Objective To introduce the donor heart preservation techniques and study the clini- cal results in 26 patients undergoing orthotopic heart transplantations with long donor ischemia time (DIT) in our center.Methods From Sept.2004 to Aug.2006,26 patients underwent orthotopic heart transplantation at our center with DIT longer than 360 min.Crystalloid cardioplegia was infused through aortic root after aorta was cross clamped.UW solution was used when donor heart was removed.All patients underwent bicaval anastomotic cardiac transplantation.NO was inhaled through ventilator during and after operation in patients with pulmonary hypertension.Results DIT was 360- 560 (mean 401?43) min.There was no operative death in this group.Echocardiography and X-ray examinations in one month were normal.One case of abnormal coronary orifice was subjected to re- anastomosis of aorta.One case of renal failure post-operation was subjected to blood dialysis.Conclu- sion With proper donor heart procurement and preservation,recipient selection,anastomotic technique,efficient postoperative surveillance and pulmonary hypertension treatment,transplanted patients with long DIT can obtain the satisfactory short-term outcome.

Objective To observe and analyze the MRI manifestations of Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome(KTS).Methods Thirty-one cases with diagnosed KTS underwent MRI on a 1.5 T MR system. MRI,MR venography(MRV),MR angiography(MRA)and X-ray venography(XRV)were performed.The pathological changes of the limbs and their veins were observed.Results MRI found soft tissue hemangiomas in 12 cases,soft tissue swelling of the extremities in 27 cases,superficial varicosities in 21 cases,and malformation of the veins in 27 cases.In twenty patients who underwent both MRV and XRV, superficial varicosities in 17 cases and persistent sciatic veins in 11 cases were found with both techniques. The increase of tributary veins was found in 10 cases with XRV,while found in 15 cases with MRV.The erratic venous course was found in 4 cases with MRV.The abnormalities of deep veins were found in 8 cases with MRV,while found in 7 cases with XRV.Conclusion MRI is an efficient and reliable imaging method for diagnosis of KTS.

Objective Neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis caused by citrin deficiency (NICCD, OMIM 605814 ) is a novel autosomal recessive disease results from mutations in the gene SLC25A13 that encodes for citrin, a liver-type aspartate/glutamate cartier located in the mitochondrial inner membrane. Most of the Chinese NICCD patients diagnosed by genetic analysis had the sameSLC25A13 mutations as Japanese, however, in some cases, the known mutations were not detected. This research aimed to identify novel SLC25A13 mutations in Chinese NICCD patients and to explore the experimental conditions for their genetic diagnosis.Methods Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples of 3 NICCD patients from Taiwan (P757), Guangdong (P1194) and Hebei (P1443) Province of China, respectively; and all the 18 exons and their flanking sequences of SLC25A13 gene were sequenced. Furthermore, the identified novel mutations were diagnosed by amplification with PCR, digestion with corresponding restriction endonuclease, and agarose gel electrophoresis.Results Three novel mutations identified in SLC25A13 gene of the 3 NICCD patients were an abnormal splicing IVS7-2A>G (P757), a missense A541D (c. 1622C > A, P1194) and a nonsense R319X (c. 955C > T, P1443). The PCR-RFLP procedures for their genetic diagnosis were also established, with specific fragments on electrophoresis after digestion of the PCR products with three different restriction endonucleases Msp Ⅰ, Hpy188Ⅰ and Taq Ⅰ, respectively.Conclusions The three novel mutations in SLC25A13 gene of Chinese NICCD patients were first identified, suggesting that SLC25A13 mutation distributed in Chinese population is somewhat different from that in Japanese. Moreover, the PCR-RFLP diagnostic procedures established in this research provide valuable tools not only for the genetic diagnosis of NICCD but also for further molecular epidemiologic investigations in Chinese population.Acknowledgement We are grateful to all research subjects and their family members for their cooperation, and to many members of medical staff who contributed much to this research. This study was financially supported partially by Guangdong Provincial Research Grant for Science and Technology (No. 2004B50301008) and the Major State Basic Research Development Program of China (No. 2007CB511901 ), and by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B: Nos. 16390100 & 19390096 ) and for Asia-Africa Scientific Platform Program (AASPP) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

OBJECTIVETo compare the effect of transumbilical single-site single-port with that of transumbilical single-site double-port laparoscopic varicocelectomy in the treatment of varicocele in adolescents.

