Objective To observe the effect of passive smoking on Clara cells and secretion of Clara cell secretory protein (CC16) in rat lung tissue and to find some relations between passive smoking and chronic inflammation in the lung. Methods 40 male rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: passive smoking for 1 month (group 1), 2 months (group 2), and 3 months (group 3) and control group (n=10). The change of Clara cell ultrastructure was detected through transmission electron microscope and the lung pathology was examined by HE stain. The expression of CC16 mRNA in the lung was detected by RT-PCR. The number of Clara cells and synthesis of CC16 were detected by immunohistochemistry, the CC16 level in BALF was detected by ELISA. Results The ultrastructure of Clara cells in group 3 was destroyed greatly and the formation of pneumatocele was observed. The percentage of Clara cells in terminal bronchioles in group 2 and group 3 significantly decreased than that of the control(P

Predicting the termination of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) may provide a signal to decide whether there is a need to intervene the AF timely. We proposed a novel RdR RR intervals scatter plot in our study. The abscissa of the RdR scatter plot was set to RR intervals and the ordinate was set as the difference between successive RR intervals. The RdR scatter plot includes information of RR intervals and difference between successive RR intervals, which captures more heart rate variability (HRV) information. By RdR scatter plot analysis of one minute RR intervals for 50 segments with non-terminating AF and immediately terminating AF, it was found that the points in RdR scatter plot of non-terminating AF were more decentralized than the ones of immediately terminating AF. By dividing the RdR scatter plot into uniform grids and counting the number of non-empty grids, non-terminating AF and immediately terminating AF segments were differentiated. By utilizing 49 RR intervals, for 20 segments of learning set, 17 segments were correctly detected, and for 30 segments of test set, 20 segments were detected. While utilizing 66 RR intervals, for 18 segments of learning set, 16 segments were correctly detected, and for 28 segments of test set, 20 segments were detected. The results demonstrated that during the last one minute before the termination of paroxysmal AF, the variance of the RR intervals and the difference of the neighboring two RR intervals became smaller. The termination of paroxysmal AF could be successfully predicted by utilizing the RdR scatter plot, while the predicting accuracy should be further improved.
Atrial Fibrillation ; diagnosis ; Computer Systems ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Machine Learning

To explore the relationship between the drug-seeking behavior, motivation of conditioned place preference (CPP) rats and the frontal association cortex (FrA) electroencephalogram (EEG) sample entropy, we in this paper present our studies on the FrA EEG sample entropy of control group rats and CPP group rats, respectively. We invested different behavior in four situations of the rat activities, i. e. rats were staying in black chamber of videoed boxes, those staying in white chamber of videoed boxes, those shuttling between black-white chambers and those shuttling between white-black chambers. The experimental results showed that, compared with the control group rats, the FrA EEG sample entropy of CPP rats staying in black chamber of video box and shuttling between white-black chambers had no significant difference. However, sample entropy is significantly smaller (P < 0.01) when heroin-induced group rats stayed in white chamber of video box and shuttled between black-white chambers. Consequently, the drug-seeking behavior and motivation of CPP rats correlated closely with the EEG sample entropy changes.
Animals ; Conditioning (Psychology) ; drug effects ; Drug-Seeking Behavior ; Electroencephalography ; Entropy ; Frontal Lobe ; drug effects ; physiology ; Heroin ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

On the basis of Poincare scatter plot and first order difference scatter plot, a novel heart rate variability (HRV) analysis method based on scatter plots of RR intervals and first order difference of RR intervals (namely, RdR) was proposed. The abscissa of the RdR scatter plot, the x-axis, is RR intervals and the ordinate, y-axis, is the difference between successive RR intervals. The RdR scatter plot includes the information of RR intervals and the difference between successive RR intervals, which captures more HRV information. By RdR scatter plot analysis of some records of MIT-BIH arrhythmias database, we found that the scatter plot of uncoupled premature ventricular contraction (PVC), coupled ventricular bigeminy and ventricular trigeminy PVC had specific graphic characteristics. The RdR scatter plot method has higher detecting performance than the Poincare scatter plot method, and simpler and more intuitive than the first order difference method.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Databases, Factual ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Ventricular Premature Complexes

Objective To study the relationship and prognosis between E-cadherin gene expression and lymphatic hyperplastic reaction in gastric cancer. Methods The degree of lymphocytosis and draining lymph node from 86 cases of gastric cancer were observed and the expression of E-cadherin gene in gastric cancer were detected by SP method of immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results Lymphocyte infiltration degree around gastric cancers was positively related to the reactive hyperplasia of the lymphnodes and was inversely related to lymphatic metastasis. The expression of E-cadherin has relationship with the infiltration degree of stomach carcinoma. To compare with T1/T2 and T3/T4 phases, the result is significantly different (P ＜0.01).Meanwhile, the expression of E-cadherin was positively correlated with tumor-infiltrated lymphocytes and reactive hyperplasia of the lymph nodes, was negatively correlated with lymphatic metastasis in drainage area.Conclusion The over-expression of E-cadherin gene is significantly related to lymphoproliferation and lymph node metastasis. The abnormal expression of E-cadherin can be used as an index to determine prognosis of gastric carcinoma.

