Objective To investigate the serum uric acid level in isolated systolic hypertension (ISH)in the elderly, and effect of Losartan potassium. Method Serum uric acid level were assessed spectrophotometrically using enzy matic methods in 85 ISH patients and 51 health controls. Serum uric acid level and blood pressue were compared respectively before and after the treatment of losartan potassium and Benzepril. Result Uric acid levelwas higher in patients with ISH than that in control group (P ＜ 0.01 ) . No significant difference was found between Losartan potassium and Benzepril group on the effect of lowering blood pressure. After antihypertensive treatment, uric acid level in Losartan group was significantly lower than that in Benzepril group(P ＜ 0. 01 ). Conclusion Uric acid level was marked higher in ISH in the elderly; Losartan prtassium has an additional benefit of some uricosuric effeets besides the antihypertensive effect.

BACKGROUND: Lung fibroblasts are believed to play an important role in lung tissue repair and regenerative process. The differentiation potential of lung fibroblasts is not known very well.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the multi-differentiation capacity of human lung fibroblasts.DESIGN: An observational comparative experiment.SETTING: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Beijing Shijitan Hospital and Central Laboratory of the First Hospital of Tsinghua University.MATERIALS: This study was performed at the Central Laboratory of the First Hospital of Tsinghua University from March 2006 to October 2006. Human adult lung fibroblasts were isolated as primary cultures from resected lung of patients with lung cancer.The study was approved by hospital's Medical Ethics Committee, and informed consent was signed. Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM), fetal calf serum (FCS), trypsin- ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), naphthol AS-MX phosphate and Fast Red TR were purchased from Sigma, USA. Mouse anti-human osteopondn antibody was from R&D Systems China Co., Ltd,Polyvinyl difluoride (PVDF) membranes were from Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc, Hercules, CA.METHODS: Human adult lung fibroblasts were isolated as primary cultures. Human lung fibroblasts were cultured in an osteogenic medium (containing 109-10-5 mol/L dexamethasone, 50 mg/L vitamin C and 10 mmol/L β-glycerophospate) and adipogenic medium (containing 15% horseurm, 10-8 mol/L dexamethasone and 10 mg/L insulin), or control medium (10% FCS).Ostcoblasts were detected by alkaline phosphatese (ALP) and calcium salt staining. The expression of osteopontin was measured by Western blotting. Oil Red-O staining was used for identification of mature adipocytes.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The differentiation of lung fibroblasts induced by osteogenie medium; The differentiation of lung fibroblasts induced by adipogenic medium.RESULTS: With the induction of ostcogenic medium for 2 weeks, the differentiation of lung fibroblasts was induced by osteogenic and adipogenic medium, respectively. The expression of ALP and osteopontin was increased and the deposition of calcium salt was detected. After lung fibroblasts were cultured in adipogenic medium for 14 days, part of the cells gradually experienced morphological change from original spindle into oval shape. Oil Red -O staining indicated lipid drops accumulation within cytoplasm.CONCLUSION: Under certain condition, human long fibroblasts could differentiate into osteoblasts or adipocytes that were characterized by bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

Objective To explore whether augmentation index is an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease or not,and the relationship between augmentation index and coronary artery disease severity.Methods In the study,245 subjects who were hospitalized between Dec.2003 and Dec.2004,were classified into 4 groups and their clinical and biological characteristics and the summary of the scores in each of the eight segment and aortic pressure waveform in ascending aorta were recorded respectively.Results The larger the augmentation index was,the more the number of coronary stenosis vessels was.Linear regression analysis indicated that augmentation index was significantly correlated with grade of coronary stenosis.When augmentation index was more than 45%,the sensibility and specificity was 91.5%and 92.6%respectively.In the logistic regression model,augmentation index was the independent risk factor for coronary heart disease,and the odds ratio of coronary heart disease was 1.893.The 95%CI was 1.421~2.521.Conclusion Augmentation index is an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease and a predictor of angiographic coronary artery disease severity.