METHODSWe randomly assigned 80 varicocele patients aged 10 - 16 years to two groups of equal number to receive transumbilical single-site single-port and single-site double-port laparoscopic varicocelectomy, respectively. We compared the operation time, postoperative hospital stay, incisional pain, complications and satisfaction with the abdominal cosmetic outcomes between the two groups.

RESULTSAll the operations were successfully performed. The double-port group showed a significantly higher score on the Visual Analogue Scale than the single-port group (4.8 +/- 1.4 vs 3.6 +/- 1.1, t = -4.986, P < 0.01), but there were no significant differences between the two groups in the operation time ([29.8 +/- 4.2] vs [31.2 +/- 4.6] min, t = 1.383, P = 0.171), postoperative hospital stay ([1.95 +/- 0.7] vs [1.82 +/- 0.8] d, t = -0.784, P = 0.436), complications (0 vs 0) and scores on the satisfaction with abdominal cosmetic outcomes (4.6 +/- 0.6 vs 4.8 +/- 0.5, t = 1.253, P = 0.214). No recurrence, umbilical hernia, hydrocele and orchiatrophy were found in the two groups of patients at 6 months after operation, and no visible scar was observed on the abdominal surface.

CONCLUSIONWith strict surgical indications, single-site single-port and single-site double-port laparoscopic varicocelectomies have similar clinical effects in the treatment of varicocele, which leave no scar on the abdominal surface. Single-site double-port laparoscopy needs no special instruments and therefore is worthier of wide clinical application.

Adolescent ; Child ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; methods ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Operative Time ; Umbilicus ; surgery ; Varicocele ; surgery

Erectile dysfunction (ED) was explored to improve the clinical efficacy in terms of disease identification and syndrome typing, macroscopic and microscopic combination, complementary therapy of Chinese medicine (CM) and Western medicine (WM), and evidence-based medicine (EBM) research methods. And the advantages and disadvantages of CM and WM in treatment of ED were briefly analyzed. How to treat ED by integrative medicine was also addressed
Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Erectile Dysfunction ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Evidence-Based Medicine ; methods ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods

The average life expectancy in Macau is ranking the second in the world, the consumption of fresh medicinal plants is a profound culture in Macau. The paper focus on the distribution of the antioxidant herbs, a comprehensive investigation and analysis the amount of the plant resources was carried out. The antioxidant activity of alcohol extracts was determined by using the DPPH method, and six kinds fresh herbs with high antioxidant free radical activity were screened out. Reference to adult daily dose of vitamin C, it is calculated that the daily dose amount of fresh herbs is less than 200 g. For the expected shortage of resources and the ecological status of Macau, we give some suggestions of herbal introduction in population ecology reconstruction.
Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Ecosystem ; Free Radical Scavengers ; pharmacology ; Macau ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology

Benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) is commonly encountered in males more than 50-years-old, its clinical symptom is mainly manifestated as the dysuresia, which could seriously affect the health and quality of life of aged persons. It was suggested in this paper that the integrated medical treatment for BPH should put prominence to the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), go on the way of combining disease with syndrome and integrating macroscopic with microscopic treatment. Moreover, some methods are proposed, such as to establish practical animal model, unfold experimental research, create TCM efficacy evaluating system, improve dosage form of Chinese drugs, so as to explore the thinking ways for treatment of BPH with integrated medicine.
Animals ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; Male ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; drug therapy

An experiment was conducted using cultivated Glycyrrhiza uralensis in age of one year to study the effects of abscisic acid (ABA) on chemical components content and color of G. uralensis. By using different concentrations of ABA spraying on leaves, the change of the chemical component content was analyzed within 45 d after ABA stimulation, and the effects on quality were studied combined with colorimetric analysis data. It turned out that in some sense the content of glycyrrhizic acid and liquiritin had increased within 45 d, especially for liquiritin. After high concentrations of ABA (3.96 mg · L(-1)) stimulating, the content of glycyrrhizic acid rose 52% while liquiritin up 392% within 30 d. Then they both showed a decline in the content of glycyrrhizic acid and liquiritin on 45 d. Color index values of a* and b* were all significantly higher than that of the control group within 45 d, which meant the color of powders turned toward red and yellow. The conclusion was that ABA (3.96 mg · L(-1)) stimulating could not only improve the quality in the traditional sense through the color of G. uralensis, but also in the modern sense by improving the content of glycyrrhizic acid and liquiritin.
Abscisic Acid ; pharmacology ; Color ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Flavanones ; analysis ; Glucosides ; analysis ; Glycyrrhiza uralensis ; chemistry ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Glycyrrhizic Acid ; analysis ; Plant Growth Regulators ; pharmacology