Objective To investigate the role of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) of endothelium or bone marrow derived cells in the acute lung injury (ALI) induced by lipopolyscccharide (LPS) in mice with reciprocal bone marrow transplantation. Method Chimeric mice were produced by reciprocal bone marrow transplantation between TLR4mut/mut and TLR4+/+ mice and divided into 4 groups: WT/WT (recipient/donor),WT/Mutant, Mutant/WT and Mutant/Mutant group. Six to eight weeks following transplantation, LPS was injected inot mice's tail vein in order to produce ALI model,and mice were sacrificed five hours later on.Samples of lung tissues were taken for the following analysis of wet/dry weight (W/D), lung permeabifity index (LPI), myeloperoxidase (MPO),levels of cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β) and adhesion molecules (ICAM-1). Results Lung injury in the Mutant/Mutant mice was the mildest in the 4 groups. And lung injury in WT/Mutant mice was more serious than that in Mutant/WT mice. levels of MPO and ICAM-1 in WT/Mutant mice were much higher than those of Mutant/WT. In addition,the expression of ICAM-1 in WT/Mutant mice is comarable to that in WT/WT mice. Mutant/WT mice expressed higher levels of TNF-α and IL-1β than WT/Mutant mice. Conclusions Endothelial cell derived TLR4 plays ker-nel role in ALI induced by LPS via lung PMN recruitment,although bone marrow cells derived TLR4 are more im-portant for the release of cytokines.

OBJECTIVETo compare the contents of two anthraquinone-O-glucosides in five different processed products from Rheum palamatum.

METHODThe content of aleo-emodin-8-O-beta-D-glucoside, rhein-8-O-beta-D-glucoside were determined simultaneously by HPLC on a agilent TC-C18 (2) column at 35 degrees C with the mobile phase of acetonitrile-1% glacial acetic acid (20: 80). The detection wavelength was set at 410 nm and the flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1).

RESULTThe calibration curves for two components were linear within the range of 0.017 44-0.348 8 microg (r = 0.999 8, n = 5), 0.084-1.686 microg (r = 0.999 9, n = 5), and the average recoveries were 97.82%, 97.87%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe results showed that there were remarkable variation of the two kinds of glucosides contentsamong the five different processed pieces. The contents of the crude pieces, pieces roasted with millet wine and pieces roasted with vinegar were almost the same, while the prepared pieces and charring pieces had evidently reduced contents. The are certain regularity in the variation.

Zinc finger proteins (ZNFs) belong to the largest transcriptional factor family in human genome. ZNFs are widely involved in the development and progression of digestive system cancers by promoting or inhibiting carcinogenesis. Studies have shown that the abnormal expressions of various ZNFs are closely related to the clinicopathologic features and prognosis of patients with digestive system cancers, including gastric cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer. Exploring the underlying mechanism of ZNFs will help to provide new targets for clinical treatment of digestive system cancers.

Objective:To analyze the difference of life expectancy and healthy life expectancy among Shanghai residents of different gender and age groups.Methods:Compare the trends of life expectancy among Shanghai and other longevity countries/regions. With the disability weights of GBD, Sullivan method was applied to calculate the healthy life expectancy in Shanghai and analyze the loss of healthy life years among the population of different age groups and genders.Results:In the past 40 years, life expectancy had increased by 10.86 years in Shanghai. In 2016, the life expectancy of Shanghai residents was 83.18 years old, and 80.83 years old for males and 85.61 years old for females. The healthy life expectancy of Shanghai residents was 69.46 years, and 68.68 years for males and 70.23 years old for females. The gap with life expectancy was 13.72 years old, 12.15 years old and 15.38 years old, respectively. They account for 16.49%, 15.02% and 17.97% of life expectancy, respectively. The healthy life expectancy of women in all age groups is higher than that of men with the average gap of 1.76 years. The difference between the two is as small as 1.36 years at 20-24 years old, and as large as 2.24 years at 70-74 years old. The loss rate of healthy life expectancy increases with age, with women higher than men before age 65 and vice versa after age 65 years old.Conclusions:The life expectancy in Shanghai has reached the world leading level, but the healthy life loss is still large. It is necessary to further improve the life quality with the reducing mortality rate, especially for women and men over 65 years old.

OBJECTIVETo identificate and compare constituents in the HPLC fingerprint of five Chinese herbal pieces from Radix et Rhizoma Rhei.

METHODHPLC analysis was carried out with methyl alcohol 1% glacial acetic acid as gradient elution, changes in five Chinese herbal pieces and medicinal material under 280 nm and 430 nm were compared.

RESULTHPLC fingerprints of the no-parched pieces, the liquor and the vinegar roasts pieces were similar, 24 peaks were identified under 280 nm 19 or 22 peaks could be indicated in the braising with liquor and the charring respectively. Under 430 nm, 8 peaks were identified except the braising with liquor.

CONCLUSIONHPLC fingerprints of the no-parched pieces, the liquor and the vinegar roasts pieces are similar while the changes on chemical composition and the content in braising with liquor and the charring are remarkable.