygium on NOD mice and the possible mechanisms.Methods:NOD mice were divided into 2 groups,Group A:tripterygium treatment(0.07 mg/kg,intraperitoneal injection,12 weeks);Group B:saline control.BALB/c mice were enrolled as control group( Group C).Results:After experiment,Group A had lower salivary flow rate than these of Group C,but higher than these of Group B at 12 and 20 weeks old( P<0.05).Group A had higher rate of inflammatory cells apoptosis than these of Group B and Group C(P<0.05).Group A mice had lower levels of TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1βthan these of Group B(P<0.05),but higher than these of Group C(P<0.05).Group A mice had a higher level of SHIP-1 but a lower level of Mir-155 than these of Group B mice(P<0.05).Group A mice had a better neuroelectrophysiological outcomes than these of Group B mice ( P<0.05).Conclusion:Tripterygium can meliorate the sailoadentitis of NOD mice,which may though activating the SHIP-1/Mir-155 signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of connexin 43-formed hemichannels in cell volume regulation induced by simulated ischemia/reperfusion (SI/R).

METHODSMouse cardiomyocytes isolated on a Langendorff apparatus with enzyme solution were aliquoted into control, SI/R and SI/R +octanol groups. Calcein-AM was used to stain the cells and the cell volume was measured with confocal microscope by stack scanning. Trypan blue was used to measure the cell viability after the treatments.

RESULTSCalcein-AM staining and cofocal microscopy yielded stable and reproducible results for cell volume measurement. Mouse cardiomyocytes subjected to simulated SI/R showed obvious cell swelling as compared with the control cells [(126∓6)% vs 100%, P<0.05], and octanol preconditioning significantly attenuated the cell swelling [(113∓6)%, P<0.05]. SI/R caused a significant reduction of the cell viability compared to the control cells [(19∓2)% vs (45∓3)%, P<0.01], and octanol preconditioning obviously reduced the viability of the cells with SI/R challenge [(31∓2)%, P<0.01].

CONCLUSIONConnexin 43-formed hemichannels are involved in the regulation of cardiomyocyte volumes induced by SI/R challenge, and octanol can alleviate the cell swelling to enhance the viability of the cardiomyocytes following SI/R.

Animals ; Cell Line ; Cell Size ; Cell Survival ; Connexin 43 ; metabolism ; Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial ; methods ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; metabolism ; pathology ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; drug effects ; pathology ; Octanols ; pharmacology

Objective To report our first clinical experience with a novel modified culotte technique for the treatment of true coronary bifurcation lesions. Methods The novel modified culotte technique (the mono-ring culotte) stenting was done in which the side branch (SB) stent was deployed firstly followed by ex vivo wiring of a most proximal cell of SB stent with the hard end of main branch (MB) wire. Secondly, the MB stent was deployed through the most proximal cell of SB stent. The procedure was ended with kissing balloon dilation. From June 2014 to March 2015, 15 patients with true coronary bifurcation lesion were treated with mono-ring culotte stenting in our center. Results The procedures were successful in all cases without procedural complication and in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events. The procedural time was (34. 3 ± 9. 6) min, fluoroscopic time was (18. 1 ± 3. 8) min, and contrast volume was (112. 0 ± 24. 5) ml, respectively. Post-procedurally, the residual stenosis of the main and the side branch were (10. 0 ± 2. 5)% and (10. 2 ± 5. 3)% , respectively. Conclusions The mono-ring culotte stenting is safe and feasible for treatment of true coronary bifurcation lesions, and may be superior to the conventional culotte stenting.