Objective To investigate the differentiation potential of human lung fibroblasts.Methods The study was performed in First Hospital of Tsinghua University from March 2006 to October 2006.Human lung fibroblasts were cultured for 2 weeks in an osteogenic medium[containing 10% fetal calf serum (FCS)and 50 g/mL Vitamin C and 10 mmol/L ?-glycerophospate],adipogenic medium(containing 15% horse serum,10-8 mol/L dexmethasone and 10 mg/L insulin),or control medium(10% FCS).Osteoblasts were detected by alkaline phosphatese and calcium salt staining.The expression of osteopontin was measured by Western blotting,Oil Red -O staining for identification of mature adipocytes.Results With the induction of osteogenic medium for 2 weeks,the expression of alkaline phosphatese and osteopontin was increased and the deposition of calcium salt was detected.Mature adipocytes formed after culture with adipogenic medium for 2 weeks.Conclusion Under certain condition,human lung fibroblasts can differentiate into osteoblasts or adipocytes,which were characterized by bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

Objective To investigate the ability of the four-slice perfusion maps derived by multislice CT(MSCT)perfusion imaging (CTPI) to detect ischemic lesion in rabbit models with the middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO). Methods Sequential dynamic CT studies were performed at four slices in 2 control rabbits and another 8 with MCAO. The volume of critically ischemic lesions on CTPI maps at 1st,2nd and 3rd hour after operation and the volume of infarction measured by postmortem 2,3,5- triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining were analyzed by analysis of variance with random blocks design and linear correlation. Results In 6 of 8 animals of the ischemia group, critically ischemia or infarction was visible on perfusion maps and TTC-staining,while appearing negative in 2 control rabbits. In four-slice CTPI maps, lesions were visualized in 2 of 4 slices at least. The results of analysis of variance demonstrated that the intergroup differences were discovered between 1st , 2nd and 3rd hour after operation, and between MTT map and other CTPI maps (P

Objective To compare the efficacy of heart valve replacement(HVR) with axillary mini-thoractomy (AMT) and HVR with routine medial sternoctomy(MS). Methods The patients wre randomly divided into two groups. In group I 38 cases received HVR with routine MS, and in group II 49 cases received HVR with AMT. Results ⑴The surgical incision was invisible and cosmetic in group I and the volume of post-operative thoracic tube drainage was significantly less than that in group II; ⑵In group I the mean hospitalized days of the patients also was less than those in group II; ⑶There was no significant difference in cardiopumonary bypass time and aortic clamp time between the two groups. Conclusion Axillary mini-thoractomy could be used in most patients of heart valve replacement and has the advantage of the cosmetic and minimal injury.

Objective To explore the relationship between insulin resistance (IR) and plasma tumor necrosis factor ?(TNF ?) in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) in the elderly. Methods The levels of fasting plasma insulin (FINS) and TNF ? were determined by means of radioimmunoassay in 52 elderly patients with CHF and 36 elder healthy controls. Insulin sensitivity of CHF patients was assessed using reciprocal of the product of fasting plasma insulin and glucose (IAI). The correlation between the grades of cardiac function, left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) and IAI of the CHF patients and TNF ? were analyzed. Results Compared to the elder healthy controls, elder patients with CHF showed significantly higher levels of TNF ?〔(0 36?0 13) ?g/L vs (0 21?0 12) ?g/L, P

This guideline was published by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine,which has been developed to assist physicians performing sonographic studies of the brain in neonates and infants.Neurosonography should be performed only when there is a valid medical reason,and gain the necessary diagnostic information.Although it is not possible to detect every abnormality,adherence to the following guideline will maximize the detection of most abnormalities of the brain in neonates and infants that can be imaged with ultrasound.

Mitochondria play a central role in the regulation of cellular energy metabolism, bio-synthesis and cell death. Dysfunction of mitochondria can lead to many diseases. Mitochondrial proteomics provides important theoretical foundation for a systematic understanding of the biological functions of mitochondria, studying the mechanisms of mitochondria-related diseases, and promoting the research and development of mitochondria-targeting drugs. The methodologies, recent technology development, and characteristics and applications of mitochondrial proteomics were reviewed and the challenges and prospects were also discussed.

Objective To study on the factors of countercurrent occured in hysterosalpingography to improve the understanding of countercurrent.Methods 180 patients who underwent hysterosalpingography due to infertility were recruited,and 63 of them who were involved in countercurrent in the process of hysterosalpingography were analyzed statistically.Results The single factor analy-sis demonstrated that such four factors of primary/secondary infertility,menstrual clean days,tubal obstruction or not,and depth of cannula were associated with countercurrent,while Logistic regression analysis indicated that the factors of menstrual clean days, tubal obstruction or not,and depth of cannula during the hysterosalpingography operation were closely related.Conclusion Counter-current are caused by the comprehensive impact of several comprehensive factors like menstrual clean day,tubal obstruction or not, and cannula operation.Therefore adequate preparation should be made before and during the operation,to reduce the occurrences of countercurrent.