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of tibial bone-skin flap grafts in the management of se- vere traumatic osteomyelitis complicated with bone and skin defect in leg to avoid amputation.Methods From March 1998 to Aug.2004,12 cases of the traumatic osteomyelitis complicated with bone and skin defect in leg were treated with vascularized tibial bone-skin flap graft.The longest flap was 17cm,widethest 10cm, The longest bone flap was 12cm.They were followed up for 0.6 to 5 years.Results All the tibial bone-skin flaps survived completely,2 cases of osteomyelitis recurred.The followed-up,from 0.5 to five years,showed good bone union in all cases,averageing 15 weeks.The infection was under control.The leg function and con- tour were satisfactory.Conclusion The tibial bone-skin flap has the advantages of having distinguished sign of anatomy,highly vascularized,easy to obtain,simply and flexible procedure,improving circulation,short- ens hospitalization and suitable for treatment of traumatic osteomyelitis complicated with bone and skin defect in leg.

Background Oxidative damage plays an important role in pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration( AMD ),and its mechanism is the destroy of blood-retinal barrier.Müller cells is a primary component to stabilize the inner barrier of the blood-retina.Researches showed that epidermal growth factor(EGF) can promote the proliferation and migration of animal Müller cells,but less study was found in the effect of EGF on human Müller cells. Objective The present study was to investigate the effects of EGF on the proliferation and migration of human Müller cells and its molecular mechanism. Methods Human Müller cell line MIO-M1 cells were cultured and incubated,and cultured cells were identified using glial fibrillory acidic protein (GFAP),factor Ⅷ,α-smooth muscle actin( α-SMA ),keratin and S-100.Different concentrations of EGF( 0,1,10,30,100 mg/L)was added in freeserum DMEM,and the positive rate of the cells was calculated using 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine(BrdU) method.The cells were divided into EGF group,H2 O2 group,EGF + H2 O2 group,glucose oxidase ( GO ) group,GO + EGF group,EGF + LY294002+H2O2 group according to the different intervention,and the effects of LY294002 on the proliferation of Müller cells (A590 )were detected by colorimetric assay for cellular growth and survival( MTT assay).The scratch test of Müller cells was used to assess the influence of EGF(0,1,10,30,100 mg/L)on H2 O2-induced damage of human Müller cell.Western blot was used to detect the cell proliferation under the protection of EGF on co-cultured cells using LY294002 and H2O2 and the activation of Akt signal pathways. Results The proliferative rates of the cells were 28.0％,32.9％,39.0％ in 10,30,100 mg/L EGF groups respectively and obviously higher than those in 0,1 mg/L EGF groups (24.5 ％,26.2 ％ ).Under the H2O2 culture,GO culture,respectively,the A570 value of the Müller cell in high concentrations of EGF groups was significantly increased in comparison with lower concentrations EGF groups with the statistical significance among the groups( F=23.582,P=0.000).Compared with EGF+H2O2 group,the A570value of the Müller cells was lowed in EGF+LY294002+H2O2 group.The maximum migration rate of Müller cells was found in 10 mg/L EGF group.Western blot revealed that the presence of H2O2 reinforced the expression of Akt in Müller cells,however,pretreatment with 100 mg/L EGF antagonized the harmful effect of H2O2 on Müller cells.Meanwhile,pretreatment with EGF and LY294002 reduced the expression of Akt in Müller cells. Conclusions EGF can induce the proliferation and migration of human Müller cells with the strongest effect in 10 mg/L.100 mg/L exogenous EGF has a stronger protection to the Müiller cells against H2O2-induced cell damage by activating the PI3KAkt cell survival pathway.